by Jim Tankersley
Lonely Planet he’s not, but one of Illinois’ rookie congressmen is doling out free sightseeing advice to anyone who drops in to see his new digs.
Republican Rep. Peter Roskam, who last fall won the right to replace retiring Rep. Henry Hyde, has decked the entry to his Capitol Hill office with white double-sided brochures advertising “Congressman Peter Roskam’s favorite Top Ten spots for your Washington D.C. visit.”
In keeping with Roskam’s fiscally conservative credentials (and, to be fair, the general spirit of tourist attractions in Washington), everything on the list is free to enter. Among the highlights, with Roskam’s commentary:
No. 3, The Library of Congress: “The beauty of the Great Hall will take your breath away and rivals anything you’ve seen in Europe.”
No. 5, Union Station: “This is where Jimmy Stewart gets his first glimpse of the Capitol Dome in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.”
No. 7, National Archives: “Did you see National Treasure with Nicholas Cage? This is the scene of the ‘crime’.”
Rounding out the attractions are the Supreme Court, the National Gallery of Art, Ford’s Theater, the Old Post Office, the National Cathedral and (in case you’re itching to spend money somewhere), the House of Representatives Gift Shop.
No. 1 on the list? A cramped string of rooms on the fifth floor of the Cannon House Office Building. That’s right - Roskam’s office.
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Comments
Frank,
By writing about a Republican Bruce/JFK Democrat will no longer have a reason for being.
Thank you.
Posted by: Doug Zook | June 8, 2007 11:47 AM
I'd also encourage visitors to go to the Library of Congress where you can view transcripts of Congressional floor speeches and Amendments to spending bills from September and October 1993 when the Republican Party believed you could have 535 Commanders-In-Chief. Many Republics wanted to cut off funding for Military missions and set a date for withdrawel from Somalia. If you aren't traveling to D.C., of course you can just go to the Library of Congress website and search the THOMAS database during those periods of debate.
Posted by: jethro | June 8, 2007 12:01 PM
Well, at least when Roskam is in DC, he's not back here chasing ambulances.
Posted by: weinerdog43 | June 8, 2007 1:24 PM