Eavesdropping on a conversation on a train

"Move over. Make room for my old friend. Come on over here Arlen. Sit right next to me. Can I buy you a beer?"

"How long have we been taking this trip together? Times have certainly changed, haven't they? We used to sit as far away from one another as possible. Now look at us."

"You know what we have been talking about these past few weeks? You see the truth staring at you in the face, plain as day. You have been marginalized by your own. You are no longer one of them. They are getting ready to put you out to pasture. I don't think it's time for you to go. You have too much left to offer. You don't want to be a voice for them any longer. They don't want you and you don't want them. They are not fighting your battles any more. Don't go on fighting theirs."

"Could we have some service over here. Would you like another beer and a sandwich?"

"It is time to rise up from the ashes of what was once something and is now nothing. You want to be part of the movers and shakers, not just the voice of opposition for its own sake. You want to stay in power. You want to be one of us. You know it and I know it."

"You say seniority has to be preserved. No problem. You want some powerful posts on various committees. Just name them. You want the backing of the party and the President next year. He will be at your side. You want money for your campaign. You ask and you shall receive."

"Can I get you another beer?"

"You will be remembered for your bravery. You will make a difference in this country, now and for many years to come. Once we get Minnesota straightened out, just watch us take off. You want to be part of this journey."

"Another beer for my friend please".

"I know this is torture for you. I don't use that word lightly these days. But you aren't getting any younger and there is no time to waste. No time for you, and no time for us. Once you make that break, you will feel like a new man. All the filth will be washed away. No more will you have to align yourself with the party you don't even recognize any more."


"Just one more beer over here."

"You are a man of courage and integrity. Great things will be written about your decision. You just wait and see."

" I guess this is your stop. Don't let this be the end of the trip, but the beginning. When I sit next to you tomorrow, let it be not in a train car, but on our side of the aisle. God bless you Arlen, and God bless America."

"Olympia, is that you? Come over here and sit next to me. Can I buy you a beer?"