=== Congressional Search Widget ===
Contributors: cakestick
Donate link: http://pacifiedcitizen.com/
Tags: search, politics, congress, senate
Requires at least: 2.2
Tested up to: 2.6.2
Stable tag: 1.5

Sidebar widget plugin to allow searching of the THOMAS Congressional database.

== Description ==

This sidebar widget provides different search methods and filters by Congress, with more features coming as the THOMAS beta search page is fleshed out. You'll notice that right now the form is a carbon copy of the one that THOMAS provides on its search page - this is more than adequate for my needs right now, and further developments will be done within the constraints of the THOMAS system.

**What can I do with this?**

* Search by Senator/Congressperson name to see what bills they've sponsored.
* Search by bill or resolution number to get a full-text reading.
* Search the Congressional Record full-text.

**What's coming down the pipe?**

This is my first WordPress plugin, so bear with me. Coming soon:

* Control panel to set default search options, etc.
* Ability to add links to favorite Senators/Congresspeople as links.
* Sorting by relevance, content type, date.
* Maybe a customized wrapper for the search results.

Thanks for your interest! Please send all comments/suggestions to chris@pacifiedcitizen.com.

== Installation ==

1. Upload the congressional-search-widget.php file to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory.
1. Go to 'Plugins' in WordPress, and activate the 'Congressional Search Widget' plugin.
1. Go to 'Design', and then 'Widgets'.
1. Add the 'Congressional Search Widget' widget to your list and arrange accordingly. Click 'Save Changes'.
1. You're done! All options are on by default.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= How can I set the default options? =

That functionality will come soon in the form of a control panel.

= Can I open the search in the same window? =

Not right now, as I'd like to have some sort of custom wrapper for the search results first. If you can't wait for that, feel free to remove 'target="_blank"' from the form tag in thomasSearch.php.

== Screenshots ==

Coming soon, see the plugin live at [Pacified Citizen](http://www.pacifiedcitizen.com "Pacified Citizen").