Parting the Partisan Waters

As President Obama prepares for this week’s historic healthcare summit at Blair House, there are some slight glimmers of hope beginning to shine through the murky waters of partisanship on the Potomac. One might automatically assume that I was referring to Scott Brown’s part in the filibuster breaking vote by Northeast Republicans in favor of the recent Senate jobs bill. But in fact there is something of much greater consequence coalescing in the congressional currents.

The staff of American Public House Review applaud the decision of New Jersey Republican Congressman Leonard Lance to join the House Small Brewers Caucus, the bipartisan organization founded in 2007,  and co-chaired by Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) and Dennis Rehberg (R-Montana).  Furthermore, we wholeheartedly support the Honorable Gentleman from the Garden State in his efforts to roll back the Federal tax on small breweries.   

Perhaps while the senators are in conference at Blair House, the members of the Brewers Caucus should gather at a more suitable location in order to conduct a serious session on behalf of the American People. I would suggest the historic Postal Square Building, which just by chance happens to house the Capitol City Brewing Company. 

Because let’s face it – we can solve our gallon sized problems…with pint sized solutions!

Posted by: Chris Poh

Advertisement

Keep Your Friends Close…

“Keep your friends close, but visit the Republican Caucus every few months.”    Don Barack “Corleone” Obama

As the staff at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel were attempting to best configure the seating arrangements for the sit-down between the Republican Caucus and the Capo Di Tutti Capi of Pennsylvania Avenue, my crew and I were enjoying pints at Mahaffey’s Pub in the gentrified Canton section of “Charm City.” This historic meeting between the President and the “loyal opposition” seems to have been the first stop on Mr. Obama’s  “Got Dem Beleaguered Beltway Lack of Bipartisanship Blues” tour of 2010.

While the early response to the Baltimore bilateral beef session seems to hold some promise of yielding a rare bit of legislative cooperation, I still would have opted against the formal downtown setting in favor of a more welcoming neighborhood locale – and Mahaffey’s would have been the perfect choice.

This gem of a tavern sets the standard for big tent camaraderie and hospitality. It offers a remarkable selection of beer, and with three 10-ounce drafts for only $4 every day during “Happy Hour” – Mahaffey’s has achieved affordable healthcare and effective stimulus in true bipartisan fashion.

“Some day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a service for me. But uh, until that day, accept this justice as a gift on my daughter’s wedding day.”       Some future presidential deal for that one elusive Republican vote. 

Posted by: Chris Poh