Back in Wisconsin

I had a great week in Washington. I'm not a city person, but I've long held that it's the only city where I can visit for more than a week (or a day, for that matter) and not get bored. I met Congressman John Kline (R-MN), former Congressman Steve Stockman, Congressman Kline's Chief of Staff, Senator Tom Coburn's Chief of Staff, the Assistant Director of FEMA, and numerous political consultants who have worked under everyone from Ronald Reagan to George H. W. Bush to our current president

Arlington National Cemetery had to be the highlight though. While walking through, I happened to see "Rehnquist" on one of the tombstones. Sure enough, it was William H. Rehnquist's grave. It has his birthday and the date he began serving as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, but they still haven't marked his death on the tombstone. I also saw Warren Earl Burger's grave (graduate of St. Paul College of Law - now called William Mitchell College of Law - Nixon appointee, Chief Justice on the Roe v. Wade decision, voted with the majority) and the grave of Thurgood Marshall. Also watched the changing of the guards, saw the mast of the U.S.S. Maine (I've written numerous papers on the Spanish-American War, so that was especially of interest to me), toured General Robert E. Lee's old house, and much more. In addition to seeing Rehnquist's grave, I think the highlight had to be the United States Marine Corps Memorial, better known as the Iwo Jima Memorial. That's always been a pretty powerful image, and to finally see it was just awesome. I may have seen it last time I was in DC, but if I did, I sure don't remember it.

If you've never been to DC, I'd make it a priority!

Oh, and I was wearing a t-shirt in DC with a high of 70. Now I'm back in Wisconsin, where in 12 hours we've gone from no snow to over a foot.