A hearing on Tuesday with the head of the U.S. military's Africa Command showcased what makes Congress such an interesting body - no matter the issue, bringing home the bacon is what's important.
While some of the Q&A with Gen. Carter Ham centered on military action against Libya, the more important question for the General from two lawmakers was the future location of the Africa Command's headquarters in the United States.
"The Secretary of Defense has asked me to take a look and provide a recommendation back to him as to what should the stationing of the Africa Command headquarters be," said the General.
"He's essentially asked me to start from a clean sheet of paper," said the General, who ticked off a series of requirements that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered him to review.
And more than ready to lobby for that move was Republican Joe Wilson of South Carolina and Democrat Hank Johnson of Georgia.
Wilson took the opportunity to urge Ham to choose Charleston as the headquarters for the Africa Command, pointing out what he said were historic ties between West Africa and the Low Country of the Palmetto State.
"The people there are very proud of their shared culture," Wilson (of "You lie!" fame) said to the General, who studiously avoided anything that would remotely sound like an endorsement of Charleston.
"I've only had the opportunity to visit Charleston once - it was just a couple of years ago, and it was a indeed a very enjoyable visit to a great city," said Gen. Ham.
"When I've been to South Carolina, Charleston, I've enjoyed myself in that area," said Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), who then went on to point out that "I live in the Atlanta, Georgia area, which is the transportation hub of the Southeast," as Johnson used some of his committee time to make a pitch for Atlanta as home to the Africa Command.
"We've got one of the country's largest diaspora communities from Africa," Johnson added, ticking off his own list of why Atlanta is the best pick.
"I know that Ambassador Andrew Young is very interested in AFRICOM choosing to locate its headquarters in Atlanta," said Johnson, referencing the former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
The General gave no timeline on when the decision might be made on the Africa command, so it's probably not the last time that Gen. Ham will have to say nice things about various communities that might be in the running.
Both Charleston and Atlanta have seen changes from base closure proceedings in the past, and when you consider that Job Number One right now for many communities is finding more jobs - it isn't hard to imagine that there will be lobbying on this subject.
As Speaker Tip O'Neill famously said, "All politics is local."
And so is bringing home the bacon. No matter what party you are in.
