Carter staying out of hometown ‘low-rider’ debate

Rule No. 1 on the road to success: Never forget your roots. And that includes you, Jimmy Carter.

Even though the former president is known to many as just a plain ol’ fella from Plains, Ga., he has failed to pick up on one big issue percolating in his own hometown: low-riding pants.

The Plains City Council has asked the town’s attorney to draft an ordinance that would punish individuals wearing low-slung pants (a fashion fad known as “sagging” or “low-riding”). The council expects to hear back from the city attorney within the next month or two.

Naturally, we thought that the opinion of Plains’ most famous resident — and one-time leader of the free world — could make or break the city council’s hopes on this high-priority, low-waistline issue. But when Yeas & Nays asked Carter to chime in on the danger of droopy drawers, he had to admit that he knew nothing of it.

“I just met with the mayor the other day and he didn’t bring it up,” Carter said, adding with a laugh, “so I don’t think there’s any danger of you being afflicted by that issue anytime soon.” (For the record: Yeas & Nays fully utilizes belts.) Carter was in Washington to accept the Ridenhour Courage Prize and deliver remarks at the National Press Club.

But the Plains City Council sure hopes that Carter comes to the rescue and backs this bill. “His support would be very valuable,” Plains City Clerk Willette Smith said. She’s confident that, once Carter moves his attention away from Palestine and toward pant lines, he’ll support the Council’s proposed ban.

“I’m sure if he knew the importance from the council and a lot of the citizens here in Plains, he would definitely support it,” Smith said. She even hopes that Carter might pull some presidential weight and “put some heat on the city attorney so that he’ll speed up the process a little bit.”

Now that’d be a creative use of presidential power.

Lone NYC holdout for Hillary harbors a political grudge

The entire New York Democratic congressional delegation has endorsed Sen. Hillary Clinton for president — except one. That would be Rep. Yvette Clarke, a freshman from Brooklyn.

Confirming rumors, she stated this week in an interview with John Noel of WNBC Channel 4 in New York that she’s holding out because Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson had worked on the primary campaign of David Yassky, who was one of Clarke’s opponents in last year’s race to succeed the retiring Rep. Major Owens.

“Of course that raises a big flag, you know, puts up an antenna because again that was an issue that the community was very ill at ease with,” Clarke said. “And we’ve had some conversations about it to be quite honest with you. And I think that that needs to be addressed in order for the community to feel like that something like that would not occur again.”

Wolfson then told the New York Observer’s Politicker blog that his “work for David Yassky was based on a decade of friendship with him. I have enormous respect for Congresswoman Clarke and look forward to supporting her re-election.”

A spokeswoman for Clarke did not return a message left with her office.

Thomas: Don’t forget, Lanier’s one of mine

Call it a case of neighborhood pride. During Tuesday’s meeting of the D.C. Council, Council Member Phil Mendelson reported that the Public Safety and the Judiciary Committee, which he chairs, had favorably reported on the nomination of interim Police Chief Cathy Lanier to officially and permanently assume the post.

Mendelson has just finished listing her virtues and qualifications, when Council Member Harry Thomas interjected: “I just want to make sure the residency requirements have been fulfilled and do you have that address?”

Mendelson was on to him. “I think Council Member Thomas knows that the chief is living in his ward,” he said. “Police officers are usually a little bit hesitant to give out their home addresses, but she does live in the District — and in Ward 5.”

Council Chair Vincent Gray then wanted to know: “Does that create a public safety advantage for Mr. Thomas?”

“Yes, it does,” Mendelson replied.

Dennis Miller coming to Leesburg

After nearly a month, conservative comic Dennis Miller’s new radio show has a home in the D.C. area.

“The Dennis Miller Show,” which launched nationwide last month on the Westwood One syndicate, will air from 9 a.m. to noon on WAGE-AM out of Leesburg, Va. The blog DCRTV.com broke the news.

WAGE General Manager Dave Scarangella said Miller’s show was “on in eight of the top 10 markets in the country, but it wasn’t here, so it was a superb opportunity. … Our lineup did not have that mix of politics and humor. His show was exactly what we’re looking for.”

With Miller’s arrival, WAGE moves Joy Browne’s show to the 1 p.m. slot.

Occidental to unveil new faces

Over the years, the Occidental Restaurant on Pennsylvania Avenue has become famous not only for the VIPs who dine there, but for the VIPs who hang from their walls: Nearly 1,700 photos — from Amelia Earhart to Winston Churchill to JFK — adorn the walls of the restaurant’s two floors. It’s become a virtual “Who’s Who” of Washington, hence the restaurant’s motto: “Where Statesmen Dine.”

Now, in celebration of the restaurant’s 100th birthday, a panel of Washington VIPs has been selected to choose 20 additional portraits to put on the wall. But to have an eye for successful people, it helps to be somewhat successful yourself. The panel members:

» Judy Woodruff, news correspondent for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (currently on the wall)

» Mark Tuohey III, Managing Partner, Vinson & Elkins LLP (currently on the wall)

» Jim Kimsey, founder of AOL and philanthropist

» Stan Kasten, president, Washington Nationals

» Chuck Conconi, Qorvis Communications and former editor of Washingtonian’s “Capital Comment”

Restaurant owners Oliver & Phil Carr will then take the panel’s suggestions and make the final decision. The new faces will be unveiled May 2 at the restaurant.