Stars of ‘The Hill’ open up about their 15 minutes

Even though Washingtonians constantly hear rumors of some reality show coming to town, the District finally did have a reality show this year: The Sundance Channel’s “The Hill” series, which follows the lives of staffers in the office of Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla.

All good things must come to an end, however, and tonight Sundance will air the show’s sixth and final episode.

“It was a very accurate portrayal,” says Communications Director Lale Mamaux. “There are things in there that I don’t like about myself and there are things in there that I can’t believe that I said.”

Fortunately, everyone involved managed to avoid any obsessive fans or stalkers as a result of the show, but Chief of Staff Eric Johnson says, “I have had young Hill people come up to me almost like they’re talking to some sort of real celebrity — to me that’s funny. And I’ve heard from a lot of people that I haven’t in years.”

Mamaux added, “My father’s first cousin — whom he hasn’t talked to in years — lives in New Jersey and opened up The New York Times and was like, ‘Oh my God!’ And she called me and left me a message and got in touch with my father. It was the most random thing.”

Both Legislative Director Jonathan Katz and Mamaux agree that Johnson emerged as the show’s biggest star. “He has the wittiest banter,” Mamaux says.

Katz deadpans, “There’s already Oscar buzz.”

Johnson, a self-admitted “whore for the camera,” has no quibble with his colleagues’ assessment: “I totally agree with them.”

Katz was surprised at the positive, bipartisan feedback they’ve received to the show. “People really do enjoy it. Somebody in the elevator — from a Republican office — said that they TiVo it for their entire office.”

Former Legislative Aide Halie Soifer (she left Wexler’s office in August to begin graduate classes at John Hopkins University) thinks the reason is that “people on both sides of the aisle are dying to know what goes on in other’s offices. Republicans, Democrats, everyone relates to the difficulties of trying to prioritize a representative’s day.”

So is a Republican-version of “The Hill” in the future? Director and producer Ivy Meeropol says maybe. “I guess I would be open to doing a similar series in a Republican office,” says the lifelong Democrat. “It would be a little harder for me to do and I can’t really imagine a Republican office being as open as Wexler and his crew were.”

House members: They all want Ricky Martin

“This is all a result of living la vida loca,” Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., told pop star Ricky Martin in the House International Relations Committee Room on Tuesday morning. She was referring to his work to combat human trafficking around the globe, but she could just as easily have been talking about the crush of cameras that awaited him and the rapt staffers and interns in the audience who hung on his every word.

As the star witness at the panel’s hearing on trafficking, Martin, looking resplendent with slicked-down hair, a goatee and an earring, soon found himself in the crossfire of members attempting to claim him as their own.

Rep. Luis Fortuño, R-Puerto Rico, called Martin “the most prestigious member of my district.”

Not so fast, said Miami Republican Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. “I’d like to say that South Florida can lay an equal claim,” she said. “He is a resident of my district.”

As she wagged her finger in the direction of Fortuño, he relented: “I will not get into this with my friend Ileana. He is a citizen of the world — I’ll leave it at that.”

The hearing also underscored the truth that Washingtonians and tourists who like to gawk at celebrities can do a lot worse than hanging around the International Relations Committee. “We have had a whole series of celebrities and every time we welcome them because they help us achieve our work,” said ranking member Tom Lantos, D-Calif.

Among those whom have testified or met with members of late: Bono, Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere, the Dalai Lama, Natalie Portman and Mira Sorvino.

Tony and Tom honored together

Who says politicians can’t get along (especially this close to Election Day)?

Mayor Anthony Williams and Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., were honored Monday night at an elegant and lively bash at the Polish Embassy to celebrate bipartisan cooperation in the Washington region. Williams and Davis are not only frequent political allies, but friends as well. So much bipartisan love was in the air, in fact, that the evening had a “No, Tony, you’re the best,” “No, really, Tom, YOU’RE the best” feeling to it.

“I’ve learned that citizens just expect to get the basic services and there’s not a Republican or a Democratic way to collect the trash,” said Mayor Williams, who also chatted with dinner guests about his post-mayoral plans (Hint: His ideas range from business to education to diplomacy, but, at the very least, some horseback riding will be involved). The event was put on by Kathy Kemper, founder and CEO of the Institute for Education (and tennis coach to the stars), an organization whose mission is “to recognize, encourage and promote, leadership locally, nationally and in the world community.”

Kerry says keep it clean

After 2004, does Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., feel slightly bad for some of the heat endured by Virginia Sen. George Allen recently?

Even though Democratic Senate candidate Jim Webb’s fortunes have improved as a result of questions raised about Allen’s views on race and religion, Kerry hopes his guy wins on the issues.

“This is not what this debate ought to be about,” Kerry told Yeas & Nays on Tuesday. “Jim Webb has a strong program about Iraq. He’s right about Iraq. George Allen is wrong. ... That’s where the campaign ought to be. I’m not going to pay attention to that other stuff.”

Speakeasy

“I walked into our floor operations staff office this morning and said to my colleague there: ‘Hey, you’re going to assure me that there won’t be any more schedule changes and we’re going to sail all the way through to Friday, right?’ The response: Single-finger gesture.” – Kevin Madden, spokesman for House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, in an e-mail to reporters Tuesday

“[I’m] the only Republican in President Lincoln’s theater. And he had a rough night as well.” — Former RNC chair Ed Gillespie, on the left-leaning audience at a panel discussion at Ford’s Theatre on Monday night

A year later ... and a month late

Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans on Aug. 29, 2005. So wasn’t it a bit late for the Independent Women’s Forum to host a one-year anniversary event Tuesday night — Sept. 26, 2006?