"Even more so now, part of my interest in this genre and in our exhibit in particular comes from the opportunity to raise public awareness and interest in the impressive cultural offerings born from the Middle East."
The collection includes such works as Ludwig Deutsch's "The Nubian Palace Guard" and "The Answer," and Jean Leon Gerome's "The First Kiss of the Sun" and "Prayer in the Desert."
Still senators
What do Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Barack Obama of Illinois, Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut have in common?
Besides the fact that they all want to become the next Democratic president, each senator is about to receive a phone call, if they haven't already, from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada saying they had better plan to abandon their almost nonstop campaigning of late and return to Washington to fulfill their Senate obligations.
"I hope we can work everything out. I don't think we can," Mr. Reid commented. "So I say, with all sincerity, I am going to call our presidential candidates and let them know they better look at their schedules, because these are not votes you can miss: defense appropriations; the first appropriations bill, Labor/HHS, with benefits for veterans tied into it, which we need to do before Veterans Day; the CR [continuing resolution], which funds our government; and whatever we decide to do with the bridge funds or the supplemental appropriations bill."
Nonpartisan TV
"C-SPAN is not what you'd call exciting TV, though some of the call-in shows do have their moments."
So President Bush observed yesterday before presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, to C-SPAN president and CEO Brian Lamb.
Trying to retire
Happy birthday to former Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaefer, whose 86th birthday in recent days was recognized by Congress.
As House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, noted in his congressional birthday salute, the outspoken and colorful Mr. Schaefer has embarked on his "second retirement," having come out of retirement in 1998 to be elected as the 32nd comptroller of Maryland, a position to which he was overwhelmingly re-elected in 2002.