Age jokes grow old for Putnam

By JOHN BALZ

© St. Petersburg Times, published January 4, 2001

One in an occasional visit with new U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam.

WASHINGTON -- Walking into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday morning, Adam Putnam was stopped at the entrance by a police officer. The guard stared hard at a button on Putnam's suit lapel, signifying his identity as a member of Congress.

"Are you a member?" the officer asked in disbelief.

And with that abrupt affront, the 26-year-old Bartow Republican was officially welcomed to the House of Representatives.

"He thought I'd stolen it or something," Putnam said.

Despite the rough start, the 107th Congress' youngest member spent his first day like the rest of the 40 House freshmen, scrambling to move into a new office, electing a speaker and getting sworn in.

Putnam arrives in Washington after serving two terms in the Florida Legislature and defeating a Democrat twice his age. He assumes the 12th District seat formerly held by Charles Canady, for whom Putnam worked as an intern five years ago.

Wednesday, Putnam, the son of a prominent Polk County ranching family, was just trying to keep the traffic moving smoothly in his fifth-floor office in the Cannon House Office Building. His office is next to that of Tom Osborne, legendary University of Nebraska football coach, also a House freshman.

Putnam's family, TV crews, new staffers and well-wishers munched on Florida oranges and waded among a sea of cardboard boxes as they greeted the new congressman.

Putnam himself barely had time to peel an orange before he rushed off to a swearing-in ceremony that resembled a college graduation, with plenty of flashbulbs, small children in their Sunday best and proud relatives. Although Putnam has already taken part in two similar ceremonies in Tallahassee, he said he got butterflies taking the oath.

"When you walk into that chamber and you step on the same places where James K. Polk was and Abraham Lincoln was and Martin Van Buren was, you think about that," he said.

And then it was down to business. The first task was to pick a speaker, and when called upon, Putnam promptly responded with "Hastert," a vote for the Illinois Republican and current House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

With his smooth, rosy cheeks and fresh-cut red hair, Putnam's youth is always and immediately noticed. The U.S. Constitution requires that House members be at least 25.

"I kind of like it," he said. "You've got 435 members with a freshman class of 41 and right out of the box it's one way of being known."

Two middle-age men joked with Putnam about Putnam needing to show some identification to get into the building and whether he could buy beer yet. It was clear such jokes were wearing thin.

"The only annoying part is when somebody says an age joke and it's the 50th time that day you've heard it," he said. "They think they're the only one smart enough to come up with that."

Recent coverage

Age, experience at forefront of 12th District race (September 3, 2000)

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