Well looky, looky...

Story on me.

Accompanied by the goofy Sputnik pic, nice.

Here is the story, rescued from the internet archives:

WASHINGTON — As a self-professed political junkie, Thomas Lambert is in heaven these days.

Since the end of August, the native of Fairfield, Conn., has worked as a college intern for Rep. Christopher Shays, R-4, where he has witnessed democracy played out on a daily basis.

"Having an opportunity to work in D.C. for Chris Shays is a dream come true," says Lambert, 20, a sophomore at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.

Lambert founded the Young Republicans Club at Hopkins School in New Haven, worked with state Sen. John McKinney for his senior project there, and has always viewed Shays as a model politician.

"He is seen as a maverick, independent guy but if anything he is not marching to his own drum but the drum of the people he represents," Lambert says.

Lambert is one of about two-dozen students from Pepperdine who are serving as interns in Congress this semester. The school leases housing in Arlington, Va., for the students who work for members of Congress during the day and take classes in the evenings.

On weekday mornings, Lambert sardines his way onto the Metro's Orange Line at Virginia Square for a 20-minute ride to Capitol South and then a brief walk to the Longworth House Office Building that sits in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol building.

There on the first floor, Lambert spends most of his day answering phones, sorting letters or leading tours of the U.S. Capitol for 4th District visitors.

"One of my favorite parts [of this job] is interacting with everyone from Greenwich to Shelton," he says.
Although it can be mundane at times, Lambert says there have been plenty of highlights.

"Some of the cooler things we get to do is go to briefings or go on the floor of the House," he says.

In September, Lambert attended a briefing where actor Chevy Chase spoke in favor of removing junk food from public schools.

"Going to school at Pepperdine, you're supposed to play off meeting actors, but Chevy Chase - the guy was in 'Caddyshack.' He's a hero," says Lambert, who worked as a caddy at The Country Club of Fairfield.

This month, Lambert served as an escort for Sputnik, which the Russians launched into space 50 years ago.

"I was literally walking around with something that revolutionized history," he says.

To mark the anniversary, Shays borrowed a Sputnik satellite from Jay Walker, founder of Priceline.com, to display at the U.S. Capitol.

Walker, a Ridgefield, Conn., resident, says he purchased the spacecraft on eBay and claims it is one of the original Sputniks the Russians built in 1957 and not a model or replica.

Shays had hoped to bring the satellite onto the floor but that was not permitted under House rules. Instead, he posted Lambert outside the chamber with Sputnik and invited his colleagues to have their photographs taken with the silvery orb.

"We took tons of photos," Lambert says. "Members were coming up saying they remembered where they were when it was launched." Nearly two months into his internship, Lambert says the experience has exploded his preconceived image of Washington politics.

"Watching CNN, my idea was that Washington was a bunch of white-haired men yelling at each other," he says. "But, the people who run Washington are 20-somethings. They are the most influential demographic." Congressional staffs are largely made up of young people with energy and ambition, who work long hours to help constituents and keep the wheels of government rolling, he says.

"This is their career," he says.

Lambert says he may want to join them after college rather than head straight to law school as he previously dreamed.

"It's something I am considering," he says.

Although he is kept busy during the week, Lambert has been able to explore the city on the weekends.

"I got to kayak on the Potomac. It was incredible right by the Jefferson Memorial. In terms of the Civil War, that river was infamous," he says.

Lambert has also had a chance to head home to Fairfield, where his parents — Paul Lambert and Cindy Simoneau — are now empty nesters.

His father works as an employee benefits consultant and his mom, a former assistant managing editor of the Connecticut Post, now teaches journalism at Southern Connecticut State University. Thomas' twin brother, Marc, is a sophomore at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

"I was home last weekend for a field hearing on Long Island Sound," he says. "I noticed the leaves were starting to change colors. There are only two seasons in California — a warm summer and a cool summer."