Washington Whispers
The CIA Isn't Big on Freaking Out
After the hit book Freakonomics came out last year, economist and coauthor Steven Levitt got a surprising phone call--from the CIA. The spooks wanted Levitt--famous for attributing a drop in crime to the legalization of abortion and other controversial theories--to offer a bit of feedback on a few of their ideas. At a recent party in New York marking the one-year anniversary of the book, Levitt recalls the visit: "I told them that if I were a terrorist, I'd smuggle a metal-free gas mask onto an airplane, set off some sarin gas that would kill everybody, then slowly make my way to the cockpit." The spooks scoffed--and didn't invite Levitt back. "They weren't impressed with me," Levitt says, "and I wasn't impressed with them."
Brangelina's Baby Isn't Namibia's No. 1
Turns out that Brangelina's new baby wasn't Namibia's first celebrated infant from abroad. When Rep. Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, was in Namibia in 1989 and 1990, his newborn, Ryan, was named Namibian Baby of the Year in a local contest. Why was Flake in Namibia? "It's kind of a Brad Pitt-Angelina Jolie story," he jokes before turning serious to reveal that he was there running Foundation for Democracy, which advised the southern African country on how to draw up its constitution. Flake first started working in the region in the early 1980s, when he was a young Mormon missionary in South Africa. He shocked his staffers shortly after he was elected to Congress in 2000 when he started speaking fluent Afrikaans at an event at the Dutch Embassy. "There aren't many opportunities," he observes, "to speak Afrikaans."
Unique Fundraising: Masks and Guns?
Republican Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee is seriously considering a run for the presidency in 2008, telling supporters that he'll finally decide after he leaves office in January. One hurdle: raising the money needed to fight in the primaries, a situation so difficult that he jokes about it. "I've got a map of 7-Elevens, a bunch of blue steel revolvers, and some ski masks," he kids. "We're going to go all over the country and raise money in a very unique way."
Not Just Any Chevy Suburban
Please don't ask National Association of Manufacturers President John Engler to give up his gas-guzzling 2002 Chevy Suburban. "I happen to like my Suburban," says the former Michigan governor. And not just because it was built in Motor City. "It was my gubernatorial limo," he says, explaining that he bought the lease on the SUV when he left office.
Eat Organic, Just Like the President
Free-spending foodies aren't the only ones flocking to Whole Foods Market. We hear that the organic-obsessed White House kitchen shops there, too--and often. But the tipsters won't say which of the 13 area stores the chefs shop at because of security concerns.
With Angie C. Marek, Rick Newman and Danielle Knight
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