Alan Simpson: “It was a great honor and privilege last week to escort Wyoming's new Senator, my good friend, my old friend, Craig…”

“It was a great honor and privilege last week to escort Wyoming's new Senator, my good friend, my old friend, Craig Thomas, to the well of the Senate Chamber for his swearing-in ceremony. That meant a great deal to me, and I think to us both, as he took the oath and became Wyoming's Senator, and for me, indeed, as I watched my old boyhood friend mark another and very significant and great accomplishment in his own life. It is a rare opportunity for me to serve with someone I have known nearly all my life. We go back a long way, growing up in Cody, WY. He was born in Wapiti, WY. Many say that is called Wapeaty, but it is not. It is the word for 'elk,' Wapiti. And then he moved into Cody, 20 miles away, to my hometown. It was great fun to share those days together in the town founded by Buffalo Bill Cody himself, and we became friends and neighbors. In fact, we lived just across the alley from each other. He was a year behind me in high school, but he was the kind of person you noticed. He was fair, strong, good-hearted, very well liked by all his classmates, and none of us are at all surprised at how well Craig Thomas has done. In fact, we are all very proud of him.”