When I was young, John Glenn was one of my heroes: a local boy from a small town in my home state... military pilot... astronaut, one of the original Mercury Seven... first American to orbit the Earth in space... "God speed, John Glenn"... a real, John Wayne type hero! What's not to like? Well, he left the space program and went into politics; that's what. OK, I guess that's not all bad. Somebody has to make the laws and uphold freedom. Why not John Glenn?

So... he was still my hero... until one day in the 70s when I saw a PR film starring the Democratic senator from Ohio. In a staged Q&A session, a young schoolgirl asked him what it was like to be a senator. As I recall, his answer was something like this: "Well, it is mostly hard work; long hours, serious deliberations; important matters. Hard work; every day."

Fine, senator; if you do not want to answer the question, fair enough. But there is no need to make up something that sounds good, but is, in fact, outrageously false.

Oh, wait. That's what politicians do in public pronouncements, most of them. I guess that, by then, it just came naturally to the senator.

At the time I saw that film I was a college student in Washington, D.C. I had attended several congressional sessions. Some of my friends were House and Senate pages and congressional aides. I knew. And believe me, it is no secret to virtually anyone who lives or works inside "the beltway," the interstate highway that circles D.C. But no one there is about to say anything. They are not about to spoil what is, for them, like hitting the lottery every day of their lives.

So, for the young schoolgirl and the rest of you who have no idea what congressmen do, I'll shed some light.

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