Lloyd Grove, former gossip columnist of The Washington Post and New York Daily News, gets veteran New York congressman and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel to open up about his perceived stormy relationship with Vice President Dick Cheney, which the Democrat said is nothing more than political posturing.

"If we sat next to each other, which we have, I don't think that we could think of anything unkind to say about each other — unless there was a reporter there," Mr. Rangel explained.

But the instigative Mr. Grove, in his interview posted on Conde Nast's portfolio.com, egged-on the congressman, recalling that Mr. Cheney "said you were losing it, and you said he was mean and nasty."

"The guy that runs around shooting friends with a gun," agreed Mr. Rangel. Then he added on second thought: "He has enough problems without me piling on."

Brave fan

"What can I offer you to keep it out of your column?"

Or so tried Terry Eastland, publisher of the Weekly Standard, reaching for his wallet after being spotted giving a standing ovation to the visiting Atlanta Braves baseball team at RFK Stadium. The Braves took two of three games played over the weekend against our Washington Nationals, spurred on by Mr. Eastland, sporting a well-worn Braves cap.