Have a piece of pie

You know you're approaching the end of the legislative session when the annual Senate Pie Day sweetens up the proceedings.  The event is hosted annually by the holder of the office occupied by Senator Charlie Shields.  He happens to be the Majority Floor Leader ... but that's not the reason he hosts it ... it just so happens he holds the office that was once occupied by Senator Harold Caskey. In fact, the tradition began when Caskey held that office ... and that stretches back to ... well ... years and years and years.

This year's selection of pies covered the gamut from apple to banana to cherry to peach to rhubarb to raisin cream to raisin to strawberry rhubarb to pumpkin to custard to lemon to chocolate meringue to sugar free cherry to sugar free apple to the greatest pie in the world - pecan pie! Charlie Shields says there were a lot of requests for gooseberry pie ... which was nowhere to be found this year. Why? Well, the smiling Senator from St. Joseph informed several of those who asked, "Where's the gooseberry?" that we are experiencing a shortage of gooseberries this year because they have been diverted to the making of ethanol. That's not quite true ... and Charlie was only joking ... but he says some people left him believing that is the reason for no gooseberry pie this year.

For the record ... the pies - 167 of them - came from the Jerre Anne Cafeteria & Bakery in St. Joseph. Who paid for these 167 delicious pies? Charlie Shields??? All the Senators??? Senate staff??? NOOOOOO! The pies are paid for by some of those omni-present Capitol dwellers so many of us know and love ... In the words of the smiling Senator from St. Joe: "The pies are courtesy of the professional lobbying community!"

167 pies ... nickels and dimes for some of those guys!

- Steve Walsh