In my last post, I talked about some of my successes, and success can be a wonderful thing, but if you’re not careful, success can be your downfall.
It sure took a toll on me. I tried to hide my vanity and pride, but deep down in my mind, I started to believe all the things lobbyists, other members, donors and conservative activists were saying about me. When you are a public official with power over funding and other member’s bills — along with all the laws people live by — folks tend to tell you what you want to hear.
Everyone tells you what a good job you’re doing, how smart you are, how thankful they are that you are in charge, or that nobody else has ever done or could ever do as good as you.
Of course in politics not everyone is singing your praises. In Missouri the Kansas City Star and St. Louis Post Dispatch were not very friendly to a conservative Republican like myself. I received plenty of bad press. Liberals, labor unions, and trail attorneys opposed to my agenda sent me thousands of emails and letters, which were not always flattering.
Another item that made enemies and allowed the press to attack me was my campaign consulting company. By 2004, I was spending more and more time helping friends with their campaigns, so I decided to start my own campaign consulting business. I didn’t work for any House campaigns or HRCC, but I helped some of my friends who wanted to move up to the state Senate or Congress. I also was able to work on Mitt Romney’s presidential race in 2008.
Between my political activities, legislative duties and straightforward ‘tell it-like-it-is attitude’ I started picking up quite a few new enemies, and they never hesitated to start a nasty rumor or provide a negative quote about me when they could. Oddly enough, most of my attacks came from the Republicans.
You are probably asking why I didn’t listen to my critics or at least think about their charges. The simple answer is most politicians develop thick skins, because critics say such terrible things about them, and constantly mis-characterize their motives. For me it was easy to chalk up all the negative comments and criticism to enemy hacks that hated me, because I had either beat them in the legislative chess game or defeated them in a campaign. I told myself that no matter what I did they would complain.
My experience has shown me how easy it is for powerful leaders to listen to the flattery and discount their critics when they are under fire.
Another negative consequence to the flattery and criticism a leader hears is they start putting everyone into two camps. You’re either for them or you’re against them, and if you’re critiquing them or even questioning them, you fall in the latter category. They become a bit paranoid when friends or innocent bystanders try to be honest and tell them the truth. Unfortunately, I feel this sometimes happened to me and it damaged a few of my relationships.
But let’s get back to the flattery. It slowly started affecting me. Not in the beginning; I knew what they were doing and I told myself not to pay attention to them, but flattery has a way of slowly creeping up and changing your attitude. (Or at least it did me)
Have you ever heard the story about the frog that was placed in the pot of boiling water and immediately jumped out and survived?
If you have, then you know that same frog didn’t fare so well when he was placed in a pot of cold water while the heat was slowly turned up until he was boiled to death and never even knew it. It’s very embarrassing to admit that this happened to me. Looking back on my time in the legislature I feel a bit like the frog that was slowly cooked to death and just didn’t feel the heat rising. In fact the warm water feels kind of good after awhile.
But be careful, because the warm water will kill you.
What I needed was balance. Take a moment and think about the word: BALANCE.
It’s a simple word that makes the whole world go round. Balance is required for the sun, moon, and stars to work like they do. It takes balance for us to walk, drive and function as human beings. Most importantly it takes balance in your life to have healthy relationships with your wife, kids, family, friends, co-workers and fellow citizens.
The biggest mistake I made was not having balance in my life. I worked too hard at politics and forgot about my family, friends, community and sometimes, the whole reason I went to Jefferson City in the first place. I remember telling my ex-wife that when the first campaign was over I would be home more. Then session started and I said after session I will be home more. Then I was gone working on redistricting and when that was done the next session had started, and after that I was working night and day to win the majority, and I told her once we won I would be home.
Read the rest of… Rod Jetton: Success, Scandal & Change, Part 2-Flattery, Criticism and Bitterness
The Missouri Senate – not the U.S. Senate – former U.S. Senator Jim Talent once told me, is the greatest deliberative body in the country today. Because any senator has the right to speak for as long as he chooses on any matter, each senator, even a freshman in the minority, can wield power if he plays the game well.
But I didn’t understand how to wield power when I got there. I would soon learn, though, from veterans like Senators Victor Callahan and Jason Crowell, and House Speaker Rod Jetton.
When I came to the Senate, I aspired to be the young, liberal wunderkind that many journalists and activists had anointed me. In taking the unprecedented step of blocking a gubernatorial appointment before being sworn in, I sought to carve out an image for myself as a strong progressive, unafraid to stand up to the state’s most powerful Republican, Governor Matt Blunt. However, as I soon realized, the very image that helped me in my district was crippling me in the Senate.
My colleagues defeated nearly every proposal I offered during my first session, often with undisguised delight. I suffered so many defeats my first year – on amendments to restore funding cut from children’s health care, to enact an earned income tax credit for the working poor, to reveal an abstinence-only sex ed bill – that none really stood out.
All that stood out was a feeling of losing.
I hated losing, because I was very competitive. But I also saw the poverty and violence up close night in, night out, at neighborhood meetings and anti-gang marches, and that increased my sense of urgency.
I’d been in a hurry my whole life. But never did I feel such a sense of urgency as I did near the end of my first legislative session when I realized that as one of 34 senators able to change the state’s direction, I’d accomplished next to nothing. It was time to learn how to win.
******
To win – and to do so consistently – I knew that you needed to be either feared or loved. Respect wasn’t enough.
Term limits meant that no one was around long enough to be truly loved, and only a few were feared. I knew I wasn’t. For starters, I was too nice and I didn’t like pissing people off. Those who were feared didn’t care who they pissed off.
Second, I lacked institutional knowledge, both on policy or procedure. Without deep understanding of an issue and a firm grasp of Senate rules, it was hard to be feared on the Senate floor, where the action went down. Also, we (Democrats) were outnumbered 23-11, which didn’t help inspire fear. But after observing how Senator Crowell used the filibuster to great effect, I vowed that I would influence a policy debate in the same way sometime soon – and ironically, I got my first chance on one of Crowell’s own bills.
Crowell was best friends with House Speaker Rod Jetton, and was the Senate handler for the sole bill Jetton filed in 2007 – a bill to eliminate state taxation on all Social Security benefits reached the Senate. There was no coordinated Democratic strategy for dealing with the bill, so I asked the Minority Leader where she was on the bill, which was the centerpiece of the House Republicans’ agenda for the session. “Whose bill is it?” she sniffed.
“It’s Speaker Jetton’s.”
“Then Ah’m aginzit.”
Read the rest of… Jeff Smith: Rod Jetton & Our Unlikely Friendship
As I am new to RP you may be wondering what to expect from my posts. Will they be rightwing rants, or milquetoast musings? Will they be politically correct or in your face opinions? The best way I know how to answer that, is to tell you my story.
I’ll start with me on the flower covered dais in a packed, standing room only Missouri House chamber, my right hand raised, repeating my oath of office. My wife is holding our Bible, and my loving family is sitting in the house well watching their dad, son and brother being sworn in as the second youngest Speaker in Missouri state history.
Many wondered how a country boy from Marble Hill, Missouri could go from the lowest ranking member in the minority party to Speaker of the House in just four years. Some said it was my work ethic; some said it was my political skills; and others said it was my friendly likable style; but no one really seemed to know the real reason.
While I’m sure hard work, skills and smiles helped, being in the right place at the right time and term limits created an opportunity! My House seat opened up only because of term limits, and we had a chance to win the majority only because so many Democrats were term-limited. All of the senior Republicans had left which gave a friendly, hardworking guy who knew how to raise money and help candidates win campaigns, an excellent opportunity to be the Speaker in just two terms.
Life is always throwing opportunities your way, and it’s up to you to take advantage of them. I freely admit the four years it took to win my first House campaign, help spearhead the legislative redistricting process for my party, recruit candidates, win the majority and position myself to be unopposed for Speaker, were four of the busiest years of my life. I have never consistently worked that hard at anything in my life and I thought I understood hard work.
Running track and setting school records required working out twice each day to get in the 100 miles a week it took to win races. When I joined the Marine Corps I learned a new level of hard work. They gave me 90 pounds of gear and ordered me to march through the hills, with no rest or sleep, through all kinds of weather for days on end. Starting a small real estate business and making it profitable, required early mornings and stressful nights day in and day out.
But all those experiences were just preparing me for what it took physically, emotionally and mentally to recruit candidates, win the majority, unify caucus members, advance an agenda, get good press, and stay in touch with donors all while trying to be a good father, loving husband, and solid community leader back home and in the district.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. The crazy thing is, I LOVED IT! I was having a blast, everything was going my way, everyone loved me, respected me, and wanted to know what I thought about matters great and small. The other positive aspect of all my success was the policy changes I was able to implement. Expending political capital and pushing hard for the policies I believed in was never a question for me. I studied the rules, reached across the aisle to make friends and understood how to use my political clout to get things done.
In the House it takes a united team to change things. Developing an agenda, unifying our caucus behind it and leading them in the public debate was a very worthwhile experience that required using the carrot and the stick. I rewarded both Democrat and Republican friends alike. I helped them with their priorities and gained their support on our agenda. I also sometimes punished my opponents.
Read the rest of… Rod Jetton: Success, Scandal & Change-The Fight to Be King of the Mountain
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Wed Jul 20, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET
Here’s an interview with Marissa Mayer, the woman who broke Google. [Newsweek]
Even if you won’t be in Los Angeles anytime soon, pretend you’re headed to the city’s Natural History Museum and its recently refurbished Dinosaur Hall. [NY Times]
Feeling under the weather? Check out these tips on keeping your career healthy, even when you’re not. [CNN Money]
Miss America 2011 Teresa Scanlan wants to be a Supreme Court justice someday… and she’s slowly overturning stereotypes of pageant culture. [NY Magazine]
By Jonathan Miller, on Mon Jul 18, 2011 at 8:30 AM ET
My column this week for The Huffington Post serves as tribute to a special friend of mine with a famous name and a powerful story. The “other” Diana Ross suffered an unspeakable tragedy, but she’s survived to demonstrate incredible strength and to fight for a critical cause — battling the scourge of domestic violence.
Read the excerpt below:
When my friend Terrell Ross first introduced me to his wife, I struggled to stifle a chuckle.
Diana… Ross? C’mon!
Her famous name seemed even more ironic as I came to know her. Quite in contrast to her brash diva namesake, the “other” Diana Ross was soft-spoken, kind, and demure.
Only more recently did I learn that Diana’s outward modesty belied an extraordinary inner fortitude.
In October 2006, Terrell — her beloved husband of more than three decades — died after a much-too-quick battle with a particularly pernicious and virulent strain of cancer.
And then just three years later, on September 11, 2009, her youngest daughter Amanda, aged 28, was brutally murdered by her ex-fiancé, just a few hundred yards from where Diana was gardening at her home in Lexington, Kentucky.
Because the killer, Steve Nunn, was a well-known politician — a former state legislator and gubernatorial candidate, as well as the son of a former governor — a local media melée erupted. Nunn was quickly apprehended, Amanda was buried among much pomp and circumstance, and politicians raced to introduce legislation to honor her memory.
By John Johnson, on Fri Jul 15, 2011 at 12:00 PM ET
I am not a particularly gifted athlete. Growing up, I was known more as the “smart one” not the “athletic one”. In fact, I have had somewhat checkered athletic experiences. I earned a yellow belt in Judo in 3rd grade, but my martial arts career ended shortly thereafter when a very strong 4th grade girl beat me in one of the Judo competitions. I played Little League as a kid as well, but that ended with a fly ball and an unfortunate fainting spell in left field due to heat exhaustion. I ran cross country in high school but had the distinction of coming in last in a race my freshman year, behind an athlete with a musculoskeletal disease.
My athletic streak continued last year. I had made the decision to start biking on a regular basis. On my first bike ride of the season, 7 miles into a ride on a beautiful spring day, I slipped on an old train track and went down in a big heap. I landed pretty squarely on my left arm.
As I lay on the ground, my business partner Matt and about 8 strangers circled around me. It was reassuring that strangers were quick to lend me a hand. I surely needed it. A quick trip to the ER and I found I had broken my arm. Elbow actually. That led to a summer laid up. No biking, no swimming. No driving for several weeks. I had my arm in a sling. My wife had to help me tie my tie, not to mention other things! John’s athletic curse continued.
Since then, I have rehabbed, started weight training and swimming. I found two great trainers at the gym I joined downtown (shout out to Jibreel and Jessica). I have been pretty religious about working out several mornings a week. But, after a year, I was pretty slow to get back on the bike. Recently though, mildly encouraged (pressured) to participate in an aqua bike event by my best obsessive compulsive tri-athlete friend (and fellow Friend of RP) Steve, it was time to get back on the bike. And so, two weeks ago, it was time for the big race.
Steve and I trekked to Philadelphia. After a long afternoon stuck in traffic, a restless night sleep in a hotel, and a 4:30am wake up due to nerves, it was event day. I tried to ignore Steve’s pre race rituals….four water bottles with different nutritional additives, a cup of black coffee, a banana, nutrition bars, seemingly endless clothing, and enough other gear to outfit a small village. I had a bottle of water, my helmet, and my shoes. While Steve would be doing a triathlon, I would be aqua biking, which meant an 800 yard swim in the Schuylkill river, then a 14 mile bike ride. At least 1000 people went in the triathlon waves first, and I was surprised to find I was one of only 10 in the aqua bike. I also was quick to notice I was approximately 30 years younger than my fellow AQBs.
Read the rest of… John Johnson: A Recovering Biker
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Wed Jul 13, 2011 at 1:30 PM ET
Approximately 300,000 youth are sexually exploited in the United States every year. Read the emotional story of one young woman’s escape from a life of prostitution. [CNN]
One of the newest methods of helping children with autism involves tutus and plies. [Time]
The secret to triumph: it’s all in the head. [Newsweek]
For a dose of reality, check out this infographic depicting what it’s life to live on less than $2 a day in a developing nation. [Good Magazine]
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Wed Jul 6, 2011 at 4:00 PM ET
A new U.S. Army program helps soldiers improve their mental health after coming back from the combat zone. [Washington Post]
Here’s a kind of recovery that you don’t see every day: scientists digging mammoth and mastodon bones out of the ground. [NY Times]
Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain talks overcoming bankruptcy and living on the edge (sample quote: “I had no self-control. I denied myself nothing. I had no moral compass.”. [Newsweek]
Got 12 minutes to kill? Spend it with the beautiful stop motion short film “Zero.” It will make you contemplate the world and how you can make it better. [Huffington Post]
Maybe this isn’t related to recovery, but it’s seriously cool. Graphic design and public relations firms analyze the current 2012 Republican presidential nominees’ campaign logos. [CNN]
By John Y. Brown III, on Tue Jul 5, 2011 at 12:30 PM ET
Two years ago I took the family to Los Angeles, CA for the first time—and for my second time in 25 years (since my sophomore year at USC).
We arrived at night and the family was hungry. I promised a nice dinner –but first we had to go by my favorite old haunt, Tommy’s Burger. I promised “Not to ruin my dinner” and to just buy a burger “to look at” (for old time’s sake) and maybe to “take just one bite.”
Oh….the stories we tell ourselves.
My family knew exactly what would happen…and each gave their version of the play-by-play the next day. At Fatburger! (My second favorite haunt):
UPDATE: A few of you have been having trouble accessing the video above. Here is another link.
By Stephanie Doctrow, RP Staff, on Tue Jun 28, 2011 at 6:21 PM ET
If you read nothing else today, read this. Former Washington Post reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Jose Antonio Vargas writes of his life in America as an undocumented immigrant. [NY Times]
A little humor to brighten your day: The New Yorker contemplates how Al Qaeda can rebrand itself for the twenty-first century. [New Yorker]
Girl power! Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor discusses overcoming sexism as a law student and her path to an amazing career. [The Atlantic]
Something that will need some major recovery after the presidential election: Jon Huntsman’s waistline. Apparently he’s a big fan of street food, namely taco trucks. [Esquire]
How did Greece’s economic situation blow up into a mess that is affecting all of Europe? [Newsweek]
In my last post, I talked about some of my successes, and success can be a wonderful thing, but if you’re not careful, success can be your downfall.
Have you ever heard the story about the frog that was placed in the pot of boiling water and immediately jumped out and survived?
