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Show 4 jews WWm Ai J 1 . 1 1 nv R. Blodgett Something in the White House must have rubbed off on my good friend Steve Studdert . To look at.him now, you wouldn't believe that about a decade ago Steve served as my campaign manager. That was when I madca gallant attempt to win die 4-year seat on the Davis County Commission. Steve and I tried hard to make a dent in the local political circle, but to no avail. In fact, I was defeated, along with Morris Swapp, in the County Republican Convention. I didn't even get the delegate votes needed to have my name placed on the primary ballot. Now, a decade later, Steve is doing great things in Washington while I returned to being a newspaper reporter. I had my fill of politics -- and Steve was just beginning. " Steve was the "Advance Man" for the 1988 political campaigns of both president-elect Gaprge Bush and vice president-elect Dan Quayle. Look what he did for them. . ' f ' Steve is the executive director, the top man, in the organization of the presidential inauguration scheduled next week in Washington. He has been placed in charge of several hundred full-time and more than 3,000 volunteer vol-unteer workers preparing all the physical and intangible plans for the gala affair. ., L'.. ... ''."........ What he has done in the past has been just a stepping stone for Steve in : " his climb up the political ladder. Not that Steve wanted it that way. He's just doing his job. . " - I talked to Steve last August when he barnstormed into Davis County to set up a get-acquainted gathering for vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle.'Even that rather small public gathering required a lot of security. Steve invited me backstage usti-what really goes on behind the scenes. It was awesome. I was the only newsman "inside the sanctuary," and it was a little nerve-racking. . v " For all his efforts, Steve has been offered a key position on the White '.7 House staff, serving alongside President Bush. Steve will be an assistant for special activities and initiatives. r V His primary responsibility will be to plan the affairs that will keep a good image of the president before the public. Steve has the talent for this kind ofposition, and he'll do a great job. , Steve, who just turned 40, served on the Bountiful City Council when he and his family lived here. He was very active in civic affairs and had a consulting con-sulting business on Main Street next to the Chamber of Commerce build-ing. build-ing. He was born in Spanish Fork and is a graduate of Brigham Young University. Uni-versity. At age 26, he was chief of police in Brigham City - the youngest police chief in the state at that time or since. : , ? As a Bountiful City Councilman, Steve found that more and more of his ; time was being spent in Washington. There were, times that he could not ' even- tell the council the nature of his business Finally; he resigned his council post to take a security job with the White House. - 1 Steve was the front-runner for many of the president's visits away from the Oval Office. If the, president left the White House grounds, Steve was - responsible for his security'. ' i - . 1 - Steve will still serve as an Advance Man, this time for President Bush. '' ' But as he told me during our summer chat in Farmington, VI don't want s to spend the rest of my life in Washington - especially in the political cir- clcs. I want to comeback home." . , . ,;, , - . . That dream has been shattered - at least forantherfouryears. |