The Lap (A.K.A. Mike Broomhead)

As I walked into the I♥Radio Broadcast Headquarters in Phoenix, AZ, the massive array of logos provided a smattering of shock and awe.  I was there that day to interview Arizona's premier morning radio show host, Mike Broomhead.  He occupies the 6am-10am time slot on 550 KFYI (small factoid: KFYI means that the the station is on the west side of the country and the rest is For Your Information).

I got to sit in Broomhead's seat.

Believe it or not, Broomhead did not start out in the radio business.  He does not have a journalism or a communications degree.  He started out as a blue collar construction worker. Furthermore, he wasn't even a conservative growing up! Now please hold your cries of "sacrilege" to a minimum.

He was raised in a liberal household by a single mother, who faced the daunting task of rearing three young men into gentlemen. His uncles were your typical Mid-western, blue collar Democrats.  They worked as dock loaders and were card carrying Teamsters. However, a change occurred he was a teenager.  His family collectively realized that the only way to get ahead was to work hard and earn it.  No one was gonna give it to them.  This statement evolved into his personal work ethic.  "I always try to be the best at what I'm doing," he said. "I am completely average. Average height, average build, average looks, average intellect, there is nothing about me that isn't average.  The only thing I have going for me is work ethic."

His interest in radio started back in his construction days, and ultimately lead to him being a frequent caller. After his brother, an Army Sergeant, died in Iraq, he became more outspoken for veterans' issues. This led him to multiple speaking engagements.  After a while doing small work for, at the time, Clear Channel Radio, he was made a host.  Shortly thereafter, because of his hard work, a representative of Glenn Beck, a nationally syndicated radio host, approached him and asked if he would like to audition to be an occasional fill-in for Glenn Beck on his show.  At first he thought that this was a prank... that someone was yanking his chain!  But he made a few calls and was thoroughly blown away to hear that the offer was legit.  So Broomhead became a backup host for the Glenn Beck Show.

Because of his exposure to the public, he has often been asked if he will run for political office. Unfortunately, "Absolutely no" is his answer.  "I would rather talk to the voters than the politicians right now," he said.  Arizona, it is safe to say that we will have him around on the air for a while.

Finally, my last topic in the interview was his legacy. So I posed the question to him, "What legacy do you want to leave behind for your children and grandchildren?"

He uttered a soft groan as he leaned back in his chair.  "Ahh...You know, my grandfather was the biggest influence on me growing up.  My dad was an absent father even when my parents were married," Broomhead reflected. "So I remember there was a moment when I was watching TV with my grandson and he was sitting on my lap.  It was a very real moment when I realized that 'oh my god - I'm the lap!'  I used to sit on my grandfather's lap (and) now I'm the lap!"

Being the lap is a huge responsibility because it is the lap who inspires and provides wisdom to the kid... "In 20 years my three year old grandson will be either in college, looking for a job, or in the military.  What evil is he going to have to fight because we didn't?" he wondered.

One of the things that he most impressed upon me was that he was deeply religious. Everything he is, has, and is able to do, he attributes to God.  His story shows how, even with the odds stacked against you, with God on your six anything is possible.

Mike Broomhead was very generous and gracious during our interview

As we walked out of the building my mom started asking some pointed questions about the interview. Overall my impression of him is that he is a honorable, god fearing man.  He obviously cares deeply for his family and nation.  If you haven't heard his show, I highly recommend you do.  Tune in to 550 KFYI and judge for yourself.

Connections

Knowing the right people at the right time is completely awesome.

Case in point: this summer I was in Washington D.C. with my mom, my grandmother, and my sisters.  During a tour of the Capitol, my mom suggested that I make a phone call, find out if Congressman Paul Gosar was in D.C., and if he was, would he be willing to visit with us while we were there.  Fortunately for me, I know his district manager, Penny Pew, so instead of just calling his D.C. office, where I probably had no chance of success, I called Penny.  She was able to hook me up. After that phone call, I had an appointment to meet Congressman Gosar in 45 minutes!  It was weird to just call a sitting U.S. congressman's office and make a same day appointment, but he and I have known each other for a while.  Not only have I interviewed him in the past, but at every event that we are both at I make it a priority to catch up with him.

Elated, because what an opportunity!  How many families get to spend some time with a sitting congressman in his D.C. office?!  After we finished the tour, we made our way over to Congressman Gosar's office.  My family and I walked around inside of the building twice before we found it tucked unobtrusively on the west side of the building. His office used to be Lyndon B. Johnson's when he served in the House.  However with a  joking gleam in his eye and tone, Congressman Gosar told us that he remodeled it to "remind the Texan that he is from the great state of Arizona."  The walls are painted in Arizona's colors of red, blue, and yellow, and the baseboards are painted copper.

As a quick side-note, before I finish the story of our visit, here's a little bit of background on him.  He is a dentist, who was unhappy with the shenanigans in D.C. Rather than complain and do nothing, he jumped into the fray.  Many politicians cater to special interest groups and he is the same, though his "special interest group" is his constituents and his state.  Not only that, but he is easily accessible to the people he serves.  He is constantly conducting meet and greets throughout his district.  In addition, he took time out of a day with his family to be available for a phone interview with me.  His contributions include his recent water rights bill, fighting to prevent congressional representatives from flying first class on the taxpayers' dime, and voting in favor of the "no Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," to name a few of his activities.

Scalpel, forceps, Snickers?

While we sat and spoke in his office, he settled into a comfortable demeanor and soon we found ourselves completely engrossed in an enjoyable conversation.  My little sister even got to hear first hand how even candy can be used in dentistry.  One day during a break on the House floor, one of his coworkers' daughters had a loose tooth that had gotten twisted around.  Gosar calmly had a member of his staff get a chilled Snickers bar from a nearby mini fridge.  As the Snickers was being brought to him, he explained what he was going to do.  She was to bite down as hard as she could into the chocolate. After her jaw locked, she sharply opened her mouth and the troublesome tooth remained trapped in the caramel center.

I walked out on cloud nine.  I love being able to talk with prominent people.  The only reason that meeting was even remotely possible was by having connections.  I would like to conclude by thanking the two people who gave me and my family that wonderful afternoon.  These "gatekeepers" are Sean Johnson and Penny Pew.  Without these two people and the connections they have helped me make, this day with Congressman Gosar would never have happened in a million years.