Helen (Thomas), I'd like you to meet Howard (Dean): a dream lunch with two DU heroes

[DFW]

I had been trying to put this together for 18 months, and FINALLY managed today.

We met up at a restaurant of Howard's choosing in DC this afternoon. I picked Helen up at her residence,
and we met Howard and my brother at the restaurant. I discussed DU briefly with both of them, but the conversation
moved quickly on to other things--LOTS of other things: specific races this fall, the Middle East, Obama and his
inner circle (and how destructive it was for Jimmy Carter before him to rely only on an inner circle who was great
as a campaign team, but not suited for the mechanics of Washington reality). There was lots of private stuff as well.
Although Helen and Howard had been mostly passing ships in the Washington night, I've known them both well for many
years, and we did discuss a lot of personal and family stuff. My brother took a half day off from his day job in Virginia
to be able to join us downtown and round out the foursome.

Most of it was off the record, and I gnash my teeth in frustration, but will respect it.

One comment Helen made afterward was how much of a breath of fresh air Howard was, and how he was the first politician
she had met in decades who answered every question she asked, and answered directly with no evasion. Howard said he was
sure she would not have been so gracious if she had been grilling him as President, and Helen said he was surely right.

When the bill came, I reached for it, and Howard grabbed it out of my hand. I protested, saying that the lunch was my
idea, after all. He said that after all I had done for him and his efforts, it was the least he could do. I reminded him
that on a scale of 100, what he had done for the party was a 110 compared to my fraction. He knew I was right, but he
took the bill anyway. That's the kind of guy he is. Helen had a delightful time as well, as found Howard as wonderful
as I had told her, and she had hoped. Howard was on his way to doing a show with Chris Matthews this afternoon, and he
looked relaxed and ten years younger than he is.

These are two people who SHOULD have still been making American history. It is cruel fate--and the country's loss--that
they are not. But it is comforting that their voices have not yet been stilled. Helen plans to be "back" in September in
one way or another, and Howard promises to be out there "raising hell" for causes he believes in, just as he has been all
along.

Some pics:


with my brother:


Helen with a card from a DUer that I delivered (I keep my promises!)

[MiniMe]

1. K&r Thanks DFW for keeping us informed about Helen

He is a very sweet, great lady.

[DFW]

3. It was wonderful!

Helen is a "she," by the way......... ;-)

[elleng]

2. How WONDERFUL!

(So you're not in Eur at the moment, eh?)

Can you at least tell us what restaurant???

And thanks for all you do!

:applause:

[DFW]

5. I'm on my annual American summer odyssey

I got to Dallas last Sunday, flew up to DC this morning.

It was at a place called the "Daily Grill," where I had a wonderful seared tuna salad in ginger soya, Howard had just a BLT,
and Helen had a simple tomato and Romaine heart salad.

It's at 1200 18th Street right off of Connecticut Avenue. Next time, we're going to Helen's favorite place, since it turns out
that Burlington, VT has a sizable Lebanese community, and Howard is familiar with, and likes Middle Eastern food.

[elleng]

17. Been to that Daily Grill! (Lived in dc 20+ years, in suburb now.)

So y'all are gonna meet up again in Vermont??? That's MY dream American summer odyssey!!!

BRAVO to you, DFW!

[DFW]

25. I would LOVE to meet up with the Deans in Vermont

Howard is actually quite protective of his private life, and Burlington is probably the last place he'd want
to meet up with me. Denver, Switzerland, Charleston, Washington, anyplace but Burlington. If I were to be
there anyway, I'm sure we'd meet up, but I don't think he'd suggest Burlington as his first choice.

[flyarm]

4. How special and wonderful!! K&R eom

[monmouth]

6. Delete, answered wrong post..

[saracat]

7. Dangerous folks you hang with! Those two know more about what really

goes on in DC than the entire O admin! Love them both. But I am still a bit irritated at Howard for throwing women under the bus for HCR. Still I prefer to believe he didn't mean it!

[DFW]

9. I didn't get much into HCR, I confess

Howard's frustration with that whole issue is immeasurable. He commented that the bill that finally passed
was timid compared to what he got through as Governor of Vermont 20 years ago.

[saracat]

10. I have never met Helen, though I would love too! I have met Howard several times

and interviewed him. He always remebered my name and was always so gracious! These are two very remarable people and I am so happy that you brought them together! Congrats!

[DFW]

12. What was that line from that old TV show?

"I love it when a plan comes together!"

[PassingFair]

8. Jealous!

Thanks for the peek, DFW!!!

[DFW]

11. My pleasure!!

If I couldn't share 98% of the conversation, I could at least share a pic or two!!

One DUer knew that I had been trying to put this together, but I was just waiting for Murphy's Law
to kick in and delay my plane or whatever, so I didn't want to post until it really went down. Howard
and Helen are two of my favorite people, period. Sitting down with the two of them, especially when
they really didn't know each other, was a privilege. By the time we left, you would have thought they
were old pals from way back.

[superduperfarleft]

13. Dean is one of the few moderate politicians whom I greatly respect.

And it goes without saying that I respect the hell out of Helen Thomas.

Awesome pictures. :thumbsup:

[Ignis]

30. Yeah, some of our so-called "centrists/moderates" could learn a thing from him.

It's not the political ideology, it's the corruption and cowardice!

[DFW]

32. Corruption and cowardice are foreign words to Howard

Unless referring to Republicans, Fox Noise, and National Hate Radio

[glitch]

42. Old school moderate, when it did not mean corporatist. nt

[laughingliberal]

48. +1 nt

[Ignis]

111. I'm not a moderate, but I do think that the Clinton years really hurt that term.

It's become synonymous with "centrist/triangulator/corporatist/DLC" rather than any particular ideology. And that's a shame, because I think the (D) tent is certainly big enough to include moderates, and always has been.

[glitch]

114. Agreed. Letting the DLC assume the label was a mistake. There is nothing moderate about their

"practical" privatization plans (although I consider that an ideology even if they don't, isn't it called neo-liberal?).

[EmeraldCityGrl]

14. You lucky duck...

Two of my heros. Dean and Ms. Thomas are two of the few people left
that keep me from becoming overly bitter and cynical.

If Obama only realized for a moment the tremendously positive
addition Howard Dean would be to his Administration. I will never
stop supporting him.

[DFW]

15. Howard told me one thing I didn't know (that I could report):

Obama's people made sure that most (not all) cabinet Secretaries got their deputy secretaries appointed by the
administration. What kind of BS is that? So most cabinet secretaries have White House appointees overseeing their
every move? What kind of confidence and autonomy is that?

Notable exceptions (probably not a complete list): Gates at Defense, HRC at State, and Napolitano at DHS.

[glitch]

39. Interesting, and not in a good way.

All the ones that got a pass are reliable neocon/libs. I wish Dean would run again but the power seems to have been rather efficiently "secured".

[hootinholler]

16. I'm so envious

I wish I had known. I wish I could work for someone like Dr. Howard.

-Hoot

[AlabamaLibrul]

18. DFW.....

WHAT do you do that lets you get cozy with these folks?

Completely jealous.

[DFW]

21. Who, me? I didn't do nuthin'!

Actually, all I had to do to get to know Helen was be my father's son. He was a member of the Washington
print press since 1950, and through him, I have known Helen for decades. When he passed, my brother and I
made it a point to keep up close contact with Helen, which we have absolutely done. Helen and I usually
talked every month or two, and since her forced retirement, more like every week.

I met Howard about 10 years ago at a thing called Renaissance Weekend, held every New Year's in South Carolina
(of all places). I was an instant fan, and when we found out we were both Leo Kottke fans and avid guitarists,
the bond was truly cemented. We have been friends ever since, although trying to get Howard to commit to a
lunch date these days is like trying to grab hold of a tornado. I busted my ass trying to put this together,
and wasn't sure it would come off until we were all sitting together at one table.

It's totally weird introducing two people whom one has known for many years, especially when both have achieved
a fair degree of prominence, but never knew each other. But I needn't have worried. They got along like long lost
chums in about 30 seconds.

[Dinger]

24. I'll take Your Jealous and Raise Ya 10!

:patriot:

[Dragonbreathp9d]

19. LUCKY!

[JI7]

20. very nice , thanks for posting and the pics

[pruple]

22. K&R

that was great, thanks for posting

[Dinger]

23. Thanks DFW!

You're a lucky guy!:loveya:


I wish to say (against DU rules) that my rec counts as 1,000,000, not one, just so ya know.:)

[DFW]

27. LOL!! Thanks!

I find that when I post something, there are usually unrecs galore (like I care), so you would
probably find your counterpart with a million negatives if you look hard enough. Not to worry,
just accept my thanks for reading, and if I'm lucky, it's because of my wife and siblings,
although I do have some friends I'm rather proud of, no two ways about it.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

26. Bravo for all three of you. K&R

[DFW]

28. Well, to two of us anyway :-)

I was just along for the ride, whereas Helen and Howard get the "lifetime of amazing achievements" award,

[madrchsod]

29. thanks for posting....

for many of us here helen and howard will always be our heroes.

once again thanks

[DFW]

33. Mine, too!

Just because they are friends doesn't mean they don't enjoy my undying admiration along with the rest of you!

[Ignis]

31. I'm green...

...with jealousy. :D

[DFW]

34. Feel free to retain your normal hue

We need all the healthy Democrats we can muster! :)

[rucky]

35. You're the coolest kid in all of DU

:thumbsup:

[DFW]

37. Hardly, but today was not a bad day, I'll admit...

:)

I'll be flying if we can do a repeat in January!

[glitch]

36. You are so sweet to bring them together and post about it, thanks for the nice cheer-up! nt

[DFW]

38. Kinda cheered me up too! But I wasn't the one who benefited most.

It mostly cheered Helen up, as so many of her former "friends" and colleagues have treated her as if
she were radioactive since her "retirement." I think it did her a world of good to be with Howard, a
man she had respected for years, and see that he bore her no malice in the slightest.

She was most grateful to me (!!!) afterward, not for a second grasping that we were privileged to
share her company as well.

[glitch]

40. Your cheering Helen up is what cheered me up.

Shame on the people who diss her now, they can never hold a candle to her. That makes me so angry. Must center again on the cheering...:hi:

[shireen]

52. so agree!

Helen deserves better. She has more integrity than all of them a million times!
I'm really glad she has you for a friend, DFW.

[sabrina 1]

55. I agree. Our right to hear from people like Helen, to have

her keeping an eye on our leaders, was taken away. It was not just Helen who was wronged, it was the American people.

How much longer are we going to tolerate this assault on our freedoms? Who needs terrorists to take away our rights?

I am so glad to see Helen enjoying herself. I am ashamed of most of our leaders who do not have the courage to stand up for what is right.

Dean would have made a great president. He's not afraid of the rightwingnuts the way our current administration appear to be.

[DFW]

71. You're right as rain about Howard

He is the first one to admit that he had no idea how to run a presidential campaign in 2004, but
I think he was by far the first major presidential candidate in a looooong time who came right
out and answered questions directly and spoke his mind. That must have frightened a lot of the
wrong people.

I find it ironic that the only other politicians who speak their minds these days are either
right wing nut cases, who get way more publicity than their deranged rantings deserve, or else
are named Kucinich, and ignored by the media.

One thing, though--I don't get US TV when overseas, but it looks to me like even now, 2 years after
Howard was supposed to have faded into political irrelevance, he is at least as in demand on the
political talk shows as anyone in the country. If THAT isn't an indication of the appreciation of
his straight talk, nothing is.

[sabrina 1]

104. The first candidate to answer questions directly.

Yes, that was what was so wonderful about him.

I loved that Helen and he talked about that as you reported in your OP, and that Helen agreed when he said she would have been as tough on him had he become president, as she was on every other president.

[defendandprotect]

124. Just want to chime in here to add my LOVE for Howard Dean . . . !!

[DFW]

125. Helen felt the same way

I talked to her again last night, and she just went on (not like her!) about how refreshing Howard
was, answering every question, quickly and with no evasion at all. "He's not a politician," was one
of her comments, and from Helen, that is meant as high praise, indeed!

[defendandprotect]

127. Very little spontaneous response these days from officials --

in GOP it actually got robotic with Newt distributing the taped talking points!

By the way, I did write a draft of a letter to Hearst directly -- and if I send

it next week, I'll drop a copy of it into your inbox --

Best regards --

[Ross K]

41. K&R

[CaliforniaPeggy]

43. My dear DFW!

Oh, what a marvelous time you must have had! I can just imagine the conversation, and the wit flying about.

Thank you for sharing this amazing convergence. I'm thrilled that you were able to pull it off!

Recommended.


:toast:

[sabrina 1]

44. Howard Dean and Helen Thomas together.

As others have said, you are very lucky to have been there with them.

Both heroes.

The photos are great!

Thank you so much for posting them. I especially love the last one :-)

[DFW]

72. Indeed....

;-)

[mzmolly]

45. Wonderful to read about DFW.

:toast: to you and your fellow lunch partners. ;)

[kgnu_fan]

46. Thank you for keeping us company and letting Helen know that we love her!!!

[KaryninMiami]

47. Wow- what a delicious story- great photos-- made my night!

How I wish I could have been there too- thanks for sharing this and also for putting it together. Why not consider putting more of these "lunch pairings" together? Sounds like you are well connected in media and politics- imagine how many exciting ideas and great collaborations could develop from these lunch and learn get togethers!

And if you ever need help setting one up here in Miami, send me a note- would be thrilled to help you find the perfect venue!

Thanks again! Was lovely to read this after a very long day at work!

[DFW]

67. I guess it depends on what you mean by "well-connected"

I know a few people here and there, this is true. But your idea of getting people together for an exchange
of ideas and future collaborations is already reality. I met Howard at one of them. It's called Renaissance
Weekend (www.renaissanceweekend.org) and Bill Clinton met half of his cabinet at these things before he was
elected President in 1992. They take place in Charleston, SC at New Year's. I know exactly NOBODY in Miami,
but that isn't engraved in stone. If the occasion should arise, I'd be happy to have you help plan and participate!

[laughingliberal]

49. That is wonderful! Thanks for sharing it with us! eom

[uppityperson]

50. What a wonderful thing for all involved. Thanks for sharing with us. k&r

[shireen]

51. next time you see that beautiful lady,

please give her a hug for me. I have so much affection for Helen ... she's a wonderful brilliant courageous person. :hug:

And YOU ... I am so envious! At a table with Helen and Howard! Some of us only dream of it .... thanks for sharing the experience with us. :)

[tbyg52]

53. You are on my list of heroes and geniuses.

Those two together could make a difference.

What can I do to help that doesn't involve actual human contact, unless I am in charge and know my exact function....? ;->

[DFW]

74. Got me there

Human contact is what it's all about.

[tbyg52]

83. Oh well. I try to do what I can otherwise.......

:hi:

[DFW]

84. Each does what he or she can

No shame in that!

[pleah]

54. K&R What wonderful pictures!

Awed!

[gateley]

56. You know what I love about you, DFW? That you provide a "safe" place

for these two wonderful people whom we all admire. Good on you! :pals:

And I love that they're pals now -- hope they keep in touch!

[DFW]

75. I didn't really "provide" anything...

With the possible exception of the chance for Howard and Helen really getting to know each other.
I will make sure they keep in touch--all three of us are absolutely committed to meeting up at Helen's
favorite Lebanese restaurant in January!

[gateley]

95. Not to be argumentative (but this is DU!) but you provided a safe haven, a

relaxing environment in which they knew they could speak freely, wouldn't see something they said in the newspaper or internet the next day, they were able to let that guard down. That must mean the world to them, to know they have a true friend in you (and your brother) who cares for them for who they are as people. Proof: How many of Helen and Howard's "friends" of yesteryear are no longer taking their calls? I won't hear another word of 'pshaw' from you!

[DFW]

96. OK, my lips are sealed! LOL! n/t

[Joe Fields]

57. The only thing I can add is my heartfelt thanks and respect.

K&R

[DFW]

76. Humbly accepted

It was an honor to have been there, and an honor that both of them accepted my invitation for the meet-up.

[loudsue]

58. I wish Howard Dean could/would start a new Party...the PEOPLE'S party, or some such

I'd follow him anywhere.

[DFW]

73. I wouldn't hold my breath

Howard is as committed to the Democratic Party as he ever was, even if he gets as frustrated as many
of us do when we see it start to lose its way. Being totally an outsider, as he now is, he still does
what he can for certain candidates. His insight into what is going on gave me a small hint as to why
he was not considered for an administration post. If Rahm was going to insist on inserting his own
tattler into any department or organization run by Howard, Howard would have fired the rat's ass in
two seconds flat or quit.

It's amazing how one person in a key position can mess things up so badly, isn't it? Rahm's presence,
as well as Howard's absence, has changed the whole face of what should have been the greatest administration
in decades.

[glitch]

85. What should have been the greatest administration in decades.

The opportunity costs on this one might not be calculable.

[DFW]

88. I hear you on that one! n/t

[sabrina 1]

102. Truer words have never been spoken:

Rahm's presence, as well as Howard's absence, has changed the whole face of what should have been the greatest administration in decades.

Imagine if Dean had been COS. Democrats would not now be as worried as they are about November. There is no way Howard would have slammed the people who elected them the way Emanuel et al have done. They aren't very good political strategists, that's for sure.

Rahm still tries to take credit for Dean's 50 state strategy and sadly the media often helps with that.

[phasma ex machina]

59. K&R Thanks for sharing. nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

60. I had lunch with him in April

Well me and about 100 other people. :)

Very cool. Thanks for the pics!

[DemoTex]

61. Does Helen dig Leo Kottke?

I bet she does/would!

On edit: I know that you and Dean do - as do I.

[DFW]

68. No, LOL!!

Helen probably has no idea who Kottke is.

Isn't Howard amazing? Even though he's no longer DNC chairman, he still makes time to consult with Democratic
candidates (for free, of course) who want his advice. We discussed a Democratic candidate in the Midwest (I'm
being deliberately vague here) who was laughed at by the Republicans a year ago. They are running scared now.

Kottke inspired me to seek out Božo Podunavac and have these made for me

[dogday]

62. All I can say is that must of been one heck of a lunch.

You lucky guy... :hi:

[DFW]

69. It was!!

I had been trying for the longest time to put this together, ever since Howard and Helen told me they
really didn't know each other except for the occasional 5 second shoulder rubbing. All 3 of us decided
before we went our separate ways that this was to be the first time, not the last.

[dogday]

119. Picked out the frame for that picture yet? Make it a good one

cause that is one image worth the frame....

Best of Luck :thumbsup:

Shawnee

[DFW]

121. There's an idea.

I have quite a gallery already, going back to a photo of FDR autographed in his hand to "his friend," my grandfather.

(We're Democrats from way back, in case it wasn't obvious!)

[Duppers]

63. Wowzer!!!!

My 2 favorite people in DC together.

Bravo to you, DFW!

[BigBearJohn]

64. Great post! Thanks for sharing with us! K/R

[Swamp Rat]

65. Lovely!!

:bounce:

[SunsetDreams]

66. Nice Post DFW, thank you for sharing.

[Call Me Wesley]

70. Recommended.

Thanks for sharing! :hi:

[DFW]

77. All you have to do is run through a week's posts on DU

Even now, there are so many threads appreciative of Howard and Helen.

Posting about it first on DU seemed to be the right place to do it.

[malaise]

78. Fabulous

Lovely pics.

[DFW]

80. Helps keep the hope alive, too!

Howard, especially, is so upbeat, even when he's pissed about something.

[alsame]

79. Thanks for sharing with us. K&R.

[OneGrassRoot]

81. What a WONDERFUL sharing!

Thank you so very, very much. It warmed my heart this morning.

:hug:

[DFW]

82. Glad to hear it!

Thanks for that!

[Synnical]

86. Thanks so much for sharing this.

And lucky you! :-)

-Cind in Fort Lauderdale

[Mad_Dem_X]

87. Wow! Lucky you!

I am in total awe of these two special people. Had I been at the next table, I surely would have been eavesdropping! :)

[DFW]

89. Had you been at the next table and told me you were DU

I would have invited you to join us.

[tomm2thumbs]

90. superb!

[CLANG]

91. Wonderful, DFW! You made my day!

On a personal note, I was wondering what you do for a living that sends you gallivanting around the world?

[DFW]

93. Sometimes, I ask myself that very same question..... n/t

[ceile]

92. So jealous!!

I still proudly wear my "Dean For President" t-shirt. Infact, wore it this morning while walking the dog.
I really wish he'd run again....

[DFW]

94. You're not the only one

Howard is firmly convinced that it is time for younger people to take over. Of course, the high hopes he
had for Obama have not exactly proven that younger means better, but his opinion of Obama remains far higher
than his opinion of the men who make up Obama's inner circle. Still, Howard, even at a very youthful and
energetic 61 (will be 62 in November) stands by his opinion, and will not be running again.

(Too bad, eh?)

[creon]

97. very interesting

It would be an interesting experiment to witness what would happen if an outsider like Dean were president.
A few of the problems that Dean would have to confront:
the recession: is he willing to 'think outside the box" and ask, "What has a chance of working?" or, would he fight this war the same way the last one was fought?

Financial reform: what would he do with all that bad paper that the banks are holding? Would he break up the banks that are 'too big to fail" ?
health care: just exactly what would single payer look like? What would he do with all those insurance companies? And, their employees?

That is just domestic.
Foreign policy is no better:
Iraq; Afghanistan; North Korea; Iran. That is only the top four.


What Dean would end up doing is not very much different from what Obama has ended up doing.
And, just like Obama, he would be hated by millions. And, many would call hime a 'socialist' or a 'corporatist'. The same man would be called both. Just like Obama.

[DFW]

99. Howard is already hated by millions

That is why he lost his bid for the nomination.

Whether he would have followed his own advice of exchanging his campaign team for another team for governing
is one upon which we can only speculate. However, to say that what Howard would do is the same as Obama would
do is speculation in the extreme, and one that is not in the slightest borne out by what he says, especially
now. Maybe you'd think differently if you had a chance to know him better. I do know him better, and I certainly
think so.

Calling him names would bother him about as much as a grain of sand falling on the Sahara. He's heard them all.

[creon]

100. name calling

name calling describes the person making the insult. It does not describe the person 'insulted'.
Dean would do a good job as president, I am sure of that.
It would be a big help if we had a progressive majority in the HoR and Senate. A Democratic president would sign what they pass.

[Jim Sagle]

122. Chickenshit bullshit.

[creon]

126. so what

whatever floats your boat,

[sonias]

98. Wonderful!

Two of my favorite people Howard and Helen!

You are so lucky! Thanks for the pictures!

:yourock:

[defendandprotect]

101. Lovely report -- lovely participants .. .please tell Helen that I sent her a card and note

c/o Hearst -- but they returned it -- and I presume a lot of other mail

that may have been sent to her there was also returned!!

Best wishes to you all --

Helen -- would love to see you back in September!!

[sabrina 1]

109. They returned mine too.

I'm sure she has been sent many letters that she did not receive. What a shame that after all the years she worked for them, they cannot even do that little service for her.

Maybe our next letters to Hearst should be to tell them what we think of THEM.

[DFW]

110. Apparently Hearst has washed their hands of Helen altogether

You are not the first one to tell me that they have returned mail to her. All they had to do was forward it on
to her, and that would have been the end of it. I heard this from another DUer whom I was able to help out, as
she told me in time to forward her letter on to a neutral address, where I had it picked up, and I delivered it
to Helen Yesterday at lunch.

To say Hearst has been acting reprehensibly would be being charitable to them.

[defendandprotect]

116. If you want to give me that "neutral" address . . . I'll remail it --

Hearst are really acting ridiciously in this --

what of simple courtesy?

Puerile!!

:)

PS: You can PM me on the address if that works for you --

[DFW]

117. That adress won't work any more, as I'm leaving back to Dallas on Monday

I'll work something out. Check your PM. I'm heading up to New England on Friday, and might be able to pick it up the next day in a small town in Massachusetts.

[defendandprotect]

118. No, no -- here's what I'll do . . .

I will send you a PM with the contents of my note to Helen --

and you can just print that out for her -- if you would be so kind?

AND, I will also do what I was planning to do . . . i.e., OPEN the returned

card I sent her and resend it to Hearst with a polite note outlining that it

would be simply courtesy if they would send it on to her --

Even if they don't do it, I will have made clear that I think they're on the low road --

AND, you will have a copy of my note to pass on to Helen, anyway!

OK -- ??

Thank you --

Barbara

[DFW]

120. Done deal

I copied what you write and sent it to Helen's personal email. She'll see it in the morning.

I love your idea of letting Hearst have it with both barrels, by the way. How low can you go, for Pete's sake?

[defendandprotect]

123. Generally, you can't shame an organization like this . . .

but if you sail something in sometimes it will end up in some hands where

some comments will be made --

And, I hope some will understand the SUPPORT for Helen Thomas --

Best wishes -- thanks again!

:)

[Gman]

103. How absolutely wonderful!

Kudos for a job well done on hooking these two up and for keeping DU informed.

[DFW]

113. DU was the first to know

I know of no greater concentration of Howard and Helen fans!!

[Kurovski]

105. Terrific!

Hey, you're even cuter than Howard. I hope Howard runs for something, and that that's what was off the record. I was sort of barfed-out that Obama didn't put him in an official position, but Rahm would have none of that, i'd wager. It was a waste of real Dem talent. K&R

;)

[DFW]

112. I'M cuter than Howard??

You are in desperate need of a visit to your eye doctor!!!

Luckily my wife is nearsighted, too, or she would have never stuck with me this long.....

I'm totally with you about Rahm and the waste of talent.....a criminal waste!!

[Kurovski]

115. Take it! take the compliment!

There, :spank: that'll learn 'ya!

[BrklynLiberal]

106. WOW! WOW! WOW! That is all I can manage to say....

[BEZERKO]

107. Good for you,

I'm happy for you and your brother. What an honor!

[russspeakeasy]

108. An absolute pleasure to read and ponder.....Thanks...