House pups get their due

The faces on the stage with soon-to-be speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other party leaders at the Democratic victory party Tuesday night should have been familiar to late-night watchers of C-SPAN.

Reps. Kendrick Meek of Florida, Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Tim Ryan of Ohio started the Democrats’ “30-Something Working Group” last year, which saw the younger members take to the floor at night for freewheeling, unscripted speeches on an array of issues.

And after spending hours of their evenings doing the dirty work of messaging to the faithful, Pelosi thought they deserved a shout-out. The three have been “working night in and night out on the House floor for Democratic principles,” she told the cheering throng.

“It was gratifying and it shows what a committed leader she is to the next generation,” Wasserman Schultz told Yeas & Nays last week.

She said the group already reached out during the fall campaign to incoming thirty-somethings, such as Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Gabrielle Giffords from Arizona and Patrick Murphy from Pennsylvania.

“They automatically get to be members because of their age,” she said.

A 10-step recovery program

How can Republicans recover from the “thumping” they received at last week’s midterm elections? The College Republicans at William and Mary College have a ten-step recovery plan:

TOP TEN THINGS TO DO AFTER THE 2006 ELECTION “THUMPIN’”

10. Formulate a plan to appeal to Democrats’ naivete and thwart Darth Pelosi by pushing Steny Hoyer for Speaker of the House.

9. Drink yourself until blue looks red.

8. Taunt Democrats about their losses in Connecticut and Tennessee.

7. Congratulate Thelma Drake.

6. Get a gay marriage in Virginia —oh hey, you can’t!

5. Fabricate evidence of a vast left-wing conspiracy to manipulate election results.

4. Talk about 2008.

3. Republican trivia games!

2. Research ways to help George Allen in recount efforts.

1. Cry softly.

George the Greek

Sen. George Allen’s week got a bit worse Sunday — if that’s possible.

The Virginia Republican, who lost his re-election bid last week to Jim Webb, said following his concession speech that he was looking forward to handicapping football games over the weekend.

When Chad Pergram, reporting for WCVE radio in Alexandria, asked what Allen’s plans were, he said, “I’m going to go home and make a call. ... I’m going to make some football picks on [former Redskin great] John Riggins’ sports radio show.”

When Pergram followed up about what he might do professionally, the football-mad Allen only allowed that he was going to “pick the Redskins,” before speeding off in an SUV.

But even that didn’t work out so well for the onetime presidential hopeful, whose father used to coach the team: The Skins were blown out, 27-3, by the rival Eagles.

Incoming politicians won’t spruce things up

The incoming class of lawmakers may be more Democratic, but they’re not necessarily more attractive.

Of the ten candidates Yeas & Nays profiled in October for our “Hottest Senate Candidates” and “Hottest House Candidates” contest, only one — Kirsten Gillibrand — won their race.

Gillibrand (think Tipper Gore, but hotter) won as a Democrat in New York’s 20th District over Republican incumbent John Sweeney (think Steven Seagal, but chubbier). Such hotties as Rep. Harold Ford, Jr., Scott Kleeb (Nebraska) and Darcy Linn (California) failed to woo enough voters, making D.C. a more drab place and making us wonder: Since when did voters starting basing their decisions on the issues?

“Media Mix”

Michael Kahn is artistic director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company. We caught up with him last week via e-mail after the company’s latest production, “The Beaux’ Stratagem,” opened.

Q: What book are you reading right now?

“The Whole World Over,” by Julia Glass

Q: What’s the last movie you saw?

“Volver”

Q: What’s your favorite TV show?

“Project Runway”

Q: What’s in your CD player/high in your iPod rotation?

Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Stadium Arcadium”

Q: What’s your favorite Web site?

I plead the fifth.

Speakeasy

“2006 Mid-Term Election Results Offer Mixed Bag For Marijuana Law Reform”

– The folks at NORML, a nonprofit lobbying organization working to legalize marijuana, had some fun with their midterm election assessment.