Federal belts get too tight for Santa

Agency holiday parties appear to be slimming down this season. Indeed, one of the primo bashes, the one thrown by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. , has been canceled, we were told, to save money in these tough budget times.

For many years, the Justice Department drew hundreds of officials, including top agency heads, some Supreme Court justices and other usually reclusive folks, who enjoyed fine hors d’oeuvres — we’re not talking munchies here — along with excellent drinks and chatter.

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The watchdogs will be partying, albeit on the cheap.

Other agencies that hosted large parties apparently are also cutting back. Pentagon chief Leon Panetta , we’re told, “very cognizant of the economic circumstances” — not to mention huge cuts coming down the road — is going smaller this year, leading one wag there to say, “I’ll be bringing my own spring rolls.” Other agencies, such as the FBI, have canceled their parties.

Treasury has not had a big secretary’s party in recent years, and senior staff there will be chipping in to dine on cookies and punch.

But grumpy reporters need not worry. The Interior Department secretary’s party is still on. And there’s always the Justice Department inspector general’s party, on Dec. 15. This is a low-budget lunchtime affair with employees anteing up to defray costs. Still, they might have some of those famous — if nonexistent — $16 muffins to pass around. (You must RSVP by Nov. 23.)

Reptile revelry

Meanwhile, for those who want to party early and often, you can start Monday morning with the Concho Water Snake Farewell Party to celebrate the serpent’s removal from the endangered-species list.

You’ll have to go down to San Angelo, Tex., home of the Concho River in the west-central part of the state. The party, at the San Angelo Visitor Center, is hosted by Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-Tex.) and former congressman Charles Stenholm (D-Tex.) to thank everyone who worked on the 20-year effort.

Those were the days, Part 1

Thanksgiving always reminds us of the time during Richard Nixon’s administration when a particularly rambunctious turkey was presented to the late president at the White House. The turkey was so flustered that, according to the tale, not widely recalled these days, its feet had to be nailed to the table. (Apparently the bird doesn’t have nerve endings in portions of its foot.)

We checked our recollection with a few administration veterans. One of them, who definitely would have known,
e-mailed back: “Regarding the effort to restrain the White House Thanksgiving turkey, it is my understanding that at least one year, they nailed its feet to the table.”

We can only hope the turkey — like the president — was pardoned.

Those were the days, Part 2

Speaking of the Nixon administration, some of its veterans gathered last week at the Metropolitan Club in Washington for their yearly reunion lunch. We’re told the luminaries included Dick Cheney , Don Rumsfeld , Pat Buchanan , Bill Timmons , Fred Malek , Frank Carlucci , Ken Dam , Tom Korologos , Fred Fielding , Ken Khachigian and Ron Walker . (Walker chairs the Nixon Foundation.)

Henry Kissinger , we were told, has never attended. And John Dean was never invited.