CQ Roll Call‘s Rebecca Gale celebrated the official launch of her new novel Trying at The Science Club last night. Though the venue was a bit cozy and broiling (i.e. perfect for a hot yoga class), plenty of Gale’s newsroom colleagues and friends showed up to offer support.

Asked if there was one journalist Gale would want to read her book, she named co-worker Neda Semnani. “She gives great book reviews,” Gale said, adding that Semnani, who co-writes the Heard on the Hill gossip column, would offer an “honest assessment” of the book.

Gale also named her former boss Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va) as someone who should read it. “He would love it,” she said. (That’s somewhat intriguing, considering the book is a love story involving government secrets. Hmm…)

There were plenty of finger foods and bevys at the soiree, much of which was unidentifiable at first glance. But the best part was the tiny cupcakes, decorated with little edible versions of Gale’s book.

The cupcakes, we’re told, were enjoyed by CQ Roll Call Publisher Peter Anthony‘s two young boys, who were told upon entering by Anthony to “stand right here” against a wall… Read more

As Roll Call searches high and low for a new editor, we bring you the prospects and tell you why each candidate will get the job offer and why he or she will not. CQ Roll Call has faced a lot of changes, layoffs and departures this year and more tweaks are on the way with the official merging of CQ Today and Roll Call in November. But first things first — with the recent departure of Editor Scott Montgomery to NPR, they need a new leader, a strong hand who needs authority and freedom to revamp the publication. In the interim they’ve placed CQ Roll Call Deputy Executive Editor Randy Wynn in charge. There’s a great nostalgia and affection for Roll Call among the alums around town. People want to see it succeed. But where is management going with it? In the words of a source long familiar with the inner workings of the publication, searching for a new editor is like asking someone to be captain of a team. The worry is, no one knows what sport they’re playing. The hopefuls are in no significant order. Nor have all of these folks been formally approached by management. CQ Roll Call Publicist Rebecca Gale declined to comment on the list of hopefuls. We wrote all the potential editors, most of whom either declined to comment or didn’t respond to a request for comment.

1. Emily Pierce: Roll Call Senate Editor

Why she’ll get it: A great editor and well-liked by reporters. She came up through the ranks and has been in the newsroom for about a decade. Can anyone remember Roll Call having a female at the helm? Would be a nice touch.

Why she won’t: She lacks experience as a upper level manager. “Although she’s fantastic I doubt they’d go for her,” one spy remarked.

2. Jason Dick: Roll Call House Editor; he has formally applied for the job.

3. David Hawkings: Editor of the CQ Roll Call Daily Briefing

4. Paul Singer:”I wish Roll Call nothing but the best of luck and I’m not talking to anybody about a job there,” Singer said, when we posed questions on the matter.

There were many tears on the House Floor Wednesday as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) offered her resignation from Congress. So many, in fact, that no one’s emotions stood out as unusual — among the criers was, of course, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), who has been known to shed a tear or two. In this story by Roll Call‘s Jason Dick, we see he had a gavel in one hand, a tissue in the other.

“Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), an emotional man known for his public weeping, was joined in tears by others as he wielded the gavel in one hand and a tissue in the other. For a few fleeting moments, last year’s partisan warfare never happened. Virtually everyone wanted to kiss Giffords as she made her way through the chamber, to the well, and onto the dais to hand-deliver her resignation letter to Boehner. Everyone felt connected to her.”

In two week’s time, Roll Call has managed to snag yet another reporter from NJ. After recently stealing NJ‘s Dick (as in Jason Dick), they’re now acquiring Humberto Sanchez, who will be signing onto Roll Call‘s leadership team as a Senate reporter. He starts on July 11. (You’ll have to forgive us. We’re going through Weiner withdrawal.)

See the internal memo…

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In other penis-related surname news, Jason Dick is moving to Roll Call.  Most recently the editor of National Journal Daily, Dick will join the publication’s senior leadership team as House Editor.  AT NJ,  he’s being replaced by Matthew Cooper.

In a memo announcing the hire, Roll Call Editor Scott Montgomery said, “Jason is the ideal editor to guide our coverage of House leadership, working closely with Senate Editor Emily Pierce to continue to sharpen Roll Call’s report on the people, politics and pressures of Capitol Hill.”

Jason began his journalism career with National Journal’s environmental news daily back in 1998. Since then, he has held various positions in the company, including assistant managing editor of CongressDaily and managing editor of CongressDaily’s AM edition.  Jason’s first day with Roll Call is June 27.

It was Night 4 of NJ‘s flurry of launch parties at the rented space on E St. Thursday night was thought to be the mother of parties so far. The room was packed. So much so, that partygoers periodically slipped out into the cool air when they couldn’t take the crowding. Or, when they hoped to flee the towering wine-drinking man in blue linen who pawed some female guests (he wasn’t with NJ and appeared to be a straggler who wandered in off the street. At least one woman pushed him away).

Guests enjoyed cocktails, fancy hors d’oeuvres and the sounds of a live jazz band. They complained of too few bathrooms and a sweltering indoor temperature.

The dimly-lit warehouse space was enveloped in red velvet curtains. NJ Daily Editor Jason Dick loosely bragged that he had attended party after party and wasn’t tiring of it.”This is how we roll,” he joked. “I take my cues for living from the old Pink Panther movies with the martinis.

“It’s a little bit more fun than I anticipated,” he said, referring to the new web site launch and subsequent parties. “We started this back in February and it was hard to see where it was going. We’re all working as hard as we ever have. There’s a lot more steam in our strides.”

NJ brass did their best to squash talk of a NJ-Politico rivalry. But partygoers chattered about it. “For me, Politico is a start, but I’m not going to get a lot of substance out of it,” said a guest. Others felt the party logo looked too much like Politico. Dick dismissed the so-called feud, saying there much less animosity and more friendship than people know. “I have a lot more friends than enemies at Politico,” he said. He laughed, saying people had tweeted earlier in the week about whether NJ and Politico were going to “meet in a parking lot with knives and guns.”

Fournier said he was “excited” about the launch but just as excited to make it an early night and get home to his wife and child.

Many a journo turned up. Find out who and see more pictures after the jump…

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Jason Dick, Editor of CongressDaily, sent out this memo yesterday, announcing the new hire of Kelsey Snell, a new tax and trade staff writer.

Snell was most recently at NPR, where she was completing projects for “Weekend All Things Considered” and working on the national desk.

She begins on Sept. 27.

Read the full internal memo after the jump…

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NJ has circulated an online customer survey suggesting that big changes are being bandied about at CongressDaily, including possibly merging the publication’s content with other reporting NJ produces. The survey, said a subscriber who took it, also suggested that NJ could be considering a name change for CongressDaily.

One question involved CQ’s bill tracking service that is a longtime favorite to a variety of Capitol Hill publications and lobbyists around town. The gist: ‘What if we could could do CQ Bill Tracker and give it to you cheaper?’

NJ declined to comment.

As previously reported by FBDC, major change is happening at CongressDaily these days with the recent departures of top tier editors Lou Peck and Keith White and Jason Dick serving as acting editor.

CongessDaily alumni are abuzz, getting in touch with old pals to find out what’s next. “My understanding is that they are taking a serious look at what CongressDaily is and trying to figure out what to do with it,” said the Capitol Hill publication subscriber.

The survey was 25-30 questions and took approximately 10 minutes to finish.

Times are changing at CongressDaily. Founding Editor-in-Chief Lou Peck and Editor Keith White are out. Managing Editor Jason Dick is the acting Editor.

Sources behind the scenes say the change is a good one. While some are shocked by the decision, others saw the writing on the wall and see the shift as something that is going to “invigorate” the publication.

David Miller, spokesman, told FishbowlDC: “Both worked for the publication for many years — Lou was CongressDaily’s founding editor — and their efforts were instrumental in making CongressDaily the success it is today. We deeply appreciate their many contributions.”