American Labor Party.

Lunch was off the record. But this great 1988 campaign button is not.

Just back from having lunch with former Rep. John Rhodes III (R-AZ) -- Jay Rhodes to everyone else -- who is president of the Association of Former Members of Congress, along with the group's executive director, Pete Weichlein. The FMC is celebrating its 40th anniversary next year, and they are planning on putting together something on bipartisanship: what happened to it, and whether or not it's necessary. More on that as plans develop.

But you can't have lunch with Jay Rhodes and not talk about Arizona politics. Will Sen. John McCain (R) run again next year, as McCain says he will? What's the scoop behind Gov. Janet Napolitano leaving Arizona to join the Obama Cabinet? And what exactly happened when Rhodes' father -- then-House Minority Leader John Rhodes -- along with then-Senate GOP Leader Hugh Scott (PA) and Sen. Barry Goldwater went to the White House to talk to President Nixon shortly before he resigned?

I learned great stuff.

And Congressman Rhodes insisted that everything said at today's lunch is all off the record.

But Jay says there is always the possibility of having him join the Political Junkie segment on NPR's Talk of the Nation one day to, well, talk about it.

Still, it gives me an opportunity to display my favorite Jay Rhodes campaign button -- a coattail item from 1988.

categories: A Look Back In Politics

2:47 - August 25, 2009

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