Rev. William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign weighs in on Gov. Northam in WAPO:

[DFW]

69. I had known about him for a while before that. However...

I had no idea he was going to be there at the reception.

For that matter, I had no idea ANY of those people were going to be there. My editor friend (her name is Katrina) is one of those people who literally knows EVERYBODY, so when I heard she was going to hold her 150th anniversary celebration in Washington, I should have known there would be some familiar faces there, but she didn't say a word to me. D.C. is a town where people's plans can change on an instant's notice, so maybe even Katrina didn't know for sure who would really show up. For that matter, I'm sure she hadn't counted on me showing up. She knows where I live. I know she is friends with Elizabeth Warren, and Warren only showed up briefly, maybe for 20 minutes, and then disappeared again. Her appearance there was probably only as a favor to Katrina. She spoke briefly and then hurried off to something else she was due at.

No one spoke long, but Barber was mesmerizing, as he always is, and since I had the chance to talk to him, I said, hey why not? I brought up the Democratic Convention, and voilà, next thing you know, he's a scheduled speaker. That's how lots of things come about in D.C.--people talking to each other. I'm sure it's why Republican Senators don't often talk to Democratic Senators any more--McTurtle is probably terrified they might learn something (you know, facts, and dangerous stuff like that).

About ten years ago, I tried to arrange either lunch or dinner with two friends who were rather well-known, but had never really met. It took me 18 months, but I finally found a date when all three of us would be in Washington. One of them was 90 at the time (she passed away several years ago), and she didn't travel much any more (not everybody can be Dr. Ruth). Anyway, there were the two of them--recognized by anybody in Washington--, my brother and me. The people in the restaurant were probably wondering who the two nobodies at the table were (my brother and me), but we're used to that. At Katrina's reception, my brother and I were definitely two nobodies among a LOT of somebodies. It was quite a heady occasion!