Yes We Will

Yes We Can : Yes We Did : Yes We Will

Moving along down Georgia Avenue, I ran across this poster on the side of a bus shelter. (Click on the image to enlarge it.) In one week from today, America will inaugurate a new president. His clarion call to us for the last two years was "Yes We Can." We responded with "Yes We Did." Now, the new call is "Yes We Will."

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 01/09

Team of Rivals

Abraham Lincoln (left in the painting), a long shot for the presidency, beat out several
more seasoned opponents, including William Seward (bust on the right.) Lincoln went
on to appoint his rivals to his cabinet in a stroke historian Doris Kearns Goodwin has called
"political genius." President-elect Obama is following Mr. Lincoln's lead as he builds his Cabinet.

If you've been watching the transition activities of President-elect Barack Obama, you may have noted that he is preparing to name several campaign rivals to his Cabinet. What Mr. Obama is doing is reminiscent of what President Abraham Lincoln did after his victory in the Election of 1860. Mr. Lincoln was not favored to win and was running against more seasoned national figures like William Seward and Edward Stanton. When Mr. Lincoln won, he decided the best thing he could do would be to surround himself with intelligent, experienced men with political acumen. He found those men among his rivals for the presidency.

Mr. Obama is engaging in the same kind of strategy--appointing New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to Commerce and New York Senator Hillary Clinton to State, two from among the field of candidates he ran against--and signaling a few things. First, that he views these two as seasoned, intelligent contributors to his upcoming policies and agenda. Second, that he wishes to patch up any last remnants of animosity that may have arisen in the campaign between candidates. And third, that he is effectively eliminating any competition when he runs for a second term in 2012. (That last one he won't actually say, but it is a result of his choices, particularly where Mrs. Clinton is concerned. She can't run against him as Secretary of State in 2012 unless she resigns her post, assuming she accepts the position.)

If you want to learn more about Mr. Lincoln and his cabinet and gain some insight into what Mr. Obama is doing, pick up a copy of historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.

*****

Tomorrow's post: Thankful

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 11/08

Jubilation

Chants and outbursts of jubilation define the crowds that surged into
the streets of Washington and flowed to Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the
White House after it was announced that Barack Obama, the long-shot candidate
and senator from Illinois, had been elected America's 44th president.

Last night, history was made in the United States of America. For the first time, a black man has been elected to the highest office in the land. More than 100 117.7 million Americans voted. Of those who voted, 52%, or 52.7 62.4 million, cast their ballots for Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. Senator Obama garnered 338 349 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 needed, and was declared the 44th President of the United States.

Celebrating with the crowd in front of the White House

A large portion of the country burst into spontaneous celebration. Down on Pennsylvania Avenue, in front of the White House, a crowd of thousands gathered to chant "Yes We Can!" and "Yes We Did!" and "Obama! Obama!" Most of them appeared to be students from nearby George Washington and Georgetown Universities, but there were also many who seemed to be coming from the city's neighborhoods and the suburbs of Virginia and Maryland to be a part of history. Up on U and 14th Streets NW--Washington's historic Black Broadway--crowds of people poured out of their homes, restaurants, and bars and began celebrating.

While I was down at the White House tonight, three complete strangers--all African American--hugged me and others. This is a monumental day for them and an opportunity for change for all of us. The pictures I took aren't the greatest. I was being jostled by the crowd at times and didn't want to block the way at other times. But I hope they give you a sense for the moment. Similar celebrations were taking place from coast-to-coast.

About a mile from the White House,
a few people quietly gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

America has spoken and the way is clear. It won't be easy, but if we work together so much is possible. Last night was a night for all Americans to be proud!

*****

Kendra and Jake, new D.C. residents who moved here from Montana,
join in the celebration in front of the White House.

Continuing my 100 Strangers series, this is a picture of Kendra and Jake. They just moved here from Montana to work for a couple of non-profits here in town. They were soaking up the enthusiasm in front of the White House and were excited to learn that as of 12:30 a.m. EST their state was tilting toward Obama. As I type this at 2:50 a.m. EST, Obama and McCain are tied for Montana. Update 8:25 a.m. EST: McCain carried Montana, but while 50% of Big Sky voters cast their ballots for him 46% went for Obama. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 11/05/08

Posted at 3:30 a.m. EST. Updated to reflect new polling results at 7:30 a.m. EST.

Historic

Screen shots: The Washington Post

Worth the Wait

Voters in line at 8:00 a.m. at Calvin Coolidge H.S. in Ward 4

I was like a kid at Christmas this morning. I couldn't wait to vote! The polls in D.C. opened at 7:00 and I was in line at 8:00. If the line I was in is any indication, turnout today will be historic. I waited a little over an hour to vote, but as I said to a fellow voter, "This is a line worth waiting in."

The line continues up the block in front of the school.

The enthusiasm for this election was palpable and people are excited! One young man was voting for the first time. Another talked about how he hopes this election will result in more opportunities for everyone, not just a select few. We all agreed that America's isolationist policies have to end.

I spoke with voters whose parents and grandparents led the way in the fight for racial equality and justice. The shine in their eyes and the hopefulness in their voices was inspiring. Many of them have fought long and hard to see this day when one of their own is within reach of the White House.

Voters waiting in line to verify their registration and receive a card
that then allows them to pick up their ballots and vote.

I saw voters of every demographic. Sure, the majority of them were black, because D.C.'s population is largely black, but there were white people, Hispanics, Asians, young and old, gay and straight, Christians and atheists, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, able and disable, decideds and undecideds. I saw my neighbors I know and people from the neighborhood I've never met. In short, I saw America. And it is voting!

The D.C. voting ballot. Note in the upper right hand corner that
we have candidates for the offices of U.S. senator and U.S. representative,
even though constitutionally we are prohibited from having equal representation
in Congress. Nevertheless, candidates run every cycle in the hope that the Constitution
will be amended and we'll have representation.

If you haven't yet, please, get out and vote. It's the best time you'll spend in a line. Ever.

*****

Steven, a first time voter, and Mr. Johnson, a retired math teacher,
wait in line to vote.

Continuing my 100 Strangers series, I spent the better part of my hour talking with these two gentlemen while I stood in line. We had a lovely conversation while we were waiting to cast our ballots. Both of them have lived in the neighborhood a long time. Steven, the gentleman on the left, grew up a few blocks from where we were standing and attended high school at Calvin Coolidge--the location of our polling station. It was Steven's first time voting! Mr. Johnson lives not too far from here either and is a former math teacher. His son, Brandon, was with him. This was Brandon's second election. Mr. Johnson declined to state how many elections he's voted in!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 11/04/08

The Blessing of Democracy

One of our rights and privileges as citizens in a democracy is the right to vote. Today, November 4, is election day in the United States. Please exercise your right as a citizen and get out and vote.

Whether you've lived here all your life or you're a naturalized citizen, whether this is your first time voting or your 10th, this is your chance to make your voice heard. Please, I beg of you, if you do nothing else productive today, at least vote!

VOTE!

P.S. Rainy, cold weather is no excuse not to vote. Your country needs you to and the world is hoping you will!

Coffee is Partisan

Show your support with a cuppa for your candidate. What next?!

On Friday, I happened to be walking past a 7-11 and saw a banner that said "7-Election '08." I stepped in to see what that was all about and imagine my dismay when I saw these coffee cups near the self-serve coffee. Last night, I popped into my local 7-11 and snapped this picture.*

That's right, folks. 7-11 has coffee cups that let you show your support for your candidate. When the clerk scans the UPC on the cup, it collects the information and "counts your vote." I guess near or on election day, the marketing geniuses at 7-11 will tell us the results of their polling data a la coffee?!?!

Who knew coffee could be such a partisan activity?

Have you seen U.S. presidential campaign oddities in your neighborhood, state, or country?** If so, share what you're seeing with us and leave a comment here. On Friday, if I have enough entries, I'll do a round-up with links to your photos on this blog.

* Why I didn't take a picture on Friday, when I first saw this, is a mystery to me. Call it a senior moment, I suppose!

** Yes, you read that last one correctly. I said country. There are U.S. expats living overseas and citizens in other nations who are following our elections and supporting one candidate or the other.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 10/08

Sign?

A car with Alaska plates. A sign of things to come or a fluke?

Whenever a new administration arrives in town, people from their state who want to work in various agencies move to Washington for jobs supporting the president and his/her agenda. For the last eight years, we've had a lot of folks from Texas--home state of President Bush (and defacto state of Vice President Cheney, who is really from Wyoming.)

Last night, while driving down Connecticut Avenue to get to I-66, I sat behind the car you see above you. Note the license plate. Alaska. I don't know if that's a sign of things to come or just pure coincidence, but come January we'll either start seeing lots of Illnois and Delaware plates or lots of Arizona and Alaska plates.

Just a reminder: Monday, October 6 is the last day to register to vote in Virginia and the District and Tuesday, October 14 is the last day in Maryland. If you haven't registered, get out there and get your name on the voter registration rolls so you can vote on November 4. Let your voice be heard!

P.S. Sorry for the crappy quality of the picture. I was taking it at a red light, so as not to be taking pictures while driving!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 10/08

Volunteering

Obama for Office in Washington, D.C.

Last night, the nominees for vice president of the United States held their only debate of this election season. There are only 32 days until the presidential election and there are still no clear winners. Having said that, today's pictures feature a group of folks I met the other day while spending a few hours volunteering in the office of Obama for America.

Mona and Eve call Obama supporters to enlist volunteers
for canvassing in Virginia this weekend.

Located at 803 Florida Avenue NW near Howard University and within walking distance of U Street, the office was teeming with men and women reaching out to Obama supporters in an effort to enlist volunteers to canvass in Virginia this weekend, and every weekend in October until the election. I met a group of women who have been politically engaged for years and who believe in the power of average, hardworking people of all demographics to make a difference.

Shelley, Helena, Charles, and Jean--just a few of the hundreds of
volunteers supporting the efforts of Senator Obama and Senator Biden.

In the midst of all the ugly rhetoric that gets flung around in these campaigns, it was a pleasure to spend time with people who are hopeful, engaged, and ready for change. If you live in Washington, D.C., and you've got a few hours, consider giving some time to the efforts of your candidate. In keeping with the non-partisan nature of this blog, I won't tell you who I think you should volunteer for, only that I encourage you to be engaged in the political process.

Just a reminder: if you haven't registered to vote, Monday, October 6 is the last day to register. Make your voice heard.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 10/08

Mary McLeod Bethune

Mary McLeod Bethune: The daughter of former slaves who
became a leader in education and civil rights

A week or so ago, I featured pictures of a statue of Lincoln in a little park east of the Capitol. In addition to the tribute to the Great Emancipator, the park is also home to a statue of a little-known (at least, unfortunately, among white people), but influential civil rights activist named Mary McLeod Bethune.

Ms. Bethune's signature

The fifteenth of 17 children, Ms. Bethune was born to former slaves in South Carolina. An educator, Ms. Bethune founded an African-American all-girls school in Daytona Beach, Florida, that later merged with an all-boys school and became the Bethune-Cookman College (and now a university.) She served as its president from 1923-42 and again in 1946-47. She was also part of President Franklin Roosevelt's Black Cabinet--an informal group of black policy advisors and advocates to the president. Ms. Bethune also founded the National Council of Negro Women in 1935 in New York and it later headquartered in a house on Logan Circle that is now a designated National Historic Site.

Ms. Bethune's Legacy: Equal Education for Children of Color

This statue to Ms. Bethune is located in Lincoln Park and was the first statue in the city honoring a black American. It was sculpted by Robert Berks, the same artist who sculpted the whimsical likeness of Albert Einstein and a bust of President John F. Kennedy for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In this tribute to Ms. Bethune, she is seen supported by a cane given to her by President Roosevelt and handing a copy of her legacy to two eager children.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 09/08

The Party of Lincoln?

Lincoln and the Emancipation of the Slave

I try to avoid being political on this blog, because I want to show people Washington as more than just the partisan, political city it is reported and perceived as in the media. True, our nation's government resides here and history happens in this place on an hourly basis, but Washington, D.C. is more than the President, the Congress, and the Supreme Court. It is also a place where people live and work and a city where people from all over the country and the world come to be inspired.

This quiet park is located about a mile east of the U.S. Capitol

Part of Washington's inspiration is the legacy of one of America's greatest presidents, Abraham Lincoln. There are several monuments and memorials to Lincoln. Some of them are better known and recognized. Others are off the beaten path and little seen, except by those who live or work in their vicinity. One of these memorials is east of the capitol in a little urban oasis aptly named Lincoln Park. This statue of Lincoln depicts him as the author of the Emancipation Proclamation--an epic, pivotal document which ended slavery in the United States in 1863--and includes a slave being freed from his shackles.

Emancipation

In yesterday's Washington Post, an article on the recently adjourned Republican National Convention reported that the Republican Party--the party of Lincoln--has failed to diversify and remains a party of mostly white, upper and upper-middle class Americans. Out of nearly 2,400 delegates at the RNC, only 36 were black. That's less than 2% of all delegates. By contrast, 24% of the delegates at the DNC convention were black. Now granted, I know that number is up probably because the DNC's candidate is black, but that doesn't take away from the appallingly low numbers in the RNC (and, even without that as a factor, DNC representation by blacks still remains around 20%.) I don't think it's much of a stretch to say, if Lincoln was alive today and participating in the party he represented nearly 150 years ago as a candidate for president, he'd be appalled, too!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 09/08

Internment

A memorial to injustice--the National Japanese American Memorial

On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked American naval bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i, plunging the United States into war with Japan, Germany, and Italy. In a decision that historians and the American government now acknowledge was rash, emotional, baseless, and racist, hundreds of thousands of Nisei, or Japanese-Americans, were rounded up and deported to internment camps in the interior states.

Nearly 50 years later, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation officially apologizing for the forced imprisonment of some of America's most loyal and patriotic citizens and providing reparations to the remaining survivors. In November 2000, a memorial was dedicated to this dark time in our history.

Located in a tiny park within sight of the U.S. Capitol is the National Japanese American Memorial. This graceful, quiet monument memorializes the 120,000 American citizens who were held as "enemy combatants" in camps in California, Arizona, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Colorado, and Arkansas. (Many of the sons of this internees volunteered for the Armed Forces and fought with distinction and valor in the Pacific and European Theaters.) The memorial features this granite and bronze statue of two cranes bound by barbed-wire and is surrounded in a circle by granite tablets with quotes from some of America's most famous and patriotic Japanese Americans. For more detail on the symbolism found in this memorial, click here.

The National Japanese American Memorial is located at Louisiana Avenue, New Jersey Avenue and D Street NW just north of the U.S. Capitol.


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 11/07

VOTE!

D.C. Residents participating as campaigners and voters in the Chesapeake Primary,
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at Eugene Meyer Elementary School in Washington, D.C.
(Click on the image to see a larger picture.)

If you live in any of the states having primaries today, VOTE! That's all I'm gonna say.

Okay, that's not all I'm going to say, because I have to give a shout out to Doll, Mark, and Catherine who are up at Eugene Meyer Elementary School today encouraging D.C. citizens to vote. It's 29 degrees outside right now and they're out there urging their neighbors and D.C. residents to exercise one of the most important rights we have in this country: the right to self-determination. The right to vote.

Mark, who told me this year's presidential race has inspired him like none other.
He's not alone in that!

Please, exercise your right to make a difference. Even if you feel like voting in the primaries doesn't matter (or if you live in a federal district or territory where it seems like it doesn't matter), do it anyway.

Thank you!

Jefferson Aglow

The Jefferson Memorial on the Tidal Basin

Built at the urging of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Jefferson Memorial was approved by Congress in 1934 and constructed in the 1940s. It was dedicated on April 13, 1943--the 200th anniversary of Thomas Jefferson's birth. The memorial was designed by architect John Russell Pope, who incorporated elements from the architecture on Jefferson's estate, Monticello, as well as from buildings Jefferson designed at the University of Virginia. He also incorporated features from the Pantheon of Rome, reflecting Jefferson's fascination with Roman architecture.

Thomas Jefferson is perhaps the most well-known of America's founders. He penned the Declaration of Independence, our founding document which put the King of England on notice that we would no longer be ruled by a tyrant or taxed without representation. On July 4, 1776, America declared its independence from England. Fortunately, the animosity didn't last for long. England has been, and remains, one of the United States' strongest allies and peers on the world stage.

Located on the Tidal Basin, the Jefferson Memorial is at its loveliest in the spring when the cherry blossoms bloom and bring more than a million tourists to our capital city.


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/07

Patriot

George Mason, father of the Bill of Rights, author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Congress, patriot, farmer

Not far from the National Mall with its monument to Washington and its memorial to Lincoln and just across the street from the rotund temple to Jefferson sits a humble memorial to one of America's most underrated and little known founders and patriots: George Mason.

Mason authored the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which served as a template for the U.S. Bill of Rights. He was a contemporary of George Washington's until they had a falling out around the time of the Constitutional Congress, when Mason told Washington it would be folly to draft and ratify a constitution that did not include a list of citizen's rights. Washington disagreed, not believing that such a bill would be necessary. In 1787, the Constitution was ratified. However, Washington was indeed short-sighted and a Bill of Rights had to be drafted as an amendment to the Constitution. It was ratified in 1791. Unfortunately by then the damage had been done to Washington's and Mason's friendship. Mason would ever after refer to him as "my former friend, George Washington."

Etched into stone at this humble memorial to George Mason are several quotes. The most stirring is this:

Regarding slavery...that slow poison which is daily contaminating the minds and morals of our people: every gentlemen here is born a petty tyrant, practiced in acts of despotism and creulty. We become callous to the dictates of humanity and all the finer feelings of the soul, taught to regard a part of our own species in the most abject and contemptible degree below us. We lose that idea of the dignity of man, which nature had implanted in us for great and useful purposes.

Mason died in 1792. Today, he has a university named for him, as well as counties in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Illinois. His descendants include the Hiltons. It's too bad Mason's eighth great-granddaughter, Paris Hilton, hasn't taken a page out of his distinguished history and carried on the legacy of public service, devotion, and dedication Mason embodied.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/07

Juxtaposition

The Watergate and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Located on the edge of the Potomac and just south of Georgetown is the Watergate Hotel and Condominiums (on the left) and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (on the right.) The Watergate was the location of a break-in on June 17, 1972 by operatives of then-President Richard M. Nixon into the offices of the Democratic National Committee. The break-in became the spark that lit the fuse that blew open the Nixon White House and resulted in Nixon resigning. This week, the Nixon Presidential Library in San Clemente, California, was handed over to the National Archives and it has been announced that information regarding Watergate will be updated and corrected to present it not as "a coup" but as a breach of executive privilege. (In light of today's arguments from the Bush-Cheney White House re: executive privilege, Nixon's pratfalls seem benign in comparison.)

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is the premier center for arts and culture in Washington, D.C. President and Mrs. Kennedy were great patrons of the arts and President Kennedy was an ardent supporter of the establishment of the Center. The origins of the Kennedy Center actually precede President Kennedy, though. In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill authorizing the creation of a National Cultural Center. It was only after President Kennedy's assassination in 1963 that construction was accelerated and the center was named in his honor. Patrons and visitors of the Center can enjoy concerts by the National Symphony Orchestra, opera, plays, contemporary concerts, readings, and much more.

Zip: 20566

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (Janet M. Kincaid, 07/07)

Happy 4th!

I really need to read the little book that came with my Canon A630 to find out how to best use the "Fireworks" setting on my camera. In the meantime, though, here's a picture of the fireworks from the rooftop of a friend's apartment building down near Meridian Park. This year's fireworks on the National Mall were some of the best and most colorful I've seen in all the years I've lived here. Truly spectacular! I'm sorry my picture doesn't better reflect that. Just as a reference point: the Washington Monument is to the left of the "rocket's red glare."

To see some great pictures of this year's fireworks, go here.

Happy 4th, friends!

Protesting Bed Bugs

On my way into work this morning, I passed this protest taking place at the corner of 9th Streets and Rhode Island Avenue NW. Seems the building, which you can't see, but which is behind these folks, is infested with all manner of vermin and pestilence. I took the picture more because it illustrates two of America's freedoms: the right to petition and the right to assemble (U.S. Bill of Rights, Article I.) I hope they achieved their outcome.

Zip: 20001

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (Janet M. Kincaid, 06/07)