The Misanthrope’s Comer

THE analysis of the problems faced by senators in their upcoming confrontation with impeachment goes on day and night. In a half day’s survey of data floating about, the reader/viewer comes upon a professor who explains that the big difference in the Congressional scene is that Congressmen are selected from narrowly specified areas and can therefore execute customized mandates. Senators, by contrast, represent amalgams. This fact, the professor concluded, means that the great current popularity of Mr. Clinton (73 percent) will more likely be reflected by the second chamber, which will decline to convict, in contrast to the first chamber, which proceeded to impeach.

A second item of the day was an account of Marion Barry’s final departure from office as mayor of Washington, D.C. He is planning, one hears, to settle down in Alexandria. This recalls a blurb given by Evelyn Waugh to Nancy Mitford for one of her books. Mr. Waugh did a little biographical summary which ended, “After the war, Miss Mitford voted the socialist ticket. Having done her best to make England uninhabitable, she went to France to live.”

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THE analysis of the problems faced by senators in their upcoming confrontation with impeachment goes on day and night. In a half day’s survey of data floating about, the reader/viewer comes upon a professor who explains that the big difference in the Congressional scene is that Congressmen are selected from narrowly specified areas and can therefore execute customized mandates. Senators, by contrast, represent amalgams. This fact, the professor concluded, means that the great current popularity of Mr. Clinton (73 percent) will more likely be reflected by the second chamber, which will decline to convict, in contrast to the first chamber, which proceeded to impeach.

A second item of the day was an account of Marion Barry’s final departure from office as mayor of Washington, D.C. He is planning, one hears, to settle down in Alexandria. This recalls a blurb given by Evelyn Waugh to Nancy Mitford for one of her books. Mr. Waugh did a little biographical summary which ended, “After the war, Miss Mitford voted the socialist ticket. Having done her best to make England uninhabitable, she went to France to live.”