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Washington journal
By Times staff reports What if Congress were a team?The Onion, the satirical weekly newspaper, reports that Congress is threatening to move to Charlotte, N.C., or Memphis unless a new retractable-dome capitol is built in Washington. "Don't get us wrong: We love the drafty old building," Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., is quoted as saying. "But the hard reality is, it's no longer suitable for a world-class legislative branch. The sight lines are bad, there aren't enough concession stands or bathrooms, and the parking is miserable. It hurts to say, but the Capitol's time has come and gone." The Onion quotes House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt saying: "Look at British Parliament. Look at the Vatican. Respected institutions in their markets. But without modern facilities, they've been having big problems attracting top talent." The newspaper says the leading candidates for a possible congressional relocation are Charlotte and Memphis. The newspaper says San Francisco has offered to build the "Pac Bell Capitol Building" using private contributions (40 percent), a county sales tax (35 percent), and a local cigarette tax (25 percent). Byline strike hits those in the Washington knowFor two days last week, stories in the Washington Post appeared without the bylines of reporters, a protest by members of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild over stalled contract negotiations. Did anyone care? Depends on whom you ask. A Post spokesman said readers were indifferent. Perhaps so, if you mean the average reader. But in a company town like Washington, where thousands of lobbyists, political aides and public relations executives make it their business to know who writes what about the government, the strike did not go unnoticed. "Bylines in the Washington Post are hugely important to the business of Washington," Frank Coleman, senior vice president for public affairs for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, told the Post in an article about the strike Thursday. On the whole, Sen. Helms would rather not hear itRecovering from heart-valve surgery, Sen. Jesse Helms sent a letter of greeting to a recent North Carolina Republican Party convention. His forced rest, the conservative icon said, is not fun, "but it sure beats listening to Ted Kennedy on the Senate floor." Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, responded with a letter of his own, according to Roll Call. "I would be happy to send you tapes of my recent Senate speeches if that will help you to a speedy recovery!" the liberal lion told Helms. -- Times staff writers Bill Adair and Mary Jacoby contributed to this column.
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