Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin, The Examiner
2006-12-06 08:00:00.0
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WASHINGTON -

Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin cover people, power and politics in the beltway each weekday. Email them at yan@dcexaminer.com .

Bucking Starbucks

Interrupting caffeine-addicted Washingtonians Tuesday morning, activists from Food & Water Watch dressed in cow costumes at the corner of Seventh Street and Indiana Avenue, NW to protest Starbucks’ use of milk containing artificial growth hormone. They held a sign that read: “Moo for rBGH-free milk!”

Dollar signs in their eyes, resumes in their hands

Would you trade power and money for more money? That’s the question many soon-to-be former members of Congress are asking themselves as they navigate the K Street job market.

A closed-door panel of defeated and retiring members, including Katherine Harris, R-Fla.; Clay Shaw, R-Fla.; Mike Bilirakis, R-Fla.; Anne Northup, R-Ky.; J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz.; and Ed Case, D-Hawaii, turned up in the Longworth Building on Tuesday for a career advice panel called “Life After Congress.”

“The main idea is you’re making the transition between being the grovelee versus the groveler,” said former Appropriations Chairman Bob Livingston, who now helms his own lobbying shop. “Before you were a Democrat or Republican. Now you are bipartisan beyond belief.”

He suggested they talk to some of the 37,000 lobbyists in the city and find out what they do, according to our spy in the room.

Joining him in dishing the advice were Jim Slattery, president of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress; Jim Coyne, of the National Air Transportation Association; former Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas; Beth Solomon, of executive search firm Christian & Timbers; and Mickey Edwards, of the Aspen Institute.

At the conclusion of her talk, Solomon gave her “Top Ten Reasons to Leave Congress Now.” Among them: “When it’s time for a vote, you can keep drinking,” and “You’ll always be ‘The Honorable’ — and you can make money.”

Reached later in the day, our source in the room said, “It’s not a joyful time for these folks. It’s hard. ... [They got] advice on the job market — law firms, lobbying firms, academia, think tanks, boards — they need to take a breath and figure out what they want to do.”

No word as to whether a resume-writing workshop will be next for the members.

Sam Waterston working against a hung electorate

We know that Sam Waterston can swing a jury over to his side, but can he convince the electorate to abandon party politics?

In a conference call on Tuesday, the longtime “Law & Order” actor threw his weight behind Unity08, an effort to nominate a bipartisan ticket for the White House in the first-ever national online political convention.

The Emmy winner said he got on board largely because of his friendship with Gerry Rafshoon, former White House communications director under Jimmy Carter and a member of the Unity08 Founders Council.

“I’ve been waiting for an idea like this for some time,” said Waterston, who normally eschews partisan politics, though he donated $22,000 to John Kerry and the Democratic Party in 2004. “My chief anxiety is … about taking a great idea and presenting it poorly.”

And what does his co-star, former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., think about the idea?

“I don’t know what his response is going to be,” Waterston told Yeas & Nays. “I have mentioned it to him, but have not solicited his input.”

Rocky comes to Washington

Talk about losing your manliness: It won’t be long before Rocky Balboa’s memorabilia shares a space with Kermit the Frog and Dorothy’s ruby slippers.

On the eve of the release of “Rocky Balboa,” Sylvester Stallone donated props from the first three “Rocky” films to the Smithsonian’s “Treasures of American History” collection Tuesday morning. Stallone presented Rocky’s “Italian Stallion” robe, signature black hat, boxing boots and an autographed pair of boxing gloves to the museum. The items are on temporary display at the National Air and Space Museum while the National Museum of American History undergoes major renovation.

At the event, Stallone, unlike most Washingtonians, wasn’t much for words. “I’m not very good with dialogue,” said Stallone, who attended Montgomery Blair High School. “Probably too many punches.”

Steak with the Skins for ‘MNF’

Despite their loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, a bevy of Redskins seemed to be in good spirits at Morton’s The Steakhouse in Crystal City on Monday night.

The crew, which included Derrick Frost, Joe Sykes, Lorenzo Alexander, Mike Espy, Mike Rumph, Nick Steitz, Randy Thomas, Roger McIntosh, Steven Harris, Taylor Whitley and Todd Wade, gathered in the bar and cheerfully greeted a multitude of fans.

Speakeasy

“There’s a part of you that hopes nobody answers.”

– Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, D, who just announced he’s running for president, commenting Tuesday on the unenviable task of calling families of fallen servicemen