Jittery in Baghdad, and Not Feeling Any Safer

This is being done, they said, "in the interests of expressing the nonpartisanship of our committee and at the suggestion" of Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), a new member who, it turns out, would sit at the end of the dais under either configuration.

In a news release, Lieberman and Collins said Americans are sick of partisanship and gridlock: "They want us to work together and get things done. So, as a start, instead of sitting on opposite sides of the room like a house divided, we want the American people to see us sitting side by side."

The move will at least put Sens. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) next to each other so they can trade stories of their similar backgrounds. And it will allow Lieberman a chance to sit next to Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), the Senate's Henny Youngman.

What's next: Team colors? A chore wheel? Well, if the new arrangement doesn't work out, at least it will be easier this way to sucker punch your opponent. After all, familiarity . . .

Smoke Together, Vote Together?

As usual, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) has a better idea on how to reduce partisan enmity. Boehner, a longtime smoker who can't light up in the smoke-free, GOP Capitol Hill Club, has been puffing away with the D's at the National Democratic Club, where smoking is allowed.

Lobbyist Tom Jolly, a longtime member at the Democratic watering hole, predicted that Boehner would become a fixture at the club, our colleague Mary Ann Akers reports at http://www.washingtonpost.com/thesleuth.

Jolly said he is "one member who is delighted to have him as our guest," and he recalled years ago how two Republicans, Rep. Ed Derwinski of Illinois and Sen. Steve Symms of Idaho, used to drop by.

"Democrats and Republicans who drink together after work get along a lot better than those who don't," Jolly said.

Senator, Governor Hire Lawyers

Lawyer up! Domenici, who acknowledged he called a now-ousted New Mexico federal prosecutor to ask about a corruption probe of Democrats, has hired Lee Blalack, lawyer to jailed former congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.), according to wire service reports.

And Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons, who's looking at a federal investigation into whether he improperly accepted gifts or payments, has hired Abbe Lowell, who worked for jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff.