Reliable Source columnists Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts were online Wednesday, Oct. 1, at Noon ET to discuss your favorite gossip, what you think about their recent columns or who you want to see them writing about in future ones.

In today's Reliable Source: What happens when lobbyists stop being polite and start getting real? They send totally regrettable e-mails that end up in our hands. How the Gilbert Arenas engagement went down. Sarah Palin's sister on the upcoming debate.

In recent days: Rep. Linda Sanchez has a new steady! Who knew Katharine Graham and Warren Buffet had a thing? A game-day addition to Khary Campbell's team. Spike Mendelsohn's Back Alley Burger-- ew. WaPo reporter leaves all this behind for Hollywood.

E-mail and bookmark Reliable Source columns.

Submit your questions and comments before or during the discussion.

A transcript follows.

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Amy Argetsinger: Good morning everyone! Looking forward to your questions.

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Silver Spring, Md.: OMG -- that proposal story had me laughing so hard this morning I spit out my Rice Krispies! Tricking her into proposing was EXCELLENT! And the ring pops were a great touch -- my guess is that her diamond is the size of a ring pop. . .

Amy Argetsinger: Thank you so much. Lots of reaction to today's item on Gilbert Arenas' engagement, and how he beautifully overshared it all on his blog. If you haven't read this, please do -- for those of you just now catching up with the Arenas phenomenon, it's the perfect primer to why he's such a fascinating personality. It's just.... so Gilbert!

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Schuyler County, N.Y.: LOVED your item on Katharine Graham and Warren Buffett. But isn't that something he could've kept out of the book, out of respect for a lady? Maybe it was an authorized bio, but somehow it doesn't become a man to "kiss and tell."

washingtonpost.com: What Really Happened When Warren Met Katharine ( Reliable Source, Sept. 29)

Roxanne Roberts: I guess after a certain period of time (especially when one of the parties is gone) there's an urge to tell the truth. Their affair was an open secret among her friends and his wife---they just didn't think it was a good idea for it to be public knowledge.

Nonetheless, I agree with you---except I don't think women should kiss and tell, either. Chatters?

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washingtonpost.com: Reliable Source

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Washington, D.C.: Hey, I thought Heather Locklear looked GREAT in her mug shot, especially if you compare it to other celebs (are you listening Nick Nolte?)

Okay, her eyes looked a bit dilated and mascara was hemorrhaging, but still. AND her weight was given at 105 lbs.

Rock on, Heath.

washingtonpost.com: Heather Locklear Mug Shot ( E-Online)

Amy Argetsinger: Thanks for bringing this up. I thought the same thing. It had an odd glamour to it, like one of those Annie Liebowitz photographs that pretend to be so warts-and-all but still bestow this amazing celebrity glow on the person. She actually looked BETTER -- more human maybe? -- than in a lot of her recent made-up, Botoxed-up images.

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Kensington, Md.: That wacky Gilbert Arenas. One of you should shadow him in the run-up to the wedding for a feature piece, for the magazine perhaps.

Amy Argetsinger: We'll have to arm-wrestle Mike Wise and Dan Steinberg for that job.

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Koa,LA: That picture of a Koala on the main page today is the cutest thing ever. Can I get a shout out to it? Woot woot.

washingtonpost.com: Photo Gallery: Animal Views. Koala is #4 image.

Amy Argetsinger: This is the secret to bringing back readers and bolstering circulation. More cute animal pics!

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Herndon, Va.: Hey Amy and Roxanne,

Rocky up and down.... He could have left the part out where he said that he kicked her out of his house just about every weekend, like she still wants me after I did all of that, she still believes in me.

Also the part were he's thinking about a long engagement due to some stupid idea that he got from who know who, that women give up having as much sex after marriage.. What about the fact she already has two kids to care for?

Why by the cow when you are getting the milk for free.

washingtonpost.com: Reliable Source

Amy Argetsinger: But if Gilbert left out any of those indiscreet parts... then it wouldn't be Just So Gilbert!

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Fairfax, Va.: When standing in line at the check-out counter of my grocery store, I often see tabloids which scream that the Bushes are divorcing or separating. I've never actually read the accompanying articles but thought maybe you could do it for me. What is this about?

Roxanne Roberts:"This" is about selling tabloids at the check-out counter. Whatever else you may think about George and Laura Bush, there's not even a whisper that their marriage is rocky. The two seems very comfortable with each other, and I'd be truly shocked if they ever split up.

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Woodbridge, Va.: Amy -- Dylan Walsh ( Yahoo.com) is drop dead gorgeous, IMO.

Amy Argetsinger: Is this a follow-up to last week's discussion about over-40 guys you wouldn't kick out of bed for eating crackers? Or is this a follow-up to last week's discussion about people we didn't know went to U-Va.?

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New York: Re the discussion a few weeks ago about middle-aged actors we love who have middle-aged spreads: I saw Chris Noth on the street yesterday, my fourth close-up sighting of him in the last few years. Fatherhood definitely agrees with him -- you can take him off the list. No more middle-aged spread, and definitely no more bad dye jobs. Definitely wouldn't throw him out of bed for eating crackers, etc.

Roxanne Roberts: Good for him, and good for you. I think having a list of desert island lovers is a good thing. I've got Tom Stoppard and George Clooney on mine. Who else is on yours?

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Arizona: Gilbert has been engaged before to then girlfriend Rabena Williams. They lived together when he was playing with Golden State. They met at Arizona State.

So Laura really hasn't been in a long relationship with Gilbert.. I say a total of a 1 1/2 before he came to D.C.

Amy Argetsinger: I can't find any confirmed reports stating that he and ex Rabena Williams were engaged -- just that he bought her a $5,000 gold necklace for her 21st birthday back in spring of 2002.

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Wheaton, Md.: Maybe Warren Buffet included his affair in the book because it caused a huge change in his life, with his wife leaving him (which it seems she should have done much earler) but naming names is a little unseemly. Then again, you say it wasn't much of a secret so if he didn't name names it would have come out from the people who knew, so maybe he figured that he might as well throw it all out there. Holy Wild Speculation, Batman!

Roxanne Roberts: Truth is, Warren isn't quoted at all in the book about the affair. But since it's an authorized bio, the fact that he allowed the author to include it is confirmation.

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Amy Argetsinger: Confidential to the chatter with insight into our item about the unwise e-mails... Very amusing, thanks for sharing!

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Couric-Palin interview: Isn't the real winner in the Couric-Palin interview Katie Couric? Even the SNL parody depicted her with no worse a trait than a little excess eyelash-batting. Is Katie's TV journalism cred now finally on the upswing?

Amy Argetsinger: Good question -- what does anyone else think? The interview definitely has gotten a lot of buzz, with little backlash for Couric that I've heard... I thought Amy Poehler did good, subtle work in her Couric impression -- the eyelash batting, the slack jaw.

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Hamburg, Germany: When Washington is like burning and/or declining ancient Rome -- as Amy suggested in Facebook -- what about the analogies to ancient history in "Old Europe," anything to learn? Should we fear Nero who, set the fire, the barbarians from outside or better the praetorias guard? Later on several divisions in the eastern and western parts of the empire? What about some Christian pursuit to the lions or some crucifixions? We are just waiting which messages we have to endure in the colonies

Roxanne Roberts: Let's cut Nero some slack---there's never been any evidence he started the fire, or played his lyre while Rome burned---but history has a way of getting back at unpopular leaders. Washington is steaming (befitting a former swamp) about greed and the like, which is exactly what they have to do to get re-elected. If history teaches us anything, it's that the winners get to write their version of how it all went down, which doesn't bode well for the president or financial fatcats on the watch.

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Desert Island Lovers: At what point does mine make me a dirty old lady? I'm 30. Chris Brown is 18, I think. Maybe he's like 20 now. Either way, I love him and want him to sing and dance for me on my desert island. Am I gross? Yaah, I think I'm gross. And any of my friends reading this know who I am because I cannot hide my love for Chris Brown and my belief that he and Rhianna are going to take over the world. With T.I., who is on every song on the radio right now, it seems.

Amy Argetsinger: Good news! Chris Brown is now 19, which means there's less age difference between the two of you than between Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. Still, you should probably wait a couple years before calling him.

Personally, I'm still unconvinced that Rhianna can steal Beyonce's crown. T.I. is fascinating, though. "Rubber Band Man" remains one of my theme songs.

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OMG! Toughest prep test EVER: I continue to be horrified at how many people are lauding Sarah Palin's ability to cram for big tests and take in a lot of information at once. Shouldn't this highlight her astounding lack of knowledge, instead being a selling point? Yeesh, you can spin anything.

Roxanne Roberts: But she reads.....lots of things! That's what she told Katie Couric:

COURIC: And when it comes to establishing your world view, I was curious, what newspapers and magazines did you regularly read before you were tapped for this - to stay informed and to understand the world?

PALIN: I've read most of them again with a great appreciation for the press, for the media -

COURIC: But what ones specifically? I'm curious.

PALIN: Um, all of them, any of them that have been in front of me over all these years.

COURIC: Can you name any of them?

PALIN: I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news.

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That's sooo Gilbert: My favorite part of his blog was the part where he told his buddy to write the note for him. Gilbert didn't even write "Will you marry me?"!!!! Hilarious. I love him even more now. I'd prefer a reality show about him than the Blond Charity Mafia.

Amy Argetsinger: Truly, there were too many great details in that epic blog post for us to include.

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Tampa, Fla.: Yes, I agree that Gilbert needs his own show, but honestly, I really don't have a warm and fuzzy feeling about the marriage lasting, or even taking place for that matter. They've already split a couple of times, and his quote about having a long engagement because of "life in the bedroom disappearing once you get married" doesn't fill me with joy. He really isn't ready to settle down with anyone, in my opinion.

Amy Argetsinger: I'm convinced that relationship, for all its tumultuousness, must be completely HOT. Like Liz Taylor and Richard Burton.

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re: Couric-Palin interview: My husband said something after the SNL bit: Gibson got all kinds of grief, folks said he was playing "gotcha" with the Bush Doctrine, etc. You heard little or nothing about Couric. Is it really just Gibson is male and folks out there are saying "He picked on a girl?" Because Couric was not easy on her at all, other than the couple of starter softballs that every interview begins with.

Amy Argetsinger: Fair question. But the "Bush doctrine" question may have been a bit more ripe for critique, though, since a lot of smart people aren't able to agree about what the "Bush doctrine" is.

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Inquiring mind: When is Sarah Palin's pregnant daughter getting married? Before or after the baby is born? I thought it was supposed to have been soon.

Amy Argetsinger: Wish we knew.

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Baltimore, Md.: L'affaire Buffet/Graham: What makes it so human and interesting is that Mr. Buffet and Mrs. Graham seem like polar opposites. He's Omaha, suits off the rack, plain folks and she was the doyenne of Washington society in a Georgetown mansion. On the face of it, they seem like the last people in the world who would hook up together, but I guess the very well-to-do find real comfort in realizing their significant others aren't just attracted to the money -- because they have pots of money themselves.

Roxanne Roberts: Yes and no----they're both, essentially, self-made: Buffett in the traditional sense, and Mrs. Graham in the sense of breaking out of the mold she was raised in. She also was fascinated and delighted by really smart men, and Warren has always been brilliant. Plus, she learned a huge amount from him. The other stuff, in that respect, was just window dressing.

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Gilbert Arenas: I never understood your fascination with him before, but today's column really makes it clear. Total and complete car-wreck, the car-wrecks by which others shall be judged. Way TMI. I feel bad for Laura.

washingtonpost.com: Reliable Source

Amy Argetsinger: Car wreck? Oh, I wouldn't call him that. Gilbert may lead a kooky, out-there life, but you get the sense he's in complete control of it, and what we see of it. Also: His blog reveals him to be a fairly sedate guy most of the time -- always at home fretting about his pool construction or the shortcomings of the new action-adventure DVD he's watching on his big screen, etc. He's not some wild man out at the clubs.

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Alexandria, Va.: If Katharine Graham wants to play with the big boys, then she gets outed like them. Kudos to the Post!

Roxanne Roberts: Actually, she didn't really try to hide the affair---just keep it out of the papers. My editor calls her one of the original cougars.

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Baby Palin: I heard the wedding was being scheduled for mid-to late October. That way they go into the election with a "feel good" story.

Amy Argetsinger: I think that's mostly speculative. But Bristol does turn 18 in mid-October, which may feel like appropriate timing, in addition to that whole election thing.

We're all getting totally spoiled by this incredible election, btw. We'll end up totally bored with the 2012 race because there will be no historic firsts, no endless primaries, no convention melodrama, no Tiger Beat-ready children, no soap-opera pregnancies...

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Kensington, Md.: Good heavens. I did not watch either interview with Palin because I knew I couldn't stomach it. I read these excerpts and now know I made the right decision. To paraphrase Paris Hilton, I'm not voting for the old white wrinkly guy anyway, so why watch something that will make me want to toss my Ben and Jerry's? Same reason I don't watch Michael Jackson or Donald Trump interviews.

Roxanne Roberts: I'd watch and here's why: Michael Jackson and Donald Trump aren't running for vice-president. I think it's important to know what Palin says (or doesn't say) to make an informed decision about voting. Ditto for Biden interviews.

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Car wreck?: I don't think so at all. I think he's typical for a guy his age, but has a lot more money to be silly with and a forum to broadcast his silliness. He seems so good spirited and silly. He actually, in spirit, reminds me a lot of my bf and his friends. They just work for the government, so they're not as extravagant with their plans, pranks, etc.

Amy Argetsinger: I think we're getting closer to the essence of Gilbert. I kept asking myself yesterday, "what IS it about this that's so Gilbert?" And I think it's that he's so cheerfully ordinary -- downright suburban, really -- in his tastes and habits despite having $111 million. That and the fact that he shares everything on his blog, but so do lots of kids these days.

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Graham:"...Mrs. Graham in the sense of breaking out of the mold she was raised in. She also was fascinated and delighted by really smart men..."

Ok, now THAT'S hot.

Roxanne Roberts: Smart men ARE hot. I've always said that.

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Buffett tell-all: As a longtime admirer of Katharine Graham, I was not so thrilled to read that she was relying so heavily on Warren Buffett in making decisions. One of the great parts of her "Personal History" was that after her difficult family life and marriage to the erratic Phil Graham, she had finally learned how to stand up and speak out as an independent woman in her own right. Hearing that there was a Buffett Buffer makes me sort of sad.

Amy Argetsinger: Well... Except that there's a complex learning process to becoming independent and business-savvy, and she openly acknowledges learning a lot from him and other mentors.

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Washington, D.C.: You can have Chris Noth and his arrogant persona.

Amy Argetsinger: Me? I don't want him. Rox?

Roxanne Roberts: I'd take him out for test drive, then decide.

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Gilbert: Hate to cast a serious note, but this strikes me as an abusive relationship. She should take her child and get out fast. Kicking her out every weekend? Manipulating her into proposing to him? It reeks of control and humiliation. Very sad really.

Amy Argetsinger: Really? I don't know, I took that as the comic deprecation you hear from a lot of madly-in-luhrve couples: "I don't know how I put him with him, but...!"

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Bored:"We'll end up totally bored with the 2012 race because there will be no historic firsts, no endless primaries, no convention melodrama,...."

Won't the impending collapse of the American economy make up for that?

Roxanne Roberts: Four years from now? Jeesh, my heart (or 401k) can't take much more of this.

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Gil and Laura: I'm sure someone has already gotten them a matched set of his and her lawyers.

Roxanne Roberts: That's going to be one wacky pre-nup.

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re: Hot Graham: Actually I was referring to her willingness to break the mold and be interested in smart people.

Roxanne Roberts: Actually, I think she always liked them smart. Phil Graham was charismatic and very intelligent.

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Nero: From Wiki "According to Tacitus, upon hearing news of the fire, Nero rushed back to Rome to organize a relief effort, which he paid for from his own funds. After the fire, Nero opened his palaces to provide shelter for the homeless, and arranged for food supplies to be delivered in order to prevent starvation among the survivors."

But this is the same guy who had his own mother murdered.

Roxanne Roberts: Well, nobody's perfect.

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Kensington, Md.: Argh! I hate the term "Cougar." I was introducing my mother and her boyfriend around a few weeks ago (Dad died in 2004) and somebody asked if it was weird to have a Cougar for a mother because her boyfriend is the same age as my husband. I met my husband in college, he had spent 8 years in the military before, so he's 10 years older than me. My mother had me at 20, so she's only 10 years older than her boyfriend. ARGH, she's not a "Cougar"!

Amy Argetsinger: I agree. It's a little sexist. People have started throwing the term around to refer to any woman older than themselves they wouldn't mind [buying a drink], heedless of the "predator" connotations...

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What is this "luhrve" of which you speak?: Clearly I have not experienced it.

Amy Argetsinger: I think that was a Woody Allen phrase. Maybe in "Annie Hall." Anyone else remember this line? He's saying something like, "I don't just love you, I luhrrrve you." The sense being that the word "love" just can't fully express how he feels.

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Palin and the news: RE: The things Palin reads. I was astounded, yes, astounded, that she couldn't even think well enough on her feet to throw out, "Oh, ya know, I read Time and Newsweek and I try to read the papers online when I can, but with five kids, it's hard, ya know?" I mean the woman has the built-in I'm-a-mom excuse and she's didn't even invoke it!

P.S.They do sell Time and Newsweek in Alaska, don't they?

Roxanne Roberts:"Think well enough" is the operative phrase here. She may be a quick study, but she's no quick wit.

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Re Gilbert's Grape Ring: Never read his blog, in spite of Amy's laudable flogging. Have always liked Gilbert as a player (er, basketball player). But having read this bit and seeing him on interviews, I do think he manages to be just on the right side of boyish impishness without the TO Iverson petulance. In other words, it's all good fun and anyone who isn't down with that, probably shouldn't hang with him. Clearly his fiancee gets it and likes it. Congratulations to them.

Amy Argetsinger: Yes, I think that's it. Thanks.

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Alexandria, Va.: A good empress trusts her generals. Anybody who ignores financial advice from Warren Buffet would be a fool.

Roxanne Roberts: And she was a great empress.

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Koala : Yeah, but isn't this Koala just another celeb whose only claim to fame being famous? What has this Koala done lately besides party it up at clubs in Sydney?

Amy Argetsinger: Awww, but this cute little koala is sleeping! It's so cute!

Actually, we are sending a dangerous message here. Koalas may seem cute, but they'd kill you soon as look at you. They're like polar bears, just smaller.

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McLean, Md.: I live right near Great Falls. Should I start stalking the area to get a glimpse of Gilbert? What are the odds that he knocks back a pint or two at the Old Brogue or Tavern?

Amy Argetsinger: Not good. I think he mostly hangs out by his shark tank playing Halo 3 and hosting Denzel Washington film festivals at home.

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Gwen Ifill watch: If Sarah Palin is fair game to criticize for flying when her water broke, can we also snark on Gwen Ifill for flying to St. Louis for tomorrow's debate after just breaking her ankle?

Roxanne Roberts: Call me crazy, but a one who's been in labor and broke both arms (not at the same time) I'd say there's a difference.

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Washington, D.C.: So, was Gilbert's estranged mom at the party? He says it was all of his and her family.

Amy Argetsinger: Probably not. This is an area of his life he doesn't overshare; if there's been a reconciliation, he might not mention it on his blog.

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Cougar:"I agree. It's a little sexist"

But you have to admit the SNL sketch has its moments. I don't know why, but I always laugh at Cameron Diaz's impression of Charo.

Amy Argetsinger: Oh, the SNL sketch is fantastic. But it gets to the actual phenomenon.

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Arlington, Va.: Re: Watching the Debates.........if someone doesn't know at this point whom they are backing for president and VP, then I don't want them engaging in the process at all as I could not trust that their vote was made with any sense of awareness and understanding. I mean, really....you don't know whom you support? Cheez!

Amy Argetsinger: They're called swing voters. Like it or not, America is teeming with them, and every four years, they call the shots.

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More baby Palin: from the london times...

McCain camp prays for Palin wedding ( Times Online, Sept. 28)

Amy Argetsinger: Yep, speculative, like I said, but entertaining speculative.

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PALIN: I have a vast variety of sources where we get our news. : At least she didn't say she reads stuff "on Google."

Roxanne Roberts:....or on "the internets."

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I'm an old feminist: And I don't mind the term Cougar. It's a fox with CONFIDENCE. Makes me think of that beautiful Andy Rooney essay in which he talks about why he loves older women, because of their confidence.

Amy Argetsinger: Okay, thanks for your vote.

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Washington, D.C.: So on Tom's chat he revealed he has an S.O. -- ladies, who is she? Out with it!

Amy Argetsinger: Tom, Tom, Tom -- why are you people so obsessed with TOM?!?! What about US???

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Richmond, Va.: Most elected officials have a clipping service (or whatever they call the 21st century equivalent). Most CEOs do too. They don't have time to read 12 periodicals daily, so they have a staffer who clips relevant articles and highlights so they don't have to read the whole thing. It's called a briefing. So for Palin to be Gov of a state and get some sort of current events briefings is crazy.

Roxanne Roberts: But she's so BUSY! Quit picking on Sarah, or she'll get all adorable and stuff.

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Alexandria, Va.: So are you suggesting we should replace the term "Cougar" with "Koala" in certain cases?

Amy Argetsinger: Ooh, good question. Is there some thus-far-unlabeled societal archetype that we can start calling "koalas." As in, "he's such a koala!"

Let's see... who's an adorable sharp-clawed tree hugger with a nasty temperament and a bifurcated penis?

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The Celebrity-Free Streets of Capital City: What's going on here? We're like doing nothing but talking about dead emperors (Nero), small-town-mayors-who-might-just-get-to-put-their-hand-on-the-Button, and so many non-events! Puh-lease, daaahlings, have there been no celebrity sightings these days on our fair streets? Or have we been collectively abandoned by the Fairest Denziens of Stardomm?

Roxanne Roberts: You're right. It's been too damn quiet on the B-lister front. Take heart: Sharon Osbourne and John Mellencamp will be in town Friday for the Youth Aids gala,

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Baltimore, Md.: May I offer the following dialogue from one of the greatest movies of all time as a tribute to Paul Newman on the eve of the upcoming debates:

-Harvey has challenged Butch to fight for control of the Hole-in-the-Wall gang] Harvey Logan: Guns or knives? Butch Cassidy: Neither? Harvey Logan: Pick. Butch Cassidy: I don't want to shoot with you Harvey. Harvey Logan: -draws a big knife. Anything you say, Butch. -Butch walks over to Sundance] Butch Cassidy: (in a low voice) Maybe there's a way to make a profit in this. Bet on Logan. Sundance Kid: I would, but who'd bet on you? Harvey Logan: Sundance, when we're done, and he's dead, you're welcome to stay. Butch Cassidy: (low voice, to Sundance) Listen, I don't mean to be a sore loser, but when it's done, if I'm dead, kill him. Sundance Kid: (low voice to Butch] Love to. (waves to Harvey and smiles) Butch Cassidy: No, no, not yet. Not until me and Harvey get the rules straightened out. Harvey Logan: Rules? In a knife fight? No rules. (Butch immediately kicks Harvey in the groin) Butch Cassidy: Well, if there ain't going to be any rules, let's get the fight started. Someone count. 1,2,3 go. Sundance Kid: (quickly) 1,2,3, go. (Butch knocks Harvey out) Flat Nose Curry: I was rooting for you all along, Butch. Butch Cassidy: Well, thank you, Flatnose. That's what sustained me in my time of trouble.

Amy Argetsinger:"That's what sustained me in my time of trouble." Love it. That's almost as good as "What we've got here is a failure to communicate."

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Re Cougar: Yeah, it might reflect confidence, but it also reflects predation. As I guy I would hate to think of myself as a predator in the dating world. Other areas, sports for example fine. But not in dating life. As with any term I suppose its what you make of it. I don't like the implication of predator that goes with the term cougar.

Amy Argetsinger: Agreed.

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Koala:"Let's see... who's an adorable sharp-clawed tree hugger with a nasty temperament and a bifurcated penis?"

Leo DiCaprio?

Amy Argetsinger: Well, I don't know him well enough to say for sure.

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Jello: OK, we've all got our Jello shot fixins for tomorrow night's debate, now we just need to pick the trigger words. I'm going with "ya know". I'm taking Friday off.

Roxanne Roberts: More:

* "moms"

* "average American"

* "maverick"

* "Washington liberals"

* "moose urine"

*

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with his wife leaving him (which it seems she should have done much earler) : No, that's the wrong impression. Buffet and his wife were agreeably separated. She didn't believe in divorce, so they lived thousands of miles apart for decades and she knew and accepted that he had loving relationships with another woman.

Amy Argetsinger: Actually, it's more complicated than that. From the bio, it sounds like he deeply regrets Susie leaving, though he blames himself for it.

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Swing Voters?: Swing voters? Well, darn. When I signed up to canvass, I though they said I'd get to talk to SWINGER voters.

Roxanne Roberts: You gotta get that in writing.

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washingtonpost.com: Koala (Bifurcated)

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"failure to communicate":...and she can quote Cool Hand Luke.

Hot

Roxanne Roberts: That's so Amy.

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We'll end up totally bored with the 2012 race because there will be no historic firsts, no endless primaries, no convention melodrama,...." : I'm sure they said that in 1908 too. Everyone thinks they've seen IT, we can not go further. But technology, culture and our ever changing environment keep life changing every day.

Amy Argetsinger: Ah, the epic William Howard Taft - William Jennings Bryan matchup. Nah, I think in 1908, people were sitting around thinking it was so much more fun in 1884, with the Grover Cleveland illegitimate child scandal, and "Ma, Ma, where's my Pa? -- Gone to the White House, ha ha ha!"

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Sharp-clawed tree hugger with a nasty temperament and a bifurcated penis: Woody Harrelson

Roxanne Roberts: Excellent!

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Amy and Rox vs. Mike and Dan: When you four armwrestle over the Arenas shadowing assignment -- how much will tickets cost? Or would I be better getting the pay per view?

Amy Argetsinger: We'll liveblog it for you.

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Buzz Aldrin was just in town: And I saw him. There ya go.

Amy Argetsinger: He's here a lot, it seems. Nice guy, huh?

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Carytown: Swing voters are those who don't always vote one party or another, and decide based on the candidate. They don't WAIT til the last miniute to decide. That's what we're saying: if you're still this far along and can't decide, then the idiots are deciding the future of the free world.

Amy Argetsinger: But just to get it straight... they don't *necessarily* like to swing, right?

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Richmond, Va.: Cougar came into widespread use with that show Kittens v. Cougars, where BOTH were predators, the difference was age. So I never took it to mean predator, just older woman confidant enough to go after younger man.

Roxanne Roberts: I can haz cheezburger?

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"Roxanne Roberts: Smart men ARE hot. I've always said that. ": Roxanne, have you ever been to a Mensa meeting? I kinda doubt it.

Roxanne Roberts: There are exceptions to every rule.

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Okay, so Koalas are: liberal males who care about environmental causes but who aren't very nice to people?

Amy Argetsinger: Hmmm. We might be getting somewhere here...

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Tee-hee: In this morning's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sarah Palin's TV appearances were described as sometimes resembling a "moose-in-the-headlights." (D.C. connection: The writer was Mackenzie Carpenter, older sister of Mary Chapin C.).

washingtonpost.com: Pittsburgh Post Gazette Scroll Down to Focus likely to be on Palin in VP debate

Roxanne Roberts: Well, this was fun. Can't wait to hear what you thought of the debate and....let's see, collapse of financial system and mud match between Nancy Pelosi and House GOP. Good times!

If you spot an actual celebrity in the next few days, write us at reliablesource@washpost.com. And get those Jello shots ready: strawberry for Palin, lemon for Biden.

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