Breakfast with Senator Klobuchar...Well, Almost

Every Thursday morning in Washington, D.C. Senator Amy Klobuchar opens her office to constituents for coffee, conversation, and potica – a traditional Slovenian pastry. The Senator wasn't at last week's breakfast, but her absence didn't lessen the energy at a Minnesota Morning in the nation's capitol.

By kwinge

February 7, 2009 at 7:32PM

Given that Minnesotacurrently has only one U.S. Senator, I was reluctant to call Amy Klobuchar'soffice on my recent visit to Washington, D.C.to schedule time to advocate on behalf of better access to nutritious food forpeople confronting life-threatening illness. Figuring that there was enough onher staffers' plates, I decided to forego a meeting with a legislative assistantand rather attend the Senator's weekly breakfast, Minnesota Morning,held in her D.C. office for constituents visiting the nation's capitol. I was about to turn off the television in my hotel room andleave for the Senator's office last Thursday when I saw a live shot on CNN ofPresident Obama embracing Senator Klobuchar at the National Prayer Breakfast.If Senator Klobuchar was on the dais for this event, clearly she would not bein her office. I'll be honest, I was only going to the Senator's office inhopes of a few minutes of face time with her to push my favorite cause. Seeingher on CNN, I hesitated before making another trip to Capitol Hill. What wasthe point if the Senator wasn't going to be there? Then, that little voice thatI swear my parents had implanted in my brain when I was a child said, "Youe-mailed the Senator's office and got on the list for breakfast. It would bewrong of you not to go." As always, that little voice – my conscious – wasright. I turned off the television and headed towards Capitol Hill and asenator-less breakfast that turned out to be the highlight of this D.C. visit. There is an open door policy at the Minnesota Morningbreakfasts. Staffers greeted constituents with coffee, wild rice bread andpotica, a Slovenian pastry that has become the signature snack at thesegatherings. Senator Klobuchar's chief of staff welcomed the 25 guests andapologized for the Senator's absence. Being the reasonable Minnesotans that weare, we understood that it would have been bad form for the Senator (who isalso the co-chair of the Senate's weekly prayer breakfasts) to snub thePresident in favor of coffee and potica with a handful of constituents. Senator Klobuchar did the next best thing though – sheaddressed all of us via a video. Mostly she talked about how humbled she is toserve Minnesota in the Senate.She maintained her reputation as one of the funniest members of the U.S. Senateby retelling a story about Senator Tom Harkin's failed attempt to order 100poticas from an Iron Rangebakery for every member of the Senate. This anecdote gets to the heart of whatMinnesotans want in their representatives: a Senator who has the ear of thePresident, but who understands that even a sitting U.S. Senator should not havespecial privileges when it comes to securing prized poticas. I'm certain that the Senator's absence was missed lastThursday, but after a few cups of coffee the reserved Minnesotans startedstriking up conversations with other guests. I commiserated with a resident of Northfieldover the decline of critical thought. I ran into colleagues from the MinnesotaAIDS Project who were also advocating for issues of critical importance. And, Irenewed relationships with the Senator's staff members who, despite the scoresof constituents they meet every week, still expressed genuine interest andconcern in my cause. As long as there is coffee, potica and interestingconversations, with or without a U.S. Senator, there is no better way to starta morning in Washington, D.C.than at one of these Minnesota Morning breakfasts. For information on Senator's Klobuchar's MinnesotaMorning, visit http://klobuchar.senate.gov/mnmornings.cfm.

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kwinge