In my wildest imagination, I never thought that the fifth of six children born to Helen and Buddy Watts - in a poor black neighborhood, in the poor rural community of Eufaula, Oklahoma - would someday be called Congressman.

Republicans think that the NAACP is the only voice in the black community. It is a voice in the black community. But it's not the only voice.

My views on everything from welfare to a balanced budget to affirmative action can be traced to what Buddy and Helen Watts taught me as a young boy growing up poor but proud in Eufaula.

I'm not one that believes that affirmative action should be based on one's skin color or one's gender, I think it should be done based on one's need, because I think if you are from a poor white community, I think that poor white kid needs a scholarship just as badly as a poor black kid.

In addition, there is one title I cherish a great deal more than Congressman and that is the title of... Dad.

We would like to keep the sanctity of our neighborhood as it is -- rural.