Road trip

On Saturday, I went to the capitol city and saw "Frost/Nixon," the play, starring Stacy Keach and a younger man with an English accent who did not put me in mind of David Frost. I was also off-put by the portrayal of Nixon's chief of staff, who, for a retired Marine officer, was somewhat shabbily attired. The play waned in the middle, and picked up at the end, but I suspect the movie, at one-sixth the price, is probably more entertaining. However, now I don't have to see it.

I now understand why I wasn't impressed with the original interview -- I don't believe I saw it. The opening line of the play gave me the first clue. It reiterated that Nixon's crime was a "second-rate break-in," and three years later, when Frost wanted to dig it back up, it was for his own aggrandizement and career advancement. I don't know if I understood that at the time, but I believe I decided to forego participation in further Nixon bashing because life had gone on, and the republic was intact.

Today, there are those who want to engage in further George W. Bush bashing for his "crimes," real and fabricated. Although I do not believe the republic is quite as secure as it should be, I won't participate in or condone any actions taken by those whose motives are political and/or purely career enhancing. President Obama is not completely on board, and he would best serve himself and the nation if, in the spirit of the bi-partisanism of which he speaks, he would make it clear that revisiting the past is counterproductive, and primarily a display of petulance which demeans the participants.