Games People Play

So I don't say a lot about politics on my blog. I certainly have opinions, but I'm not sure this is the place for that. However, the Supreme Court Justice Senate Confirmation Hearings this week have taken me back to the halls of the Senate and reminded me of my days there. It was a great time and something I'll always look upon fondly.

And quite frankly, it's only Wednesday and I've already had quite a week. Potty training in earnest with child number one has resumed (as in it needs to happen in the next two weeks once and for all) while table food training child number two is underway, and I've found myself up to my ears in human excrement multiple times this week...literally. So when I see images of people sitting in suits, having intelligent conversations about issues of the day, it's hard not to get just a wee bit wistful.

This led me to participate in the sport which I think all Hill staffers engage in on some level - which is "watching the staffer behind the member in committee". If you are a Hill staffer who staffs your member on a committee, there is a chance you might end up on TV someday. For the staffers of the Senate Judiciary Committee, this week is one like no other. If your boss asks the poignant question of the day, you could end up on the evening news for crying out loud. And don't think for one second that staffers don't check each other out: What's she wearing? Is he texting while his boss is talking? They all do it. And what's worse, for the most part, the staffers know that they're in the shot when their boss is talking, so they try to put on their most interested, serious face possible. As a guilty participant in that game over the past few days, here are some examples of what I'm talking about:


Senator Orrin Hatch (R- UT) (notice the staffer behind him looking very interested in what he's saying)




















Senator Al Franken (saying "I honestly have no idea how I got here" with his staffers behind him grumbling "he's ALREADY off message")















The Supreme Court Justice Senate Confirmation Circus...
















And just so you can rest assured I know that of which I speak, here is the one time in my entire Hill career that I ever made it on C-Span - C-Span 2 that is - for an incredibly important hearing on a topic which I can't remember. Don't I look interested?















Yeah - I would be the speck second from the far left.