How Washington works.

Ten facts/details:
1.) "Inside the beltway" is a term people in Washington use to describe the core of government.
2.) President Carter once said that Washington was an island "isolated from the mainstream of our nation's life."
3.) Washington is different but not isolated from the rest of the country.
4.) Congress works from Monday afternoon to Friday morning.
5.) When the White House changes presidents, most of the political staff in Washington changes.
6.) People who work in the executive branch or Congress catch "Potomac Fever," the addiction of wielding power.
7.) Personal relationships in Washington cut across party and ideological lines.
8.) Washington has it's own particular jargon that separates it from the rest of the country.
9.) The people viewed as political leaders outside of Washington are different than the real political leaders inside Washington.
10.) People in Washington tend to only think about politics.

Ten questions:
1.) What makes a person want to only do politics for the rest of their lives?
2.) Why is Washington such an addictive place to work?
3.) Why aren't outside people more in tune with what goes on in Washington?
4.) Is Washington really in tune with what goes on in average America?
5.) Is Washington too much of a different world than the rest of the country?
6.) Are there really good friends who are on separate sides of the political spectrum?
7.) How does Hedrick Smith know so much about Washington?
8.) Will Washington ever become less cliquey?
9.) Wouldn't things run better in Washington if it was less separated from the rest of the country?
10.) How old is this information?