Pols Rockin' Out--On iPod or 8-track
OK, so he's not the kind of guy we'd expect to see playing air guitar a la Tom Cruise in Risky Business , but that's not to take anything away from Deadhead Ken Mehlman. Yes, the same serious guy who is chairman of the Republican National Committee digs rock-and-roll. Just check out his brand new iPod. He's got a 20-gigabyte portable Apple and is filling it with a nearly complete collection of the Grateful Dead and Led Zeppelin. Who knew? But that's not all. Included in the 700 songs he has already downloaded are some from the Beatles, the Doobie Brothers, the Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Doors, the Stones, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, and even Ray Charles. "Listening to good tunes while I work out and run," he tells us, "is a great escape, and I try to do it every day." Insiders say he's a big downloader, using Apple's iTunes and keeping his iPod plugged in at work as he checks off items on his very long political to-do list.
Two blocks away on Capitol Hill, at Democratic Party HQ, Chairman Howard Dean isn't into iPods, but he's not lost musically, preferring Willie Nelson, the Beatles, Sheryl Crow, even rapper Wyclef Jean, an activist whose song "If I Was President" could be a Dean theme song. Dean's a Dead guy, too. He stays musically current thanks to all the CDs his kids leave in the car, though an aide concedes, "It's hard to get the newer artists on 8-track."
Yankee Lefty Might Pitch to the Right
Lefty pitcher Al Leiter is the toast of New York, now that he's left the Florida Marlins to help the Yankees in the pennant stretch. The Yanks think the 39-year-old with a winning record will help solidify a muddling rotation. But insiders say that's not the only reason he headed north. Republican tipsters say he's mulling a political bid in his adopted state or back home in New Jersey. GOP-ers say he has helped at recent Republican events and is up on current issues. He has even been featured as GOP "dude of the week" on the New Jersey Republican Party Web page. "Oh, he's one of us," says a Republican tipster: "A conservative."
Looking Inward For a Fed Head
Federal Reserve watchers got another clue last week about who might succeed Alan Greenspan when his 18-year stint as Fed chairman ends next January. Ben Bernanke, the former Fed governor just named President Bush 's top economic adviser, said he'll play a role in suggesting names to fill open Fed seats, but not Greenspan's. "I don't expect to be involved in the discussion of the chairmanship." Some took that as a suggestion that he's on the list of replacement candidates.
No Such Thing as Bad Publicity?
For many Hollywood stars, supporting People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is a no-brainer. But come this week, some may be reconsidering. That's because the Foundation for Biomedical Research, which promotes "humane animal testing," is using Variety 's annual philanthropy edition to warn the stars about the case in North Carolina in which PETA workers stand accused of killing dozens of animals and tossing them in a dumpster. A front-page ad says, "Some people say there's no such thing as bad publicity." It refers to an inside ad that features Alec Baldwin, Pamela Anderson, and other stars on PETA's 25th Anniversary Honorary Committee and asks: "What is your publicist thinking?"
Clear Sailing for A Few War Vets
The old presidential yacht that has played host to many critical diplomatic events is now taking on an even higher cause. We hear that the USS Sequoia is providing Potomac River cruises for injured Iraq and Afghanistan war vets being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. "The soldiers really enjoy themselves," said Sequoia owner Gary Silversmith. But his tour is not just a quickie ride by the Alexandria, Va., waterfront. Silversmith has lined up politicians and NFL players to come along. Last week the pros included Brian Mitchell, the NFL's career leader in total yards; pro bowler Ken Harvey; ex-linebacker Andre Collins; journeyman linebacker Keith Goganious; and former Detroit Lion Stan White. All signed hats and photos. Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey and Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter, meanwhile, collected vets' complaints. One: Why aren't phone calls home from Iraq free?
Must-Reading: Clinton, the Koran
Are we the only ones who find this odd? Among the books Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jafari keeps on his desk are the Koran and former President Clinton 's autobio, My Life. What's more, Bubba's book is filled with underlined passages. We learn this from our correspondent Ilana Ozernoy, who has interviewed Jafari several times in different offices, and every time the books were there. Naturally, she had to ask why Clinton's words were highlighted, figuring they held great meaning. Nope. "When I asked him about it, he said an aide had gone through and highlighted the graphs he wanted the PM to read."
Secrets of the First Doodlers
Ronald Reagan liked to draw horses. Ike preferred knives. LBJ put horns on heads. And Truman? "His few doodles appear woefully undeveloped--rough and haphazard," says Paul Gilbert of Basic Books. He knows because the publisher has collected doodles from 27 presidents and plans to bind them into a book. Of those we've seen, Reagan's look best, especially his pony. LBJ, who scribbled on White House stationery, drew the oddest: a three-headed girl.
The 40th Time Is the Charm
Sen. Edward Kennedy can be one of the Senate's blustering best, but we found him in a candid moment last week when he sized up his speech this week at the AFL-CIO convention in Chicago. "You're gonna miss a great speech there," he said with a chuckle. "Same one I've given for 40 years. It's going to be breathtaking."
usnews.com To see the doodles of LBJ, Reagan, and Eisenhower: www.usnews.com/whispers
With Matthew Benjamin and Suzi Parker
This story appears in the August 1, 2005 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.