The Washington Press Club Foundation annual Congressional Dinner is more corporate than personal, and this year's dinner on Wednesday was no exception.

But that didn't stop one of Capitol Hill's most affectionate couples from fitting a little love into the evening.

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and his wife Elizabeth were spotted French kissing as they rode up the escalator towards the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Elizabeth Kucinich, who stands a full six inches taller than her husband, was positioned on the lower stair, and Rep. Kucinich held the small of her back.

Lost in the moment, the pair seemed oblivious to the other riders, guests, and staff milling around them.

Stephanie Cutter, a longtime Democratic operative who most recently served as an adviser to First Lady Michelle Obama, is returning to the West Wing full-time to oversee communications strategy on the new healthcare law.

Cutter served as an outside consultant to the first lady during the implementation of her "Let's Move!" initiative to combat childhood obesity, which was launched in February of this year. She also served as Michelle Obama's chief of staff during the 2008 presidential campaign.

Beginning in early May, Cutter will serve as special assistant to President Barack Obama for special projects. She’ll be handling communications on the implementation of the new law.

“Stephanie is one of the most respected professionals in public affairs and has an innate understanding of the nexus between policy and communications,” Obama said in a statement on Thursday. “She’s also a veteran of the White House, and I’m thrilled to have her on board in this new role.”

Cutter is a veteran of both the Clinton and Obama White Houses. She also served the president at the Treasury Department during his transition, and helped guide the media message for the successful confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Prior to joining the Clinton administration, Cutter worked on the Hill for Democrats like Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.).

Inouye’s son, Ken, and daughter-in-law, Jessica Inouye, welcomed a baby girl, Mary Margaret Inouye, at 10:49 a.m.

“Maggie” was born at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington weighing in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces.

And according to Inouye, not a moment too soon.

The third oldest member of the upper chamber after Sens. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) and Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Inouye said in a statement, “I’ve been waiting for this moment for many years. I’m finally a grandfather.

“Mother Jessica is resting and her father, Kenny, is still up in the air,” Inouye said, adding, “He will soon settle down when he realizes he is a father.”

ITK congratulates the senator and his family on their newest member.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has been doing some heavy reading lately.

There was a heated battle Wednesday night between the two chambers of Congress: At stake? Bragging rights as the funniest lawmaker on Capitol Hill. Representing the House was Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), a former radio host. On the Senate side was Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a former prosecutor in Kansas City, Mo. The two speeches came at the close of the 66th annual Washington Press Club Foundation Dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Pence went first, and started slowly, with a series of predictable jokes which prompted him to apologize at one point for not having written the material himself. He warmed up quickly, however, and brought the house down with a spot on impression of his one and only meeting with former President George W. Bush. "Mike, he says to me in the Oval Office, 'I want you to be encouraged. So I'm the encourager. And I'm going to do some encouraging.' I mean, he said the word six times in five minutes!"

Before the Missouri senator took the stage, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) gave her colleague a quippy intro, "I'd like to thank Claire McCaskill for taking a break from Twittering," she joked, "We're always happy to read your tweets. L-O-L."

By her own admission, McCaskill recycled a few jokes from her lauded appearance at this year's Gridiron Dinner. Among the better ones was a tale about the first time she explained to her young daughter what a "prosecutor" was. McCaskill's daughter listened, then wrote about her mom's job as a Kansas City prosecutor in a fourth grade workbook: "My mom is the hardest working prostitute in Kansas City."

After polling guests at an after-party sponsored by The Hill, it seemed there was no clear winner. "McCaskill is really funny, but Pence used to be a radio host, and that showed in his polish," said one attendee.

The halls of Capitol Hill were buzzing Wednesday morning with news that one of the world's most sought-after women, actress Jessica Alba, would be dropping by to launch a new education initiative.

Alba, who is regularly listed near the top of lists of the "hottest" women in the world, was joined at a press conference by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), 26 fourth-graders from Rockcreek Valley Elementary School, and more than a few admiring male congressional staffers.

The actress is teaming up with Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, and South African President Jacob Zuma to launch 1GOAL, a campaign aimed at making education the lasting legacy of the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, being held this summer in South Africa.

"Around this World Cup, we can make education a reality for boys and girls around the world," Alba told reporters. She said she recently returned from a fact-finding trip to Ghana, Senegal, and South Africa, where she asked herself, "How many of us take our educations for granted? What if I couldn't go to school because I was a girl?"

Lowey used the occasion of the actress's visit to unveil legislation she plans to introduce, which would create a Global Fund for Education similar to the existing fund for AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis. 

Photo and additional reporting by Alexis Smith

Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) was a little late for a hearing on Wednesday and he wasn't happy about it.

The House Appropriations Committee chairman expressed his regrets to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who was testifying about the implementation of the new healthcare reform law.

"I don't have a good excuse," Obey said.

Sebelius said the chairman doesn't need an excuse, but Obey interjected, "I detest being late."

To his credit, Obey didn't point fingers or use ITK's favorite excuse, which was uttered on "Friends" a few years ago: "I'm sorry I'm late but I left late."

Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-R.I.) shared a special leadership award on Tuesday night with local real estate developer Joe Horning. Or was it Jim Horning? Or John? Kennedy couldn't seem to decide.

The annual Founders' Award was presented jointly to Kennedy and Horning by the N Street Village women's shelter, whose annual gala at the Mandarin Oriental recognizes leadership in improving the lives of the shelter's more than 900 homeless women.

After accepting a plaque from close friend and former Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-Minn.) (at left) Kennedy spoke animatedly of his fellow award recipient. "He's one of the people who has done the most to support the important work of N Street Village," he said, "and I'm so glad to share this award with a guy as outstanding as Jim Horning." 

Murmurs immediately went up in the crowd. "Joe!" someone yelled, "It's Joe!" Realizing what he'd done, Kennedy paused. "Wow, apologies," he said before continuing.

Fast forward two minutes, and Kennedy was still at the podium, speaking eloquently about how homelessness can strike anyone. The need for broad-spectrum support for the homeless is crucial, he said. "This is something that I know my fellow honoree, John Horning, also believes in."

Doh! More murmurs, and a few more calls of "It's Joe!"

Again, Kennedy caught himself and continued smoothly. But it wasn't until the last sentence of his speech that the lawmaker finally wised up. "Thanks to all of you," he said in closing, "and especially to a very understanding Joe Horning."

Despite the gaffe, Kennedy kept the rapt attention of the more than 300 guests during his remarks, which touched on his own struggles with addiction and mental health issues.

The biggest laugh of the night came when Kennedy joked that Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), who was in the audience, would no longer take his phone calls after Kennedy retires from Congress this year. "I mean, I'll be a nobody then," Kennedy joked, shrugging his shoulders. "But, oh man, I really hope Jim still takes my calls."
 
Laughing, Moran shot back, "Don't call me, Kennedy!"