D.C. Diary

Lords of Finance

We went last night to a party to celebrate the launch of a book written by a friend of ours. The Lords of Finance has had fantastic reviews in the Economist, the FT and the New York Times, partly because it's a cracking read (she says, having only read the first chapter - but who I am to disagree with Niall Ferguson), but also because its theme is incredibly timely. Liaquat must be one of the few people rejoicing at the current economic crisis, which has stimulated great interest in his book.

Basically, it is the story of the four post-World War One central bankers (from the US, the UK, France and Germany) who today are largely forgotten, but in their day formed 'The Most Exclusive Club in the World'. 

This exclusive club comprised Montagu Norman, the eccentric, manic-depressive Governor of the Bank of England; Emile Moreau, a xenophobic Frenchman whom Liaquat describes as a character from a Flaubert novel - he often left his duties at the Banque de France to preside over petty squabbles in the small town where he remained mayor; the fantastically-named Horace Greeley Hjalmar Schacht of the Reichsbank, a brilliant opportunist who had the unfortunate distinction of serving time in Dachau and being tried at Nuremberg; and Benjamin Strong of the Federal Reserve, an ambitious man with a troubled private life. The book recounts their intertwining paths and the fateful decisions they took which ultimately 'broke the world'.

Given that the Lords of Finance presided over the economic collapse that led to the Great Depression, one might expect this to be a bit of a sobering read. But Liaquat's characterization of the four players is so engaging that one is swept along with the narrative. You can read the first chapter here. The description of Montagu Norman as a 'colourful but enigmatic Englishman with his "waggish" smile, his theatrical air of mystery, his Van Dyke beard, and his conspiratorial costume: broad-brimmed hat, flowing cape, and sparkling emerald tie pin' makes one positively disappointed to be living in the current decade rather than the 1920s. 

Even Montagu Norman's solemn assessment of their failures is beautifully framed:

"As I look back, it now seems that, with all the thought and work and good intentions, which we provided, we achieved absolutely nothing...nothing that I did, and very little that old Ben did, internationally produced any good effect - or indeed any effect at all except that we collected money from a lot of poor devils and gave it over to the four winds". 

What an epilogue. Let's pray that today's Lords of Finance have more success. Fortunately, there is one positive sign that today's Central Bankers may learn from the failures of their predecessors - the Governor of the Bank of England has already requested a copy of Liaquat's book. Let's just hope he has time to read it.

Boots is back

We had snow here today - our first flurry of the year. It really is incredible how three inches of snow can paralyse a city. I was particularly excited as the snowfall gave me an excuse to retrieve my wonderful wellingtons. These beauties haven't made an appearance since a friend's hen weekend in Exmoor several years ago. Everyone else had very sensible green Hunters and I had these. I have proudly borne the title of 'Boots' ever since.

Catherine & Julia - this photo is for you.

Bad Hair Day

We had supper with some friends on Friday, one of whom had had a particularly trying day. He had been at a meeting at a restaurant downtown when he was approached by a total stranger who asked him, in front of all his colleagues, whether he was Eliot Spitzer. Obviously, our friend was not best pleased to be confused with a 49-year old prostitute-visiting philanderer - particularly as he said he used to be told he looked like footballing heartthrob Zinedine Zidane. From international soccer superstar to disgraced Governor. Tough. And what made it worse was that when our friend recounted his sad tale, one of the other girls at supper exclaimed: "Eliot Spitzer - oh yes, I can see the resemblance". She was promptly banished from the table.

 

    

 

But being a political lookalike can have its upsides - depending on whom you look like, obviously. There is a chap in Indonesia who has become a national celebrity because he looks like Barack Obama (though quite honestly, I can't see the resemblance myself). What I love most about this story is that the Indonesian has said that realising he looks like Obama make him feel better about himself: "At first my nose and eyes made me self-conscious, but now I think they are God's blessing" he said.

Apparently, an Obama lookalike is also causing a stir in South Africa. But surely no-one will ever be as good as Gerardo Puisseaux, who caused a stir at the Democratic convention in August. He looks very convincing until he starts speaking...in Spanish.

Words I have learnt in the last 3 days - and some more Palin fun

Forget all the detailed analysis of Obama's inauguration address - including that of a certain Mr. S Shercliff here, interesting as it is to note that this was the first ever mention of the word Muslim in an inaugural speech. The inaugural vocabulary you really need to know is the following:

1. Button. A campaign badge. (How can it be a button? A button is what you do your clothes up with).

2. Jumbotron. A giant screen. (What's wrong with the term 'giant screen'?).

3. Porta-Potty. A portaloo. Also known locally as Porta-John. (Apparently also known as  job johnny, port-o-let, port-a-loo, sani-privy, port-a-san, tidy john, John To Go).*

4. Bleachers. Spectator stands used at public events and sports matches. (Think 'Grease': 'Summer Loving'). Apparently the US phrase 'under the bleachers' is the equivalent of our 'behind the bike sheds'. Although I doubt that there would have been a huge amount of hanky-panky going on under the bleachers during the Inaugural parade - not with all those Secret Service agents on duty).

Watching the coverage of Obama in the Oval office over the last couple of days, I couldn't help thinking how empty it looks - there are blank spots on the wall where Bush's Texas paintings used to hang and the beige walls really need a lick of paint. Clearly, all the Oval needs is a woman's touch. If only Palin had made it, things could have been so different...

(For the full Palin experience, you can click on various objects. Just don't touch the red phone...).

 

 

But nothing beats this photo from the Boston Globe for sheer comedy value - looks like they forgot to give Obama the box that little Sasha was standing on during the inauguration ceremony.

* STOP PRESS: My dear friend Alexis reminded me this morning of George Washington's term for his outdoor sanitation facility, as seen at Mount Vernon: The Necessary. Definitely my favourite so far.

We Were There

   

     

What a day it was and how privileged we feel simply to be able to say we were there. We were there in front of the Capitol Building when Obama took the oath of office. We were there to hear Obama speak of 'a new era of responsibility' in his stirring inaugural address. We were there to share in the spontaneous street parties and the hilarious hawking of Obama memorabilia. And we were there to witness what it meant to the American people to elect their first black president.

Standing near us in the crowd were two girls from New York who had starting queuing at 4.30am (and who delighted in telling us that they had met Cindy Lauper and politely but firmly instructed her to get to the back of the line), a group of students from a church in Birmingham, Alabama, and a black grandmother in a bright red felt hat who told me this was the best day of her life. The atmosphere was certainly celebratory, but a little more muted than the concert on Saturday - I think partly because we had all had to queue for so long to get in, but perhaps also because we were all aware of the weight of the office that Obama was assuming.

There were a couple of slightly sobering moments during the ceremony: there was loud booing when George Bush was introduced, and then choruses of "na na, na-na-na-na, wa-hay-hay, goodbye" which many of the people around me found quite embarrassing ("It's not what Obama would want" said one lady.) And then, just after Obama had been sworn in, the first cannon shot of the 21 gun salute went off. None of us were expecting it and it sounded like a bomb detonating in the crowd - the girls behind me grabbed each other, and I must admit both Simon and I thought something awful had happened, before realising that the booming explosions were part of the proceedings.

The part of the day I enjoyed most was walking home through the centre of the city to discover that Washington was hosting a giant street party. Street vendors, memorabilia hawkers, DC residents, visitors, bus drivers and officials all joined together in a genuine celebration of compatriotism. Simon observed that it was possible that Obama might re-stimulate the economy single-handedly - this was indeed a day for entrepreneurs, who were offering everything from Obama Cologne, Obama watches (studded with diamonds, for only $10) and Obama badges, belts, buckles  and braces, to Inauguration T-shirts (including a very creative Irish O'bama one) and 'Certificates of Attendance'. My favourite image of the day was this one - of four beaming black ladies crammed into a bike chariot, being bussed around by a young white student: what a perfect symbol of how far America has come since the era of segregation.

 

It really is incredible that one man can inspire and unite a nation in this way - from high school students, to blue collar workers, to grandmothers, to Hollywood stars (see this wonderful interview with Beyonce, just after she had sung 'At Last' for the First Dance). If a president can prompt a beautiful, successful young woman to talk about her deep gratitude for the sacrifice that Obama and his family has made and declare that "He makes me want to be smarter, he makes me want to be more involved", perhaps there is real hope that the younger generation might have a new type of role model to create a more cohesive and caring society.

President Obama (how good it feels to write that) has repeatedly to the American people that his election and inauguration 'isn't about me, it's about you'. And his speech, with its message of 'a new era of responsibility' reinforced that sentiment. There is an increasingly recognition that forging a new identity for America starts with each individual, based on those values which Obama identified in his speech -  hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - but also on community participation, of consideration for one's fellow citizens and of mutual support and tolerance. And yesterday was the embodiment of those sentiments.

There were two overwhelming emotions in the air: hope and pride. Hope for the future of the US - and genuine belief that American can once again achieve anything it wants to -  not through military might but through mutual understanding and dialogue. And pride in the country - but not egoism or self-satisfaction - but pride for overcoming division and inequality. A lady in yesterday's crowd summed it up beautifully:

"I have never felt more proud to be an American. Not an African-American, but an American."

 

 

 

Thermals for Obama

                                

It is Inauguration Day. We have tickets. I am wearing ski gear and thermals. We're off now to see the 44th President of the USA make the speech of his life. And this will be our view:

  

Martin Luther King Day

Today is the annual Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday which celebrates the birth of the civil rights activist, 80 years ago this year. MLK Day has been associated with citizenship and volunteering for the last decade, but President-Elect Obama has issued a renewed call for all citizens to play a part in this 'national day of service'. Part of his official statement read:

"Dr. Martin Luther King's was a life lived in loving service to others. As we honor that legacy, it's not a day just to pause and reflect - it's a day to act. Today, ordinary citizens will gather together all across the country to participate in the more than eleven thousand service projects they've created using USAservice.org. And I ask the American people to turn today's efforts into an ongoing commitment to enriching the lives of others in their communities, their cities, and their country".

What a great way to honour the legacy of MLK. However, I must admit I didn't grab a paintbrush and head down to my local community centre - I went instead to a wonderful event at the National Cathedral, Continuing the Dream of Dr. King. The gathering was part birthday party, part church service, part inaugural celebration and part concert - young people from across the country celebrating MLK's legacy through a collection of poetry readings, drumming dances, songs and hip-hop raps. The performances were powerful and energetic - but there was also a very moving moment at the end when everyone in the cathedral crossed armed and sang, very quietly, very calmly and prayerfully 'We Shall Overcome'.

I have mentioned previously our visit to the location of MLK's assassination in Memphis, which is now a National Civil Rights museum. That visit really brought home to me that racial segregation is such recent history for Americans and helped me to understand why the election of the first black president has created such a response within the country. One of the exhibits at the museum was a little booth where one could listen to JFK's Civil Rights Address. I went in, put on the headphones and started listening to the speech that Kennedy delivered in June 1963. After minute or so, I was joined in the booth by a middle-aged black man, dressed in jeans and a baseball cap. He put on the other pair of headphones and we listened to the rest of the speech together. I was acutely aware of the fact that he was black and I was white, and I wondered what it must mean to him to hear Kennedy talking about the students at University of Alabama 'who happened to have been born Negro', and to think of all the persecution that the black community has suffered in the United States. When the speech finished, we took off our headphones and he took my hand and he said, simply "Isn't it amazing that you and I can be here together, listening to this?" It was an incredible moment - my eyes welled up, my throat tightened and I just about managed to smile and nod vigorously without bursting into tears.

Whilst acknowledging that America has come a long way since the 1960s, there is still enormous segregation within US society - much of it more to do with lack of opportunity and lack of integration rather than overt racism, although of course the net effect is the same to a young black student who knows that attending her local DC public school means that she will probably not complete high school and almost certainly not progress to university.

Washington itself is still a very segregated city and I never feel more aware of this than during the weekly services at my local church. Although I enjoy the worship (we have an excellent pastor) and have met some really great people, pretty much the whole congregation is white - which I find uncomfortable, particularly as the church I attended in London was such a mixture of colours - which reflected the demographic composition of the city and made for a stimulating worship community. As Martin Luther King reminded us in Paul's Letter to American Christians and his last sermon, given at the National Cathedral in March 1968, shortly before his assassination: 'We must face the sad fact that at eleven o’clock on Sunday morning when we stand to sing "In Christ there is no East or West," we stand in the most segregated hour of America'. And that's pretty much the case in thousands of churches throughout the US today.

I learnt yesterday that there has been considerable speculation in recent weeks that our church one of the D.C. churches that the Obamas are considering attending. My first thought on hearing this was that it would be great, but they would be just about the only black faces in the congregation. (Actually this was my second thought - my first thought was that this would mean I probably wouldn't be able to roll out of bed at 8.55am for the 9am service given the inevitable security vetting that their presence would entail). However, our pastor actually addressed this issue in yesterday's service - saying that of course we would love to welcome the Obamas to our church but that any black family would find themselves in a significant minority in our midst and that it was time for us to give some thought to how we could build a more racially inclusive church community - regardless of whether the Obamas ever made it through the church doors. It seems that we are not the only DC church struggling with this issue, but just to have it recognised in the public - and also to note that creating an inclusive church doesn't just happen, one has to work at it, was incredibly important and made my spine tingle. My friend Ohemaa (originally from Ghana, she holds dual Ghanaian-American citizenship) told me afterwards it was the first time she felt properly connected to the church that she has been attending for the last three years. I felt exactly the same.

Boogying with Barack

       

The partying has begun, and the Lincoln Memorial Concert was a pretty good start. Yes, we were there, and, yes, it was great. The line-up was pretty impressive: Bono, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Mary J. Blige...and that's just the Bs. The Tom Hanks section was pretty painful, and the presentation of the two bald-headed eagles slightly bizarre, but the rest of the afternoon went incredibly smoothly, and was hugely enjoyable. You can get a two minute taster here, but here are my own favourite moments:

Best bits of the day:

1) Gene Robinson's opening prayer - which was beautiful, moving and perfectly judged.

2) The crowd going crazy every time Obama's face appeared on the big screen - true Obamamania. And his speech.

 

3) The subtitles on the big screen - ostentibly for the hard of hearing - which were a source of endless amusement as the stenographer (those guys are everywhere) tried to keep up with the stars on stage. There were some classic typos: "Your love keeps lifting me...Hirer and Hirer". And every time [Cheers and applause] appeared on the screen, signifying that the crowd was cheering and applauding, we took it as an order and more cheers and applause ensued - which only added to the party atmosphere. Given most of the programme was lyrics and readings and speeches, I did wonder why they couldn't have just have programmed the words in advance, but that of course would be to undermine the skill of the craftsmen I so admire. And it would have been far less entertaining. 

 

4) The Obama family boogying to Stevie Wonder. (How cool to see a president that can actually move his body in time to music).

5) My blue-eyed boy Biden - who distinguished himself by being the only person on stage who thought he could reach the 400,000 strong crowd by shouting into the mike.  

6) Garth Brooks. Yes, Garth Brooks, singing a medley of American Pie, Shout and 'We Shall be Free' which really got the crowd moving

7) Jamie Foxx's impersonation of Barack Obama. Spot-on and very funny.

8) Bono's grin. I've never seen him smile on stage before but looked like he was having the time of his life for the whole set.

9) The moment when, having mentioned that my feet were a little chilly, my beloved (i.e. Simon not Joe Biden) came up trumps and produced some special little chemical foot warmers from his pockets. It was a slightly odd experience - a bit like having warm used tea bags stuck inside your shoes - but it worked.

Apparently Beyonce was pretty good too but I missed most of her finale as I was stuck in the portaloo unable to open the outward-opening door due to the three hundred thousand people walking past. But I'm happy to be able to report that the portaloos worked fine.

10) Perhaps the best thing about the whole day was the genuine feeling of hope and togetherness - which ultimately was what this opening inaugural event was all about. I think it's quite hard as a Brit to write this without feeling the need to make some snide comment about American sentimentality, but it is that very sneering at such values that this concert was trying to move past. There is such hope and excitement in the city and in the country at the moment that it is hard not to get caught up with it. You can sense that Americans feel proud to be American once again, and today showed America at its best.

The Stenographer Superhero

One of the things that impressed me hugely in the Senate yesterday was the skillful stenographers. They stood there tapping away on their little typewriter machines (which I now know are called stenotypes) discreetly taking a verbatim record of utterance within the hallowed chamber. Unlike the Stepford wife in the photo above, the Senate stenographers type on machines hung on leather straps round their necks. This made them look rather like old-fashioned London bus conductors, but did nothing to diminish my admiration of their craft.

My extensive research on this subject (I now know that a stenotype is the correct term for the machine and that stenograph is a generically used brand name) turned up a wonderful story, which I can't believe I missed last year: the Superhero with a Stenograph. Ron Tolkin, a stenographer in a Brooklyn court, leapt to the defence of the federal prosecutor when she was attacked by the defendant, who was brandishing a razor. The habitually mild-mannered World's Bravest Stenographer also turned out to be the World's Most Foul-Mouthed Stenographer, apparently much to his own surprise. 

The best thing about the whole story is that the diligent chap later rescued the audio tapes of the whole affair and transcribed it all for the official record. Please, please read it here. It is fantastic and reads like the script for a terrible play. Our hero's opening line is legendary - and makes the US Marshal look rather feeble in comparison. Take a look now. I guarantee you've never seen anything like this in Hansard.

Smiling on the Steps of the Capitol

Today was a great DC day - one of those beautiful Washington mornings when the sun is shining and it makes one rejoice to be living in the nation's capital. Even the winter chill (-10'C and I jest not), which actually made my eyeballs freeze, could not stop today being thoroughly enjoyable.

My friend Nathalie and I went down to the Capitol this morning, where a new visitor centre recently opened - a mere four years late and $350 million over budget. By the time the centre opened in December, the final bill came to approximately $621 million (which certainly puts the Scottish Parliament debacle in the shade). But the marble entrance hall was lovely and the restrooms delightful, so I guess it was worth the cash. And at least we know now where that missing TARP money went.

We had pre-booked tickets for a tour of the Capitol Building, but when we arrived at the visitor centre we were greeted by a very friendly lady who had clearly been deployed to spot those speaking in a foreign tongue. She took us aside and told us in hushed tones that she had noticed our accents and, as we were 'international visitors', we were eligible for tickets to the Senate Gallery. In the true spirit of American egalitarianism, it turns out that is actually easier for non-US citizens to gain access to the Senate than for home-grown Americans - the logic being that because we can't apply to our own Senator for tickets (i.e. because we don't have one), we are able to obtain tickets directly at the visitor centre rather than applying in advance via our Senator's office. And it just so happened that the Senate was in session. So we trotted up to the little gallery, where we sat watching the proceedings and feeling very pleased with ourselves. 

Unfortunately there were only a handful of Senators in attendance - the rest of them obviously being rather busy with confirmation hearings, moving offices and final fittings for their Inauguration Ball attire. However, we did get to hear Ken Salazar (Senator for Colorado since January 2005  and famed wearer of bootlace ties) give his farewell address to the Senate. Salazar is about to become Obama's Secretary of the Interior. More importantly, I discovered today that the bootlace tie is known as the bolo tie in the USA and is the official state neckwear of both Arizona and New Mexico. 

We heard Senators Joe Lieberman, Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid (sadly all wearing conventional neckwear) give tributes to Senator Salazar, and then observed the swearing in of Ted Kaufman as the Junior Senator for Delaware, the seat vacated by Joe Biden - you can see the short video of the ceremony here. (Very short; Dick Cheney made an appearance for precisely 2 minutes and 24 seconds). The word is that Senator Kaufman is just keeping the seat warm until 2010 when an election will be held and at which V-P Biden's son, Beau, is considered a shoe-in for the post. Reassuring to see that nepotism is alive and well in the US Senate.

Things that surprised me about today's Senate session:

1) The Senate was much smaller than I'd expected and felt like a cross between a gentlemen's club, a school room and an examination hall. Each Senator has a desk, and, just like in school, it clearly matters who you sit next to - the desks are tightly packed together and there are ample opportunities for whispering and passing notes to the Senator next door. 100 people actually isn't that many, so it all felt very cosy and made one realise how very well these Senators must get to know one another. I know it was an emotional day, but there was an awful lot of hugging, back-slapping and arm-stroking going on. (See above video for examples of this man-handling).

2) Joe Biden was wearing tan shoes. Nathalie thought this made him look distinguished. I thought it made him look Italian. 

3) Joe Biden, who looks on TV like he has a full head of hair, actually has a massive (though well-tanned) bald patch. 

4) Joe Biden is really very good-looking for a 66 year old. And he has a lovely smile and beautiful blue eyes. 

Unfortunately all this excitement in the Senate, and unforeseen time spent admiring Joe Biden, meant that we only got to see part of the tour of the Capitol building. Having spent a mandatory 13 minutes on introductory orientation film - which, as ever, was very informative but overly emotive, full of West Wing-esque music and sentimentality - we got as far as the Temple of Liberty - aka the Rotunda (that's the big dome to you and me), but then had to make a dash for it to stop the car getting clamped. (No, for the last time, diplomatic plates do NOT mean immunity from parking fines). This was a shame, but we resolved to come back and finish the tour another time. Not least because our tour guide was a linguistic genius, greeting various members of our tour group in Norwegian, Tagalog and German, and I want to test him further. He was seriously good - it wasn't just 'hello, how are you', it was proper conversation. I must admit my Norwegian and Tagalog are a little rusty, but it sounded incredibly impressive, and his German was excellent. On my next visit I shall come disguised as an Iranian or (with perhaps a little more creativity) a Tanzanian.

Having rescued the car, we took a quick walk around the front of the Capitol Building to check out how plans are progressing for the little event taking place next week. The flags are unfurled, the chairs laid out and the portaloo proliferation continues apace. (Seriously, they are EVERYWHERE). There were lots of other people out braving the cold to get their advance snapshots of history and, as Nathalie was taking a photo of me, a very polite young man, a student at the Art Institute of Washington, came up and said he'd also taken a couple of photos of me and asked if he could use them in his work. And he added that I had a really nice handbag. (I realise as I write this that it sounds dodgy, but it really wasn't, he was very nice and mailed me the photos this afternoon. His name is Jason McQuain and this is one of the pics).

[A quick aside. On the theme of great portraits of influential figures of our time (ahem), please do have a look at this: an album of photos of 'Obama's People' from the New York Times. Take a look at Ken Salazar in particular - he's the one in the wonderful cowboy hat. And of course Joe Biden and his beautiful blue eyes].

And then, just as I was starting to panic about what we would actually do next Tuesday, with no tickets and an estimated 3 million people expected downtown, my amazing husband rang to say that he'd been given some tickets to the inauguration ceremony but wanted to check if I would mind standing. As the place that we will be standing is pretty much exactly where I was at that moment, just behind the seated dignitaries, with a clear view of the steps of the Capitol building, I reckon that I can probably handle it. So now I am a model and I have tickets to the Inauguration. Hurrah. All I need now is an invitation to an Inaugural Ball. And perhaps a dance with Blue-eyed Biden.