Wednesday is a big day for congressional birthdays. Too bad none of the birthday boys are in town to celebrate.

In absentia (and a little early), ITK wishes Reps. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.), 51 and Jim Marshall (D-Ga.), 62, Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) happy birthdays.

Frank and Leahy were born 70 years ago on Wednesday.

 

"Hustler" publisher and free-speech activist Larry Flynt is helping to raise money for South Carolina Democratic House candidate Rob Miller. But it's not clear who will benefit most from Flynt's support, Miller, or his opponent, Rep. Joe Wilson (R).

The skin-mag publisher used his personal blog Tuesday to rail against Wilson for a host of things, including not supporting healthcare reform, yelling "You lie!" during President Barack Obama's 2009 joint address to Congress, and having worked as an aide to former Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.).

Flynt's marquee publication "Hustler," even gave Wilson a very unflattering award last month (look it up if you really want to know).

Flynt only mentions Miller once in the second-to-last paragraph of a long post. But that may be a good thing for Miller in a conservative, GOP-leaning district.

The National Republican Congressional Committee was quick to spin the endorsement in Wilson's favor.  An NRCC spokesman told the Palmetto Scoop that, “It’s no surprise that a prominent purveyor of pornography is hustling up campaign cash for Rob Miller." 

Democrats on Capitol Hill countered that Miller hadn't asked for the endorsement. They also pointed out that in the area of fundraising and adult entertainment, the GOP has had a few problems of its own this week.

As for Miller, the voicemail box at his campaign office is full, and no one answered ITK's repeated calls.

 

California GOP Senate candidate Carly Fiorina may need a refresher course in Jewish history, judging by her Passover greeting to supporters.

The former Hewlett Packard CEO, who is Christian, sent out an email on Monday under the subject line, "Best wishes for a safe and happy Passover."

The first paragraph was pretty typical, but the second one kicked off with an odd choice of words: "This week, as we break bread and spend time with our families and friends..."

Break "bread?" On Passover? Uh, no.

On the contrary, the holiday, which commemorates Jews' liberation from enslavement in Egypt, is the only time all year during which Jews specifically don't eat bread. Matzoh, an unleavened cracker, fills in for the duration of the celebration.

A spokeswoman for the campaign told ITK that the intent of the email was to encourage people of all faiths to come together, and she pointed out that matzoh is unleavened bread (although they are separate words in Hebrew). "We embrace all breads, leavened, unleavened, gluten-free, rye, or whatever else."

 

This was the scene late Tuesday afternoon in the hallways of the Hart Senate Office Building, as staff and visitors were evacuated for a routine, unannounced fire drill. 

An ITK spy snapped this photo before being ushered out into the gray, chilly afternoon.

Sarah Palin will kick off her new Fox News series, "Real American Stories," with one of the most diverse guest lineups in recent memory: rapper and actor LL Cool J, country singer Toby Keith, and former GE CEO Jack Welch.

The three very different guests will speak to Palin for her inaugural episode on April 1st. 

According to a press release from Fox News, the show will "focus on a range of such stories including a Marine Medal of Honor recipient who gave his life to save his comrades, and ... a wealthy stock broker who donates much of his fortune to underprivileged students so they can attend college."

There's a patriotic theme to the show, which promises to be a blend of inspiring stories about ordinary people interspersed with plenty of celebrities. 

This is Palin's first television series, but it won't be her last. The former governor (pictured here on the RAS set) inked a deal with TLC last week to develop a wilderness series, "Alaska" in her native state.

Some couples debate the name of their new baby for months before it's born, bandying family names back and forth before finally settling on one or two options. But not Sen. George LeMieux (R-Fla.) and his wife Meike.

They preferred to get to know their baby before naming it.

Madeleine Meike LeMeieux was born Monday afternoon, but had to wait almost 24 hours before getting her moniker. Her dad announced it Tuesday afternoon on his Twitter account.

The reason for the delay?  Her Mom and Dad wanted to spend some time with her before picking a name, a LeMieux spokeswoman told ITK.

This was in part because the couple didn't know whether they were having a boy or a girl, but more so their personal preference.

The spelling of Madeleine Meike is French and the middle name is LeMieux's wife's first name. Bienvenue, mademoiselle.

Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) was not surprised at pop star Ricky Martin's decision to admit he is gay.

Monday evening, Polis, who is openly gay, posted on his official Twitter account:

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) appeared on the Colbert Report last night, and used the opportunity to take a few shots at conservatives.

House Minority Leader John Boehner's tan is "a little oranage," for example. McCaskill also teased Missouri native Rush Limbaugh for pledging to leave the country if healthcare reform passed.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife, model and singer Carla Bruni Sarkozy, will dine with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday night.  But despite the combination of two of the planet's most glamorous couples, the only fashionable photo-op will be for official White House photographer Pete Souza.

The White House closed the dinner to press, and while no official reason was given when the decision was made more than a month ago to host the Sarkozys in low-key style, there was speculation that the transition between former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers and her successor, Julianna Smoot, was a factor.

Smoot started in her new job at the White House last Monday, and this is her first dinner for a visiting head of state and his wife.

Smoot's first state dinner will be on May 19, for Mexican President Felipe Calderon.