Might as Well Laugh
Silliness in DC

In Al Kamen's WP column, In the Loop, he has a few nuggets under Rangel, Rumsfeld and Bygones . The first is entitled CIA Reveals Counterspy Tactic:

Maintaining your cover can be especially difficult during the holiday season. Vigilance is key. So with that in mind, please note the little sign in a Lucite stand next to the cash register in the gift shop at the CIA, which we note here as a public service:

"If you are undercover you cannot charge. . . . "It will blow your cover."

For those who may still be unsure when reaching for their wallet, the sign includes a handy illustration of a guy in requisite trench coat and hat, whose identity is revealed when he holds up a newspaper with a hole in it.

Remember: Cash only.

The second item is entitled, House Ethics? No One is Buying It:

A sign of the times . . .

On the cart of recycle-giveaway books at the Arlington County Public
Library last week, a copy of the U.S. House of Representatives Ethics
Manual.