The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age
    Barth's picture

    Fighting Back

    By Barth on Sun, 01/24/2010 - 8:55pm |
    Yes. Frank Rich has it right, of course. Rachel Maddow has explained how to do it. Frankly, I thought I had something to add but not many people seemed to agree.

    Still, it is easier to come up with this stuff from the sidelines, I guess. Presidents and their staffs feel so much weight on them with every decision, that sometimes a little distance helps.

    That is why The West Wing was so valuable. So many of the people writing and otherwise working on on that stupendous, invaluable program had worked for President Clinton or on Capitol Hill, but were a continent away, writing fiction, and sometimes came up with their best stuff there. For instance, from the fourth season episode called "College Kids" nominally talking about a college tuition idea but certainly applicable to the current situation:

    TOBY
    There are a lot of reasons not to do it...There are a lot of reasons not to do it, but during the first campaign the President said there are two kinds of politicians.

    SAM
    The ones who try to say yes, and the ones who try to say no.

    TOBY
    We're going to throw these guys out 'cause they want to say no.

    C.J.
    I guess if we're going to get thrown out, I don't want it to be for that. Let's take it to Leo.


    add the spectacular Aimee Mann singing the James Taylor song "Shed a Little Light" (she needs to record this someday) and you really have something.



    I suspect Mr. Sorkin will not object if the White House finds a way to use this.