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Olympic medicineBy Seymour Klierly The summer days of August are here. Usually this means sunny mornings followed by sticky and cloudy afternoons. Families on vacation enjoying the National Mall seek relief by filling water bottles and asking everyone who stops by if D.C. is always this humid. By the time 6 p.m. hits, restaurants with outdoor seating are crowded with locals, who are just happy that their bosses are gone for the month, that they are willing to brave the thick, hot air to socialize with colleagues. The past few months in D.C. have been particularly difficult due to hyper-partisan politics. Neither Democrats nor Republicans have been willing to give one inch in their respective stances on energy, tax relief and the procedural rights of the minority party. While the majority of Republicans voted to keep Congress in session to focus on energy policy, enough Democrats voted with their leadership that the traditional August recess is in effect. When you throw a divisive presidential election into the mix, those restaurants and bars full of staff from both parties are ripe for a little confrontation. Fortunately for all involved, another event comes around every four years in August to help break the tension of a rough legislative session, and all a restaurant owner has to do to take advantage of this is turn on the TV. The Olympics provide an opportunity for all Americans to come together over a drink or basket of hot wings and cheer on the best our country has to offer. Democrats, Republicans, Independents and all others can feel a sense of pride and unity while watching our athletes compete. Maybe it would do the country a little good to lock the leadership of both parties in a room with a big screen, popcorn machine, and a well-stocked refrigerator and force them to watch the Olympics together. Who knows? Maybe a healthy dose of the Olympics is just what is needed to cure a bad case of hyper-partisanitis. Go Team USA! 8/18/08 Date: 8/13/08
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