The Buie Knife

Worst Senator in U.S. History, Theodore Bilbo, Ruled Over DC Like Plantation Overseer

Overwhelming Senate passage of legislation giving DC residents a voting representative in the U.S. House of Representatives reminds me of the long history of the struggle for DC Voting Rights. It was, or should have been, an integral part of the civil rights movement, because of the historic disenfranchisement of African Americans in the district.

The most appalling chapter in that history was in the 1930s and 1940s when Senator Theodore Bilbo of Mississippi was the de facto "mayor of Washington," as the head of the Senate's District of Columbia Committee. He ruled the city like a autocratic plantation overseer. Bilbo was perhaps the very WORST senator in American history: an unspeakable ignoramus bigot. He once called Claire Booth Luce a "nigger lover," repeatedly praised Adolph Hitler, had ties to Nazi sympathizers in the U.S. and declared that whites were "justified in going to any extreme to keep the nigger from voting." For years he blocked anti-lynching laws. (Source)

In his fascinating book, Washington Goes to War, journalist David Brinkley described the awful Bilbo and his rule over Washington. He wrote:

Bilbo seemed to hate everyone: communists, Jews, union leaders, union members, anyone who could, by any definition, be called a foreigner, and above all, of course, blacks. And Bilbo never hesitated to make his hatreds known.

Washington Is Still A Fun, Fascinating Town

"Our Town: Politicians run against it. Tycoons sneer at it. But I'll stick up for Washington," by Leonard Downie in The Washington Post: "Washington always does more to change its newcomers than the newcomers do to change it. It changed me by increasing both my skepticism about power and its abuses and my appreciation of the many, many people here who sincerely try to use their access to power for the public good, regardless of ideology or personal ambition."

More on this Blog About Washington, DC

DC Metro Residents Sit in Traffic for a Week and a Half Each Year!

I thank my lucky stars I moved away from Washington, DC when I read this: Residents of the Washington metro area spend AN AVERAGE of 60 hours a year sitting in traffic. Gridlock costs an average of $710 per traveler in DC. The only consolation is that Los Angeles metro-area residents spend an average of 72 hours per year sitting in traffic. Click.

Political Battles Shift to States

No matter what cause or organization you work for, it's difficult to feel like you're making an impact in Washington these days. My sense that the states are where the action is was confirmed by this article:

"With Congress increasingly deadlocked over major issues, much of the legislative action has shifted to state capitals. Rather than start initiatives in Washington, many corporations and public policy groups are launching campaigns in state capitals. Political victories at the state level can build momentum for congressional action in such areas as energy deregulation, welfare reform and environmental legislation." -- "Eudy's PR-lobbying Firm (Capstrat) Is One-Stop Influence Shop," Rob Christensen and David Ranii, News and Observer, Raleigh, NC.

A Good Time to Consider Leaving Washington

Owners Are Unable to Move Up: Hot real estate market disrupts pattern of trading up to a bigger house or a tonier neighborhood. (Sandra Fleishman, Washington Post)

DC Area Adds 75,000 People Per Year: (D'Vera Cohn and Michael Laris, Washington Post)

Average Washington Commuter Spends 67 Hours a Year in Congestion: (Steven Ginsburg, Washington Post)

Divide Between Rich, Poor in Washington Region Grows: (D'vera Cohn, Washington Post)

Washington Has Nation's Second Worst Rush-Hour: The area's road network is congested eight hours per day, up from 7.2 hours daily a decade earlier. Motorists waste 54 gallons of gas a year idling in backups, up from 36 gallons in 1991. They also waste $667 each in lost time and fuel, compared with $320 a decade earlier. (Katherine Shaver, Washington Post)

Baseball in Washington for the First Time in 34 Year!

Washingtonians are thrilled to have a home baseball team again. Washington Cheers As Long-Sought Team Makes Winning Debut. (Great slideshow on Washington Post site.) Also, check out the home page for coverage of the Nationals on WashingtonPost.com. My eight-year-old son and I had the privilege of attending Sunday's game between the Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks at RFK Stadium. What a barrel of fun! The Nationals won 7-3. It was their fifth straight win. We sat near NBC's Tim Russert, and Democratic political consultant James Carville. I brought a video camera to the game. Here are a couple of video clips from our experience.

You can now watch Nationals baseball online -- the local tv blackout doesn't include the web. www.nationals.com

Video clips:

Download 4jimandalex.wmv

Download 9carville.wmv

"The arrival of the Washington Nationals has changed...not just the way I look at sports, but more importantly, the way I look at Washington. For 15 years, I've felt like a resident alien here; now, a brand-new baseball team has made the city feel like home. " -- Steve Hendrix, The Washington Post.