What's Wrong with Politics in 8 Words

"I haven't paid for lunch in 30 years"

That's a quote from Trent Lott who recently joined that elite fraternity of ex politicians who now get paid to influence his former colleagues. He's a lobbyist now and according to this blog post at the Washington Post, he's having a little difficulty adjusting to the loss of his perks as a Senator:

Life in the private sector isn't as cushy as Lott thought it would be. No more free lunches, no more taxpayer-funded car and driver, no more overprotective press secretary guarding him from the pesky media.

Lott says he doesn't drive. He doesn't own a car. Usually, he walks. One day, he says, he walked the 30 or so blocks from his downtown office on 14th Street Northwest to his home in Southeast Washington on Capitol Hill.

Lott took his first Metro ride ever last weekend, when thousands of tourists were in town enjoying the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Could there be a more perfect time for a prima donna first-time rider?

"I stood up the whole time," Lott said, smiling, as if he enjoyed it.

Lott really had no idea how to even go about taking public transportation. He didn't know how to use the Metro fare card machines, or how much money to put on his trip ticket, or how to add money to one of the fare cards his wife gave him. Truly: clueless.

So Patricia Lott did what any good spouse would do. "I took my wife with me and she helped me out," Lott said.

I'm surprised his wife had a clue either.....