Okay, I was made a fool of by a congressman.

That was two weeks ago, when current Eighth District Congressman Rep. Brad Ellsworth came to Washington, a day before he announced his candidacy in Evansville for the U.S. Senate.

By the time he announced that Friday morning at the C.K. Newsome Community Center in Evansville, my story was done (about 16 hours earlier), with the headline “Ellsworth mum on Senate.”

What timing, Brad.

But the thing was, even though Ellsworth was not saying it, I knew.

I knew it as soon as I talked with Ellsworth that he was running. After the meeting, the media types were shuttled into a room to speak with Ellsworth for a few minutes where we got to ask a few questions.

As soon as he told me, “I think I can win,” when he was mentioning talking with state leaders, I knew.

Although I have not asked, Mark Brochin with WWBL-FM ,who was also doing the interview with me, probably knew he was running. Mary Beth Schneider of the Indianapolis Star said he was, so it must be true?

But no, we got a shrug and the line: “If it hits me, I’ll say if off the bat.”

No, Brad, you didn’t. You knew. State Democrats knew. Everyone in the room knew. The only guy who didn’t know was a blind guy in the audience and even he had an inkling when he asked you not to run and let Baron Hill do it.

I know I’m not with the Washington Post, Politico.com, the Huffington Post or even Mad Magazine, but here’s how it should have gone down:

Ellsworth: “Uhh Nate, I know you have been good to me. You always treated me fair and called me when I couldn’t get the AM radio guy from Vermillion County. You can’t use this yet, but I am going to run for Senate.”

Me: “Okay Brad, pretty much everyone knows but I will do you the courtesy, just like any other political candidate I work with. So, I won’t put it up until you announce so the Evansville event will be the first.”

Or...

Ellsworth: “Uhh Nate, I haven’t made a decision but you should keep your ears open to what I say in Evansville tomorrow... Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.”

Me: “Okay Brad, thanks for the heads up. So, if I wrote that you are going to run for our AFTERNOON newspaper on Friday, that would be cool?”

Ellsworth: “Uhh... Yeah Nate. Also, Trent Van Haaften’s people now have your e-mail address and you will get press releases from them a couple hours after I announce.”

But that’s not how it went. I got a non-denial denial. A “cannot confirm or deny” type of answer.

I guess I could’ve been a real vulture and said you were running even though I didn’t have proof. Then, if you didn’t announce that Friday, I would have looked like an idiot and a liar, not just a fool on that particular day.

I don’t think I was lied to necessarily. I just didn’t get the whole truth. So, I am not really all that mad. It’s like NASCAR, you don’t hit another car, you “bump draft” or “rub” the other car.

I tell local decision makers here something I learned in college: You can either talk to me or not talk to me. Just don’t lie to me.

So Brad, you owe me one.

Here’s how. My grandmother is a big Ellsworth fan and calls him “Congressman Hunky.”

So, there should be a picture with the following words: “To Granny, from ‘Congressman Hunky,’ Brad Ellsworth.”

That would be about even.

n Nate Smith does whatever he can to take care of his Granny. She cuts out his stories. E-mail him at nsmith@washtimesherald.com