By Richard Engle

There was a famous slave revolt in ancient Rome lead by a man named Spartacus. When trapped by the legion, the rebels were purportedly given the option to return to their homes if they would only turn over their leader.

It is said that rather than turn over their beloved mentor, the men began to cry out their affinity for him with the phrase, "I am Spartacus."

They intended to protect him by sacrificing themselves. As the crowd grew in its chant of mis-identification, it became clear that they were aspiring to a moniker they wished were true.

There is another leader, already captured and killed by the tyrants. Few are willing to identify themselves with this man, but I do. The press said he was a failure, controversial, and a criminal. He was all he desired to be. He was the best friend I ever had.

After his funeral a couple of people came to me bemoaning that others called themselves his best friend, as they were convinced that such was a title that belonged rightfully to me. I instantly corrected them. I never claimed to be his best friend, only that he was mine.

I met Tim Pope while he served in the state legislature as a valued leader in the Republican caucus. A whirlwind of a man, he would put his hand to any plow and pull with all his might. Ask him a question, and he would find the answer. He never said, "I don't know" or "call so-and-so." He would respond, "Let me find out for you," or more often, "Let me do that for you." I tried to help his campaign for congress to no avail, but my efforts resulted in his undying gratitude.

My wife, Denise, later decided to challenge Opio Toure for the statehouse. Toure was a radical black activist, former Black Panther, and attorney to the former Socialist Party candidate for Vice President. Denise could not stand by while that man went unchallenged for public office. Everyone knew it was a lost cause. The district was overwhelmingly black and Democrat. A Republican was never known to garner more than a few percentage points in that district. Nobody believed she would win, though she threw herself into the race with victory as her goal. Nobody thought she could win, nobody but Tim Pope.

Tim worked so hard on her campaign that we realized it would be best to give him a key to our home, transformed into a campaign headquarters, so he could work when even the candidate and her family could not. Due to his herculean efforts, Denise garnered more votes than any Republican before or since in that district.

Not long after that we moved back to Bethany where we had aged family members who would benefit from our proximity. Upon moving in I was approached by the son of the previous Mayor to run for city council. Despite the apparent carpet bagging I ran, and with the assistance of Tim Pope, I won. I didn't have to ask for his help. All I did is suggest that I needed some information and Tim was there with every imaginable assistance.

Years later after two successful terms on the Council, I moved again, a few miles west and across the county line into Canadian County where Tim lived. I presumed he would be familiar with the area so I asked him a few questions. In response, Tim moved us into our new home, and then introduced me to people from throughout the county.

For Tim, a question was an opportunity for activism. I found out that he treated everyone the same way. Everything was about helping people. Everything was about doing what he knew was good. Every candidate who asked a question of this veteran of Oklahoma politics found a volunteer campaign manager. Every citizen who asked a question of this government person found an ombudsman who would cut through the red tape and find a solution.

You wouldn't want to cross Tim. This really meant that you wouldn't want to cross one of his friends. Tim went to bat for his friends no matter what it would cost him. In one case it cost him his life. Tim went to bat for his friend, Brent Rinehart. Tim broke only one law so far as I know. When he plead guilty to a misdemeanor he committed perjury. As Vice President of OKRA-PAC I knew that Tim was physically incapable of committing the crime he was accused of. Drew Edmondson dragged the litigation out to destroy Tim, as my testimony was sure to destroy the case.

After Tim passed, political leaders have publically spoken about the lack of consultants available to candidates. Tim would have helped a dozen of more in an election cycle, seldom for more than the verbal thanks of the candidate. That's all he ever got from me.

After Tim passed I began to get phone calls from bewildered candidates from hither and yon. They don't know what to do; they don't know how to run. They need someone to jump in and help like Tim Pope was always known to do. I've even received calls from citizens who were trying to assuage the Kafka-esque bureaucracy of our cities, counties, school districts and state. Tim would always help, where do they turn now?

Can I cry out to the tyrants, "I am Tim Pope?" I want to. All that is in me hungers to be a man who will jump at every opportunity to be of assistance to whoever calls. I am younger than he was, but I don't know if I have the energy, or the personal skills to do it, but I will try.

Will you?

Richard Engle is the Vice President of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC), President of BellWest America and lives on a farm south of Mustang, OK. He may be reached 405-789-9350 or by email at: engle@flash.net