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Edward KocheEdward Koche
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Session:         Page of 617

Now, I am somewhat different in terms of the way my public life and my personal life impact upon one another. I'll tell you how. Several years ago I made a decision, which was that I was not going to let the public life impose on my social life on the week-ends. So with rare exceptions I do not take political engagements for Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night. I will during the day.

Firstly, I don't like the big dinners -- nobody does. They're a big bore. But other people have to go to them because they think that's the only place they can meet people. They'll even go to weddings; they'll go to bar mitzvahs. I don't go to that stuff. I mean I go for personal friends, but never for political purposes. And I don't go to that stuff. I mean I go for personal friends but never for political purposes, and I don't go to political dinners, because I see my constituents at the subway, and they don't do that. I've been doing that -- I've told you -- for seven years. I was there this morning at 33rd Street and Park Avenue. In any event, other members have a very difficult personal life because they can't devote enough time to their families, and they are miserable about it, and certainly their wives are. Why they don't do what I do amazes me, but they don't.

I also believe that a great number of marriages break up either in fact or legally as a result of this inability to spend





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