How Can You Say Politicians are Out of Touch?

When the character “Mrs. Landingham” — the president’s secretary in the TV show West Wing — was killed off in a recent episode, California State Assemblyman Kevin Shelley mourned the character in open session, noting that Mrs. Landingham was “a great American” whose “contributions to the nation were too numerous to count.” Other legislators were confused. “Nobody could tell if she really died or fake died,” said one aide. Actress Kathryn Joosten, who played the role, is alive and well. Shelley found out about the fictional death from his wife, noting “It was tragic. [My wife] was crying, I was upset. It was terrible.” (AP) ...On that same day, 6,764 real Americans died, yet none of them were deserving of his tears.