I haven't seen ONE European paper with anything positive to say about that crowd (and I speak nine European languages), and they are hungry for news that they can report that gives them first-hand contact with prominent, sane Americans. Howard just blows me away with his punishing schedule, especially at his age (he'll be 69 next month). But he is just doing the same thing he told me in February 2009 that he'd be doing if Obama didn't ask him to be part of his administration--joining some kind of law firm for income (for him) and name recognition (for them), and spending most of his time raising hell for causes he cares about. A few years ago, he even organized a walking march from Bangkok to the Burmese border to raise awareness about human trafficking going on there--very unsung in the States (never even saw one post about it here, for example), but appreciated there.
These days, raising hell for causes he cares about is mostly concentrated on environmental issues (always a main interest of his), keeping sane America in the news (important so the USA and the world don't think we've completely lost it), and getting younger people involved in Democratic politics. He has more energy than a nuclear power plant. You should have seen schedule while he was here in Germany. From the moment he got off the plane, he was having radio and print press interviews all day, the lecture and the dinner Monday night (where I was), and then after a 6 AM breakfast with me in Düsseldorf, off to meeting the German president for national day celebrations in Mainz, then to Frankfurt, then to Berlin, where he had the big Amerika Haus lecture, the flying home Friday to be on AMJoy Saturday. I'm sure he left back home to Burlington right afterward, as he is a family man, and Judy is quite the homebody, doesn't like to travel. Even at the gatherings in South Carolina where I first met him, he always skipped the big New Year's Eve celebration to fly home to be with his family for that.
As for the company I keep--I have been fortunate, due to an improbable set of circumstances, to meet and know people many don't get to meet and know. It's not because I'm something special, but because the circumstances were special. I promise you I didn't get to meet Salvador Dalí at age 16 because I was some kind of art prodigy! 
But having Howard as a friend has indeed been a special privilege, as he is truly someone I respect and admire.
Edit history
Recommendations
0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):
= new reply since forum marked as read