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Friday, December 8, 2006

Lamar Smith’s New Digs

By Tara Copp, Rick McKay | Friday, December 8, 2006, 06:43 PM

LAMAROFFICE.jpg

Movin’ on up …

Amid the frantic last votes of the 109th session, Rep. Lamar Smith’s staff has also been busy settling into the congressman’s new digs in 2409 Rayburn.

Smith, a Republican who represents the northwest part of Travis County, got the new space as one of the advantages of his seniority: A choice pick in the newly vacated office space on the Hill. Smith has served in Congress since 1986.

As you can see from the picture, the space comes with quite a view.

“We wanted a Texas-size view of the Capitol,” Smith said. “There are several Texans on this floor. So, we are in good company here.”

If the other Texas members stay put and — in Bonilla’s case, are re-elected — they might as well annex the whole corridor.

Smith’s new neighborhood includes eight other Texans: Rep. Ralph Hall, R-Rockwall, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, Rep. Ruben Hinjosa, D-Mercedes, Rep. Sylvestre Reyes, D-El Paso, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, Rep. Henry Bonilla, R-San Antonio, and Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi.

Smith’s new office was previously occupied by Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn., a 12-term member who was defeated in the Nov. 7 elections. Smith’s former office was also in Rayburn, but three floors below.

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The Way Forward

By Ken Herman | Friday, December 8, 2006, 10:45 AM

The “goal,” according to White House Deputy Press Secretary Dana Perino, is a presidential speech before Christmas on a new way forward in Iraq.

To that end, Bush will be out and about next week gathering input from key advisers in key places. On Monday, he will go to the State Department to talk about Iraq with senior aides there. Then, it’s back to the White House for an Oval Office session with “outside experts” on Iraq.

On Tuesday, Bush will meet via teleconference with military officials and Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq.

On Wednesday, it’s a motorcade trip to the Pentagon to meet with top Defense Department officials.

No word from Perino on a format for what will be one of the most crucial speeches Bush ever will have to give.

As of today, there are 16 shopping days until Christmas.

Also today, Perino offered reaction to this comment on Thursday from James Baker about the recommendations in the Iraq Study Group report: “I hope we don’t treat this like a fruit salad and say, ‘I like this but I don’t like that.’”

Perino: “I don’t think the president thinks of this as any kind of food.”

Later, at Tony Snow’s daily briefing, more fruit talk:

Q: Tony, Secretary Baker said that one shouldn’t treat this report as a fruit cake…

SNOW: Fruit salad.

Q: Fruit salad.

SNOW: And he’s right: Nothing should be treated as a fruit cake. That, I think, is a human rights violation.

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