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arizona daily star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 11.21.2006
With the midterm election over, what's a political junkie to do?
For those die-hards who can't get enough politics, it may be time to draft a Fantasy Congress team.
The game is catching fire among wonks and political observers at a speed that recently had been reserved for scandal.
"The purpose of our site, our mission, is to make people care about Congress," said creator Andrew Lee, a 21-year-old student at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, Calif.
The idea hit Lee harder than a piece of bad legislation when he noticed how excited his roommate got about fantasy football. Lee couldn't muster up such enthusiasm for football, but politics, well, that was a whole different game.
He enlisted three friends and about two months ago launched the site.
Players of Fantasy Congress get to draft a team of legislators who then score points on their effectiveness in moving legislation.
When the Web site was launched, it had about 600 players, but it has since grown to roughly 33,000 players in countless leagues. Most, however, are waiting for the new year, when Congress turns over.
For example, local Democratic die-hard Ted Prezelski (whose brother Tom is a state representative) has drafted a team, but he plans to pick up Gabrielle Giffords for the next term.
Among his current team members are Rep. Raúl Grijalva, Mississippi Republican Sen. Thad Cochran and, curiously, a delegate from Guam.
"Because those guys get their names on a surprising number of bills," Prezelski said of those three.
For his part, Lee hopes the fad continues. He sees his game not only as something for political geeks, but also as an educational tool for government and an easy way for people to hold their elected officials accountable.
"This is 'School House Rock' for the 21st century," he said.
● Contact reporter Josh Brodesky at 434-4086 or jbrodesky@azstarnet.com.
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