Inside the Beltway

SWITCHING GEARS

It’s been 17 years and change since I began penning Inside the Beltway for The Washington Times. Shortly thereafter, the daily column became a feature of the Los Angeles Times Syndicate and Chicago’s Tribune Media Services. And as technology has progressed beyond paper, so has the column, appearing regularly on popular Internet sites, including Townhall.com.

In 2004, upon publishing the book “Inside the Beltway: Offbeat Stories, Scoops and Shenanigans From Around the Nation’s Capital,” a question was posed on how many columns I had written to date. I counted then about 3,600, give or take a few dozen, a number that’s grown today to about 5,100 columns.

Figuring each column contains five or six news items, I’ve filed about 28,000 stories, the majority of them exclusive in nature.

Today, this one-time broadcaster is proud to be joining longtime San Francisco radio personality Melanie Morgan as co-anchor of The Times’ new morning-drive radio show, set to debut nationwide Monday with special guests.

“America’s Morning News” is syndicated by the Talk Radio Network, which has developed and launched long-form radio programming for such national talents as Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage and Monica Crowley. From a state-of-the-art studio bordering The Times’ bustling newsroom, this unique joint venture hits airwaves coast to coast from 6 to 9 a.m., five days a week, showcasing The Times’ investigative and accountability journalism.

As for Inside the Beltway, rest assured the column will always remain a major daily feature, albeit I welcome aboard a much-needed primary co-columnist, who will be announced shortly. Until then, keep reading - and now stay tuned.

NAY TO HIMSELF

It’s embarrassing enough when a lawmaker miscasts a vote on Capitol Hill.

But it’s really embarrassing when you vote against your own bill.

Rep. Jim McDermott, Washington Democrat, stood up late last week to explain “for the record that I inadvertently voted against a bill which I had co-sponsored and intended to support.”

The Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act would provide for a new framework for U.S. assistance to Pakistan.

LONG APOLOGY

Nine U.S. senators, including Democrat Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Republican Sam Brownback of Kansas, have submitted a concurrent resolution again apologizing for the enslavement of blacks and for segregation.

The resolution points out that that millions of Africans and their descendants were enslaved in the American colonies and the United States from 1619 through 1865 - “brutalized, humiliated, dehumanized, and subjected to the indignity of being stripped of their names and heritage.”

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