Politicos

FamousDC caught up with "Dances with Stars DeLay" for a Famous Five interview. Here's what he had to say when FDC asked Delay if he agreed to the show in order to lose weight.

DeLay's got our quote of the day:

"That was just a pleasant side effect. I did it to have fun, but now the competitive spirit has kicked in. I've been training really hard and already dropped more than twenty pounds, so at the least, maybe I'll be "The Biggest Loser". But who watches NBC anyway?"

Larry Speakes, press secretary for Ronald Reagan is stuck in the middle of a nasty court battle. Now 69, Speakes is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and dementia while his third wife is fighting his children for control of his estate and his care. The Speakes children are claiming neglect in response to his wife's allegations that Speakes was abducted when his son took him from his home in Arlington after seeing what he claims were appalling solo living conditions.

See WaPo's Reliable Source for all the details about the family feud.

Telegraph's Mark Coleman reports that YouTube's Congress channel is turning out to be a flop - not for lack of participation...but perhaps too much participation. *See Pelosi Cat Cam.

The Congress channel was added to YouTube's portfolio about two months ago to offer politicians a platform to share quirky political messages with voters but the site has been hampered by Congress' inability to adapt to an online audience.

Check out the full article here.

See more from the House Hub on YouTube here.

In today's Wash Times, Joe Curl reports why WH background briefings won't go away.

Despite a pledge to be more open and transparent than the Bush administration, Team Obama has kept intact the background briefings for reporters, which require participants to respect the anonymity of briefers when using details.

"The White House Correspondents' Association protests the use of briefings done on a background basis, without specific names attached to the information," said the group's president, Jennifer Loven, a reporter for the Associated Press.

Check out the full story here.

On Friday, Scott and Jill McClellan welcomed a bouncing baby boy into the world. The message from proud papa Scott below:

Jill and I are deeply blessed to welcome Keeton Brady McClellan into the world. Keeton was born Friday, March 13, 2009 at 12:25pm. He weighed 8 pounds and measured 20 inches. Mom and baby are doing great. We hope to be going home today or tomorrow at the latest. I do not know how one could feel any more joy and love than we do as we hold Keeton in our arms and wonder how such a beautiful, healthy baby boy can really be ours.

We especially thank all of our friends who have provided such great support to the three of us over the months, and look forward to welcoming each of you into Keeton's life.

Warm wishes and congrats to the McClellans from FBDC.

The dynamic duo at Yeas and Nays (Kiki Ryan and Jeff Dufour) report that Jon Favreau, the heartthrob speechwriter for President Obama may be receiving some unexpected voicemails in the coming days.

In a picture of Pres. Obama chosen for WaPo's Op-Ed page today, Favreau's digits are pretty distinct.

Check out Yeas and Nays for the full scoop.

FBDC co-editor Christine "C-Bass" Delargy is expected to be one of Favreau's many late night callers.

The Hill's Bob Cusack reports that Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said today that the demise of daily newspapers is helping the Republican Party.

Coburn added that advances in technology, such as the Internet, Twitter, text messaging, and YouTube, are helping Republicans get their message out because policymakers don't need to rely on daily newspapers as much as they used to.

Get the full scoop here.

Earlier today, the White House's Office of Management and Budget booted a lobbyist off a press-only conference call, reports The Hill's Jeffrey Young.

The call was set up for the press but, information being power, at least one lobbyist was dying to hear for herself what the OMB had to say. Unfortunately for her, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was on the case.

Basically, it went like this:

Is Sharon Cohen on the line? [silence] Good. You're a lobbyist. This call is for media only. If there are any other lobbyists listening in, hang up. If we find out you were on this call, we'll be very angry and we'll cut your budget.

Check out Young's full scoop here.

The Hill's J. Taylor Rushing reports:

With few exceptions, GOP senators told The Hill that, while they believe the media has a left-leaning slant, the recent hires don't prove it. Instead, they noted that Republican administrations have often done the same, and that Obama simply seems to be hunting for the best talent.

"The American people aren't shocked to hear the media leans left of center," said Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). "But is that something that unduly influences the way the news is covered? No, because there's every right to have a station pop up that leans to the right. At the end of the day, the White House should turn to where the greatest talent is."

Get the full scoop here.

politico's Patrick Gavin "seacrested" a motley crew of politicians following Obama's address last night. Check out the video below or get the full scoop here .