THE NORTON TTELEGRAMELEGRAM TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2007 OpinionOpinion PAGE 4 President Fred Thompson? resident Ronald Reagan was an actor who ended up in the White House. So why shouldn’t Fred Thompson, former PU.S. Senator from Tennessee, and also an actor, find his way to the same place? Thompson said over the weekend that he is giving some thought to tossing his hat in the ring. One would wonder if there is enough room for one more hat in that ring. But those who study politics feel Thompson could be the candidate to bring the Republican Party together, a party that is showing cracks in its foundation. Currently, Thompson has the role of Arthur Branch on NBC’s hit drama, “Law & Order.” Among his other credits is the movie “The Hunt for Red October.” Thompson was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, and left in 2003. He was chairman of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee. He was elected to fill the unexpired term of Vice President Al Gore. The possible presidential candidate hasn’t set any deadline. He is going to sit back and see how the situation unfolds. Briefly speaking, the candidate in-waiting is pro life, opposes gay marriage, supports the decision to hike the number of troops in Iraq, and is against gun control. He also said on FOX News Sunday that he would pardon “Scooter” Libby now, White House aide, who was convicted last week of perjury and obstruction of Our ‘old’ car also part of our mission justice, instead of waiting the appeals route. It needs to be men- ur friends worry that our old car of these families. tioned that Thompson is a fund raiser for Mr. Libby’s defense. won’t last much longer. But, we Without fail, the families have im- With Rudy Giuliani being haunted by his behavior when he Ojust tacked on another 720 miles. proved on the houses. Maybe a coat of divorced his second wife, and a few other issues in that arena, the The old girl already has more than Out Back paint, maybe a fence of cinder blocks, or road for the former New York City mayor just might get a bit too 218,000 miles on the odometer, but we perhaps another room has been added. slippery for him to navigate. Giuliani currently leads the field at made the trip to El Paso, Texas without a Carolyn Plotts We found two families at home and the this early point in the campaign. hiccup. reception we received was the equivalent Hey, it’s paid for. And I’m not willing of “red carpet” treatment. Sen. John McCain and former Gov. Mitt Romney are also promi- to make car payments while there are still Our Spanish is still not where we would nently mentioned, as is Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback. McCain a few miles left in her. ing location so we crossed the border a day like it to be. But hugs and kisses and tears seems to have faded somewhat of late, but those who follow Besides, some would say she’s just early. We also stopped at the Mercado need no interpretation. campaigns see this as nothing of significance. They do say, how- “broke in.” (Market) where we ate chile rellenos and -ob- ever, that Thompson needs to make a decision soon because the -ob- tacos and bought a case of vanilla. This installment of OutBack will be nominees of the two major parties will be determined by the end We’re in El Paso to cross the border on We drove all over Juarez locating short. Daylight Saving Time has cut into of February in 2008. Sunday. We’ll be building our 16th house houses we have helped build over the my morning. We have to get ready for this week with Casas por Cristo (Houses years. church, pack out of our room — and I’m Also waiting in the wings is war critic Republican Sen. Chuck for Christ). What a thrill to see how the help we already an hour behind schedule. Hagel of Nebraska, who said Monday he will make a decision on a We wanted a sneak-peek at our build- were able to give has improved the lives Dios de vindiga. God bless you. presidential run later in the year. No new names are surfacing on the Democratic side of the ledger. New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are the front runners, with Obama continuing to chip at Sunshine Week works to your benefit Clinton’s lead. They are trading barbs generally reserved for a two-party battle — Republican vs. Democrat. his is a week of Thanksgiving. No, failed to comply with the law. We’ve got a long, long way to go. Even if we know who the it’s not November. It’s March 11- Guest The Altoona Mirror in Pennsylvania nominees are going to be a year from now, they will have another T17. That is when we give thanks asked for information at 40 agencies. A nine months after that to duke it out. that we live in a society where the people Columnist reporter was surprised by confrontations They say the fittest shall survive. We the people, the voters, are presumed to be wise enough to gov- and threats he met while trying to exam- must be the fittest. ern themselves. ine the public’s business. Newspapers It’s Sunshine Week, a time to remem- Jerry Tidwell there have banded together in “Brighter — Tom Dreiling ber that the government is us — and we Pennsylvania,” a program designed to have not only the right but the obligation help officials better understand open gov- to know what we are doing. ernment laws. YOUR CONNECTION: As president of an organization of thriv- And just recently our friends at a small ing community newspapers, I have the during Sunshine Week and all year that daily paper in Missouri, pursuing infor- ❥ Governor Kathleen Sebelius, (202) 224-6521 opportunity to speak with journalists and their sacrifices were not for naught.” mation at city hall, reported that the mayor 300 SW 10th Ave., Topeka, Kan. ❥ U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, 2443 their readers from Boston to Arizona and I am proud that community newspapers said, “The way you come to City Hall will from states as red as my home state of provide their share of oxygen. Our imme- determine whether you are worked with 66612. (785) 296-3232 Rayburn HOB, Washington, D.C. Texas and as blue as New Jersey, where diate past president, Jerry Reppert, pub- or not.” 20515. (202) 225-2715; fax my friends, the Parker family, are deeply lisher of the Gazette-Democrat in Anna, Somehow, I have the feeling that isn’t ❥U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, 109 (202) 225-5124 committed to covering local government. Ill., for example, sued for copies of em- what our Founding Fathers (and Mothers) Hart Senate Office Building, It is rewarding to know that my news- ployment contracts for top officials of a had in mind. I imagine some of our ❥State Sen. Ralph Ostmeyer, paper friends AND their readers deeply state university, reasoning that citizens Founding Mothers might have washed Washington, D.C. 20510. State Capitol Building, Room believe in open government. Sunshine on supporting higher education had a right to that mayor’s mouth out with soap. (202) 224-4774; fax (202) 224- government is the Vitamin D for democ- That reminds me that community 262-E, Topeka, Kan. 66612. know how money was spent. 3514 racy. It makes us whole and healthy. The County Courier in Enosburg, Vt., groups like the League of Women Voters (785) 296-7399 When we know what is going on, we are in an editorial in advance of Sunshine participated in Sunshine Week last year, ❥ ❥ better able to make wise judgments on Week, made the point both visually and as well as groups as diverse as university U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, State Rep. John Faber, 181 W. those few things that need to be confiden- with words by “redacting,” or blacking journalists, local attorneys and even a fire 303 Hart Senate Office Building, Capitol Building, Topeka, Kan. tial for a time in order let our public ser- out, portions of the text. department in Los Angeles. Washington, D.C. 20510. 66612. (785) 296-7500 vants function. “There’s always room for more sun- I have two messages for newspapers Tom Brokaw, NBC News anchor, said shine in our lives,” he wrote. “When it and their readers. this about Sunshine Week: comes to government, we just have to be One is: remind public servants that we “If we present ourselves to the world as willing to stand up in the darkness and trust them the most when we know the Office hours: patrons of democracy, then we must be demand it.” most about what they are doing. THE NORTON 8 a.m.- 5:30 p.m. Mon.-Fri. vigilant stewards at home of the oxygen Newspapers in Kansas helped to test The other is: read the newspaper. It’s Phone: (785) 877-3361 that it requires — access to what our gov- local governments’ responses to requests the best way to enjoy the sunshine. Fax: (785) 877-3732 ernment is doing and the right to speak for public records, and found a reasonably Jerry Tidwell of Granbury, Texas, is TELEGRAM E-mail: [email protected] freely about it. The Greatest Generation good response except from sheriffs. Two president of the National Newspaper As- fought valiantly to preserve and protect years later, it tried again and found re- sociation and publisher of The Hood ISSN 1063-701X those freedoms.