Inside the Beltway

WORD OF THE DAY

Caution: Twin meanings ahead. Presented as a public service by the Inside the Beltway Etymological Desk:

Bachmannia: (noun) 1: Newfound affection and respect for Rep. Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Republican, among assorted conservatives, “tea party” participants and Sarah Palin fans. 2: The pronounced political and ideological views of the aforementioned lawmaker, seen in negative terms by progressives, gay rights activists and other groups.

WALL EYED

While Capitol Hill squabbles over heath care fallout on Monday, students at 100 college campuses across the nation will be pondering history; specifically, the fall of the Berlin Wall 20 years ago.

Organized by Young America’s Foundation (YAF), the young stalwarts will tear down mock Berlin walls at the University of California campuses in Berkeley and San Diego, College of William & Mary, University of Florida, George Washington University and Cornell University, among others schools.

The group is looking askance at President Obama, who it says “snubbed” the anniversary and is citing these numbers:

“People murdered by progressive Socialist movements: 100,000,000.

“People freed from communist tyranny by Ronald Reagan and worldwide freedom movements: 425,574,817.

“It was President Reagan who brought real ‘hope’ and ‘change’ when he defeated communism,” says Patrick Coyle, the vice president of YAF. “Sadly, even though socialist ideas have been thoroughly repudiated, liberals in Washington and academia still push to increase the power of the federal government.”

GIPPER MOMENT

Somebody else is mulling the past.

“My husband predicted that the wall would fall and that communism would ‘end up on the ash heap of history,’ and he was right,” says former first lady Nancy Reagan. “In the end, the values and beliefs of the United States, Great Britain and other free countries of the world won out - and communism collapsed under its own weight.”

She continues, “Although he rarely took credit for any of his accomplishments, my husband was very proud of his efforts to end the Cold War, and I know if he could, he would tell us it was the power of freedom that deserved the credit. Ronnie would be the first to tell us, however, that our work is not finished.”

BOYS TOWN

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