Presidential political field narrows

COLUMBUS: This week Mitt Romney dropped out. He decided to keep his remaining millions invested in something with a better return than politics. That leaves the Republicans with Senator McCain leading, and Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul kinda nipping at his heels. Their biggest argument will be over who gets to run for Vice-President. Ohio will get into the V-P sweepstakes, maybe by offering up former Congressman John Kasich. He’s a businessman and he knows economics.

The Democrats have a nail-biter of a race. Senator Clinton wins the big primaries, but Senator Obama wins all the small states. Now, two of the big states don’t count because Michigan and Florida jumped the gun. See, in football that’s a 5-yard penalty, but in politics you forfeit the game.

Then we have the so-called super delegates, who are mostly just office holders. They put themselves in a precarious position. If this race ends in a tie, those birds will play the same role at the Convention as the Supreme Court did in the 2000 election. Democrats have had some dandy conventions, but this one may go down in history as the Donnybrook in Denver. By August ticket scalpers will be getting $2000 a seat.

I was surprised to read that Senator Clinton loaned her own campaign $5 million. In all her talks about her 35 years experience preparing her to be President, why didn’t she tell us about this lucrative work that let her stash away an extra $5 million? And can she use those same skills to raise enough cash to balance the federal budget?

You know that tornadoes are common place in Oklahoma and Kansas. But when one hit last Tuesday in Tennessee the damage was just as devastating. Macon County had 14 deaths and lost about 300 homes, 3 churches, plus a lot damage to farms and businesses. Later a Methodist preacher, his wife and two children died in a traffic collision related to the tornado. The local newspaper, the Macon County Times, often carries my non-syndicated column so I feel a kinship with those folks. ( http://www.maconcountytimes.com)

In California, Gov. Schwarzenegger, in a cost cutting move, has proposed to close the Will Rogers State Park and about 40 other parks. I may be prejudiced, but does that seem smart? If you asked the legal residents of California, I bet they can think of better ways to rid the state of millions in expenses that’s draining the treasury. Besides, California just spent $5 million to fix it all up. Why turn around and shut it down a few months later?

Historic quote from Will Rogers:

“It sure is a bad time for a man to get ambitious and want to go into politics. There never was a time when respect for public office was at such a low ebb.” December 28, 1930