cat's out of the bag

Local Congressman Tom Reynolds contacted Mild-Mannered Blogger! early Wednesday morning to grant me an exclusive interview. It seemed an odd request to me at the time, seeing as how two or three people read the blog, plus I’m not even in his district. Still, he wanted to clear the air.

“What about,” I asked. He replied it was in regards to his role in Rep. Mark Foley’s alleged sexual comments to a 15-year-old congressional page.

“Oh,” I said. “I haven’t heard a thing about that.”

Anyway, I do some research and head off to the office where he’s located for the interview. I walk into the room, and he’s surrounded himself with kittens.



Aw, lookie at the lil pumpkin! Yer so cute! Yer so cute! Come’ere and let me give you a big old hug!

Ahem.

I managed to pull whatever journalist balls I have left in me to hammer him with some questions, because the people demand to know his role in this scandal with a month left in the election cycle. But first, I politely asked him to have the bunch of kittens leave the room to discuss a human issue.

“Well, I’ll take your questions, but I’m not going to ask any of my kittens to leave the room.”

When asked where did the kittens come from, he noted that a number of them are from the community.

Just as I tried to get a third serious question out, this little fella found a ball of string and won me over.



Aw, lookie at whatca doin! Whatca got there? Whatca got there? Yer just a big bowl of cute, that’s what you are!

UPDATE: Shortly after posting this message, the Reynolds office called to blame me for photographing the congressman with kittens and making them a part of the story. They also said Democrats, who hate kittens, sent him the box of kittens, but Rep. Reynolds showed he is above partisanship by accepting the kittens. It didn’t make sense to me either.