Emerson: 'All of you can do my job'

It's tough to work with President Bush at times, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson told second graders on Friday at St. Vincent de Paul School in Cape Girardeau.

"Sometimes he doesn't like to listen," she told students in Lynn Karnes' second-grade class.

Emerson answered questions from the students involving everything from her busy travel schedule to the new spy museum in Washington, D.C.

The Cape Girardeau Republican said she gets tired of all the traveling from Washington to Southeast Missouri and back again. "I have to travel back and forth on an airplane," she said.

"My job is pretty hard," she told the students.

Emerson told the students she never set out to be a congresswoman. She said she was encouraged by her children and others to run for Congress after her first husband, U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, died of cancer in 1996.

"All of you can do my job," she told them before attending an assembly in the school gym where she spoke to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.

Second-grader Jack Essner was impressed with the congresswoman, concluding that her job was harder than he had imagined.

Like many of the students, Jack was impressed that Emerson regularly travels by air. "I have never flown on airplane," he said.

Second-grader Carissa Reiminger said she was amazed to learn of the existence of a spy museum. "I just had to close my mouth," she said.

Carissa said she might want to be a congresswoman when she grows up. "It seems pretty fun," she said.

At the assembly, Emerson talked about her hectic schedule on Capitol Hill. "I might have three meetings at one time and then have to run over to the House floor and vote," she told the students.

But she said she's found time to visit the new International Spy Museum. She said the museum is a great place to visit and features a large collection of espionage artifacts.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123