Overheard

Cat Lewis - 08:21 pm Pacific Time - Jan 25, 2005 - #4978 of 4985 "For if this nation is to remain true to the ideals symbolized by its flag, it must not wield the tools of tyrants even to resist an assault by the forces of tyranny." Justice John Paul Stevens, for the minority in Rumsfeld v. Padilla.

To provide some insight...

I agree that Cokie is a media whore, but - at least 15 years ago - she was a nice person.

Her sister, Barbara, was Mayor of Princeton, NJ. I was running a non-profit at the time, and Barbara steered at least $1 million our way, in donations. The family was solidly Democrat.

At the time of Hands Across America, then-governor Tom Kean provided the money to host a breakfast for local politicians, to promote HAA. It proved to be a very unusual gathering - we had all the top pols there, from both parties, all trying to outdo each other because we had all the local network affiliates there, with cameras.

We had a beautiful little girl - 4 years old - who was the local poster child for HAA. I made a dress for her - red, white and blue - and she was a charmer. Trouble was, a day before the breakfast, she came down with measles.

Local newspapers had bold headlines - "Hands Across America Girl has Measles!"

But she came to the breakfast. Her mom told me that she still wasn't feeling well, but that the doctor had said that the contagious period had passed. Poor little thing was SO brave!

At one point, I was standing with 3 or 4 pols (including Cokie's sister and little girl, with her mom holding her). The conversation got around to the fact that measles are highly contagious, and that grown men who haven't had measles can become sterile, upon contact with an infected child. At that very moment, a group of 5 or 6 Repub politicians walked by.

Barbara immediately snatched the child from her mother's arms, yelled, "I know some people I HAVE to introduce this child to!", and ran off. We cracked up!

A few months later, Barbara died of cancer. I wrote to the family, expressing my condolences and relating this story to them. I received a personal note from Cokie, inviting me to DC for a visit. I went - and had the time of my life.

She's a really nice person, and fun.

She's just been in DC too long.

I'd almost forgotten the Cokie Roberts I used to listen to (and respect) on National Public Radio many years ago. Her ability to navigate liberal and conservative viewpoints and emerge with an insightful opinion was skillful (was being the operative word).

Cat's last sentence, "She's just been in DC too long," probably nails it, although - their marriage advice book notwithstanding - Cokie should've dumped Steve Roberts a long time ago because he obviously wasn't the person to impede her downward slide. She still would have required a move to LA for a complete rinse, but new surroundings might have saved her.

Groucho Marx would have a field day with today's Cokie Roberts, a person I'd be tempted to render homeless and hungry just to revive whatever sense of humanity she once had. The RNC talking points; the conventional Conventional Wisdom she espouses as though it was unique; her above it all conceit: nothing short of intolerable. On the plus side, she and Maura Liason were instrumental in helping me go Cold Turkey on a debilitating National Public Radio habit.