Recently I reread, after many, many decades, ‘Advise and Consent.’
Alan Drury’s 1959 novel recounts the treachery, deceit and betrayal raging behind the scenes as the U.S. Senate considers the nomination of a controversial candidate for Secretary of State.
(BTW, it was also an excellent 1962 movie starring Henry Fonda. If you’ve never seen it, you should.)
Before he became a best selling novelist, Drury covered the Senate for United Press. And it’s clear that, in ‘Advise and Consent,’ he knew very well of what he wrote.
Toward the end of Drury’s most famous novel – the point usually reserved for ‘What have we learned?’ wrap up – I ran across this intriguing passage.
Every once in a while the electoral process tosses to the top someone smart and glib and evil, without basic principle, without basic character and without restraints. Sometimes they are on the conservative side of the fence, sometimes on the liberal; but the essential personality pattern is the same, the gambler, the sharpie, the thug in a blue serge suit.
Frankly I’m not sure that reading this passage made me feel better about current events: As in this too shall pass.
Or even worse: As in “haven’t we learned a damned thing?”
Of course, none of the above is intended to cast dispersions on the latest, um, controversial nominee seeking the U.S. Senate’s Advice and Consent.
Because (tongue tucked tightly in cheek) neither Attorney General candidate Todd Blanche nor the President who nominated him can be fairly described as “smart, glib and evil.”
Let alone a “gambler, sharpie” or “thug in a blue serge suit.”
I mean, does anybody even wear blue serge any more?
Spoiler alert: In Drury’s U.S. Senate the nomination of Robert Leffingwell is not consented to.
In the case of Blanche, the Senate appears ready to fold like a cheap blue serge suit.
This too shall pass, of course.
But seriously people: Haven’t we learned a damned thing?
FreeGNV 