Inside the Beltway

In Vogue

She’s been chairman of the Democratic Governors Association. Sen. John Kerry considered her as his vice presidential running mate in 2004. She’s mentioned as a potential running mate this fall (unlikely if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton gets the nod). She could run for the Senate in 2010, unless she’s appointed to a Cabinet position early next year.

As one Washington political observer puts it, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is looking to get out of Dodge — or in this case, Topeka.

A couple of weeks ago, she was spotted at the Orange Bowl in Miami tailgating with University of Kansas Jayhawks fans. One supporter said that there were so many security guards surrounding Mrs. Sebelius she thought President Bush was in the room.

Just this week, she was chosen by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to deliver the 10-minute Democratic response to Mr. Bush’s State of the Union address Jan. 28 (one day before Kansas Day, coincidentally).

And to top it all off, Vogue recently descended on Kansas to dress the governor in gowns by Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera for its February issue. Mrs. Sebelius also will be shown wearing a business suit.

We want Wolf

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer for president?

Not yet, but it’s probably only a matter of time. Yesterday, the group Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee kicked off a Draft Lou Dobbs for President campaign. Lou Dobbs is one of Mr. Blitzer’s colleagues at CNN.

High crimes?

The United States will swear in a new vice president in one year’s time — not soon enough for Rep. Robert Wexler, Florida Democrat.

The congressman is calling for impeachment hearings to begin “immediately” surrounding accusations leveled against Vice President Dick Cheney — “credible allegations of abuse of power that if proven may well constitute high crimes and misdemeanors,” he says.

While the White House claims “executive privilege,” Mr. Wexler says Americans have a right to know whether Mr. Cheney “manipulated intelligence” to push the United States into the war in Iraq; unmasked for “political purposes” the identity of former CIA officer Valerie Plame; and ordered surveillance of Americans and the use of torture.

“Just recently, former White House press secretary Scott McClellan revealed that the vice president and his staff purposely gave him false information to report to the American people, a clear obstruction of justice,” he said. “Impeachment hearings are the only way to force the Bush administration to answer questions and tell the truth.”

Last November, the House referred Ohio Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich’s resolution of impeachment of Mr. Cheney to the House Judiciary Committee.

What day is it?

Think a 9-to-5 schedule is tough?

Here’s the new hourly work schedule issued this week to lawmakers on Capitol Hill: “Unless otherwise ordered, before Monday, May 12, 2008, the hour of daily meeting of the House shall be 2 p.m. on Mondays; noon on Tuesdays; and 10 a.m. on all other days of the week; and from Monday, May 12, 2008, for the remainder of the 110th Congress, the hour of daily meeting of the House shall be noon on Mondays, 10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; and 9 a.m. on all other days of the week.”

Down to the bell

“Bikeman,” as the 59-year-old congressman is affectionately called, never stops pedaling.

When Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Oregon Democrat, arrived on Capitol Hill a dozen years ago, he observed several things about Washington: flat streets, lots of bike trails and a mild climate.

All of which make a great environment for cycling, including to the White House in his suit of clothes for meetings with the president. (The owner of seven bikes, Mr. Blumenauer never applied for a congressional parking permit.)

The congressman’s work on behalf of bike-advocacy groups is far-reaching and never-ending, from pushing for bicycle-commuter tax credits, to ample bike parking, to the formation of a House Bike Caucus. And now, on the very first day the House reconvened this week, Mr. Blumenauer introduced not one, not two, but 10 separate bills, each with its own resolution number, to either extend or suspend the temporary suspension of import duties on the following:

Bicycle speedometers, child carriers, chain-tension adjusters, chain covers, unicycles, steel tubing for bicycle frames, bicycle wheel rims, crank-gears and parts thereof, brakes designed for bicycles, and variable-speed hubs.

Wait, isn’t there something else every bike needs?

“H.R. 4946: A bill to suspend temporarily the duty on bells designed for use on bicycles.”

• John McCaslin can be reached at 202/636-3284 or jmccaslin@washingtontimes.com.