Democrats Find Ethics Overhaul Elusive in House by David D. Kirkpatrick

John P. Murtha stared into the darkness, waiting for the brilliant lights.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, wrapped herself in a defensive cloak of inconsolable fears.

Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania was all but dumbstruck by furious beauty midst humidity and
Representative Ray LaHood, Republican of Illinois always wanted to fly the friendly skies, but

Speaker Pelosi asked for both restraint and realism when defining dreams.
Representative Ed Perlmutter, a first-term Colorado Democrat, a real team player in joining

Representative Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, for an inspired game darts, contemplating throwing the game for the status quo, while
Mr. Van Hollen knocked back a cold one, which was definitely his right.

Representative Michael E. Capuano, a Massachusetts Democrat, was tired of this vexing taxation and so
Mr. Capuano stormed away, ball in hand and two in the bush.

Mr. Van Hollen, dismayed, enticed them all with visions of milk and honey.
Representative James P. Moran, Democrat of Virginia, was no stranger to honey, but

Mr. Moran couldn’t clear his mind of prescience when it came to
Caesar’s wife and her terrible undoing.

Mr. Murtha objected vociferously, claiming no one among them knew the future, but
Representative Mike Rogers, Republican of Michigan, put his chips on the other side. Oh how this vexed

Mr. Murtha, who could feel the reigns dissolving in his fingers.
Mr. Rogers could not mitigate the risks around him.

Mr. Murtha, chairman of the military spending committee, could not mitigate the risks around
Mr. Murtha and so buried himself in obscure terminologies and rhetoric.

Mr. Rogers, “Once again we stare down a common foe. Will we stand together on fields of battle.”
Mr. LaHood, the Illinois Republican, stood firm on that day, his blood soaking into the Earth.