View from the North 40: These guys are big in politics

For those people tired of elected officials fighting over trivial matters that have nothing to do with properly governing our country at federal, state and local levels, this saying offers some comfort: Everything must come to an end one day.

I am here today to assure you that today is not that day.

The New York Times reported Tuesday that on Jan. 14 New York City councilman from Brooklyn Robert Cornegy Jr. was recognized and officially certified by Guinness World Records as the tallest male politician in the entire world.

That’s right.

A strapping 6-foot 10-inches tall, Cornegy beat out the previous record holder, Sir Louis Gluckstein, a member of the British Parliament who was a mere 6-foot 7 ½-inches tall. Cornegy received his honor at a city hall ceremony Wednesday, The Associated Press said.

Cornegy, who played basketball professionally and for St. John’s University, said he first applied for the title with Guinness two years ago after a constituent told him “you have to be the tallest politician ever.”

So he actually looked into it. (I’m sure it was in his spare time and not at the government office.)

Game on, said former Ohio State and Chicago Bulls star Brad Sellers, mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio. Sellers contested the certification almost immediately, telling cleveland.com Wednesday that his phone had been “blowing up” about this preposterous claim by Cornegy.

Sellers went so far as to have his reported 7-foot tall height measured during a live Facebook broadcast Wednesday — in the interest of truth in politics, not to steal Cornegy’s thunder.

Not to be outdone, though, North Dakota Insurance Commissioner — and former basketball player for the University of Northern Iowa and the professional league in Germany — Jon Godfread also stepped into the limelight and said something like, “Wait just minute there, gentlemen. I am a 6-foot 11 ¾-inch tall elected official. I demand an official measurement recount.”

Well, maybe he didn’t make a demand, but I can tell you this: If any of these politicians, or even another freakishly tall elected official, decides to apply for this coveted title, he will have to adhere to Guinness’ rigorous standards.

The height measurement is taken by an approved professional three times in one day, at different times and while in different positions. The official height is the average of these three numbers.

The Times said Cornegy had to lie on the floor, thus relieving pressure on the vertebrae, for one measurement and the others were recoded while he was standing with his heels and shoulders against a wall.

“What I went through to get this measurement was borderline ridiculous,” Cornegy told Times reporter Jeffery C. Mays. “But I think it was worth it … .”

I’m sure the folks dealing with troubles in New York City low-rent boroughs and people in flood waters higher the tallest politician anywhere feel your pain, man.

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I wonder how many times they would wrap the earth if we laid out all the elected officials in the world end to end, or if we could make a ladder with them from the earth to the moon at http://www.facebook.com/viewfromthenorth40/.