Movies for Senators
The lam is a lonely place. Oh, it may sound romantic and exciting: staying one step ahead of the law, matching wits with the pursuit, living on the edge, evading your oath of office and becoming a national joke. But the reality is more quotidian. Empty hours, truck stop food, boredom. Just a lot of ennui, you know?
You sit on twin beds and watch movies. In the spirit of bipartisanship and in recognition of the possibility that, all things considered, having Lena Taylor and Fred Risser in Illinois may not be all bad, here is some suggested viewing.
A friend recommends All The President’s Men, Benji Returns, Ghost Dad and Escape to Witch Mountain. All good. I add the following:
The Godfather There’s that scene between Marty Beil and Jon Erpenbach. Erpenbach has not treated Beil with respect. He has not offered friendship. He does not think to call Beil “Godfather.” Beil can’t remember the last time he was invited over for a cup of coffee. But they patch things up. Marty puts his arm around Erpenbach. “Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me.” Good stuff. Reminds you of just why you’re at the Quality Inn in Peoria. Then there’s the part where Michael Corleone improves negotiations with Sollozzo by shooting him in the face.
Downfall. It sure ends badly for Scott Walker in that bunker in Berlin!
Then there’s those movies that demonstrate the successes of organized labor. LikeNorma Rae. If it weren’t for women like Chrystal Lee Sutton (the real life “Norma”) that shirt you’re wearing would probably have been made in China! There wouldn’t even be textile mills in North Carolina! Or maybe they could watch season two of The Wirewhich shows how labor unions saved the port of Baltimore from being turned into condominiums by season four. Or that great classic On The Waterfront. Watch Johnnie Friendly give that scab Terry Malloy a one-way ticket to palookaville! Face it, Malloy, a bum is what you are!
Conservative commentator Rick Esenberg is a member of the faculty of Marquette University Law School. His research interests relate to law and religion, election law and the ways in which the law impairs and empowers civil society. He blogs regularly at Shark and Shepherd.
