A Question: No fireworks but Independence Day came early for me. A proud progressive, last week I joined the plurality of Americans and became an Independent. My thinking is that we need less “Us” and “Them” as we step up to critical challenges like the structural deficit. Are principled parties ceding to absolutism and self-interest? Do the parties help or hurt our ability to approach problems pragmatically?
A Person: I met David Walters on a three-week mission while working for Dukakis in 1988. Walters, then 36, had just come on the Oklahoma political scene and I was the third-string campaign staffer assigned to help him raise money for a Lloyd Bentsen lunch. We ran at 5am and were talking shop over a Coors Light at 10pm. His work ethic was maniacal but his charisma and humor made the whole thing seem like fun. After the Bentsen event, I bought a pair of cowboy boots on the way to the airport thinking I would never see Oklahoma again. I was back two months later and the rest is, if not always accurate, history. I feel so fortunate to have met many of the national players of the ’90s. Except for Clinton, no one held a candle to David’s talent. He is a brilliant deal maker and was an exceptional Governor with a deep independent streak… precisely what we need today.
224 (A thousand and 24 apologies)
Connect with David Walters
David’s Electrical Power Generation Company
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