R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I've been talking with family and friends lately about one of the three subjects you don't bring up at the dinner table. My favorite conversation ice breaker with people I just meet is something like, "I'm sure that God is a Republican. By the way, what was your take-home pay last year?"

As I flipped through my "Favorites" on tv the other night, I stopped on C-SPAN, which isn't all that rare an occurance. I watched a BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) hearing focusing on Fort Hood, which is in Central Texas. Just trust me when I say it was interesting.

What caught my eye was the group of people who were fighting to keep Fort Hood from losing troops, equipment, and other resources. One of the speakers was Chet Edwards, a D. Sitting two seats down from him was Governor Perry, an R.

Rewind back a few years when Governor Perry help orchestrate Texas redistricting. To maximize more Republican seats in Congress, Edwards found himself one of the key targets. Fort Hood, a key support base, was removed from his district. The Waco-central district got stretched from College Station to south Fort Worth and became more conservative. Edwards still won.

I was very impressed that Edwards continues to fight for an issue that is no longer in his backyard. And sit next to the guy who tried to drive him to forced retirement.

I've always liked Edwards, but my respect for him grew.

Next up, Patrick Rose, two-term state representative from Texas.

Since junior high, I have followed whoever represents the town I grew up in; Rose is the current occupant of that seat. By the time I got into college and knew I had to get involved in politics somehow, I'd drive to Austin on my day off and watch the House of Representatives from the gallery. Just trust me when I say it was interesting.

One day as I was leaving, I saw my rep walking down the hall and marched right up and introduced myself. We chatted for a few minutes before he had to rush off for a hearing. That's when I stopped being in awe of the people who make our laws. Especially in the State House, they're not too far different from our neighbors. In some cases, they literally are our neighbors.

But back to Rose. A D, he won his first race by only a handful of votes, beating a popular but battle bruised incumbent. He won his first re-election bid by a larger margin and his prospects as a key player in the Lege are steadily increasing.

His district is rural conservative. The chairman of the Texas Democratic party is also one of his constituents. It would be very easy to play puppet to the guy who decides how much money your campaign will receive for a tight race. To his credit, Rose doesn't. He's defied party leaders and voted for tort reform and against same-sex marriage. It's easy to write him off as a DINO (Democrat In Name Only).

My favorite political science teacher in college taught me an important lesson about our representatives. A legislator has three options on every single vote he makes. He can vote whatever the majority of his district wants, every single time, damn the torpedos. He can vote however the party elders tell him to vote, every single time, forget the constituents. Or, he can be a statesman and vote for the good of the whole, even if it means his district suffers somehow. Unfortunately, there is no guide to tell what is the best thing to do every single time. Sure, bad votes are cast for good reasons and good votes are cast for bad reasons. They're human.

Representative Rose, I may disagree with some of your votes, but you have my respect.

In 1774, the British MP Edmund Burke said, "Your representative owes you, not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays, instead of serving you, if he sacrifices it to your opinion." Of course, he was voted out of office two years later.