Entries for August 2007

Longtime Reagan aide and image creator Michael Deaver, who died two weeks ago of pancreatic cancer, will be memorialized September 6 at the Washington National Cathedral. Dozens of dignitaries are expected, and singer Johnny Mathis will sing "Amazing Grace," we're told. Tributes will be given by Richard Edelman, president of the P.R. firm Deaver worked for before his death; Henry Pierce, executive director of Deaver's passion, Clean and Sober Streets; family friend Lex Sant, and former Reagan pal James A. Baker.

There's lots of speculation that Sen. Larry Craig will quit, maybe as soon as this weekend, over the firestorm created by his guilty plea for disorderly conduct after allegedly acting lewdly and "peeping" in a Minneapolis men's room known as a gay sex destination. Certainly the Republican leadership has sent the signal that it wouldn't cry if he bailed, as demonstrated when he was removed from key committees.

But now I hear that the leaders won't push Craig to bow out now and instead expect him to announce that he won't run for re-election in 2008.

"For somebody who's spent 27 years in Congress, you just can't flip a switch and say 'today I'm quitting,' " said a leadership official. "He won't be forced to leave," added the insider. What's more, he has been telling Senate GOP leaders that he was considering retiring at the end of his term even before the bathroom case. The source explained how time is on Craig's side. First, he has gone on vacation; keeping the press at bay helps to quiet the story unless some other revelation is unearthed. Second, once the Senate returns to work next week, the attention will be on the pending Iraq "surge" report being delivered by Gen. David Petraeus and other political issues.

"The heat will be off him and on Iraq. There will be some reaction, but he could weather the story," said the leadership aide.

Bring a Book—or Maybe a Sleeping Bag

'Tis true that even Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Marion Blakey plans to hop on an airline this very busy Labor Day weekend and take her traditional seat in coach. But with ticket sales at a near-record high, she has this bit of advice for y'all who are planning to join her in the air: Bring something to do.

Ann Hand, the Georgetown jeweler to official Washington, has turned her attention to the 2008 presidential campaign. The artist known for her presidential and diplomatic designing style has produced campaign pins blinged up with diamondlike crystals. At $45, they're not a bad deal either, considering that her famous American Liberty Eagle costs $150. I walk by her store almost every day and first noticed the Hillary 2008 and Obama 2008 pins weeks ago. When my editor passed by this week, she found them all on display, making now the time to draw attention to the whole collection.

Now even Chertoff's team is agreeing he might take over at Justice.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is still tops among those in the running to replace retiring Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The Bush pal quit today after weeks of punishing criticism of his department's alleged politicization of the process that hires and fires federal prosecutors. Chertoff has the background to take over the trouble department, but it looks like the traveling and vacationing President Bush plans to wait a few days before he makes his final choice. Still, even Homeland insiders are now talking about their boss moving on.

It's a story Whispers had first over the weekend. In repeating the talk about resignation, some bloggers took us to task for going with a story that was just insider buzz. Others ran with the story. And at least one gave us credit. Thanks, Rob.

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Video: Washington Whisper's Paul Bedard talks about how he got the tip that U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was stepping down.