This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

What a sorry set of choices for Americans!

The presidential contest next year pits these two choices:

• Donald Trump, a 77-year-old racist, misogynist bigot who has been found liable for rape, who incited a deadly, violent insurrection aimed at overturning a democratic election, who has committed mass fraud for personal enrichment, who is facing 91 separate counts of felony criminal charges against him, and who has overtly discussed his authoritarian strategies for governing if he returns to power.
• Joe Biden, an 80-year-old with mainstream Democrat Party views who sometimes misspeaks or trips.

As I said, a bad choice, but if, this is the choice, I will vote for Biden.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

This is a good day – there are others, too – to avoid getting into the mud of today’s form of politics in this country.

Better to remember why I am thankful this year as we celebrate one of the best holidays of the year, Thanksgiving.

My wife read this from “Jesus Calling” this morning and it is a “just right” reflection on Thanksgiving:

“As you sit quietly in my presence (God’s presence), let me fill your heart and mind with thankfulness.  

“If your mind needs a focal point, gaze at God’s love poured out to you on the cross.  Remember that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate you from that Love.  This remembrance builds a foundation of gratitude in you, a foundation that circumstances cannot shake.

“As you go through this day, look for tiny treasures strategically placed along the way.  God lovingly goes before you and plants little pleasures to brighten your day.

“Look carefully for them and pluck them one by one.  When you reach the end of the day, you will have gathered a lovely bouquet.  Offer it up to God with a grateful heart.”

So, with those thoughts, I head toward one of my favorite tactics, which is to create a Top 10 List, this time of my reasons to be thankful.

1. My wife, Nancy, who is still with us this year despite having a heart procedure last month, which I add, saved her life.

• Just in advance of that in October, celebrating Nancy’s and my 50-year anniversary on an overseas trip that started with four great days in Santorini, Greece.  Hard to believe where all the time has gone.

• Watching our two kids, Eric and Lissy, continue to grow up to be responsible adults.

• Watching our three grandchildren head into their final years of high school before heading off to college – and know that they have great opportunities for higher education based on their abilities and skills.

• Reflecting on the fact that I have many friends in our main home in Salem, including those who tolerate me on the golf course.

• Reflecting on the fact I also have a great group of golfing friends here in La Quinta where we are fortunate to spend our winters.

• Remembering 15 good years in leadership at Salem Alliance Church in Salem, Oregon, our home church which emphasizes a relationship with Christ while studiously avoiding involvement in politics – a good thing when so much of what comes across as Christendom today focuses on right wing, “white only” stupidity.

• Treasuring my relationship with the senior pastor at Salem Alliance when I served on the Governing Board of Elders.  His name — Morris Dirks and he and I became brothers as we allowed God to work through us in the church.

• Treasuring a group of men at my home golf course, Illahe Hills Golf and Country Club in Salem who meet every Friday to study God’s word.  Through this experience, which is based on Links Players National, an organization that promotes God and golf, I have learned that more folks at Illahe than I knew value a relationship with God.

1. And, treasuring my own relationship with God, which is based on what God has done for me – his grace — not on my performance to earn his approval.

I’ll stop at 10, though I could add many more.

So, focus today – and perhaps every day – on what you have to be thankful for, including what may be relatively small things in life that add up to bigger things.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

For some reason, I have been thinking lately about impossible stuff in politics.  Perhaps that is because there are so many options.

Or, I also have time on hands, so I have to spend it some way.

So, as is my style, I have come up with my own list.

• Imposing a gag order on the big-mouth, Donald Trump, and expecting it to hold.  Or, finding a way to enforce it when he goes off.

• Finding qualified attorneys who would choose to represent Trump.

Note these excerpts from a story that appeared in the Washington Post, written by a member of its Editorial Board:

“In Fulton County, Georgia, three of former President Donald Trump’s lawyers — Kenneth Chesebro, Sidney Powell, and Jenna Ellis — have now pleaded guilty to crimes in service of Trump’s scheme to overturn the 2020 election and stay in the White House.

“All three have agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in the sprawling state RICO case against Trump.

“Two other Trump lawyers, Rudy Giuliani and John Eastman, still face criminal charges in the Georgia case. They, along with Chesebro and Powell, have also been identified as unindicted co-conspirators in the related federal prosecution of Trump, which will probably benefit from the guilty pleas in Georgia.”

• Finding legislators in Congress who will follow this ethic:  They need to EARN trust, rather than just say they deserve it.
  
  
• Finding legislators in Congress who will work to identify middle-ground solutions instead of bolstering their own re-election campaigns.  The state of the “permanent campaign” argues against good government.  The U.S. House is proving it every day.

• Finding legislative leaders in Congress who would have the chops and credentials to lead others to middle-ground solutions.  There are few of these leaders, if any, left these days.

Enough for now. 

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Memories are interesting things.  Fortunately, in my old age, I will have the ability to look back on what happened in the past.

So it was that my recent on-line edition of Links Magazine carrier a story that brought back fond memories for me – memories about 30 years ago.

The story listed 10 courses designed by prolific architect Donald Ross that it was possible for anyone to play.

One of them:   French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana.

Why is this a memory for me?

Well, son, Eric, when he was a young golfer, he was invited to play in a few American Junior Golf Association tournaments around the country.  One was in French Lick.

I went along with Eric as his caddy and the trip was memorable for several reasons.

THE TRIP ITSELF:  We flew out of Portland, Oregon, heading to Dallas, Texas, but, on the way, we learned that a substantial cloud cover had closed the Dallas Airport.  {Today, so-called “fog busting” technology might have made it possible to land in Dallas.]

So, we were diverted to Amarillo, Texas, where we sat on the tarmac for about four hours before being given permission to head to Dallas.

Then, in Dallas, we were late for a connection to Louisville, Kentucky, but we got another, later flight.

Of course, that made us late in Louisville to obtain the rental car we had reserved.  The normal rental car office was closed, so we were able to go the other side of the airport to rental office for business and, there, we got our car.

But, it was midnight.

In the dark, we headed off to French Lick, about a couple hours away.

But, remember back then, no one had GPS systems, so we looked at a map in the dark and tried to make our way to French Lick.

Surprisingly, we made it, but, to this day, I have no idea how.

THE GOLF COURSE:  According to Links Magazine:

“It’s a straight shot 60 miles west of Louisville into the heart of ‘Larry Bird Country’ to play this 105-year-old classic that was supersized in 2006, yet with shot values restored, by native Hoosier Lee Schmidt of Schmidt-Curley Design.  

“Rolling, open farmland greets players today, just as it did when Walter Hagen captured the 1924 PGA Championship here.  [Or, when son Eric played the course.]

“The wild, easily four-puttable 8th green, which falls steeply from back to front, will test even the most skilled flatstick specialist.”

Frankly, I don’t remember much about the course, although it is reputed to be one of Donald Ross’ best.

What I do remember is that Eric played well.

ABOUT FRENCH LICK:  There was clue about this in the phrase above —  “Larry Bird Country.”

French Lick was the birthplace of one of America’s best-ever basketball players, Larry Bird.

He was called “The Hick from French Lick” and, if you ever get to the town of French Lick, Bird memorabilia are everywhere.

On the evening of our first day in French Lick, all young golfers and their families were invited to shoot baskets at the high school gymnasium where Bird played. 

Bird pictures on every wall.  Great fun!

And, overall, it was trip for the ages.  Just glad I got to go along with Eric.

And, to put a final point on it, we made it home in Oregon easily and in good shape.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I have had the privilege of being in St. Andrews in Scotland, the home of golf, on two occasions.

Scotland is my wife Nancy’s family homeland, so it was great to be in
Scotland with her as my guide.

Of course, what matters to me most about St. Andrews is golf – and there is a lot to experience in this region of Scotland.  The St. Andrews Links Trust consists of seven courses, the most famous of which is the Old Course.

Is it the best of the seven?  Many who have played there probably would say “no,” as I would because I have played several of the seven, including at least two that I could describe as better than the Old. 

But the Old Course is clearly the most memorable.

A few of my memories there:

• I forget much of what happened on our first visit there, but I did manage to get a tee time on the Old Course, which is often difficult to achieve.  And I remember a few of the holes, especially the 1^st and the 18^th, sitting, as they do, side-by-side.

• One of my best memories occurred on a trip there with my daughter, Lissy, and her family.  When we arrived in St. Andrews on a Sunday, we found the usual St. Andrews policy — which is that the courses are closed to golf, so the land becomes a park, sitting hard by the North Sea and the sand beach between the courses and the ocean.

With closure, there is a time to explore the courses and take pictures with no golfers in the way.  Of course, we took a photo on the famous Swilcan Bridge.

On that Sunday, we also put in our bid – it’s called a “lottery” – to try to get a tee time on the Old Course.  It worked.  So, on Tuesday, we played, and I still remember my daughter’s account of her thoughts as she teed up her golf ball on the first hole, which is only about 20 feet in front of a bay of windows in the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse.

She felt like all eyes were on her.  And she felt like she might throw up.  The good news is that she piped a great drive down the first fairway.

• The other memory was recalled for me by our son, Eric, as he and a friend toured Europe after college.  He said he went to the Old Course and, as many singles do, waited in line to see if there was room for him without a formal tee time.

There was and, with others he didn’t know before the time, he played the Old Course for the first time.

My current edition of Links Insider, in a story by Graylyn Loomis who lived in St. Andrews while in college, lists “10 Other Things to Love About St. Andrews.”  By the word “other, he means “other than golf.”

Here are the 10:

Long Summer Evenings

The hardest part of living through a winter in St. Andrews isn’t the weather:  It’s the daylight, or lack thereof.  In mid-December, the sun rises after 8 a.m. and sets before 4 p.m.  The last tee time on the Old Course that time of year is 11:50 a.m.  The part to love? In the summer, you get back all those dark hours with glorious summer evenings that seemingly last forever.  During my summers in St. Andrews, I would caddie an afternoon round, have dinner, and go play a round of my own.  In June, the light lingers until just after 11 p.m.

The West & East Sands

The tale goes that Old Tom Morris started his days with a dip in the sea, no matter the temperature or weather.  When you hear that story, it makes you look at the West Sands — the 1.7-mile-long beach next to the Old Course near Old Tom’s shop — and question his sanity.  Locals use the West Sands, also the site of the famous Chariots of Fire running scene, and its half-mile-long sister beach across town, the East Sands, as places for recreation.  The East Sands also has the town’s pier and harbor, where you can buy fresh fish straight from the boat.

The Clubs

Many golf clubs share the seven courses of the St. Andrews Links.  The Royal & Ancient is the most famous, but there’s also the St. Andrews Golf Club, the New Club, and the two women’s clubs, St. Regulus and St. Rule. Each operates independently, but they come together a few times a year for competitions like the Gold Medal—a tournament on the Old Course for the best players from each club—and the Town Match, when many of the clubs open their doors for drinks after a day of interclub match play.  Each club has its own identity, but a shared love of golf binds them together.

Luvians Bottle Shop

The commercial heart of St. Andrews is Market Street, a bustling cobblestone road that buzzes with businesses, restaurants, people, and the vitally important Tesco grocery store with its ATM machine for caddie cash.  There’s also a bottle shop called Luvians, which sells wine and whisky, and sparked my love of single malts.  A stop at the store (and conversation with its knowledgeable clerks) should be mandatory.

Munch Bacon Rolls

By the third or fourth morning of a St. Andrews golf trip, you’re certain to have had enough of your B&B’s “full Scottish” breakfast: beans, sausage, bacon, fried eggs, fried bread, haggis, potatoes, tomatoes, and mushrooms.  That’s when it’s time for a coffee and bacon roll at Munch on South Street.  A bacon roll consists of a fresh buttered bread roll and two “rashers” of British bacon.  A few blocks away is another restaurant you’ll crave around day four, Little Italy.  When you’ve tired of pub grub, its excellent Italian food is a welcome change.

Sunday Strolls on the Old Course

On Sundays, all seven courses managed by the St. Andrews Links Trust, including the Old, close and become public parks, used to walk dogs, run, and take photos.  This balance of golf and “real life” makes St. Andrews feel like a town and not a golf resort.

Belhaven Best

If you’ve been to St. Andrews, you have your favorite pub.  Visiting Americans love The Dunvegan.  Older locals and caddies haunt The Keys.  British ale lovers sip away in The Central, and on a sunny afternoon it’s mandatory to sit outside for a pint at The Jigger Inn.  You could find me in the New Club.  At almost all those places, you’ll find Belhaven Best on tap.  The quintessential Scottish ale, this creamy, amber-colored brew warms on a cold day, cools on a warm day, and always goes down smooth.  “Best” isn’t found only in St. Andrews, but there are few better places to enjoy it.

The University of St. Andrews

“Where’s the campus?” is a common question from visitors looking for the university that dates to 1413.  Truth is, the university and the town are so intertwined that they’re almost one.  The heart of campus is picturesque St. Salvator’s Quadrangle off North Street, but university buildings are everywhere, sitting between shops, restaurants, and apartments.  More than its buildings and history, though, the university brings vibrancy to the town:  Students make up almost half of the town’s population and they add youth, vigor, and noise, often to the irritation of locals.

The East Neuk

The East Neuk of Fife is a series of charming nearby fishing villages.  Each town — Anstruther, Crail, Pittenweem, and others — seems to jump from the pages of a fairy tale, with colorful waterfront shops and restaurants, fishing boats puttering in and out of the harbors, interesting history, and other delights.  The most scenic way to view the East Neuk is from the second story of a double-decker public bus:  At that height you can see over stone walls and hedgerows and take in the towns, sea, and rolling fields.

The Scores

During “move-in day” my freshman year at the University of St. Andrews, I entered my dorm room in St. Salvator’s Hall and looked out the window onto the North Sea.  Just in front of the cliffs and crashing waves was a street called “The Scores.”  I fell in love with the quiet lane lined with centuries-old buildings and ancient stone walls.  Best yet, it led directly to the first tee of the Old Course.  Also on The Scores is a charming B&B called the Russell Hotel where they make a mean sticky toffee pudding, and on a nice evening you can sit outside and soak up the Old Course in one direction and the cliffs and sea in the other.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I have mentioned this one time previously, but I want to do so again.

The course where I play most of my golf, Illahe Golf and Country Club in Salem, Oregon, won an award recently from the Oregon Golf Association (OGA), the region’s leading golf promotion organization.

The award:  “Facility of the Year.”

Here’s what the OGA wrote about Illahe:

“Illahe received the ‘Facility of the Year’ award for the simple reason it stepped up on numerous occasions to support golf in Oregon and Southwest Washington.  This has involved hosting major junior and adult amateur tournaments, as well as hosting this year’s OGA Annual Meeting.

“As we have worked with the leadership at Illahe over the last year, they have always been interested in supporting golf in Oregon and, in particular, junior golf.  

“On top of its own substantial junior golf programs, Illahe has hosted the OGA Junior Tournament of Champions for three straight years.

“Looking forward to 2026, Illahe is slated to host the Girls Juniors America’s Cup, a 54-hole event consisting of 18 teams and each team consisting of the top four girls from each state/country.  It has done so because, to state the obvious, junior golf is very important to the future of the sport all of us love — and this award recognizes that.

“Thank you, Illahe, for all you do to support golf in our area and congratulations on being selected as the OGA Facility of the Year.”

I am proud of honor for Illahe.  It is an indication that the Club fosters solid relationships with its members – especially junior golfers – even as it supports golf in the region.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Every once in awhile, a candidate comes along who restores just a bit of faith that politics is not all bad.

Such a candidate appears to be Andy Beshear who just won re-election as governor of Kentucky.

What I know about him could be written on the head of a pin.

So, I relied on a quote from columnist David Brooks in the New York Times.  It caught my attention:

“Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, did so well in Kentucky in part because he stayed close to the practicalities, focusing on boring old governance issues like jobs, health care costs, and investment in infrastructure.

“He also demonstrated a Christian faith that was the opposite of Christian nationalism.  As he told E.J. Dionne Jr. of The Washington Post, ‘For me, faith is about uniting all people.  It says all children are children of God. And if you’re truly living out your faith, you’re not playing into these anger and hatred games.’”

How’s that for a statement of Christian faith!

I could have said what Beshear said.  I love the point, especially when juxtaposed against so-called “Christian nationalism” in this country, which is peddled by those who claim Christianity, but only want it to be white, to be opposed to groups of people (especially gays and immigrants), and to be in favor of anything anti-abortion.

Those who voted for Beshear in Kentucky deserve credit for their decision.  We need more political figures like him.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

Alexandra Petri normally writes a humor column for the Washington Post.

Not this time.

One of her most recent columns appeared under this headline:  “I’m starting to think Donald Trump is sounding like Hitler on purpose.”

Yes, Trump and Hitler, which strikes me as an apt comparison.

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Here is now Petri started her column:

“Sorry!  I know!  You are sick of hearing about Donald Trump!

“’Don’t worry,’ people keep saying.  ‘Donald Trump did just promise to ‘root out’ the internal enemies who ‘live like vermin’ in our country, but he only might be the next president.

“I don’t mean to worry you, but people are running around with their hair on fire, saying they are suffering from intense, nauseating levels of déjà vu, and those people are historians.  I don’t like seeing historians this stressed out.  If something in my house has to emit an ominous beeping, I want it to be the alarm clock, not the smoke detector.”

On Veterans Day of all days, Petri reports that Trump made this pledge:

“We pledge to you that we will root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our country that lie and steal and cheat on elections.”

When people complained that sounded like something Adolf Hitler would say, a spokesman responded that “their entire existence will be crushed when President Trump returns to the White House.”

More Petri:

“Which, to be fair, also sounds like something Hitler would say.  When you say, ‘What you just said sounds very much like Hitler’s rhetoric,’ you don’t want that to be taken as a challenge.  The response you are hoping for is something more like:  ‘Oh no!  That was not how we meant to sound like that, and we are going to leave political life and rethink everything about ourselves and hope that by our final day, we can say we atoned a little bit.”

Obviously, like Petri, I did not live through Hitler’s time in Germany, but I have read just enough to recognize the dangers of the Hitler approach.

Root out everyone who doesn’t agree with me.  Kill many of them.  More than six million Jews.  Yes, six million!

More Petri:

“To those who say, ‘Just because Trump is using openly fascist language now, and his team is threatening to crush people who point this out, doesn’t mean that he’s going to do fascist things when elected.  And just because he has promised to round up undocumented immigrants and put them into camps, and to fire huge swaths of federal employees, and to surround himself with loyalists, and to get revenge on his political enemies, those things also don’t mean that he’s going to do fascist things when elected.’”

All of this from Petri and others comes against a backdrop of a reality that Trump could win the presidency again.

And, if he gets to the Oval Office, he already has said he will use all the resources of government to rid the country of anyone who has opposed or would oppose him.

Just like Hitler.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

I can’t resist this headline!

Here I am, “Stuck in Lodi Again.”

As I write this, my wife Nancy and I are halfway to La Quinta, California where we spend the winter instead of our normal home, Salem, Oregon.

Except it’s a 16-hour drive south.

So, we take it in two 8-hour days and that means stopping halfway to the California desert.  And, it means stopping in Lodi.

The song was one of my favorites many years ago as it was sung by one of my favorite groups, Credence Clearwater Revival.

Here are the lyrics:

Just about a year ago
I set out on the road
Seekin’ my fame and fortune
Lookin’ for a pot of gold

Things got bad and things got worse
I guess you will know the tune
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again

Rode in on the Greyhound
I’ll be walkin’ out if I go
I was just passin’ through

Must be seven months or more
Ran out of time and money
Looks like they took my friends
Oh Lord, I’m stuck in Lodi again

The man from the magazine
Said I was on my way
Somewhere I lost connections
I ran out of songs to play

I came into town, a one-night stand
Looks like my plans fell through
Oh Lord, stuck in Lodi again

If I only had a dollar
For ev’ry song I’ve sung
Ev’ry time I’ve had to play

While people sat there drunk
You know, I’d catch the next train
Back to where I live
Oh Lord, I’m stuck in Lodi again
Oh Lord, I’m stuck in Lodi again

Not all good words, I admit, but, then again, not bad.

So, I am in Lodi, not stuck again, just planning to hit the road soon for the second eight hours.

This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

It turned out that last Friday was a good day for me and my wife, Nancy, because our cardiologist solved her recent heart problems.

The solution? 

Well, first a recent stress test showed the need for an angio-gram.  Today, the normal way to access the heart is to go through the wrist.

Incredible!

Then, to top even that, if the doctor finds a blockage in an artery in the heart, he or she then inserts a stent immediately as part of the same procedure. 

That’s what happened in my wife’s case and, as it turned out, she needed the treatment – immediately because she was close to having a heart attack.

I remain incredibly impressed with the skills and abilities of cardiologists, as well as all those staff who help them and their patients.

The entire process for my wife took several hours, so, to pass the time during her recovery, I regaled myself with anecdotes about my past health care issues.

Here is a selection:

WRITING ON A PILLOWCASE:  When I last had my own angio-gram (it also was through the wrist) the doctor, Kevin Thompson, talked to my wife and me in the recovery room at Salem Health.

He didn’t have any paper with him, so he picked up a nearby pillowcase and drew a diagram of my heart, indicating what the angio-gram showed him, which was that my heart was continuing to pump blood, though through an “artery of sorts” that it had created on its own.

I still have that pillowcase! 

Don’t tell Salem Health because I guess it would be fair to say I stole it.

MAKING A MISTAKE ON MEDS OVERSEAS:  On one of our overseas trips a few years ago, we boarded a ship in Amsterdam, then were scheduled to transit the English channel to the England side.

Like a dumb bell, I decided to use two seasick medications and it turned out they were contra-indicated.

So, I got very sick – not seasick, but still sick.

I don’t remember much of what happened over the next few hours, but I was taken to the ship’s infirmary, then went by ambulance to a hospital in Dover, England.

There, I began to become alert, but not before I experienced various hallucinations.  One was that the stark-blue curtains separating our space from others in the emergency room actually were long-legged women guarding me. 

After about 10 hours in the hospital, we were finally discharged and there was no way we could catch our ship.  So, the best tour guide in the world – my wife – re-positioned us and we had a good few days in
Canterbury and London before heading home on a direct flight from Heathrow, which we were lucky to catch as the last two passengers on the plane.

Stupid me!

MY 25-YEAR STINT AS A HEALTH CARE LOBBYIST:  There is nothing funny or amusing about these years, but they do stand out for me, so they are worth mentioning in this blog.

At the State Capitol in Salem, Oregon, I had the privilege of representing Providence Health & Services, including its eight hospitals spread around the state, plus its health insurance company, its ElderPlace facilities for older adults, and Providence Center for Medically Fragile Children.

I always was proud of this affiliation for me and those in my firm, CFM Strategic Communications.

Providence is the best health care system in the state, but does not rest on its laurels.  It continues to provide care for all comers, including — and perhaps especially – for those not able to pay for care on their own.

The system always displays high ideals and a profound sense of ethics.

AND THIS FOOTNOTE:  About 19 years ago, when I needed heart services, I received excellent care from Salem Health and its affiliated physicians.

But, the CEO of Providence, the late John Lee ,called me while I was undergoing care and said, if I wanted to be transferred to Providence St. Vincent, the state’s leading cardiac care facility, he would send a helicopter for me.

I thanked him profusely, but said, “no,” care in Salem was excellent.

So, all these thoughts coursed through my brain as I waited in recovery for my wife.  Her procedure went very well and her life was saved.  That’s the most important thing, far more important than my various memories.