Jen Psaki

January 21, 2021

Jen Psaki. Where has she been all my life? I think I love her.

I’ve never been in love with a press secretary before. That red hair against the blue of her dress. Her unearthly calm and composure. That twinkle in her eye, ever so slightly wicked. Her grounded presence, gracefully but distinctly separated from past press secretaries. The fact that she said—with a smile—“there were a few things going on today,” on a day where there was church, an inauguration, a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the procession to the White House, the swearing in of three senators, the signing of 15 executive orders, and an immigration reform bill sent to Congress. Said not with a sour, forced, or cynical smile, but an impish smile, a little like the Buddha’s. Genius. A bodhisattva press secretary!

She took questions from everybody, including someone from Fox News. When asked how the Biden administration would deal with lies and disinformation, she said, with “accurate information, truth, and data.” She expressed her appreciation for the role of a free and independent press in a democracy and said she would never lie to them.

My heart was beating fast. I was on the edge of my seat, leaning forward, with a huge smile on my face, thinking—“Look! Look! A functioning democracy!” At the end of the briefing (when frankly, the press looked a bit gobsmacked), she said, “We’ll do this again tomorrow.” Tomorrow! I thought I might actually squeal with excitement. Tomorrow there’d be more “accurate information, truth, and data.” More of the impish smile. More of the masterful press secretary.

Thank you, God, for Jen Psaki. I hope we have many tomorrows to watch her restore facts and honesty, competence and composure, to daily briefings, doing her part to renew America’s soul. She sure renews mine.

Snow

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