[Rhodes22-list] Politics

[Brad Haslett]

Just found out today that one of our members at the Memphis Center for Peace
and Prosperity  "think tank" otherwise known as RP Tracks Bar and Grill
(Bob, you met this guy) died this week.  Bob Kellet worked on several
Clinton gubernatorial campaigns in the 80's and was active in Democratic
politics here in Shelby County.  His eyesight failed him several years ago
and I gave him rides (as well as lots of others) to/from Tracks so we could
dog-cuss each other over politics. We came to a gentleman's agreement to
agree to disagree over politics a long time ago.  One barrier you didn't
cross was to speak ill of the St. Louis Cardinals.  There is a memorial
scheduled at the sandwich shop next to his old office on Friday  (you'd have
to have known the guy to understand).  I'll be there.  Brad

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Long time *Commercial Appeal* reporter and former Little Rock bureau chief
(remember when the *CA* had regional bureaus?) Bob Kellett passed
away<http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jan/04/ex-newsman-loved-politics-and-baseball/http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2008/jan/04/ex-newsman-loved-politics-and-baseball/>Thursday
morning. He died at his present job with State Senator Jim Kyles.

He is remembered by the *CA*:

But his real love was politics, whether writing about it or just soaking it
in.

"He knew all of the major political figures in Tennessee and what they were
involved in," said CA reporter Jimmie Covington, who worked with Mr. Kellett
at the newspaper. "At the time, he was one of the most knowledgeable people
in the state about Tennessee politics. He knew what was going on behind the
scenes in addition to what was happening in public."

Added Sullivan: "If you wanted to say something in public, or you had an
idea and wanted to see how that would resonate for folks ... Bob would be
able to tell you pretty quickly. He had a real knack for reading the
temperature of people's reactions to things that were said. ... He was
really living and breathing politics."

That love of politics led him to work for Kyle for much of the last decade,
helping the senator with his writing as well as working with constituents.

"I did not have an opponent in the last election, and I think it was in
large part because of my constituent services," Kyle said. "Bob was a big
part of that."

If Mr. Kellett had another love, Sullivan said, it was baseball, especially
the St. Louis Cardinals.

"He liked to go to pubs, have a beer and watch baseball," Sullivan said. "I
think he missed his calling as a sports announcer. If you missed a home run
by Albert Pujols, you'd ask Bob. He'd not only describe it, he'd make you
smell the popcorn in the stands."


He left no family. Burial arrangements were not yet made.