It's not easy to fluster an experienced politician, but I think 17-year-old James Zlomke did a pretty good job of it last Tuesday when Ben Nelson was in town.

Like his brothers before him, James received his Eagle Scout award from Sen. Nelson, who attained the Eagle rank himself while growing up in Mc-Cook.

Everything was prim and proper for the first part of the ceremony, with Ben and James' father, John, telling about how all three Zlomke boys, Justin, Jordan and James, had achieved the Eagle Scout rank.

But, at the end of the ceremony, James caught everyone off guard, including the senator, when he raised his arm into the sky, and yelled, "NEXT TIME: NELSON FOR PRESIDENT!"

The crowd broke into cheers and applause while the usually composed Nelson blushed and fumbled for words.

"That was a first," the senator said when he finally was able to speak. "It caught me completely off guard."

There's a Senate contest to complete first, but maybe James is on to something. We've had governors and senators from McCook, so why not have one of us make a run for president, too?

And, if it happens to be Ben, who better than the new Eagle Scout, James Zlomke, to join the campaign team?

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The co-publisher of the Imperial Republican, Russ Pankonin, called with a great suggestion earlier this month.

After trying to watch a state cross-country meet in Kearney, Russ phoned me in frustration, saying, "Why don't you guys in McCook put in a bid to host the state cross-country meet?"

Russ made the plea because, in his opinion, there is no place in the state better to watch a cross country meet than Heritage Hills Golf Course on the western edge of McCook.

What impresses Russ is that parents, coaches and other spectators can stand on the Heritage Hills driving range and watch all phases of the cross country competition unfold on the back nine of the course.

It's like a panorama of athletic competition, with the action taking place on the same majestic venue as the popular golfing "horse race" during the John Mullen Pro-Am.

Yes, it's true that McCook is not in the center of the state, but neither are Lincoln and Omaha and they seem to get quite a few state meets.

So let's follow up on Russ's suggestion. It would be good for McCook, since there would be a lot of motel rooms rented, meals eaten and gas pumped.

But, most important, cross country followers would have the best place in the state to watch a cross country meet.

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You may already know the answer, but I am going to pose the question anyway. It was raised last week at a training session hosted by the Nebraska Investment Finance Authority for members of the McCook Economic Development Corp. and the McCook Housing Task Force.

OK, here's the question: "What creature has survived longer than any other on the face of the earth?"

I don't know if this is right or not, but the consultant, Yvonne Norton Leung, claimed it was.

Even before she unveiled the alleged answer, several members of the audience had already piped up: "It's the cockroach."

Come on now. Is that really true? I posed the question in the Gazette newsroom, and, of course, those smarties knew the answer right off, although they posed the question in a different way.

"What would be the only creature to survive an all-out nuclear attack?"

Again came the answer: the cockroach.

As for me, I'm still skeptical because I don't know the source of the research.

But, if I don't miss my guess, it was one of those Roach Scholars, or whatever it is you call those guys with all the brains.