A man by the name of Daniel Son is now the executive assistant for Rep. Bill Sali (R-Idaho). Son is a lean, mean, crane-kicking machine — falling just shy of “Karate Kid” status, he says. [IMGCAP(1)]

Son loves living on Capitol Hill with his 12 roommates. Once, when introducing his boss at an event, Son “got kind of nervous.” He says he “stuttered for an awkwardly long time,” then got the number of children and grandchildren Sali has wrong. Then, Son stuttered some more. “I’m not a talker,” he said.

Son says he is interested in joining the foreign service and enjoys his new position with Sali “because it fits his style.” He will complete scheduling duties, office management, coordinating interns, Web site management, and legislative work on the issues of education, veterans’ affairs, urban development and the census. “I like that I’m in a position where I can more directly serve the Congressman. I like to do a little bit of everything,” he said. [IMGCAP(2)]

Originally from Charlottesville, Va., Son is 24 and a 2005 graduate of James Madison University with degrees in political science and sociology. He has served in Sali’s office as a staff assistant and has interned for Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.). In addition to joining the foreign service, Son has a stated desire to walk the earth or marry rich — whichever comes last.

Pig Sooie. Elizabeth Anne French, with a degree in French and international relations, has been promoted from press assistant to deputy press secretary for Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.). She graduated from the University of Arkansas in May 2006, and at the age of 23 she has risen to the position of deputy press secretary.

She also cooks great deviled eggs and is a huge fan of the Arkansas Razorbacks. When interviewed for this article, she made a point of giving Hill Climbers a “Woo Pig Sooie!” that it would be remiss to not include.

When asked about her most embarrassing moment on the Hill, French replied with this entertaining anecdote:

“Shortly after I first started on the Hill, I attended the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation shoot-out and had the opportunity to try my hand at trap shooting. When my turn came, I put a bullet into the gun (which was pointed at the ground safely a few feet in front of me) and the gun immediately went off, shooting the ground and harming only my pride. After a severe lecture from the instructor in front of several colleagues and nearly a year’s worth of jokes about shooting myself in the foot, I have still not lived down the humiliation of my accidental misfire. Needless to say, no one has asked me to go shooting lately.”

Nevertheless, she says she loves D.C. and has no plans to leave soon. She is from Conway, Ark., and eventually wants to return to her roots and live in the South, continuing a career in communications.

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