First elected in ‘84, Rep. Barton is one of Congress’ most conservative members. He has crusaded against things that politicians arguably cannot control: homosexuality, abortion and drugs. On the other hand, Barton has fought efforts to control guns and tobacco. Critics say tobacco influence explains the jihad that Barton’s subcommittee waged against the Food and Drug Administration (subcommittee counsel Alan Slobodin was an ex-president of the tobacco-funded Washington Legal Foundation). Like Bush, this ex-Arco consultant is a veteran of the oil industry, which reciprocates his unwavering support by regularly topping off his political war chests. While this “fiscal conservative” opposes most foreign aid, he was a top cheerleader for the $8 billion, now-defunct super collider boondoggle that Congress started building in his old district. Right or wrong, Rep. Barton has been known to stand alone. In two stellar examples, he was the sole committee member to request the resignation of International Olympic Committee head Juan Antonio Samaranch and to oppose immunity for junk-bond felons Michael Miliken and Ivan Boesky.