My wife and sons tell me I can do this. I will admit that I don’t Twitter or Tweet or whatever, but I can type and I would love to give you a personal glimpse inside our campaign to change South Dakota each week.

Earlier in the campaign, Susan and I had the pleasure of traveling all across South Dakota with former Nebraska Governor, US Senator and Vietnam veteran Bob Kerrey. Bob’s story is an unbelievable, American tale. Working as a young pharmacist in Sioux City, Iowa he volunteered for military service and became a Navy Seal during Vietnam. He may have lost a leg in Vietnam but he gained an appreciation for life and a perspective that has served him well over the past forty years. He returned to his native Nebraska after nine months in the Philadelphia Naval hospital. He became a succesful small businessman and an unlikely politician when he won the Nebraska Governor’s race in 1982.

I was heartened to here his race then is a lot like our race today. Nebraska’s financial matters were a mess. A good-old boy network had replaced free-market sensibility and their state was sliding. Bob got into the race and became one of the most popular Governor’s in the state’s history.

His campaign stops for me in South Dakota were a smash. We got some nice press on both sides of the state and he helped draw a number of people to my fundraisers. More importantly, he reinforced my belief in public service. He is an authentic American hero and as my wife Susan kept reminding me, he’s a very charming guy.

We’ll talk to you next week!

-Scott Heidepriem