Arizona: One More Unlucky Star

The state reptile of Arizona is the ridge-nosed rattlesnake, but voters might be forgiven if they occasionally confuse the reptile with some of their politicians, who have been slithering past the law since the days of Congressman Charles Poston. Known as the "Father of Arizona" for his campaign for territorial status, Poston set a bad example for later generations of politicians when he set out for Washington to claim his congressional seat in 1864 but took a scenic detour -- through Panama -- at a cost to taxpayers of $7,000.

Modern times have not altered the tradition much. In the past...