Judith Miller's Now Free to Say Something: Thanks

A year after she was released from jail, Judith Miller is finally getting around to sending those thank-you notes.

During the 85 days that Miller spent in the Alexandria Detention Center for contempt of court after refusing to testify about conversations with a confidential source, the former New York Times reporter received more than 1,000 letters from well-wishers. She answered a few and saved the rest with the intent to write back in the future. Two weeks ago, she mass-mailed a two-page "Dear Friend" letter to 600 people: "I chose to defend your right to know and you were kind enough to write to support my stance."

The letter goes on to detail the reasons she protected Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff for Vice President Cheney, as the source in the Valerie Plame leak investigation, and asks the recipients to lobby Congress for a federal shield law to protect reporters. "I could not have sent out this letter still working for the New York Times," said the controversial journalist, who retired from the newspaper last November. "I'm now free to do that kind of thing."

Since leaving the paper, Miller has expanded her freelance business (she named it "Newshound") and written for the Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times on national security issues. She spends the rest of her time as an unofficial Joan of Arc for First Amendment issues. "It is a position I did not seek," she said yesterday, "and I hope I don't have to turn it over to someone else."

Meanwhile, new letters are trickling in responding to her missive. "Most are still very supportive," says Miller. "They understand what I did, which is more than I can say for some of my colleagues in the media. Ordinary people get it."

Fenty Makes Time for Another D.C. Race

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(Joe Tresh - JoeTresh.com)

Mayor-to-be-unless-hell-freezes-over Adrian Fenty , congratulates Ron Brown , winner of the 20th annual High Heel Race, held on 17th Street near Dupont Circle Tuesday night. Seven-time winner Brown sprinted to the finish ahead of 57 other gentlemen, in a costume that people described as either Swiss Miss , the St. Pauli Girl or Dorothy -- yeah, it was that kind of night . . . always is. "Wear high heels! Wear high heels!" the crowd chanted to honorary grand marshal Fenty, but he just smiled, waved and kept his own footwear.

SURREAL ESTATE

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Buyer: Marc Barnes

Price: $2.25 million

Details: The club business has apparently been quite good for nightlife entrepreneur Barnes, whose Northeast mega-club Love (formerly Dream) is considered one of the East Coast's hottest. The District native and his family recently traded up to a five-bedroom Federal-style mansion near the National Zoo. With wood floors, copper roof, landscaped garden and a basketball half-court, the circa-1923 home is a favorite on neighborhood house tours.

THIS JUST IN...

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More than a month after Britney Spears gave birth to her second son, Reuters reported yesterday that a birth certificate filed in L.A. shows his name is Jayden James Federline -- and not Sutton Pierce Federline as the glossy celeb mags have insisted for weeks. Did the mags get it wrong? Did Brit and husband Kevin intentionally hoax them with bad info? Or did the couple just kinda decide he looks more Jayden-ish than Sutton-ish? Hey, happens all the time!

Jane Pauley has filed a suit against the New York Times and DeWitt Publishing, charging she was "duped" into granting an interview for what she thought was a news article about her battle with bipolar disorder but was actually an advertising supplement for drug companies. An NYT spokeswoman denied the claim, saying the company told an assistant to the veteran broadcaster the purpose of the interview.