As of January 2nd, it will be against the law to smoke in most public places in Washington, D.C. Unless, of course, you’re a member of Congress.
When the District goes smoke-free Jan. 2, at least one nicotine haven will remain: the U.S. Capitol. Lawmakers, several of whom enjoy a good cigar, have exempted themselves from the city’s smoking ban, not to mention rules that forbid lighting up in federal buildings across the country.
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Smoking is permitted in lawmakers’ offices, in two cafeterias in the House and Senate buildings and in an unmarked, cramped room in the basement of the U.S. Capitol.
But the Speaker’s Lobby, the ornate space dotted with fireplaces and chandeliers, is the real smoke-filled room, the biggest and most visible space where smokers gather. The lobby, where lawmakers relax between votes and debates, is blue with smoke most days. You can smell it from the approaching hallways. Cigarette smokers claim the leather wing chairs during the day, filling the ashtrays with butts. At night, the cigar smokers take over. A smoky film clings to an oversize mirror.
The laws are for thee, but not for me.
December 8th, 2006 at 11:00 am
Oh, but don’t you see? Our “leaders” in Washington are smart enough not only to make their own decisions, but to make our decisions for us. If they weren’t so smart, why would we have elected them in the first place?
Once they were among us mortals, but now, it’s “Four legs good, two legs better”, right? All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.