Tuesday, May 22, 2012

FOR THE LOVE OF DONKEYS -- PART 9


A TRIBUTE TO FRANK J. BARTHEN
 
Barthen remembered that years ago, a Democrat on the rise from northeast Ohio was in search of a family pet that also served as the symbol for his party.

The young politico brought his wife and kids out to Bittersweet Burro Farm to survey some donkeys that Barthen had put up for sale.

“He sees this one in the meadow and he and his kids take a liking to it,” Barthen remembered with a sly grin. “Its name was Dopey, but I didn’t think that would be a good fit for a man who’d served as lieutenant governor. I was walking Dopey up the hill and only had a couple of minutes to think up a better name for him. I reached the man and his family and said `this is a fine animal, we call him Senator.’”

The man who bought Senator became a governor.

Barthen still has a snapshot of a youthful-looking Richard F. Celeste and family visiting the burro farm.

TRIBUTE CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MAY 23

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