Tom Davis – Retired Congressman and Rector, George Mason University

Tom Davis on politics today in Northern Virginia~ They've done it to themselves because they've emphasized these social issues, in an area that's becoming much more widely diverse, instead of focusing on the bread and butter and the economic issues that basically decide the success or not of every jurisdiction. They just priced themselves out of the market. So even where they were right on a number of issues, you had young people, people of color, just pushing the mute button when you had the Republican label. Tom Davis - Retired Congressman and Rector, George Mason University and host Andy Ockershausen in-studio interview Andy Ockershausen: This is Our Town and this is Andy Ockershausen and we're so fortunate to have a friend for many, many years who sort of disappeared part of our life, but thank God, not totally. Congressman Tom Davis, welcome to Our Town. Tom Davis: Andy, it's great to retire from my life of quiet anonymity to come on to your show. Andy Ockershausen: Tom, I can't tell you Tom, how much I miss you and seeing your career and being a part of your life, whether you like it or not, WMAL was because- Tom Davis: Absolutely. Andy Ockershausen: And I was involved with the Alexandria Group there and the good old days when we elected people, but you can't get a Republican elected in Alexandria now with a search warrant. But Tom, you've done so well. 14 years in Congress? Tom Davis - 29 Years of Public Service | Former United States Congressman and Fairfax County Board Member Tom Davis: Right, and I was 15 years on the County Board in Fairfax before that. Andy Ockershausen: You were? That's 29. That's half your life. Tom Davis: 29. Yeah, I know. Well it was more than half- Andy Ockershausen: The Arlington County board? Tom Davis: I mean, less than half my life now. Andy Ockershausen: That was the ABC guy? Tom Davis: No, this was the Fairfax County. Andy Ockershausen: Oh, Fairfax County? Tom Davis: Yeah, yeah. Andy Ockershausen: I remember my friend Bob Peck was on the Arlington Board for a while. Reminiscing - Local Political Races Tom Davis: Oh my goodness. I remember all those races, because I grew up on those races in Arlington. Andy Ockershausen: You're an Arlington guy, right? Tom Davis: In Arlington, yeah. I remember Hal Casto. Do you remember Hal Casto? He was on the Board. Andy Ockershausen: Very well. I remember the name. Tom Davis: Ned Thomas, they owned the cemetery. He was on the County Board. Andy Ockershausen: The cemetery? He lived on the cemetery? Tom Davis: He did. He did. Andy Ockershausen: He and his wife lived on a cemetery? The Cemetery Story Tom Davis: In fact, we ran a registration drive there one year on the cemetery, and we get to this really old tombstone to get it appropriately registered and we couldn't read the name. We're putting the flashlight on. We're trying to put a paper over it and engrave it, and figure out what's the name. Somebody comes and says, "Davis, we gotta get outta here. The cops are going to be here in a few minutes." I said, "Wait a minute. This man has just as much right to vote as everybody else in here." Andy Ockershausen: He's one of us, the good Republican. You couldn't find one now with a search warrant, I'll guarantee you. Tom, but you're a local guy. You grew up in Arlington. Tom Davis: Right. Andy Ockershausen: And that's a big part of your life is Northern Virginia. It's been there your whole life, your whole college career was in Northern Virginia. On Growing Up | Family and Education | Full Scholarship to Amerherst Tom Davis: Except for army, college, and basically law school. Yeah, that's it. Andy Ockershausen: Where was college? Tom Davis: Amherst, in Massachusetts. Andy Ockershausen: Amherst, a good school. Wow! Tom Davis: They gave me a full scholarship. It was not a hard choice. Andy Ockershausen: Amherst is one of the schools for the, you know, the silver spoon. Tom Davis: I was lucky.