It always amazes me how small this world is that we live in.
I went to the studio for Jim’s show this morning. Mayor Loyd Neal was also there. During one of the breaks, after discussing how politicians often forget their roots, I mentioned Pete Geren.
I attended Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth. Pete was a year ahead of me. We both played football. Pete was one of those young men that simply stood out as exceptional, even to the point that I was in awe of him. I remember one time in practice where I missed a block on him and the coach jumped all over me about not knocking him on his butt. “Are you afraid to hit Geren?” No, I just didn’t want to take a chance of hurting him. Not that I ever would. Pete went on to play at Georgia Tech. When Pete ran for student body president, nobody ran against him–no point wasting time and effort. Somebody did submit another name and put up posters supporting an alternate candidate: Frank Zappa. I don’t think Frank got any votes.
Later on, Pete was elected to Congress, and served three terms. Every time I visit Fort Worth, I tell myself I need to call him. I’ve always wanted to ask him about his time in Congress. Pete is the kind of person who would never abandon his ethics.
The mayor knows Pete fairly well. He now works in the Defense Department, one of Rumsfeld’s top people. That makes me feel even better than I did already about Rummy’s tenure. And something else that gives me hope–Pete is the man Rumsfeld put in charge of the Abu Ghraib investigation.
I can’t express how much that means to me, and how much that means in terms of the investigation of the Marine shown on video shooting a jihadist. I know personally the kind of man Pete Geren is. By association, I know what kind of person Rumsfeld has looking into the shooting. I am more optimistic than ever regarding that Marine.
This tells us a lot about your powers of discernment. No wonder I enjoy reading your blog.
And thanks for the optimism as regards that Marine.
Comment by DagneyT — November 26, 2004 @ 12:47 pm
Thanks for the kind words.
One other point about Pete I thought I’d point out. He was a Democratic Congressman. In the 1930s, someone commented that they would vote for a yellow dog if the dog was a Democrat. Yellow Dog Democrats are those to whom party loyalty is everything. Pete commented that the Democratic Party sqeezed him and others so hard they turned blue. He called himself a Blue Dog Democrat, and that term now describes conservative Democrats–today an oxymoron.
Comment by Bunker — November 26, 2004 @ 1:23 pm