WASHINGTON INSIGHT

READ HIS LIPS: Senate Democrats are attempting to determine whether Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) cursed at Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) after a heated exchange at a hearing last week. C-SPAN cameras were rolling during the politically charged discussion, but Santorum’s controversial remark was not picked up by the microphone. To determine whether Santorum violated Senate rules of decorum, Kentucky Sen. Wendell H. Ford, ranking Democrat on the Rules Committee, is reviewing a videotape of the exchange, which occurred as senators debated the contested election of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). Santorum says he merely said, “Do you believe it?” after Feinstein condemned the Senate’s inquiry into Landrieu’s victory. But Democrats who were watching the proceedings on TV said they clearly saw Santorum turn to a colleague and call Feinstein a word that rhymes with witch. “He absolutely did not say that,” Santorum’s spokeswoman, Laura Narducci, said. “Sen. Santorum would never make such a disparaging remark to another senator.” Feinstein isn’t commenting on the flap. And two lip-reading experts who reviewed the videotape for The Times were not much help. One said Santorum clearly took a verbal slap at his colleague, while another said Santorum’s lips moved so quickly that it was impossible to tell exactly what he said.

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LOSING FACE: Some would have appreciated the security precaution, even while ruing the inconvenience, but Rep. William M. Thomas (R-Bakersfield) was apparently galled by the anonymity of it all. While attempting to pass through a restricted area of the Capitol on a recent weekend, Thomas was stopped by a U.S. Capitol Police officer who failed to recognize him as a 10th-term congressman and asked to see his identification. Thomas complained about the incident, and as a result, Officer Luanne Moran has been reassigned to less ego-sensitive duties.

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REDUCE, REUSE, REHIRE: Adding to the perception of a do-nothing Congress bogged down in internal bickering, the greener-than-thou House Democrats have taken their Republican colleagues to task for dropping “the ball on congressional recycling.” Using figures obtained from the architect of the Capitol, the Democratic Policy Committee says that since the GOP takeover of the House, recycling of cans has dropped 74%, glass recycling is down 83% and “paper separation efforts are in disarray.” Furthermore, the reduction has cost taxpayers more than $130,000 in recycling revenue, according to the committee. In hopes of rectifying the situation, Democrats have introduced a resolution calling on the GOP leadership to hire a new recycling coordinator, a position that’s been vacant for almost two years.

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EARLY BIRD-IN-CHIEF: Richard G. Darman, budget director for President Bush, used the occasion of last week’s retrospective conference on the Bush presidency to contrast the up-and-at-’em pace of the Bush White House, where the work day started at 6:15 a.m., with the laid-back approach of Ronald Reagan, whom Darman also served. Reciting a story Reagan often told on himself, Darman recalled that outgoing President Carter had warned Reagan that being president was “really very, very different” from being a governor because of the “enormous national security responsibilities. At 7 o’clock in the morning the fellow from the CIA comes over to give the president his daily briefing,” Carter said. “He comes over at 7 in the morning?” Reagan asked. “That’s right, 7 in the morning “ Carter affirmed. “Well, he’s sure going to have a long wait,” Reagan replied.