It has become something of a pattern in the 110th Congress: A Democrat elected in a special election takes the oath from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, then delivers a few partisan zingers.

If it happens again this week, a Republican newcomer will have a chance to deliver a rebuttal.

Democrat Don Cazayoux won a special election in Louisiana to succeed Republican Richard H. Baker, who resigned in February to work for the hedge fund industry. In Louisiana’s other special election, Republican Steve Scalise was elected to finish the term of now-Gov. Bobby Jindal. Cazayoux is expected to take the oath Tuesday and Scalise on Wednesday.

Their arrival will bring to 10 the number of seats filled by special election so far in the 110th Congress. The three previous Republican victors confined their inaugural comments to briefly thanking constituents and family and saying how honored they were to serve in the House.

Not so the five Democrats, who seemed to have a hard time switching from campaign mode.

The trend of tough talk from newbies reached a peak April 10, when Democrat Jackie Speier of California, a veteran of 18 years in a bitterly partisan state legislature, was sworn in.

Speier made a pointed attack on President Bush and the Republicans’ presumed presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Her comments drew scattered boos from Republicans, and at least one member, Darrell Issa, R-Calif., bolted from the chamber.

Pelosi had to pound the gavel and ask for order.

Freshman lawmakers’ maiden speeches have traditionally been noncontroversial, often including thanks to supporters and pledges to work across party lines for the good of the nation.

Such warm and fuzzy feelings often do not last long in the highly partisan House.

In September 2005, the newly elected Jean Schmidt, R-Ohio, told the House, “I pledge to walk in the shoes of my colleagues and refrain from name-calling or the questioning of character. It is easy to quickly sink to the lowest form of political debate. Harsh words often lead to headlines, but walking this path is not a victimless crime. This great House pays the price.”

Less than three months later, the rookie lawmaker drew national attention when she responded to Iraq War critic and Marine combat veteran Rep. John P. Murtha, D-Pa., by declaring that “cowards cut and run, Marines never do.”

Speier said the war was on her mind when she was sworn in last month because voters she met at 60 community meetings during her campaign wanted to know when U.S. forces will leave Iraq.

“The process to bring the troops home must begin immediately,” she declared to Democratic applause. “The president wants to stay the course, and a man who wants to replace him suggests we could be in Iraq for a hundred years.”

Speier’s remarks particularly disappointed Dan Lungren, R-Calif., who said he and Speier worked together in Sacramento.

“I had just told people she was someone we can work with, and then she spoke, and people said, what was I thinking?” he said.

Being recognized to speak after being sworn in “is a courtesy extended to the new members. It’s not an opportunity to score political points off the other party,” Lungren said.

Speier said that after the rough-and-tumble of Sacramento, “I didn’t realize I was doing anything out of the ordinary.”

“I just spoke the truth, what I was hearing from my district,” she said.

About a month earlier, on his first day in the House, Andre Carson of Indiana called for new economic policies and a withdrawal from Iraq. Back in September 2007, Laura Richardson, elected from a low-income district in Los Angeles, called for an end to the war as well as efforts to combat poverty and discrimination.

Aides to Pelosi and Minority Leader John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, said new members are not coached in what they can and cannot say on their first day in Congress.

House deputy historian Fred Beuttler said he is not sure when it became House tradition to let new members stand in the well of the House and speak on their first day.

Back in February 1956, the House’s current longest-serving member, John D. Dingell, D-Mich., was sworn in with two other new members after being elected to succeed his father, and that was it. He sat down.

“Speakers weren’t excited about freshmen speaking,’’ Beuttler noted. “But there is a lot more participation by freshmen now in general.”

House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., said he supports giving special-election victors a chance to address the House. But he said the most recent Democratic speeches went too far.

“I think these last two lectures to the Congress are not the way to start off.”