By John Solomon
How the government's punishing of the exposure of official wrongdoing can linger for years
The Bible and Torah, for years the standard religious texts used to swear in members of Congress, have been joined by the Constitution, the Koran — and, Thursday, for the first time ever, the Hindu Bhagavad-Gita.
As Tammy Duckworth sees it, her path to Congress began when she awoke in the fall of 2004 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She was missing both of her legs and faced the prospect of losing her right arm.
Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett lost the battle for his political life Tuesday, failing in his bid to win an 11th term in a Maryland district that has long shared his values but has changed drastically as a result of gerrymandering.
Three high-profile House conservatives, facing opponents insisting that their views are too extreme, have tricky paths to re-election next month.
Veterans across the country are vying for House, Senate and state office seats this year, from well-known hopefuls such as congressional candidate Tammy Duckworth in Illinois, who became a double amputee when her National Guard helicopter was shot down in Iraq, to Arizona state House contender Mark Cardenas, a 25-year-old Iraq vet who remains a National Guardsman.
Faced with a choice between a 10-term congressman and a freshman, Illinois voters opted for the newcomer in a heated Republican primary battle, while in a separate race one of the state's veteran Democrats easily won the biggest re-election fight of his 17-year congressional career.
The congressional gridlock that has tied up federal highway programs for years is loosening — a little.
The California radio preacher who predicted the world would end last month was recuperating Monday after suffering a mild stroke, his family and colleagues said.
Dear Sgt. Shaft: My boyfriend and I want to have a child, but I wouldn't be fulfilling my current enlistment if I did get out due to pregnancy. Would I still have some sort of benefits through the VA?
Dear Sgt. Shaft: My father, who served with the Army Air Corps during World War II, died in 1993. My mother never applied for any benefits from the military. Is she entitled to anything now?
A spellbinding soundtrack of Chicago-style politicking is getting its world premiere as jurors at the trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich hear FBI tapes in which Mr. Blagojevich grows increasingly frustrated over efforts to make a deal for the Senate seat Barack Obama vacated after being elected president.
"I chose to take the oath of office with my personal copy of the Bhagavad-Gita because its teachings have inspired me to strive to be a servant-leader, dedicating my life in the service of others and to my country," she said.
Religious diversity in Congress expands list of holy texts →
"I already got sworn in — and it was glorious," she told The Washington Times.
Religious diversity in Congress expands list of holy texts →
