By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts
Monday, January 5, 2009

Looks like Sen. Max Baucus and his wife, Wanda, have quietly split. Speculation that their marriage is over was all but confirmed last month when Montana's senior senator and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee sent out a Christmas card . . . with no mention of his spouse of 25 years.

Baucus, 67, wed Wanda -- an aide to former senator Dale Bumpers -- shortly after his nasty split from journalist Ann Geracimos in 1982. The couple spent most of their time in Washington and kept a low profile, except for her well-publicized assault charge in 2004 after a dust-up with another woman at Johnson's Garden Center over bags of mulch.

Rumors that the marriage had faltered intensified last summer, when Wanda did not attend the June wedding of stepson Zeno Baucus to Stephanie Denton at the Big Sky Resort. In September, Baucus's camp denied reports he was sleeping on his office couch but would not comment on a separation. The couple issued a non-denial denial: "In 25 years of spirited marriage, it is natural for differences of opinion to arise. We choose to discuss and resolve our differences privately and respectfully thank people for understanding."

The Montana Democrat ran for his sixth term this fall, but his artist wife was not mentioned in his campaign ads, was not at his side for the adoring family photo-op on election night in Billings, and has disappeared from his official biography. The final straw for curious observers was this year's annual Christmas card, which had always proudly featured one of Wanda's abstract paintings and was signed by both of them. This year, Baucus sent out a card with a picture of the Capitol dome and only his signature.

Baucus did not respond to repeated phone calls for comment.

Look, we'd love to be wrong on this. But there is no way Oprah's moving to Washington. That was the big rumor that broke before the holidays: By snapping up Georgetown's $49 million Evermay mansion, Ms. Winfrey would have a base convenient to her new best buds, the Obamas. Her people quickly denied it -- but in case that's not enough, we break down the reasons this isn't happening:

· High-end properties are a breeding ground for bad celeb rumors. People see an eight-figure asking price and can't imagine anyone south of Bill Gates/Jay-Z who could afford it, and speculation soon hardens into omigod-have-you-heard? Remember your pals who had it "on good authority" that Brangelina were buying that place in Kalorama, or that TomKat were moving to Upperville? Yeah . . .

· Oprah already has a $50 million house -- in California, where she spends most of her time, and it's a lot bigger. She's also got a kajillion acres in Maui. Whereas in Chicago, where her media empire is based, she has only a crash-pad apartment. Granted, it's a luxury penthouse -- but point being, even billionaires have limits on how many mansions they need or can afford.

· Oprah's a smart businesswoman. You really think she's going to invest that kind of money in this real estate market?

"Right now is probably a bad time, because we've had enough Bushes in there."

-- George H.W. Bush, telling Fox News Sunday he'd like son Jeb to run for president -- eventually.

· An attorney for John Travolta and Kelly Preston says reports that their son's body was not discovered for hours after his fatal Jan. 2 accident at the family's home in the Bahamas are "completely untrue." Sixteen-year-old Jett had a history of seizures and was closely supervised by two nannies, according to Michael McDermott. It is unclear whether the teenager was having a seizure when he fell in his bathroom; an autopsy will be performed today.

· Jon Bon Jovi is headlining a concert to benefit poor . . . Hillary Clinton. The rocker will perform Jan. 15 at Manhattan's Town Hall to help close out Clinton's $6.3 million campaign debt.