Sanford's Other Secret

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's love-struck romp in Buenos Aires with his Argentine "soul mate" wasn't just a threat to his marriage, job, and presidential aspirations. It also jeopardizes his Department of Homeland Security clearance and raises new questions about his candor on the steamy affair. Didn't know the Republican had one? Well, as a chief of state and head of the South Carolina National Guard, Sanford has a top-secret security status that lets him in on classified information such as possible terrorist threats and emergency tips. But with that need to know come intelligence community rules of conduct, a key one being that relationships with foreigners must be revealed. The reason: Those in the know can leave themselves open to blackmail from rival intelligence services about a compromising dalliance.

Don't Mess With Cheney

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

There appears no end in sight for when Dick Cheney, a rare former vice president with Secret Service protection, will lose his security detail. Whispers has learned that the political battler's Secret Service protection has been extended, though there were no details on the length. We don't know why President Obama OK'd the extension, which must be approved by the commander in chief because former veeps typically don't get any Secret Service security after leaving office. But indications are that the threats against Cheney, who's working on his biography at his homes in Virginia and Maryland, haven't lessened since his term expired.

Senate Braces for Sotomayor

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

Sotomayor is coming; Sotomayor is coming. That's the warning message to senators and staffers in advance of next week's start of the hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonya Sotomayor. In a message to Senate offices and in posters on the Senate side, the sergeant at arms and Capitol Police are telling officials to expect a crush of crowds and unusual security during the two weeks of hearings.

But for the "historic week," the authorities say that they will take efforts to make it easy for lawmakers and their staffers to get to work. Below is the message sent to Senate offices this week:

HHS: Have Fun With the Flu

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

It's been called an epidemic, but that doesn't mean the swine flu can't be funny. At least in the way directors of short videos might approach it. That's the message today from the Department of Health and Human Services as it seeks public videos on the flu that will encourage Americans to watch out for it in the upcoming flu season.

Blogger Cox Slaps Politico as Lazy

By Nikki Schwab, Washington Whispers

Sure, political news site Politico has a reputation for cranking out stories at lightning speed and scooping other media outlets left and right, but it's possibly with an unquestioning swiftness, slams Air America Radio's Ana Marie Cox. "Every administration, every campaign, will develop a few favorite places, and they will always get the news first," says Cox. "That used to be the AP, the New York Times, the Washington Post —now Politico is one of them because Politico won't question a word," she said at today's Campus Progress and The Nation Youth Journalism Conference.

Car Dealers Demand Rights Back

By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers

In just a few weeks, a group backing legislation to stop General Motors and Chrysler from closing dealerships has gained steam, with over 100 dealers planning to stage protests in Washington next Monday and Tuesday. "We expect a big crowd. We have over 100 RSVPs from dealers, and we've had to find more and more rooms for people," said Jack Fitzgerald, a large East Coast dealer and cochairman of the Committee to Restore Dealer Rights. While the group is not expecting a total reversal of the closings, essentially endorsed by the administration as part of Detroit's restructuring and federal bailout, it does expect passage of legislation to restore dealer rights lost in the bailout.

Idols of Pentagon Boss

By Andrew Burt, Washington Whispers

Even the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has idols. And for Adm. Michael Mullen, his are two of the military's biggest: Gen. George Marshall and Adm. Ray Spruance.

In Marshall, Mullen sees an exemplar of the civilian-military relationship. "I think he has set the standard for all of us who wear uniform," Mullen said at the National Press Club today. "He taught us all a lot, and I'm grateful for that." Marshall, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953, served as the Army's chief of staff under Presidents Roosevelt and Truman and is the namesake for the Marshall Plan that helped rebuild Europe after World War II.

Fighting 'Don't Ask' Has Risks

By Amanda Ruggeri, Washington Whispers

Rep. Patrick Murphy has two pieces of advice for his fellow congressmen: Do what's right, not just what's political. Oh, and don't cross him. The Pennsylvania Democrat is currently trying to whip up support for H.R. 1283, which would repeal "don't ask, don't tell," and he's working hard on getting the 218 votes it'll need to pass the House. One of the problems he might run into is the backlash back home. "I'm a congressman, but I have some criticisms about Congress. And I think some folks in Congress are afraid of keeping their own seats, and that's affecting the change that we all know needs to happen in our country," says Murphy. He ought to know. Murphy won his seat by just 1,521 votes in 2006. "This is something I don't take lightly, neither," he said, but he's going ahead with pushing for an end to "don't ask" because "we need congressmen and congresswomen and legislators to stand by the courage of their conviction and not worry about the political cycle or when the election is."