Washington Whispers
No. 2 Democrat Is Maryland's No. 1
Get ready to hear a lot more about the Terps, Francis Scott Key, and the glorious blue crab if the Democrats take charge of the House in this week's midterm elections. That's because Mr. Maryland, Rep. Steny Hoyer, is set to move in as the House majority leader, the No. 2 slot behind likely Speaker Nancy Pelosi, by reason of, in no small part, his coast-to-coast campaigning-37 House districts in October alone. "Yeah, you could call him 'Mr. Maryland,'" says a pal. More than any other Maryland House member, Hoyer wears his state colors for all to see. Start with the University of Maryland, his alma mater. He's a regular at Terrapin games and even has a carved turtle on his desk. His betting currency of choice is lump crabmeat. Then there are his replicas of historical Maryland scenes like the Revolutionary War battle at Fort McHenry, which led Key to write "the Star-Spangled Banner."
There's also a softer side to the 67-year-old "Silver Fox." He has helped to establish "Judy Centers," named for his late wife, throughout the state to help in early-childhood development. And every day, he brings his English springer spaniel, Charlotte, to his office, where she guards the Maryland seal at the entrance.
But don't ask him about moving his Maryland museum to the majority leader's office. Like a superstitious skipjack captain, he's not going there until it happens.
A Compliment but Steeped in Politics
No, Vice President Dick Cheney wasn't losing his mind last week when he said Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a formidable 2008 presidential candidate who can win. Insiders say he was telling the truth-and trying to invigorate his base in the GOP against a familiar but recently quiet foil. "That was good for us," says a Bushie. "You'll see more of that."
Why a Rice-Obama Race Isn't Crazy
Pollster John Zogby is following a trend in next week's midterm elections that could have a huge impact in the 2008 presidential race: Will black Republicans win black votes? He thinks they will, just as when about 40 percent of the Hispanic vote moved into the GOP column in 2004, breaking the proverbial political barrier. He's focused on Maryland Senate candidate Michael Steele, the lone black Republican seeking statewide office who could win. What would it take? Zogby thinks if 20 percent or more vote Steele, it will represent a major shift away from the Democrats and signal what he's dubbed "the Emerging African-American Icon." It could have a huge impact in 2008. Just think, he says, if Secretary of State Condi Rice runs for president and gets 25 percent of the black vote to add to the Republican base. Bingo-front-runner. And, he adds, let's say media favorite Illinois Sen. Barack Obama challenges Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. If he gets half of the black vote, which is 25 percent of the Democratic base, "it thrusts him at least into the high second tier" of candidates, and maybe, maybe, we have the first ever black-versus-black presidential campaign.
No Vacancy? No Problem
President Bush isn't looking very far for his next conservative pick to the U.S. Supreme Court: His top two candidates work just 12 blocks away in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Insiders say Judge Janice Rogers Brown, appointed in June 2005, tops the list, followed by Judge Brett Kavanaugh, appointed in May. Also up: Peter Keisler, whose nomination to the D.C. court is pending. So there's no vacancy, you say? With apologies to Justice John Paul Stevens, 86, it's his seat they hope to fill.
Boston's Parade of Conservatives
They probably feel a bit out of place, but we hear that Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is inviting conservatives-and especially Christian conservatives-to Beantown for "cultivational" meetings and briefings on his 2008 Republican presidential campaign. Insiders say it's just like those treks to Austin many conservatives made to visit with George W. Bush before his run in 2000. If you think the Christian right would have a problem with a Mormon, you would be wrong. We hear he's wowing them just as he did last month when he spoke at the Family Research Council's "Liberty Sunday" on protecting traditional marriage.
Admiral's Advice: Make Family Time
Adm. Thad Allen, the U.S. Coast Guard boss and Hurricane Katrina cleanup czar, doesn't just play a fit battle commander-he is one. His regime starts early every morning when he mountain-bikes the 5 miles to work, usually with a coastie security detail in tow. He also walks 5 or 6 miles with his wife, Pam, most weekends, usually making a pit stop for coffee. "I guess you could say we manage our lives by walking around," Allen says of his 31-year marriage. "It's a way to decompress from the week, and we both work, so we don't always get a chance to see so much of each other during the week." But it's not all Gold's Gym for President Bush's "Energizer bunny." He's big on 6:30 a.m. breakfast meetings and adores hamburgers.
Trimming the Tree in Ornament 3-D
The new White House Historical Association Christmas ornament is in 3-D this year, melding a Tiffany-inspired design with the building's North Portico. The 2006 ornament honors Chester Arthur, president from 1881 to 1885, who spruced up 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with period motifs and Tiffany decorations because he found the White House ratty and Congress refused to build a new one.
Bubba and the Myth of the Big Mac
Finally, proof that former President Clinton's love of Big Macs was phony baloney. In his upcoming book, White House Chef, former Clinton-Bush chef Walter Scheib recalls his first meeting with Bubba, when Clinton asked about cooking Big Macs. Then the prez cracked up laughing. "Aw, don't worry about that. I don't really eat much of that stuff. That's just the press."
This story appears in the November 6, 2006 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.