Got to Washington, met up with two other classmates and had a nice dinner. We then walked Washington in the evening, seeing the outside of the White House, Washington Monument, WWII monument, Lincoln Memorial (which has been rededicated earlier in the day) then went to the hotel.
My hotel is very nice and is obviously on the main drag to the GWU ED, meaning sirens all night long. Not a restful night.
Sunday the whole class got together for a briefing on the schedule of events and the ‘order of battle’. It was politely pointed out that this is a ‘how policy is made’ seminar, and that the people we’re here to see care not a whit what we think, we’re here to learn how and why they do what they do. Actually I like that, keeping this from devolving into unwinnable arguments and internecine warfare.
Rumor has it Senator Kennedy is to present his Health Care Plan, which has been kept under close hold and not leaked, to date.
This evening we ate at Bob’s Chili Bowl (a local landmark), saw the African American Civil War Memorial then took the Metro to the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial. Wonderful memorial, and its designer is quite a genius. Beautiful.
- The sign says “These people eat free: Bill Cosby and the Obama Family”. (Underneath is hand-written ‘But he paid’)
- Two things: the Pentagon Facade changes color where it was repaired, and, the monuments face toward the building for those on the plane, and away from the building for those in the Pentagon.
- this is how the individual names are memorialized
Don’t miss the Korean War monument!