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• Reliable Source: Cher makes another call to C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” — at 4:20 her time — to advocate safety upgrades for troops in Iraq. [WP]

• Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Kelsey Grammer may seek office: “I think the problem in government is that everything is measured. Politics is a game of equivocation, but there can be no half-measures in dealing with the difficulties we face abroad… I believe that George Bush has taken a valiant stance in a dangerous time for this country.” [NYDN]

• Heard on the Hill: A freelance photographer has been sneaking into the Senate Photo Studio. . . Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) catches a 360-pound shark. . . Chuck Norris meets his biggest fan, the Senate elevator operator. [Roll Call]
• Under the Dome: Glenn Close visits the Hill to save wild animals. . . Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) is reaching out to the Polish-American vote. [The Hill]
• Rush & Molloy: National Enquirer uncovers photos of Rep. Patrick Kennedy dressed up as Michael Jackson. . . Rupert Murdoch on raising funds for Hillary: “It’s not a million-dollar raising. It’s got nothing to do with anything other than her Senate re-election.” [NYDN]
• Inside the Beltway: C-SPAN will add the major cities in congressional districts to their lower-third graphics. [WT]
• Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Laurie Dhue wins a free trip to Jordan at a party for Queen Rania. . . Ralph Nader gets a form letter response from Bill Clinton. [NYDN]
• Cindy Adams: What about a Gore-Clinton ticket? [NYP]

* Where the hell is the Stephen Colbert video from the WHCA dinner? That video is now available on “public service” C-SPAN’s website for $24.95. Thanks cable industry! [Boing Boing] MORE »

We were told a couple minutes ago to turn on C-SPAN because McKinney was finally breaking her week-long media silence to SPEAK PUBLICLY about the incident, but as soon as we turned it on, there was an old guy from New Jersey babbling about productivity growth… so, we’re assuming we didn’t miss too much, but it’s just more proof that you never know when C-SPAN’s gonna be awesome for a minute. MORE »

Watching C-SPAN at 8 a.m. is not generally our idea of a good time. But occasionally, it’s totally 100% worth it. Today was one of those days.

A Republican from Dallas, TX calls up C-SPAN to chat with a couple elected officials. But he has a quick question: what’s on Mike Pence’s chin?

You really, really, really need to see it for yourself. Bring up today’s Washington Journal and skip to 58:00 or so. But for those of you lacking RealPlayer, a partial transcript is after the jump.

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So we’re all excited ’cause Russ Feingold’s gonna censure the President, we read about it on the FRONT PAGE of the Huffington Post in a really big font so we know it’s gonna be big, but we’re watching C-Span and there’s some Senator we’ve never heard of — Judd Nelson or Judge Reinhold or something, the junior Republican Senator from North Vermontana — and he’s pointing at a big graph and we think he’s trying to sell us a food processor or a rotisserie oven. And he keeps asking Frist how much he’d pay for a product that could do all that, and Frist says, well, no more than a $19.99, but that’s not counting the $91 billion in emergency funds. MORE »

Working for our nation’s lawmakers, like professional blogging, is exciting, fulfilling work. And, like bloggers, the folks who work on the Hill are some of the smartest and most principled America has to offer.

So, for those of us not lucky enough to work in the corridors of power, we’ve recruited an anonymous Congressional staffer to field your questions on Hill life, love, and interns. After the jump, the inaugural installment of Ask a Hill Staffer.

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* Washington Whispers: The Bushes have reportedly been promoting Sen. McCain’s presidential ambitions to top strategists. . . Clinton documents are now available through FOIA. . . Fired White House chef Walter Scheib brings menu and presidential anecdotes to high-end catering customers. . . Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee may run in the Little Rock Marathon as #2008. . . Bill Clinton is joining C-SPAN’s classroom initiative. . . Wolf Blitzer loves the GW basketball team. [USN&WR]
* Inside Politics: Ann Coulter tells Conservative Political Action Conference: “I make a few jokes about Muslims; they killed 3,000 Americans — I think we’re even.” [WT]

• Reliable Source: Barbara Bush sparks speculation that she’s engaged after she’s seen with a ring on the third finger of her left hand. [WP]
• Inside the Beltway: Laura Ingraham tells Brian Lamb to get “Queer Eye” to redesign the C-SPAN set. [WT]
• Page Six: Secret Service agent is assigned to investigate claims about Jenna Bush’s lost wallet; White House issues denials. [NYP]
• Cindy Adams: If Jeannine Pirro drops senate campaign in favor of running for attorney general, will Bill Weld run against Hillary? . . . Sen. Elizabeth Dole’s hair is lighter. [NYP]
• Rush & Molloy: Mike Wallace wants to question Bush: “What in the world prepared you to be the commander in chief of the largest superpower in the world?

•  Is Condi gay?!?!?!?!??! Only the National Enquirer knows for sure. But we refuse to subscribe to find out. So much better to imagine… mmmm…. [National Enquirer]
• Bush lurves Tina’s gams. [AP]
• “Velcro Veep” bounces off me and sticks on you. [USAT]
• Wal-mart opposition has “bamboo” in the lobby. Yeah, yeah…. “bamboo.” [USAT]
• Condi Rice’s media guy. (Ask him about the gay!) Brilliant about image, total cheapskate on the minibar. [NYT]
• C-SPAN totally biased! On “Washington Journal,” “just 3 percent were women of color.” Well fuck. [FAIR]
• Washington has a gap between the “haves and the haves-power.” But we have awesome boots. [WP]
• “I’M HOME FROM HAVING A COLONOSCOPY — everything went fine, but I think I’ll let the drugs leave my system for a while longer before doing any serious blogging.” Pretty much the definition of TMI. [Instapundit] MORE »