Party Time for Nancy Pelosi?

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

House Party

It's party time according to outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Despite her political party's heavy losses at the polls last week, the California Democrat sent out invitations for a reception -- quote -- "honoring the accomplishments of the 111th Congress."

The invite was sent to advocates who worked on the legislative agenda. It's unclear if the congressional Democrats who lost their seats in part because of that very same agenda will attend.

Moving On

A staffer for one of those losing Democrats tells Politico a team of about five people stopped congressional offices to talk about payroll, resume writing and other things that would help in job-hunting.

But one of the helpers was described as a counselor to deal with the emotional aspect of loss. A packet each staffer was given had a section on the stages of grief. One of the staffers said -- quote: "It was like it was about death. It was bizarre."

Junk Food Fight

The vending machine industry is up in arms over a mandate within the health care law that requires calorie counts be visible to consumers.

An estimate by the Food and Drug Administration released Friday says it could take 14-million hours a year to comply with the law that affects vendors operating 20 or more machines. An industry official calls the time investment absurd and -- quote -- "sure to kill jobs."

But the Chicago Tribune reports a consumer advocacy organization that lobbied for the calorie labeling dismisses the concerns as whining and complaining.

Touchy Subject

And finally, the Indonesian information minister is telling followers on Twitter that he tried to avoid shaking hands with visiting first lady Michelle Obama because as a conservative Muslim he usually shuns any contact with women outside his family.

However, video shows the minister smiling broadly as he reaches forward with both hands, enthusiastically greeting Mrs. Obama. He doesn't seem to be bothered by the touching of hands.