COLUMBUS: New York City has been saying they’re ready for a big hurricane. Well, last week an ordinary 3-inch rain knocked out the subways and brought the town to a crawl. New York discovered what New Orleans learned two years ag water runs downhill.

In Tulsa, Tiger Woods won another big golf tournament. That Oklahoma heat couldn’t slow him down. In baseball Barry Bonds hit number 756. Finally. It’s time to move on to football and politics.

Here’s one I never expected to see in American politics. The Democratic Presidential candidates held a debate in Spanish. Did I miss something? Are they running for President of Mexico?

Instead of Spanish, wouldn’t it be better for our American candidates to debate in Cherokee, or Sioux or Navajo? Actually they have been invited, at least the Democrats, to a debate next week called “Prez on the Rez.” It’ll be August 23 in California, and you can read about it at http://INDNsList.org. Kayln Free, an Oklahoma Choctaw, is organizing the show and says it’s fine if the candidates speak only English. No need to pretend they know any other language.

Iowa pulled a joke on the Republican Presidential candidates. These candidates spent millions and millions to persuade the whole state to go to Ames on Saturday and vote in the “Iowa 2008 Straw Poll.” Only 14,000 showed up. Normally it’s easy getting 14,000 to Ames if you put on a football or basketball game. But to get ’em to go and listen to political speeches all day, it’s gonna cost you. So the candidates emptied their bank accounts, and here’s what they got for it: Mitt Romney won, followed by Mike Huckabee and Sam Brownback.

Just to show you how the candidates got gypped in Iowa, we conducted the “Will Rogers 2008 Straw Poll” in March and it didn’t cost the candidates a dime. Now compare the results: In our little poll the finish for Republicans was Rudy Giuliani first, followed by John McCain and Newt Gingrich. Which of these two polls would you say has the strongest top three? Even if you say it’s a tie, look what a bargain you get with the Rogers three.

Have you noticed that the New Hampshire Legislature gets no respect, no respect at all. They passed a law that no other state can hold a primary until 7 days after theirs. And these other states are totally ignoring the New Hampshire legislature (the same as New Hampshire folks do) and are moving their elections earlier and earlier.

Now I ain’t braggin’ but it sure looks like they are all coming around to my suggestion of a few months ag all 50 states move up their elections and vote on the first Tuesday in November. Folks are in the habit of voting on that day, at least the half that vote.

Historic quotes from Will Rogers:

“…the reason a white man always got lost and an Indian dident was because an Indian always looked back after he passed anything so he got a view of it from both sides. You see the white man just figures that all sides of a thing are the same. That’s like a dumb guy with an argument, he don’t think there can be any other side only his. That’s what you call politicians.

You must never disagree with a man while you are facing him. Go around behind him and look the same way they do when you are facing him. Look over his shoulder and get his viewpoint, then go back and face him and you will have a different idea.” WA #514, Oct. 30, 1932

Historic fact: On August 15, 1935, at Point Barrow, Alaska, a small plane crashed soon after takeoff. Killed instantly were the pilot, Wiley Post, and his passenger, Will Rogers.