McCain's '24' Moment: The Clock Is Ticking

By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts
Tuesday, February 7, 2006

Monday, Feb. 6. The longest day of our lives.

11:16:22 a.m. Remember this is the day John McCain will be on "24." Thus begins a race against time to get home by 9 p.m.

2:44:05 p.m. Decide to write an item about his appearance. The American people need to know.

3:47:02 Learn that McCain just happened to be visiting the "24" set last fall when he was conscripted into service before the camera. Yeah, like that would happen in real life.

4:35:42 Call McCain's press secretary, Andrea Jones , leave a message asking about the senator's plans for watching the big show.

4:37:07 Wonder if she'll call back with invitation to a viewing party. What if Kiefer 's there? Or President Palmer? -- after all, Dennis Haysbert's in town this week for a Congressional Black Caucus event. Do we have time to go home, change into something cuter and still make it there?

4:55:29 Call Fox, ask for screen-grab photo of McCain's big scene. There isn't one. Begin to worry: Intelligence suggests that the window for catching McCain's appearance may be a mere couple of seconds.

5:11:21 Can't wait for an answer. Call Andrea Jones's cell phone. Weak connection. McCain is traveling, will land at 5:30; she will try to get us an answer by 5:40; is that okay?

5:45:20 Jones calls: No word from the senator. Says nothing about a party. Oh well.

5:46:32 Confidential source informs that the senator "usually TiVo's it."

6:23:05 Distracted by non-McCain stories; editors breathing down necks.

7:55:19 Man ahead of us in "express lane" has at least 17 items in basket.

8:59:52 Will this TV never warm up?

9:00:01 Show on! Viewer discretion advised -- all right!

9:31: 52 There he is! In the upper left-hand corner of the post-commercial montage, handing Audrey Raines a folder at screen-time 1:32:22 -- and then gone in a second. Pause to mull whether it was worth it. Keep watching.

Stormie's Blog, Too Hot for the Hill

Oh, those Capitol Hill staffers and their naughty blogs! Inquiries from the Montgomery Advertiser prompted a scheduler for Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to shut down her personal Web page, which the paper reported included "a provocative photo of her bare midriff in unzipped jeans . . . the waistband of her underwear showing."

The scheduler, Stormie Janzen , 34, did not return calls yesterday. Sessions spokesman Michael Brumas confirmed that Janzen still has a job: "We have dealt with this matter, and it's closed."

Oh, come on! Hasn't anyone called offering a book contract?

"I have no idea," Brumas said wearily. "I doubt it."

Okay. Has Playboy called?

"Why are you asking me these questions?" he groaned.

Well, because we're always on the lookout for the next Washington sex mini-scandal. Granted, Janzen's page at MySpace.com isn't going to get her there. Those who saw it say her writing was pretty PG-13, nothing nearly as spicy as the famous "Washingtonienne" diary that caused Jessica Cutler to lose her congressional staff job but gain a book contract. Then again, she does have a great name . . .

"If I can do it," Cutler told us, "why not Stormie?"

Rhymes's Bodyguard Slain

Rappers Busta Rhymes and Tony Yayo are among the throngs of people New York police seek to question in connection with the fatal shooting of Rhymes's bodyguard on the set of a music video early Sunday.

Israel Ramirez , 29, was killed by a single shot to the chest after a fight broke out on the Brooklyn set. A galaxy of hip-hop stars, including Missy Elliot , Mary J. Blige and 50 Cent , were scheduled to appear in the video for Rhymes's song "Touch It."

The New York Post reported that Yayo had an on-set outburst shortly before the shooting. A lawyer for Yayo wrote to prosecutors yesterday denying any involvement -- but also refusing to answer any questions from police, the Associated Press reported.

HEY, ISN'T THAT . . . ?

· Jordan's King Abdullah grocery shopping at the Social Safeway in Georgetown Sunday, almost incognito (if you don't count the scads of security) going through the no-candy line in a brown leather jacket and jeans. His Royal Highness was last spotted there in September.

· Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora (recovering from their MCI Center show the night before) at Degrees bar in the Georgetown Ritz-Carlton Friday. Jon looked weary -- signed autographs but declined photos, and hotel staff eventually roped off their table. Richie, yukking it up with his no-blondes-apparent posse, looked unusually jolly for a guy getting divorced from Heather Locklear , and stayed late.