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THE CONGRESS: Voice of the 84th

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The U.S. Congress is a complex and subtle organization, but sometimes its changing character and mood can be understood through a single individual. The First Congress, determined to keep alive a newborn nation by profiting from the mistakes of past civilizations, listened respectfully to cautionary historical precedents presented by scholarly James Madison. The 25th Congress, struggling to maintain unity in a divided nation, listened fearfully as John C. Calhoun mobilized the minority to arrest the will of the majority. The 39th Congress, filled with anger as it viewed the ashes...

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OMAR SHAKIR, an activist. Syrian government forces on Tuesday brushed aside a stern castigation from the top United Nations human rights official, resuming the brutal shelling of the city of Homs, particularly targeted at the neighborhood of Baba Amr.
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