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THE Q&A
CAFE
with Carol Joynt
On
Fri at 8 pm
Sat at 6 pm
Sun at 11pm
THURSDAY:
DOUGLAS FEITH
"War and Decision"
Thurs. May 15
MARK PENN
"Micotrends"
Thurs. May 22
TUCKER CARLSON
June 5
TED SORENSEN
"Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History"
June 24
MAKE YOUR
RESERVATIONS
NOW
WITH
JON MOSS
202.338.2000 |
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Swimming in Quicksand;
A Daily Journal of Survival
By Carol Joynt
carol@nathansgeorgetown.com
MONDAY, MAY 12 ... With gas prices climbing to astonishing (for now) levels, and soon to cause a boost in other costs as manufacturers and shippers pass on the gas hike, and with the dollar feeling stretched practically to the snapping point, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan seem vaguely less urgent. Intellectually, we know that's not the case. The military successfully keeps the war out of the news in a starkly visual way. We're still not permitted to see the returning caskets. It's simply not as tangible as going to the pump to fill up your car with regular, only to get hit with a $70 tab.
The war is on the front page today, but was not yesterday. It goes like that. If you watch "This Week" every week, as I do, GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS faithfully highlights the war dead. It's the lump in the throat of the daily news.
For me, it's always there. It's the constant number one issue. Why? Because it has to be brought to an end and if we don't put pressure behind that goal it can be set aside. Ending the war could play a role in making the economy healthy again. But first we've got to get out of there. We just have to.... and not in 100 years, as JOHN MCCAIN predicts.
That's why it's important to revisit the war as often as possible, to revisit how we got in there, where we went wrong, why it turned into such a fiasco, and that's why I think it's important to talk to the people who made it happen. I hope you care as much as I do, and that you'll book a seat for Thursday's Q&A with DOUGLAS FEITH, who was virtually at DONALD RUMSFELD's side at the Pentagon during the early stages of the war and until 2005. He was a policy wonk, planning guidance for the overall mission known as "the war on terror." Yes, he's controversial, which is all the more reason to talk to him. I'm deep into his book, "War and Decision: Inside the Pentagon at the Dawn of the War on Terror." It's not easy going, but then nothing is that involves the war.
Feith now teaches at Georgetown. He has friends and he has enemies. I've heard from both. On Thursday we'll find out who he is.
Please call JON MOSS today to make a reservation for Thursday. Jon's at the phone at 202.338.2000. Thanks.
SUNDAY, MAY 11 .... What a nice day, even with the monsoon. Actually, loved the monsoon (particularly now that the roof is repaired). Would prefer to be on a boat in a sea, but settled for a highway in Virginia. After a morning of writing my column for NYSocialdiary.com, we got in the car for a wet drive to the west and Mother's Day supper at The Inn at Little Washington. We were treated by dear friend PATRICK O'CONNELL, the Inn's owner, who also was a witness at my wedding on this day many moons ago, and is Godfather to my son. Visits to the Inn always feel like a family occasion.
What made this day more special than other trips was that my son did the driving. I've let him drive us to New York and back - in good weather - and today was a chance to tackle highway miles in miserable weather. He's due to get his license in July and I'm trying to get him ready. I'm not a natural at this, but I have my own way. Since he got his permit I let him do all the driving when it's the two of us. From the start. When he got the permit he right away hassled me one quiet Sunday to "take me to a parking lot where I can drive." I said, "ok. let's get in the car." When we did I made him get in the driver's side and drive, much to his dismay. "What?" he asked? "I've not driven before."
"Well, you want to drive, don't you?" I said. "This is driving. You won't be driving in parking lots. You'll be driving on roads. So, let's drive." Which is what he did - and well enough - and what we've been doing since February. First the streets of Georgetown and northwest, then the parkways, then the
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