Tricky lobbying group gets into Halloween spirit

Wednesday is Halloween, and lawmakers are finding out that “trick or treat” is not just for kids. Lobbyists are also getting in on the act.

NARAL Pro-Choice America, the nation’s leading abortion rights advocacy group, sent out a fundraising letter pegged to Oct. 31 that left us confused.

On Oct. 19, NARAL President Nancy Keenan wrote supporters an ominous appeal warning them that, “On October 31, Congress will decide whether to put an end to George W. Bush’s devastating global gag rule.”

{mosads}The Reagan-era rule, also known as the “Mexico City policy,” has long been a source of controversy: It prohibits the U.S. from funding family-planning clinics that offer abortion counseling in other countries.

But word that Congress would do anything to decide the issue came as a surprise to Lynne Weil, Democratic communications director for the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The panel has scheduled a hearing, but no vote, on the issue for Wednesday.

NARAL’s fundraising letter also tells supporters that if they send a contribution right away, “we’ll send a moral compass to members of the committee — Sen. [Norm] Coleman [R-Minn.], Sen. [John] Sununu [R-N.H.], Rep. [Tim] Walberg [R-Mich.], Rep. [Joe] Knollenberg [R-Mich.], and Rep. [John] Doolittle [R-Calif.] — symbolizing your hope they find their way back on this moral choice.”

The problem is none of these lawmakers sit on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Ted Miller, NARAL’s communications director, said the letter contained a simple “human error.” He said the author had meant to write that the moral compasses would go to members of Congress, not a particular committee. When asked whether it was accurate to inform supporters that Congress would make a decision on the Mexico City policy on Wednesday, Miller said he was not certain when a vote would be scheduled on the matter.

Whether the letter was a trick or an honest appeal for treats, Douglas Johnson, the legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, was not amused.

“The solicitation is definitely misleading,” said Johnson. “I can’t say whether it’s deliberate deception or merely incompetence. The whole letter is built on the Oct. 31 event and they mention five members not on the committee. It’s misleading from start to finish.”

Johnson also said he and his staff had checked with the offices of the lawmakers mentioned in the letter, and not one of them had reported receiving a compass of any sort.

Congresswoman racks up another marathon

Let it be known that Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Ohio) likes to run.

The fact that she completed the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday in just under four hours is the least of it.

More remarkable is the fact that the Washington race was Schmidt’s 69th — she finished her 68th two weeks ago.

Spokesman Ben LaRocco said Monday that the congresswoman runs before 7:30 a.m. Mass every weekday — a habit she began years ago with her twin sister, Jennifer Black, who also completed Sunday’s marathon.

Congress is no stranger to ultra-athletes. Although Schmidt appeared to be the only federal lawmaker in the race this year, it has long been a venue for politicians to push themselves.

Schmidt’s race time on Sunday places her between the Marine Corps Marathon race times of former Sens. John Edwards (D-N.C.) and Bill Frist (R-Tenn.).

LaRocco said that Schmidt, who will turn 56 next month, does not plan to take it easy this week despite finishing the race. On Monday, she gave a speech in Cincinnati and attended several meetings associated with President Bush’s visit to the area. 

Escort raises more questions than answers about her night with Cunningham

Just when we thought the bribery trial of defense contractor Brent Wilkes became officially boring, the conversation returned to the hookers. As it should.

Wilkes stands accused of doling out more than $700,000 in gifts and perks, including prostitutes, in exchange for help from former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham (R-Calif.) in securing millions of dollars in government contracts.

On Friday, The Associated Press reported that Wilkes denied the testimony of two prostitutes who detailed one night in Hawaii with Cunningham and Wilkes.

One prostitute, who stated that she worked for Cunningham for one night in Kamelua, Hawaii, testified that Cunningham fed her grapes as she sat naked in a hot tub at the hotel before heading to the bedroom.

Wilkes shed little light on this important issue, saying only that he did not have sex with either prostitute, and he blamed his nephew, Joel Combs, for hiring them.

They don’t call her the Speaker for nothing

We never noticed that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is such a fast talker.

That must be one of the skills that helped get her the gavel, however, because her “one minute” speech Thursday was 2,491 words long.

In fact, Pelosi should probably call the Guinness Book of World Records, which notes that the speediest speaker can clock around 600 words per minute.

The Speaker was discussing the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Another stat? She used the word “children” 45 times.

They may be cousins by blood, but don’t expect Cheney and Obama to sit together at reunion

Both Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Vice President Dick Cheney incorporated news that they are apparently distant blood relations into their respective acts on Friday, each drawing chuckles at their family ties.

Obama joked at an Ohio event Friday that he was well-aware that he and Cheney were related eight generations back, but tried to keep it quiet.

“We’ve been trying to hide that for a long time,” Obama quipped. “You know, every family’s got a black sheep.”

Cheney, meanwhile, fielded questions about his link with the presidential candidate on the CNBC show “Kudlow and Company.”
Cheney said he had not spoken with Obama, whom he deemed “cousin Barack.”

“I didn’t know whether that would help him or hurt him, so I thought I’d probably stay away from him,” Cheney said.

Alexander Bolton and Jackie Kucinich contributed to this page.