I don’t know about you, but I have often wondered what it must feel like to be President Obama’s bookend while he is delivering a major policy announcement on a subject of a Cabinet member’s expertise and responsibility?

The heads of high power positions in the United States such as the Vice President, Secretaries of State, Defense, Treasury, Commerce, Health, etc, etc, etc stand by the president at parade rest as props while he makes a policy statement dealing with subjects of their responsibility and appear as speechless Mimes.

The bookends don’t often smile – for there is not much to smile about these days.

They don’t laugh in this scene for there is nothing to laugh about.

And they don’t talk, because no one can talk as well as Obama.

When they go home from work and their kids ask them what they did today, they say with out a smile, “I was a bookend.”

It’s not easy to be a bookend, it takes a lot of practice.

I remember when I was in the United States Navy we practiced putting one foot in front of another when we marched. It wasn’t easy for some.

We practiced standing at attention and parade rest.

Bookends stand at parade rest.

They must have seminars for bookends in Washington DC.

It probably lasts three days and some outside consultant makes millions conducting these sessions.

The goal:

• To support the subject matter as an icon from that office.
• Learning how to keep a stern face.
• Learning how to clasp your hands in front of you.
• Spreading your legs in a comfortable position, for you never know how long the speech will be.
• To standby the president – for he is lonely
• And, to take the blame if what the president says doesn’t work.

I wonder if the bookends know how silly they look, or, perhaps they feel proud when asked by the president to be a bookend.

For after all, they are a symbol of support, kind of like wires holding up a newly planted tree.

I wonder if there is a White House Czar of bookends?