R-I hands out annual "English as Second Language" award

Radio Iowa’s O.Kay Henderson issues an annual “English as a Second Language” award to a state lawmaker, and this year’s winner is a Republican from Rowley.Senator Kitty Rehberg wins the 2003 “English as a Second Language” award for her statements at a news conference in April. Rehberg said legislators are sincere about “growing the growth” and she made a startling declaration about Iowa’s topography. Rehberg said Iowa doesn’t have “the lakes, the rivers and the streams.” A little later in the news conference, Rehberg, like many legislators, slipped and used the wrong verb in a sentence. When Rehberg was told she won this year’s award, Rehberg said she gets excited when she speaks in public and likes to read from a script.”I do very much so because you know, unless it’s written out, I’m a little bit, no I’m not like Ronald Reagan,” Rehberg said. She said “Ronald Reagan had to have everything written down, even though he could just stand before (a crowd), he just felt very confident if he had all his words written down, even though he didn’t have to look at ’em.” Honorable mention this year goes to Representative Mark Smith, a Democrat from Marshalltown, for referring to “cultural culture.” Senator Jack Hatch, a Democrat from Des Moines, was another nominee for making up the word “felonized” during a late night debate.