Yesterday, alleged madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey asked the media to “put aside the titillation of the ‘Who’s Who’ list — at least in part — and instead investigate the disturbing genesis, the confounding evolution and the equally alarming continuation of this matter.” In response, the entire press corps found a litter of adorable puppies and reported live throughout the night. Well, not exactly.

ABC News, which obtained Palfrey’s client list and an exclusive interview, discussed advice to employees from Miz Julia, Palfrey’s nom de plume. Besides the obvious reminders that business is better when Congress is in session, she adds that escorts should have sexy lingerie, be intelligent and shred documents. Miz Julia also gives the (somewhat dubious) advice that nail polish and lipstick colors should match.

Other networks also dug in, both online and on air. Most reported that Palfrey’s 10,000-strong client list includes, “a Bush administration economist, the head of a conservative think tank, a prominent CEO, several lobbyists and a handful of military officials.”

It’s not just America that loves tawdry tales of money, power and sex. London’s Guardian described Palfrey as “glee full” in its headline. The Australia became the first paper to file a report from the future (it’s already May 2 there) and predicted millions of viewers for Friday’s 20/20, in which more client names might be released.

We don’t know if Aussies will be able to catch the program via satellite, but we’ve certainly cleared our schedule and are eagerly counting down to the Miz Julie Show. Eighty-two hours left, Washington!

UPDATE:

Now Hollywood Madam Heidi Fleiss is chiming in. Her advice to Palfrey is to keep her mouth shut and have some principles:

I know she’s probably being swallowed up alive, and a lot of people can’t take that weight on their shoulders, but she’s naming names and that goes against my principals [sic] — I realized I’d sunk my ship, but I wasn’t taking anyone with me.

Photo by Flickr user lounytoon.