Changes in Congress

Each house of Congress is going to lose a member, but for very different reasons:

WASHINGTON — A federal grand jury on Monday indicted Louisiana Democratic Rep. William Jefferson on 16 charges relating to a long-running investigation into bribery, racketeering, obstruction of justice and money laundering.

Calling it a "broad range of serious crimes," federal prosecutors called the case one about "greed, power and arrogance."

"The 16-count indictment alleges a pervasive pattern of self dealings, bribery and corruption by Mr. Jefferson, in violation of his oath of office, of his duty to the United States Congress in which he served, and of the duty to the citizens of the United States," said Chuck Rosenberg, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.

This is the guy who was found to have $90,000 in cash in his freezer, and who commandeered some of the troops sent to New Orleans to rescue people and had them drive him to his home so he could retrieve some items. Jefferson is still a member of the House, but moves are underway to have him thrown out.

On the Senate side, a veteran Republican has died:

WASHINGTON — Wyoming Sen. Craig Thomas, a three-term conservative Republican who stayed clear of the Washington limelight and political catfights, died Monday. He was 74.

The senator's family issued a statement saying he died Monday evening at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. He had been receiving chemotherapy for acute myeloid leukemia.

Just before the 2006 election, Thomas was hospitalized with pneumonia and had to cancel his last campaign stops. He nonetheless won with 70 percent of the vote, monitoring the election from his hospital bed.

Two days after the election, Thomas announced that he had just been diagnosed with leukemia.

Gov. Dave Freudenthal, a Democrat, will appoint a successor from one of three finalists chosen by the state Republican party.

Although I'm not technically eligible to fill either of these openings, I'm thinking about going to Washington as an "undocumented Congressman" - someone who is willing to do the work that Congress just won't do.