Casey I have the feeling that I could mention any state in the Union and you could give the history of politics to today. I cannot say that I know much about the machinations of politics especially here in Ok. I get the fawning honor of saying that a friend of mine Gary Garner brought a man up to me in church one day and introduced us. He said this is Tom Coburn he is running for congress, he's a Republican. That was 1996. I have been blessed to watch the man. But then strangely enough in my apparently random wanderings I have had the privilege of shaking several other politicians hands such as Saxby Chambliss US Senator, former US Rep. from Minnisota and later chief of staff to Newt Gingrich Randy Wright, and Governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia the first Republican Governor I think in 150 years in Ga. Or is it the first time in 150 years that the Republicans had ownership of the State legislative branches. During the run up to the 2000 elections I had the surprise question asked of me "do you want to run for office from then state rep. Pam Bohannon who was sitting next to me at the regional convention which I was a delegate at ????? You would have to know my life to understand my astonishment. I may have had a couple of ideas in my life but was I so eloquent to have been considered for such a veneration? At the time this blue collar boy didn't even know what Roberts Rules were. Sonny Perdue, shone during that convention and he is still shining today. There are a couple of others who were great and will go down in history that by some quirk of fate deigned it their will to speak to me, Colin Powell and Sam Nun, a mildly amusing story I may tell here some day. Something to do with a golf course and me when I was active duty after Gulf WI. I can only credit God and his eternal wisdom that I should have gained his favor to have met and became acquainted with such men as this but to exclaim expertise with you Rich and Casey would be a travesty. I cannot. I defer and find this debate fascinating, educational and it for some reason raises my curiosity. I will say this. The underpinnings of Machiavelli are alive and well in American Politics.

Since I have been back in Ok I have purposely kept my nose out of politics for the very reason I see here in this discussion. I am an infant and know virtually nothing about the give and take. I even dislike the word politic. "The art of intrigue" one dictionary says, another calls it the "art of compromise." It takes a graceful man to even be a crooked politician and graceful behavior is not one of my fortays. I love the straight talkers and doers much like Reagen was. Men of blue collar ethics; moral and work, are my taste in politicians. I like Tom Coburn because to his constituents he is not duplicitous. He tells them straight what he believes is the right thing to do and does not treat them like proverbial mushrooms or idiots if you know what I mean. He keeps them informed. He was a decent man before he went into office and one of those who remains true to his beliefs and reasoning's. He is serving the state and the people this country, I have no doubt and has true concerns for them and it foremost in his mind. He is not only a workhorse but a showhorse as well I think.

That to me is the right honorable thing. Politicians do not have to be perfect. The people don't really expect that. What constituents want, even thirst for is honesty from them after the elections. That is my private assessment. I still talk with people nearly daily on a host of subjects and that is what they want.

I had my wife recently pick an optometrist and low and behold when I asked him his name; don't blink, it was Tom Coburns Cousin.
Bleu Collar Freaking Amazing. I am trying to run away from politics and wham there it is again. Is God Saying something to me?