New Year’s Financial Problems in Louisiana

Jim,

I was surfing the net for friends from my days at the Rollins Grade School in Kansas City (almost 60 years ago) and found a nice Wikipedia entry about you which identified you as a prominent Democratic Louisiana politician.

To jog your memory, since you may not remember me, here’s a joke you first told me around 1950:

The owner of a country store wanted to go on vacation so he tried to prepare his dim-witted helper.

Owner: “What if the customer asks what we sell here?”
Helper: “Duh, I don’t know.”
Owner: “No, No, you should say cigars.”
Owner: “What if the customer asks how much are they?”
Helper: “Duh, I don’t know.”
Owner: “No, No, you should say two for a nickel, three for a dime.”
Owner: “What if the customer asks what will you do if I don’t buy them?”
Helper: “Duh, I don’t know.”
Owner: “No, No, you should say If you don’t the next person will.”
Owner: OK, I’m going on vacation now.

A customer comes into the store.
Customer: “What’s the name of this town?”
Helper: “Cigars.”
Customer: “Strange name. I understand you have excellent diamonds here. How much are they?”
Helper: “Two for a nickel, three for a dime.”
Customer: “You wise guy. What will you do if I punch you in the nose?”
Helper: “If you don’t the next person will.”

In case you haven’t figured who this is, I’m Art Thompson. We attended the Rollins Grade School in Kansas City together for a short time. The write-up on you in Wikipedia led me to order you book, “Justice Denied”, which I am currently reading. Your publisher, Lisburn Press, included the address of your web site in an insert in the book.

Since I’m retired after a forty five year career in computers with IBM and Enterprise-Rent-A-Car, I’m very impressed with all the things you are still doing.

My wife and I also both enjoy watching your daughter, Campbell Brown, on CNN.

We were among the 100,000 people gathered at the St. Louis Arch to hear Barack Obama speak shortly before the election. We’re hoping he can work the miracles necessary fix the economy, regain the nation’s moral standing in the world, and successfully finish the wars.

Art Thompson