Democratic Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mary Landrieu finally called their own bluff and announced at the last minute that they would, controversially, vote to allow the Senate to debate a piece of legislation it has spent most of this year crafting, to help provide affordable medical care to people. What heroes. Their procedural votes for their own party’s major bill cost the nation hundreds of millions of dollars in pork handouts. That’s how Serious About The Deficits they are. MORE »

• MARY LANDRIEU! OH COME ON MARY: “Opining on the polls showing support for public option, she said it was all about the phrasing of the question. ‘I think if you asked, “Do you want a public option but it would force the government to go bankrupt,” people would say “No,”‘ she said.” ITTTT SAVVVVVVES MUNNNNNIIIIIEEEEEEE. IIIIINNNN THHHHHEEEE CCCCBBBOOOO REEEEPPPOOORRRTTTT. Anyway, it looks like they’re throwing in an opt-out public option, which her dumb state can reject eventually if the local “Real Americans” (racists) deem it so. [TPM, TPM]

Sen. Mary Landrieu, a terrible person: “I think when people hear ‘public option’ they hear ‘free health care.’ Everybody wants free health care. Everybody wants health care they don’t have to pay for. The problem is, is that we in governments and business have to pick up the tab and as individuals. So I’m not at all surprised that the public option’s been sold as free health care. But there is no free lunch.” GOODNESS. MORE »

• HER LOSS: LANDRIEU DEFINITELY NOT AT BRITNEY CONCERT: The Huffington Post has run with this “gossip blog”’s reported confirmed life-defining economy-saving news report about Eric Cantor going to see old Britney Spears sing last night, and they have gotten confirmation from Sen. Landrieu’s office that she was not, as it happens, there with Eric Cantor, as his office (and other parts of the Republican Apparatus, dare we mention) told us earlier today. [HuffPo]

And you all thought Washington wasn’t sexy: the office of ambitious young House Republican Whip Eric Cantor has confirmed to your Wonkette that instead of watching President Obama’s boring press conference last night like the rest of us dingbats, Cantor and a bipartisan group of legislators attended the Show Of The Century at downtown’s Verizon Center: a Britney Spears concert. If our children weren’t so concerned about future deficits, what would they think of this! MORE »

* Heard on the Hill: Mary Landrieu said: “I often think we would have been better off if the terrorists had blown up our levees. Maybe we’d have gotten more attention.” Also trashed Mississippi… House GOP Flacks arrive at weekly meeting to find Cannon Caucus room double-booked. They were forced to move chairs themselves. [Roll Call]
* Reliable Source: Former State Sec George Shultz sports a suit pinstriped with his goddamn name. [WP]
* Yeas and Nays: Fun scene from Terry McAuliffe’s new book about his daughter playing “mermaid” in a pool with Hillary Clinton… Name expert on ‘08 contenders: Brownback “sounds like a good ‘ol Western boy,” “Mitt is a very ugly name,” “I love Vilsack because it’s foreign.” Karl Rove went to Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf. [Examiner]
* Under the Dome: Norm Coleman shows up for a vote, forgets tie. This is apparently a violation of Senate rules. Someone brought him a tie, though, so we can’t kick him out. Also the MN Democratic party lied about him “blocking” the minimum wage bill… Bono kept a “low profile” when he was here last. Despite this we still have to hear about it. [The Hill]
* Shenanigans: At last week’s National Review Institute’s Conservative Summit, you missed everyone passing around a doctored version of Rita Cosby’s business card with “For a good time, call…” printed on it… “Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., was spotted walking out the back door of that lobbyist mecca, Capital Grille.” [Politico]
* Page Six: JFK and Robert Stack will get you laid! [NYP]
* Rush & Molloy: Republicans hate Rudy. [NYDN]

Wonk’d is in a festive mood and the famous-for-DC kids in this week’s installment have been spotted doing the exact same thing you’ve been doing these past few weeks: stuffing food in their faces at a hectic pace. Harold Ford likes upscale chain eateries, Tom Delay indulges his delusions of grandeur by lunching on the Senate side, and actual celebrity Matt Damon drops a few hundred bucks on a dinner he could’ve gotten for $4.99 from a local burrito joint. Lots more, including Dennis Hastert ordering the red and green curry, after you rip open the presents.

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The American political elite are enviable in so many ways. Doesn’t everyone wish they had a really good-looking family, like Dick Gephardt’s? Or a culturally sensitive patriarch, like Karl Rove? Perhaps there is more admiration for our great athletes — like Yankees players Mike Mussina and Alex Rodriguez, who both have tons of fans — even if Jeff Gannon isn’t one. In any case, just sit back and have a beer like Tim Russert, or go Patrick Kennedy-style with an iced tea — there’s lots more wonk’d after the jump.

There’s no way that baseball hats and sunglasses can keep any celebs from getting wonk’d by you hardworking tipsters. Once you’ve discovered their charade, email us, with “Wonk’d” or “Sighting” in the subject line (and the name of the “brity” that should have known better). You keep a sendin’, we’ll keep a postin’, and they’ll keep pretendin’ to be surprised when they’re spotted.

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• Under the Dome: Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) is named the “hottest woman in U.S. politics” by Politics1.com. . . Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and David Vitter (R-La.) plug New Orleans during “The Price is Right”. . . Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) wants to cut tariffs on duties on “padded potty seats,” “traveler padded-potty seats,” and “contoured padded-infant potty seats.” [The Hill]

• Reliable Source: Bushes invite relatives of those who died on Flight 93 to White House screening of “United 93.” [WP]
• Rush & Molloy: Condoleezza Rice rooted for “American Idol” Taylor Hicks. [NYDN]
• Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Jon Voight supports the war on terrorism: “This is a hideous, cunning, clever enemy who lives off a program of murderous thoughts.” [NYDN]

• Reliable Source: Andrea Mitchell, Alan Greenspan win Porsche Boxster in raffle but can’t accept because of regulations. . . Dean dined with Mick Jagger at Cafe Milano. . . Ashcroft received additional security search at Reagan Airport. [WP]
• Inside the Beltway: Hillary and Landrieu cancel appearances at roast of Barbara Walters. . . Kerry, Edwards tied for second place behind Hillary in ‘08 poll. [WT]
• Cindy Adams: It’s “being said is that [the Miers] nomination came about because of Judith Miller. That the investigation and possible conspiracy charge against Cheney and Rove over this CIA agent Valerie Plame leak is one more thing Bush doesn’t need to handle. . . The president picked her because he cannot step in more doo doo.” [NYP]
• Liz Smith: Red Cross benefit emceed by Jon Stewart will honor Bill Clinton. [NYP]

• Reliable Source: Rachel Dratch preparing to play Miers on “Saturday Night Life”. . . Jason Binn criticized for putting minor contributors on masthead of Capitol File magazine. . . Mick Jagger tells MCI Center audience: “[Miers] looked high. She looked low. In the morning, she looked in the mirror and said, ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest judge of all?’” [WP]
• Rush & Molloy: Fox News flack doesn’t know if anchor and Condi-fan Lauren Green is gay. [NYDN]
• Inside the Beltway: Hillary, Landrieu, Hughes to roast Barbara Walters tonight. [WT]
• Liz Smith: Michael Wolff speculates about Cheney in ‘08. [NYP]