All that changed a few years after Stockman had drifted down to Houston. It was in 1984 when he and his future wife Patti were heating up some pizza and channel surfing that some unseen hand guided them to John Bisagno, the pastor of First Baptist Church. Bisagno was sermonizing on the Book of Revelations. He apparently held the channel-clicking couple's interest, and soon thereafter Stockman and his wife-to-be were born again and regular attendees at First Baptist. It was all uphill for the ex-studerino after that: a degree in accounting from UH-Clear Lake, the state chairmanship of the Young Conservatives of Texas (at the not-so-young age of 31) and then, in 1990, the first of his three runs for Brooks' seat, culminating in his ousting of the incumbent last year. Stockman managed to accomplish all this while puffing and obscuring his background and rarely holding a job (he reported no earned income for 1994 on the financial disclosure he filed last week; fortunately for him, his wife has a good-paying position at Johnson Space Center).
But it's pretty much been all downhill for Stockman since he went to Washington to draw his $130,000-a-year salary, and he's kept a decidedly low profile after reaping all that post-Oklahoma City publicity. We tried for more than a month to arrange an interview with Stockman or to be notified in advance of his public appearances in the 9th District, but his congressional chief of staff, a weasel named Jeff Fisher, was less than cooperative.
Stockman, however, is supposed to surface in Houston on July 1 to address the opening of the Libertarian Party's state conference. It's kind of an odd venue for the David Barton disciple, who, on Radio Free America, averred that "one thing where I differ a little bit with Libertarians" is on the need for "some kind of morality in our government, where I feel that things in our country are going wrong and we need to correct." Perhaps Stockman will tell the Libertarians how he'd make those corrections, or maybe he will discourse on how those who happen to disagree with him are somehow lacking in "morality."
Or maybe he could just tell them what he told "Tom from Houston," who phoned Radio Free America to inform Stockman that Congressman Jack Fields, the conservative Republican from Humble, had sold out to the "international bankers" shortly after first winning election 15 years ago. Furthermore, Tom related with the surety of a regular caller to talk shows, all members of Congress who voted for almost any legislation in the past few years -- particularly NAFTA, GATT and the Brady Bill -- are "traitors" who should be tried for treason. And that included Newt Gingrich. But Tom said he saw great promise in Steve Stockman, and hoped he wouldn't fall prey to their blandishments.
"Well, I've been running for five years," replied Stockman, "so I hope I don't change ... I can't tell you that I'm not gonna change, but, I mean, these are my core beliefs, and I haven't run from 'em. I've a ... I dunno, this is just me. I was like you -- I got mad and ran for office.
