Reunion, pt 2

[msmemory_archive]

Madeleine and Hillary have their reunions the same years I do.


After lunch, the entire alumnae body trooped over to the new Keohane Sports Center, for the Women In Government panel. This was a late addition to the schedule, and I feel sorry for any of the faculty who had their talks scheduled opposite it. The panel was Madeleine Korbel Albright '59, Hillary Rodham Clinton '69, and Susan Graber '69, a federal appellate judge. Diana Chapman Walsh, president of the College, moderated.

What a wonderful panel. Albright is a very funny and engaging speaker, the kind I wish I could have as a dinner guest just to get her recounting stories of her adventures in government. The judge held her own on the powerful panel where she was a bit of a token to fill out the dais and represent the third branch of government, hurray! I get the impression she would be a smart judge to have on one's case, reserved in decisions but not wishy-washy. Clinton was as usual articulate, competent, and "not campaigning" (hah). Poor Caroline, seated next to me, raging midwestern Republican and ex-military wife, not happy listening to Hillary's well-presented but solidly liberal positions.

As time drew short - and they had not allowed nearly enough time; it was clear that most of the crowd would have been happy to give them another whole hour and call off the rest of the faculty lectures for the day - Walsh announced that they would take one question. The first audience member who got the mic said "I don't have a question per se, but I would like all the women here who are involved in government at any level to rise, please." They did, and it was good to see so many, though the panelists all agreed there need to be more if we are going to make inroads.

Walsh agreed that the panel would take one more question, since that hadn't been a real question. The next question came: "Where do you see yourself ten years from now?" Billows and waves of laughter. Everybody there knew that was code for "Hillary, are you going to declare candidacy for President?" With great presence of mind, Susan the judge spoke first. She has her position more-or-less for life, if she chooses to stay, so she stated that she wants to be where she is, on the bench, and active and healthy. Nice answer. Then Madeleine rose and said "I want to be working for another President Clinton!" and sat down. Cheers and more laughter.
Hillary naturally hedged, saying that she wants to do a good job with her Senatorial seat and isn't worrying beyond that. Very politically cautious. She knew that even in a non-public venue, if she even hints at candidacy, it would be all over the news and possibly spoil her reelectability as a Senator meantime.

Media coverage of the event was very limited - I saw no network cameras - but the Wellesley Townsman did cover it. (http://www.townonline.com/wellesley/news/local_regional/wt_covwtclintonms06102004.htm)

We had fun much of the weekend playing "spot the Secret Service." We knew Clinton attended the fireworks on Friday, and the vocal concert Saturday afternoon, because we saw the Secret Service guys in their sober suits and bulky raincoats, trying to look nonchalant on a campus full of women in bright casual clothes.

After the Women in Government panel, I went to the Confessions of a Wine-Taster talk, given by my former New Testament professor, Edward Hobbs. Turns out that before he was bought out, he was a minority partner in Ridge Vineyards, in California. Yum. Warm cozy room so I dozed a little, oops.

One more scoot through the Reunion Store, where I bought two scarves. I have ambitions of being one of those polished professional looking women who knows how to tie a scarf. Someday.

Continued in Part 3.

Comments

[cvirtue.livejournal.com]

You'd think they'd hire more female SS folks. Maybe they do, and the only ones an average person might notice were the men.

[msmemory.livejournal.com]

I spotted only one female SS agent. They'd have all blended in much better if allowed to wear civvies (the men would've been taken for awkward looking husbands). You'd think that would be part of their goals.

[keshwyn]

When I went to school with Chelsea, we used to be able to spot the SS guys because they were the only guys in B&G outfits where there was no dirt anywhere on their uniforms. (Well, and the earpieces, but those were less obvious from a distance.)

It took them about a year to figure out that they needed to blend in a bit more - we all knew who they were, of course, but nobody except the High School principal wore a suit to work before Chelsea came. And suddenly there were these skulking guys in suits. It's no good trying to be an inconspicuous guardian when one is the object of constant suppressed hilarity.

Random trivia - at least three of the guys on the Secret Service really really like tunafish sandwiches - their office room -always- smelled of tunafish sandwiches.

[tpau]

albright talked at galaneia's graduation. she got almost Boo'd off stage. she stopped her speach and told them that after hte comencement ceremony she would be quite willing to chat with anyone who had issues with her government service, but could they please let peopel graduate. it was rther nice.

[herooftheage.livejournal.com]

Poor Caroline, seated next to me, raging midwestern Republican and ex-military wife, not happy listening to Hillary's well-presented but solidly liberal positions.

Really? I'm well to the right of the Republicans (like the conservative view of small government, hate the religious faction), and I had no problems with either Clinton. Oh, I didn't like their policies - but they were smart. I much prefer that the other side be on the ball - that way you can at least see what you are getting, and they don't do stupid destructive things for ill-thought out reasons.

The reason I despise Bush is not that he's a Republican, but because he's a horrible one. Reagan (at least the pre-Alzheimer's Reagan) would have been aghast at the current shenanigans.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

Agreed. I happen to think that Bush the First was one of the best presidents we've had in a long time - I just found his political policies reprehensible. (Let's not argue why... I'm just way more liberal than he is.)

He was a great leader, and a great guy - if only I could have tweaked his agenda.

[rickthefightguy.livejournal.com]

What makes you think the Secret Service agents want to blend in? Their job is to protect their charge - which is much easier if everybody knows they are there, since it discourages people from causing trouble. They aren't spies, they are police. They wear uniforms for the same reason police do. Now, they tend to keep a low profile, to try to allow their charge to actually do whatever it is they are doing, but they certainly don't want people to think there is nobody protecting their charge.

[johno.livejournal.com]

True enough.

It's not the ones you can see that are doing the actual protecting, they are there to deter someone from doing a frontal physical attack.

It's the one's you can't see, that are the real guards, protecting against the planned attack.