Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had dinner at Ristorante Posto on 14th St. Thursday evening.

The restaurant tweeted: "Pelosi just walked out of Ristorante Posto and everyone applauded her. She was sporting a cute beret and waved graciously."

Pelosi, whose heritage is Italian, is the first Californian, and first Italian-American to serve as Speaker.

Former President Bill Clinton has been hospitalized in New York City after undergoing a procedure to place two stents in a coronary artery.

Clinton was hospitalized in Manhattan's Columbia-Presbyterian hospital after feeling discomfort in his chest, a spokesman for the former president said Thursday.

"Following a visit to his cardiologist, he underwent a procedure to place two stents in one of his coronary arteries," spokesman Douglas Band said.

The news of Clinton's hospitalization was first reported by ABC.

The 63-year-old Clinton, who left office in 2001, underwent a quadruple bypass procedure in 2004.

The former president had been enlisted by President Barack Obama to work with former President George W. Bush to organize relief for earthquake-striken Haiti. As part of that work, Clinton had traveled to Haiti twice since last month's disaster.

Band said Clinton would continue to work on those relief efforts.

"President Clinton is in good spirits, and will continue to focus on the work of his Foundation and Haiti's relief and long-term recovery efforts," he said.

His wife, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, was scheduled to meet with Obama in the Oval Office this afternoon, and had been scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia and Qatar this weekend.

Many congressional offices were closed Thursday, or if they were open, employees were allowed to work from home. But not staffers for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).

A source told ITK that an "edict" came down Wednesday night from "the boss" that staffers were to be at their desks on Thursday, despite record snowfalls, extremely limited Metro service, and a federal government shutdown.

The senator would be in the office, they were told, and employees who weren't there, for whatever reason, would be fined a vacation day. Ouch.

A spokesman for Feinstein confirmed the tough policy. "Our office has a flexible leave policy that allows staff to take vacation time if they can't make it in today due to snow," he said in a statement. "However, nearly every member of our dedicated team of public servants is in the office working hard on behalf of the people of California today. As I mentioned before, we all worked from home yesterday. Also, there were several committee meetings today, and the Senate is in session."

Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) says he is "shocked" and "disappointed" with the sex scandal that has brought down his 2004 Democratic presidential running mate's marriage and political career.

Kerry discussed the John Edwards saga during an appearance with his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, on CNN's Larry King Live Wednesday night.

"What do you make of it?" King asked.

"Well, Larry, what can you make? I mean, honestly, it is a tragedy," Kerry said.

"Are you shocked?"

Kerry responed, "Yes, and obviously disappointed. But I think -- you know, I think everybody just feels awful about it, in terms of their family, the relationship that everybody saw publically, the promise, the hope. You know, obviously, a capable career..."

"Have you spoken to him?" King asked.

"I have not. I mean, I called their home. I didn't know who would answer. I certainly was ready and willing and hope to say a word."

Several lawmakers braved Wednesday's second blizzard of the season to get some work done on Capitol Hill.

Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told Fox News he spotted Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) early Wednesday morning in the Capitol complex.

Durbin and Schumer are roommates who live in a Capitol Hill townhouse with Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and William Delahunt (D-Mass.).

Perhaps the lawmakers had the same cabin fever that seemed to be infecting Washington. They obviously needed to get out, making their way to work in whiteout conditions.

Barrasso also mentioned on "Special Report" that he had 15 visitors from his home state of Wyoming in town and they got a nearly private tour of the Capitol.

“I took them on a one-hour long tour of the Rotunda and Statuary Hall,” Barrasso said. “They had a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

And the senators weren't the only lawmakers on Capitol Hill Wednesday.

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) tweeted: "Think am only member of Congress on Hill. All staff and I in on Tues. Only some staff Wed. Busy with ltrs and calls. Glad to be inside."

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said he was "snowbound and growing crazy" when he called into Fox News Channel on Wednesday night.

McCain was in Washington for Senate business when he got trapped by the record snowfall that blanketed the city.

“I’m snowbound and going crazy!” McCain told Fox host Sean Hannity. "I think about those old trappers that used to winter over, I don't know how they did it."

For those of you who are curious, trappers are mountain men and fur trappers who explored the American West, often spending weeks at a time in the elements.

Hannity responded: “I guess global warming kept you out of the studio tonight.”

For those of you who are lucky enough to be expecting flowers in the next few days, a Senate source sent ITK a notice about the do’s and don’ts for Valentine’s Day flower and gift deliveries.
 
All Senate staff are requested to advise friends and family not to send flowers or gifts to Senate office buildings and the Capitol.
 
But if that happens, be warned, you may end up with wilted flowers and/or stale candy. Most deliveries have to go through inspection and won’t be available for 72 hours.
 
Also, the notice instructs those who are contacted by a delivery person to meet them in an outside public area. You’re then supposed to inspect the flowers and bring them back to your office on your own.
 
The notice says the directions are “the spirit of being practical while maintaining security on Valentine’s week.”

Leave it to comedian Stephen Colbert to find some humor in the headaches caused by too much “snowverkill” this week.
 
Colbert mocked what he called the global warming deniers of Fox News Wednesday night. He showed clips of Fox News correspondents talking about the back-to-back blizzards areas like ours received shunned Al Gore’s theories.
 
Check out the video for more laughs.

There may not be much food available on Capitol Hill Thursday. But at least the Starbucks is open.

The Senate Rules Committee sent out a message early Thursday about what it called "extremely limited" dining options on Capitol Hill.  "American Grill" will be offering a limited menu from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and "Cups" will open at 7 a.m. and close at 2:30 p.m. 

On the House side, Longworth cafeteria will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. But all three venues will have limited food supplies.

If you need a quick pick me up, pop over to the Starbucks on Pennsylvania Ave., S.E. An employee confirmed they'll be open until 5 p.m.