Karl Rove's Secret To Success: Eggies
Karl Rove and the U.S. military have something in common: They both agree with that old Napoleon Bonaparte saw that "an army marches on its stomach." That's right: Rove, the president's political and policy guru and White House deputy chief of staff, believes that he'll have a happy camp of senior workers if he keeps them well fed during meetings.
Turns out Rove isn't one of those guys who just dumps a box of Dunkin' Donuts on the conference table, as our bosses do. He fancies himself a chef and entertainer. "Karl loves to cook," says a pal.
And it's not just anything he serves to top Bush aides. His signature dish is called "eggies," a heart-stopping mix of eggs, melted butter, cheese, and bacon grease, all served with bacon and maybe Danish. The secret: whisking. "He's always there just whisking and whisking," we're told. Eggies are what lured key re-election campaign staffers to Rove's house every weekend for meetings last year. They also drew top Bushies to the White House mess recently when Rove took over the griddle.
This galloping gourmet isn't stuck on breakfast foods, either. Friends say he outdoes Marie Callender when it comes to pies. The secret here: handmade dough and no sugar; just fruit. "They're fantastic," says one of the family favorite, blueberry. "He can cook anything."
Rice Wants It--But in Draft Form
Political associates of Secretary of State Condi Rice are stirring the 2008 presidential pot on her behalf. While she takes the high road, they're pushing her name out there. "She definitely wants to be president," said one. But, the friend added, Rice isn't planning on quitting to run. "She wants to be drafted," he said.
Coast Guard Sinks A July 4 Tradition
It looks like the time-honored practice of watching Washington's Fourth of July fireworks spectacular from boats in the Potomac River is gone for good. The Coast Guard plans to declare a "security zone" on the river from Georgetown to the Lincoln Memorial. The fear: a Tom Clancy -like landing by terrorists intent on killing tourists on the Mall.
Boss: Forget the Windsurfing
Bruce Springsteen 's on tour, and that means fans have to listen to a lot of political yacking. You might recall that the Boss was big on John Kerry . Well, it seems 2004 left him in a bad mood. Washington Times arts reporter Scott Galupo tells us that during his stop here, Springsteen joked about how the late Roy Orbison suggested a song on windsurfing. The Boss, skeptical, said, "Windsurfing killed John Kerry in the election."
This Civil Servant They Really Liked
Washington retirement parties can really be a bummer. One minute you're a big shot meeting with the president, the next some no-name boss gives you a blunt sendoff over Oreos and punch. Not so for departing Treasury Under Secretary John Taylor , who played a big role in Iraq and other international issues. Elbowing their way to the podium to brag on him were Treasury Secretary John Snow , Secretary of State Condi Rice , White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley, and Fed Chair Alan Greenspan . Treasury Under Secretary Stuart Levey --who?--brought up the rear and joked, "I'm going to send my mom a copy of the program knowing she'll make 1,000 copies for everyone in Akron."
In Scribe's Death, Rare Political Unity
It's not often that retired 83-year-old Sen. John Glenn sings, or Bushie Adam Levine holds hands with Clintonista Ann Lewis to sing Auld Lang Syne, or that you get Joe Wilson and Bob Novak in the same room. But it happened this month at a National Press Club memorial service for Tom Brazaitis , longtime Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter and husband of Newsweek 's Eleanor Clift . A Gridiron Club big shot, Brazaitis had connections, and many of his sources showed up, making for a politically interesting crowd. Just consider: He and Clift are famous liberals, but that didn't stop Pat Buchanan or Cal Thomas from attending. Then there was Wilson, husband of the spy Novak outed. Our tipster heard Wilson say, "I need a drink. I just saw Bob Novak." Clift told us her hubby would have loved the spectacle. "Tom was quite a bit of a ham himself."
A White House and A 'Redneck Woman'
She's hunted ducks, rounded up rattlesnakes, and jet-skied down the Arkansas River--all of it. So if hubby Mike Huckabee , Arkansas's guv, gets the GOP 2008 presidential nomination, Janet Huckabee won't be playing the aw-shucks role others have in the past. In fact, look for her to reach out to the group dubbed "redneck women" by singer Gretchen Wilson , pals tell us. "She may not be your dainty first lady," says a friend, "but she's real." Hmmm. Seems we heard that about a previous Arkansas first lady.
Are Turks Taking Their Talk to TV?
Sirius Satellite Radio's homegrown liberal commentators, the Young Turks, may have a future in TV, thanks to an E-mail campaign targeting MSNBC and pushed by St. Louis blogger Wendy Dickson , who runs commonsensemom.com. Enough E-mails have arrived on President Rick Kaplan 's computer that "we're going to take a look at their pitch," said a spokesman. Why TV? Turk Ben Mankiewicz said there are too many righties there. "The time has come for regime change in American television."
Pieces of the Presidency
Get out your credit cards, presidential trivia collectors. Because the June 4-5 online auction from Alexander Autographs Inc. has a big collection to pitch. How about a rare "Dewey Defeats Truman" newspaper? Or a 2000 Bush campaign poster signed by W himself. Better yet, a storybook of George Washington 's death with a GW autograph and fabric from the covering of his coffin.
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With Kevin Whitelaw and Suzi Parker
This story appears in the May 30, 2005 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.