Now that I'm actually exiled...

Without much further ado, here is my highly anticipated first blog post since getting into Washington, D.C.

First off, Reagan National is quite an impressive airport.  It was nice and bright and cheerful, and the first store the exit hallway leads you to is aptly named "America!" and has any American themed item you could wish for.  I had to check my ginormous bag, and fortunately it was already on the bag return conveyor belt by the time I got there.  So I'm thinking... wow, this is great, everything's going exactly as planned.

Then I get to my taxi.  There was a line to a get a taxi and a nice man pointed me the the correct taxi, and the taxi driver seemed nice enough and we had a nice rapport about country music.  I was telling about how little I knew about it, he was telling me how shocked he was that I was from Texas and somehow I didn't like it.  Things took a turn for the worse when we get to my end point, GWU, and he told me I owed him $26 for a fifteen minute cab ride.  While I knew others had only paid $15 for a similar cab ride and that that price was way too much, I paid it anyway because... I really don't know why.  So, I learned my first lesson here in DC, which is to never trust a taxi driver.  Ever.

I check in with the GWU Summer Housing people, and I'm told where my building and room will be during my six-week stay.  I get to my building, and it is by far the nicest dorm room I have ever stayed in.  There are two bedrooms within each suite, each housing two residents. Each bedroom has its own bathroom, so no more communal bathrooms for me!

I ended up later that afternoon walking around campus and I found a sign pointing to the White House, and so    I made a short trek there.  I waved to the Obamas when I got there, and the President himself told me how happy he was that I was in DC working to make a better nation for all Americans.  Did this actually happen?  With me being the sole source of information from my journeys, I guess you'll just have to trust me.

Anyway... I start my job next week as the newly appointed Green Jobs Czar for the Obama Administration.  I got a great referral from the Wesley Foundation on how well I did as Green Czar during the last retreat, and I am really looking forward to walking in the same footsteps of my predecessor, Van Jones.  So if anyone has ideas about how to create green jobs, just remember that the Obama Administration is always open to outside thought, especially ideology that is in direct conflict with their own.  I'll keep everyone posted on how this job works out.

-Jeremy

The No Spin Zone: Dirty, Sexy, Politics

Well, after this week, I think we will all think twice before electing a congressman with the last name Wiener.  But really, why should he be demonized?  He has connected with young Americans using social media in ways that have never been seen before.

I have read many different opinions on if he did anything wrong, if he should resign, etc.  I have read many opinions from Rep Wiener's political allies that claim that his personal life shouldn't be under scrutiny because he has liberal social views on marriage and the family as opposed to conservatives, whose every indiscretion should be highly publicized and scrutinized.  In all honesty, they might as well be saying that we shouldn't expect any better from Democrats because... they're Democrats.  Using this logic, people like Rep Wiener and former President Clinton don't have to live up to the same standards that most reasonable people try to live up to because they have a (D) listed after the name. That is just ridiculous, no pun intended.

When Republicans become involved in sex scandals, they're ostracized and are usually called upon to resign, by members of their own party, no less.  Some examples would be Jeb Bush and Newt Gingrich who at some point in time might have been credible Presidential candidates, but have since become political afterthoughts.  Many Republican Congressmen like Reps Mark Foley and Chris Lee subsequently resigned after embarrassing scandals came out.  Because they're Republicans, they're terrible hypocrites who live a life modeled after the expression of "Do as I say, not as I do." Personally, I actually agree with these people who believe that Republicans should live up to the same standards that they preach.  With that said, scandals involving Democrats might be less ironic, but they're just as idiotic.  

Summary: Republicans who are involved in sex scandals are kicked out of the party.  Democrats, on the other hand, become the most popular person at the party.

Many of Wiener's allies claim that it is unrealistic for us to want our politicians to be perfect.  I disagree.

It is not unrealistic for us to expect our public officials to not send pictures of their penises to college women.

It is not unrealistic for us to expect our public officials to not be getting oral sex in the Oval Office.

It is not unrealistic for us to expect our public officials to not lie about their cheating and other indiscretions.

I don't expect perfection, but I will never ignore stupidity and arrogance.

-Jeremy