Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin, The Examiner
2007-01-23 08:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

WASHINGTON -

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

New Hill couple are musical pros

Last week, Yeas & Nays remarked on the arrival to Congress of Rep. John Hall, D-N.Y., formerly of the rock band Orleans.

We’d be remiss, however, if we didn’t mention newly minted Rep. Paul Hodes, D-N.H., who defeated six-term Republican Charlie Bass. Hodes, along with his wife, Peggo, are Congress’s answer to Mitch and Mickey from the mockumentary “A Mighty Wind.”

Under the name Peggo and Paul, the two have recorded four contemporary acoustic/folk albums from their home studio in Concord, N.H.

On top of that, they also make up the core of Peggosus, a kid-and-family-friendly rock band that has released the albums “Jubilee!” and “Diggin’ in the Dirt,” the latter including such tracks as “Cheerios in My Kazoo” and “Boombox Baby.”

Peggo is a classically trained soprano and voice coach, who has said she balances out Paul’s “froggy bottom” voice.

In addition to recording at home, the duo produces their own records, and has even founded their own label, Big Round Records. They performed at the White House in 1996, and Paul wrote the book and lyrics for “The Peoples House,” a political musical which premiered in 2001. Their songs are available on iTunes.

So what will become of his musical inklings of this former entertainment lawyer now that he’s doing the people’s business? “Being a congressman is his first priority now, but he’ll continue to play music,” said a spokeswoman. She wasn’t sure if he intended to keep recording while in office.

Music apparently runs in the bloodline for the Hodeses. Their son, Max, studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Their daughter, Ariana, attends American University here in D.C.

‘Feel my tummy!’ demands Austin

Fitness guru and Northern Virginia resident Denise Austin joined Olympic gymnastics heroine Kerri Strug and record-setting astronaut Carl Walz at Health and Human Services headquarters Monday. Their aim? To get federal employees off of their couches and onto the treadmill.

The three were among those on hand to launch the HealthierFeds Challenge, a fitness initiative for government workers.

“Right now, tighten up your tummy,” Austin commanded the crowd, some of whom were more fit than others.

The perpetually perky and overwhelmingly in-shape Austin, who is about to turn 50, then exhorted a government employee on stage to “Feel my tummy!” before leading the audience in an impromptu set of techno-music-fueled aerobics.

HHS Deputy Secretary Alex Azar quipped that “the president’s energy plan for the next Congress is we’re going to take Denise and hook her up to a generator, and that’s how we’re going to power the nation.”

Walz, who has spent 231 days in space, more than any other American, offered helpfully that “donuts don’t show up on our menus” in space.

For her part, Strug, who now works for the Department of Justice, said while she no longer trains eight hours a day, she does rise at 5:30 every morning — “but not on weekends” — to get her exercise in.

Will prez’s aides be holding their breath tonight?

One would think President Bush’s aides already have enough to worry about during tonight’s State of the Union, especially since he’s now delivering his address to a Democratic room for the first time in his administration.

Well, you’d be wrong, says writer and crisis communications expert Eric Dezenhall. There’s plenty more to worry about.

“There’s always a Seinfeldian worry about the little things,” says Dezenhall, author of “Spinning Dixie,” a recently released novel in which D.C. meets Tennessee. “Will something foreign be hanging out of the president’s nose? Will his makeup cause him to look like Liberace? Will he trip and fall into Nancy Pelosi’s chest? Will he accidentally invent a word like ‘nuculatory’ which will become the takeaway of the whole speech? It’s these things that drive spin doctors to Xanax.”

Washington snapshots

Reno in D.C.

There’s a new sheriff in town … or at least some deputies.

Washington got a chance to see the deputies of Reno, Nev.’s sheriff’s department last night at an advance screening of the upcoming 20th Century Fox movie “RENO 911!: Miami,” held at Regal Gallery Place.

The movie, based on the fictional Comedy Central television series, follows Lt. Jim Dangle, Deputy Travis Junior, Deputy Raineesha Williams — all of whom made it to the screening — and the rest of the Reno crew as they try to protect Miami after a bioterrorist attack.

Celebs drive into D.C. Auto Show

Drive, er, swing by the D.C. Auto Show this weekend to spot such notables as NASCAR’s Richard Petty, the Wizards’ Antawn Jamison, pool shark Jeanette Lee, “All My Children”’s Thorsten Kaye, “General Hospital”’s Kimberly McCullough, World Wrestling Entertainment’s John Cena and Torrie Wilson, soccer star Freddy Adu and the Gary Sinise and Lt. Dan Band.

Mend a heart with Dove

Speaking of Freddy Adu, sympathetic Washingtonians might want to consider buying him the Grooming Lounge’s “Jilted Loverboy” care and spa package as Valentine’s Day approaches. Adu recently broke up not only with our fair city when he left to play soccer in Salt Lake City, but with girlfriend/actress/singer JoJo, too.

And D.C.’s Grooming Lounge is out to cure ailing hearts with such Valentine’s Day goodies as Molton Brown Thermal Salts Muscle Soak and Abdosculpt Body Firming Gel.

Does it work? We’ll see: The lounge recently sent packages to recently dumped Kevin Federline and Kid Rock.

Waxman’s son comes to D.C.

Nothing says “Come to D.C.” like watching one’s father take control of a powerful committee.

As reported by the Washington Business Journal, Michael Waxman, son of Rep. Henry Waxman, R-Calif., has just left the public relations firm he founded in Los Angeles to come to Hyde Park Communications in Washington.

The congressman just took the helm of the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight.

Speakeasy

“The big change is the sporting events. I can no longer go to a basketball game and watch LeBron James.”

– Rep. Steve LaTourette, R-Ohio, discussing the House-passed ethics bill in the London Daily Telegraph