It should be easy being green

Regardless of political party, I've always admired principled candidates — no, that's not an oxymoron — who display integrity.

And to me, integrity is meaning what you say, having the courage of your convictions whatever the consequences.

And while this is not a political endorsement, Tim Michels gets my support for that.

The U.S. Senate candidate and former Airborne Ranger infantryman recently issued a statement saying that, "If called, I will serve."

He was, of course, responding to the Army's announcement in June that it will begin notifying more than 5,600 Individual Ready Reservists that they are being involuntarily recalled to active duty and could be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan as early as this fall. All will be kept on active duty for at least 18 months but not longer than two years. The first formal notifications were to arrive in mailboxes June 29.

"I am one of those eligible to be called up for service, and if called, I will serve," said Michels, vice president of Michels Corp., Brownsville. "We will be awaiting a mailgram."

Michels, who was to be discharged Aug. 1, said the timing of the announcement — "here we are, in the middle of a campaign for the U.S. Senate" — couldn't be more inconvenient. Michels, state Sen. Robert Welch and car dealer Russ Darrow are on the ballot for the Sept. 14 GOP primary, with the top vote getter challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold this fall.

Yet, Michels said he is proud to serve and make good on his commitment to do so.

"I think I'm well trained to serve," he said. "I was raised to believe that military duty is a great honor, and I always wanted to serve my country."

And he's always fully supported the war effort, which he said will lead to a democratic government in Iraq and an end to "rape rooms" and a regime that used chemical warfare on millions of its own people.

"Those are the things I wanted to fight for," he said.

Nevertheless, getting called to action would make for some tense times.

"It's just human nature to be concerned and a little bit nervous," Michels said.

But if he is called, he said he'll rely on the support of his family to get by.

"We'll see what tomorrow brings," he said, "but I know that if I am called, my family will make do just as other families have, and that our ex-tended family and friends will be there for them."