The 14 House Democrats who voted for a contentious procedural rule Thursday night that threw the House into chaos actually violated a leadership policy designed to ensure party unity

Last night’s vote would have sent the Agriculture Appropriations bill back to committee to bar illegal immigrants from receiving federal funds, the kind of vote members have been instructed to vote against.

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Appeals court: The Justice Department trampled on congressional independence when raiding the office of Representative William Jefferson, Democrat of Louisiana, last year.

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Judicial Watch weighs in: "The Speech or Debate Clause was not intended to allow members of Congress to conceal corrupt and criminal activity. Taking a bribe is not part of the legitimate legislative process. This decision undermines the rule of law and should be appealed by the Department of Justice."

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The 40-year-old victim, who has not been identified, had worked at the home for about two years and was responsible for caring for the dogs, Los Angeles Police officer Sandra Gonzalez said.

Four mastiffs were seized by animal services, she said.

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The first responding officers did not immediately enter the house at 300 Sorghum Mill Drive and could have been outside for at least 20 minutes before the suspects allegedly set the house on fire, raced out and were caught. A neighbor who was outside walking his dog that Monday morning said he saw a police officer near the house about 20 minutes before the suspects fled.

Although no one is publicly criticizing the police, the idea that officers were positioned outside the home for at least 20 minutes while some family members may still have been alive inside adds a new dimension to the scope of the tragedy as it unfolded.

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A more effective approach, said Gingrich, would begin with a national energy strategy aimed at weaning the country from its reliance on imported oil and some of the regimes that petro-dollars support.

He reserved his most pointed criticism for the administration’s handling of the global campaign against terrorist groups.

“We’ve been engaged in a phony war,” said Gingrich. “The only people who have been taking this seriously are the combat military.”

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Bailey had been working on a story about Your Black Muslim Bakery, according to Joseph Debro, an Oakland businessman who writes a column for the Post. Debro said Bailey had recently asked him for information about bankruptcy proceedings for a story about the bakery.

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