The Monocle Hosts Paul Simon Book Event

It seems only appropriate that The Monocle, the long-standing Senate-side restaurant and tavern, would host a book party Wednesday night for “The Essential Paul Simon: Timeless Lessons for Today’s Politics.”

The book, a compilation of the late Illinois Democratic senator’s writings that has been edited by John S. Jackson, was published in September by Southern Illinois University Press. Simon’s son Martin and his brother Art will be on hand for the event, which is hosted by The Monocle and Politics and Prose bookstore.
Full story

Boehner, Card-Carrying VIC Member?

The fiscal cliff might be making most people anxious, but others are finally getting a little “me time.”

Last weekend, for example, Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, found himself in the middle of a very busy Sunday. While most people were at a boozy brunch or shuttling children to activities, Boehner rolled into a private spitball/negotiation session with the president of these United States.
Full story

Barrow Donates Frequent-Flier Miles

Every year, Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga., and other members gather their frequent-flier miles and set them free.

This year, Barrow’s office has announced he will donate 79,000 miles to “the Fisher House’s ‘Hero Miles Program,’ which provides free airline tickets to wounded, injured and ill American soldiers and their families.”
Full story

Grilling Pete Snyder On BBQ

Pete Snyder, the man vying for the second most powerful post in Richmond, Va., has a secret weapon: access to all the Memphis-style barbecue his custom smoker can belch out.

Too bad his better half, Burson Snyder, deputy chief of staff to Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., has issued a strict NIMBY order about where the would-be lieutenant governor can park his wood-fired plaything.

Per Twitter, the smoke machine appears to be residing in a parking garage in Springfield, Va. (And is none too happy about its new accommodations.)
Full story

Republican Policy Committee Heads Reminisce

Those who think being named head wonk is more curse blessing have clearly never partied with the Senate Republican Policy Committee.

“This committee really is the most fun,” former RPC chairwoman and retiring Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas assured guests at an intimate farewell shindig organized by current RPC Chairman John Barrasso of Wyoming.

(Warren Rojas/CQ Roll Call)

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, a former chairman, asserted there’s no finer place to plot strategery. “This is where all the innovation occurs in terms of political thought,” he boasted.

RPC honoree and retiring Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona regaled the crowd with tales of having to beat back colleagues who coveted the committee’s cavernous meeting space.

“I had to fend off [former Senate Majority Leader] Trent Lott the entire time we were here,” he quipped.

Conrad Farewell Party Gets Rolling

Anyone and everyone who has ever crossed paths with Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., is welcome to gather in Russell 325 from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. on Tuesday (right now) to bid the longstanding budget-writer a fond farewell.

(Warren Rojas/CQ Roll Call)

A former aide said the party, which is being co-sponsored by corporate entities ranging from The Beer Institute (you best believe the open bars were fully stocked) to the Walt Disney Co., will commemorate Conrad’s varied accomplishments across his quarter century on Capitol Hill.

Featured well-wishers include Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., and former North Dakota Democrats Sen. Byron L. Dorgan and Rep. Earl Pomeroy.

(Warren Rojas/CQ Roll Call)

One party planner said former colleagues and staff have all been invited, as well as sitting pols from across the political spectrum.

No word on when the tributes speeches are expected to begin, but we understand there’ll be a screening of Conrad’s highlight reel — including his original 1986 campaign ad — promptly at 6 p.m.

“The song is priceless,” the planner assured us.

Young Shakes Cane at Protester

Rep. C.W. Bill Young, R-Fla., raised his cane to an uber-mouthy protester Monday, Tampa Bay’s Creative Loafing blog reports.

On Monday, a group of protesters gathered in Young’s district office. They ordered pizza, sang “fiscal cliff carols” and sat on Santa Claus’ lap to ask for “tax relief.” Santa — we assume he was not the real Kris Kringle, but an impersonator — even tried to hand the congressman a wrapped lump of coal.  Full story

Elizabeth Kucinich’s Estate Sale(s)

The house Elizabeth Kucinich eventually fell in love with was initially ugly as sin.

“It was,” she says laughing. “The front of it is really… it is a very unique building. It reminds me more of a badly designed 1960s church. Well, the front is one thing, and then you go to the back, and it is a completely different thing.”

Kucinich, who is married to Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich, D-Ohio, has just launched Capitol Estates, a real estate firm affiliated with Century 21 Redwood Realty.

“I love – I really value historic properties and unique places with character, and also on another level, it is perhaps a manifestation of [what political types do]: You see something that does [not] work quite right and you want to help fix it. We do that politically, but why not physically as well?”

When Kucinich first started looking into moving to Washington, D.C., she says she didn’t expect much.

“I wanted to bring the dogs over here,” she says. “So I was looking for a place that would literally have room for a bed and small yard for the dogs. I didn’t expect to be able to buy anything that would be a nice, you know, proper home.”

But, then she and the congressman saw an ugly home with a gorgeous garden that sat on a hill in a friendly, tight-knit Anacostia-Hill Crest neighborhood even her broker didn’t know about. All the neighbors know each other. It is three miles from Capitol Hill, she tells us.

“We put a lot of love into our home,” Kucinich says. “It is a modest, but lovely home. We are happy.

“I know so many members of Congress still live in their offices, or have small places. It costs so much money down on the Hill. I just thought I’d like to take my experience and help people to find a home, because … when you live the life that we do, where your whole life is dictated by airline schedules and voting schedules and having to be at so many different things, it is good to actually have a place that you can lay your hat down again and rest. Full story

Author Pings (Mostly) White Men to Jumpstart Racial Healing

Albert R. Reddick, who in 2009 published “Becoming One: The USA and Diversity,” has now made the leap to Twitter. His first order of business: pleading with politicians to take his post-racial platform seriously.

Reddick (@disciple2005) took to social media last week, blasting out critiques of President Barack Obama to a number of political heavies, past and present.

Along with plugging his book, Reddick prodded the following groups (in order) to help him “start the dialogue for overcoming racism”: the Republican Party, Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, 2012 GOP presidential pick Mitt Romney, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Vice President Al Gore, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., and tea party favorite Herman Cain.

Full story

Take Five With Sen. Bob Corker

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

It’s time again for Take Five, when HOH sits down with a member of Congress over five fun questions. This week, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., struggles to pick favorites from his home state.
Full story

Ode to Ben Nelson’s Hair

Retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson might have given Majority Leader Harry Reid his share of legislative headaches over the years, but at the end of the day, he has a great head of hair and he likes to sing, so he can’t be all bad.

“I mean, that is a mop of real hair,” the Nevada Democrat said of Nelson. “It’s often that people call his office, email his office; they believe he has a toupee. It’s his hair. He’ll pull it for you any time just to show that it’s real. He has hair like a 15-year-old.”
Full story

Wishing Departing Leaders a Fond Adieu

Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman John Barrasso of Wyoming wants to ensure his predecessors don’t leave town with a bad taste in their mouths. So the good doctor is sending off RPC alumni with cake and kind words.

Retiring Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Jon Kyl of Arizona will be honored at a farewell reception scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday in Russell 347.
Full story

Would Colbert Pull Plug on ‘Report’?

In the unlikely event satirical pundit Stephen Colbert is appointed the new senator from South Carolina, he’ll be faced with the greatest decision of his lifetime: whether he is willing to give up his highly acclaimed TV show.
Full story

Time-Traveling Tea Party

FreedomWorks is trying to turn back time.

The conservative advocacy group sent a letter to Speaker John A. Boehner last week, lambasting him for ousting four tea-party-aligned lawmakers from powerful committees.

But the letter was dated Dec. 5, 2011. Because, really, wasn’t 2011 better?

(Screenshot)

This time last year, FreedomWorks still had a prestigious chairman, former House Majority Leader Dick Armey. (He resigned two weeks ago in the wake of a row with FreedomWorks CEO Matt Kibbe.) And the group’s ultra-conservative friends on Capitol Hill were still riding high after scoring at least a few points during negotiations over the debt ceiling.

Now, Kibbe is fending off allegations that he used donor money to promote his book and hid the source of more than $12 million in contributions from the departed chairman. Meanwhile, high-level staffers have followed Armey to the exit.

So, if there was any doubt the FreedomWorks headquarters was distracted last week, well … just saying.

Or maybe it was tea party dreaming, noted FreedomWorks spokeswoman Jackie Bodnar.

“Must have been a typo,” she said in an email to HOH. “Or maybe it was wishful thinking since the debt was about $1.5 trillion lower around this time in 2011 than it is currently.”

Fiscal Cliff Flix

If our elected leaders refuse to step up, HOH fan Stephen Childress suggests sending in the big guns:

Childress, who created the montage and posted it under the guise of “Paul Runge” — an homage to the Atlanta Braves’ former utility infielder — said he’s had it with all the blathering on about the fiscal cliff. He decided to have some fun with the mounting paranoia. Voila, the tribute video was born. Full story