“I’m going to seek the nomination Saturday at the convention and I truly believe I will win it.”

That’s Stephen Williams, rural Brownsdale farmer, describing his chances of receiving the U.S. Senate nomination at Saturday’s Independence Party convention.

Party members will conven from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday for the

State Party Endorsing Convention for the U.S. Senate endorsement at the

Bloomington Civic Plaza.

There are others seeking the nomination, but Williams, owner of Honey Tree Farm, thinks he has an edge.

To understand that edge one has only to compare platforms.

The Independ-ence Party’s platform focuses on 4 main issues: Health care, Education, Environment and Transportation.

It’s not that Williams disagrees those are the 4 main issues. It’s what his observations say. They are an extrapolation like the kernels on the ear of the corn.

In Williams’ opinion, his stances on the issues differ in both their tone and their substance.

For instance, consider even the titles of his issue statements.

One example is, “Health care and economic justice for all.”

Is Williams speaking of one issue or the other or both?

“We impose the cost of Social Security, Medicare and the world’s most expensive health care system on American workers and expect them to compete in a global market place,” Williams said. “This is economic insanity.

“We are penalizing American workers and giving foreign producers a tremendous cost advantage by doing this,” Williams said.

“We can correct this imbalance by nationalizing health insurance, eliminating payroll taxes and paying for these social costs with a national sales tax,” he said. “The benefits of this plan would be huge.”

Another example of Williams’ penchant for “thinking outside the box” is his boldness and candor.

Or as he calls it “Waste not, want not” sounds like an environmental impact statement, but its more than that.

Proof of this comes from examining the candidate up close.

He’s a talented nature photographer who has more pictures of flowers and plants on his web site than of himself.

An online visit to Williams’ Web site — www.prairiefireusa.com — reveals an invitation or a challenge. “Time for a Prairie Fire,” it reads.

“In the management of a prairie, fire is used to renew and reinvigorate the prairie,” Williams said. “A fire will burn off the dead old growth and kill off the weeds that are choking the life out of the prairie.

“It is my opinion that there is a lot of old growth and weeds that need burning, in our government and in our major political parties,” he said. “For example, the old growth of laws that are ineffective and just transfer problems to the future, and the weeds of special interest groups who buy political favors at the expense of the nation.

“In my campaign I will be proposing essential changes to our economic, tax, health care and welfare systems,” the candidate said.

Sometime Saturday afternoon at Bloomington, the man still best known for his sweet corn in Mower County will address the Independence Party endorsing convention on the issues.

Delegates are advised to pay close attention: He promises it won’t sound anything like the other candidates’ messages.

Expect plenty of prairie fire and brimstone from this politician.