Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
In the Hot Seat
A diplomatic blunder of sorts for California Republican Congressman David Dreier — who found himself in the hot seat earlier this week after a visit to Bogota, Colombia.
Dreier sat casually on a lectern while addressing members of Colombia's lower house of Congress — a gesture that stirred both amusement and outrage among lawmakers.
Senator Luis Elmer Arenas said the faux pas was worse than spitting on the Colombian flag. Yesterday Dreier said the gesture was merely a matter of confusion and that he didn't know where to sit, adding, "I simply wanted to demonstrate my warm feeling and affection."
Convention Called Off?
The National Council of La Raza — the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights organization — is threatening to pull its 2009 convention from Kansas City, Missouri because a City Park board member belongs to an anti-illegal immigrant group.
La Raza began looking at other locations shortly after the appointment of Frances Semler — a member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.
Mayor Mark Funkhouser he would be disappointed if the city lost the convention but won't reconsider the appointment. By the way — the president of the City Park Board is Hispanic.
Chinese Sculptor Slammed
Human rights activists are protesting the selection of a Chinese sculptor to carve a three story granite statue of Martin Luther King Jr. on the National Mall.
An online petition — which will be presented to Washington lawmakers next month — argues that an American — preferably an African-American — should've been hired to construct the piece.
The King Memorial Foundation doesn't see what all the fuss is about — pointing out that the majority of the people working on the project are black.
More importantly, the foundation points to King's preaching that in order to achieve peace, humans must "transcend race, our tribe, our class, and our nation."
No Virgin Chicken For You
Virgin chicken and steamed crap won't be on the menu at next year's Chinese Olympics — The Beijing Tourism Bureau and Olympics organizers are doing away with the mangled English translations of Chinese foods and beverages that often scare off foreign customers.
The changes are part of a broader effort in the capital to clean up the city and present visitors with a positive image of Beijing and Chinese culture.
—FOX News Channel's Martin Hill contributed to this report.
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