by Mark Silva

One wonders if the terms of engagement have been worked out for the arrival of Roland Burris, disputed appointee to the Senate from Illinois, at the door of the Senate on Tuesday.

Then again, it appears that two old friends could be standing at that crossroad, with one of them assuring everyone that everything will work out just fine, pardner.

The only way Burris will be allowed on the floor is if he possesses a certification of appointment signed by both his sponsor, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, and Secretary of State Jesse White, Senate leaders say. But White refuses to certify the appointment made by a governor accused of attempting to sell the Senate seat of President-elect Barack Obama, and Burris is unlikely to have his appeal of that decision heard before opening day of the Senate.

Senate leaders vow that Burris will not be admitted without the proper paperwork, which he lacks.

But the man who controls the door to the chamber, Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Terrance Gainer, suggests that something will be worked out before Tuesday.

Gainer and Burris go back a long way, to the days when Burris was attorney general in Illinois and Gainer was director of the state police.

"I have known Roland Burris for a number of years," Gainer has told the Associated Press. "He is a good man. He plays by the rules. I don't think there's going to be a confrontation."

(Gainer, pictured here as an assistant Washington, D.C. police chief in 2001 discussing the disappearance of Chandra Levy, an aide to then-Rep. Gary Condit,.on FOX News Sunday (AP Photo/FOX, Chris Kleponis)

Mark Felt appears on CBS' "Face the Nation" in Washington on Aug. 30, 1976. Felt was the source identified for years only as "Deep Throat" in the Washington Post's reporting on the Watergate scandal. (AP / August 30, 1976)

by Frank James

We're all learning this morning of the death, at age 95, of W. Mark Felt, who as a senior Federal Bureau of Investigation official, served as the shadowy source known as "Deep Throat" to reporter Bob Woodward in his investigation of the Watergate scandal that led to President Nixon's resignation.

As Johanna Neuman writes in a Los Angeles Times piece:

A controversial figure who was later convicted of authorizing illegal activities in pursuit of members of the radical Weather Underground, Felt died of heart failure Thursday at his home in Santa Rosa, Calif., his grandson Rob Jones said.

The reporters continued to keep Felt's name a secret, but in 2005, at the age of 91, Felt told Vanity Fair magazine, "I'm the guy they used to call Deep Throat."

by Mark Silva

It seems Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, has created quite a stink.

The Nevada Democrat warned people ahead of time that he's always reminded to be careful about what he says, before he went on to say what he said.

The occasion was the opening of the costly new visitor center at the Capitol, an air-conditioned palace for Americans and others to assemble as they arrive for tours.

In the old days, in the swamp that is Washington, in the heat of the dog days of summer, those visiting hordes making their civic pilgrimages to the pinnacles of power could get a little sweaty on the steps waiting to get inside the Capitol, the Senate leader explained at the dedication of the gleaming new indoor visitor center this week.

"You could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol,'' Reid said.

The majority leader has stirred something of a blogging furor among indignant Americans suggesting online that something smells here, but it is not the tourists.

Or was this seasoned old politician and veteran of Washington summers simply smelling it like it is?

by Mark Silva

The two young daughters of President-elect Barack Obama will be moving schools this winter as the family moves from Chicago to Washington, and the Obama family has settled on a tried-and-true setting for Washington's elite:

The private Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.

The Obamas looked at public schools as well, but a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama, Katie McCormick Lelyveld, says the Obamas focused on what's the best fit for 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha.

Sidwell Friends is a private Quaker school in Northwest Washington. Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former President Bill Clinton, also attended.

The Obama family also scouted Georgetown Day, which was founded in 1945 and was an early pioneer in racial integration. And the president-elect's family had discussed public school options, according to Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty and Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee.

Sidwell, a day school situated on 15 acres in Northwest Washington, traces its founding to 1883. The K-12 program has 1,097 students (553 boys and 544 girls) enrolled -- that's about to grow by two girls. The school reports that 39 percent of the student body are "students of color.''

Twenty-two percent of the student body receives almost $5 million of need-based financial assistance, the school notes. Which is understandable, in that tuition this year runs $28,442 for Pre-K to Fourth Grade and $29,442 for Grades 5-12.

The stored-value card Washington, D.C.'s mass-transit system will begin selling Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 to commemorate President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.

by Frank James

Many people who live and work in the Washington, D.C. area have been closely following stories in the local media about what we're likely to face on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2009.

There are estimates that as many as four million people will descend on downtown Washington to try and witness history, to see either the inauguration of the first African-American president or the parade to the White House.

For those who have to work that day and don't live right downtown or are used to driving in and don't have a hotel room or space at a friend's house lined up, the question has been "How do I get downtown that day?"

Fortunately, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority which runs the city's mass transit system said today that it will run the city's subway and bus system on a rush- hour basis from 4 am to 7 pm.

by Frank James

President Bush (remember him?) is making the rounds of the federal bureaucracy doing something of a farewell tour.

Today, he was at the Transportation Department talking up all that employees there and his administration have done to improve the nation's transportation system, such as better management of the New York City airspace, improvements that should have the salutary effect of making life better for holiday travelers, the president said.

Of course, because of economic slowdown, the airlines will be flying fewer planes so don't expect the airports to be any less crowded.

Anyway, the president started off with a joke which contained a kind of heckuva job compliment to the department's employees :

I appreciate you giving me a chance to come by and visit with you today. I want to thank you very much for the great job you are doing to make sure that across America our railroads and highways and airways are working to keep our citizens moving. You have done a terrific job, as far as I am concerned. The past eight years I have not seen a traffic jam -- (laughter) -- waited for an airplane -- (laughter) -- or had my bags lost. (Laughter.)

Yes, it's good to be the king. In Washington, he's the guy who creates the traffic jams.

I'm sure he didn't mean to rub anyone's face in it.

No doubt a lot of people next week will be wishing they could travel by private jumbo jet and motorcades with police escort to grandma's house.

by Mark Silva

The lovely little St. John's church that sits across the park from the White House is but a short walk from the most prominent address in America -- though President Bush has been accustomed to riding a long motorcade to the nearby sanctuary on Sunday mornings.

But will President-elect Barack Obama be signing up with the congregation of the Rev. Luis Leon? Or will the Chicagoan who so famously severed ties with his own longtime church back home because of the inflammatory words from the pulpit of the retired Rev. Jeremiah Wright be looking elsewhere in Washington?

See this report on churches recruiting a new president.

by Clarence Page

Yes, that's Barack Obama's neighbor, the former Weather Underground bomb thrower Bill Ayers, captured above by my cell phone camera as he spoke to an almost- full sanctuary in a Washington DC church - with very little publicity.

"We set this up six months ago," he told the friendly audience, convened by Teaching for Change, a Washington-based school reform organization, and Busboys and Poets, a local independent bookstore-restaurant, "and I expected something like ten people sitting in a circle."

He did better than that: About 200 people and a gaggle of news media.

Unlike Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, he's not on an image redemption tour. He's not even planning a run for public office. At this particular event, he was talking and promoting his books about school reform.

After months of vilification as an "unrepentant terrorist" by Palin, Sen. John McCain, Fox News' Sean Hannity and the rest of the anti-Obama chorus, the Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago is getting his life back to abnormal.

by Andrew Zajac

Pennsylvania tourism types used to boast that "You've Got A Friend in Pennsylvania". More recently, the Keystone state's marketing mavens have asserted that "America Begins Here."

Those catchphrases could stand a little freshening up for the Obama inauguration, maybe something like "You've Got an Innkeeper in Pennsylvania" and "The Schlep to D.C. Begins Here."

At least those might work as hooks for the campaign Democratic Sen. Bob Casey is launching to persuade would-be inaugural attendees to consider his state if they're friendless in the capital, shut out of hotels D.C., Baltimore, or Richmond, or can't afford a four-figure Craigslisted home rental.

Casey issued the press release below to woo Obama fans to stay in his state, though he doth take liberties when he quotes a 90-minute commute from some Pa counties to the District. Not gonna happen on Inaguration Day.

by Laura Olson

If you waited to see the election results before booking a hotel room in Washington for the inauguration, you may be too late.

Calls have been flooding area hotels over the past few months to reserve rooms, and hotel officials say those on the fence about making the trip will need to decide quickly.

Early estimates predict the number of inaugural visitors will exceed 1.5 million. That figure is still rough, though William Hanbury, president of Destination DC, the city's tourism department, said the event should easily top the 500- to 600,000 who attended the 2004 inauguration.

The massive interest in the election and the process has caused the metro area's 95,000 hotel rooms to fill up fast.

"If people really want to come for the inauguration, they can't wait until December or January," Hanbury said. "They need to be making plans now."

On Monday afternoon, there were still rooms available at the Phoenix Park Hotel, located blocks from the U.S. Capitol steps where President Elect Barack Obama will be sworn in. The Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill had some as well - though just a handful, said Tammy Hagin, director of public relations and advertising.

by Frank James

Good luck getting a ticket to President-elect Obama's inaugural. The demand for them is extraordinary, with some would-be profiteers asking as much as $40,000 for tickets that won't be available until January.

Reports that some people are trying to gain a big payday by selling tickets congressional offices will be giving away, has drawn the attention of Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The California Democrat plans to submit legislation that would make such opportunism illegal.

An excerot from The Hill newspaper:

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is drafting legislation that would make it illegal to sell tickets to President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration ceremony.

by Andrew Zajac

Companies affiliated with the family of Gene and Nora Lum, who were convicted of making illegal campaign contributions in a Democratic fundraising scandal a decade ago have donated at least $4,800 to the campaigns of Michael Brown, a candidate for Washington D.C. city council, who pleaded guilty in the same scandal.

Brown, the son of the late Ron Brown, a Clinton administration Commerce Secretary and one-time head of the Democratic National Committee, is seeking an at-large seat on the 13-member DC council.

by Mark Silva

Barack Obama may not be "measuring the drapes'' for the White House, as Republican rival John McCain has suggested he is in recent days on the campaign trail.

But workers are measuring the footprint for the inaugural reviewing stands that will be erected in front of the White House for the inaugural parade on Jan. 20.

Chain-link fences have gone up on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the place that President Bush, playing host to the president of Paraguay, today called the "Casa Blanca.''

And fences have gone up outside the Capitol, at the front facing the National Mall, where the next president will be sworn into office in a little less than three months.

Not that anybody's in a rush around here, mind you.

by Mark Silva

Here is one incredible exchange between the host of a network news commentary program and a member of Congress. Be sure to strap on your helmet and elbow pads before watching this one.

Bill O'Reilly, of FOX's O'Reilly Factor, has called for Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts to step down from his position as chairman of the House Financial Services Committee because of a now-clear failure of oversight of the nation's banking industry.

This doesn't make for the smoothest stage for an interview, like the one O'Reilly conducted of Frank on his show last night.

"Shouldn't everybody in the country be angry with you right now?'' O'Reilly asked Frank, setting the tone for that rough stage.

No, said Frank. "I became chairman of the committee on Jan. 1, 2007,'' he said, taking credit for a "tough'' regulatory bill for the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage enterprise that passed the House in May. From 1995 to 2006, with a Republican-controlled Congress, he said, "we couldn't get that done.''

"That's great,'' O'Reilly said, but then he came out and said "everything was great'' and everyone went out and bought stock and then lost millions of dollars. O'Reilly played a tape of Frank saying not long ago that Fannie and Freddie were basically sound.

No way, said Frank, denying that he had suggested anyone invest money in these sinking enterprises.

"Come on, you coward, say the truth,'' O'Reilly said, accusing Frank of "B.S." and more.

"You start ranting, and the only way to respond is to almost talk as boorish as you,'' Frank said, denying that he had suggested anyone buy stock. ''I'm not going to be bullied by your ranting... You're not going to shut me up.''

The argument devolved into name-calling and insults.

"That's a joke,'' O'Reilly said of Frank's answers.

"A joke is to think I could have a rational discussion with you,'' Frank said. "You don't listen at all.''

"You're the brilliant guy who presided over the biggest financial collapse,'' O'Reilly said. "You're the brilliant guy. I'm the dumb guy.''

Towels, please.

by Mark Silva

Former Sen. John Edwards' extramarital affair started well before the former candidate for president and nominee for vice president has admitted, according to Pigeon O'Brien, a friend of Edwards' campaign videographer and mistress, Rielle Hunter.

It started early in 2006, months before Edwards has acknowledged, O'Brien said in an interview broadcast this morning by CBS News' The Early Show.

Maggie Rodriguez, co-host of the show, has raised the question about "just how forthcoming'' Edwards been about his affair with Hunter, a videographer hired by Edwards' now-defunct campaign. O'Brien has answered it.

O'Brien also contends that Edwards is the father of Hunter's child, which Edwards has denied -- with O'Brien maintaining that Hunter was in love and would not have the child of someone she didn't love. She went into all of this in great detail on the air today.

The Washington Post's The Trail also credits Edwards for a certain measure of chutzpah in taking Hunter on the campaign trail - noting wire service photos posted online by technology blogger Robert Scoble showing that Edwards took his mistress with him on the plane during his late 2006 presidential campaign announcement tour.

From The Early Show, courtesy of CBS News:

RODRIGUEZ: Is John Edwards still lying about his affair with your friend?

Ms. O'BRIEN: As of--as of his statement on Friday evening, he is lying about the timeline of the affair and other details about it, yes.

RODRIGUEZ: She told you it started in February or March of 2006.

Ms. O'BRIEN: Yes.

RODRIGUEZ: He says it started five months later when his campaign hired her.

Ms. O'BRIEN: Yeah, that's not true. That's not true. It started in the winter of '06. They became involved at that point, not later in the summer when she was hired to work for the political action committee.

RODRIGUEZ: It started in the winter of '06?

Ms. O'BRIEN: Correct.

by Johanna Neuman

Maybe this is why Texan Lamar Smith, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, disdainfully refers to the committee's investigation into President Bush's policies as "the book-of-the-month club."

Since George W. Bush took office in 2001, books have proliferated about his alleged misdeeds, as noted in the L.A. Times' Countdown to Crawford, and Congress has made eager witnesses of their authors. No one likes books more, it seems, than committee chairman Democrat John Conyers of Michigan. "You should see Mr. Conyers' library," confided one staffer.

There was Allen Raymond, whose How to Rig an Election prompted hearings into whether Republican operatives routinely steal elections -- and why the Justice Department is not prosecuting them.

Then there was Scott McClellan, the former White House spokesman who wrote a book called What Happened. In the aptly named kiss-and-tell memoir, McClellan accused Karl Rove (the president's man), I. Lewis Scooter Libby (the vice president's man) and even President Bush (presumably his own man) of misleading him during the Valerie Plame incident.

Now comes journalist Ron Suskind, whose The Way of the World alleges that senior Bush administration officials ordered the forgery and dissemination of false intelligence documents to convince Congress -- and the public -- of the need to go to war in Iraq.

Conyers has ordered a thorough review of the underlying allegations and the interrogation of Suskind's research assistant by federal agents in Manhattan who confiscated his notes. In a statement, Conyers said: "I am particularly troubled that the decision to disseminate this fabricated intelligence is alleged to have come from the highest reaches of the administration.''

Some witnesses have simply ignored the committee's subpoena to testify. Rove, the political maestro of the Bush White House, refused to attend a session -- quickly dubbed "The Empty Chair Hearing" -- claiming executive privilege. The committee had wanted to talk to him about his role in the firing of U.S. attorneys and in the prosecution of Don Siegelman, the popular Democratic former governor of Alabama.

Maybe after his book comes out.

by Mark Silva

As campaign books go, they don't get much more inside than Alexandra Kerry's Notes From the Trail.

The "inside the bubble'' account of Sen. John Kerry's bid for the presidency "traces her campaign experience from its infancy to her father's ultimate defeat,'' the publisher says.

And talk about being inside the bubble: Doris Kearns Goodwin, presidential historian, offers up "advance praise'' in the Rodale release of the 192-page book, with 110 pictures: "Writing with warmth, insight and honest, Alexandra Kerry brings the familiar events of her father's 2004 campaign into fresh focus.''

Mike McCurry, former White House press secretary: "A powerful and intimate look at a presidential campaign.''

Alexandra Kerry, a Brown University graduate with an MFA from the American Film Institute, is executive director at Tar Films in New York, a director of short films and at work on her first feature film.

by Mark Silva

News of former Sen. John Edwards' admitted affair with videographer Rielle Hunter, a reported 2006 liaison to which the Democratic Party's candidate for vice president in 2004 only recently confessed, evokes a long line of infidelities and accusations which have ensnared some of the nation's political leaders.

But while so much attention is focused on the affairs, betrayed promises of public trust and the like, it's the pained visages of the spouses that stand out in some of the snapshots of modern political history.

Our friends at the Top of the Ticket have assembled a rogue's photo gallery of the unfaithful and scandal-tagged, standing side by side with their spouses.

The names transcend party, as the Ticket's Andrew Malcolm's collection undercores -- ranging from former President Bill Clinton, whose wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, stood by her man, to retiring Republican Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, whose arrest in an airport men's room was concealed for months. He maintained that he had been the victim of a sting operation, and insisted that he is not gay.

The name of Louisiana's Sen. David Vitter, a Republican, showed up in the book of an infamous Washington madam. (Vitter and wife Wendy are pictured below, in a photo by Alex Brandon of the Associated Press.)

In most cases, while everyone calculates the impact on the political fortunes of the unfaithful, the looks on the faces of the spouses tell the real story.

by Katie Fretland

Supermodel Tyra Banks appears as the First Lady of fashion in the September issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine, posing as Michelle Obama.

The photo shoot captures Banks beside a Barack Obama look-alike model in an Oval Office scene. In another, Banks gives him a fist bump while confetti flies.

"So what gives me tears is if Barack Obama wins, kids are going to say that a black man can be president, too," Banks tells the magazine. "I think it will give so many people -- black, Latin, Asian, even white people that feel forgotten -- hope. I did not think I would see it in my lifetime, and I'm only 34."

"With Barack Obama, his becoming president is them becoming president because Michelle was there from the beginning," Banks continued. "Without Michelle, he wouldn't be there."

That photo shoot is one example of new Michelle Obama magazine coverage. Michelle Obama will also appear solo on the cover of Ebony and Ladies' Home Journal with her husband.

(Read the full interview with Michelle and Barack Obama at www.lhj.com and more on Michelle Obama's covers at Top of the Ticket.)

The covers follow criticism by Barack Obama's opponent, Republican Sen. John McCain, that the Illinois senator is a celebrity comparable to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. A new study also says that 48 percent of Americans are experiencing "Obama fatigue" and are tired of hearing so much about the candidate. Obama has experienced more media exposure than McCain every week since the beginning of June, according to media studies.

Not that Cindy McCain never got the cover treatment from a major magazine. She posed for the cover of Newsweek this summer and was also featured in Vogue.

A New York City Emergency Service police officer inspects a mailbox on Fifth Avenue in New York/ (October 17, 2001) (AP photo)

by Frank James

A federal government biodefense expert has apparently committed suicide just as prosecutors were about to charge him in connection with the 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people.

The Los Angeles Times' David Willman gets credit for breaking the story. Here's a snippet of his report:

A top government scientist who helped the FBI analyze samples from the 2001 anthrax attacks has died in Maryland from an apparent suicide, just as the Justice Department was about to file criminal charges against him for the attacks, the Los Angeles Times has learned.

The payout to Hatfill, a highly unusual development that all but exonerated him in the mailings, was an essential step to clear the way for prosecuting Ivins, according to lawyers familiar with the matter.

by Frank James

There are a lot of good-looking people in the world. Some of them wind up on Capitol Hill, a good thing since it often gives people trapped in overly lengthy congressional hearings a blessed distraction.

In recent years, the very luckiest of that pulchritudinous group have been selected by The Hill newspaper as the 50 biggest head-turners on the Hill.
It's a fun little feature, a welcome respite from presidential politics, gas prices and Afghanistan.

Number one on this year's list is Tulani Elisa, 24, a legislative assistant to Rep. Ed Markey and a black woman with an eerie resemblance to Jackie Kennedy.

On the other end of the spectrum, there's Sen. John Warner, the 81-year old Virginia Republican who is retiring from the Senate. He doesn't eerily resemble anyone so far as I can tell.

by Katie Fretland

What's in a campaign button?

In Idaho, it can mean the merger of the expected Democratic presidential nominee with an unlikely mate -- Republican Sen. Larry Craig, who does not plan to seek re-election after his arrest in a Minnesota bathroom sex sting.

The button was just a mistake apparantly on the part of the button-maker. The Lewiston Tribune reports that the button manufacterer apparantly meant to feature Sen. Barack Obama on a button with a different Larry: Democrat Larry LaRocco, who is running for U.S. Senate.

"That sounds like it's going to be a collector's item," said Dean Ferguson, LaRocco's communications director. "I'm sure Sen. Obama appreciates Sen. Craig's support."

So, what to do with those buttons? The editor emeritus of the Tribune's editorial page, Bill Hall, decided to buy 10 buttons, before they became unavailable for purchase.

"I realized it was a mistake, like finding a coin that's been damaged in the making, so I quickly ordered 10 of them," Hall said.

Read more about the Larry Craig/Obama button at Top of the Ticket, the Los Angeles Times' political blog.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

by Mark Silva

Barack Obama is such a card.

And John McCain, what a card.

And how about that George W. Bush? A real card.

The people at Hallmark think so, offering up a series of "party lines'' that have some greeting fun with Obama, McCain and Bush.

"You're a year older? No one could ever tell,'' reads the front of the birthday card picturing Obama, the junior senator from Illinois. Inside, the card gets a little flip with the greeting card equivalent of a flip-flop: "I stand corrected. Happy Birthday.'' Ouch. A chip inside plays a crowd chanting, "Yes we can, yes we can.''

"Another birthday's no big deal,'' reads the front of the card picturing McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, who will turn 72 next month. "At our age, we can still run for senator... run for president.'' Inside: "Run for the bathroom. You look like you gotta go out and celebrate.'' The bladder-minded chip plays the song: "Under Pressure.... Pressing down on me.'' Double ouch.

The presidential card is another story: "It's just a birthday. It's just a birthday. It's just a birthday,'' it reads on the front. "You still look good. You still look good. You still look good,'' it adds on the inside.

Are the card-makers suggesting the president sounds like a broken record? Well, the chip lets Bush do the explaining in his own words, with an actual clip of the president at the podium: "The third time I said that.... I'll probably say it three more times. See, in my line of work, you've got to keep repeating things over and over and over again, for the truth to sink in. To kind of catapult the propaganda.'' Triple ouch.

(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

by Frank James

You have to give it to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. He may be one of the nation's most powerful men but no fancy shmancy Mont Blanc pen for him, at least not at today's Senate hearing on the economy.

The head of the nation's central bank reached into his pocket and pulled out one of those complimetary stick pens that hotels make available to their guests. His was stamped "Westin."

Maybe it was a signal to the senators that he's a frugal man who's not about to waste his money or anyone else's, a good thing perhaps since some senators were clearly concerned today that the Fed and Treasury Department might be way too ready to put taxpayers' money at risk as part of their plan to serve as a backstop to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Or maybe it was just the first pen he laid his hands on this morning as he readied himself for his Capitol Hill appearance.

Wonder if he's the kind of guy who takes the little bars of soap too.

by Matthew Hay Brown

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has made a dramatic return to the Senate, his first visit since suffering a seizure in May that led to a brain cancer diagnosis and surgery, to cast the 60th vote Democrats needed on a Medicare bill that failed last month without him.

The Senate chamber erupted in bipartisan applause moments ago as Kennedy entered, escorted by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, fellow Massachusetts Democrat John Kerry, best Senate friend Chris Dodd and his son, Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island. Wife Vicki Kennedy and niece Caroline Kennedy watched from the front row of the gallery.

A grin spread across Kennedy's face as he appoached the dais and cast his vote with a loud "Aye."

The Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act of 2008, already passed by the House, would delay a 10.6% reduction in Medicare physician fees. It failed to achieve cloture by one vote last month.

As it turned out, it passed today by a 69-30 vote.

by Andrew Zajac

The shadow of 9-11 in Washington lightens with each year that passes without an attack. But on holidays like the 4th of July, the fingers still tighten ever so slightly on the armrests.

The Department of Homeland Security typically issues statements about low threat levels intended to reassure, but their effect is disquieting. Consider DHS's holiday assessment in yesterday's Congressional Quarterly:

"The Homeland Security Department reported that as of Thursday afternoon, it has received no credible threats to suggest a terrorist attack for the July Fourth holiday. However, the department is continuing to monitor for problems.

"Due to the symbolic importance of the holiday, the large number of mass gatherings and special events and increased travel associated with the celebrations, DHS and the

Kudwa said local authorities and security personnel may increase their security precautions. She encouraged the public to report anything suspicious, including unattended bags, unattended vehicles in restricted areas or the use of cameras and recording devices at large public gatherings... "

-----------------------

by John Kennedy

Florida's best-known bachelor, Gov. Charlie Crist, is getting married.

Crist on Thursday popped the question to his girlfriend of nine months, New York socialite Carole Rome, presenting her with a blue sapphire and diamond ring in his gulf-side condo in St. Petersburg.

"I'm very happy," Crist said Thursday evening. "I had a nice ring. It was very romantic. And she said `yes.'

No date has been set for the wedding. But Crist said the fall was the likely time -- in St. Petersburg, where he is a member of a Methodist church. A reception will probably also be held in Tallahassee, he said.

Crist, 51, said he managed to get down on one knee to propose, but it wasn't easy after his recent knee surgery. He's off crutches only a few days.

Rome, 38, is president of her family's century-old costume business. She has two children, ages 11 and 9, with former husband, New Yorker Todd Rome who is chief executive officer of Bluestar Jets. She lives in Miami, but will likely soon begin dividing her time between St. Petersburg and Tallahassee, Crist said.

Read the full story at Central Florida Political Pulse, the Orlando Sentinel's political blog. For more on Crist as a possible McCain veep, read Kennedy's article here.

(Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Carole Rome photo by Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo)

by John Crewdson

The Swamp watches the Sunday talk shows, so you don't have to:

The issues this first week of summer: Democratic unity (meaning can Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton stand to be in the same room together? And will Hillary or Bill speak at the Democratic convention?). Can Obama win over the critical Western states and the Hispanic vote he needs to defeat John McCain? Are U.S. commandos operating secretly in Iran? And, why is Ralph Nader running for president--again?

Nader famously cost Al Gore the presidential election in 2000, an election in which Gore garnered a half-milllion more popular votes than George Bush but lost by five electoral votes when the Supreme Court accorded Bush the state of Florida. Nader won only 2,883,105 votes, or 2.7% of all votes cast nationwide. But post-election research showed that 60% of Florida voters who voted for Nader would have voted for Gore, had Nader not been on the ballot.

Nader never accepted responsibility for making Bush's victory possible, blaming what he sees as the corporate conservatism of the Democratic Party, and asserting his responsibility to offer voters a third choice.

Many of Nader's former adherents didn't agree. Public Citizen, the group he founded in 1971, but with which he currently has no connection, reportedly lost 20 percent of its membership after the 2000 election.

Now Nader is back, confidently predicting on ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos that his name, which is currently on the ballot in only five states, will be on 45 state ballots--one more than in 2000--by election day.

by Matthew Hay Brown

Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court decision today to overturn the three-decade-old District of Columbia handgun ban, but said officials would move quickly to comply with the ruling.

"I have already directed the Metropolitan Police Department to implement an orderly process for allowing citizens to register handguns for lawful possession in their homes," Fenty told reporters this afternoon.

He went on to stress that the ruling would be limited in its impact on district statutes.

"This case is about a very narrow issue, and that is about the legal possession of handguns in the homes," he said. "It leaves intact various other laws that apply to private citizens who would purchase handguns or other firearms for home possession."

All firearms still must be registered with the police, Fenty said. Automatic and semi-automatic handguns generally remain illegal and no handguns can be carried outside of the home.

The mayor appeared with district Police Chief Cathy Lanier and Attorney General Peter Nickles.

"Now, let me be very clear," Nickles said. "You cannot go out today, if you have a handgun, and carry it around. This is not open season with handguns."

by Katie Fretland

Who do you like better Hillary Clinton or Bill Clinton?

A new national poll by the Los Angeles Times and Bloomberg says that 52 percent of registered voters feel positively about Bill Clinton compared to 49 percent for Hillary Clinton.

As for negative opinions, 36 percent don't like Bill Clinton while 39 percent feel negatively for Hillary Clinton.

Our colleague Don Frederick at Top of the Ticket the rest of the story including how the public likes the candidates for the White House here.

by Katie Fretland

This just in from ABC News. At a Capitol Hill Club breakfast today, former Bush senior aide Karl Rove called Sen. Barack Obama "cooly arrogant."

"Even if you never met him, you know this guy," Rove said, Christianne Klein reports.

"He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone who passes by."

Rove also said he was heading to the White House for a chat with the president, Klein reports.

To read more, visit Political Punch, ABC News' political blog.

by Katie Fretland

The governor of Florida, who pundits have mentioned as a potential running mate for John McCain on the presidential ticket, talks about the veepstakes, tanning (or lack therof) and love in a new interview with The New York Times magazine.

Thanks to Scott Maxwell at the Orlando Sentinel for drawing our attention to the article in his blog Taking Names.

(Scott points out the snazzy photograph of Republican Gov. Charlie Crist looking like a male magazine model.)

Here is a look at the Q&A with Deborah Solomon:

by Mark Silva

Sen. Barack Obama drove Ethel Kennedy's golf cart last night from the hilltop to the main house at Hickory Hill in McClean, Va., where supporters contributed $28,500 per person to a party fundraiser. And Obama fielded a few questions.

A golden retriever frolicked in the front yard of the Kennedy homestead, guests arrived by Lincoln Town Car, by Lexus and by Subaru (with one Hillary '08 bumper sticker spotted on a Subaru. A duo of pre-teen Kennedy cousins carted a large cardboard cutout image of Obama from the poolhouse and carried it to the main house for the cocktail "meet and greet.'' A discussion of Miley Cyrus ensued.

Max Kennedy, offering a lively toast, said the event would produce "more money ever raised for any candidate in the history of this household."

He said that his mother -- widow of the senator and former attorney general who lost his life running for president -- Robert F. Kennedy, had told her son at the 2004 Democratic National Convention: "The man who just spoke is going to be president of the United States, and he is going to change this country.'' That would be Obama.

Noting that most of the people in the room under 40 had never had a chance to vote for "anyone but a Bush or Clinton for president of the United States,'' he said, wrily: "There is nothing that ticks me off more in politics than someone trying to get by on the basis of their family name."

Telling tales of growing up at Hickory Hill, he spoke of meeting John Lennon, Coretta Scott King, Amy Carter and every serious candidate for president as a child there; and said that Obama was the candidate he had always sought. "This is the kind of candidate that I've been waiting for my entire life," Max Kennedy said.

"Max's been making me blush,'' Obama said, taking the mic at close to 8:30 pm EDT. "As you wander through the house, you see American history on display,'' he said of the RFK family homestead. "It's so casually woven.'' One can see "all the inner workings of an American family and an American life....you sometimes forget how extraordinary it is, and what an extraordinary family it is.

by Mark Silva

The commander-in-chief stopped in at his wake.

But "The Boss'' sang at his memorial service.

Or at least the image and music of Bruce Springsteen were piped into the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the remembrance of Tim Russert, longtime host of Meet the Press and Washington bureau chief for NBC News, who passed away last week at the age of 58.

The long weekend of tributes to a revered newsman is finished. But, thanks to MSNBC, the anthem played by the working-man's working man remains with us.

A young Russert had helped arrange a concert for a young Springsteen at the Cleveland college where the newsman was educated. He remained a lifelong fan of Springsteen and Roy Orbison.Tom Brokaw, the retired NBC news anchor, joined Luke Russert, son of the newsman, for a suprise guest appearance by satellite at Russert's memorial service at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday.

How many times do we get to play Springsteen in The Swamp? We only wish it hadn't taken an occasion such as this.

by Mark Silva

Sooner or later, Washington catches wind of what the rest of the country has been facing -- though in this case it's not flooding, but rather torrential rains that gripped the Capitol and the suburbs of Washington, D.C., for a time this afternoon.

Tornadoes have claimed fatalities in the area in recent weeks.

And tomorrow morning, following his return from an eight-day tour of Europe, President Bush will get a briefing on Midwest flooding in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

The forecast calls for clearing skies here.

Workers at the Eisenhower Executive Building, on the White House campus, sit outside, Friday, June 13, 2008, after losing power because of a major power outage in downtown Washington. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

by Frank James

(Updated at 10:05 am: The electrical power is returning to buildings and traffic lights in downtown Washington. Looks like this problem may happily come to an early end.)

-----------------------------------------------------

The nation's capital, which many people believe to be the heart of darkness as it is, has been plunged into darkness because of a downtown power outage.

Actually, it's a partly sunny day here so even though many lights are off in downtown Washington, D.C., it's not exactly dark.

And it's only part of the downtown area. The Capitol building appears to be unaffected -- so far though the White House is said to be operating on emergency power. Here's a story from the city's all-news radio station, WTOP.

Still, across downtown, tourists, office workers and the like are in hotels and office buildings without power, meaning no elevators or air conditioning. Traffic lights and normal power at Metro subway stations are out so the escalators and fare-care machines are out.

The only good news is that PEPCO, the power company that serves Washington D.C. and its Maryland suburbs, has its headquarters right in the area hit by the blackout so this problem definitely has the attention of officials there.

by Matthew Hay Brown

So it turns out that Cuban cigars are only second on the list of contraband seized most often by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.

Topping the chart? Candy.

Toy-filled chocolate eggs made by the Italian confectioners Kinder and Caffarel lead the rankings released today by the Baltimore field office of the Department of Homeland Security agency, which oversees airports and seaports from Northern Virginia to Southern New Jersey.

Also making the list: Counterfeit handbags, watches and clothing; the hallucination-provoking and tourist-inebriating liquor absinthe; and Hell notes, which are burned in Chinese ancestor veneration but may closely resemble U.S. currency.

Also: Drugs.

As the summer travel season approaches, Customs and Border Protection is promoting its Know Before You Go web site.

"We know that travelers plan extensively for international vacations, and we're just asking that they take that one last step and know what they can and can't bring into the United States," said Michael Lovejoy, director of the Baltimore office. "I'd hate to see anyone unnecessarily lose their hard-earned money by purchasing items inadmissible to the U.S., especially in today's economic environment."

CPB's list of the 10 most-seized inadmissible items follows.

by Andrew Zajac

People from Washington go to the beach to get away from the city's hot air, both meteorological and political.

One of the preferred destinations is Ocean City, Maryland, where the mayor, Richard Meehan recently had some fun with the public's increased awareness of global warming.

Meehan filmed a promotional spot inviting tourists to book their vacations "before the ocean evaporates" -- something he says it's expected to do in a billion years.

Check out Meehan's 1950s civil defense-style pitch here and above.

Andrew Zajac

The booze highlight of this campaign season was supposed to have been Hillary Clinton's Crown Royal and a beer in Crown Point, Indiana in April.

But the clear spirits people -- the young, upscale demographic in this bottle battle -- aren't conceding the election to the boat gas crowd.

Svedka, a mid-brow Swedish vodka seeking to "put the party back in party politics" has offered Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain a free supply of the product between now and November 4.

Svedka made the offer in a full-page ad (above) in Monday's NYT wrapped around a thank-you from "Svedka_Grl" to Clinton for "making this election so exciting."

It's all part of Svedka's "Put a Fembot in the White House" promotion, which is more fully explained...Uh, never mind.

With that mechanical dominatrix look -- Astro Boy meets Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS -- Svedka_Grl makes for a risque marketing campaign.

Probably shouldn't hold our breaths waiting for the campaigns' responses to her generous offer. Though "Swedish vodka" would make for an interesting entry under in-kind contributions on the candidates' expense reports.

by Frank James

President Bush was the Jayhawk-in-chief, at least for a few minutes in the White House Rose Garden today, as he welcomed the NCAA Division 1 champion University of Kansas basketball team.

The president even said "Rock chalk, Jayhawk," like he knew what it meant. And speaking Texan, he said: "They come to wave the wheat."

Among the Kansas luminaries Bush acknowledged who were on hand to help celebrate was former Sen. Bob Dole. Before he enlisted to serve in World War II, Dole played basketball for the legendary Kansas coach Phog Allen, whose name graces the fieldhouse the Jayhawks call home.

Danny Manning, a KU assistant coach and former Kansas and NBA star, got a special mention from the president:

Most of the players on this team have little or no memory of the last time Kansas won a national title, which would be 1988. As a matter of fact, I'm sure some of the players weren't even born yet. It's really hard to envision when you're an old guy like me and Roberts. (Laughter.) The 1988 team became known as "Danny and the Miracles." And Danny Manning, welcome back to the White House. (Applause.)

by John Crewdson

Introducing an occasional Swamp feature in which we attempt the vital but thankless task of keeping track of government's efforts to avoid admitting it has made a mistake by classifying the screw-up as a "lesson learned"--as though the government was an enormous school which pays civil servants to learn to do the jobs they are already supposed to know how to do.

One of the most remarkable things about the federal government is its ability to call something by other than its true name. The CIA's "termination with extreme prejudice" is a personal favorite, followed closely by "lessons learned."

A classic example of hiding behind "lessons learned" occurred early last year, when the late-night broadcaster, Charlie Rose, and President Reagan's chief of staff, Ken Duberstein, were discussing President Bush's announcement that he planned to "surge" up to 30,000 more troops into Iraq.

"I think it was important that we didn't see any bravado tonight," Duberstein said. "I think he tried very hard to take responsibility, to say, 'I've learned some lessons,' or 'We have learned some lessons,' but I didn't quite hear the whole nine yards of it."

"What might he have said?" Rose asked.

"Look, I made some mistakes," Duberstein replied.

by John Crewdson

Dick Agnew, a retired Army major, was hunting for a parking place at Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport when something stopped him cold.

Agnew had just passed a car bearing a rare Legion of Valor license plate, an honor Texas reserves for its most exalted military heroes.

"I know everybody's car," said Agnew, the Legion's commander for north Texas who received the Distinguished Service Cross in Korea after killing an enemy sentry in hand-to-hand combat despite a broken ankle. "Nobody in our organization has a maroon 2001 Chevy."

Agnew also recalled spotting a paper cutout of the Navy Cross, the Navy's second-highest decoration for bravery after the Medal of Honor, taped to the inside of the rear window. With a little detective work, he determined that the car belonged to a screener for the Transportation Security Administration assigned to DFW airport.

Further checking showed the man wasn't a Legion member, did not hold the Navy Cross and had no right to be sporting the Legion's license plates.

In the view of many veterans and others, unauthorized use of the Legion's plates amounts to a slur against actual medal recipients, including some among the nearly 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed and the more than 30,000 wounded in Iraq.

As the bogus Legion members may soon find out, such deceptions entail not only an insult, but a crime. A little-known federal statute imposes criminal penalties on those convicted of falsely claiming to have been awarded a medal of valor.

See the rest of the story in today's Tribune:

by Mark Silva

Jenna Bush, the first First Twin to be married, is settling into Baltimore with husband Henry Hager Jr.

So our intrepid partners at the Baltimore Sun have been busy interviewing men and women on the street, attempting to assess the impact that the president's newly-wed daughter will have on the city of Baltimore - or perhaps the effect the city will have on her.

"Jenna Bush will be loved in Baltimore, and she will love Baltimore,'' one woman says.

"People who haven't seen it as a viable place will see it as more viable because she is here,'' says another.

"Great restaurants, great night life,'' says a man dining out on Federal Hill.

"I wouldn't know her if I seen her,'' says a candy shop owner. "She'll have to introduce herself.''

by Whitney Blair Wyckoff

To investigate rumors that Washington, D.C., is a "fashion wasteland," Politico ran a story about what men are wearing in the District. The story comes in response to a blog post by a former GQ staffer-turned Washington journalist who accuses nation's capital of being a place where American flag lapel pins rein supreme and style is left at the bottom of the agenda.

Several men interviewed by Politico agreed with the GQ article, saying that while the Hill is no runway, not being on the cutting edge of the trends helps working Washingtonians fit in.

Here's the story:

So the rumors are true. According to GQ magazine, "official" Washington style is no style: Pleated pants should have their own bullet point in the congressional code of conduct and Brooks Brothers, a spot in the Smithsonian.

In the May issue of the men's style guide, former GQ editor Greg Veis reports that "what barely passed for fashionable in the Condé Nast cafeteria is cause for suspicion at the National Press Club." Veis, now an editor at The New Republic, writes that his skinny ties and tailored blazers are an anomaly in the prosaic fashion wasteland that is Washington.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy leaves Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Wednesday morning, May 21, 2008 with his wife, Vicki, right, and niece Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, center right. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

by Jill Zuckman

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy left Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston a few minutes after 10 a.m. today accompanied by his wife, children and niece, Caroline Kennedy. He was greeted by his two Portuguese water dogs, who were waiting outside.

A bandage on the back of his head was visible from the biopsy that was performed to reveal he has a malignant brain tumor. He got into his S.U.V., put his seat belt on and left for his home in Hyannis Port.

"Senator Kennedy has recovered remarkably quickly from his Monday procedure and therefore will be released from the hospital today ahead of schedule," said a statement from his doctors. "He will return to his home on Cape Cod while we await further test results and determine treatment plans. He's feeling well and eager to get started."

In an email to friends and family obtained by the Associated Press, Vicki Kennedy said the diagnosis had thrown them "a real curveball."

"Teddy is leading us all, as usual, with his calm approach to getting the best information possible," she wrote.

"He's also making me crazy (and making me laugh) by pushing to race in the Figawi this weekend," she wrote. The Figawi is an annual sailing race from Cape Cod to Nantucket.

by Jill Zuckman

Sen. Edward Kennedy's seizure and emergency helicopter flight from Cape Cod to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston on Saturday morning sparked an outpouring of emotion and concern for the liberal icon of the Democratic Party.

Although Kennedy remained hospitalized Saturday night, his primary care physician, Larry Ronan, said Kennedy "is not in any immediate danger."

The scene surrounding coverage of his trip to the hospital and the nervous waiting to hear about his condition recalled the many times that the Kennedy family has been in peril. Cable networks produced wall-to-wall coverage of Kennedy's condition, as well as his legendary 46-year Senate career. Each of the presidential candidates expressed admiration and offered up prayers for their colleague. And of course, Kennedy's family and friends gathered at the hospital to await word of his condition.

The senator, whose endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential candidacy in January helped to shape the Democratic primary campaign, had been maintaining a vigorous schedule. He had been scheduled to attend a charity luncheon Saturday.

Initially thought to be a stroke, Kennedy's medical scare underscored the fragile nature of the Democrats' hold on the upper chamber of Congress with just a 51-vote majority. Two other Democratic senators have faced health challenges during this session: Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia was recently hospitalized after an allergic reaction to an antibiotic, and Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota was absent for a year after suffering a brain hemorrhage.

A spokeswoman said Kennedy was "conscious, talking and joking with his family" at the hospital, where he was also watching the Red Sox game. She said he is undergoing a battery of tests at Massachusetts General to determine the cause of the seizure, which he suffered at his Hyannis Port, Mass., home, and no answers were expected for the next 48 hours.

Andrew Zajac

The Swamp occasionally hears from viewers who want to note the passing of someone of unusual distinction.

One such message came from Milwaukee attorney Peter Coffey, who called our attention to the Washington Post obituary of James Unger, a revered and remarkably successful debate coach at Georgetown and American universities.

Unger also was a consultant on presidential debates to several media outlets.

Judging from comments made to a debate listserv, Unger was a larger than life figure who commanded respect and love decades after his students graduated. You can read some of the tributes here: Unger posts.doc

Constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe offered this tribute:

"For most of us during the crucial decade and a half starting in the mid-1970s - the decade in which many of us came of age or settled into our lifetime careers - Jimmy Unger WAS debate, debate as high art, debate as ritual, debate as relentless analysis, debate as bloodless battle. He lived it, breathed it, epitomized it, enjoyed it, perfected it, practiced it, and made it a permanent part of our lives. For all of that, and for the inestimable wit and twinkling wisdom that Jimmy exuded for so many years, we will all owe him a huge and permanent debt. May his memory live forever in and through those of us who cared about him and who were lucky enough to be his friends."

A memorial service is slated for later this afternoon at a Georgetown church.

From the Associated Press:

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. -- A woman police believe to be convicted Washington escort service operator Deborah Jeane Palfrey committed suicide, officials said Thursday.

Police said the body was found in a shed near Palfrey's mother's home Thursday morning. There was a suicide note, but police did not disclose its contents or how she killed herself.

Police did not immediately have additional comment when reached by telephone. Palfrey's attorney, Preston Burton, did not return a telephone call and e-mail message.

Palfrey was convicted April 15 by a federal jury of running a prostitution service that catered to members of Washington's political elite, including Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican.

She had denied her escort service engaged in prostitution, saying that if any of the women engaged in sex acts for money, they did so without her knowledge.

She was convicted of money laundering, using the mail for illegal purposes and racketeering. Palfrey faced a maximum of 55 years in prison and was free pending her sentencing July 24.

Prosecutors said Palfrey operated the prostitution service for 13 years.

A bronze statue of George Washington looks out along Broad St. and the New York Stock Exchange from the steps of New York's Federal Hall, where the nation's first president was sworn into office on April 30, 1789. (AP Photo/Ed Bailey, file)

by Frank James

It was 219 years ago today, April 30, 1789, that George Washington took the oath of office to become the first president of the United States, kicking off the first in a quadrennial series of ceremonies that will continue next January with the inauguration of the 44th president.

By now, a presidential inauguration is a fairly standard if lavish affair, with the grand spectacle on the west front of the U.S. Capitol, the pageantry of the inaugural parade and all the inaugural parties.

But of course when Washington took the oath of office in New York, the presidency had just been invented, so he was creating the ceremonies surrounding the office pretty much on the fly. At first, other members of the government didn't even know what they should call him. "His excellency" was suggested. They settled on "Mr. President."

He didn't get everything right. He didn't shake hands. Beneath the dignity of the head of state, he thought. He wouldn't accept the invitation of New York Gov. George Clinton to stay at his house since he evidently thought that would diminish the American presideny as well.

Wonder what he would make of of our glad-handling presidents who have no qualms about staying at the homes of their wealthy friends and supporters?

by James Oliphant

Yes, we have to go here.

Maybe you expected more of us at The Swamp. Maybe you thought a major development could occur in the continuing adventures of Eliot Spitzer's former on-call paramour, Ashley Alexandra Dupre, and we would simply let it pass unremarked, allowing this sordid tale to die the death it deserves.

You would be wrong. Besides, this is just too good.

Dupre is suing the producers behind "Girls Gone Wild" for exploiting her. After her intimate encounter with the former New York governor went public, the makers of popular DVD series, which features intoxicated, exhibitionistic young women on display for the amusement of couch-bound, socially awkward men, discovered they had rolls of footage of AAD in the can from Spring Break 2003 in Florida.

In fact, it appears Dupre spent an entire week on the Girls Gone Wild Bus.

(Photo by Kristoffer Tripplaar-Pool/Getty Images.)

by Frank James

There's been much talk in recent years of how the White House Correspondents' Association's annual dinner has perhaps outlived its usefulness.

But there's probably something to be said for an event that may be of the world's greatest flesh-and-blood mash-ups. That, for no other reason, probably argues for its continued existence. (C-Span provides video of the event.)

Where else are you likely to see Karl Rove and Will.I.Am trading pleasantries. At least, that's what it looked like they were exchanging.

(Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images.)

And what were Colin Powell and Jenny McCarthy talking about at their table?

(Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images.)

Everywhere you turn, there's someone who used to make headlines, is making them now or will be. It's one of the biggest parades of the fabulously wealthy and famous you're ever likely to see. Where else outside Hollywood can you see Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, Martha Stewart, Marcia Cross and the Jonas Brothers gliding by your table? (I'll confess I didn't know who the Jonas Brothers were until I saw them identified in a wire-service photo.)

And will we ever forget how Pamela Anderson displayed her, umm, "assets" as she dramatically entered the dining room, a tall, younger man in a Kentucky colonel suit at her side. Weird, but it's that kind of night.

by Matthew Hay Brown

The Capitol press corps really is getting younger.

When Nancy Pelosi was installed last year as the first woman speaker of the House, she called on the children and grandchildren of her congressional colleagues to join her at the podium. Today, she observed Bring Your Child to Work Day by inviting reporters to bring their offspring to her weekly question-and-answer session.

It turned out to be an adorable way to cut the press conference short.

After taking a half-dozen questions from the grownups, Pelosi opened the floor to the kids, who grilled her with: "I need to know if you like being Speaker at all?" ("It's fabulous.") And "Who do you like: The Giants, the Orioles or the Nats?" ("I root for all of them, depending on who they play against.")

There were some substantive questions. The boy who asked about her baseball allegiances also wanted to know whether she supported statehood for Puerto Rico ("the status of Puerto Rico is up to the people of Puerto Rico"). A girl asked why the Anacostia River is still so dirty ("I'm going to go find out").

And there were, frankly, a couple of plants.

"What would you do to improve Medicaid if the moratorium that the House approved yesterday became law?" one girl read from a reporter's notepad, to general laughter.

by Whitney Blair Wyckoff

A station in Spokane, Wash., is reporting that former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow is in "satisfactory condition" after he was taken to a Spokane hospital early yesterday. Snow had to cancel a lecture he was scheduled to give later at a state university in Cheney, Wash.

Snow, a former FOX News host, signed up this week as a political commentator for CNN, where he promptly predicted that Sen. John McCain will be elected president: "I think McCain's going to win....because I think security and the economy both break his way."

For more on his sidelining in Spokane, here's the story:

Former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow is said to be in satisfactory condition at a Spokane hospital.

The nursing supervisor at Sacred Heart Medical Center said he was doing well Wednesday morning nearly 24 hours after he was brought in for medical care. Snow was admitted to Sacred Heart Tuesday morning hours before he was slated to hold a public lecture at EWU Tuesday as part of the Presidential Speaker Series.

As of early Wednesday morning, there's still no word on whether Snow is re-scheduling his appearance at Eastern.

The former Fox News commentator and press secretary for the Bush administration was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2005 and had his colon removed. Last year while serving as President Bush's press secretary, Snow underwent surgery to investigate an abdominal growth. The surgery revealed that the growth was cancerous and had metastasized.

Later, he announced that the cancer was in remission. On Monday, speaking with KXLY 920 radio host Mike Fitzsimmons, Snow said that he still his cancer, takes pills five days a week and undergoes chemotherapy every three weeks, a regimen he described as "not all that rough."

Pop star Shakira parts the crowd on Capitol Hill. Photos by Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.

by Frank James

It's not everday that you have the opportunity to put pictures of pop star Shakira into a political and policy blog.

But she was in Washington Tuesday to raise awareness for her favorite issue, universal education, the effort to provide millions of children around the globe who are now denied even a basic education the chance at one. She's a spokesperson for the Campaign for Global Education.

A very worthy goal, indeed. But let's face it, that's not why the House hearing room was packed yesterday with gawkers. It was all about Shakira whose hips weren't lying on Capitol Hill.

Former Clinton Administration official Gene Sperling's eyes don't lie. Photo by Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images.

Andrew Zajac

Communion just concluded at the papal Mass at Nationals stadium and no sign of the Roman Curia protocol police though there was plenty for them to do.

Within the last few years, various Vatican edicts imposed slight changes in rules governing the actions of priests and laity around the altar.

One of the changes required that communicants bow before receiving the host.

As the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2003) p. 48, item 160, puts it, "when receiving Holy Communion, the communicant bows his or her head before the Sacrament as a gesture of reverence..."

This morning, some bowed and some didn't.

Either word of this requirement hasn't gotten out or this is simply another opportunity for stylistic picking and choosing that a billion-member, heavily bureaucratized, global, 2,000 year-old religions affords.

Obama supporter and Catholic Mary Williams,Washington lawyer, did some multi-tasking in the crowd outside the stadium during the mass.

by Jesse Hamilton

Tens of thousands of people in Washington have put aside their politics for a few hours to gather in the makeshift, open-air cathedral of Nationals Park, to get a little closer to the executive branch of the Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict XVI raced along South Capitol Street in his motorcade, papal and U.S. flags flying from the hoods of its limousines, entering the stadium on time at 9:23 a.m. EDT. The people lining the street were disappointed with its high speed, having waited to spot the pope, some of them for hours. They had also hoped to see the famed Pope-Mobile, but the vehicle was already inside the stadium, awaiting the pope's lap around the interior.

Among the Catholics and the curious on the streets, politics -- the city's chief industry -- was still apparent. Mary Williams, a local lawyer, waved two things: a papal pennant and an Obama campaign sign. She thinks that Benedict and Sen. Barack Obama carry similar messages of hope.

"I'm doing double duty," said Williams, who said she attends the Catholic church next to the stadium on South Capitol Street. "I'm hoping for an endorsement from the pope for Obama."

Pope Benedict XVI was greeted by President Bush today at Andrews Air Force Base, a unique honor for a visiting head of state. (AP Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

by Mark Silva

President Bush and Pope Benedict XVI will have a lot to talk about during their private meeting in the Oval Office tomorrow, following a welcoming ceremony at the White House.

But don't count on them talking too much about the war in Iraq, the White House says.

Reminded that the Pope, last year in his Easter message, had said, "Nothing positive comes from Iraq,'' the White House was asked how Bush might address the subject.

"Well, they have a relationship that is based on trust and they are able to have frank conversations'' White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said today. "I will say that while Iraq has come up in the past when the President has talked to the Pope, as I understand it, they're not prolonged conversations about it. Obviously there was a difference of opinion back in 2003 and beyond, in subsequent years.

"But now I think that there is an understanding that with the strategy that's working in Iraq right now, the most important thing we can do is help to solidify the situation, root it into freedom and democracy so that people of religious... faith who are minorities in their countries can practice freely and be free from persecution.

"That is something that they share,'' she said. "I expect them to touch on that a little bit.''

So it's a matter of agreeing to disagree and moving on? "I don't think it will dominate the conversation in any way,'' Perino said. "I really don't think that the president is planning to spend a lot of time talking about the issues of Iraq with the Pope.''

by James Oliphant

A jury today found Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who had been dubbed the "D.C. madam" by the media, guilty of running a prostitution ring here in the nation's capital.

She had been charged with money laundering and racketeering. Palfrey, 52, had said that her escorts dealt in fantasy, not sex, and if sex-for-money occurred, it was without her knowledge.

“When a man agrees to pay $250 for 90 minutes with a woman, what do most men expect in that time?” federal prosecutor Daniel Butler said during closing arguments Monday. “In that context, it’s pretty clear. Most men want sex.”

The trial was largely an exercise in unmet expectations. Although three clients and a dozen escorts testified, little new was detailed in operation of the ring. And its highest-profile clients were never called to testify or perhaps never made public at all.

First and foremost was Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) who last summer publicly admitted to patronizing the ring. Vitter's lawyers promised a fight if he were called to testify. He wasn't.

Palfrey and her lawyers at one point vowed to sell the information in her client files to pay for her defense. But that never happened either. Maybe for her appeal?

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Photo of Jeane Palfrey after a hearing in federal court in Washington on April 30. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)