Daily Archives: 10/12/2009

(Community Matters) I hear it’s chilly and still rainy. Can’t wait to get home & start a fire, cuddle up and enjoy the change in seasons.

(Community Matters) . . . . for this trip anyhow. Dinner at the hotel (Tabard Inn) with several of our favorite cousins/friends: Teresa Nino, Juan Sepulveda & Michael Venegas and Sonya & Reid Cramer.

Cool platforms for their gifts too. Teresa the director of external affairs for HHS, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; Juan, Director of White House Initiative on Education Excellence for Hispanic Americans; Michael @ De Paul University & interning on the Hill; Sonya, award- winning vocalist and graphic artist; Reid, Director of Asset Building Programs @ the New America Foundation.

(Community Matters) Frank Rich nails it. Why is the White House succumbing to this chatter?

(Community Matters) Jump: Held Captive by the Taliban continued (October 18, 2009):

As the months dragged on, I grew to detest our captors. I saw the Haqqanis as a criminal gang masquerading as a pious religious movement. They described themselves as the true followers of Islam but displayed an astounding capacity for dishonesty and greed.

What follows is the story of our captivity:

Seven years of halting economic development, a foreign troop presence and military mistakes that killed civilians had bred a deep resentment of American and NATO forces [in Afghanistan].

In my mind, Qari and Atiqullah [two captors] personified polar ends of the Taliban. Qari represented a paranoid, intractable force. Atiqullah embodied the more reasonable faction: people who would compromise on our release and, perhaps, even on peace in Afghanistan.

I did not know which one represented the majority. I wanted to believe that Atiqullah did. Yet each day I increasingly feared that Qari was the true Taliban.

(Community Matters) Started out this am at a DNC breakfast at the Mayflower.

Steven, Karen Dixon, Gov Tim Kaine, Nan Schaffer & Kevin Tuerff

Gov Kaine is the DNC Chair, close friend of the President’s and quite the charmer. Immediately upon arrival came over to greet Steven and me. Seemed to remember us from Tommy & Lynn’s last month, but our young friend Tom is likely to have refreshened his memory 🙂

Met Karen & Nan at the HRC dinner last night. We sat next to them. Kevin in town for the march as well. Regrettably Kevin Jung dealing with a family emergency.

Pics from the march. I’ll add narrative later – time for a nap now!