You don't know me
You gave your book to me
And then you said "hello"
And I could hardly speak
The pen was flowing so
And anyone can tell
You know your words so well,
No you don't know me
No you don't know the one
Who respects your every word
Who admires the work you do
And all your stories, too
No, you don't know the one
Who thinks you are the best
Out of all the rest
No, you don't know me.
Oh I'm just a fan
That's all I've ever been
'Cause you don't know me.
No, you don't know me
For I never knew the illness that struck you
Would claim your colummmmmnnnnn, too
Afraid and shy, those words do not apply
To you, or the DC zoo.
You gave your book to me
And then signed it, too,
And so did Geraldine
And I am so proud
To have read it all
To have reminisced
About the things not bliss
For it's you I miss
And your skills upon the Hill,
And your words to read
About all the greed,
I know it's not the same,
The page without your name
No, you don't know me
About a year ago I was lucky to attend one of 26 fundraising dinner parties on Capitol Hill,held to raise money for libraries. Each home featured a different book, and my friend, Claire, and I chose the home highlighting The Prince of Darkness by Robert Novak, a tell all, great book filled with delicious tidbits and real "meat" which I had just completed.
The fundraiser, A Literary Feast, is an annual event sponsored by the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. (Upcoming October 25, 2008.)
The announcement for "our" dinner party hinted at a "special guest" at the princely dinner.
The book was so well-written! I carried it back and forth every day on the Metro going to and from work. The weight of it all: 662 pages and filled with details going back for many years, with names, salaries, conversations, events, exchanges all described. Of especial attraction to political junkies like me.
Only a couple of months before, I went to Politics and Prose to hear Mr. Novak tell a SRO crowd about his autobiography which includes description of his cancer bouts. Although he is of a different political persuasion than I, his arguments and life in politics are fascinating, and his book is no less.
As a matter of fact, of all the political books I have read in the past decade, it's on top for autobiography, and all political aficionados are enraptured by political biography, aren't we?
His predictions for outcomes in congressional and presidential races are uncannily, usually, right on target.
Below are comments about the dinner and conversation which I sent to close friends last year:
Robert Novak said he "hated" Rudi Giuliani, and why, he did not say.
He predicted that Mitt Romney might win Iowa, NH, and definitely Michigan, but that Giuliani was growing (in numbers). He said Romney's religion was a real problem for Romney.
He said Fred Thompson might be the Republican VP candidate, but "VPs don't matter in an election." Someone made fun of Thompson's accent. And makeup.
Novak said Obama would never be Hillary's VP mate, and that Hillary could implode at any time. Her running mate "today", which whom the crowd agreed, would be Evah Bayh.
When asked about the effect of Bill Clinton on the race, Novak queried the group of about 18 persons: Where had Bill been the last six years? The loud rejoinder: "In Canada!" (news to me.)
He said that if Hillary lost Iowa, it would be huge news. (The group believed that Hillary's election was far from certain. This group was all political junkies, of course! Why else were we there?)
Rather than the Iraq War, Novak said the 2004 key issue was John Kerry's "electability."
Novak talked about Jimmy Carter's dishonesty (which is mentioned in the book).
Contrary to public opinion, Novak said Congress was not Bush's rubber stamp since Bush's plans for social security overhaul and tax reform had "gone nowhere."
Novak agreed with an assessment that the U.S. Congress was nothing but a cesspool saturated by corruption and greed. Term limits, he said, would be one way to end the morass.
In only one or two cases, he said, did members of Congress actually "get better" after coming to DC, and I did not have the opportunity to ask which one or two they were.
When asked about the paralysis of the "Do Nothing Congress" and the absurdity of Nancy Pelosi and Party taking "credit" for a year of doing nothing (Ed's note: This was Fall, 2007), Novak said Congress was filled with self-adulation, totally unreceptive to criticism of any kind.
He mentioned the insanity of Pelosi and Party spending one month talking about the Armenian Resolution.
Novak said Iraq was a "fiasco" and the way to end it was to "get out."
He said the Democrats would definitely pick up Senate seats next year (2008) and "a few" House seats, but not many.
Mrs. Novak, who figures prominently in his book, also attended: a beautiful, kind woman who is almost shy and does not appear to welcome speaking in groups.
Before dinner Mr. Novak read for about 15 minutes from his book and answered questions. He graciously signed copies and when I asked Mrs. Novak to sign my copies also, she kindly complied.
Hosts were Carol and Bill Press, owners of a gorgeous Capitol Hill home, friends of the Novaks, and wonderful hosts, who had available about 20 copies of the book for guests. Bill Press of MSNBC and CNN fame, and Carol is an artist, a weaver with her own studio.
Menu: red and white wine, miniature crab cake hors d'oeuvres, tomato and lettuce with some kind of special cheese, roast tenderloin (I think that's what it was), mashed potatoes, herbed green beans.
Dessert was served a few blocks away at St. Mark's Episcopal Church where dancing to a jazz band and wine made it an extraordinary night of lovely darkness.
