Governor names John Barrasso as next U.S. senator

Local8News Idaho Falls ^ | June 22, 2007 | AP

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Casper surgeon and state Senator John Barrasso is going to Washington.

Governor Freudenthal (FREE'-den-thawl) today (Friday) named Barrasso to replace the late Senator Craig Thomas, who died two weeks ago while fighting leukemia.

Barrasso was 1 of 3 candidates nominated by the Wyoming Republican Central Committee after a marathon meeting Tuesday. He and his fellow candidates all embraced what they called "bedrock" conservative values, including low taxes, limited government regulation and private property rights.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

Attention Idaho folks! Is this a new vote FOR or AGAINST amnesty? Will he be there next week to vote on amnesty?

Unfortunately, I don't see any local Wyoming contact numbers. I tried Craig Thomas's Washington number but nobody answered.

[JSDude1]

Wyoming, not Idaho ;) (and no I’m not from that ST).

[TChris]

For reference, see related (not duplicate) thread here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1854635/posts

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Is this a new vote FOR or AGAINST amnesty?

We'll have to check because you know Bush and Rove were no doubt pressuring to have a pro-amnesty choice made.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

Oops, I pasted the wrong state. Slip of the mind....

Wyoming of course!

[massgopguy]

Any relation to Archibald Barrasso?

[CPT Clay]

Do we know which side he is on?

[Boiling point]

Thank God his parents didn’t name him Harry.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

LOL, it beats Buttafuoco.

[Non-Sequitur]

He and his fellow candidates all embraced what they called "bedrock" conservative values, including low taxes, limited government regulation and private property rights.

Well he's got very little in common with his party leadership then.

[Joe Boucher]

embraced what they called “bedrock” conservative values, including low taxes, limited government regulation and private property rights.
Well hells bells if this is true maybe he needs to run for president as none of the other “Republican” candidates embrace these qualities.

[dangus]

A previous FR article on the three candidates.

Wikipedia's profile, excerpted:

Barrasso was elected to the Wyoming State Senate in 2002 and re-elected in 2006. He is a board certified orthopedic surgeon in private practice in Casper.

Barrasso graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., with a bachelor of science degree in 1974. He received his medical degree from Georgetown as well in 1978. He conducted his residency at Yale Medical School in New Haven, Connecticut.

In addition to his private practice, he is chief of staff of the Wyoming Medical Center, state president of the Wyoming Medical Society, president of the National Association of Physician Broadcasters, and a member of the American Medical Association Council of Ethics and Judicial Affairs.

He is also a member of the board of directors of "Presidential Classroom," a non-profit, nonpartisan organization that brings young people to Washington to learn about their national government. Barrasso is a member of the Casper Chamber of Commerce and the Casper Rotary Club.

Barrasso is considered a "conservative" and is "pro-life," although he has changed his position on this issue. He previously ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for the Senate in 1996 for the seat vacated by the moderate Alan K. Simpson of Cody, an abortion-rights supporter. In 1996, Barrasso had characterized himself as "pro-choice." He lost the primary to anti-abortion advocate Mike Enzi. He has received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association.

Barrasso, currently single, has two children -- a son, Peter now in college, and a daughter, Emma, a senior in high School. He is divorced from his first wife, Linda Barrasso. Emma competes in the Wyoming Science Olympiad and Science Bowl and studies robotics at the two-year Casper College. Barrasso is a perrenial local host for the Jerry Lewis Telethon (with more than 20 years' service) and a frequent guest on Utah Public Television and the Casper NBC affiliate, KTWO where he offers commentary on a wide range of medical topics. He is author of a regular newspaper column, "Keeping Wyoming Healthy" and is particularly known for his senior and elder care including, among other things, writing a series of monthly articles on senior fitness,care and prevention entitled, "Caring for Wyoming's Seniors."

Not limited to conventional medical practice, Dr. Barrasso is also a rodeo physician for the Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association (and a member of the "Cowboy Joe Club") and volunteers as a team physician for Casper College as well as several local high schools. He has been awarded the "Wyoming Physician of the Year." He has also been awarded the "Medal of Excellence" by the Wyoming National Guard for his services to the National Guard. Dr. Barrasso also received the "Legislative Service Award" from the Veterans of Foreign Wars for his support of Wyoming's veterans.

Personal notes:

I don't trust Republicans who become pro-life AFTER they get an itching for public office in a very red state... He had an article published about an upcoming "flue" epidemic.

[tx_eggman]

Thank God his parents didn’t name him Harry.

Clean up in cubicle 6B09 ... major coffee spew on keyboard and monitor.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“Wyoming, not Idaho”
Wyoming? Idaho? What’s the difference? :)

[stevio]

Bump.

[Nervous Tick]

>> Wyoming? Idaho? What’s the difference?

Except for one small (jackson) hole, Wyoming is more square.

:-)

[Dems_R_Losers]

Great to see another physician in the Senate. Hopefully, he will be a leading GOP spokesman against socialized Hillarycare.

[Maynerd]

I’m glad to see that Barrasso is a surgeon. He will help stop any single payer socialist medicine lunacy emanating from Queen Hiliary.

[ProudCopperhead]

Hopefully he will be another solid right winger in the tradition of Tom Coburn.

[Verginius Rufus]

Notice that Wikipedia only uses "pro-life" when it's in quotation marks.

I don't know about this Governor Freudenthal ("Happy Valley")...how does eu come to be pronounced "ee"? Originally it would have been pronounced "oi."