Heard on the Hill: Token Smokin’
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An HOH tipster reported seeing Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) smoking in the Rayburn House Office Building cafeteria, shortly after the House vote on the stimulus bill Friday afternoon.
And while HOH could understand that the showdown vote was probably pretty stressful, we were surprised to hear about Stearns’ smoky indulgence — lighting up is banned in the cafeteria, after all, and Stearns himself has been vocal about the harms of cigarettes.
A Stearns spokesman cleared the air for us with an unusual story. Stearns was demonstrating “smoking” an electronic cigarette, a device used to help wean smokers off those addictive coffin nails. The nifty faux smokes produce vapor that mimics smoke, but doesn’t deliver carcinogens into the body.
“I believe that this is healthier for smokers and offers a practical way to help smokers quit,” Stearns said in a statement provided to HOH. “This could be the wave of the future in smoking cessation.”
Stearns wants to share the gadget, too: He’s given one to his son and one to House Minority Leader John Boehner (the Ohio Republican is a hard-core smoker). Stearns even offered this bipartisan peace pipe: “I am going to send a package to President Barack Obama to help him quit or meet with him and enjoy a harmless, carcinogen-free smoke.”
The Tie That Binds. Sen. Charles Schumer might like to lead the news cycle, but we certainly can’t say he’s ahead of the fashion curve.
The New York Democrat on Thursday was sporting a rather dated tie: It was pink (hello, “Miami Vice”!), and featured outlines of the state of Massachusetts, the initials “J.K.” and donkeys. That’s right folks, that would be a “John Kerry for President” tie. How very 2004.
Schumer apparently thinks that the tie, which dates back to when Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) launched his unsuccessful White House bid, is timeless. “It’s a nice pink tie,” he said, when asked about the cravat.
And it isn’t Schumer’s only geographically inspired neckwear. “I have other New York ties,” he said.
Power Lunch. Talk about an informational interview — Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) was spotted lunching in the Members’ dining room on Thursday with Sen. Mel Martinez, whose Florida seat Meek is hoping to claim as his own in 2010.
Perhaps Meek was getting the scoop on what the job is like from the guy who would know best — Republican Martinez is planning to retire after this term, leaving an open race in the Sunshine State. We can only guess that the bipartisan duo weren’t talking about the weather.
Meek’s spokesman confirmed our spy’s report, and said his boss ate chili while the Senator chowed down on — what else? — Senate bean soup.
Stimulus Stress Stimulates Staffers. The economic stimulus package is already having some effect: The long days and nights working on the bill apparently have prodded staffers to take more stress-busting sessions in the Rayburn House Office Building gym.
So many so that Chief Administrative Officer Dan Beard extended the gym’s hours to accommodate the droves of fitness-friendly employees.
Starting today, the workout facility will remain open until 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday when the House is in session.
“Evidently the legislative process is causing more of the staff to work later hours and many are squeezing in an exercise session close to the 9:00 p.m. closing time,” the CAO’s office said in a statement. “The extra hour of available exercise time should relieve some of the pressure on House staff, allow them to do their work and still get in a good workout.”
Kudos to staffers who are choosing to blow off the work stress by getting in shape, but we wonder if bars on Capitol Hill also are seeing an uptick in visitors ...
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