A Junket That's Patently Enviable

Sen. Ted Stevens remains popular with Anchorage's biker community. (By Bill Roth -- Anchorage Daily News)

As it stands, there are two circuits up for grabs in this election: the traditionally conservative 4th Circuit in Richmond, where Republicans hold a 6 to 5 majority but there are four vacancies, and the 3rd Circuit in Philadelphia, which is split 6 to 6 with two vacancies. (Of the 12 geographically based appeals courts, Democrats are in the majority only in the 2nd and 9th circuits.)

As for nominees to nonjudicial posts -- there are 28 people out of committee and pending on the Senate floor -- there's still a chance that some will get confirmed after Labor Day, but most likely only as part of a package or a political deal. And there won't be any recess appointees because Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (Nev.) is doing that pro forma gambit again where a Democrat comes in every couple days -- yesterday it was Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) -- gavels the Senate into session and then immediately recesses.

Fight for Old D.C.!

Perhaps no one was happier about the Redskins' impressive win over the Indianapolis Colts in Sunday's Hall of Fame Game than Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-N.Y). A loss might have cost him some campaign contributions.

Seems Meeks, via something called the Real Estate Roundtable PAC, is inviting you to join him at a game at FedEx Field on Sunday, Sept. 14, to watch the Skins play the New Orleans Saints. Only $1,000 a ticket. Even if the seats are great -- and they should be, at that price -- a poor Skins showing in its preseason opener might have dampened enthusiasm for the fundraiser.

Some pundits have called Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) "toast" in his campaign for a seventh term. A poll showed popular Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich with a solid lead over Stevens. His indictment last week on charges that he failed to disclose more than $250,000 in gifts and renovations from an oil services contractor couldn't have helped.

And some Republicans were hoping he'd step aside to give the party a better chance to hold on to the seat, but Stevens, 84, a hugely popular figure in Alaska, vowed not to give up.

When he landed in Anchorage on Monday, Stevens was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd and escorted, in presidential style with full motorcycle escort for his motorcade, down to his campaign headquarters.

Okay, the escort was not exactly a presidential police phalanx, just ardent supporters from a motorcycle club who offered to ride with him.