Democracy: Unleashed

Yesterday saw the release of Democracy: A Journal of Ideas, a progressive political journal and the publication that I currently work for. Amidst the cameras and hors d'oeuvres came a media buzz and excitement of the potential contribution that this new journal can provide.

The Washington Post covered the story this morning:

Their goal is do for the Democrats what journals such as Public Interest did for conservatives and Republicans decades ago, which is to bring forward big ideas to challenge what they regard as the tired thinking that grips Democratic politicians.

Read the rest here.

The Hill also had a story about the release:

“We think that the party is rich in tactics and poor in ideas,” said (Ken) Baer, who worked as a speechwriter for former Vice President Al Gore. “What we really need for long-term success is deep, serious thinking about how we’re going to apply long-held progressive values to new challenges.”

Read the rest here.

Finally, from The American Prospect blog:

As a result, Democracy will "not seek to publish policy papers or political plans; we’ll leave the budget line items and electoral strategies to others. Rather, Democracy will serve as a place where ideas can be developed and important debates can be spurred. We see our role as upsetting accepted assumptions and pushing the boundaries of what is accepted by, and expected from, progressives."

More to come as the days develop, including pictures from the conference and the release party. And be sure to check out the website.

 

Mr. Lee goes to Washington: Part Deux

To the delight of my beloved friends and supporters, I prepare to depart to Washington tomorrow.  Because of this, today's column had to be put on hold and will be published next week.  In the meantime, I will try to work the tweaks out of this website.

What adventures will befall your favorite unsuspecting journalist/intern/student/friend this summer in the nation's capital?  I cannot imagine, but I know that I will approach every situation, good or bad, with my head on my shoulder and my composure in tact.  Stay tuned for updates, information, and best of all, delightfully tacky yet unrefined insight.

 

Back to the Slave (Intern)ship…

On the thought of another summer in DC, I couldn't help but think about the concept of an intern: not quite an employee, but nevertheless essential to the overall operation. Yet many college students, despite accumulating school debt, are sacrificing their summers to work for a letter of recommendation and a three sentence blurb on their resume (translation: free).

For those of you ready to take the orange/blue line to Capitol South or the red line to union station every day this summer, realize that, considering the transportation, living expenses, and inevitable incidentals, this summer will probably come out to one sobering fact: you are paying to work this summer. Fubar is right.

What are the economic implications of such actions? According to Anya Kamenetz of the New York Times:

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not identify interns or track the economic impact of unpaid internships. But we can do a quick-and-dirty calculation: according to Princeton Review's "Internship Bible," there were 100,000 internship positions in 2005. Let's assume that out of those, 50,000 unpaid interns are employed full time for 12 weeks each summer at an average minimum wage of $5.15 an hour. That's a nearly $124 million yearly contribution to the welfare of corporate America.

In this way, unpaid interns are like illegal immigrants. They create an oversupply of people willing to work for low wages, or in the case of interns, literally nothing. Moreover, a recent survey by Britain's National Union of Journalists found that an influx of unpaid graduates kept wages down and patched up the gaps left by job cuts.

Fascinating and frightening at the same time…take a moment to read the rest of her article.

 

The District Sleeps Tonight…

I will be in our nation's captial again this summer, this time working for Democracy: A Journal of Ideas. While there is little I can say about the journal at this point, I speculate that it will be a great asset to not only the moderately liberal community, but the greater political and academic community as well. More to come, naturally, as it develops.

What adventures will befall upon me in the upcoming months?

Last summer I endured the swealtering humidity, tabulated data and filed angry constitutent mail in a Congressional office, and did my best Ted Kennedy impression at numerous…social outlets? I made friends with chums named Adams Morgan, Captain Morgan, Mr. Smith, Garret (not to be confused with the prodigal roommate), and Julie, and was introduced to such wonderful companions like Yuengling and jumbo slice. Potbellies was great; Cosi's was better.

I'll say this: they definietly do their fireworks right in DC.

I cheered for the home team, not because I was forcebly coerced, but because, for 10 weeks, I felt like a geniune Washingtonian. Except when they played the A's, then they were the enemy in red.

While I have enough pictures, postcards, phone numbers, and memories to last anyone a lifetime, its just not enough for me.

So I begin anew, amidst a new endeavor, new friends, and new hopes. What kind of adventures will I find myself in this time around? Rather unsettling, but I find a certain comfort in knowing that it is still the same city, same newspaper, same coat and tie, same $1.35 metro ticket, and same god-awful heat that made my summer all the more enjoyable last year.

 

New England Humor and Political Advice

John Kerry addressed the Capitol Hill interns last Wednesday with a riveting speech about his life in politics, the recent election, and thoughts about the future. As any good speech would go, he started with a joke:

JK: So there I was in Iowa during the campaign…one day I visited a barn house in a rustic farm, and I came across an old lamp in the hay, so I rubbed it and out popped a Genie…He said to me, "Alright John, you know the deal…you freed me so you get your wishes…"

JK (Cont): I had to think about this one…so I thought really hard, what do I really want? After a while I said, "Genie, I know my wishes." This was easy for a New Englander like myself. "Number one, I would like the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl." The Genie said it was done, and low and behold, in February of this year, they won. So then I said, "Genie, this might be a stretch, but I would like the Boston Red Sox to win the World Series." And he said it was so, and they won. So finally, I said, "Genie, my third wish is to become President of the United States of America." And the Genie frowned and said, "I'm sorry John but with the recent Bush Administration budget cuts, we can only give you two wishes now."

With this light joke in mind, the interns listened closely as John Kerry spoke about the recent campaign, citing that he had defeated Bush in most political debates, but still lacked in decisiveness in the murky "war on terror", or as they are calling it "the struggle against religious extremism". Kerry was very bold, staunch, and determined; might we see another presidential run?

It's possible, but I was more struck by his advice to the interns in regards to political careers, which was that the most important skill a politician needs is the ability to listen to people. This is the advice I was also given by Rep. McIntyre of North Carolina at the end of our Stennis Internship Program, as well as Rep. Sam Farr, the current member I work for. Listening, it seems, is something politicians forget as they settle into their comfortable positions in Washington. How is it that politicians continue to work as representatives of people when they cannot understand or listen to their concerns. This seems like common sense to someone like me, but it cannot be more emphasized.

Rep. McIntyre told us about his idea of a 3-D world that we live in, where success can be achieved through three D's: dreams, determination, and dedication. Through dreams, one can realize a goal and potential, and determination and dedication to a cause will help you through. His words were inspirational yet unclear. Focus, it seems, must be achieved through direction. But how does one realize one's purpose so early in life? I think it is amazing that there are members who are in their mid 20's…politics seems like a game that requires experience in life. This adds to the wisdom and understanding that will ultimately shape a member's view of society and laws in general.

I used to think I had the three D's. I have a general goal, a general purpose, but perhaps a fourth D should be added to my otherwise 3-D world: doubt. Doubt circles my mind all the time…am I undertaking a worthy cause? Is this for me? Are people as sincere as they seem? This fourth D seems to dissapate with time, as experience will mold me from a shapeless naive boy to a worldly and sharp man.

 

More Stennis and July 4th

Recently, we have been discussing influence on politics, specifically from the media and lobbying groups. These groups can shape the rather malleable ideal of politics through financial and bureaucratic strings. In this case, one must wonder how these groups work, how they survive, and how they maintain their identity amidst the bustle and struggle of hill life. With the thousands of letters, events, and rallys planned around Congress, an ideal or meaning can get lost. While I am happy that we are discussing these issues, many pertenent questions remain unanswered. Specifically, I wonder how much of an influence money really has on politics. How noble is the game? It would be naive to say that it is completely unadulterated, but then it would be pessimistic to say it is completely based on money. How many good politicians are left, I wonder, and how many are sold to an interest group?

July 4th in the Capital reminded me about how important DC is toward America and its establishment. After sitting in the Jefferson Memorial during the fireworks show, I came to realize that Jefferson was only in his early thirties when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. That was truly America's best generation, with Washington, Adams, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Franklin leading this great nation ahead. I wonder if anyone will ever reach their prowess or potential again? Who is the greatest American, I jestfully asked during a happy hour conversation. I said Teddy Roosevelt, all American boy growing up to become a great statesman and firm believer in American values and traditions. Others said Benjamin Franklin, Franklin Roosevelt, and even Lance Armstrong. Each has their good and bad points, which makes the question even more imposing and difficult.

Maybe a better question would be who is the most famous recent American? Colin Powell? Ronald Regan. It seems to me that John Kennedy was the last great President and American, and nobody has reached his own level. Maybe this is a better question left unanswered, or perhaps left to be answered later. Perhaps it will be a statesman of the future. What does the future hold for us? This is a different world than that of the multipolar post-World War I frame or the bipolar Cold War. This is the information age, where the internet and global markets will set the stage. The greatest American of the future might end up being the greatest human being of the time, for he will truly have a global affect on the world.

 

Stennis Congressional Internship Program

I attended the first of several Stennis Congressional Internship Discussions. The program, which was established in honor of Senator Stennis of Mississippi, sets out to educate interns in the inner workings of political jargon and the machine that we are so entangled in. I have met so many people already, but this program stresses close interaction and networking among the 2 or 3 dozen interns from across the country. I have met people from Washington State, Pennsylvania, and Florida, among a few. They have discussed their experiences on the hill, exchanging their ideas and concerns. This is a great venue for those of us who are interested in a world of politics.

I often wonder where this desire to become involved in politics came from. I wonder if it came from my father: he often told me that there are two types of people in this world, those who lead and those who follow. Those who lead will be remembered ultimately by those who follow.

In this case, I want to be one who leads others, instead of being lead by someone. This seems to be my lot in life and I appreciate the opportunity to learn from such great internship programs such as the Stennis internship program. For more information, check it out at www.stennis.gov.

Pushing on completing my third week…