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From Court To Jester
Colin Powell, left, embraces Henry Kissinger as they make their way to the annual Alfalfa Club dinner.
(Photos By Kevin Clark -- The Washington Post)
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But let's digress a bit. Not everything Alfalfan is funny. Some of its oddities are downright vexing. It was founded in 1913, for instance, by a quartet of Southern gentlemen, at least one of whom was a Confederate veteran. Perhaps this is why the annual dinners are timed, even now, to roughly coincide with the Jan. 19 birth date of that Confederate general, Robert E. Lee.
It is such an obscure factoid that an informal poll of some of last night's revelers produced none who'd ever known this to be true -- and who apparently would rather not have been asked, judging by the defensiveness that ensued.
"I don't think that has any meaning today," Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) said of the Confederate connection. "I will be sitting across the table from Kenneth Chenault, the African American chair of American Express."
Jack Kemp hadn't heard of the Confederate connection either. But what really got him was the other part of our informal poll, the part about the war. You see, a reading of Alfalfa Club history reveals that the group suspended its annual dinners during World War II and the Korean War.
Asked if he had any thoughts on the issue, Kemp said, "Come on! Come on!" rather impatiently, as if the evening's bubble were being pierced by unwelcome seriousness.
"There's certain things that should be canceled. I don't think this should be canceled," he said before walking away.
Retired Army Gen. Tommy Frankstook a moment to ponder the question of partying during wartime.
"I don't think this demeans the service of our young men and women, who are as they have been since 9/11, out there working hard tonight just like they were today, just like they were yesterday," Franks said.
Partying, he continued, "is okay with me as long as we remember the kids and continue to respect what they're doing."
And so the Alfalfans conducted the merriment as they always do. The seniormost Alfalfan at the dinner was a 92-year-old former senator Harry Flood Byrd Jr., who's attended every dinner since 1938.
The club introduced new sprouts, or members, which this year included New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Rep. Jane Harman, Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., and Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Chao's husband, handed off the presidency of the Alfalfa Club to Gen. P.X. Kelley, retired U.S. Marine Corps commandant, explaining along the way just why alfalfa provides the name of the club.
"Put it this way: The alfalfa plant digs deep for a drink. That is true. And if it digs any deeper it will hit my party's approval ratings."
And on it went among the nation's "best."
Watching this illustrious assemblage of hundreds as they strutted and swished into the hotel lobby, John Fabrizi, mayor of Bridgeport, Conn., in town for a conference, offered his contextual analysis.
"This is a very elite group that has direct economic impact on America and the world. You have a mix of elected officials and a lot of business folks here tonight. So I hope they enjoy themselves and get back to work on Monday morning."
Bada-BING!
