Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:
Office Space
Much of the intrigue in Congress these days is found off the House and Senate floor... in the scramble for the best congressional offices. With some top members on the way out, junior members stuck with low-status offices grab prized spots with monument views, passing the leftovers down to the freshmen.
Among the changes? Vice President Dick Cheney loses his unofficial office on the House side of the capitol, while Nancy Pelosi will abandon her current office — occupied by former Democratic speaker Tip O'Neill — to take up residence in current speaker Dennis Hastert's digs.
Meanwhile, new Montana Senator Jon Tester — who is not a small man — worries he'll be stuck in a "broom closet," because he is 100th on the Senate seniority list.
Black Friday
Long lines may seem tedious for many American shoppers onBlack Friday — but it's part of the fun for many foreigners, who come here just to take part in the experience.
A growing number of tourists are traveling long distances to get in on the bargains... and one mall spokesman says, in part, "They want to see the madness of people going to the mall at 5 a.m. to go shopping."
One mall developer even sent a team overseas to market Black Friday to tour operators... but the spectacle isn't the only draw. One tourist says the trip is worth it just to buy American brands, saying, "in France they cost a fortune."
Political Professors
One analysis of some major players in the Democratic takeover of Congress identifies college professors, who donated more than $12 million to political candidates — 69% of which went to Democrats.
The Center for Responsive Politics notes that employees at major colleges and universities accounted for 17 of the 20 biggest sources of donations. The University of California system led the way, totaling $406,000 in contributions — 87% of which went to Democrats. Harvard employees donated $315,000 — with 90% going to Democrats — recalling conservative pioneer William F. Buckley's famous pronouncement that he'd rather be governed by the first 2,000 names in the Boston phone book than by the Harvard faculty.
Tom DeLay's Replacement
Texas Republican Congresswoman Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, who was appointed to serve out the remainder of Tom DeLay's term in office, may have lost her write-in bid for that House seat.
But some voters clearly struggled to vote for her. Officials saw ballots for Sheila Gibbs, Schikulla Gibbs, Kelly Segula Gibbs, Shelly Schulla Gibbs, Shelly Gibkula, and even Snelly Gibbr.
The Houston Press reports that election officials even credited Sekula Gibbs with one ballot that had Shelley then the word Dracula — and ended with another word we can't say during the dinner hour.
—FOX News Channel's Martin Hill contributed to this report.
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