Mr. Nobody

One person who gets calls from Simpson is Harry Tanner, the executive director of the Dallas Breakfast Group and point man for the city's most influential CEOs.

Simpson is not a member of the Breakfast Group, and he probably won't be getting an invitation to sit at their table anytime soon. When asked if he thinks Simpson qualifies as a city father, Tanner breaks out in a deep, raspy laugh.

"It's pretty hard to do at his age," Tanner says. "Let me put it this way: If you know where I come from, and you know we haven't worked together on any projects, make your own conclusions.