Latino power was out in full force Tuesday at the Corcoran Gallery of Art for the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts’s annual gala, Noche Musical. Topping the political VIP list were Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.).

On the Hollywood side were actors Esai Morales (of “La Bamba” biopic fame) and Jimmy Smits, aka President Matthew Santos from CBS’s “The West Wing,” as well as writer and producer Roberto Orci (“Transformers,” “Star Trek”).

Sotomayor arrived with two girlfriends and no staff (because with a lifetime appointment, who needs a handler?). She mingled with the crowd, posed for photos with guests and, later in the evening, salsa-danced with Morales.

Solis looked glamorous in a ruby-red dress, and spoke to ITK about her recent stint as a DJ on satellite radio.

“I really enjoyed [DJing],” she said of the Labor Day weekend guest spot. “It brought back memories, and it was fun to play good music for good working people to celebrate the value of work.”

On the healthcare bill under debate, Solis emphasized two major priorities: “We need to spread services and share costs.” Asked whether she approved of a recently added clause in the bill that would require proof of citizenship in order to purchase health insurance,
Solis declined to comment, admitting she was unfamiliar with the specifics.

“I’ll want to read [the bill] closely,” she explained.

Formal probe of NY Times is under way

A formal investigation is under way to determine how The New York Times obtained a copy of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy’s (D-Mass.) memoir, True Compass, nearly two weeks before its scheduled release date. The publisher, Twelve, has hired a private eye to do the digging. It declined to name which one, but a source told ITK that Twelve has yet to receive any documentation from the Times proving that the book was in fact purchased, as a Times spokesman has claimed. Asked about the investigation, Twelve spokesman Cary Goldstein declined to discuss its progress, but stressed that it is not a “witch-hunt.”

“This is not about the Times,” he said, “this is a business issue.”

Twelve paid $8 million for the book.

The Times did not return requests for comment.

Paul Simon: No Simon/Garfunkel reunion

Singer-songwriter Paul Simon told ITK on Wednesday that he has no plans to continue performing with musical partner Art Garfunkel. The hugely successful duo recently completed a two-month tour of Australia, Japan and New Zealand, and many fans have been hoping they would schedule a stateside tour this fall.

Simon confirmed that the only reunion would be a previously scheduled and already sold-out appearance in New York on Oct. 29 in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

A co-founder of the Children’s Health Fund, Simon was on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby for healthcare reform. He met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) early in the day, and was scheduled to inspect a mobile children’s healthcare unit in the afternoon.

Simon is a big Democratic donor. In the 2008 cycle, Simon contributed to Sens. Chris Dodd (Conn.), Al Franken (Minn.) and Tom Harkin (Iowa) and Rep. Eric Massa (N.Y.).

His presence no doubt helped the Children’s Health Fund rope in the big guns: Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) spoke at CHF’s midday presser on the West Lawn of the Capitol, as did Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) and journalist Jane Pauley, who chairs the CHF advisory council.

Pelosi arrived with her customary entourage of aides and security staff and spoke for a few minutes on the need for healthcare reform.

Gold-medal advice for Tom DeLay

“Dancing with the Stars” Season Eight champion and gold medal-winning gymnast Shawn Johnson has some advice for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas): “Don’t hold back. Show people who you really are, because personality matters even more than the dancing.”

That’s good news for DeLay, whose dancing skills may take a hit from the partial stress fracture he suffered Monday during rehearsals.

DeLay has vowed to continue on the show despite the injury, and on Tuesday sent out this Tweet: “Old age is catching up to me, may have a stress fracture in my foot. No worries, it’ll take more than that to keep me off the dance floor!”

Speaking of her future plans, Johnson — the youngest-ever contestant on the popular dance show — said she’s “in transition” right now. “Someday I’d love to have a morning show,” she mused, “like Rachael Ray or Ellen [DeGeneres], where I could talk about cooking and sports and politics and everything.”

Coming to Capitol Hill: The truth machine?

U.S. Capitol Police officers aren’t exempt from poking fun at the lawmakers they’re charged with protecting. At an entrance to the Capitol, when asked what the new tabletop Smiths Detection Ionscan 500DT machines do, one officer said with a smile, “It’s a truth machine. Around here, yeah, it’s overworked.”

The blue machines are the size of a cash register and are an upgraded explosive and narcotic detection device.

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