St. Helena Star -- Checking in with Mike Thompson

Leave it to Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, to stay optimistic and productive, even as Congress wallows in gridlock and polarization.

Thompson is riding high after President Barack Obama created the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, opening up new recreational opportunities on public land that had been poorly managed by several federal agencies.

The 350,000-acre tract, including 62,000 acres in Napa County, will now be overseen by a single manager in the Bureau of Land Management. New trailheads and concessions should revitalize Lake Berryessa — which languished under the old management scheme — and be an economic boon to nearby towns like Clearlake Oaks and Winters.

The declaration was the culmination of a project that Thompson has been working toward since the early 2000s. Between Berryessa Snow Mountain and the North Coast Wilderness, Thompson has helped protect 750,000 acres of public land. He said he hopes to reach 1 million acres eventually.

The Berryessa Snow Mountain declaration isn't as politically sexy as immigration or entitlement reform, but it still deserves praise. While some congressional representatives embrace whatever ideological bombast or short-term gimmicks they think will boost their chances of re-election, Thompson has found success playing the long game.

He's done it by sticking to the principles of bipartisanship, pragmatism and compassion that have carried him to nine congressional terms. In an era when a lot of politicians worship at the altars of ideology and fundraising, Thompson prioritizes the needs of his constituents.

When Thompson isn't able to accomplish a goal, chances are it isn't his fault. For example, he co-authored a bill that would require background checks for gun sales at gun shows and over the Internet.

Thompson said it has enough Republican votes to pass, but the House Republican leadership won't bring it to the floor. However, we doubt Thompson will give up, and neither will the rest of the advocates for keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill.

He's as flustered by the gridlock in Washington as we are. As a "Blue Dog Democrat," he tries to work with both sides of the aisle, but admits that it's tough.

As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, Thompson is privy to classified information about the international issues we read about in the papers.

For example, Thompson flatly stated that the despicable ISIS army can only be defeated by "boots on the ground — the question is whose boots?" He admitted that Iran, which is dominated by Shia Muslims, could be an ally against ISIS, which is made up of Sunnis. He also said it would take a long time and a lot of money from Arab countries to defeat ISIS.

Thompson supports the international deal concerning Iran's nuclear program. While he doesn't trust Iran or Russia, he believes this is the best deal we could have negotiated under the circumstances, and he's confident it will have enough votes to sustain a presidential veto of Republican legislation aimed at blocking it.

Thompson is equally conversant on more regional topics like water (he says the San Francisco Bay Delta shouldn't be sacrificed to benefit Central Valley farmers) and even the status of the grape harvest (he grows sauvignon blanc in Lake County).

Thompson reminded us of our previous guest, Supervisor Diane Dillon. Both are intelligent public servants who set realistic goals, work diligently to attain them, and always put their constituents first. That's what's made them so successful at their work — and so hard to beat at the ballot box.