Crawford card goes Christmas Vacation
WASHINGTON -- Dull Christmas cards have been a Capitol Hill tradition for decades.
Stacy Crawford, wife of U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, was determined to change that.
"I wanted to do something funny and fun," she said. "He's got a great sense of humor, and I wanted people to see that side of him."
So she re-created a couple of scenes from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, a 1989 comedy film about the dysfunctional Griswold family, starring Chevy Chase.
The movie features a too-big Christmas tree, a Christmas light display big enough to black out an entire city, annoying relatives and a squirrel. It grossed $71.3 million at the box office and has gained Christmas classic status. It's also a Crawford family favorite.
"We've watched it so many times. We quote it all the time," she said. "It's just so funny."
Stacy Crawford wanted the re-creations to be as accurate as possible, from a green taffeta skirt and Chicago Blackhawk jersey down to a funky-colored station wagon. It wasn't easy.
"It took about three months of preparing for it to pull it together," she said.
Her husband, the Republican from Jonesboro, their son Will and daughter Delaney all played along. So far, feedback has been positive, she said.
"I'm pretty proud of it. I'm going to be honest," she said.
Secret Santas Cruz, Boozman trade gifts
U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, traded gifts during this year's Senate Secret Santa exchange.
The lawmaker from Rogers gave his Lone Star colleague an Ozark Trail travel coffee mug, hot chocolate, a red Razorback snout plus peanut brittle.
In return, he received pralines and oatmeal cookies.
The brittle was made in Fort Smith by Fulmer Candy, which has been cranking out batches of the candy since before Thanksgiving.
"We've made almost a ton and a half ... just in the last six weeks," Winston Fulmer said.
In addition to peanut brittle, the company makes pecan, cashew, cinnamon pecan and peanut jalapeno flavors.
Hill raises concern about Egypt's Copts
Before leaving Washington, U.S. Rep. French Hill helped introduce a resolution "expressing concern over attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt."
The Republican from Little Rock traveled to the northern African nation earlier this year.
"While preparing for the trip, visiting the country, and returning home, I repeatedly heard about the plight of the Coptic Christians in Egypt," Hill said in a news release. "Although the Copts have been victims of numerous terrorist attacks by groups like ISIS, what is most disturbing to me is the amount of attacks against Copts carried out by their fellow Egyptians."
Hill said he believes it is "critically important for the Egyptian government to end the marginalization of Copts in Egyptian society and make a legal example of any perpetrator who persecutes Egyptian Christians."
Suicide bombers struck twice on Palm Sunday this year, killing dozens of Egyptian Christian worshippers.
Another deadly terrorist attack occurred during the Advent season last year.
Womack ready for holidays back home
After a busy December, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack is looking forward to spending the holidays with his family.
"His favorite part of the Christmas season is spending time with his family back in Arkansas. He enjoys looking at the Christmas tree with the presents underneath on Christmas Eve before his grandkids open their gifts the next morning," spokesman Heather Neilson said.
The Republican from Rogers has two grandchildren: Liam and Kaden.
Congress' Christmas recess was originally set to begin more than a week ago. But lawmakers stuck around long enough to approve a tax overhaul package and legislation funding the government.
The House will reconvene Jan. 3.
Planning to visit the nation's capital? Know something happening in Washington, D.C.? Please contact Frank Lockwood at (202) 662-7690 or flockwood@arkansasonline.com. Want the latest from the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette's Washington bureau? It's available on Twitter, @LockwoodFrank.
SundayMonday on 12/24/2017