The more public and serious our relationship got, the less intimidated I felt, but constituents and voters still frequently mistake me for a staffer, and sometimes I’m not sure I’m not one myself. It was quite common, early on in South Bend, that someone would slickly hand me a card and say, “I know Pete’s probably really busy, but let’s get our offices to connect on this.” I’d look at their card and smile. “Would you like for me to get this to Pete’s office?” Landing a comeback that lets someone know you’re the husband, not the body man, is a feat in conversational agility.
