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The Stewart Mott House, tucked between the Supreme Court and the Senate office buildings, has always been the place to party for liberals. Got a blue-colored cause? Gather at the venerable manse at 122 Maryland Avenue, Northeast.

So it was in keeping with the cause that Mother Jones, the crusading lefty monthly magazine, chose the Mott House Wednesday night to celebrate its Washington bureau and welcome its new chief, David Corn. Luring Corn from the Nation was a coup. The niche publication gets a name-brand Washington journalist who has written books, tangled often with the Bushies, and is a usual suspect on political talk shows. Look for Mother Jones to start to get the play of the Weekly Standard and National Review—which I suspect is one of its goals in snaring Corn.

More later on how Mother Jones can grow its Washington presence while other news organizations wither. For now, it’s party time.