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Sonny Bono

Sonny Bono goes to Washington. That sounds less like the Frank Capra classic with Jimmy Stewart and more like one of those wacky Jim Varney flicks -- you know, like Ernest Goes to Camp or Ernest Goes to Jail. But it was no movie. It actually happened.

The vocally-challenged, shorter half of 1960s happening duo Sonny and Cher, he was elected mayor of Palm Springs in 1988. He ran simply because he was impatient about getting a restaurant permit.

Before that, his most newsworthy employment of his post-Cher days was four guest appearances on The Love Boat. But in 1994, he followed the footsteps of fellow Love Boat alumnus Fred "Gopher" Grandy and got himself elected to Congress.

What a character! Newt put him on the Judiciary Committee, but Sonny didn't quite fit in. He complained that Judiciary got too bogged down in legalese. He couldn't understand that's what a judiciary committee's all about -- a lot of lawyer talk.

Newt should have put him on the Entertainment Committee. He could have been in charge of karaoke night.

During his brief time in Washington, Sonny never got any major legislation passed. He was known mainly as the funny guy who used to be married to Cher. But, hey, what's wrong with that?

One piece of legislation he voted for didn't exactly thrill his famous lesbian daughter, Chastity. He voted for the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibits states from recognizing gay marriages. Maybe he got confused. He was married four times, so maybe he thought he had to defend that.

Poor Sonny. In a freak skiing accident in 1998, he slammed into a tree and died. He may not have been the brightest guy, but he made us laugh. Not the part about the tree, though. That would be sick.