Grasping for Straws

Politics is an ugly business, there is no doubt about that. My time here in DC has confirmed that, if not by the fantastically sadistic phone calls and letters we get than by the baptism by fire an intern has to be ready for while in government. Let's face it, government isn't a sexy place to be, as well as it shouldn't be since there are countless broken, corrupt parts that make up the Beltway. Fans are few and hard to come by in constituent contact to our office, but again, thats just the nature of the beast for every office.
But in many ways, my internship has been characterized by experiences outside of being handcuffed to a copier. I've had opportunities to sit in on tons of enlightening hearings and briefings and witnessed first hand democracy at work. I'm truly blessed and I wouldn't take anything back.
Then to make things even more incredible, the outstanding Washington correspondant for the Connecticut Post, Peter Urban, contacted our office and I was fortunate enough to be the subject of an article. Granted, this piece was not designed to be Pulitzer prize winning material, but rather a piece to help the folks back home gain some insight into who is working (without pay) for their best interests. In the interest of full disclosure, I have a few ties to the Post from my mom being a former employee to my own internship for the Post's Editorial section. I know and trust the paper and the resulting article couldn't have pleased me more. To think of the opportunity to make PAGE 4 of the Post! This soon in my life! It was such a rush. And the reaction to it from everyone was so positive. I honestly feel like I've done something special.
But remember, this is politics, and its a nasty business... I accept that and welcome that. And the man I work for, Chris Shays, is no stranger to the most brutal and unwarranted of attacks. So be it no surprise that those who continue to mischaracterize one of the brightest, most kind hearted, and moderate leaders on the Hill have to go to such lengths to attack him that they stretch far beyond the usual ad hominem salvos. That's right, they go after an intern.
My oh my, aren't the internet and the blogosphere a great invention? To think, we now have the capacity to totally and blatantly miss the forest for the trees in a way that means our liberal, basement dwelling brethren can act as surrogate demi-gods and critique pay-less, college, wide-eyed kids. Is this what it's come to?
And we're not talking about kids who are ignorantly challenging the establishment because its cool or questioning authority because we're know-it-alls... but kids who are trying to help themselves and their community by taking advantage of opportunities to make a difference. Kids who not only talk about rocking the vote, but actually show up on election day and the days leading up to it on the campaign trail. Kids who are conscious enough to get involved and take advantage of the qualities God gave them. Perhaps I've totally crossed over to pretentious mode, but I think I've reached that plateau of being plugged in and aware.
But that doesn't satisfy the liberal mob who must have blood. Once they've had their fill of Chris Shays, they move on to the interns. Thats what the blog-post about me has boiled down to: attacking kids. Whether it be the condescending "We want you to make the most of your internship" all the way to the ignorant "He should have better heroes/role models," to the crazy "you will one day realize the shame of working for Shays" and the baffling "why hasn't he enlisted?" What isn't twisted from the Post story itself is simply fabricated and my personality and record butchered. As an intern in the office, I know the general deal with MyLeftNutmeg. Only they take themselves seriously in their self-aggrandizing mirror. But behind the binary curtain, they're exposed as liberal nutjobs that would make Michael Moore proud. Virtually no attack has merit, so be it no surprise that neither does the one on interns.
And man do they grasp for straws.
I'm super pumped I got to meet Chevy Chase. I told Peter Urban that. It fit the tone of the story. And now apparently I hate the troops. Are you kidding me? No attempt at honest dialogue was made. None. No benefit of the doubt was given to a kid. None. They came close... they asked rhetorical, loaded questions of what I could possibly believe, but in the end the worst was assumed. And why? Because they are desperate, petty, Shays-hating liberals.
You want my views on Iraq, scroll down to where I explain my disgust for the way Bush handled the war, how the Democrats would be even worse for it, and how it does touch me personally seeing as I have a grandfather who is a veteran of WWII, an uncle who is a graduate of West Point and recently retired a Lt. Col. in the Army, and two cousins in the Marines, one of which is currently in Iraq. But yeah, the war hasn't touched me. Yeah, I need new heroes.
If anything, the referenced tripe from the liberal fairyland can stand on its own unintentional comedy for the desperation and ridiculousness it oozes in every petty paragraph. This is the current state of liberal America: attacking kids. I only felt compelled to respond because of the personal nature of the attacks, otherwise I wouldn't even dignify it with a response. But come on, enough is enough. If any of the folks there would have the courage to apologize, I would gladly accept it in the name of forgiveness. But until then, I suggest they think long and hard at who they put in the cross hairs and what they want their Web site to be labeled as. Because right now, it's sitting pretty between grabage and idiocy.