High life
Love in a hot climate
Taki
Washington DC If you think it gets hot in Hades, you should try the nation's capital around this time of year. It's so hot that the protester who's been banging a gong in Lafayette Park opposite the White House has finally given up.
I'm staying at the Hay Adams Hotel, and my room looks straight on to the White `It's strange, I've no feeling left for you, and I used to loathe you.' House and, further down, the Washington Monument. President and Mrs Bush are travelling as I write this — ironically, they are standing on a Persian's grave right this minute — which is why I'm merely looking at the White House. The last time I got so close to it was when two presidential speech-writers snuck me in for lunch at the White House mess, and I thanked them by leaving a very compromising letter behind addressed to Jerry Zipkin (I never learned whether the prank worked or not).
And speaking of the ghastly former first friend, I went on William F. Buckley's Fir- ing Line programme, his weekly debate/dis- cussion show that has just celebrated its 25th year. The subject was libel in general and those vicious libels by the Kelley woman in particular. Bill had something very interesting to say about the Nancy Reagan book. He found five references to himself in it and all five contained material totally wrong. One wonders if the vicious Kitty got anything right except the spelling of the names.
Oh, by the way, I met our old friend Michael Kinsley on the programme, and being Kinsley he had to throw in a few barbs against Richard Nixon. I like Michael, but never have I seen a man so intelligent and talented with such wrong views. I guess it goes to show how smart God is. If Michael Kinsley did not have the wrong political views, he probably would be just about perfect, like, say, Pat Buchanan or the sainted Bill Buckley. But God knows that too many perfect people around the body politic discourages the rest, hence Kinsley's ideas.
Firing Line was taped in the morning and that same afternoon I flew down to Wash- ington. Once in the nation's capital and safely inside the brand new CNN building, I fell suddenly and madly in love — with a black lady of all people, and married to a Congressman to boot. Let me explain. While being escorted inside the building I noticed an extremely distinguished black gentleman and his much younger wife being greeted by CNN staff. To my delight the couple and I were assigned the same waiting-room. He — the Congressman from Texas, as it turned out — was appear- ing on the Buchanan-Kinsley Crossfire pro- gramme, I on Lany King Live. While the Congressman was on the air she and I got talking. It was the worst case of love at first sight I have had the bad luck to suffer. Because I am truly suffering. Never have I met such femininity, such shyness, such grace. It is almost enough to make me for- get Rachel Billington and Emma Williams. Much worse is the fact that she's happily married. She's also a doctor.
After the Larry King show — and a very good one it was, King being an intelligent and kind host — I walked the capital's streets alone and abandoned. I thought of throwing myself into the Potomac, but finally I went to the Hay Adams and got totally wrecked instead.
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