A Full Bladder And The Washington Post
The principle difference between simple misery and abject wretchedness, is the difference between a full bladder on a long stretch of highway, and a full bladder on a long stretch of very bumpy highway. Several years ago, upon learning of my happy fortune to get a load going through my hometown in Louisiana, I celebrated by stopping to fill my travel mug with delicious Community Coffee. Nectar of the gods it is, provided the gods have ready access to the necessary accommodations. As I negotiated the final leg of I-10 leading to the truck stop, my longing to see my family was replaced by a more urgent and pressing need. Thanks to my usual luck, and a good dose of government incompetence, that last stretch of I-10 had enough holes, craters, gashes, cavities, breaks, wounds, fractures, gaps, chasms, and outright canyons to make the moon envious, and me a sloshing bio-hazard.
Getting into the parking lot as quickly as possible, I found a small but seemingly maneuverable “hole” to back the trailer between two other trucks. This is called, “slow maneuvering,” for obvious reasons and it is, in my experience, the principle reason why many would-be truck drivers wash out of training. The trucks on either side of me had done a sloppy job of parking, leaving me precious little room to squeeze in between them,…but I was on a mission. My set-up for the maneuver was less than stellar, and left more “blind side” on the passenger side of the trailer than was prudent, …but I was on a mission.
Slowly backing up, I had cleared the truck to my left (driver’s side) and was maneuvering the cab so that I could see through the right mirror to check my clearance on the blind side when I heard a blast from an air horn. Yep, the passenger side of my trailer had crunched the mirror of the truck to my right. In my haste, I had abandoned the fundamentals of proper backing, and the result was predictable. It didn’t help my bladder situation either.
I was remembering all this while reading the Washington Post today, because the Post always brings out the best in me. Discussing the advice being given the Obama administration, Jena McGregor weighs whether or not a massive staff shakeup is in order. It’s as if, when calling my dispatcher to tell her that I had screwed up, I should have blamed it on the air conditioning, or the cd player. I did confess to my boss that I was distracted by the urgent need to tinkle, but it was still my mistake and I owned it totally. I was smack in the middle of a no-whining (and no-whizzing) zone.
Not so with the President, who fancies being talked about like a dog but insists that George Bush ate his homework. Richard Cohen is quoted in the article as saying, "What Obama can do, what he must do, is get some new people. ... His staff ill-serves him so that he presents a persona at odds with his performance."
That his performance corrupts his persona (or is it the other way around?), has nothing to do with his staff. He persona on the campaign trail was messianic, while his performance is just plain messy. Nevertheless, he is the one at the wheel. He can’t blame it on his staff, or the new carpet, or the Queen’s Ipod. He is the one who set the agenda with the stimulus, the takeover of private enterprise, the payoffs to unions, the horrendous healthcare law, a job-killing moratorium in the gulf coast, and a regulatory / confiscatory boot on the very throat of the private sector. The results have been as predictable as my own act of stupendous idiocy in that parking lot. So Mr. President, you’ve got the results your agenda guarantees. Grow up and claim ownership. The oval office is a no-whining zone. And don’t worry about a staff shakeup. The American people will begin handling that for you soon enough.
- Comment (25)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (2)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments :
Re: A Full Bladder And The Washington Post
I defy anyone to read the headline and not read the post. What an entertaining way to end my (East Coast) night. Thanks, Dave. And my day started by taping the Ricochet podcast with Rob, Peter and the gang. It's been a Ricochet Day.
Jul '10
Re: A Full Bladder And The Washington Post
Have to disagree with you, Trace. I think this is the quote of the week:
Jul '10
Re: A Full Bladder And The Washington Post
I guess what Yer saying is Obama will "shake" his administration... which will probably be done sitting down.
Edited on Sep 9, 2010 at 4:38amJun '10
Re: A Full Bladder And The Washington Post
Lileks and Carter hit back to back homers! The home team is hot tonight!
Jun '10
Re: A Full Bladder And The Washington Post
Making it to the facility in the nick of time is one reason for the Hallelujah Chorus.