Tom Chats It Up
Fishbowl DC decided it was high time to figure out what was lurking underneath Postie Tom Sietsema’s mysterious fisog. Though they were unable to get him to reveal his disguises, they did show us a side of Tom we may not have seen before. For instance, did you know that he likes the letter “T” best, buys his coffee from a San Francisco roaster (we’re guessing either Blue Bottle or Peerless), and has a tie fetish? He describes G.I. Joe as having a “Mona Lisa smile” and a “sense of humor,” which probably suits him well when he volunteers to read for third-graders.

The interview is worth a look; it’s far more interesting than Mark Halperin’s (who can’t live without Pert), but not as interesting as Greta van Susteren’s (who wants to work on Animal Planet, and has “Hello Dolly” as her cell phone ring). It’s also good to know that Tom could find time to give you home design tips while wading through his daily e-mail, since his bathroom is painted “Coastal Fog,” which falls between “Yosemite Sand” and “Big Bend Beige.” Had it been me, I would have gone with “Shenandoah Taupe,” Tom. Either that or “Martinsburg Black Lung.”

Gridskipper Rates the Power Spots
Now that the Democrats have taken control on Capitol Hill, they’re changing the rules willy-nilly so the lobbyists in town will have the appearance of less influence. One such change is that lobbyists can no longer take Members of Congress or their staffers out to meals. Sorry, starving staffers. Oh wait! They can still take them out to lunch as long as it’s for a fundraiser, and not a policy matter. Way to take the high road, Pelosi.