Washington Whispers
Coach Denny Now The House Principal
They still call him "Coach," but if Illinois Rep. Dennis Hastert's recent headline-making spats with the White House, his surprise trip to war- torn Baghdad, and brand-new status as the longest-serving Republican House speaker ever show anything, he's finally made it to the principal's chair. "I made a decision a long time ago that I didn't want to be the principal of a high school," the former Yorkville High School coach and teacher tells us. But last week, after he bested Joe Cannon's 7
Hastert was a surprise pick, an obscure choice meant to settle leadership fights and scandals in 1998. Since then, he's quietly built a strong bench of Republicans who've gone on to win elections to the Senate and statehouses, although lately his side has been mired in woes.
No celebration parties are planned yet, though the Air Force staff on his military flight to Baghdad last week gave him a cake. "It's amazing how time creeps up on ya," says former Illinois Rep. Robert Michel, the longest-serving House GOP minority leader. "I always think in terms of old Uncle Joe Cannon," he adds, "and low and behold, Denny has exceeded him."
Maybe Boot Camp for NFL Bad Boys
This just in from the (sports) front: Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Richard Myers is a dark-horse candidate to be the next NFL commissioner. What we know: He's friends with the Kansas City Chiefs owners; he's a big fan; and he's interested in the job. And the KC native knows how to handle NFL thugs--send them to boot camp. "He'd be terrific," says a senior Defense official, who adds: "What does a commissioner need to do? Build consensus. General Myers is a great consensus builder."
A White House Stop for Fox's Idol Tour?
She taught ninth-grade English to middling but cheerful student Taylor Hicks and now first lady Laura Bush's press secretary is working to get the stars of American Idol's summer tour in for a White House visit when they pass through Washington next month. "Just for a tour or something," says Susan Whitson. Or something, indeed: We hear that the West and East Wing staffs were glued to Idol's last show. Whitson recalls that Hicks was a C student at their Birmingham, Ala., school. "He didn't apply himself, but he was very smart." She remembered that he used to bring that darned harmonica to class with him, and when the class clown acted up she'd let him play just to blow off steam. Whitson says Hicks almost ruined her first-year evaluation when, as her principal sat in the back of class, Hicks whispered during a question period: "I just want to let you know you're doing a good job." During the competition they kept up via E-mail and as he was winning the championship she wrote him, "I'm watching and I'm bawling."
A New Language for the Top Teach
Making the climb to education secretary hasn't meant an end to Margaret Spellings's schooling. And it has given her access to special tutors. We hear that the Ed boss is learning Arabic. Since January, she has studied weekly with a State Department tutor and was able to speak a few words during last month's meeting of education ministers in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. She got the Arabic itch last year while traveling in Jordan and Afghanistan and now wants to be able to read aloud a children's book in the language by next year. She says it's a language that's critical to better relations.
Fight for Taiwan? Fuhgeddaboudit
Conservatives are growing restless with assumed U.S. buddy Taiwan cozying up to archrival China. And after years of America's spending money and attention on the island nation, authors and former Pentagon execs Jed Babbin and Edward Timperlake have a proposition. In their new book Showdown: Why China Wants War With the United States, the duo suggest dumping Taiwan. "My point is this," Babbin tells us: "If Taiwan isn't willing to defend itself, maybe we shouldn't either." What irks Babbin is that the nation's legislature won't buy the U.S. arms it says it needs to defend itself as it is warming to China, all the while knowing Washington will jump to its defense. "It sounds like they're willing to fight to the last drop of American blood," he says.
If He Builds It, He Will Come
Bill Clinton likes the finer things in life, Arkansas-style of course: Steaks and fries, short-sleeved shirts, and bowling. So it should come as no surprise that he put his Urban Enterprise Initiative to work in Harlem, home of his presidential office, to help Harlem Lanes on Lenox Avenue get started. And now his staff is practicing to get ready for league play. Just last week, 38 staffers and friends bowled, and Bubba himself showed up after a speech to cheer them on. "We're glad to have the former leader of the free world on our side as an extra intimidation factor," says Clinton aide Jay Carson. Now, if he could only get Little Rock's famed steak and tamale restaurant Doe's Eat Place to open a branch.
Cooking for Votes Among Buckeyes
If, as Napoleon once said, an army marches on its stomach, then why not voters? Just ask Fran DeWine, wife of Ohio Republican Sen. Mike DeWine. Ever since he got into politics 25 years ago, she's junked the idea of distributing those boring political fliers and instead handed out favorite recipes to voters. She's printed a new edition of the cookbook Fran DeWine's Family Favorites every year but one, 1992, when DeWine lost in his challenge to Sen. John Glenn. "It was the only year we didn't do it," she says, "and we lost." This year, with her hubby facing a tough re-election, she had 100,000 copies printed up early, adding healthy new recipes, like roasted carrot sticks. "It's a good-for-you french fry."
With Dan Gilgoff
This story appears in the June 12, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.