Spit take

This is a first: in the mail yesterday, I got a friendly note from Senate majority leader Bill Frist of Tennessee. In his letter he included a survey with questions like, "Do you agree that strengthening our Republican Majority in the U.S. Senate is critical to passing President Bush's agenda and fighting for America's future?" (And, of course, "Should Congress continue to pursue a Constitutional amendment to protect marriage as the union of a man and a woman?")

In his letter to me, Frist writes: "With careful consideration of those who are most active in their support of President Bush and the Republican Party, you have been selected to represent your district." Wha?!?!?!?!

I assume I got this because I subscribe to Fortune magazine, which I read mostly for the pictures of naked people. But seriously, I just happen to enjoy business reporting, which is why I also regularly read the Wall Street Journal and listen to the noon business hour on WBBM, the news radio station out of Chicago. But just because I enjoy business journalism does not mean I appreciate getting crank mail from fringe personalities!

I started to reply to Frist's letter by scribbling in the margins, but then I decided I would just be begging for a tax audit. I stopped before I got to scrawl, "As a native Tennesseean, sir, I am ashamed ..."