Friday, October 17, 2008

Simpson hits Esquire pages

Congressman makes Top 10 list

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By GREGORY FOLEY
Express Staff Writer

Mike Simpson

Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson, a Republican from Blackfoot who represents the state's 2nd Congressional District, has earned a spot on a list of the top 10 most principled and committed members of the U.S. Congress. The list is published in this month's edition of Esquire magazine.

"More than any other representative, Simpson lives by the philosophy that democratic representation is a matter of finding not advantageous positions but common ground; not of manning the ramparts but of parleying to prevent war," the Esquire article states. "Has another member of his party ever joined the ACLU for a fact-finding spell? Has any made a habit of meeting with conservationists to learn their wants and fears? Do any work as he does to temper partisanship in the name of progress? None that we could uncover. His constituents reap the benefits."

The 2nd Congressional District represented by Simpson ranges across the southeastern part of the state, and includes Blaine County. Simpson is running for re-election to a sixth term against Democratic challenger Debbie Holmes.

The other nine members of Congress who made the Esquire list are: Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.; Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.; Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.; Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo.; Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.; Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Me.; Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala.; and Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.

Esquire also composed a list of the top 10 worst members of Congress. That list is composed of Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn.; Sen Ted Stevens, R-Alaska; Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.; Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.; Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas; Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif.; Rep. William Jefferson, D-La.; Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa; Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif.; and Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa..

To read more, visit www.esquire.com.