Sports a Theme on Capitol Hill

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) and Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) made good Thursday on their baseball National League Championship Series and World Series Bets with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

Pelosi's San Francisco Giants topped Specter's Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS and then defeated Barton's Texas Rangers to win their first world crown since moving west from New York in the 1950s.

Specter presented Pelosi with a gigantic bar of Hershey's chocolate, embossed with a chocolate version of Philadelphia's Independence Hall. Barton offered the speaker five, deep-dish, chocolate pecan pies from the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicona, TX.

The delictables were decorated with a San Francisco Giants hat perched on top.

"Not only did we win, but our friendly competitors have very good taste," gushed Pelosi.

Both Specter and Barton noted Pelosi's affinity for chocolate in their selections.

"The Speaker is known as a chocoholic," said Specter. "I'll be curious to know how many bites it will take to consume the chocolate and Independence Hall."

Pelosi joked that she considered imitating Giants' relief pitcher Brian Wilson when she arrived for the exchange.

"I was going to come in a beard," Pelosi said, referring to Wilson's signature facial hair. In fact many Giants fans don fake beards for home games at San Francisco's AT&T Park.

Baseball even crept into the tax cut debate taking place on the Hill. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) said that since Democrats want to cut taxes for those who make up to $250.000 a year, even Sammy Sosa and Derek Jeter would get a tax cut. He also asked rhetorically if Sosa was still playing baseball.

Earlier presumptive House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) who is known across Capitol Hill for chiding members (and reporters, including this one) about what they wear and their haircuts. At today's press conference, his target was Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), who was wearing a very distinguished looking pinstripe suit and sported a vest. Boehner told Bishop that when he inherited the suit from his grandfather, he didn't have to wear it.

Boehner then went on to apologize to former professional golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez. Earlier in the press conference, Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) noted that spending time recognizing Chi Chi Rodriguez was not the work they were sent there to do. He was discussing a Republicans plan to cut back on so-called "commemorative" bills next year when they assume power in the House. Boehner, who is a scratch golfer, jumped in and apologized to Rodriguez.

Wes Barrett contributd to this report.