A Wild, Wild West

Many of my family members claim roots in Wyoming, including me.  My little sister likely has the biggest right to the claim as she grew up there for much of her childhood.  But many of the rest of us claim it, too.  It is an interesting state, with good people.  It is one big neighborhood, in a way - given the fact that the state's population is barely sufficient to warrant one representative in the House.

A couple months ago, I saw this article in the New York Times quoting Alan Simpson - Wyoming's former senator and a man still active in assisting in politics (including that he was co-chair of the Bowles-Simpson Commission, the financial task force in 2009 whose recommendations were not adopted but whose legacy lives on).  He was commenting on the plan of Liz Cheney - former Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter - to run for U.S. Senate, against Mike Enzi, the sitting senator.  Basically Alan Simpson told Liz Cheney not to run.

She announced anyway.

I've been busy in the interim.

Then I ran across this column by my long-time friend Kerry Drake who is a veteran news reporter and editor in Wyoming.  It appears there has been a dust-up in the grand old state.  It brings new meaning to the phrase "the wild West."

And here is Alan Simpson in his own words about what happened: http://www.codyenterprise.com/news/local/article_b840e2ea-279b-11e3-87fe-001a4bcf887a.html

Alan Simpson and I agree on only a few things when it comes to political things.  But he is a smart man, and he speaks plainly.  He says what he knows.  I've relied on his opinion more than once (though it was Sen. Wallop's office that got me out of Indonesia) (another story altogether).  I trust his word.  And I trust his gut.

I wonder what happens next.