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Sunday, April 7, 2002 Sunshine Dear Political Diary, I just finished watching the PBS American Experience history of the Rockefeller dynasty. John D once owned 2% of the American economy. Astounding. Now I know who Mother Jones was. Its 10:37PM as I begin this. Since we set the clocks ahead an hour last night its an hour later and I'm ready for bed. Although I may write about yesterday's Republican convention today may mark the end of my period of silence. I've managed to stay silent while a little bit of political planning and maneuvering has gone on in my head. I was out kicking a hackysack around in the patio out back late this afternoon. The sunshine fairly commanded I do something to celebrate. I surprised myself by kicking it 111 times in succession without dropping it. Poor Claudia had to interrupt me four times as I took a series of political calls. Its a long walk from the sun room to the back door when your trying to read a book. Tim Grover called me back. I'd called him to tell me about his district meeting up in Virginia. Pete Stabber also returned a call. I'd love to talk him into running for the legislature. I'm sure he'd win but he has small children and while he didn't entirely rule out a run it seems an unlikely possibility. I may be the only credible Republican candidate if I run and I'm not looking forward to having all the DFLers try to beat me up. I watched six of them briefly on Public television tonight. They all wanted exposure prior to their reelection campaigns. It was with some relish that I pointed out how we had double the number of legislators in Duluth when I moved here a quarter century ago in my column in the Reader. This crowd certainly hasn't figured out how to stoke the economic fires up north. They ought to be very vulnerable. The latest Reader came out Saturday and would have been available for the taking at the Radisson for any of the Republican delegates meeting their. I did grab one to show my buddy Edith. She underlined a couple of the things I said and gave me a wink. My not drawing more delegates attention to it was due to an odd combination of humility, vanity and caution. Humility because I'd rather not have to be the one to point out my own columns. Vanity because I'd rather they find out about my columns on their own. Caution because my Republican allies are likely to look with disdain on the local tabloids which the probably associate with ultra liberalism and a libertine lifestyle. I'm sure the people who don't much care for me are reading them in the hope I'll write something that they will be able to use against me. Finally old Carl Meierick called. Carl is 96 years old and he attended the Republican convention in Virginia. I first heard about Carl before I moved to Duluth thirty years ago. Carl's equally political wife Kay died last year and the two of them helped keep the local party going for half a century. Carl invited me to attend this month's meeting of his beloved Republican Seniors organization. I accepted his invitation happily.
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