The Ana Log

By Ana Marie Cox

Reporting from her Washington base camp, Ana Marie Cox dishes the dirt on D.C.

AND THIS CHAIR IS JUST RIGHT Former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie kicks off a p.r. tour in support of his not-especially-tell-all memoir, Winning Right. The launch- party guest list includes Terry McAuliffe, former Democratic National Committee chairman--whose own book, What a Party, is due to be released in January. That book's tell-all proportions are unknown, but attendees overhear McAuliffe boasting that his book is "much thicker."

PROVING THE EXISTENCE OF THE MISSING LINC Lincoln Chafee, the pro-choice, antiwar, handgun-hating Senator, wins his Rhode Island Senate primary, proving that the G.O.P. will do anything to keep its majority--even elect a Democrat.

WHAT KIND OF A RACE IS THIS? Embattled Virginia Senator George ("Some of My Best Friends Are Macacas") Allen, who is up for re-election in November, does himself no favors in combatting allegations of racism by holding--and we quote--an "ethnic rally." At least he doesn't wear his Confederate- flag pin. When is he going to get his own Survivor team and be done with it?

NICE OF POTUS TO NOTICE President Bush interrupts his Rose Garden press conference to bestow an unexpected compliment, telling NBC's David Gregory (who recently tussled with a microphone cord), "I must say, having gone through those gyrations, you're looking beautiful today, Dave." Oh, Mr. President, you big flirt.