Call him the farm boy who never saw an open political seat he didn't like.
Republican state Sen. Jeff Denham's ambitions seem as ravenous as a half-starved hyena in search of its next meal, no matter what it is.
Not so long ago Denham, who will soon be termed out of office in the 12th state Senate district, was gunning for lieutenant governor. When that didn't work out, he aimed his electoral hopes on the open seat in the 25th Assembly District.
And that was, like, last week.
Now Denham has changed course again. In his apparent need to represent constituents somewhere, anywhere, in the Central Valley, he wants to go to Washington.
On Tuesday, he announced he will run for Congressman George Radanovich's soon-to-be empty 19th District seat in the House of Representatives.
Lips hopes Denham, in his desire to serve us, has finally found a seat sufficiently large enough for his political ego.
But just in case he hasn't, the man should invest in an RV so he can drive across the county line the next time he wants to run for another political office, instead of buying a new address.
This latest peregrination in Denham's political career came after Radonovich endorsed him as his successor.
But that wasn't the only endorsement Denham has captured lately. His other endorsements seem to Lips as schizophrenic as his ambitions. The first came in December from a group called The Crime Victims Action Alliance. The second was from a group called Gun Owners of California.
Let's hope they aren't seated together when Denham holds a fundraiser for his bid to be the next secretary general of the United Nations.
Denham or his office couldn't be reached for comment by the Sun-Star's early deadline.
Mercy, mercy me
Denham isn't the only one who can't make up his mind lately.
The new Mercy Medical Center Merced, due to open in May, has changed its name, sort of. The Merced part of the name has been chopped off. At least its newly placed sign says so.
Lips hopes they weren't shooting for originality with that one. Since a simple Google search pulls up at least two other Mercy Medical Centers in the state: one in Shasta and one in Redding. Way to put Merced on the map.
It turns out, according to hospital administrators, that Mercy is keeping its name. The hospital just didn't keep the Merced part of the name on the sign because it would have cost too much money. Lips hopes that'll be the only place they decide to cut corners.
Au revoir, Crusader
Anti-Wal-Mart organizer Nick Robinson, with the Stop Wal-Mart Action Team, came to Merced specifically to defeat the ultimately successful distribution center.
He could be found at most gatherings on the issue with his twisted mustache and a word or two on why Wal-Mart sucks.
While many argued that the distribution center would bring the area needed jobs, Robinson and his allies said the environmental impacts were too much to ignore.
It looks as if Robinson, who has shaved the 'stache, has moved out of town. Lips caught him recently as he was packing up his things. He said he would have stayed despite the Wal-Mart loss. But it seems there's no work in Merced -- not yet anyway.
