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

Uh-oh. A “burgeoning child punditocracy” is afoot says Ryan Tate, a writer with Gawker.com. “Children are operating in virtually every facet of media - and doing so successfully.”

Mr. Tate has identified the top six media prodigies of the moment, all of them male, and all fierce. Curious?

They are “conservative pundit” Jonathan Krohn, 13, who wowed the Conservative Political Action Conference; Damon Weaver, 11, who landed interviews with President Obama and Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.; Scott Campbell, 14, CEO of Net News Daily and a regular columnist with the BBC; David Fishman, 12, a food critic for the New York Times now entertaining movie offers; Alec Greven, 10, author of “How to Talk to Girls” and is at work on four sequels; Daniel Brusilovsky, 16, founder and CEO of TeensinTech.com and a writer for TechCruch.

“Fear for your job,” Mr. Tate advises.

A LONG MEMORY

Bolstered with more than 7 tons of steel from the wreckage of the World Trade Center, the mighty USS New York was commissioned Saturday, and the ceremony was carried live on the Jumbotron above Times Square. The amphibious transport dock ship will remain in the New York harbor until Thursday, open to the public before its gets down to the war-fighting business.

The ship’s crest tells its story. The unmistakable silhouette of the Twin Towers can be seen dead center in the design; there are crossed Navy and Marine swords, a rising phoenix and a shield honoring the New York City police and fire departments and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The crown of the Statue of Liberty is featured, along with three bronze stars, the motto “Never Forget” and two bright red drops of blood.

The symbolism is not lost on those who must do the heavy lifting.

“This gives me a chance to serve right alongside the firefighters and police officers who died that day,” observes Navy Seaman Richard Casey, a crew member of the USS New York.

THE SHORT TAKE

“It was always clear that the real health care battle would be in the Senate. But what would have been shocking eight months ago is to hear that it would take until November for the Democrats to pass a bill even in the House,” says Jeffrey H. Anderson, a senior fellow in health care studies at the Pacific Research Institute and a contributor to National Review.

“It would have been even more shocking to have heard that, even after a full-court-press by the White House, the bill would pass by only five votes - meaning that if just three of the 435 members had changed their minds, it would have changed the bill’s fate. And it would have been shocking to have heard that 39 Democrats would jump ship,” Mr. Anderson continues.

“The House bill has passed - barely and belatedly - and it is now dead. Nothing like it will ever pass the Senate. The question now is whether anything will, now that the voters have spoken in New Jersey and Virginia - and now that the exceedingly narrow margin in the House will likely invite even greater scrutiny of that which is being proposed.”

POLL DU JOUR

• 54 percent of Americans overall are satisfied with their lives.

• 63 percent of Republicans, 57 percent of independents and 49 percent of Democrats agree.

• 40 percent of Americans overall say their situation has improved in the past five years.

• 44 percent of Republicans, 42 percent of independents and 36 percent of Democrats agree.

• 54 percent of Americans predict their situation will improve in the next five years.

• 52 percent of Republicans, 45 percent of independents and 63 percent of Democrats agree.

Source: A Harris Poll of 1,019 adults conducted Oct. 13-19.

• Uproar, sniveling, optimistic talking points to jharper@washingtontimes .com or 202/636-3085.