European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 31, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse The Clinton gang finds Washington but hardly reality Clarence Page its Power changing time in Washington. The Bush folks arc finding out a bit late perhaps How miserable the Job Market really is. Clinton folks Are rolling in from the land beyond the Washington Beltway a strange and exotic place washingtonians Call a the Reat Macri Ca Quot when they arc in a mood to acknowledge that their part of it is not so rack two of the newcomers arc Craig and Leeann Smith of Little Rock. They belong to a privileged class known As a a fobs a friends of Bill As in Clinton a and it is leading to an upheaval in their lives. They must move to Washington so Craig a top por Lotical aide to Clinton can work for his longtime. Friend in the new administration. Leeann a surgical nurse is going along but As she recently told a Washington Post reporter she a not too thrilled about it. Washington she said a just seems like a big dirty of boy i think you Are in for a Surprise Leeann. I think you la find Washington to be a surprisingly pleasant place. Maybe too pleasant. For one thing Washington Isnit really a City. Its More of a shared idea. You want to see a real City drive up the Road to Baltimore. Real cities have factories ethnic neighbourhoods saloons and a distinctly class of Blue Collar working stiffs. Real cities Bustle with activity in thickets of skyscrapers made of Glass Concrete and steel that Tell you in their architectural majesties that Here you can find people with limitless imaginations. Real cities have baseball teams. Bill Clinton a musical prowess jazzed up a Barge in front of Lincoln memorial for the inaugural. By contrast John Kennedy called Washington a City of a Northern Charm and Southern its working class is secretaries computer technicians and bicycle messengers. Its architecture is stunted and bowl inc Cut off at its aesthetic Knees so As not to interfere with Clear viewing of the Capitol or the Washington Monument the Only Skyline washingtonians allow to intrude Between themselves and the towns unpolluted overhead sky. Washington May have Georgetown and the redskins but the sport closest to its heart is Power brokering. In other cities people socialize. In Washington they a a lunch or a work the dirty hardly. Driving in from National Airport you will immediately be taken by How Lovely the place is sort of like the biggest College Campus you Ever saw or closer to the Point a huge Federal Park on which a few buildings have been allowed As Long As they maintain a proper measure of majesty. Enjoy the View or. And mrs. Real american. After All you be been paying for it. Welcome to the Side of Washington most tourists and Federal officials see. It is official Washington. Friends of Bill and even the friends of the a a friends of Bill fobs will be amazed to discover How popular they Are going to be in their new town. Great social importance is granted to those who sit closest to Power. Those friends left behind today in Little Rock soon can be replaced by new ones in Georgetown and foggy Bottom. A soon that a big dirty City Quot is going to seem More like a tidy Little Village that at worst has a few naughty people in it whose hands got caught in the taxpayers cookie Jar. Thais life in official Washington. It is unique and in Many ways devoid of any connections to the real world. Whoever called it a an Island of governance totally surrounded by reality Quot j had it about arc in for a bigger Shock when they House Hunt. Years of real state hustling and a Money culture pumped up by lawyer fees have inflated the cos of a Washington Bungalow to about what you might pay to own your own county in Arkansas. Other than that the world of official Washington is almost too pleasant a place for our government to be if you done to want the governors to lose touch with life As it is lived by the less fortunate governed. Those fobs who play their cards the Way they usually have been played in official Washington Wilk never Ever have to actually Lay eyes on the other Washington also known As a the District a As in District of Columbia except maybe when president Bill takes one of his symbolic walks Down Georgia ave Mie or visits a Black Church. Tho Chicago Tribuna i p $ Sithebe elementary letters barely make the Grade Andy Rooney i regularly get packets of papers from Grade school teachers who have asked their students to write me. I have 23 letters by sixth Grade students at a school in Saratoga spa n. Y. Most of the kids must be 11. _ a your class just read your article How to read a newspaper a writes Stephen. A it was very humorous. Nobody reads the newspaper front to Back. Its pro porous to even a a Good Stephen even though you meant preposterous. A Little weak on spelling As arc plenty of your classmates As w Ell Sec from the following letters. But spelling Isnit us important As the thought. A what was your first Job a asks Frederick. Well Frederick i could Tell you but it might he a Good exercise for you if you Learned to use the Library and looked it up yourself Kenny writes a a in a glad our teacher made us read this reason in a your favorite Kenny reminds me of people who Stop me on the Street and ask a Are you who i think i am a or a am i who i think you Are Quot Many of the letters began As Melissa a did a dear or. Rooney i i my name is if i were Melissa s teacher id Point out that i you sign Tho letter it Isnit necessary to announce your name in the beginning. Kids do that to make their letters Long enough. 1 remember How hard it was in the sixth Grade to stretch something i wrote to fill a whole Page. Tim wrote a Good letter and he was one of i lie few who did t spell humor he me a. A i really done to know what to say about How to read a newspaper Quot writes Lori none of the kids had any real comment to make but Lori was the Only one who admitted it. Kimberly must be Bright Quot i know you done to like people coming up to you and asking for autographs or just people watching and looking at your wonderful and very famous it does no to look that Good in the Mirror Kimberly. Rebecca wrote a boy of Hoy was that a strange she concludes by saying a its been Nice writing you but i have to Patrick wasted less time having to go. Quot dear or. Rooney a he begins. A lets keep this letter Short because i have to go a please done to let me keep you Patrick. This Wasny to my idea i know Why Patrick was a Little testy. A a i liked your Story Quot he says a but i got a Hon the test on it. I guess i did no to understand Brian must be a character. A i really done Twano write you but my teacher made me Quot he says Quot i read a Story of yours and i thought i knew what it was Annit but Appal reply i did no to because i failed the test about Ryan ends his letter by saying a some other things Are Are you married i you Are to who Quot that so to whom Quot Ryan but i done to think Margie a anyone you a know anyway Monique signs Uff Quot painfully disgusted after saying. �?o1 simply despised your article. I done to meant be rude but i just done to understand Monique adds . Right Mutt says a i hate Reading but now that i have read your article i like Reading More now. Not Quot a another Ryan wrapped it up for everyone Quot my teacher is crazy to think we would enjoy writing letters to you.�?�. Guitia Hoo Nuy 13 a former and Stepus reporter. January 31. 1903 sunday Page 9
