By Wayne Trotter, The Tecumseh Countrywide News

Dr. Johnny Roy knows that politics is “a risky business” and understands that “there’s nothing in it for me.”

But neither of those potential roadblocks kept the Edmond surgeon from throwing his hat in a crowded Fifth District Republican congressional field that already contains Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin, Corporation Commissioner Denise Bode, Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett and two state representatives, Fred Morgan and Kevin Calvey.

“I’ve always been politically oriented,” explained the Baghdad-born naturalized American citizen.

“I’m a surgeon. I’m a physician. I was professor at the University of Oklahoma for 21 years but politics has been my avocation even though medicine is my vocation.

“I look at what’s happening. I look at the country and it’s on the wrong track. I’m an immigrant for 40 years in this country and I’m blessed. I’m a very successful physician. I’ve reached my peak and I want to give back something for this country.”

Running for public office will “disrupt my calm lifestyle” and cut his income in half, Dr. Roy acknowledges, but he wants to do it anyway. He says he goes to Washington quite often to lobby “and I see what’s happening to this country. There are so many pressing issues and we waste our time with the minutia.”

He said he recently learned that only about 1 percent of the nation’s lawmakers are doctors. The leading profession in politics? “You guessed it,” he said, confirming that the answer is lawyers.

“Our leaders say we should not be addicted to foreign oil,” Roy observed. “Why are we reacting? Why don’t we act?

“Henry Ford ran his first Model T on ethanol. Brazil, which is no match for us, has three-fourths of its cars running on ethanol. Why can’t we have a good battery? We walk on the moon. We can have a good battery.”

Dr. Roy said health care is broken in the United States. Some people here get the best health care in the world but some get the worst. “I’m not saying we should do rationing but we should emphasize prevention.”

He said the most common ailment in the United States is obesity “and that’s what’s running up our health care.”

Roy, who at 68 is chief of surgery at Edmond Medical Center, said the U.S.A. must begin emphasizing primary care. “All countries in the world which emphasize primary care have low, low health care budgets. Our culture has demanded a Cadillac for everything. That cannot be. It just cannot be.”

He cited statistics showing the budget for health care in America is at the 20 percent level. “If we continue at this rate, in 70 years the whole budget would be consumed by health care and there will be nothing left for defense and other issues.”

Before throwing his hat in the ring to succeed Rep. Ernest Istook who is stepping down as congressman to run for governor, Roy said he talked to supporters who told him “name recognition is great but grassroots beats it.” He said poll after poll shows people are sick of politicians. “People want to see an average person,” he said. “Politicians are recycling themselves and going from job to job.”

He said many members of Congress are “nothing but brokerage firms for big companies” and maintained that the people are “sick of politicians.” He said he has supported Morgan and Fallin in the past but term limits are needed.

“I will notarize a pledge to serve three two-year terms and come home,” he said. “Running for office is not a career. It’s a service to the country and that’s how the Founding Fathers wanted it.”

Many of his opponents, he said, are career politicians. “They are honorable politicians but they are career politicians. The public wants someone to go there, do the job and come back.”

In addition to Republicans who have announced for the open congressional seat, three Democrats are seeking the post. They are Patricia Presley, the Oklahoma County court clerk, Bert Smith, a math teacher in Oklahoma City and David Hunter, another Edmond physician.

The first primary will be July 25 with a runoff on August 22. The general election will be Nov. 7.