Political fall guy hosts Jason Campbell’s 25th

It’s no surprise that Gilbert Arenas’ over-the-top 25th birthday on Friday — complete with hip-hop stars and hundreds of guests — eclipsed the somewhat more understated 25th of Redskins’ quarterback Jason Campbell on Wednesday, which drew a mere hundred or so guests.

But Campbell’s party wasn’t without intrigue: Its host was none other than Brett Pfeffer, who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit bribery earlier this year and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Pfeffer, a former aide to Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., admitted he sought to bribe Jefferson to promote a technology venture in Africa.

His prison term is on hold, pending the outcome of a federal investigation of Jefferson, which Pfeffer is aiding.

So what’s his connection to football? Turns out Pfeffer does volunteer work for cancer charities, particularly by setting up visits by athletes to hospitalized children. The Skins’ other QB, Mark Brunell, was present at his sentencing.

Some of the Skins’ marquee names such as Santana Moss and Clinton Portis had already fled town after the team’s disappointing season concluded, but the entire offensive line was present at Pfeffer’s home, as were NoVa business execs such as Signal Corp founder Roger Mody, and Campbell’s girlfriend, Mercedes Lindsay, who will be D.C.’s representative in Donald Trump’s Miss USA pageant this spring.

Matt Landsberg, president of Eric Finn Custom Clothiers, said that Skins guard Randy Thomas wanted to be measured for a new suit on the spot, which Landsberg would have been happy to do, were it not for one thing.

“I had my tape measure, but I didn’t have the ‘big boy’ tape measure,” he said.

Not so svelte, Thomas is listed at 6-foot-5 and 306 pounds.

Ohio offices: Chickening out?

One of the sillier ways congressional offices amuse themselves is with low-stakes bets on sporting events. So what wagers will we see on today’s college football championship between Florida and Ohio State? Not many, thanks to the superstition of the Ohio offices.

“Every time he bet on OSU, they lost, so we’re not doing bets this year,” said Chris Paulitz, press secretary for Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio. “We’re willing to throw collegiality out the window for an OSU national championship.” The office turned down both Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla.

Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Ohio, who represents the OSU campus in Columbus, isn’t taking bets, either. His spokesman told us that Tiberi won a bet with Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., on the OSU-Michigan contest earlier this year, so he decided to quit while he’s ahead.

But at least one Ohioan in the House is game for a wager. We discovered on Friday that Rep. Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, put up Buckeye candies against Rep. Adam Putnam’s, R-Fla., homemade Key lime pie.

What’s at stake on your lunch break?

Approximately 300 protesters organized by MoveOn.org rallied outside the American Enterprise Institute Friday, trying their best to chant so loudly that Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., inside the building for an event, would hear their opposition to increasing troop numbers in Iraq. But, apparently, they don’t make protesters like they used to. “I’m disappointed they’re all old people,” said Jackie Rush, age 70. She recalled the Vietnam War protests during the 1960s, when she was only “in my 20s and mad as hell!”

Noticing the noon start and 1 p.m. finish, a patron at the nearby California Grille noted, “They’re ‘lunchtime protesters.’” Said another: “Let’s give these people some sandwiches.”

Chant of the day: “John McCain, John McCain, escalation is insane!”

Wash that man right out of my hair

Before heading to the U.S. Capitol on Thursday for her swearing-in, Nancy Pelosi packed George’s Salon at the Four Seasons with her posse of grandchildren and relatives, all prepping and getting beautiful for the big occasion.

But, when the busy salon’s employees were so preoccupied with the Pelosi crew that there was no one available to wash the speaker’s hair, Pelosi headed to the sink to do it herself, electing to forgo the traditional salon experience to save time.

Will this do-it-yourself attitude permeate the 110th Congress?

Think tank

“What one thing will most disturb Democratic plans for their first 100 hours?”

“The weekend. Given the generally puny and feckless nature of what they’re proposing, that may not be such a bad thing.”

- Nick Gillespie, Reason magazine

“Joe Biden leaving to practice ‘Chairman Biden’ in the mirror.”

– Danielle Jones, The Hotline

“The clock.”

– Ana Marie Cox, Time.com

Janelle Zara contributed to this page