Frist Isn't Resting, on His Laurels or Otherwise

By Al Kamen
Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Those who think formerly important people in Washington just vegetate once they leave town might note how outgoing Senate Majority Leader Bill "Dr. Video" Frist (R-Tenn.) keeps engaged as he heads out of town.

We got an e-mail just before Christmas, one he apparently sent to all his political action committee contributors, that was just chock-full of fascinating activities.

"We just today got back to Nashville," he writes in the Dec. 22 note, "and are tonight decorating the tree that we bought on the way home from the airport. Karyn and I enjoyed sharing our very last holiday season in our home in Washington over the last week, buying our 'Washington tree' and decorating it and the house extra early this year so we'd have plenty of time to enjoy it with friends as we said our goodbyes. 12 years of memories in that house!!"

But retirees shouldn't reminisce, and Frist won't. "Over the next couple of weeks, Karyn and I and the boys will be on the go; traveling and visiting with family and friends," he writes. For example, he said, he was heading to South Texas with two of his sons and some friends for a father-son hunt.

"Karyn, the boys and I will then spend the 23rd with Karyn's Mother and sister Trisha and their extended family (45 McLaughlins at their biannual McLaughlin family Christmas) in Austin. And then back to Nashville for Christmas Day to join the Frist clan," he writes. "We're rehabbing the home I grew up in, but it's not ready so we are living in the backyard in a garage apartment (now beautifully decorated by Karyn!)."

The key is to keep moving. "Another hunt with the family on the 26th to replicate the traditional southern hunt (at night) that we did exactly four years ago on the night that I became majority leader."

A hint of nostalgia there, but Frist quickly recovers. "I'll spend early January talking with and listening to folk around the country on the new focus for my leadership committee Volunteer PAC (VOLPAC) and promise to send along information before the end of the month."

Okay. Maybe all that doesn't excite you. But at the end of his message, Frist promises real news. "February I'm off on my annual medical mission trip delivering care, doing surgery, and treating AIDS patients in Kenya and Sudan and am so excited that Karyn will join me this year."

So stay active and keep moving. There's always a future presidential run to think about.

President Kerrey Makes the Rounds

Speaking of presidential runs, let's remember there are other presidencies out there that offer some of the same trappings as the job in the White House. The New School announced last week that university President Bob Kerrey, another former senator whose presidential campaign quickly evaporated, is headed to India next week, stopping in three major cities "to meet top leaders in government, finance, culture, and education."

Kerrey "will participate in a town hall meeting" in Mumbai, and hold "three press conferences." Not Air Force One, but . . .

HR to the Staff: Eat Something

Lots of government and private workforces were allowed to split early last Friday. But the National Science Foundation demanded that workers have lunch before heading out.

An e-mail from Paul Bealafeld in human resources explained how this works.

Bealafeld's e-mail said he was "following up on the director's . . . early dismissal message with the administrative timekeeping rules and procedures."

"Employees and teleworkers may discontinue work 3 hours prior to the end of their normal tour of duty and select administrative leave for the final 3 hours," he said. But "attaching the dismissal to the lunch break and leaving earlier than 3 hours prior to the end of the tour of duty is not authorized [so] the earliest time that employees could leave would be 12:30 p.m. if they signed in at 7 a.m."

Remember, "employees and teleworkers who discontinue work before the 3-hour dismissal are not entitled to any administrative leave and will be charged personal leave from the point of their departure until the end of their scheduled tour of duty for today."

So don't go off on an empty stomach.

A White House Leak?

President Bush's pre-Christmas visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center caused some unexpected problems, judging from an e-mail alert we received. There were the usual traffic rerouting and parking restrictions, from 8 p.m. on Dec. 21 until 2 p.m. the next day.

The e-mail lists 12 such changes likely to frustrate drivers and includes an apology:

Traffic will be blocked temporarily around the campus and re-routed if necessary. Sorry for the incontinence during this mission.

We're sorry, too.