I was saddened to hear the news that Danny Gans had died.

Danny Gans, one of the most popular entertainers on the Las Vegas Strip for the last decade, died in his sleep. He was 52.

Gans was found dead early Friday morning by his wife, Julie, at their home in Henderson, said Wynn Resorts spokeswoman Jennifer Dunne.

Just 52 years old, the guy performed one of the most amazing shows I’ve ever seen. And now I feel very fortunate… Little did I know that when I saw his show for the first (and last) time - just 2 weeks ago today - that it would be one of his very last performances.

Rest in peace, Danny Gans.

Got to meet Ken Starr tonight as he was in town meeting with Pepperdine Alumni. He’s now the Dean of Pepperdine Law School. A native Texan, he’s genuinely down to earth and a strong Christian man. He talked about his law school’s committment to training legal professionals with a focus on faith and ethics. He also briefly mentioned his various appearances arguing before the United States Supreme Court, including his most recent case, famously known as the “Bong Hits for Jesus” case.

He announced Pepperdine Law School would be hosting, as visiting professors, this summer Supreme Court Justices Scalia, Alito and Chief Justice Roberts.

And no, I didn’t ask him anything about blue dresses or cigars.

I’ve posted in the past about my old high school buddy Dave Rozelle, but his story gets more amazing everyday. A little background on Dave after high school.

He enlisted in August 1992 in North Carolina National Guard and served with the 1/113th Field Artillery as a forward observer. In May 1995, Major Rozelle was commissioned from Davidson College ROTC, Davidson College, NC, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts.

Following the Armor Officers Basic Course, Fort Knox, KY, Major Rozelle was assigned to 3/66 Armor 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, TX, where he served as a tank platoon leader, mortar platoon leader and executive officer as part of the Army Advanced Warfighter Experiment.
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Major Rozelle took command of K (“Killer”) Troop in May 2002 and deployed with 2d Brigade, 10th Mountain Division to Joint Readiness Training Center. He deployed to Iraq with the Regiment as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in April 2003.

Major Rozelle was leading a convoy in Hit, Iraq, west of Baghdad on 21 June 2003, when his vehicle struck a landmine, which resulted in the loss of his right foot. He spent eight months recovering at Fort Carson, Colorado.

But he didn’t give up. While the Army offered him a permanent desk job, Dave wanted to get “back to his boys.” He returned to Iraq just 4 days shy of the one year anniversary of the attack that took part of his leg, becoming the first soldier to lose a limb in Iraq to return to battle.

He summed it up this way:

“Why should I stay back in safety when my brothers in arms who are also fit for duty, are having to go fight?”

It’s leaders like Dave that make our military so great.

He also sums up patriotism this way:

“How do you feel about your freedom? If you aren’t willing to die for it, then you aren’t American”

Well, he recently sent me an email with an update on what he’s been up to lately. Needless to say… he continues to impress. First, he completed the New York Marathon and now… he has just completed the Ironman. THE IRONMAN.

Here’s his raw, unedited Ironman diary. My favorite part:

As I started out on the marathon, I thought to myself, “It is just a marathon.” Hadn’t my mind changed over the last three years? In a hospital tent in Baghdad three years (to the day) ago, I lay there wondering if I would ever run again. Now, here I was at Ironman thinking, “It is just a marathon.”

Read the whole thing.

“Inspirational” is such an understatement to describe Dave.

Formerly known as “Tom Delay’s District”, Texas Congressional District 22 is a seat the Democrats are proudly proclaiming as their own now that “The Hammer” has stepped aside.

They’re banking on liberal Nick Lampson, who’s still bitter about losing his Congressional seat to Ted Poe. Of course, they’re kind of lost now because Lampson’s entire campaign was built around the “I’m not Tom Delay” mantra. Now, instead of relying on telling voters who he’s not, he’s got to actually tell them who he is. And it’s not a pretty site.

But Sugarland Mayor David Wallace has officially announced his write-in candidacy. I met David almost exactly a year ago at a breakfast with Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas. I’ll repeat what I said about him then:

He’s pro-life, anti-gun control, anti-same sex marriage, and pro-lower taxes. He supports Bush in the war on terrorism and is in favor of tougher border control. My kind of Republican. I think if Tom Delay ever leaves his seat in District 22, Wallace might be a good replacement.

Looks like it’s in the works now.

I urge you to check out his campaign site and help in any way you can… especially if you live in the Houston area.

Here is his stance on the issues:

As a lifelong conservative, I believe in the principles of less government, more personal freedom, fiscal responsibility and traditional family values.

As your next congressman, I will:

- Defend the Right to Life for unborn children
- Fight for lower taxes so families can keep more of what they earn
- Stop the skyrocketing deficit spending that is putting our economic future at risk
- Secure our borders and ports of entry to stop the flow of illegal aliens
- Strengthen our immigration laws to protect our way of life
- Support President Bush in the War on Terror
- Ensure our military including every soldier, sailor, marine and airman has the tools they need to be successful
- Protect traditional marriage
- Stand up for our Second Amendment freedoms
- Be an effective conservative voice for District 22 citizens

I’ve officially endorsed him. You should, too.

No, I’m talking talking about my return from vacation… I’m referring to the news that Tom Delay is considering running for re-election, thanks to a Democrat fight to keep his name on the ballot. I can’t think of anything sweeter than Delay winning because democrats fought to keep his name on the ballot.

On a personal note, I had the good fortune of meeting Delay two weeks ago as we both stood in the security line at the airport. I simply shook his hand and told him, “Keep up the good fight.”

Looks like he might!