Entries for May 13, 2007

JOE CIARDIELLO FOR USN&WR

It was election night 1992, and the popular Georgetown Tobacco shop was busy with political aides looking for one stogie brand: Paul Garmirian, a fave of former Presidents Bush and Clinton. "The Democrats were buying them to celebrate," recalls Garmirian, "and the Republicans for consolation." Never heard of "P.G.'s"? Count yourself lucky: We're letting you in on a secret that Washington and Hollywood big shots have kept for 16 years. Aficionados consider P.G.'s vintage Dominican cigars better than Cuba's storied Cohibas.

"Muy bueno," says former cia Director George Tenet, who used to chew the P.G. Churchill. Garmirian, a regal Lebanese native who literally wrote the book on cigars (The Gourmet Guide to Cigars), tells how a client once offered Clinton a P.G. in a greeting line but Bubba walked past. That is, until he heard, "but it's a P.G." The current prez is a fan, as are California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and David Letterman. "It's a nonpartisan cigar," says Garmirian, who offers cigars, chat, and espresso at his McLean, Va., store. His string of presidential smokers might continue in 2008: Republican Rudy Giuliani likes to chat Armenian affairs with Garmirian over P.G.'s, and Democratic Gov. Bill Richardson recalls talking cigars with the maker at Georgetown Tobacco. "Paul is a master cigar maker," he says, "but an even better raconteur."

By most accounts, the cia's new boss, Gen. Michael Hayden, inherited a grumpy agency beaten up in the aftermath of 9/11. Now insiders tell us that morale is edging up. And they credit Hayden's charm offensive for the change. His technique: Hayden sends out regular E-mails to staff boasting about their good work and revealing secrets he hears from top politicians. What's more, he sometimes stops by offices to buck them up. "He pulls people aside to say nice things. It works," says an insider. Hayden's got a solid public-relations record: When he ran the National Security Agency, we're told, he used to video his interaction with workers to show he didn't work in an ivory tower. "You could write a management book off his techniques," says one official.

The rushed 2008 presidential race, already pedal to the metal earlier than ever before, is starting to look as though it could produce likely nominees as early as mid-February 2008. That's more than six months before the actual nominating conventions. The reason: Big states, like Florida and California, are tired of being overshadowed by New Hampshire and Iowa and want to play a larger role in picking the nominee. But now lots of states are following suit and plan primaries and caucuses by mid-February. Seeing it coming, the political parties are already making plans to have their headquarters invaded by the probable nominee's aides. The Republican National Committee, for example, has set aside 15 offices and cubicles for them. The Dems also have space "so we'll be ready to accommodate our nominee whenever (s)he arrives," an insider E-mails us.

It looks as if all those criticisms two years ago that first lady Laura Bush dumped her Clinton-era chef not because she disliked his style but just to put her stamp on the White House kitchen are proving true. Because at last week's state dinner for Queen Elizabeth, chef Cris Comerford produced a carbon copy meal in the style former Chef Walter Scheib designed--right down to the pea soup, a Bush fave. It should have been no surprise. Comerford was Scheib's deputy, one he called the best to replace him. By all accounts, the Bushes loved the chow, revealing another truth in Chefgate: The former social secretary who helped organize Scheib's firing because she didn't like his "country club" fare was wrong. They did like his style, and Comerford has adopted it.

It turns out that a friend of Whispers was part of the greeting committee for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip when they visited Virginia's 400-year-old Jamestown last week. Richmonder L.Ray Ashworth, a former House delegate who's the chairman emeritus of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation Board of Trustees, tells us that the folksy Prince Philip zeroed in on his 400th-anniversary pin. "I told him what it was and said, 'Do you want one?'" Declining, the prince said, "I decided not to wear pins a long time ago. In the first place, you might stick yourself when you put them on, so I don't wear them."

Americans aren't the only ones frustrated by the lack of news on terrorism attacks thwarted by Uncle Sam. The FBI feels it too--yet realizes it can't brag on all its success. But FBI Director Robert Mueller offers us some reasons there haven't been any sensational hits: Terrorists don't have many places to train anymore; cooperation between governments is stronger; intelligence is better; and many of the bad guys have been captured. "I think we've become safer," he says. But beware. He says al Qaeda attackers are still here, most likely "waiting for the opportune moment."

Alan Greenspan's upcoming memoir is already causing a stir in publishing circles, where it's expected to top the sales of any modern life story. It had better: Penguin paid $8.5 million. And while those who've seen Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World have been sworn to secrecy, we're still told it is an "amazing" story.

Assistant White House Usher Daniel Shanks, the president's wine guru, offered us this trick to decanting fine wines. For a big California cab, for example, pour it out three hours early, but don't leave it in the decanter. "Pour it back in the bottle," he suggests. That gives it two shots of flavor-inducing air--and you can remember what it is.

"Listen, if I had ill feelings towards everybody who has written books, it'd be a pretty long list."

Vice President Cheney, who harbors no ill will toward former CIA Director George Tenet, whose new book criticizes the White House in the run-up to the war in Iraq

"As for the one Mormon running for office, those that really believe in God will defeat him anyway."

The Rev. Al Sharpton, in a reference to Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, a Mormon

"There are going to be times when I get weary. There are going to be times when I make mistakes."

Sen. Barack Obama, a Democratic presidential candidate, explaining how he misstated the death toll of a Kansas tornado as 10,000, not 12

"I don't drive. I navigate."

Rudy Giuliani, Republican presidential candidate, on his driving habits

Sources: Fox News Channel, New York Sun, AP (2)

STEVE BREEN/COPLEY NEWS SERVICE/SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE