At the very moment the Republican National Convention was reaching a crescendo last evening in Tampa, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass (D-Culver City), hanging out at the Senior Center, hoisted a bucket of scalding water above her head, poised to drench any strain of GOP enthusiasm that survived this far west.
Not that a paean to President Obama allegedly had any link to her putative mission.
Ms. Bass, ostensibly, was at the Senior Center to front a workshop she took a bow for pulling together – what appeared to be a most worthy cause – a Mortgage Relief Town Hall and Resource Affair that was hugely attended by sorely distressed residents of the region.
Let it be noted she strictly was window dressing.
Popular for reasons that remain elusive since her footprints are invisible – except she smiles a lot and brushes daily – she milked her role maximally.
A Relief Pitcher?
Not pretending to know anything about mortgage relief, though she did announce, in the tradition of contemporary Democrats that, by thunder, she, too, is a victim if not a martyr in the housing market, she resurrected a shopworn speech she delivers to most audiences. Some lips in the crowd, familiar with her script, correlated with Ms. Bass’s lips.
The teflon lady opened on an arguably immodest note by telling the depressed homeowners that she was just like them.
“I remember when I was in Sacramento, serving in the Legislature, and for two years I had the honor of serving as Speaker (of the Assembly), when the housing crisis first hit.
“I remember at that time that California was leading the country – about 40 percent of the foreclosures were happening in our state. It just seemed to be that we didn’t know where it was going to land, you know, how far it was going to fall in terms of the price of housing and also being such an extreme amount,” she said before launching into a lengthy, meandering ramble that caused some members of the audience to stare at each other.
He Is My Guy
“Well, you know, we are very fortunate. I think everybody knows how supportive I am of the President, but that he is the President, and he came into office when he did, and that we are so fortunate in California to have an Attorney General like Kamala Harris, who led the way, I mean, and that whole negotiation was going on, and she held out, and the L.A. Times criticized her, and she stood strong, and she held out until she got the best possible deal for our state. And we are fortunate today, of course, you know in a few minutes you will hear from representatives, one from the Attorney General’s office, but also from L.A. County. But, uh, we are prepared tonight, No. 1, to give you general information, but also to work with you specifically, which is, of course, why we have the numbers here (on a screen) that people can go and meet with counselors.
An Offering
“We didn’t want to have a meeting like this unless we had something tangible to offer people. And people have come with their individual cases, and we hope that you will, uh, you know, get the people that you needed today. And this is a problem that impacts everybody.
“I mean, I am involved in this problem like everybody else. You know, when I went up to Sacramento, I got up there in ’05, and the price of housing was so cheap compared to L.A., I thought they were giving them away. And so I immediately bought a house, and that house that I thought was just gonna to shoot through the roof, and I don’t even say it’s under water. I say it’s in the ocean.
“And I hope I can hold on until it turns.
“So, you know, this is not just a problem that affects a few people. This affects a huge percentage of our states and of our country. And so I do hope you can get the help that you need today.”
Still wonder why certain politicians are accused of windbaggery?
(To be continued on Monday)
