Friend in High(er) Places

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Just heard on the news that Congressman David Dreier (R-CA) has been tapped by House Speaker Dennis Hastert as the interim replacement for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, until DeLay's legal troubles are resolved. Dave is a fellow alumnus of Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, and attended there at the same time as Falconridge and I. He's represented the district the college is in for thirteen terms (having been just over the minimum age for the House when elected the first time). Congratulations to someone who put his intelligence to a more conventional (although not necessarily more enjoyable) use than thoroughbred handicapping, and made good!

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Well, that report was apparently premature. It has now been announced that Congressman Roy Blunt of Missouri, the current majority whip, will move up to the majority leader's job on an interim basis. Maybe Dreier will take over the whip's job for the time being.

[Suff]

They announced as splitting the duties. Blunt took the lead today but Drier is not Camera Shy. Golden Boy plays well to the camera and may even be the Glamour guy while Blunt carries the dirty water.

[Tom]

Really sad, that in a house supposedly representing US, they have to have people to represent the parties of both sides. I'm sure it was not a personal insult to us, in fact, I'm sure "we the people" never crossed thier feeble, crooked little minds.


All this action on the hill reminds me of flushing a toilet - lots of action, but look closer and it is the SOS.

[falconridge]

Just heard on the news that Congressman David Dreier (R-CA) has been tapped by House Speaker Dennis Hastert as the interim replacement for House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, until DeLay's legal troubles are resolved. Dave is a fellow alumnus of Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California, and attended there at the same time as Falconridge and I.
You may recognize Congressman Dreier from his omnipresence at Arnold Schwarzenegger's photo-ops during the old iron-pumper's gubernatorial campaign. DD and AS were so close together at every press conference (usually nearer than even Frau Shriver), that you'd have thought they were joined at the hip. Dreier more than "managed" Schwarzie's campaign; he called every move in the match, which, you'll recall, pitted Conan the Usurper against most of the rest of the state (including porn pincushion Mary Carey). Dreier's "influence" was such that I suspect he often played Paul Winchell to Schwarzenegger's Knucklehead Smith (or is it Schweinshaxelnkopf Schmidt?).

While I make it a point (and a point of honor) to miss every alumni event I can, I did espy the congressman at a recent shindig--the one at which he and his contemporaries reuned, 30 years after graduating from dear old CMC. I tarried just long enough to scarf up my fill of pretzels and pilsener.