Washington Whispers
Coach Hastert at His Fighting Weight
Denny Hastert's final year as House speaker was a smackdown: Democrats booted him from the top perch, a killer campaign schedule led to worrisome weight gain, and it ended in a hospital for gallbladder removal. But the beefy former Illinois high school wrestling coach isn't crying in his beer as he considers retirement after 22 years in Congress. No, sir. The diabetic lawmaker responded to his surgery with a fitness campaign, cutting his portions and swimming his way to a weight loss that's already at a whopping 85 pounds. "Good for him," says a friend.
Ironically, losing his leadership post has helped, says Chief of Staff Mike Stokke. No more speaker's waiting limo; Hastert now gets exercise by walking the halls of Congress. He also paddles in his pool back home in Yorkville, Ill. And he's rarely on the rubber-chicken circuit. As we all know, diet's key too. So he took his doctor's advice and cut his portions and carbs, a hardship for a guy who likes the thick steaks at Smith & Wollensky and bottomless bowls of pasta at the famed A.V. Ristorante Italiano. Lucky for "coach," as he's called on the Hill, the A.V. closed last week, though he made it over there for a last supper of sausage and polenta. What's next: Might we suggest a volunteer coaching job for the Yorkville High School Fighting Foxes wrestling team?
Hints on When Troops Come Home
Gen. David Petraeus, the Iraq war boss, is telling surge troops that they will not be kept past their 15-month tours. That means the troop drawdown could begin in April, when the first troops in the surge will reach their 15th month on the ground. Officials say that all of the surge brigades reach their 15th month by August 2008. The timing is reflected in the developing "Petraeus plan." But associates say he's keeping his cards very close, not even revealing them to his top advisers, in case changes are required.
No Church, No Problem for Fred
Even as Fred Thompson courts the evangelical political brass in advance of a presidential run, don't expect the former Law & Order star to sell himself as a devout Christian. Why? Thompson's team learned its lesson from watching former President George H.W. Bush. "When you look at Bush 41 talking about his relationship with Christ," says a top outside Thompson adviser, "it was so clearly scripted and stilted." Thompson's religious outreach team is less concerned about the ex-Tennessee senator's ability to connect with the religious right because the other top-tier GOP candidates seem to face bigger hurdles. And even though Thompson infrequently attends Church of Christ services, the adviser says some top evangelical activists "are inches away from coming on board."
To GOP, 'Bush' Is a Four-Letter Word
Here's how tough Capitol Hill is getting for President Bush. In the past, when the GOP urged lawmakers to extend 2001 major tax cuts, they were always dubbed the "Bush tax cuts," since it was his proposal. Not anymore. Now, GOP leaders are starting to refer to them as "Republican tax cuts," a recognition that Bush's name is a deal killer as his popularity declines, says a key congressional aide.
A Year Later, They Miss Only Falafel
It's been almost a year since Fox News Channel reporter Steve Centanni and cameraman Olaf Wiig were seized in Gaza and held for 13 days. But with the exception of fresh falafel and a big story, they aren't eager to return to the Palestinian territory. "It's really not a good time to go back," says Centanni, who was seized with Wiig August 14 and held until August 27. Besides diplomatic reporting, Centanni now works to free other reporters held captive around the globe. About the falafel, he says his captors sometimes ordered out for their prisoners. "It's hard to believe it was a year ago."
Even Cushy IMF Feels Pinched
It's not easy to cry for International Monetary Fund staffers, whose benefits-laden, six-figure jobs are some of the richest in Washington. But tough times are upon the IMF. We hear that the institution is going through a bit of belt tightening. Like: trimming travel expenditures, doling out smaller raises (but still raises), attrition, and even job outsourcing. And that's the good news. The IMF's annual budget comes from the money it makes off interest from international loans, and its lending has plummeted in recent years.
Golf Pro Mickelson Coaches Spellings
Masters champ Phil Mickelson knows there's a lot more to golf than turf and beer. It's the fancy angles and calculations involved that wow him, and he thinks those golf traits are a good way to get kids into math and science. And now even the Education Department is interested in his joint venture, the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy, a camp that provides leadership and motivational training to grade-school teachers. We hear that Education Secretary Margaret Spellings joined Mickelson for a teacher town hall recently at the Virginia academy. The pro had Spellings demonstrate how the angle of a golf club face is really the key to sinking a putt, more important than the stroke itself. How'd she do? "Let's just say Phil didn't want to follow her act when she hit the pin on her first try," says Spellings spokeswoman Casey Ruberg.
New, Improved, and Still Unsatisfied
Some grumpy White House reporters aren't happy with their newly refurbished West Wing digs. A few hate their assigned seats, others want more space, and then there's the ban on jeans and sneakers. And now there's unease over who uses the facility after a reporter was barred from the briefing room one night because Chief of Staff Josh Bolten was using it to meet with interns. Officials tell us they will strive to keep out of the media's way, but ultimately, they say, it's their space.
Paul Bedard's blog is at www.usnews.com/whispers
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With Nikki Schwab, Linda Robinson, Dan Gilgoff, Emma Schwartz and Kenneth T. Walsh
This story appears in the August 6, 2007 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.