41 Doesn't Plan to Be Outdone by 43
Don't Kiss, Don't Drive, Don't Eat
It rarely happens, so when the State Department updates its "post reports" for employees headed to a country, diplomats mine them for new trends. And, sadly, it's all bad news for women going to Saudi Arabia. Updated August 27, the "Saudi Arabia Post Report" is a laundry list of don'ts for women despite the president's push for women's rights in Muslim nations. According to State, women are basically told to stay in hiding. Like: Wear long dresses and sleeves, don't hold hands or kiss in public, and never drive--it's against the law. Forget grabbing a dinner unless you're with a guy; many restaurants don't even allow women, the report says. And here's what really stinks: There are lots of high-end fashion stores but no fitting rooms. And no refunds are allowed--only exchanges.
Let the Immigration Fights Begin
With the White House and Congress itching to clash over illegal immigration, a new coalition cobbled together by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey hopes to come to the rescue. Called Americans for Border and Economic Security, the still-forming group will urge broad immigration reform, not just focusing on the fight over illegals and border security. The group will have influence: Members are the very businesses that use and need immigrants.
New Job for an Old Spymaster
There's a new intelligence sheriff at the Department of Homeland Security, ex-CIA spymaster Charlie Allen. We hear DHS is gleeful it snagged Allen from the CIA, where he worked for over 40 years, the last seven as the "collection" boss in charge of information from spies, satellites, and listening posts. Despite his star status, the sometimes crusty Allen was passed over by the new intelligence czar, prompting DHS to grab him to run its intel shop.
He's Better Outside the Beltway
Is Washington already bored with new Senate star Barack Obama ? In his two Sunday talk show appearances this month, the programs finished dead last in the all important Washington market. "He's Sunday poison," says a TV exec. But Obama's office says national TV viewing figures show that his appearances helped This Week and Face the Nation gain a second-place finish to NBC's Meet the Press. And his September 11 This Week appearance turned out to have had the show's second-best audience, next to a February interview of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. "The national numbers speak for themselves," says Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs. "This is proof that the so-called skinny kid with the funny name from Chicago's South Side can go toe to toe with the bodybuilding governor of the Golden State, and that was when Arnold was popular!"
usnews.com The gossip from Capitol File magazine's launch party: www.usnews.com/whispers
With Kenneth T. Walsh, Terence Samuel and David E. Kaplan
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