[caption id="attachment_68130" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Congressman Eric Cantor."]
"When House majority leader Eric Cantor recently announced the House calendar for 2012, Ireland's friends in Congress and the Irish Embassy in Washington were taken aback. Mr. Cantor, who has no special interest in Irish affairs, scheduled a 'constituent work week' starting Monday March 12th."
Thus wrote Lara Marlowe, Washington, D.C. correspondent of the Irish Times, in a recent story that ranks as one of the first reports on the big day in 2012.
"With Congress out of session, it was difficult to see how the traditional St. Patrick's Day speaker's luncheon for the taoiseach could take place," wrote Marlowe.
"Since that is usually the first event scheduled, other festivities, such as the White House reception, hinge upon it. A flurry of diplomatic and political activity ensued. Ambassador Michael Collins contacted the offices of representative Peter King of New York, the chair of the Friends of Ireland in the House, and representative Richard Neal of Massachusetts, the previous chair."
Marlow reported that both men were discreetly asking House Speaker John Boehner to alter the congressional calendar "for the sake of Irish American relations."
And well he should.
Still, it looks as if there might be a plan B should Rep. Cantor, not a man for easy turning, stick to his guns.
"The fact that Congress is not in session does not mean there is not going to be a lunch," Ambassador Collins old the Times.
Marlowe wrote that Collins is of the view that if the calendar is not changed, the lunch could be scheduled even if Congress is not convening.
And she added: "St. Patrick's Day festivities are choreographed like a ballet, which usually opens with the American-Ireland Fund dinner. Vice-president Joe Biden has added breakfast with the taoiseach at his residence the following morning. The taoiseach then meets with the president in the Oval Office, after which all repair to Capitol Hill for the speaker's lunch. That evening, the president holds the White House reception."
More a jig than a ballet that, but Marlowe pointed out that the protocol gets complicated whenever St. Patrick's Day falls on a weekend. In 2012, festivities were likely to be held on March 14th-15th or March 15th-16th.
So it seems that something will happen. Perhaps somebody should fire off an early invite or two to Rep. Cantor. Was he invited to events this past St. Patrick's Day?
Marlowe concluded her report with some interesting details on the origins of St. Patrick's Day as a celebratory standout in the nation's capital.
According to the Office of the House Clerk, Congress first celebrated St. Patrick's Day in 1884, when Representative John O'Neill of Missouri distributed green ribbons on the House floor.
"The first annual speaker's luncheon was hosted by the late Tip O'Neill of Massachusetts in 1983, and was attended by President Ronald Reagan. The House Clerk records that it was intended 'to ease tension between the two Irish-American leaders who embodied distinctive conservative and liberal persuasions.'"
Well, given the times that are in it, and 2012 being a presidential election year, we could all do with a bit of tension easing in mid-March at the very least.
