Bush officials reluctant to talk to British panel investigating Iraq war

Once a lawyer . . .

For a moment, the e-mail sounded like a new variant of the old "If you've got a phone, you've got a lawyer" ad. It began: "Recently, millions of Toyota vehicles have been recalled because of a sudden unintended acceleration problem," it noted, and "I need your help to ensure all Toyota products are safe. If you've experienced a similar problem with your Toyota vehicle, please share your story with me."

Well, turns out it was from Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), who needs the information because he's on the House Energy and Commerce oversight and investigations subcommittee, which is looking into response to the problem by Toyota and the government. And it seems there was some confusion back in the district as to which Toyota cars were affected by the defects.

Of course, he was president of the Iowa chapter of the American Trial Lawyers Association.

Aid at AID

The beleaguered Agency of International Development is awaiting the arrival of some assistant administrators to give the new boss, Rajiv Shah, some help in restoring the dysfunctional shop to at least some semblance of robust health (he is a doctor, after all). In the meantime, he's been filling the ranks of his inner circle, bringing in as his chief of staff Sean Carroll, former program director for the Club of Madrid, a nongovernmental group promoting democracy.

Now comes word that he's tapped veteran Hill foreign policy insider and media maven Lynne Weil to shore up the AID press shop as its director and to be the agency spokeswoman. Weil, who spent 15 years as a reporter, much of that time overseas, has worked on the Hill for nearly nine years , including stints for then-Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden and then for the House Foreign Affairs Committee, for the late Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.) and more recently for Chairman Howard Berman (D-Calif.).