12/8/2021

MDF&P, JRB,

            Kansas City! So glad that you are going there for a visit today.  You will recall that’s my daughter’s new residence. It may be one of the few places in America where she could afford to purchase a house. She & her partner are creating quite the nest with their 4 cats. She wants me to move there, but I’m not sure I want to be represented by Sen. Josh Hawley.

            How did you feel about your conversation with VVP yesterday? The G noted you are dealing with a “complex, confrontational situation” & that while you had “a lot of give and take, there was no finger-wagging.” As Dmitry Trenin, the head of the Moscow Carnegie Centre, put it, “jaw jaw is better than war war,” so please keep the lines of communication open.

            Are things coming together for the Democracy Summit tomorrow? The Hill suggests that the process of choosing participants was not democratic. They posited that the event would be more productive if you moved away from a state-based model & invited some activists. They used Cambodia as an example & proposed that the brave opposition leaders “who have been fighting at great personal risk for democracy could serve as delegates. They would benefit greatly from connecting with groups around the world, hearing best practices and sharing lessons.” If some of the NUG folk from Burma could participate, that would be great!!!

         Keep up the good work. As the editorial board of the KCS says, “you’ve done much more in the 1st year to help the nation recover from the sorry years (when DJT was president.).

         BYBS,