Entries for August 2006

Watch out for speeding Chevy Suburbans this month: They just might be full of campaigning congressional leaders and their security guards. Big shots from both sides tell us that they'll be crisscrossing the nation, headlining more than 200 political events. Dems led by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are trying to take back Congress with their "New Direction" theme; Republicans plan to hold on by reconnecting with voters. "Make August matter," says House GOP leader John Boehner in a memo to members.

Chicago had its artsy cows. Washington was flooded with colorful elephants and donkeys. And even Cape Hatteras, N.C., was home to life-size art horses, some decorated with wings. But art trains? That'll be the story next month at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station, Texas, as the former president's operation puts on an eBay auction of trains to replicate the other cities' fundraisers. The plan for the September 29 auction: Sell off 34 painted trains known as "Locomotives on Parade" to help fund the 41st president's popular facility. The trains are painted by Texas artists, will start at $500, and will come with a Bush signature-if the winning bid tops $2,500. These aren't knickknacks for your shelves: The trains measure about 6 feet by 6 feet by 3 feet. Each has a theme like the "Let's Roll" train named for the 9/11 rallying cry.