Shook Called on Dig

Love's Response Wins Sympathetic Ears The Founding Fathers were quite concerned with the qualifications for voting. For example, US Senators were elected by state legislatures, not directly by the people until the turn of the last century. Likewise, the President is still technically elected by electors but that is now a mere formality. No doubt, the founders would be appalled at the passage of a bill that allows an individual to register and vote at the same time. Even more upsetting is that all that is required is to present a utility bill with a name and address as proof of residence. To the founders, the right to vote was a citizen's privilege to be treated carefully and with respect. The Republicans attempted to amend the bill to require some sort of picture identification--a small step given how easy they are to come by as well--were voted down by the democrat majority. This is the kind of bill not likely to sit well with many voters in House District 51, so imagine how frustrated Linda Shook has been since Representative Jimmy Love had an "excused absence" and did not vote on the amendment or the bill. Lacking what she must have seen as a potential "silver bullet" in Love's votes on the bill, she had treated the "excused absence" in a snide way implying that the "excused absence" was a political trick to avoid voting on the bill. She has made this implication on several occasions including a recent letter to the editor. She did so again at Tuesday's Home Builder's Association meeting to which all candidates had been invited. After a visibly emotional Jimmy Love stood up and explained the reason for his two days of "excused absences"during this session, it was clear Shook had "stepped in it." Since Shook has usually researched her information thoroughly, one wonders if she was using "talking points" supplied by someone else. Apparently whoever gave the information to Shook had not, as Paul Harvey says, got the rest of the story. A quick inquiry to the Clerk of the House could have provided her with the reason for his absence. One of Love's absences was to be present at the birth of his grandson. His other absence was to be with his family during a mastectomy performed on his daughter. Adding to the irony, Shook made no secret of her excitement at the birth of her first grandchild and flying out to California this summer to see it. Because of the vigor of Love's response and the nature of his revelation, the situation has spread rapidly by word of mouth. One would assume that from now on if she brings up the "excused absence" again she will explain the reason as the courtesy of one grandparent to another.