Inside the Beltway

Fasting eternal

The late terrorist mastermind Abu MusabZarqawi is doing more than pushing up daisies. He’s fasting, too.

Yes, that’s Zarqawi — or at least his ancestral tribal name — along with his hometown of Zarqa, Jordan, listed on Code Pink’s roll of protesters who are “fasting” in hopes that U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Iraq.

And how did the once-notorious terrorist’s name wind up on the peace and social justice group’s list, among celebrity fasters like the ice-cream-licking Cindy Sheehan?

It was submitted by a merry prankster from the D.C. chapter of FreeRepublic.com, we’ve learned, a conservative group that for more than a year has done battle with Code Pink every Friday night — holding dueling demonstrations outside the gates of Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

“To get past the eagle-eyed moderators of the list, his tribal name was submitted: ‘Ahmed Fazil Najal-Al-Khalili, Zarka, Jordan,’” the prankster tells Inside the Beltway. “Zarqawi got a head start, beginning his fast 28 days ahead of [Code Pink] — on the day he died.”

Code Pink began its fast on July 4. The campaign is scheduled to end on Sept. 21.

Bound for Big Apple

You might recall us drawing attention to lobbyist Dan Berger, otherwise known as the “K Street Picasso,” after spotting one of his abstract portraits hanging on a wall of Washington’s Palette restaurant titled, “Is Maureen Dowd Necessary?”

Now, Miss Dowd, the New York Times columnist and author of the book “Are Men Necessary?” can get a firsthand look at the portrait (which, we had opined, wasn’t the least bit flattering).

Mr. Berger tells Inside the Beltway that he was recently invited by Nicholas Bergman, co-owner and director of the respected Caelum Gallery in the Lower Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea, to open a monthlong show, as well as be represented by his gallery.

“And of course, I accepted and signed on,” says Mr. Berger, a banking lobbyist who was previously chief of staff for Rep. Katherine Harris, Florida Republican.

The New York show will run from Jan. 9 to 27, with an opening party to be announced.

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