Putting America First--Not

It’s a cold evening in the nation’s capital, but the guests at a local cocktail party hardly feel the winter chill. Amid the low symphony of glasses clinking and a dull hum of chatter, men and women mill about, likely dining on the finest finger foods that catering has to offer.

It’s Wednesday night at the White House, and the era of the cocktail party has returned. Only eight weeks into the Obama administration, the president and first lady have already hosted their fair share of social events. Indeed, White House social secretary Desiree Rogers has announced that the Obama administration plans to make Wednesday night social events a tradition.

“It’s not so much a cocktail party necessarily,” Katie McCormick Lelyveld, press secretary to first lady Michelle Obama, told FOXNews.com. “It’s a gathering that takes on the shape of the week’s agenda. The driving force is to reserve time Wednesday evenings to have at hand to use for whatever is at the top of the list of priorities that week.”

The announcement seemed to be a departure from the past several years, as the parties had all but fallen out of fashion since the Reagan era. President George W. Bush was rumored to dislike cocktail parties, and had given up drinking years before he was sworn in. As former press secretary Dee Dee Myers told Politico.com, the Clintons did not have a wide circle of friends in Washington and were “not as social” the Obamas have shown themselves to be. The Reagans reportedly cultivated relationships with Washington society and Hollywood alike, while Carter instead enjoyed a more quiet social life.

But the Obamas, known to be active in their community, have already hosted several events that have taken on different forms: from a bipartisan meeting of Democrats and Republicans before voting on the stimulus bill, to a concert in honor of Obama’s favorite musician, Stevie Wonder, to a Super Bowl party (on a Sunday, of course), to a black history event hosted by the first lady.

But not everyone is lifting a glass to toast the host and hostess.

The political watchdog group Freedom Watch has sought information from the federal government as to how much taxpayer money is being used for the events.

Well. What should I say? Nothing like mixing politics and booze to turn the economy around!

Who would have thought that alcoholics having “high-level” discussions would be better for America than a good ole fashion Wednesday night prayer meeting?

Only Makes Sense

Sometimes, you really don’t need to read the entire story to know what happens in the end.

Here’s a case in point.

An airline crew had to use duct tape (duct tape has to be the best invention ever!) to keep a passenger in her seat because they say she became unruly, fighting flight attendants, and grabbing other passengers, forcing the flight to land in North Carolina.

Maria Esther Castillo was due in court this week, charged with resisting arrest and interfering with the operations of a flight crew aboard United Airlines Flight 645, from Puerto Rico to Chicago.

Castillo, 45, struck a flight attendant on the buttocks with the back of her hand during Saturday’s flight, FBI Special Agent Peter Carricato said in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Charlotte. She also stood and fell onto the head of a blind passenger and later started pulling the person’s hair, the complaint stated.

Ankle cuffs kept slipping off Castillo, so the flight crew and two passengers were forced to use duct tape to keep her in her seat, the complaint states.

Ms. Castillo calmed down as the pilot diverted the flight to Charlotte-Douglass International Airport, but became disruptive again when authorities boarded the plane to remove her, authorities said.

Now, here’s the part you really don’t have to read—I’m sure by now you know the rest of the story. But, humor me, go ahead and read the next paragraph anyway.

The FBI agent said that a passenger saw Castillo having drinks in an airport bar before boarding. She bought another drink on the plane. Flight attendants stopped serving her alcohol because of her behavior, the complaint states.

Was there any doubt what caused the problem? Did you really have to read the words?

I don’t drink. Never have. Never really wanted to. I understand many people do drink and most never have a problem. But, how many times do we read stories just like this, and the cause always seems to be alcohol related.

In my job, I have to fly from time-to-time. The next time you read that I am about to fly, please remind me to pack some duct tape in my bag. You just never know when it might come in handy!