Posted on 07/26/2006 8:08:39 PM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John
In preparation for our recent trip to Washington, Little Marathon Pundit rode her bike to the local public library, checking out several books about our nation's capital.
One of those books was the recently published My Senator and Me, A Dog's Eye View of Washington, written by Senator Edward M. Kennedy.
It's a children's book written from the perspective of Kennedy's Portuguese Water Dog, Splash. Yes, the dog's name really is Splash, and pundits have made wisecracks about the name in reference to that 1969 driving incident, but in fairness to Splash, the wet-nosed one was named that before Kennedy bought him.
As the dog explains:
I know a lot about the Senate because I work there too, always at the side of my Senator. His name is Edward M. Kennedy. My name is Splash. Let me explain....(My note: Having a multi-millionaire father and a brother in the White House helps a bit, as Kennedy learned in 1962.)
The only way to become a Senator is to be elected by the people of your home state.
Sadly, conflict invades Splash's world, as the canine tells the reader after what seems to be good news arrives at Kennedy's office.
"The Senate has voted to approve our education bill!" one staff member says. "Our bill will make schools safer, let them hire more teachers, and even put a computer in every classroom!"Splash doesn't go into any detail on what else is in his Senator's bill. Knowing Kennedy, it's a safe assumption that school vouchers or merit pay for teachers are not in Kennedy's legislation. To be sure, what ever is in Teddy's bill is kosher with the NEA.
But the House of Representatives passed a different education bill," says another staff member. This is a problem."
"Well there is no time to lose, says the Senator. "We need to meet with the members of the House immediately and work out the differences between the two bills. The schoolchildren are counting on us!"
Spoiler alert:
A conference between the House and Senate members to work out the differences between the bill takes place. It goes on and on...and an agreement on the bill is finally reached after Splash barks a couple of times.
The vote on the bill takes place, which is somewhat distressing to Splash, since dogs aren't allowed on the Senate floor.
One nugget of agreed-upon-truth is uttered by the dog, who writes:
I've seen plenty of Senators, and they don't behave any better that I do.Do you really need to be told if the bill is approved by the Senate?
On the positive side, the artwork is superb, the illustrator for "My Senator and Me" is Caldecott Medal winning artist David Small. The dog appears to be pretty cute, and Small honestly draws Kennedy in all his girth, with the Senator's jowls prominently outlining his face.
Is this a Scratch & Sniff book with alcohol aromas?
I returned the book today, so I may not have it quite correct, but there is a passage, "Once I got back to the office, I drank some fresh water out of my bowl, and then layed myself on the floor."
I believe it was the dog, though, saying that.
He read from this book at a Fenway Park event, and Boston radio talk host Howie Carr plays an excerpt in which Ted
reads, "She could stay in the water for hours and hours."
Evidently talking about Mary Jo (thanks for running to
get help--NOT!, Fatboy!)
We decided we didn't need to laugh *that* badly!
ping
Is there a chapter on Barney the Frank?
"Is there a chapter on Barney the Frank?"
Yeah, he's got a weiner dog.
"'We need to meet with the members of the House immediately and work out the differences between the two bills. The schoolchildren are counting on us!'"
He can't be serious. I have expected him to say "Quick, the bat cave!"
This is a poorly written piece of garbage that not only plays into his massive ego, but seems to be trying to brainwash the kids who read it into loving ted and the other democRATs. The libs seem to be forming their own version of the hitler youth.
Indoctrination.
Poorly written garbage may have been poorly ghostwritten (by the NEA) garbage.
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