■ Jacob Javits dozed in church the other day. The senior liberal senator was defending an amendment that would have bled $2.4 billion from the defense budget and transfused it into domestic programs. Unless the money were redistributed, Javits argued, “disquiet and dissatisfaction . . . will rankle in the breasts of the poor, the lame, the halt, the blind, the dependent young, the old, and so forth.” And so forth! Colonial papers, please copy. Itisasif Lincoln had asserted his devotion to “government of the people, by the people, and other things”; as if a Vatican choir were to sing Gloria Patri, et Filii, et cetera. What is liberalism about, if it is not about succoring the poor, the lame, and the halt? Why else launch moral crusades, pay the salaries of social engineers, and send the IRS to pick our pockets? Why else listen to Arthur Schlesinger? Maybe Javits is bored. Maybe liberalism is boring. Fifty years of failure would bore us, though we are more impatient than most folks.
■ the annotated carter. “My hope is that with Ed Muskie coming on board [note sea vessel image] as part of our team [note sporting image—in conjunction with previous image, the sport would seem to be shuffleboard, appropriately enough], that he will play a somewhat different role than [sic] the one Secretary Vance played because of a difference in background and temperament and attitude. I see Ed [note tone of insistent friendly familiarity, in contrast to “Secretary” Vance] Muskie as being a much stronger [take that, Secretary Vance!] and more statesmanlike [and that!] senior citizen figure [Muskie is 66] who will be a more evocative [opposite of pro-vocative, as in Brzezinski?] spokesman for our nation’s policy [no comment].”
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