Once Again, It's 'What Washington Is This?'

Get ready to hoot and holler, Washington! "The Sentinel," opening in theaters Friday, is the first big-budget drama in a while set in the nation's capital -- and there's nothing more fun than seeing how Hollywood gets this place wrong. We caught a screening yesterday.

· The president ( David Rasche ) and first lady ( Kim Basinger !) visit a local school. The street sign says "Sutton Av.," in black letters on a white background. D.C. street signs are white on green!

· A presidential motorcade goes down a D.C. street . . . as cars pass in the opposite direction! (Against the rules, though it would certainly help cross-town traffic.)

· The first lady poses for an official photo holding a massive Birkin-type bag in front of her. Can't aides take care of that?

· Secret Service Agent Pete Garrison ( Michael Douglas ) is at Camp David when an informant demands to meet him in 20 minutes at "Outwood Mall," which appears to be in the city. He drives there on time!

· Agent David Breckinridge ( Kiefer Sutherland ) wears sunglasses indoors a lot -- stupendously cool, of course, but a poor choice for visibility.

· The first lady has dinner in a crowded restaurant ("Chez Doucette") right up front near the window. So dangerous -- agents clearly slipping (even if they let Condi do that at Cafe Milano the other week).

· Agent Jill Marin ( Eva Longoria !!) usually wears her long hair past her shoulders. Glam for the Secret Service! Could be a problem in a fight, though.

· Garrison walks to work at the White House from his home in Georgetown. Who can afford to live there ?

Mayor Tony Williams's much-anticipated screen debut, filmed during shooting here last summer, appears to have been left on the cutting-room floor. His one-line cameo ("Pete Garrison, good to see you. It's a nice day, isn't it?") was nowhere to be seen.

This Just In . . .

Six months after her belly started showing in all those paparazzi photos, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise have finally welcomed the tabloid celebaby sensation of the year.

A spokesman for Cruise told reporters that Holmes gave birth to a 7-pound 7-ounce girl that the couple named Suri , which they described as coming from a Hebrew word meaning "princess," or a Persian word meaning "red rose." Publicists would confirm only that she was born yesterday in Los Angeles, but not whether the birth was in a hospital or at home. No info on whether Holmes's parents were there or if it was a "silent birth," as recommended by Scientology, Cruise's faith. "Everyone's doing wonderfully," said spokesman Arnold Robinson .

Cruise, 43, and Holmes, 27, were engaged last June, after a whirlwind and much-publicized courtship as both were promoting movies. As it happens, Cruise's "Mission: Impossible 3" opens in two weeks.

· Brooke Shields gave birth to her second daughter yesterday, 7-pound Grier Hammond Henchy , her rep told People magazine. The actress wrote a book about her battle with postpartum depression after the birth of her first child -- which led to a public spat last year with Cruise, who criticized her reliance on psychiatry, a particular bane of Scientologists.

· Ted Kennedy will appear on Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" on Comedy Central tomorrow at 11 p.m. -- incredibly enough, the first time the Democratic icon has appeared on a late-night talk show.

Restaurant Throws a Bone to Gossip Scribe's Toy Poodle

Campari Feld gets VIP status at the Palm restaurant.(Roxanne Roberts - The Washington Post)

For five months, Karen Feld waged a relentless campaign for animal rights: She wanted her dog to join other Washington VIPs on the wall at the Palm restaurant, where "Your caricature here" is a status symbol. Now, Campari , a 3-year-old red toy poodle owned by the Examiner gossip columnist, has marked his spot.

Feld, along with the late Champagne and 15-year-old Cappuccino , made the wall years ago. She started smuggling Campari into the restaurant when he was just a puppy, and began lobbying for his picture. General Manager Tommy Jacomo finally caved: "Karen Feld is a very persistent person."

The five-pound dog, carried in a small bag, is Feld's constant companion and has accompanied her to the opera, rock concerts, the White House and the Capitol. "He kisses on command," she boasts. He's got a Web page, a business card and now his own Palm portrait, right next to Table 1. "That's his table. He loves it."

The only other canine celebs at the Palm are James Carville's dogs Mondale, Buck and Rayas -- permanently grinning on the back wall.