Granger speaks on life in politics
By Brent Yarina
Staff Reporter

It was not until a liquid waste disposal plant was to be constructed in her backyard that the first republican woman elected to Congress from Texas decided to enter the field of politics.

Congresswoman Kay Granger, who served as a city council member and the mayor of Fort Worth, told 40 students at the College of Republicans meeting Monday night the story of her transition from a teacher and a small-business owner to a distinguished politician.

“I never started out to be in politics,” Granger said. “It was never in my game plan.”

However, she said, she realized a future in politics was inevitable after she successfully led a campaign against the construction of the disposal plant in her backyard. Granger said she earned respect for her work in preventing the plant’s construction and she also gained a lot of confidence.

She said following her first experience in politics, which consisted of two terms as a Fort Worth City Council member, she then decided to run for the mayor of Fort Worth.

“As the mayor, you have to learn on the job,” Granger said. “There’s no class to take to learn how to be mayor. I spent 15 hours a day working.”

Despite the long hours Granger endured as the mayor, she said, the position’s experiences prepared her to become a member of Congress.

Granger also answered student questions about situations she has had to deal with as a congresswoman, especially with her increased responsibilities pertaining to homeland security and the war.

“Republicans aren’t more for this war than democrats,” she said. “No one was ever for this war. No one wanted a war. Republicans simply trust executives that there is a big enough threat to have a war.”

Granger said her decision to run for Congress was not official until the Republican Party was elected to a majority of the seats in the House.

“The democrats were spending too much money, creating a large deficit,” she said. “I liked the republican theory of being determined to meet a balanced budget.”

Granger said with the Republican Party now representing the majority, she predicts America will have a balanced budget by 2010.

Jenny Stutheit, president of the College of Republicans, said Granger was invited to speak at TCU because she represents republican values and can promote the political party’s ideals to the university’s students.

b.j.yarina@tcu.edu