Choate’s budding political scientists on the steps of the Supreme Court on February 7 on annual trip. Contributed PHOTO/Alex Cohen ‘08

On February 7, 17 students in two sections of A.P. U.S. Government and Politics, a political science elective, visited Washington, D.C. for the 35th consecutive year to meet with figures that play a key role in effecting political change in the United States government.

Taught by Mr. Zachary Goodyear, the course is intended to provide students with knowledge of the system of power and influence in the nation’s capital. Former Dean of Students Ed Maddox, as well as Suzanne Generous, Alumni Volunteer Coordinator, met up with the group and accompanied the students throughout their itinerary.

Day 1

On Wednesday morning, the students donned special dress and departed for the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, a 19th century structure next to the White House that provides the main working space for White House Staff. There, they met with three White House staffers: Ms. Amy Allman ’92, Associate Director for Legislative Affairs; Mr. Michael Allen, Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs for the National Security Council; and Mr. Keith Hennessey, Deputy Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and Deputy Director of the National Economic Council.Mr. Hennessey, who focuses on the current economic situation and budgetary concerns, briefly discussed the economic and political tradeoffs that go into any budget, highlighting several in Bush’s proposal. Allen, describing himself as “one of the President’s lobbyists,” works with members of Congress in support of the President’s foreign policy agenda. Ms. Allman, who works as a scheduler for the President, talked about her role as the President’s “air traffic controller” for visits from members of Congress to the White House and meetings between White House officials and offices on the Hill.

The meeting largely focused on Iraq policy, getting heated at times. In response to student questions regarding growing negativity regarding the war, Allen defended the President, saying that though Bush certainly takes public opinion into account, at the end of the day he simply makes what, in his belief, is the best decision for the nation.

Luke Voelk ’07, unsatisfied with the responses from the three officials, stated, “The meeting was a perfect microcosm of the Iraq War resolution debate–lots of questions were asked but few answers were received.

Tom Manatos Briefs Students

Students then proceeded to the Capital Building to meet with Mr. Tom Manatos, Director of Advance for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D–-CA). Manatos, speaking in a room lit by energy efficient florescent light bulbs, began by introducing students to the first African-American Clerk of the House, Lorraine Miller, who was set to begin her work the following day.

Manatos, who has worked for the Congresswoman for several years, described his personal background, focusing on his prior work with Vice President Al Gore and various special interest groups. Carefully alternating between questions from male and female students, Manatos spoke enthusiastically about his boss and the state of the Democratic Party. The Democrats took back control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in November. He said, “[Democrats] have gotten more [legislation] done this January than in the past twelve Januaries combined,” and hoped this could continue thanks to new Democratic innovations such as the full five-day work week.

Regarding the Democrats’ increased power since the election, Manatos stated, “If you don’t have power, you don’t get press,” and thus don’t get as much influence on policy. Having suffered through years in the minority themselves, Democrats plan to grant the new Republican minority increased chances to have an impact. Manatos stated that “in order to get anything done, [there has] to be compromise.”

Manatos responded to questions on a wide range of topics, including the Iraq War, the President’s recently proposed budget, healthcare policy, and education.

Speaking about the war, Manatos said that though the Democrats have been trying hard to pass a non-binding resolution condemning Bush’s proposed “troop surge”, Republicans have created a “log jam” in the Senate. He stated that the Speaker had meetings with various interest groups related to war policy throughout the day, including multiple veterans groups, and expressed hope that the House would be able to push through its own resolution.

Regarding the President’s proposed budget, Manatos questioned whether Bush would be able to fulfill his promise of eliminating the budget deficit under the new plan. He first discussed Iraq funding, which, at a one trillion dollar cost, is about to pass Vietnam War spending. Manatos said, “[The Democrat’s budget is going to be much different… We do agree with eliminating the deficit but we don’t believe Bush’s plan is the proper way to go about it.” With this in mind, Manatos stated that the Democrats plan to “tear up [the President’s] budget.”

Manatos only quickly glossed over the topic of health care policy, stating that the Speaker does have the “ultimate goal of universal health care.” He felt that new health care programs in more progressive states such as California and Massachusetts have inspired the Democrats, but that money to fund the program could be hard to find.

Manatos concluded by speaking about the importance of education. He said that Pelosi feels that children are our nation’s future, and should be made a priority. Thus, she plans to host a summit in Washington to discuss the state of education and how improvements could be made to the public education system. Manatos then announced that Pelosi would make her first domestic trip on the affordability of higher education. The students present were, according to Manatos, “the first outside of [the Speaker’s] office” to be privy to the information.

Students Meet With Key Lobbying Groups

After lunch at the Supreme Court, students traveled to the offices of the Anti-Defamation League for a meeting with the most powerful member of the so-called “Jewish Lobby”. The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith (ADL) is an organization that, according to its mission statement, has a goal of “securing justice and fair treatment for all citizens alike.”

Students met with Mr. Michael Lieberman, Washington Council and Head of Government Affairs and Ms. Stacy Burdett, Associate Director for Government and National Affairs.

Mr. Lieberman began the meeting, describing the three pillars of ADL’s action: “Education, law and legal issues, and investigative work.” As the nation’s largest distributor of anti-racism materials and the “best source in America for information on extremist groups”, the ADL works closely with law enforcement agencies as “change agents.” He cautioned, however, that the ADL has “many enemies” and that the work is “dangerous.” He described security measures at the Washington office, including dual security doors, security cameras, and bulletproof glass.

The Washington office, one of ADL’s thirty regional offices, works to petition the government for change, on issues including school prayer, hates crime, genocide, and racism. Lieberman stated that ADL “[represents] a group of Americans… who have a belief in what is best for America,” and that “[ADL] shares its information with the Administration to put that information on the radar.”

Lieberman began by describing ADL’s work involving hate crime legislation, discussing ADL’s drafted legislation that has hung in the balance for over a decade within Congress. The sticking point, according to Lieberman, is a clause protecting people of all sexual orientations from discrimination. He said that though “there is a cost” to ADL’s refusal to negotiate this point, “There is a dramatic importance to maintaining principles.”

Lieberman mainly spoke of the importance of forming coalitions, saying, “[The ADL] cannot accomplish everything by [itself].” He said that coalitions, including prominent work in conjunction with the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, “amplify [ADL’s] voice and that they are “the only way [ADL] ever gets anything done.”

The meeting with the Anti-Defamation league was perhaps the most controversial of all the students meetings. Katherine Heflin ’07 said of the meeting, “The meeting was very interesting, but mostly for the ferociously controversial debating that took place between the lobbyists and the Choate students.”

Students then traveled to the offices of Patton Boggs, a law firm and advocacy group that combines “working closely with Congress and regulatory agencies in Washington, litigating in courts across the country, and negotiating business transactions around the world.” The firm, whose main clients include Dole Food Co., 3M Co., and Mars Inc., maker of M&Ms, grossed over $200 million in 2004. The National Law Journal has recognized the firm’s founder, Thomas Hale Boggs as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in the nation, and the firm was named Top K Street Lobbying Firm by The Hill, a Washington D.C. based weekly newspaper.

Students met with Mr. Stuart Pape, Managing Partner and father of Samuel Pape ‘08; Mr. Ira Fishman, Chief Operating Officer; and Mr. Nicolas W. Allard, Partner and Co-Chair, Public Policy Practice.

The Patton Boggs office, with its mirror ceiling and stainless steel walls, presented a stark contrast to the rather drab look of the ADL office. The meeting focused on the firm’s work, as Pape described the firm as offering a “combination of regulatory advice and public policy.”

Pape said the firm works “just like a lawyer acts in court for a client… presenting the client’s side in the most positive way.” The firm’s partners, many of whom have worked in government positions previously, form professional relationships through a combination of the firm’s name recognition and personal contacts. The firm then provides guidance, “arguing on the [client’s] behalf” and providing public policy advocacy. Mr. Allard related the firm’s work to game theory, saying that lobbying is “like a chess game… every move precipitates another move.”

In response to several students’ questions regarding the potential ethical questions surrounding the field, Mr. Pape said that issues “don’t always have to be positions [he] agrees with,” but that he has a “professional obligation to do his best work on [the client’s] behalf.” He felt that “at the end of the day, what is in the best interests of the nation will prevail,” regardless of the firm’s effort. Nevertheless, the firm refuses to take on South Africa as a client until the end of apartheid in that nation. Additionally, he argued that the firm is not “obligated to do everything the client wants,” and that any good lawyer must remain “independent from the client.”

Students Conclude Trip On Capital Hill

The next morning, students attended the Illinois Constituents’ Coffee in the Dirkson Senate Office Building. The coffee is a weekly affair hosted by Illinois Senators Dick Durbin, the state’s Senior Senator and Majority Whip, and Barrack Obama, who announced his candidacy for the Presidency this past weekend. The students, who listened intently as the two Democrats answered questions to a crowd of around one hundred, were able to meet both Senators and pose for a photo op.

Next, students went to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing, where Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State, defended the State Department Budget request for the fiscal year 2008. Rice deftly responded to a series of heated questions from the panel of Senators regarding the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Students then visited to Senate Gallery to observe the pomp and circumstance of the Senate floor proceedings. The main discussion of the day was the nomination of Gen. George Casey as Army Chief of Staff. Senators McCain and Levin spoke heatedly regarding the matter.

Finally, the students proceeded to a luncheon in the Capital Building, where they met with Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT); Mr. Pete Meachum (’91), Chief of Staff, Rep. Ginni Brown-Waite (R-FL); Mr. Alex Perkins (’89), Counsel, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR); and Mr. Bill Van Horne (’90), Counsel, Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD). After quarrelling with Mr. Meachum over the finer points of economics, students were reminded of the importance of getting involved with politics at an early age by Rep. Murphy.

Speaking about the trip afterward, Mr. Goodyear said, “I thought it went very well… The questions were particularly sharp this year—from the students, to the people with whom we met.”

Michael Lee-Murphy ’07 commented regarding the experience, “I loved the trip. It was great to talk to the people who are highly powerful and influential behind the scenes in our government. Most of the people we met with may not have been very famous, but they certainly effected massive political change.”