Interviewed by phone, State Senator Andrew Rice, of Oklahoma City, explained that he represents the center of Oklahoma City near the capital. He has held the office for two years but has set his sights on the senate seat of U.S. Senator James Inhoffe.
Rice was born in Oklahoma and attended Harvard Divinity School after having attended colby College in maine on a football scholarship.
Before becoming a senator, worked in Oklhaoma City for a company that worked on tax budget issues and pushed legislation.
His wife, Apple, is a pathologist at an Oklahoma City Hospital.
“That, (his wife’s job), has given me a perspective on health care, because she works with patients whose diseases are in acute stages.”
Asked why he chooses to try to leave Oklahoma for the U.S. Senate, Rice said, “I think the issues we have on the federal level are more urgent than those in Oklahoma. We have the energy crisis, we need to address wind energy, health care and nutrition, and we need it to be bi-partison.”
“I have worked in the senate with Senator Owen Laughlin from your district, and I think I can take that to Washington. There is not enough cooperation up there.”
On his trip through the Panhandle Rice said, “We enjoyed coming through there. It was an eye-opening experience, the different needs of your area and its diversity. I saw how far we are behind on our infrastructure. We aren’t doing our basic stuff, roads, bridges, things like that. I talked to a teacher from Keyes, and several patrons in the diner, and I talked over issues in Texas County.”
Rice also saw a communication need.
“Rural Oklahoma needs more call centers, to handle cell phones.”
At the DNC, Rice missed talking to Sen. Obama, but did make connections to the state delegation.
“I like meeting our delegates from both parties.”
On Sen. McCaain, “I liked the tone of his speech; unity is always good to hear.”
Rice said he’d like to see the senate operate like it did when Senators Bellmon and Boren were there.
“We don’t have that kind of bi-partisanship any more,” he said.
Asked why he thought that was, he blamed big media power having left moderates in the shadows, plus polarizing issues to each party such as guns, prayer, and abortion.
