Lessons Learned

i realized that i haven't updated a completely brainless, menial post...so i figure i'd use this opportunity to prove the world the correct chicken wing eating etiquette. now for those who know me, know that i'm a huge fan of chicken wings of all sorts. ans for those who know me, they know that when it comes to eating wings, it doesn't have to be clean as long as the meat gets in my mouth.

but now that i've seen the video below, i will have to be careful not to leave pieces of meat sticking to the bone.

14-9

in this political bubble that i live in, today was a watershed moment...the senate finance committee passed comprehensive health reform by a vote of 14-9, with the honorable senator from maine crossing partisan lines to vote with history.

after a historic two week markup in committee, 70-80 hour work weeks, countless late nights, and unhealthy amounts of stress later...we've come to this point. never in history have we come so far on health care reform. though we're not there yet, it is inching its way forward and the anxiety and anticipation of progress is palpable in our little corner in the dirksen building.


looking back, my high point of the markup would have to be hearing senator snowe give her closing statement: “Is this bill all that I would want? Far from it. Is it all that it can be? No. But when history calls, history calls. I happen to think that the consequences of inaction dictate the urgency of Congress taking every opportunity to demonstrate its capacity to solve the monumental issues of our time.” those few words, so eloquently delivered, brought satisfaction to the hours and effort put into securing her vote. of course she is far from guaranteed to stay with us through the end, for this moment, we can stand tall and breathe a sigh of relief.

a close second to this closing moment of redemption would be senator rockefeller's heartwarming recanting of his dedication to the needy. his command of the audience, senators among them, hanging onto his words as he emotionally told the story of an immigrant worker he once tried to help get a job. and though with all his efforts, with his family name, and with his heartfelt dedication, this man faced the tragedy of insurmountable challenges placed upon a hardworking immigrant's shoulder, and he couldn't break through. tearing up, senator rockefeller gave the speech of the markup.

these are just a couple of the very memorable and unforgettable moments during the past few weeks. i know it is something that is hard to comprehend for those existing in the real world, but for us policy junkies living and breathing by every vote count and cbo dollar lost or gained, today was one giant leap forward in our ultimate goal. hopefully the coming months will bear fruit to our labors and we'll see our president of change penning his name to the largest domestic reform of our generation.

In the Background

the past few weeks were spent combing through conceptual language for a final release, hand holding staff and bosses to win their votes, furiously typing talking points to ensure issues were clear, and cramming marathon briefings to ensure the whole show ran smoothly. all this led up to the finance committee markup of the America's Healthy Future Act of 2009.

and now that we're well into our second week of a seemingly never ending markup, most of the staff have begun to physically and mentally crumble. after a month of 15+ hour days and adrenaline rushed days...copious amounts of junk food and sugar littered around our offices...sleep deprivation altering our perceptions of humor...the staff is finally getting some love. though i'm still far to junior a staff member to be mentioned, it's the office camaraderie...the band of brothers mentality...that makes this post story all the more enjoyable.

as for my own recognition, my own collection of political capital, came on tuesday afternoon when comparative effectiveness finally came up for debate. after prepping for days to ensure my advice to the boss was clear and cogent, i finally got the seat behind the chairman, ready to whisper him concepts to be understand and arguments to be made. though sadly, for an hour or so debate, my sage guidance of the senior senator from montana only made it on cspan for about two minutes. don't get me wrong, it's not about the face time or the glory (though my vanity could have been stoked just a bit more for my tastes), it's about winning the votes...and that we did.

so there it is, my moment in the largest social policy debate in the last generation. for those who may actually be interested in my celebrity, i come up at the 3:11:00 minute mark on the cspan video.