Washington – Reviving his role as the undisputed “King of the Aisle Hogs,” Representative for New York’s 16th congressional district Eliot Engel will be in his usual seat for tonight’s State of the Union address.
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The DAILY NEWS (http://nydn.us/158Yo9z) reports today that Engel has been in his aisle seat since 1989 when George H. W. Bush addressed the nation.
The term ‘aisle hog’ refers to members of congress who arrive early and stake out seats on the center aisle so that they are perfectly positioned to shake the president’s hand as he enters and exits the hall.
These prime seats also guarantee their occupants high visibility during the televised event.
“I will be in my district somewhere in December and someone will say to me, ‘I saw you on TV,'” Engel said Monday. “I’ll be thinking it was one of the many interviews I’ve done, but they’ll say, ‘No. You were shaking the President’s hand.’ People reme mber me for shaking the President’s hand.”
Engel first got introduced to ‘aisle hogging’ back in 1989 by former Rep. Sonny Montgomery. Montgomery had invited Engel to sit with him so they could possibly say hello to Montgomery’s good friend, newly elected President George H. W. Bush, on his way into the chamber.
Engel remembers seeing an aisle seat and Montgomery saying, “You better grab it before someone else does.”
“So I grabbed it, and I’ve been sitting there since,” Engel said.
“Engel offers no apologies for his continued enthusiasm for tonight’s speech, calling it the ‘height of American democracy’—-and that his small annual role remains a ‘thrill for a working-class kid from the Bronx.’
“King of the Aisle Hogs”
.א גרויסער בעל גאווה
..ואת החזיר כי מפריס פרסה הוא
Congressman Engel really cares about his constituents. I enjoy seeing my representative in Washington representing me. Go Engel!!
Based on his uber left voting record, that’s the closest he EVER comes to “crossing the aisle.” Had the “aisle” been the yam suf, he would have stayed in mitzrayim!!!