A quick note about last night’s Fox appearence:
After I check in at the desk, I’m standing near the security guards waiting for my escort into the studios — security is pretty tight around Fox. I hear a voice I recognize, look up — its Senator Al D’Amato, but 7 feet away from me. He shakes hands with the entire circle of well wishers within a 5 foot radius — and I’m just outside that range.
"Hey Senator, what I am, chopped liver over here?"
Senator Pothole (as he was known in NY) laughs, reaches over and grabs my hand. He’s lost weight since he left office — in the midst of a variety of scandals, he lost to Schumer in 1998.
You can see right away why the guy was a successful politician: He greets the guards — who all know him, recognize him and greet him with a genuine warmth. He has an instant personal connection. He tells security he is waiting for an escort for Cavuto’s show (as do I).
The building is practically a full city block long. I see Anita in a red outfit coming to get us — she’s a 6 inch tall speck all the way down the long hallway.
I say "Here comes our ride," and the Senator starts talking with me. I tell him my wife and I enjoy him and Ed Koch on Bloomberg radio (Koch has a show on the weekends, and D’Amato is a frequent guest). The two of them are very entertaining, even if their politics are, shall we say, unenlightened. And, it turns out his son works for my firm. So we chat the whole walk over — about 3 minutes.
We get into the studios, I do the 4:10 segment — I’m on with Neil, Brenda Buttner (host of Bulls and Bears) and Fox reporter (and former Street.com columnist) Dagen McDowell. On remotely in Chicago, the over-caffeinated Jonathan Hoenig goes off on how we should bomb Fallujah; Everyone else is totally reasonable.
Our segment ends, and in walks Senator Al, just as I and the women are leaving The Senator — in his very charming way — says: "Why is it that I am not on with all the beautiful women?"
My straight-line-atitis kicks in: That is simply a hanging curveball I cannot pass up. So as I’m exiting, I lean over to D’Amato, and in a faux sotto voce voice, loudly whisper "See me the next time your on, Senator: I’ll hook you up with the ladies."
Everybody has a good laugh.
My life just keeps getting more and more bizarre.
