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House Democrats under the reign of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) may have vowed to work five days a week (for now, at least), but HOH is confident that Pelosi won’t be working this Thursday night.
Why? Because she’ll be acting the proud mother at the Washington, D.C., premiere of her daughter Alexandra’s latest documentary, “Friends of God,” about the American evangelical Christian community.
The fun kicks off at a 6:30 p.m. reception at the Ritz-Carlton Ballroom on 22nd Street Northwest, followed by a screening of the film — which premieres to the public Jan. 25 on HBO — and then a panel discussion on what role the evangelical vote will play in the 2008 presidential race.
The roundtable will be hosted by Mr. Hardball, Chris Matthews, and also will feature GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio and Democratic pollster Anna Greenberg. Noted political theorist and musician Moby also is expected to be in attendance, though it is not clear whether he plans to join the discussion or just stand around in a black shirt and look cool.
In addition to the Speaker, a fair number of other Democratic lawmakers — and maybe even a few Republicans — are expected to attend. Hopefully House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) got the memo about not scheduling any late votes that night.
No Laughing Matter. Even with all the serious and grave happenings in the world, there is still room here in our nation’s capital for Republicans and Democrats to get together and share a good-natured joke, right?
Maybe not.
Last Friday, a handful of lawmakers gathered at the White House to watch President Bush sign the catchily named Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006.
The bill was a bipartisan affair and there was love all around, though there also were plenty of news reports about Bush’s plan for a troop surge in Iraq.
So when House Natural Resources Chairman Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.) went to shake Bush’s hand, he thought he’d try to lighten the mood up a bit.
“I’d rather be talking about fish surges instead of troop surges,” Rahall joked to Bush, according to Rahall’s office.
Bush looked Rahall in the eye and said, dead serious: “I’d rather be talking about victory.”
Well, OK. But Rahall gets credit for trying.
Year of the Women. While Pelosi is making history over in the House, the Senate has reached its own gender milestone with the 110th Congress. That chamber now has a record 16 women, and if you read HOH early in the morning like you should, you’d know to turn on your TV .... now!
All 16 female Senators were on hand to tape a group interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Tuesday afternoon. Part one was scheduled to air during the first half hour — 7-7:30 a.m. — of the show today, while part two will air between 8 and 8:30 a.m. on Thursday.
Looking to meet all the female lawmakers of the 110th Congress? Try heading over to Room B-369 of the Rayburn House Office Building on Tuesday evening before Bush’s State of the Union address.
That’s where you’ll find the third annual State of the Union Reception Honoring Women Members, sponsored by Oxygen Media and Discovery Communications with the help of Reps. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-Fla.) and Hilda Solis (D-Calif.), co-chairwomen of the Congressional Caucus on Women’s Issues.
It’s not clear how many of the 90 women serving in the 110th Congress will show up or how long they’ll stay. After all, getting a good seat in the House chamber for the SOTU requires a very early arrival. HOH recommends that Members camp out the night before.
What Would We Do Baby, Without Us? One person who won’t have to arrive early to get a seat at the big speech is Michael J. Fox, who will be attending the SOTU as a guest of Rhode Island Rep. James Langevin (D).
Though HOH will always cherish the memory of Fox as Alex P. Keaton on “Family Ties” — particularly on the episode where he had two dates to the prom — Fox more recently has become known for his outspoken advocacy for stem-cell research, an issue that also is of personal importance to Langevin.
“I have often said diseases and disorders are a nonpartisan issue that requires a bipartisan solution,” Fox said in a statement.
Please send your hot tips, juicy gossip or comments to hoh@rollcall.com.
Energy and Commerce Committee: Barton Holds the Line for the GOP
March 15, 12 a.m.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) knows he’s outnumbered. He knows the Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he serves as ranking member, have the ability to “slam things through” when they want to. Read Full Article
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