Score one for the incumbent - in the first question in tonight's congressional debate, 2nd District Rep. Mike Simpson and his two challengers were given 30 seconds to say why they're running. First, challenger Chick Heileson said he was urged by "my wife and associates and friends to run for Congress ... so I looked at it," and decided prospects were favorable. Then it was Simpson's turn. Though he had only 30 seconds, he said, "First I want to say, today's Mother's Day, and I want to say 'hi' to my mother in Blackfoot, Idaho." Then he launched into his reasons for seeking another term. State Rep. Russ Mathews, R-Idaho Falls, went next, and began, "I would also say 'Happy Mother's Day," before saying he was running for a "bright future." But Simpson had clearly cornered the Mother's Day point.

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