00:00:10.240 - 00:01:20.950

mhm. Mhm. Yeah, right. Yeah. Dave, you're such a beautiful child. What happened? You know, it's been some time now since we last saw you around the press center and clogging down the hallways of the capital. But your presence is not soon forgotten. And now, on your 40th birthday, let's take a look back at the Dave Bruns legacy.

00:01:22.140 - 00:01:50.480

Remember when? No. No, they didn't want to be. Not only they know that they don't know. They no longer do. They know that. They don't know. They don't know. They don't. They don't. They don't. They don't. They don't. They don't. They don't. They don't. They don't.

00:01:51.790 - 00:02:48.070

They don't. They don't. They don't They? Mm. Mhm. Dave, what's your reaction to the governor's departure? Given his cordial relations with the press corps? Well, I think the governor has been more successful, probably than any other governor that I can certainly think of and manipulating the press corps and projecting a, uh, jovial, friendly image that we've all come to know and love.

00:02:48.070 - 00:03:02.690

I mean, it says at all that the press course nickname for the man is Bobo. Now, let's talk a little bit more seriously here. I mean, After all, this man did publicly humiliate you with the Miami vice story that he sent your reporters running around town on.

00:03:02.690 - 00:03:21.560

How can you feel so jovial? Well, look, I don't want to talk about that. I don't want to get into that's all beyond us now. My motto is live and let, uh, live. But Dave didn't grant make you look like a fool? A jackass? Look, I don't want to get into that right now.

00:03:22.340 - 00:03:39.650

Weren't you just his pawn, His play thing? A boy? I know what I'm talking about it anymore. Everybody keeps running around here accusing me of being a wild and alright fanatic, but I don't want to hear it anymore. Get the cocksucker out of town before I kill him.

00:03:40.740 - 00:04:10.050

Thank you, Dave. You're welcome. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Tallahassee Democrat for requiring Dave to cancel as an NRA membership. As you've probably already seen, Dave sometimes behaves like a sicko gun nut that the media is constantly ratchet jawing about. And that being the case, we really don't want that kind of person in our fine organization.

00:04:11.940 - 00:04:41.260

Happy Birthday Day, Dave. You've got Jr and Trigger and I know your life is complete. You spend the morning shoveling horse manure, the evening shoveling horse manure, and during the day you're writing editorials for the Tallahassee Democrat. Happy birthday, old man. Dave Bruns. Well, the cognizant around here remember, Dave is the only guy who ever went from the Tower of Power to the Temple of Doom.

00:04:42.040 - 00:05:02.950

40. I can hardly believe it, but seriously, David, have a happy birthday. I do have one question. I wonder why Linda keeps referring to all the problems she's having with her horse's ass. Could you clarify that? Dave? Dave, you're turning 40. What do I say? I have to call you an old geezer occasionally.

00:05:04.140 - 00:05:20.450

Let's see. Dave. Well, you can really talk. I must admit, I don't know anyone who could talk and talk and talk as much and as detailed and excruciatingly detailed. I got to give you a little bit of shit about this date about guns and the Civil War.

00:05:21.040 - 00:05:41.560

I mean, I can't believe it. Sometimes, you know, I went out to dinner with Dave and Linda to celebrate her 40th birthday, and we were treated with a full regalia battle strategy. How they loaded the guns, the muskets, whatever you call those things. The seven reasons why God is a Yankee.

00:05:42.140 - 00:06:06.030

I'll never forget it. It went on to the appetizer, the main course and into the desert. So, Dave, just watch these tendencies as you get older. What else can I say? Happy birthday. Yeah, And when you took that job, I kind of kidded you about Well, I wasn't sure you had enough opinion, strong opinions to be an editorial writer.

00:06:06.030 - 00:06:22.860

And I'm not sure you even saw the humor then. But, hey, Dave, I think if I think you've found your place in life either that or a voice told you you're ready for T V. I think you're the with the next day. Barry, Dave the Redneck Scoop Bronze.

00:06:23.240 - 00:06:44.290

Absolutely the dumbest reporter in all of Tallahassee. I mean, let's face it, the guy had it made. He sits over there. He covers the legislature. He can use last year's articles. The issues haven't changed. The votes aren't going to change. And what's he do? Nothing screws up, gets transferred, I guess, are demoted out to the big house.

00:06:44.550 - 00:06:57.100

Now the boss can watch him. He's got to write real articles that have real truth in him. And he can have an affair with Lucy Doyle anymore. He's nothing but a screw up in the fuck up. I mean, let's be honest about it. The guy can't, right?

00:06:57.110 - 00:07:20.820

You can't read. He's not a Seminole. He doesn't believe in God, Apple pie or the Florida Legislature. So what the hell uses the around Tallahassee? So, yeah, it's typical. You know, the next thing you'll do is run for the Legislature and the speaker. With credentials like that, this picture of bronze with the rifle is classic Barney Fife.

00:07:20.820 - 00:07:32.850

They might let him hold the rifle, but they damn sure wouldn't give somebody like this a bullet. And too bad they didn't follow that same principle in his profession. I don't mind. I'm giving them a typewriter, but I hate it when they gave him the ribbon.

00:07:33.740 - 00:07:54.620

What kind of legacy has this guy left behind? Well, it made my beard turned white, which is why I shave it on the side. Now, Um, he's become a standard for, um, journalism schools in terms of teaching young people how not to research and write stories because, like like facts never bothered David.

00:07:54.620 - 00:08:09.750

I remember when we used to do the budget, he couldn't understand. The distinction between the total number and spending reserves were just something that just flummoxed David. And I think they probably still do you know this Billy Bob. Jim, Bob, spit tobacco. What did you think of that?

00:08:09.760 - 00:08:26.960

Back when I was writing that? Well, it was kind of interesting, because, um, he was the only multiple multiple syllable words in the Tallahassee Democrat. So, uh, you know, I thought it was kind of upscale intellectual for that newspaper. And for David back again to this picture does the guy looks like he's old enough to carry a gun.

00:08:26.970 - 00:08:37.210

I mean, well, he doesn't look like he's old enough to carry a gun, and it looks like I don't I'm not sure what this is right down here. It looks like maybe a little knife scabbard or something like that. But I noticed there's no knife in it.

00:08:37.220 - 00:08:48.640

And I assume his mom is packing a lunch in this little deal here on his hip. And it looks like you better sit down and eat his lunch before that weight of that rifle pulls him over face first. What does have to look forward to turning 40?

00:08:48.650 - 00:09:03.810

Well, actually, I would say Happy birthday, David. And, uh, you find out. I think that 40 in the years after, uh, aren't too bad at all. You can't run as fast. You can't jump as high. You can't stay as long doing anything but hell, you don't care anymore either.

00:09:03.810 - 00:09:20.960

So it's pretty comfortable. There is no legislative expression for that. This dog won't hide. Uh huh. What happened to Dave happens to all capital correspondents. When they get old, their legs give out, they send them to editorial department where they can't do a lot of harm.

00:09:22.140 - 00:09:45.760

Of course, we were very glad to get Dave because he looks like he does. I mean, his fellow who wears boots every day he drives a pickup truck, he's got a he's got a gun rack in the thing, and he's just perfect for us. Somebody comes in and say you folks an editorial apartment just too damn liberal.

00:09:46.440 - 00:10:17.960

We don't have to say anything. We just run Dave back. Bronze Bruns, Dave friends. You mean Bruyne's? Yeah. When I think of David Bruns turning 40 I feel it almost familial pride, having worked with him so long and frankly, never really liked him. But I have worked with him and generally got along with him.

00:10:18.340 - 00:10:47.390

When they first came to us, his clothes were Savile Row. His, uh, nails were buffed and polished, Uh, was beautifully quaffed, uh, spoke with a He was trying to suppress it even then, but a vague New England Harvard kind of Ivy League accent. And, uh, even though I was then with u P I and had no thought of working with a Democrat, I did kind of try to advise him that this was the South, that he he couldn't play the urbane sophisticate.

00:10:47.390 - 00:11:04.150

It, uh, that you have to suppress his natural impulses that way. And I advised him to loosen up a little bit and look a little more Southern. So he adopted this look, uh, which was a good first step. I thought he got rid of the tweets, the leather patches at the elbow.

00:11:04.150 - 00:11:25.710

He did keep the briar pipe for a long time, but I think Linda influenced him to quit. That, uh, I suggested that perhaps he developed a persona for his column that he tried cousin Billy, Jim, Joe Bob, uh, to, uh, adapt the regional pathway and suppress his own.

00:11:25.720 - 00:11:45.460

Uh, it lost the intellectual approach to the language he couldn't suppress. However, certain things like Cuba, uh, that that everyone knows comes from Gilbert and Sullivan. The Mercado, uh, it's Dave's Ivy League education showing through, uh, terms like Tower of Power, which frankly stole from me.

00:11:45.460 - 00:12:15.220

Of course. Uh, student of politics, which they've quickly adapted, considered himself. Uh, Governor Bobo was another one that he adapted in a vain attempt, Really? To, uh, to suppress his his intellectual plane and look more like a good old boy. Uh, several of the terms that, uh, he introduced to his column like, Mm, long pauses like that, I think, were attempts to look a little more folksy and more of the regular guy.

00:12:15.220 - 00:12:33.690

Unless the George Will William F. Buckley type the cowboy boots, of course. Or an affectation and phrases like you got that right. These are all things that I hope they've developed in an attempt to look a little less like just kind of a Harvard Yard hanger on.

00:12:33.690 - 00:12:58.180

I think I got to get this. I got more important things to do and talk about him. Yeah. Yeah. Dance. Oh, well, we were just talking about you. Funny. You should call. Uh huh. Hi Day. Just wanted to wish you a happy 40th birthday. Really? Didn't have a good a long enough time to get to know you here at the Bureau.

00:12:58.190 - 00:13:17.920

But of course, you can see that we miss you. We don't have any posters on the wall. We don't have any multiple phone calls or we don't have a lot of Dave's talking about the Civil War. But miss you anyway, Happy birthday. They don't mean any.

00:13:17.920 - 00:13:44.660

No, no, no. What? You need to know that they don't know what you need to know. A day is what it looks like. 16 years old. Version of Vicky. Yeah, that's what he was like as Abbas. Pretty much so. This picture does tell a story. Doesn't Oh, yeah, that's the way he looks every day when he comes to work.

00:13:45.340 - 00:14:21.470

Don't you think I'm going to tell you my lasting and fondest memory of working with Dave Bruns is covering the budget because for Dave runs, the budget is an orgasmic experience. It starts pastoral runs and I would meet in the bureau office very early in the morning and we head out walking up the hill and they're slowly building this crescendo of excitement and Qatar Al and I'd be trudging and bronze just talking about Oh, I just think we're going to do an H.

00:14:21.470 - 00:14:38.910

R s. I think what they're gonna do in education and we would trek up the hill, we would meet in P L 03 and in would come Martinez and Patty. And Bruns was ready to burst with excitement as they late all these numbers on us. Nothing nothing.

00:14:38.940 - 00:14:59.860

Compare us to bronze enthusiasm over the fucking budget. What about? Well, I covered budget with him, too, and he was enthusiastic. I Dave, he was the most terrible boss in the sweetest. Find the most wonderful bus that you can have. But we almost killed each other.

00:14:59.870 - 00:15:15.790

We had to come over here. Everybody remembers, would come over here and have scream outs in the small kind of every six months. Six months will be bloodline because he had his feet on my desk and have been using my phone. And there have been some stuff going on and I would let it all building.

00:15:15.790 - 00:15:34.560

Then we'd come over and scream, and then we'd go off friends again. I'll say this, though. As difficult as he was as my boss, he was far worse when I was his boss. That was a lot harder. We love you, Daddy. And we do love you.

00:15:34.560 - 00:15:53.660

Day. What do you say about a man who just turned 40? You say that if you want to know about anything relating to guns, anything relating to weaponry, anything relating to ammunition, you better not ask them unless you have a good day and a half to spend listening to more than you ever wanted to know.

00:15:54.340 - 00:16:14.450

If you ever want to know about Battle of Gettysburg, you better be prepared to spend a good three days hearing every move. Every generals move what they were wearing, what they had for breakfast, what their troops have for breakfast, what they wanted to have for breakfast, what they had in there weapons and how they fired him.

00:16:14.460 - 00:16:35.490

And by the time you're done, you'll have spent more than the battle took. So if you come back to to this story in 30 years, it will be a 70 year old Dave runs out there finding something to do. If it's adding a second deck to the fence, it's turning the barn into a condo at age 70 or age 80.

00:16:35.490 - 00:16:54.600

He'll still be up there banging away. He's 40. He's dead, isn't he? Hey, a bronze is dead, isn't he? What? He's an editorial writer for the Democrat. Well, that's as good as dead, isn't it? Dave? 40 years old. Unbelievable. Well, that brings to mind this something.

00:16:54.600 - 00:17:24.790

Now I know he's alive. Maybe it's time to warn the public. Charles Whitman, Richard Speck, Jeffrey Dahmer's John Wayne Gacy, Wayne Williams. Common denominator there with this man. They, too, as Children, played in this kind of outfit with these kinds of toys. Dave, the Democrat has a good employee assistance plan.

00:17:25.540 - 00:17:45.360

Get help before it's too late. Hey, you remember that scene in Deliverance? You know Burt Reynolds, Jon Voight, Ned Beatty up in the hills of some Southern town with the rednecks? Doesn't this guy look like one of the country? Fell? Gone? We we I think it is.

00:17:46.140 - 00:18:24.190

What? Well, well, louder. But that boy it's clean. Yeah, David, you've always been a student of history of the war between the states. I know you're familiar with Jackson's butter nuts and the fact that they sometimes could go on a forced march 40 45 miles. The best thing about those marches when they made them is that they usually came up upon the enemy in the right place.

00:18:24.190 - 00:18:58.620

And what I have here is a liquid compass, and it's got some instructions on it. And I thought maybe for your birthday present, I wanted to give you this maybe over my $2 limit. But, uh, it kind of says, But the one thing that you have to do is you would have to have this compass with you, you know, if you're going to go hunting, Uh, and you wanted to be able to use it now I've never needed anything like that myself and I've never been lost, got mixed up a day or so at a time.

00:18:58.620 - 00:19:27.100

And but I understand that. And maybe it's the age that you are beginning to have some some problems. And maybe I should have got a leash because I understand the dogs would run away from you sometimes too, you know, but carry this compass with you and recognize that 40 everything is downhill, and the first thing that goes will be your legs.

00:19:27.110 - 00:19:52.080

So, uh, be careful. Maybe don't go by yourself anymore and chart out the land. And with this compass and happy birthday, you know, he he has a pretty good evaluation in the legislature. And one thing I like. He always wore those Texas boots. Uh, and I was impressive.

00:19:52.080 - 00:20:07.130

You know, you can always shoot birds and quail hunting. He liked. He listened a lot to Billy Bob, and I don't know what you did, Dave. But you left Billy Bob when you left the halls of the legislature and you got you got canned into the editorial board and we never see anymore.

00:20:07.130 - 00:20:29.170

I don't know if you can survive it or not. Uh, 40th birthday, uh, might help you. Best wishes. Okay, run. Hey, Dave turned 40. You know, when you get to be that age, I guess you can use my car for the weekend. Or maybe you just want to hang around with your guns and have fun.

00:20:31.440 - 00:21:15.350

Mhm. Dave, I just have one question for you at the age of 40. Can you still get the tower of power up. Mhm? Uh huh. During my seven years, Attorney General, I have never held a press conference on an opinions request. In this case, the request is so unique and of such importance that I believe a press conference is in order.

00:21:17.540 - 00:21:47.770

The following attorney jails opinion is in response to request from this Linda Kleindienst. Dear Linda, you ask the following question. Do Florida statutes recognize the whites? Let me do that again, and you know it for many years. I do this a lot of times. Do Florida statutes recognize a wife's right to dump her 40 year old gun loving husband and take up with a young dude?

00:21:49.140 - 00:22:22.770

Common law recognizes at the age of 40 most men experience a decline in mental clarity, physical vitality and, above all, sexual ability. Granted, your husband was never especially noteworthy in any of those areas. Nevertheless, any diminishing of even the most paltry masculine attributes has has long been recognized as grounds for marital termination.

00:22:24.840 - 00:22:50.460

This position was recently codified in Florida law by passage of the frustrated woman married to old goats Relief Act. Accordingly, I answer your question in the affirmative And with that, I wish you good luck in pursuing the total satisfaction that you as a good person, sir, rightfully deserve.

00:22:51.340 - 00:23:13.960

Goodbye, David. You know, I look at this. I really think of David defending themselves in the last stages of a long going Tallahassee Democrat investigation stemming from the 1986 gubernatorial campaign about his double dipping being on the Democrat payroll on the pageant payroll all at the same time.

00:23:14.440 - 00:23:36.560

Dave, I hope you have a great, uh, 40th birthday, Many happy returns and many, many happy hours of hunting in the woods. Good grief. It's Jed Clampett. I know that being an editorial writer is akin to shooting the wounded. But, Dave, you're taking the job much too seriously.

00:23:39.140 - 00:23:52.420

You know, every time I have to plunk 50 cents in one of those stupid green Democrat machines in order to buy one of those little rags I say to myself, it's going to Dave. It's okay, because that four bits is going to day. That's the only thing that makes it possible.

00:23:53.540 - 00:24:17.650

Turning 40 while Dave. Too bad, huh? Things just don't start to work anymore. You know, 40 is not that old. If you're a tree, for example. 40 for human being you're getting on there, pal. One thing will always miss, though no matter how old he gets, day will always be a source of inspiration, Mirth and Billy Joe Bob Briggs, Whatever the hell his name is.

00:24:17.740 - 00:24:38.750

Calvin Tom. Harry Fred Jr. Bubba. Every time I see an expended cartridge lying on the ground every time I see a hit and run murder victim every time I see the video from Miami of some poor foreign schmuck being shot in the street, I think of David as calm, kind, crusading words on the seen use of guns.

00:24:38.760 - 00:25:13.850

I don't talk about it anymore. Everybody keeps running around here accusing me of being a wild and fanatic. But I don't want to hear it anymore. Get the cocksucker out of town before I kill him. Yo Bruns, here, right from the domes of power. Since I was well promoted to join the editorial department of the Tallahassee Democrat after almost winning a Pulitzer on the news side, I've come to realize one thing.

00:25:15.240 - 00:25:42.270

You can't have too many guns. It says so right here in the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. The way I look at it, the Second Amendment protects my right to exercise the First Amendment. You can't have too many guns. We have security right here at the Tallahassee Democrat.

00:25:42.940 - 00:26:02.670

Yeah, right. You never know who might bust into my office and try to punch out an editorial writer. That's why I keep a Mac 10 semi automatic handgun in the office. During season. I take my mighty Mactan home from the office to hunt squirrels and rabbits.

00:26:03.430 - 00:26:33.270

Linda loves those rabbits. When my guns at home, I wear a sword in the office. A lot of people think this sword is too short. Don't worry. The Second Amendment guarantees that I can have an extension sword. I'm not a violent person. But what happens if a bad guy a crazed letter writer from Kalar What about Claude Kirk?

00:26:33.840 - 00:26:56.170

What about that guy that used to be? Charlie reads flunking. What about if they come here? I don't want to hurt. Maybe just arrest. I'll make a citizen's arrest using my jaws of life risk plan. How'd you like to have those snapped around you, buddy? Thanks.

00:26:56.740 - 00:27:22.400

Yo, I gotta go. I can't spend all my time talking about weapons. I've got to go back writing those editorials. Rational, coherent, persuasive. Dave. Happy Birthday. The story behind the picture. Well, when David came to North Florida, he just felt he was back in his element again.

00:27:22.400 - 00:27:38.930

And he wanted to go out in the woods and find himself some prey. So he went out stalking turkey's dove quail, and all they did was sat there and they laughed at him as he walked by, said, We're not like Missouri. He didn't see any politicians.

00:27:39.190 - 00:27:58.860

Oh, he shot a lot of politicians in his time, regardless of what people say about your husband. But he's a prince of a fellow. And one thing I did want to say to him was that I have been waiting five long years to welcome him to the other side of the hill.

00:27:59.840 - 00:28:24.560

It's great on this side. We're not old. And we're just better. Yeah, Okay. Um I love you, David. Happy birthday. What's the scoop on this picture? What do you think about this thing? I think I think it looks pretty stupid. What do you think about these guns?

00:28:27.140 - 00:28:49.460

Yeah, and I think he's the number one dad in the whole wide world. I think he's really nice. And I love you forever and ever, even though he gets old and crippled and just a little basically, he's sort of getting bald on the top two. Not really like that.

00:28:49.840 - 00:29:07.160

And And the reason I think this picture was pretty dorky is because he doesn't have his glasses on. Yeah, well, you know, it's true. He was a bad shot. But I mean, can you think what kind of shot is now that he doesn't have his glasses on?

00:29:07.640 - 00:29:32.950

I think he looks pretty. I think he looks better with his class design, and I think he deserves than that all metal four before being the number one dad. And I think that he I can't believe you can't He gets used to my mom snoring a lot source.

00:29:32.950 - 00:29:46.560

So latte. Sometimes when I have nightmares, I have to sleep at the other end of the bed and I said, Dad, how can you get to sleep with all that going on? He said, Well, you get used to it once you stay down there for a little while.

00:29:48.440 - 00:30:38.850

So when I think about your dad turning 40. Is that old? Yeah, my mom looks pretty young, but she's and she's 44. And God, I just think he's a plain old wacky dad, like most of them are. Yeah, mhm.