Pic Of The Moment: In One Sentence, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) Sums Up Opposition To Keystone XL

[calimary]

43. Well, I did retire from my 24/7 job in broadcast journalism. But I never really quit working.

Even while taking care of small children at home. I never stopped working. I kept a hand in it even while not having the conventional Monday-through-Friday go-into-the-newsroom-every-day work schedule. I never just quit, took my ball, and went home. And after the kids grew up, and at least my daughter didn't need me so intensely anymore, I was still working. My career really just wound up taking a different turn. It got redefined and reoriented, and I turned out to be busier than ever, just based at home. And yes, doing broadcast news and talk shows - AND MORE. I may be "retired" but I'm not just sitting around all day kicking back and watching TV!

Actually, I have another 24/7 job right this minute, managing my son's band. It's as carnivorous a job as any of the jobs I ever had in radio or TV news. As far as this particular work I'm now doing (political activism), I expect to be at it til I drop over dead. Age 81, or as long as I can still write and scold and strategize. I feel as though - in a teeny weeny, minuscule, and utterly microscopic way - that I serve, and my country and my party come first. I include the words "my party" in there because I still firmly believe, in this two-party system we have, it's MY party that can best help conceive, design, and implement policy that builds and furthers our country and everyone in it - not ONLY the 1%. I think that's a cause worth fighting for until they carry me outta here. Besides.......... I know that's what the enemy does NOT want. They WANT us all to get old and tired and fed up and stop fighting and go away. They WANT us to give up. And knowing that in my bones, I just flatly refuse.

Not trying to build myself up here, calguy, or get in-yer-face or anything, but you did point that question to me directly, so I feel obliged to answer, simply based on what I know and what I'm doing and trying to do, and what share of civic and social responsibility there is to be taken - by little mostly-insignificant ornery ol' me.