By Nikita Stewart
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 27, 2007

So you thought you had it tough buying gifts this holiday season?

Try buying for 12 council members.

According to D.C. Council tradition (its origins unknown), each council member purchases a present for his or her 12 colleagues. Do you buy 12 distinct gifts? Or a uniform offering of some sort? And how much do you spend? Depends on the member.

Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) said she bought everyone the same thing and thought she was supposed to stay within $10 to $20. "But then I thought it wasn't nice to give a gift that needs batteries without buying batteries, so I bought the batteries," she said.

Cheh said it would help council members "relax." Our imagination ran wild. It was a hand massager.

Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) said he went with small gifts from San Salvador, which he frequently visits.

Meanwhile, council member David A. Catania (I-At Large) said he decided to give a donation to UNICEF on behalf of the council to tackle child immunization, though he also gave small gifts to the members.

Council member Kwame R. Brown (D-At Large) said no one told him about a price limit, but he wishes someone had because he's the "lowest paid." Brown earns $22,470 less than most council members because federal law prohibits those running for office from receiving a raise. Elected officials can't change their salaries while in office. Brown, by the way, was a dissenter on that pay increase.

But Brown said he "splurged" a bit. Books for the male council members and brooches for the women. Women don't read? "No, no. I just thought they would like something to wear. They loved it," he said.

Speaking of things to wear, Chairman Vincent C. Gray (D) handed out shirts to men and women, monogrammed with the council member's name -- a touch Gray likes. His dress shirts are monogrammed with "Vince" on the cuffs.

Council member Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) said she "personalized each gift."

"I didn't have a price range. I don't have a price range for Christmas," she said. "They were moderately priced. I'm a professional shopper, so I know how to get a good deal."

That's right. We recall her lamenting over the T.J. Maxx purse stolen from her car at a gas station this year.

On with the Christmas list. "I know Vince and Tommy Thomas [D-Ward 5] are baseball fans, so I got them both an autographed Negro league baseball," she said.

"Jim Graham, I got him a tea set," Alexander said.

Does Graham like tea? "I don't know, but I can see him eating tea and crumpets and unwinding after a long day," she said.

Maybe it's the bow ties.

And for council member Marion Barry (D-Ward 8)? "I gave him the Sports Illustrated swimsuit calendar," Alexander said. "I thought that fit him well."

According to his staff, Barry gave the men sweaters and the women charm bracelets and fragrances from Victoria's Secret.

So some of them know how to give good gifts, but can the council throw a good party? Drinks, a carving station, a small band with some soulful tunes and a caricature artist made for a good time for council members and their staffs at the Hyatt Regency near the Capitol last week.

Our favorite touch was a council quiz created by Dawn Slonneger, Gray's chief of staff.

The test of council trivia included a challenge to identify a member's signature vs. a staff forgery. Apparently, council members Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) and Carol Schwartz (R-At Large) do not permit staff members to be their scribes, so those workers were out of practice. Others were very close if not right on. Mary Cheh, watch your checkbook.

We thought we knew the real Barry signature, but that turned out to be a trick question. Neither signature was his.

Unfortunately, scanning those John Hancocks for the Notebook would have taken up a lot of room in this year-end edition, but please enjoy the rest of the quiz. See whether you know who eats what and who said what. Hint: Some members are more quotable than others.