Gridiron Club considers joining the 21st century
Homeless homies
Being homeless sure ain't easy, as the staff members of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security know. Because the committee doesn't have permanent status yet, it doesn't get a hearing room of its own. So it borrows space from other committees. The problem could be resolved if the panel is made permanent, as expected. Panel spokesman Ken Johnson joked that the ideal hearing room would be "one with carpeting and working microphones. Hopefully, in Washington."
French connection
The French . OK, maybe they don't enjoy exactly the best rep in Washington these days, but consider this, from the CIA's new report on Iraq and those phantom weapons of mass destruction: In his bid to win French support for eliminating United Nations sanctions on Iraq, Saddam Hussein provided "economic favors" to French diplomats with close ties to President Jacques Chirac and even looked to pony up for Chirac's 2002 re-election.
Siriusly talk radio
Schlock-jock Howard Stern 's move to Sirius, announced last week, awoke us to this whole new satellite radio thing where pundits from both sides have been toiling in this year's political vineyards. But, says Ben Mankiewicz, a cohost of Sirius's left-leaning Young Turks show, "Stern brings us credibility." For the uninitiated, Sirius has a politically left channel featuring the Turks and others and a politically right channel hosting Tony Snow and other conservatives.
Data wars
The nation's largest provider of personal info to the feds is being targeted by the Congressional Black Caucus, which is concerned about the accuracy of the information used to build voter databases and screen new employees. The caucus plans to ask the Government Accountability Office to probe Georgia-based ChoicePoint. It also plans hearings to review the contracts ChoicePoint holds. The Caucus worries that bad data could bump blacks from the polls or jobs. ChoicePoint denies any wrongdoing. "If the Congressional Black Caucus wants to go over what we do," says spokesman James Lee, "you're not going to find a happier group than us."
Maher on Kerry
Standup guy Bill Maher thinks he gets why John Kerry has such a hard time relating to Joe Sixpack. "You just get the impression that the only time Kerry has to talk to working-class people is when they're holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres." President Bush clicks, Maher says, because he seems ordinary--and by that, "we really mean not that bright."
The Bypass Diet
Former Prez Bill Clinton 's recent heart bypass surgery hasn't slowed the November opening of his Little Rock library and museum, but it has nixed plans to touch up the film museum visitors will see. That's because Clinton looks so much thinner now, making it impossible for filmmakers Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and Harry Thomason to edit in new clips until he fattens up a bit and looks like his old self.
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With Samantha Levine, Dan Gilgoff and Suzi Parker
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