The Power of Beer

I don't know what was said when they gathered nor whether there will be any large or lasting effect in America over the President-Crowley-Gates dustup, but I am charmed that the President chose to move it to a new setting by saying 'let's all sit down together and have a beer' which is code for 'Hey, guys. Whatever the misunderstanding was it's not worth making a mountain out of." That's modeling that I'm not sure any other recent president would have chosen, and I like it. It says that there's not a separation between the common man, the intellectual, and the government leader: we all drink beer. I saw an astonishing article which asserted that Gates and Crowley are actually distantly related in the Irish fashion as descendants of Niall of the Nine Hostages, and isn't that just about as American as you can get? Maybe that was one of the things the trio discussed over beer. My only sadness was that the beers chosen were none of them from the great brewers of Oregon or at least the Pacific NW. Ah well....educating a nation takes time.