Jeff Dufour and Patrick Gavin, The Examiner
2007-05-01 07:00:00.0
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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 .

White House slaps Snow support on wrist

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow always sports one of those yellow “Live Strong” bracelets made famous by Lance Armstrong and his defeat of cancer (Snow himself was diagnosed with cancer for the first time in 2005).

So when Snow discovered in March that his cancer had returned and spread to his liver, his colleagues at the White House wanted to do something special to boost Snow’s spirits while he underwent surgery to remove a growth in his abdomen.

One staffer in the White House press office designed yellow bracelets similar to the “Live Strong” ones, but had “Tony Snow” engraved on them instead. One thousand were made and delivered to the White House last week. So popular were the bracelets that they were soon snatched up by other White House staffers and another order of 500 was made (even President Bush has become aware of the bracelets). Staffers sporting the “Tony Snow” bracelets took a group picture of themselves with the bracelets and sent a signed copy to Snow.

“Tony was extremely touched by this and by everyone’s thoughtfulness to make these specifically for him,” White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore said. “He’s very grateful for his co-workers.”

“It was a total surprise,” Snow told Yeas & Nays. “The response has been really unbelievable.” He added he was going to take some of the bracelets home to his wife and kids.

But we had to ask: Will he replace his “Live Strong” bracelet with the “Tony Snow” one? “I don’t know,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll have to figure that out.”

Vanity Fair roasts Giuliani

If Rudy Giuliani wants to become president of the United States, he’s not going to get any help from Vanity Fair.

In the forthcoming issue of the magazine (on newsstands nationally May 8), Michael Wolff pens a piece on Giuliani titled, “Crazy for Rudy,” which includes such flattering descriptions of “America’s Mayor” as:

» “... a do-anything compulsion always to be at the center of attention.”

» “... he is nuts, actually mad.”

» “... his periods of mania ...”

» “... his history of interminable, bitter, asinine hissy fits ...”

» “... Rudy’s wild swings of temperament, judgment, and sense of proportion.”

» “... his need for virtually round-the-clock media attention and affirmation ...”

» “Rudy’s manic domination of the city’s airwaves and consciousness ...”

» “... an entirely inappropriate character ...”

» “... the sheer preposterousness, the zaniness and lunacy, of the notion of Rudy as president ...”

» “... the neurosis and eccentricity and ludicrousness and hubris of Rudy as supreme ruler.”

» “... he’s got no sense of caution.”

» “... Rudy’s fearlessness or kookiness ...”

How to booze your way to bipartisanship

How can we get our partisan politicians to all get along? It’s no small task, but some suggestions were offered at a conference Monday in the Hart Senate Office Building titled “Civility and American Politics.”

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.: “Maybe what we need to do is go out for drinks more.”

But don’t get your hopes up, said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio: “The idea of going across the aisle and hugging your opponent is risky stuff.”

Oh well. ... Back to bickering.

Accused madam now freed from bugs

Whatever else her troubles, alleged D.C. madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey will no longer be tethered to an electronic monitoring device.

At Monday’s hearing in Federal District Court, Judge Gladys Kessler ruled that Palfrey would no longer have to wear an electronic device to determine her whereabouts.

In opposing the decision, an attorney for the prosecution cited Palfrey’s “history of flight,” including an instance when she left the country.

But Kessler cited Palfrey’s “record of compliance in this case” as well as the recommendations of court personnel in California, where Palfrey resides and is being monitored. Henceforth, Palfrey will have to place three phone calls per week to pre-trial services officers in California.

Palfrey, whom the court considers indigent now that federal officers have confiscated her assets, was paying $3.26 per day for the monitoring.

Kessler also ruled that due to “irreconcilable differences” between Palfrey and her publicly appointed attorney, A.J. Kramer, she would appoint new counsel for the alleged madam.

Kessler denied Palfrey’s request for $150,000 to pay for the services of New York defense attorney Herald Price Fahringer. She also denied an attempt by Palfrey’s civil attorney, Montgomery Blair Sibley, to horn in on the proceedings, ordering him away from the witness desk as he was “not listed as counsel” nor “representing her” in the criminal case.

The GOP’s fry guys

Turns out Willie Nelson, who runs his tour bus on biodiesel fuel, has some Republican friends after all. Rep. Vito Fossella, R-N.Y., announced he is co-sponsoring legislation that would double the tax credit for making fuel from used restaurant grease.

“From cooking fried calamari to powering trucks, restaurant grease represents a viable energy source for our nation,” Fossella said.

The bill is sponsored by another Republican, Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas.

Media mix

Dan Glickman is the president and chief executive officer of the Motion Picture Association of America. Today, the MPAA celebrates the life of his predecessor, the legendary Jack Valenti, at a memorial service at the Cathedral of St. Matthew. Glickman recently let us know what’s on his Media Mix.

Q: What CD are you listening to now?

Willie Nelson

Q: What was the last movie you saw?

“The Lives of Others”

Q: What Web sites do you visit in the morning?

Drudge Report, Variety, Hollywood Reporter, The Wichita Eagle

Q: What book are you reading?

“The Mighty and the Almighty,” by Madeleine Albright

Q: What’s your favorite TV show?

“Entourage” and anything on the Discovery channel