Barrasso has some of Thomas' work to finish
Jun 25, 2007 | Casper Star Tribune | by Star-Tribune Editorial Board

John Barrasso, Wyoming's new U.S. senator, should develop his own issues, listen to people whose ideas he trusts, and build a deep connection with his constituents. Those are the main ways voters will be able to judge his job performance when he seeks election next year. But Barrasso also owes it to voters, and to the memory of the man he is replacing, to carry out some of the key legislative goals that the late Sen. Craig Thomas advanced. That includes a bill that would designate more than 400 miles of Wyoming rivers as wild and scenic, and a measure to protect the habitat and wildlife of the Wyoming Range from destructive energy development.

Barrasso's first public statement Friday, after being appointed to the Senate by Gov. Dave Freudenthal, showed he recognizes there is important work to finish. "I'll continue Craig's work to make sure that public lands remain open to multiple use, while at the same time ensure that Wyoming's environment remains pristine," he vowed.

Barrasso has a conservative voting record in the Wyoming Senate. In his application for his new job, he said he believes in limited government, lower taxes, traditional family values and a strong national defense. Thomas certainly would have agreed with his successor on all of these issues. Before his appointment, Barrasso also emphasized his support for prayer in schools and the need "to protect the sanctity of life," and his opposition to gay marriage.

These are issues on which the new senator may represent the views of many of his conservative constituents, but they are also among the most divisive social issues in the land. We hope that as Barrasso develops his own agenda, he primarily focuses on issues that will unite his Wyoming constituents for the benefit of the state.

Barrasso, a Casper orthopedic surgeon, has a unique opportunity to immediately use his medical expertise to help Wyoming. He pledged to promote the newly named Craig Thomas Rural Hospital Provide Equity Act in the Senate, in recognition of Thomas' work to fix the rural health care system. Wyoming's Republican Central Committee did a good job selecting three qualified finalists for the Senate seat from among the 30 applicants. Freudenthal, a Democrat in the awkward position under state law of having to appoint a Republican to the post, couldn't have gone wrong with any of the three candidates. Barrasso rose to the top of the governor's list. But his two challengers were worthy opponents. In addition to two terms as state treasurer, Cynthia Lummis also served in both houses of the Legislature. Tom Sansonetti, once the top environmental lawyer in the Justice Department, had more experience working in Washington than any other hopeful.

It's important for Barrasso to quickly learn how D.C. works, but he should take a page from Thomas' playbook and return to Wyoming as often as possible. Thomas logged many thousands of air miles going back home every week, and many more miles on the roadways of the state. It's a good political strategy, but more important, it's the best way to find out directly what the small population of this huge state is thinking about.