Doing good among those who don't.

I don't know how my man Francis does it. Dude has to be pushing 80 and he is acting like he plays guitar for the Rolling Stones or something. They are the only other septuagenarian who can rock so many crowds and keep going like this. Washington. Congress. The UN. Harlem. Madison Square Garden. Philly. And crowds in the hundreds of thousands out in the streets just trying to get a glimpse of him, while he just keeps going like the Energizer Bunny with that perpetual smile on his face.

Anyway, he will be here in Philly tonight. Unfortunately he might have the city all to himself. Damn near everyone who lives in the city has left town or vowed not to venture anywhere near Center City.

I have my fingers crossed that the Mayor's plan to shut the city down doesn't backfire. I am looking at Washington and New York and folks are coming out in droves to show love.  I have heard that we are expecting a million or so saints.  Right now we are just "praying" that they come.  

"Heading into the final week before the pope’s U.S. trip, hotels in Philadelphia had more than 1,000 rooms available. Regional transit agency SEPTA had sold only about a third of its papal visit rail passes, and the southern New Jersey commuter rail, PATCO, less than a sixth. 
And a plan to turn Fairmount Park, one of the largest urban green spaces in the nation, into “Francis Fields” campground was scrapped due to a lack of interest." [Source]

Y'all better come out and show Francis some love. The Eagles are 0-2 for crying out loud!

Speaking of showing Francis love, my man has been getting love everywhere he goes. He talked about Dr. King's I Have A Dream speech in East Harlem, and seemed to be more at ease with poor people, immigrants, and children than he was with all those dignitaries in Washington and at the United Nations. That's my kind of guy.

Speaking of dignitaries in Washington, one of them decided to make a life changing decision after meeting the Pope, yesterday.

"WASHINGTON — It took a visit from the pope, a brewing conservative rebellion, and a good night’s sleep for John Boehner — the son of a bartender and a devout Catholic from Cincinnati — to decide that Friday morning was the right moment for him to end his tumultuous five-year speakership and bring his 25-year career in Congress to a close.

“This morning, I woke up and I said my prayers and I decided today’s the day I’m going to this,” Boehner told reporters in an emotional news conference on Friday afternoon, a few hours after he stunned Washington by announcing that he planned to resign, effective Oct. 30. “It’s as simple as that.”

But of course, it was not that simple.

Boehner disclosed his decision less than 24 hours after he reveled in the first-ever papal speech to a joint session of Congress, something he has dreamed of for 20 years — and as the government was on the verge of another shutdown, with Boehner's fractious caucus battling over a bill to fund the government beyond Sept. 30."

Poor John. As usual he got all weepy, but those might be tears of joy because he doesn't have to deal with some of the lunatics in his party anymore. They actually cheered at a big republican conference when the "faithful" heard that he was on his way out, and some of the republican candidates for president couldn't wait to kick him in the ass as he went out the door. 

I suppose that they are all still mad that they couldn't stop the Socialist in Chief from getting two terms and getting his way with some significant pieces of legislation.

Now we know, of course, that they started plotting on inauguration night.

"WASHINGTON -- As President Barack Obama was celebrating his inauguration at various balls, top Republican lawmakers and strategists were conjuring up ways to submarine his presidency at a private dinner in Washington.

The event -- which provides a telling revelation for how quickly the post-election climate soured -- serves as the prologue of Robert Draper's much-discussed and heavily-reported new book, "Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives."

According to Draper, the guest list that night (which was just over 15 people in total) included Republican Reps. Eric Cantor (Va.), Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), Paul Ryan (Wis.), Pete Sessions (Texas), Jeb Hensarling (Texas), Pete Hoekstra (Mich.) and Dan Lungren (Calif.), along with Republican Sens. Jim DeMint (S.C.), Jon Kyl (Ariz.), Tom Coburn (Okla.), John Ensign (Nev.) and Bob Corker (Tenn.). The non-lawmakers present included Newt Gingrich, several years removed from his presidential campaign, and Frank Luntz, the long-time Republican wordsmith. Notably absent were Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) -- who, Draper writes, had an acrimonious relationship with Luntz.
For several hours in the Caucus Room (a high-end D.C. establishment), the book says they plotted out ways to not just win back political power, but to also put the brakes on Obama's legislative platform." [Source]

Forgive them father, for they know not what they do.

*Pic from nhpr.org. (Courtesy of David  Goldman/Getty Images)