Washington Whispers

Aides in House and Senate offices report that groups opposed to the immigration bill now before the Senate are warning that they plan to flood town hall meetings during the Memorial Day recess. One top leadership aide said that groups were contacting members' offices to get the times and places of town hall meetings or other gatherings where the lawmakers have planned to take public questions. "Some of these members are going to get creamed on this issue when they go home," warned a Senate aide whose boss has not announced a public meeting next week. "Man, are we glad we didn't set up a town hall," said the aide. Senate leadership officials are concerned that the pressure from voters and interest groups expected to be unleashed on lawmakers may further delay passage of the plan and most likely change some votes. "We should have had the vote last week. There's no telling how these meet-and-greets will change a member's view," said a Senate GOP official.

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JOE CIARDIELLO FOR USN&WR

Even nerdy Washington has caught American Idol fever as the show enters its spectacular finale showdown between 17-year-old Jordin Sparks and beat-box guy Blake Lewis. Of course, the first family, who endorsed the show's massive "Idol Gives Back" fundraiser, will check out the Fox show. But that'll be nothing compared with the cheers and jeers coming out of the Spellings household. Yes, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings is an Idol fanatic.

Go ahead and ask: How crazed is she? Spellings is the first in the Bush cabinet to attend a show. It happened earlier this month, and she and daughter Grace even compared notes with judge Simon Cowell. Like Cowell, they loved ousted Melinda Doolittle. "I am shocked over the Melinda situation," says Spellings. "I am confident that she'll have a great career." For finale week, "My pick--Jordin." Another Idol fan, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, also chooses Jordin, but she likes Blake's style, too.

It's not just Idol-atry for Spellings. She's very hip to current media, using them to pitch education. This week she'll be the first cabinet member to be on the Daily Show With Jon Stewart, talking up No Child left Behind. "Secretary Spellings has range and No Child Left Behind has no age limit," crows a pal. "She runs the gamut when it comes to the age of the person she's talking to."

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They haven't had their first kiss yet, but the White House is learning that dinner and a drink make it a lot easier to address tough issues with Congress. We're told that after years of giving Congress the cold shoulder, the White House is issuing more invitations to private gatherings. And members from both parties are being wooed in the gatherings, where Bush is displaying the type of bipartisanship he won applause for as the governor of Texas. "I think they are doing more of that at the White House," says Sen. Trent Lott, Mississippi Republican. "I think that's helpful. Anything you do together informally, it makes it easier to talk about substance at other times." A Bushie says the invites include Camp David sleepovers, receptions, and even movie screenings.

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It's a long way from the deck of a U.S. Coast Guard cutter to the East Wing, but new White House Usher Stephen Rochon, a retired Coast Guard rear admiral, is finding great similarities in keeping both shipshape. "My background made me suited for this," says Rochon, who started in March as only the eighth chief White House usher ever. It's a big job: His team does everything, including washing the president's clothes, preparing quesadillas for the first family, keeping up the old house, and even walking the first pets. "I'm still pinching myself," he tells us. As for the dog chores, Rochon says he gets a kick out of petting them in the morning. "It's not a dog's life here. They are taken care of very well."

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