Goodbye, Washington

Townhall.com ^ | July 8, 2011 | Linda Chavez

[Kaslin]

After nearly 40 years in Washington, I'm leaving the nation's capital pretty much as I found it when I arrived. The players have changed, but the problems haven't.

Richard Nixon occupied the White House then, and the United States was involved in a long and unpopular war and faced economic problems at home. In 1971, to combat nearly 6 percent inflation, and a trade and balance-of-payments deficit, and to protect the value of the dollar, Nixon imposed a 90-day freeze on wages and prices, and a 10 percent import surcharge, and ended the convertibility of dollars into gold. He also launched the war on drugs -- a 'war' we still haven't won.

Forty years later, Barack Obama presides over an economy in far worse shape than has existed at any point in the intervening period, and the U.S. is about to lose its ability to borrow money -- yet Congress and the president can't agree on how to fix it. Relations between congressional Republicans and Democrats are as rancorous as they were during the Watergate period, maybe more so. (I can say that with some authority because I worked on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate hearings.) And the U.S. is involved in another unpopular war, in Afghanistan, the longest in our history.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. But just as Americans got through the lousy economy of the 1970s, I'm confident we'll recover from the mess we're in now. Unemployment will recede, and so will government spending -- not because of political deal-making but because Americans will boot politicians who fail to do their job out of office and replace them with those who will. Just ask Jimmy Carter.

I look back on a life in politics that took me from Capitol Hill to the Reagan White House to the public policy and media worlds with as much frustration as pride. Some of the policies I hoped to play a role in changing -- like racial preferences in hiring and education -- have become so ingrained and widespread many people no longer seem to notice their corrosive effect.

But there were successes as well as failures, albeit modest ones. Bilingual education -- which as columnist Michael Barone once quipped is neither bilingual nor education -- has largely been replaced by English instruction for non-English speakers, a goal I advocated for more than 30 years.

And I met -- and in some cases worked for -- some truly great Americans during my Washington years. President Reagan tops the list. It was a great privilege to work in the Reagan administration, first as staff director of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and later as director of public liaison at the White House.

Even President Reagan's critics acknowledged that he was a true leader, but it has taken time and the publication of his handwritten diaries and speeches for some people to recognize the intellectual skills that those of us who worked with him saw first-hand.

But there were also Democrats I admired -- even when I didn't always agree with them. Former Vice President and Senator Hubert Humphrey was a gentleman to the end of his long political life in 1978. I first met him when I was a young lobbyist walking the halls of Congress. And even as he fought cancer, he never failed to be the "happy warrior," as he was known, with a smile and a kind word for everyone he met.

Unfortunately, I've also encountered some downright mean-spirited and arrogant politicians. I won't name names, but suffice it to say that they can be found on both sides of the political aisle. I won't miss having to deal with the outsized egos Washington breeds, but I will miss the many good friends and colleagues I've worked with over the years.

I leave Washington to return to my childhood roots in Colorado. I've lived almost two-thirds of my life in the East, but the West is in my blood. I'll still be commenting on what goes on inside the Beltway, but with a new perspective. I'll call on the insights I've earned working in Washington, but now I'll be looking in from the outside, like most Americans.

[Westbrook]

> Americans will boot politicians who fail to do their job
> out of office and replace them with those who will.

I’m not as sure as you about this, Linda.

There are a lot more stupid people, a lot more brainwashed people, and a lot more people getting government checks than there were 40 years ago.

[skeeter]

Steer clear of the secure border & amnesty issues and we’ll be just fine, Ms Chavez.

[freeangel]

“I leave Washington to return to my childhood roots in Colorado. I’ve lived almost two-thirds of my life in the East, but the West is in my blood “

Was she not an advocate for ILLEGALS?

[Red Badger]

And the U.S. is involved in another unpopular war, in Afghanistan, the longest in our history.

We defeated Hitler and the entire Nazi military in under 4 years and we can't annihilate these animals in ten...................

[afraidfortherepublic]

I offer the Caylee Anthony jury as proof.

[ThisLittleLightofMine]

Yes, now hopefully her perspective will change having to live among the little people.

[skeeter]

They don't call it the Graveyard of Empires for nothing.

Pacifiying Afghanistan is like trying to handfeed a rattlesnake.

[Red Badger]

As Genghis Khan said when asked if he was going to invade Afghanistan, “There is nothing there that I need.”..................

[thefactor]

I don't know Linda Chavez, but she seems to admire Reagan. I assume her priorities have changed since the 80's in order for her to be receiving such hate from fellow freepers.

And yes, I know immigration was not one of Reagan's strong suits, looking back.

[Alberta's Child]

After nearly 40 years in Washington, I'm leaving the nation's capital pretty much as I found it when I arrived.

I'd say that's what makes YOU part of the problem there, Linda.

I don't care about party affiliation. This country officially went off the rails when it became common for people to spend forty years inside the Beltway working non-productive jobs in government, lobbying groups, think tanks and the media.

It's nice to know that you'll still be writing commentary about happenings back in Washington, Linda. I'm sure a few folks might even take the time to read it.

[Quis Custodiet]

Good riddance to her. For the last several years she’s been supporting herself and her extended family by running “fake” Republican and Pro-life PACS that spend less than 1% of the money they raise supporting GOP politicians and even less on direct action or advertising. All the rest goes back into paying for fund-raising activities. And the company hired for this? Owned by a relative.

more here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR2007081201371.html

[ml/nj]

I'm leaving the nation's capital pretty much as I found it when I arrived.

I'm not so sure about this. Back in 1971 the back of the ten dollar bill looked like this:

To be sure, 15th Street or whatever street that is was not quite so desolate in 1971. I don't really remember Washington in 1971, but it really was a small town when I first visited back in 1954. (FTR, my perspective of a city then was NYC.) Sometime in the interim between then and now it became a megalopolis sucking in and up disproportionate amounts of the nation's population and treasure. My guess is that Chavez really doesn't remember how small the place was in 1971.

ML/NJ

[blackdog]

40 years of self worth summed up nicely in a parting foo-foo fluffed literary stab at an historical summary of all about "I", and accomplishing nothing during those 40 years.

Stop digging lady!

[geologist]

“Linda Chavez

Linda Chavez is chairman of the Center for Equal Opportunity and author of Betrayal: How Union Bosses Shake Down Their Members and Corrupt American Politics .”
____________________________________________________________

[Oratam]

I think the car in the engraving is a model A. I miss the folksiness of yesteryear’s currency. The present issues are down-right ugly.

[Ace of Spades]

Goodbye to you, Linda. You're an embarrassment and a liability. And as a former Marylander, I can't thank you enough for the gift of Senator Barbara Mikulski.

[drbuzzard]

I’m starting to think the solution to places like Afghanistan (or Somalia for that matter) is to bomb them back to pre-industrial times. I don’t mean level everything. I mean level everything which allows them to be anything part of the modern world. You find a power plant. Level it. You find a cell tower- level it. Airports, roads, rail, and modern form of transport or communication should be leveled. You effectively cut them off from damaging the civilized world by limiting their exposure to it.

So if, say, the Taliban comes back into power and hosts Al Queada- BFD. They will be living without power, communications, or transport. You will effectively turn the country into a jail.

If the people of such country decide that is too harsh a sentence, then they can clean up their own goddamn mess and them they can join the civilized world. Until then, if they want to act middle ages, they can live middle ages.

[iopscusa]

Yet this Jewish Reconquesta ‘Chavez’ has never once defended this country against the enormous illegal & quasi-legal immigration from 3rd world and Islamic/Communist craphole countries. Good riddance and I’ll continue to not read your crappy writing. She’s plagued DeeCee long enough and now will do the same for CO!

[Blue Ink]

Good riddance. And shut the hell up.

You got damn close to granting instant citizenship to millions of lawbreakers. (We don’t even know how many millions because you all lie about the real number.)

And every time you call Vietnam and Afghanistan “unpopular wars,” you’re denigrating the men and their mission. Vietnam was “unpopular” because we LOST. Because of lifelong politicians like you making sure we lost. We’re about to do the same thing in Afghanistan.

Colorado’s loss is D.C.’s gain.