| I would be impressed by the "biggest political donor" part if it were not spread out over time, and if it did not run to $600/$700k, which, frankly, is not a lot of money in the total scheme of things. Again, of course a big donor gets special consideration. But think: if you are close to someone, do you read about an operation in the papers? Do you drop a note, or make a call? Do you receive back a rather formal letter of thanks, with a couple of obviously formulaic phrases, or get a phone call or handwritten not in return? Do you exchange Christmas presents one year, or every year? You know, when you are governor, there are people who brief you on the families of the donors you meet, so that you can ask after a man's wife by name, or seem to remember that he just had a grandchild. It is all so natural, one time I stood talking to Henry Hyde, whom I had met once, briefly, and had never had a real conversation with, and you would have thought we were old friends. He was warm, he was charming, he was confiding. We parted company after a few minutes, and I have never talked to him again...... |
