They lost their House and Senate seats, in some cases after keeping them warm for three decades. Others up and left on their own. But do not feel too sorry for some of these soon-to-be former lawmakers. The future is bright for ex-members of Congress. No welfare cheese for them and little if any time among the ranks of the unemployed. Some already have settled on new careers. Or old ones, as the case may be. ‘I’ll probably go home and drive a truck for a couple of weeks to get centered again,’ Rep. Mike Sodrel, R-Ind., a 60-year-old freshman who was defeated, said in an interview. During the campaign that got him elected in 2004, Sodrel, a millionaire who owns three trucking and bus companies, cruised around southeastern Indiana in his own 18-wheeler. Last month, he lost to Baron Hill, the Democratic congressman he beat two years ago. Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, the House Science Committee chairman, is joining the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. The longest-serving New York Republican in Congress, Boehlert quit after 24 years. Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, sent packing after 30 years, is sifting through offers […]