Jane Adams ‽ President Josiah Bartlet

We're having a party in the streets? Really? There are cheerleaders? And people have beach balls? Way to stay classy, America.

I know it's fun to picture the president giving the order with a grin and sending off some sort of Jack Bauer character to go take care of all our problems, but I doubt that's how this worked. It's more likely that the president, along with generals and advisers and directors all agonized over decisions of whether to send Americans into harms way, whether to endanger innocent civilians, the likelihood of success, the cost of defeat, the effects on an already very unstable region, and a million other factors.

This was a success, and a victory our country has waited for a long time, but it doesn't end three wars, or bring back any of the people lost on 9/11 or since. Acknowledge the victory. Recognize and honor the brave men and women who made this happen, who have worked day and night to keep us safe. Basking in the blood of a defeated enemy concerns me though. It's not particularly democratic or hopeful to celebrate death, even of one's enemy. We're better than that, America. I know we are.

They're doing construction on Dupont Circle again. It's like the city never wants anyone to get anywhere. Which is actually a pretty good metaphor for Washington now that I think about it. Traffic is stalled, government is stalled, let's all just give up and walk home.

You'd think I'd get Presidents Day off. You would be wrong.

My White House coffee mug broke. I'm sadder about this than any sane person should be. Honestly though, if I break one more thing this week I'm going to give up and get all plastic cups and dishes. I did not used to be this clumsy.

Less than two hours until the State of the Union address. I hope someone remembered to check the president's glands.

In case anyone somehow missed all the fluffy news stories about it, today is the 50th anniversary of JFK's inspiring inauguration speech. It's well worth a listen, if you, like most of us, are too young to have caught it the first time around.

It's also the 30th anniversary of Regan's inauguration, for the sake of bipartisanship.

January 20th is always inauguration day. It's also my birthday. This is called irony.

(Re: These gifts.)

I think there's something following me. Or this place has finally driven me completely around the bend, I'm not ruling that out. I keep hearing... beeping and giggling? It's in all of the departments. Other people hear that too, right? I hope.

While I appreciate the sentiment, I'm concerned for the state of democracy. They do know he's fictional, right?

I am open-minded. I believe that everyone is entitled to their opinions and to express their opinions. No matter how ignorant or insane they are. That being said, if I get called an elitist by one more person who makes ten times as much as I do, I'm going to vomit.

Someone needs to take the political blogs away from me before I do any sort of permanent damage.

Yes, I'm actually taking a sick day today. Sorry. I had to have a root canal, and I'd much rather be numb and mumbling in the privacy of my own home, thank you very much. Try to keep the disasters to a minimum while I'm out, would you? And for God's sake, don't let Ryan talk to any reporters about inflation. Or anything else.

I should not watch reruns of our show. It just makes him miss Abbey. It's not even when things are going well. It's the one with her birthday party going horribly awry, and they're snarking at each other over the crossword puzzle, and even though he won't say anything, he misses her so much it hurts. I guess it's true what they say about how behind every great man there's a woman who will randomly have the Canadian national anthem played at a formal dinner. Or something like that. Point being, he misses her.

I know how he feels.

( Ryan, Kit and Jim )

( Colin )

( Happy Fourth of July! )

Some of these G20 protesters make me despair of humanity. You call that a protest? You call that a coherent political message? Are you kidding me?

I'm not saying they're wrong, but are you freaking kidding me? Someone needs to explain a few things to these kids. Where's Ziegler when we need him?

I have to say, I'm a little in love with Michael Hastings. (See first class trouble-making reporting here.)  Any reporter who claims that his secret ambition is "To maintain and cultivate an enemies list" is probably doing something right.

This weekend is going to be fun.  Besides catching up on non-reincarnate news, I'm going to sit down and watch the series of documentaries that PBS and Ken Burns put together on the National Parks.  720 minutes on six DVDs, starting with Yellowstone, all the way to the latest additions.  Kit, you should come by and join me.  I'll make popcorn.

Prison officials confirm that last night there was a break out at a high security facility north of Los Angeles. The small facility holds especially dangerous and notorious suspects as they await trial, among them, all of the CORE agents still in custody. It is believed that these reincarnates were the ones who escaped from the facility last night around 11 PM Pacific time. Police are on high alert and people in the area are being advised that the escapees are presumed armed and extremely dangerous. It has not at this time been confirmed whether all of the escapees were CORE agents. The Agency declined to comment over the phone.

The somber notes of taps echo through the trees from services past and all too recent. Wreathes, flowers, and flags mark the graves of the fallen. Little stones set on top, just to show that someone was there, someone was thinking of them. Some of the more recent headstones host photographs, packs of cigarettes, bottles of beer left in offering to brothers and sisters in arms, more fitting and more personal tributes than the flowers.

To this day, there is something about soldiers that I do not understand. I don't understand what allows a person to storm a beach in a hail of bullets, to be dropped into an unforgiving jungle, to cross into a desert where you can't tell the difference between a friend and an enemy until it's too late. There's a sense of duty, a desire to serve and to give your all to make the world a better place, that I understand. There's more though. So much more. Bravery, an adventurous spirit, strength of body, mind, and character, and maybe just that little bit of insanity that let's a person risk everything for people they've never met, people they will never meet. I honestly don't know what it is, but I admire it, I'm a little envious of it, and I will always, always be grateful to the people who had it.

And now I'm crying in public. Damnit. I'm going home.

I miss Jason.

( Kit )

I don't suppose there are any cub reporters out there who would be interested in playing correspondent for the Reincarnate News Source next week? Particularly covering the Director's rumored press conference? I'm going to be stuck in DC for the week without much time to hop around, and as remarkable as the MTN is, it doesn't actually allow me to be in two places at once. The job that's actually paying me a living wage has to take precedence.

Speaking of which, guess who's covering for Abramowitz while he's away next week? Yes, they're letting me into the press room. This should be a fun week.

So it's finally baseball season. I only know this because every year I look forward to watching the president totally bork throwing out the first pitch. Honestly, gentlemen, you have to practice these things.