"Im-potent" People versus the Grand Poohbahs

I’ve been watching the Democratic Rules & Bylaws committee meeting in DC on C-SPAN for the last couple of hours. This “im-potent” group has adjourned for lunch after hearing oral arguments all morning. I ate mine while I watched these clowns, devouring some ribs left over from Monday.
They will be back at 4:15 pm, when the “im-potent” committee members will debate among themselves what remedies they will formally consider putting up for a vote.
When I first turned it on, I thought what I was seeing was simply hilarious – a cross between the O.J. trial and a meeting of Fred Flintstone’s Moose Lodge, the pace and the television crews reminiscent of the Trial of the Century, the “hail-fellow-well-met” salutations to the distinguished platform that seemed to go on FOREVER suggestive of the shenanigans between Flintstone’s lodge brothers and the “im-potent” Grand Pooh Bah.

The long lists of high minded introductory platitudes between sworn enemies, knowing that off camera they hate each others guts, had me howling. Alexis Herman wielded the gavel like a high school principal – more accurately, a high school principal played by actress Jenifer Lewis, who has a strikingly similar demeanor and sharp edged Southern drawl.

The state representative from Florida who spoke almost had me thinking he was running for office the way he beat the podium to make his points. Carl Levin, the senator from Michigan, practically breathed fire as he railed against Iowa and New Hampshire’s lock on the beginning of the primary process.

The “im-potent” representative who spoke for Obama, Former Michigan Rep. David Bonior was a typical Obama spokesperson – I’m going to have to write his campaign about this weakness they seem to have – a dry, straight forward speaker who was prone to stammering when he was asked a question. The ex governor of Michigan, Jim Blanchard, who spoke on behalf of the Clinton campaign, was about as much of a huckster as you could stuff into a size 48 suit, a man who looked like he learned to backpedal before he could walk.

I don’t know if there’s really a difference between the white women on the committee who support Clinton and those who support Obama. Maybe it’s the way the Clinton supporters have to steel themselves before attempting to justify their positions, making them a little anxious as they speak, that gives them a different vibe from the white women who seem to understand that righteousness, at least as it applies to today’s events, is on their side.

I was scanning the room as the cameras panned along the rows of committee members, the voice of Michigan’s ex-governor droning on in the background, looking at the faces of the black people who sat around the table, a group that was largely silent while I was watching. I was kind of upset with Donna Brazile, who seemed to be alternately bored and annoyed, for not making any attempt to speak.

All of a sudden, you hear her name being called, and then she turns on her mike. Brazile’s face has the scowl she has perfected this primary season on CNN. She makes the obligatory hot air introductions to the "im-potent" peoples.

“I know we’re hear today to make some decisions in the interest of the party. Political decisions is what we’ll be making. We all know that. But since you brought your momma up earlier, Governor, I’m gonna bring my momma into this too. I know, since you look like you were raised right, since you have grown into a fine (I almost choked at this comment) man, I KNOW your momma must have told you the same thing my momma told me.

You gotta play by the rules.”

She brought the house down.

But her ending comment, which didn’t have the same impact because people were still talking about her last statement, was actually more apropos. “And I’m sure your momma also told you something else. That when you change the rules in the middle of the game, or at the end, that’s called cheatin’. That’s right, cheatin’.”

All the posturing, message sending, feather ruffling, sidestepping, backpedaling, and lines being drawn in the sand stopped for a minute as Brazile hit everyone in that part of their psyches where the memories of their own mother’s sense of decency and common sense reside.

The irony of Brazile invoking the image of her brown skinned mother as a brown skinned man battles for the Democratic party’s nomination must have provoked Alexis Herman – a few minutes later, just as she was about to adjourn the meeting, she stopped to recognize Rep. John Conyers, announcing not only his name but his position as the House JUDICIARY Committee chairman.

It’s 4:09 pm. Time to get my peanuts and beer for Round 2.