Just Back (Again) From Iraq, a Respected Voice for Change

As for the much-mentioned September deadline for reassessment, Reed said of Petraeus: "He's not waiting for some arbitrary date. The bottom line is that there has to be some adjustments in strategy, and I suspect he'll make it."

The Ladies in the House

Behind an unmarked door on the second floor of the Capitol is one of the more exclusive snack bars in America. Its primary customers number only 231, and it does a brisk business, with sandwiches going for $2 and the most expensive item on the menu costing $5.

Tucked in a corner of the cloakroom, it is the private domain of the Democratic members of the House, who crowd the small granite counter when the chamber is in session. (The GOP has one, too.) Of course, we would never analyze a politician by eating habits, but it's tempting. It appears to be a group with rigid habits. But then again, easily swayed.

Listen to the ladies who have run the place for a collective 20 years:

"We know what kind of day it's going to be by the first order," explains Ella Louise Terry.

"If someone orders egg salad, then everyone starts ordering egg salad and we know," says Ronda McCall. "It's an egg salad day."

The cloakroom is a small gathering place just off the floor of the House, open only to members. Although female members obviously use it, it looks more like a men's den, with oversize leather couches and chairs and a large flat-screen TV on the wall.

Rep. Patrick Kennedy never varies from either a turkey sandwich or a peanut butter sandwich with a scoop of chicken salad. Rep. Ed Markey quietly holds up one finger or two, depending on how many slices of bread he wants with his peanut butter. "You never close the bread," notes one of the ladies.

Rep . John Dingell praised their ability to deal with "some 200 prima donnas."

"It's like a pit stop on the Indianapolis 500," says Markey. "It has a certain predictability to it."

The Moms in the House

Continuing her family-friendly theme, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has created a private room in the Cannon Building for congressional moms to nurse their babies. "Many women face great challenges in managing both motherhood and career," Pelosi said in a written statement. Outfitted with a comfy sofa, an in-house phone and a TV for House viewing, the nursing room will be open 24/7. Not clear who will be nursing there in the middle of the night.