Baucus: The Notable Quotable
April 13, 2009
While most Senators like to hear themselves speak, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) likes to listen to the words of others.
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A Restaurant’s Beginning
April 1, 2009
It’s opening week at the new Italian restaurant Potenza, and owner Dan Mesches is sitting in the center of the dining room with a small group of friends. He smiles as he tastes dishes from his new restaurant.
Markey Making His Mark
April 1, 2009
Tasked with co-writing a controversial climate change and energy overhaul, Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) may have the heaviest lift of any subcommittee chairman in Congress.
Feingold Is Eager for Some Victories
March 31, 2009
Sen. Russ Feingold’s (D-Wis.) early moves this year to ban the death penalty and amend the Constitution look like the bold strokes of a liberal lawmaker feeling liberated by a Democratic White House.
Blunt Stages His Second Act
March 30, 2009
Five months ago, when Rep. Roy Blunt (Mo.) stepped down as Minority Whip after the Republicans’ drubbing on Election Day, it appeared from the outside as if he was getting pushed out and taking the fall for his party.
It’s All in the Family
March 26, 2009
Chief of Staff Jennifer Van der Heide likes to think of herself more as a mother hen than a demanding boss. In her role as No. 2 in the D.C. office of Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), she is responsible for managing a staff of 14, but she prefers to look at her colleagues as family, rather than employees.
The Newcomers: All About Serendipity
March 26, 2009
Someday, when Justin Harding looks back on his life, it may turn out that 1998-1999 was a watershed year.
It was during that time that Harding switched from a business to a political science major, landed an internship in a Congressional office and got married. Ten years later, he’s the chief of staff for newly elected Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), and his life is a bit different than he once expected it to be.
K Street Discovers a New Star
March 25, 2009
It took more than 20 years for Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) to rise to the top of one of the most powerful committees in the Senate. But just three months after taking the gavel of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Rockefeller is reinvigorating the business-oriented panel — and increasing his fundraising operation to match his newfound clout on Capitol Hill.
Picture Imperfect
March 25, 2009
An icon of Dadaism, French-born American artist Marcel Duchamp is famous for his provocative art. In fact, he challenged the idea of relying on the visual when he said in 1968, “Why should we be only interested in the visual side of the painting? There might be something else.”
Jazz Musician Marsalis Touts the Power of the Arts
March 25, 2009
Jazz great Wynton Marsalis has a simple suggestion for lawmakers who want to promote the arts: swing dance.
“One thing I think would make a difference is if we were to have all our kids learn to swing dance,” he said in a phone interview last week.
Wasserman Schultz Discusses Cancer
March 24, 2009
With Capitol Hill reeling from the news that she spent the past year secretly undergoing extensive treatment for breast cancer, an at-times emotional Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz unveiled legislation on Monday designed to better educate women under 40 about the disease.
Supreme Turning Point
March 24, 2009
Ask any self-respecting Congressional staffer how life on the Hill has been, and the usual response would be: “Busy.” That’s certainly true for David McKean. As staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, his workday revolves around managing a staff of 25, setting up hearings (12 so far this session), and scouting for experts to testify.
Menendez Lays Out 2010 Map
March 19, 2009
While acknowledging the challenging political and economic environments surrounding the midterm elections, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (N.J.) said Wednesday he sees many reasons for his party to be optimistic about the 2010 Senate battleground.
Office Space: Georgia Is on Isakson’s Mind
March 18, 2009
It’s a good idea to bring a healthy thirst to the office of Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) because the first thing visitors hear as they step inside the door is, “Would you like a Coke product?”
Georgia, of course, is home to the Coca-Cola Co., and so the Republican Senator and his staff have access to everything from Coke Zero to Sprite. The staffers tend to be relentless, asking more than once if visitors would like a Coke. These friendly Southerners won’t give up until each and every visitor has a can of soda in hand.
Larson Crafts Policy Role for Caucus
March 18, 2009
House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (Conn.) is trying to make a mark in his new leadership role, but it may not be a mark that resonates with everyone in his Caucus.
Two months into his new post, Larson is reframing the way the Caucus does business: Starting this week, he is using Caucus meetings to host a series of in-depth policy discussions on issues that go beyond the business of the week.
TV Series Mixes Therapy, Improv and D.C. Notable
March 18, 2009
Singer Macy Gray loves President Barack Obama. And not in the he’s-a-great-leader sort of way, either.
“I’m in love. Like, I wanna get married. I wanna have his kids,” Gray said of Obama.
“I wanna ... just, like, take him home,” Gray later explained. “Like, he’s my man. ... Like, why am I not Michelle, you know what I mean? Like, who the f--- is she? Like, why can’t I be her?”
Asian-Americans See Gains in Political Clout
March 17, 2009
Asian-American voters helped elect President Barack Obama. In turn, Obama has broken through a centuries-old glass ceiling that may help Asian-Americans rise in politics.
In the 2008 election cycle, 62 percent of Asian-American voters cast a ballot for Obama. The new president, in turn, has appointed record numbers of Asian-Americans to his Cabinet. Coupled with the growing numbers of Asian-American Members of Congress, the Asian-American influence in Washington has never been stronger.
Kyl Whips Quietly, but Effectively
March 17, 2009
While he lacks the sizzle and spark of his predecessor Trent Lott (Miss.), Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (Ariz.) seems to have found his niche as the Republicans’ top vote-counter by cajoling with substance rather than style.
A Moderate Superstar Retires From the DLC
March 12, 2009
After struggling to make it in the hardware business, Reubin From hit pay dirt in the early 1950s in suburban South Bend, Ind.
A local housing developer neglected to add garages to its tracts of pre-fabricated homes, a critical oversight in an area where winter temperatures frequently dip into negative digits.
Chiefs Eschew Partisanship
March 10, 2009
In an institution that has seen the rise of many a bipartisan “gang” in recent years, the monthly meeting of Senate chiefs of staff — now in its seventh year — might be the best-kept secret on Capitol Hill.
Hill GOP Patient on Steele
March 10, 2009
Despite a series of public missteps that have thrust Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele into the spotlight, House and Senate GOP leaders say they are willing to let the new chairman work through his problems and will not call for his ouster.
A Sweater Altered It All
March 10, 2009
Jacqueline Novogratz, 47, didn’t set out to write a memoir. When she began working on “The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World” in 1996, she only wanted to tell the stories of women she had met in Rwanda before genocide tore the tiny African nation apart.
Gregg Is Happy to Be Home
March 9, 2009
It’s as though Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) never left.
Nearly one month after reversing his decision to resign from the Senate and serve as President Barack Obama’s Commerce secretary, Gregg is back doing what he does best — acting as a top adviser to the Senate Republican leadership and working with the Democrats on pressing issues.
Congress’ Hidden Treasure
March 9, 2009
Gholam Vafai, 86, the oldest employee at the Law Library of Congress, is the library’s point man on the laws of Iran and Afghanistan.
His expertise? Vafai is a former Supreme Court justice of Iran.
“Dr. Vafai is our hidden treasure. I feel very humbled to be working with him,” said Vafai’s boss, Hongxia Liu, head of the Directorate of Legal Research. “Dr. Vafai is already in his 80s, but his mind is still very sharp. His reports are very thorough and accurate.”
‘Unbought and Unbossed’
March 5, 2009
In 1972, Barbara Lee, then a student at Mills College in Oakland, Calif., stood on the brink of failure.
The California Democrat was in a class where students were required to organize for a presidential candidate. Lee, the president of the Black Student Union, refused to work for contenders who didn’t inspire her, including Democratic Sens. Ed Muskie (Maine) and George McGovern (S.D.). She was in danger of flunking the class.
Nationals Hatch Older Mascot
March 4, 2009
Look out Nats fans! Your little feathered friend has grown up.
Screech, the Washington Nationals’ baby eagle mascot, apparently had a growth spurt during the off-season.
Being Ted Kennedy
March 3, 2009
The name Ted Kennedy conjures up many different images to different people. Some think instantly of a car crash on Chappaquiddick Island in Massachusetts that killed a young Mary Jo Kopechne, while others think of a white-haired man hunched over a podium on the Senate floor screaming about health care. Both these views and many others are explored in the new book “Last Lion: The Fall and Rise of Ted Kennedy.”
War Widows Call for Support
February 26, 2009
When David Stanley enlisted in the U.S. Army, he assumed that Uncle Sam would take good care of his wife and two children if he were to die on the job. Seventeen months after his death, his widow claims that the government isn’t holding up its end of the bargain.
Rule-Maker in Chief
February 26, 2009
Rule One: “The most important is to remember Peter was elected, not any of us.” In fact, staff members need to know that while they are talented, they are not the ones in the spotlight.
This is just one of several “Rogan’s Rules,” commandments that chief of staff Bob Rogan uses to keep his staff in line. Rogan, who manages the office of Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), said he laid out these rules at his first staff meeting in January 2007.
One Man’s ‘Bronx Tale’ Well Retold
February 25, 2009
Calogero Lorenzo “Chazz” Palminteri was 9 years old when he saw a man shoot another man in the Bronx. While Palminteri was unsure whether the two men were fighting over a parking space, he was certain to use that episode as the opening scene of his one-man play, “A Bronx Tale.”
Gitenstein Nixed for Justice Job
February 25, 2009
President Barack Obama’s anti-lobbyist personnel policy has claimed another victim.
Reform Debate Is Personal for Schwartz
February 24, 2009
After just four years in Congress, Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-Pa.) is poised to play a major role in the upcoming debate over health care reform.
Despite her relatively junior status, Schwartz has risen to vice chairwoman of both the House Budget Committee and the moderate New Democrat Coalition — positions that have already enabled her to influence how the economic stimulus package addressed health care. The Congresswoman will also be a key player in other efforts to overhaul the health care system, beginning with the fight over the federal budget.
Chun: Cyber Attacks Demand Strong Public-Private Response
Nov. 6, 12:35 p.m.
The federal government is increasingly taking a leadership role in improving the nation’s cybersecurity. But, with a threat that is quickly growing and more sophisticated each day, it’s clear that the government — for all of its good intentions — cannot win this battle without a robust commitment from technology companies. Read Full Article
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