Wednesday, October 28, 2015

$1000 a plate for runny eggs

I'm staring at a plate of $1000 eggs.

They are runny.

The bacon isn't crispy ... it's barely cooked.

The toast looks done but it's cold.

The butter's pretty warm though.

Diced potatoes, onions and green peppers round out this ostentatious meal.

It's being served in one of Washington D.C.'s finest restaurant, which doesn't actually open to the pubic until 11 but we're sitting in a oak paneled private dinning room with lots of mirrors.

The waiters wear starched white shirts, black trousers and vests and red bow ties.

There are 25 of us seated at a long oak table, dressed in coats and ties, having paid $1000 each for the privilege of a "private" breakfast with a Senator.

I'm present because Hurt, Norton & Associates, a powerful lobbying group, is hosting the meal and are nice enough to take me on as a charity case. Everyone else ... bankers, energy companies, manufactures and such ... paid their own way.

It's not my first "private" meal with an elected official but I've never seen a $1000 bucks for runny eggs before.

Of course it's not the meal people pay for ... it's the opportunity to get Senator Isakson to do something for us because we're doing something for him ... contributing to his reelection.

Since he knows I didn't pay, he spends a lot of time talking about the good work we do. So much so, there's little time left for the paying customers to ask him to do this or that for them.

I thought that was pretty brilliant!

Though they'll all make appointments to see him in his office and some aid will remind him of their presence at the breakfast.

It's just how it works.

A few weeks later, Senator Isakson made his way to Savannah, tours our work and holds a press conference proclaiming his enthusiastic endorsement. It got lots of play across the State helping him appear a compassionate and down to earth, hard working champion of the poor.

We never received any of the money we were him asking for ... we were pretty broke ... too much demand and not enough supply ... so we found another way.

The last weeks before local elections remind me of breakfast with the Senator. Incumbents are desperate to hold on to what they have. Challengers are determined to take a seat at the table. Behind-the-scenes Kingmakers orchestrate indentures.

I still vote.

There are people running I'd really like to believe in.

But in all honesty, my hearts just not in it anymore.