Just How Popular is Hillary Clinton? It's All in the Name

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Foolish Fraternizing?

Republican Congressman John Sweeney has raised some eyebrows by appearing at a college fraternity party last weekend in his home state of New York. Union College sophomore John Tomlin published an article in the school's newspaper this week recounting the congressman's behavior at the party, calling him, "inquisitive and engaging, while also acting openly intoxicated... very loud, cursing and slurring his words."

Melissa Carlson, Sweeney's deputy chief of staff is quoted in the article saying the congressman enjoyed the conversations he had with students and was impressed by their enthusiasm and energy, but she insists he wasn't drunk.

No word on whether Sweeney picked up any votes — not that it really matters, the college isn't even in his district.

It's All in the Name

For New York Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton the chances of becoming president could be influenced by what name she uses, according to a new USA Today poll.

When Republicans were asked about Hillary Rodham Clinton, they gave her a 23 percent approval rating, but the other half of the Republicans in the poll were asked what they thought about Hillary Clinton, without her maiden name and they only gave her a 16 percent approval rating.

And among Independents the inclusion of her maiden name produced a 48 percent rating compared to a 42 percent rating without it.

Democrats, however, were swayed in the opposite direction with the maiden name inspiring a 1 percent decrease in her approval rating from 77 to 76 percent.

Defending Demands

A day after members of the White House Press Corps — led by Washington Post reporter Jim VandeHei — demanded that the TVs on Air Force One be changed from FOX News to CNN, VandeHei's colleague Tom Edsall has come out defending his colleague.

Edsall, the post's national political reporter, claims that VandeHei wasn't asking to watch CNN, but that outgoing White House press secretary Scott McClellan deliberately turned the TVs to CNN to "make it look like the media wanted to watch the 'liberal' channel."

Edsall quipped that in fact, some members of the press who were on the plane actually preferred to watch ESPN.

Decriminalizing Drugs

In a blow to the war on drugs, the Mexican congress today approved a bill that would legalize possession of drugs for personal use, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy.

A spokesman for Mexican President Vicente Fox, who is expected to sign the bill, says the new law "gives police and prosecutors better legal tools to combat drug crimes that do so much damage to our youth and children."

— FOX News' Dominique Pastre contributed to this report.