More Texas Tuesdays goodness from Mark Strama, who gave us a nice interview. Here’s a taste, on the question “what have you learned from your experience working in State Sen. Rodney Ellis’ office?”
Probably the most important lesson I learned from him is that politicians, to preserve their integrity, must be willing to lose their office. I remember one time when Rodney was confronted with a choice between doing what he thought was right, and doing what was politically expedient. He was genuinely concerned – wrongly, as it later turned out – that voting his conscience on this issue could actually get him defeated in a future election. He thought hard about it, and when he made his decision, he called me on the phone (which I remember vividly, because it was 4 in the morning when he called), and said, “The heck with it, I’m doing the right thing. And if I get defeated, I’ll still be a lawyer, I’ll still be an investment banker, I’ll still be Nicole Ellis’ daddy, and I’ll still be an interesting guy to talk to at a cocktail party.”
Check it out, and if he sounds like your kind of guy, you know what to do.