Politics

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A group of kids from the Boys and Girls Club of Prince William County take a look at a 10-pound parrot rifle at Camp Manassas on Thursday. The parrot rifle was capable of hitting targets a mile and a half away, according to Mike DeAngelo, who is a living historian camping out for the weekend. This particular cannon was used in the Civil War movie "Gods and Generals."

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**FILE** In this photo from June 18, 2011, Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks at the Republican Leadership Conference in New Orleans. (Associated Press)

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Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed Senate Bill 5 into law March 31 limiting collective-bargaining rights of public employees. Mr. Kasich, a Republican, said he will play a visible role in defending the law in the lead up to a November repeal vote. (Associated Press)

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Democratic strategists are citing President Reagan's speeches and letters to persuade Republicans to agree to a debt-ceiling increase. A conservative media analyst said Reagan was being taken out of context. (Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library)

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ASSOCIATED PRESS A rebel fighter visits a grave honored with a rebel flag in a cemetery in Benghazi, Libya. Rebels are seeking lethal military assistance from the U.S. to topple Col. Gadhafi's regime.

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Associated Press Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou speaks at an EU summit Thursday. Seventeen EU countries are close to signing a second bailout for Greece worth $155 billion, on top of $158 billion granted a year ago.

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Virginia governor Bob McDonnell is seen while the colors are presented during at the opening ceremony of the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the First Battle of Manassas/Bull Run, in Manassas, Va., Thursday, July 21, 2011. At right is Virginia Speaker of the House William J. Howell. (Drew Angerer/The Washington Times)

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**FILE** Andy Franklin, of Whitepost, Va., prepares to fire a 10 pound Parrot Rifle cannon, in Manassas, Va., Thursday, July 21, 2011. The Parrot Rifle was capable of hitting targets a mile and a half away and this particular cannon was used in the Civil War movie "Gods and Generals." (Drew Angerer/The Washington Times)

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Richard Steele, 4, from Riverside, Ca. cools off in a sprinkler near the Washington Monument in Northwest Washington, D.C. on Thursday, July 21, 2011. (Pratik Shah/The Washington Times)

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOGRAPHS Arif Syaifudin, who is serving an eight-year sentence for providing shelter and supplying money for terrorists, leads religious lessons in Block F of Indonesia's Porong prison. Block F is technically reserved for terrorists but also accommodates about 50 others because of overcrowding.

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Anti-government protesters shout slogans during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sanaa, Yemen, on Wednesday, July 20, 2011. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)

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In this photo released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), Syrian pro-government demonstrators carry national flags along with pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad during a rally in the border town of Quneitra, about 40 miles south of Damascus, Syria, on Monday, July 18, 2011. (AP Photo/SANA)

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Virginia Tech senior and resident adviser David Dorsett (left) visits with fellow student Matt Londrey. Virginia Tech, among many other public colleges and universities, is raising tuition rates this fall. (Associated Press)

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Vonnie Holliday with the Washington Redskins leaves the NFL Players Association on Wednesday, as talks to end the NFL lockout continued. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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ASSOCIATED PRESS "This will have a lot to say about the shape of the race," Republican presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty said Monday of the upcoming Iowa straw poll. "It will be kind of the opening salvo in the race. And Iowa is in the position to be the launching pad."

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The British prime minister is denounced on a protester's poster Wednesday as the leader explains to the House of Commons that he unwittingly hired a former editor involved in the News of the World phone-hacking scandal. (Associated Press)

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Prime Minister David Cameron (standing) answers questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday about his hiring of former News of the World editor Andy Coulson as communications director. Mr. Coulson, implicated in the newspaper phone-hacking scandal, resigned from the government job in January. (Associated Press)