A few months ago, Bettie Balser wrote a letter to Gov. Mitch Daniels commending him for being the best governor since Otis Bowen. She wrote that she would buy Daniels a meal if he ever came to Anderson.

On Saturday, Daniels made good on the offer and had breakfast with Balser, 87, at Perkins Restaurant, 5033 Scatterfield Road. Typically, the governor rides his motorcycle around Indiana on Saturdays and pulled into Perkins about 8 a.m.

It turned to be a small meeting of Republicans.

Daniels’ representatives had told Balser she could invite a friend.

Other acquiantances were busy, so Balser called Anita Smith, wife of ex-mayor Kevin Smith, to join the breakfast. During Smith’s term, Balser visited his office to see if he could fight the dealing of drugs that Balser had seen on a westside city street.

The Smiths took the place Saturday morning of Balser’s husband, Billie, who couldn’t make the breakfast.

Balser said, “He’s getting surgery on his knee. Besides he’s a die-hard Democrat, so I don’t know if he would have gone if he could, but I keep working on him.”