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Joltin' Joe Puts on a Show
by Randy Barrett
You don't usually get stem-winding oratory at industry policy meetings, but unsuspecting participants at the Computer and Communications Industry Association's annual conference last week at the Willard Hotel received quite a performance from Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del.
After delivering some rather dry remarks about U.S. foreign policy, Biden fielded a question on Senate judicial nominations and launched into an impassioned, 45-minute soliloquy about the true intentions of the Republican leadership, which had pledged to change Senate rules to bar filibusters of judicial nominees.
"Don't give me this bull-milarkey," Biden, who is not exactly known for his brevity, told the politely stunned group of 25 industry executives. "This is about a fundamental power grab!"
Biden stalked the room, rubbed several listeners' shoulders and even snatched a coffee cup and saucer as props to make a point about congressional checks and balances. Wearing a crisp suit and tassled dress loafers, the senator led the group on a sweeping rhetorical journey from decisions made during the Clinton administration to attack Bosnia to the Iraq invasion to nuclear stockpile threats in Russia to Biden's concern for his son's safety in the military.
Running hopelessly late for an appointment back on Capitol Hill, Biden was determined to deliver a final curtain call. "I've already gotten myself into trouble. I might as well finish it off," he said, sotto voce.
By now, the senator's nearby handler appeared resigned and stopped gesturing to his watch. After a bit more scenery chomping and earnest one-on-one declarations delivered mere inches from the faces of some listeners, Biden deftly brought his oration to a close at his point of departure: Senate judicial nominations.
"Ideology has trumped reality in this administration and it is at our peril," Biden warned.
On Monday night, a group of 14 moderate Senate Democrats and Republicans successfully foisted a compromise deal on their party leaders, bringing an end to the weeks' long fight over Democratic filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominations.
A Telling Tale of Two Teds
The Freudian slip remains the most telling of all human foibles and few are more delicious than when delivered by public figures before large audiences.
Witnesses of a speech last week by Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Fla., at a conference on pornography heard the lawmaker twice switch the name of infamous serial murderer Ted Bundy with Sen. Edward (Ted) Kennedy, D-Mass. Nor did she seem to notice the mix up. Harris finally landed correctly on Bundy's name at the end of her remarks.
Not to be outdone -- at least unconsciously -- on a separate panel, Princeton University psychiatrist Jeffrey Satinover praised Harris as "one of my heroes" -- but called her Kathleen instead of Katherine.
Heading Over to the Dark Side
This just in: Two tech journalists have decided to jump the fence to public relations.
Terry Lane, formerly the congressional reporter for Communications Daily, started a new gig as deputy communications director for the House Energy and Commerce Committee Monday. "I bring a telecom background to the committee, but I'm anxious to branch out into new topics," he said. "This is my first job working in politics or for the government."
Washingtonpost.com Internet reporter David McGuire has been hired as a spokesman for the Center for Democracy and Technology. "We've always been impressed by his grasp of the issues, his knowledge of the people in the space and his ability to turn complex concepts into plain English," said CDT Associate Director Ari Schwartz. McGuire will start June 15.
Fortunately, Book Retains Original Title
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman's book "The World Is Flat: A Brief History Of The 21st Century" finally bumped Jane Fonda's memoir "My Life So Far" out of the top spot on the New York Times' best seller list. Freidman's book discusses globalization and controversial trends such as the off-shore outsourcing of U.S. jobs to China, India and other countries.
The book by Fonda, the Oscar-winning actress also known for her fitness videos, held the coveted position for several weeks, at which point Friedman said he considered renaming his book "Flat World, Flat Abs." He shared his second thoughts with a crowd at the Progressive Policy Institute last week.
Vanishing Spokeswoman At MPAA
Over time, even the most hardened reporters discover a soft spot for their favorite public relations contacts. It is just a human nature kind of thing and good communications people are gold. So when one disappears without notice, e-mails begin bouncing and the old phone number rings at a new desk, it's time for some investigation.
In this case, the disappeared is Phuong Yokitis, a longtime spokeswoman for the Motion Picture Association of America. MPAA's communications department recently did some staffing up, but there was no official notice of Yokitis' departure.
The facts thus far are that Yokitis is missing at MPAA and her phone number now rings at the desk of new spokesperson Gayle Osterberg. On Monday, Osterberg confirmed Yokitis has left the association.
"She's enjoying spending a lot more time with her daughter," Osterberg said.
The Wedding's Off
No one ran away to Vegas. No one put a multicolored towel over their head in shame, but TechNet and CapNet will not be getting hitched.
The two trade associations representing high-tech groups, like the other 30 trade associations representing high-tech companies here in Washington, were reportedly in talks to merge in the past few days. Alas, it was not meant to be, as the two decided their styles were .. too different. CapNet Acting Director Jason Flanary had no comment.
Vonage Adds Two to D.C. Office
Vonage has hired two lobbyists for its Washington team, bringing the grand total to three. Steve Seitz and Frank Cavaliere will join Vice President of Government Affairs Chris Murray.
Cavaliere comes from Sen. George Allen's, R-Va., office, where he worked on Internet issues. Seitz was formerly with the National Emergency Number Association. In response to last week's FCC order, Vonage and other voice-over-Internet-protocol providers must figure out a way to include 911 services into their platforms.
"Steve will help us coordinate the human side of that E911 project," said Murray, who added that he is pleased to have the help. "We have been talking to these guys for six months. We see the regulatory picture as a really important part of Vonage's business."
Quote of the Week
"We've been your champion and you failed. If you get more cumbersome rules, you get what you deserve because you didn't do what you said you would do."
Federal Trade Commissioner Orson Swindle assailing corporations for inadequately protecting customer data from theft. Swindle spoke at a policy meeting of the Computer and Communications Industry Alliance last week.
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