lamar-alexander.jpgOne thing that struck me was this quote from U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (pictured here), a former Tennessee governor and a leading advocate for federalism within the halls of Congress:
"When I got to Washington three years ago," Alexander told the Times, "one of my biggest surprises was to find that Republicans who get to Washington appear to be just as bad as Democrats in coming up with big ideas, taking credit for them and sending the bill to governors and mayors."
The reason this quote was so striking to me is that it's almost verbatim what Alexander told me a year ago. It's also similar to Alexander's quote earlier this year in a New York Times piece on the subject. (You need to subscribe to Times Select to read the whole thing, but Franklin Foer lifted Alexander's quote in his essay on federalism for the NYT Book Review in March.)
There are two lessons here. One is that journalists will inevitably turn to people they know--from reading earlier stories--will have something to say about their topic at hand. Once you're in Nexis, you are part of that issue's potential Rolodex forever.
The other is a lesson for politicians. Alexander has made federalism not just a concern but a personal crusade. As such, he speaks before any group that will hear him on this topic and has pushed legislation (third item) that actively seeks to protect states and localities from federal mission creep. He has worked out his message--complete with print-friendly soundbites--so he's ready to go whenever he gets the call.
Movie actors sometimes say that if there is a particular gesture they want to use in their roles, they make sure to repeat it in performance numerous times. That way, there's a pretty good chance it will make it past the director at least one time. This is a trick Alexander has mastered when it comes to federalism and the press.
