She prefers to be called the "Washington Madam" but insists that she is just an innocent businesswoman being victimized by the federal government because she was "sitting on a power keg of information" about the sexual peccadilloes of Washington's elite.

On Tuesday, Deborah Jeane Palfrey talked openly at Nathan's during one of the regular luncheon Q&As with the restaurant's owner, Carol Joynt.

The former law student said she's a conservative Democrat who ran a legal escort service here for 13 years. The government believes otherwise, insisting that Palfrey, who lives in the San Francisco area, was providing DC men with $300 an-hour prostitutes. 

Joynt kept the conversation light, asking Palfrey why she had chosen to run her escort service—Pamela Martin & Assoc.—in the nation's capital. It wasn't because the men here are more "needy," Palfrey said. "It was either here or New York City....The men here are sophisticated, very cosmopolitan."

Palfrey has 10,000 names to prove it, which she plans to use in her legal defense. Among the thousands of names the government has are 25 that are recognizable, said Palfrey's attorney Montgomery Blair Sibley, who is representing her pro bono. But both refused to even give Joynt a "hostess present" of even just one name.  

Dressed in a conservative grey pinstripe pantsuit accented by her red nail polish and red lipstick, Palfrey and her attorney regaled a packed lunchtime crowd who paid $35 a head for 30 minutes. After Palfrey, a last-minute addition, came scheduled guest, Peter Greenberg, the "Today" show's travel correspondent.

The government began proceedings against Palfrey last October, and indicted her in February. "Many people don't know that prostitution was legal until October 2006 when the civil forfeiture case was started against Jeane," said Sibley. "When you start getting into laws prohibiting sexual behavior in DC, you realize they are vague. There's a whole long list of behaviors you can get away with without your clothes on."

Joynt asked her about Randall L. Tobias, 65, who resigned as deputy secretary of state on April 27 after acknowledging he'd been a customer. "I haven't heard from Mr. Tobias," she said. "I don't remember him."

When pressed about who actually used her cash-only business, Palfrey sighed and said she hadn't been much interested in "who they were ID-wise as much as security-wise." Some did use their real names. Some even called from their homes. Usually her "independent contractors," as she calls the escorts, went to their homes or a hotel. Sometimes, though not often, the escorts would go to an office. "The girls weren't even curious who the men were," said Palfrey. "They respected their clients' privacy. Once in a while, I would hear:  'As soon as he opened the door, I recognized him. He was on the cover of....'"

For the last question, Joynt asked Palfrey if she had any advice for other madams. She did. Don't give up. "This is an aberrant situation," she said. "There's a lot about my story people don't know."

They'll have to wait for the book she intends to write some day.

After Palfrey and Sibley left Nathan's, a small flock of reporters followed them down Wisconsin Avenue peppering them with questions. Palfrey encouraged anyone who wanted to know more to check out long radio interviews where she tells her story on www.wsradio.com.

Perhaps tired of walking and talking, Palfrey decided to stop and answer questions.  Coincidence or not, she stopped to talk in front of The Pleasure Palace, Georgetown's classy sexual toy shop.

As she talked, a white van drove by and a man yelled out: "You go girl!"  She said that happens a lot.

And then she was off to a photo shoot for the August Vanity Fair. 

What: A party to celebrate the debut of The Onion—and their “journalistic integrity," according to them—in Washington

Where: The Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capital Street, SE    

When: Wednesday, May 16, 6 to 8 pm

Who: Two diametrically opposed political leaders—conservative Grover Norquist, head of the anti-tax lobbying group Americans for Tax Reform, and Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI), the first senator to call for a timetable for withdrawing American troops from Iraq—co-hosted the event. Usual media suspects included Dan Froomkin and Amy Argetsinger from the Washington Post, Alex Pareene and Liz Gorman of Wonkette, Sommer Mathis and Heather Goss of DCist, Patrick Gavin of the Examiner, plus several members of the Onion staff. DC city administrator Dan Tangherlini and his colleague, the newly engaged chief of budget and execution officer Will Singer, arrived just as the event was winding down.

Food: A standard table of hors d’oeuvres and cookies, plus caterers milling about offering fancier options like mini cheese paninis and artichoke fritters (the biggest hit of the night).

Drink: Open bar with wine, beer, and mixed drinks. Best of all were the pint glasses emblazoned with The Onion’s logo and “I enjoy drinking beer” that the staff gave away at the end of the night.

Scene: A reception for the launch of the Washington version of The Onion—the snarky rag also celebrated a few weeks ago with a concert and stand up comedy at the Black Cat—brought out a mix of hipster journalists and stodgier media types. Attendees marveled that the event brought out both Norquist and Feingold. “I kind of invited them both as a joke and they said they were big fans and agreed to do it,” shrugged Onion managing editor Peter Koechley.

Norquist and Feingold both gave brief, not-terribly-unfunny speeches, with Feingold telling an Onion-style story about congressman hazing rituals on Capitol Hill. A few folks, like Froomkin, from the Washington Post, which has partnered with The Onion to print and distribute it in DC, also showed up. But overall, given the reputation of The Onion and those who write for it, it was a surprisingly staid affair that ended promptly at 8. We heard a few Onion staffers planning an afterparty at a bar later on that we bet was a lot more entertaining.

Ratings:

Boldface names: 2 (out of 5)
Swankiness: 2 (out of 5)
Food and drink: 3 (out of 5)
Exclusivity: 3 (out of 5)
Total score: 10 (out of 20)

Pictures below.

The Washington Post gave front-page play Wednesday to David Nakamura’s story about how the blueprint for DC’s public schools drafted by Mayor Adrian Fenty’s administration was a cut-and-paste job. Nearly a third of the 31-page document was “borrowed” from a North Carolina school system’s plan, according to a plagiarism expert quoted in the Post story, and parts of it were copied verbatim.

Great story, given Fenty’s move to take over the school system. But didn’t we hear it first on WAMU radio last Friday? Yes, the local public-radio affiliate scooped the Post. But did the Post credit WAMU? That’s not so clear.  

What: The Queen's Garden Party

Where: The British Ambassador's Residence, 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW

When: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Who: A wide cross-section of the Washington elite gathered in the spacious garden of British Ambassador Sir David Manning for a festive garden party honoring the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. The guests ranged from CIA Director General Michael Hayden to NBC News' Brian Williams, down from New York for the visit, as well as Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressmen Roy Blunt, Steny Hoyer, and Dennis Kucinich (with wife, Elizabeth), Senators John Sununu and Joe Lieberman, David Bradley and wife Katherine, Brit Hume, Bill Kristol, and Metropolitan Police Chief Cathy Lanier, along with British ex-pats, businessmen and women, and military brass, among many others.

Food: Delicious scones with jam, tea sandwiches, pastries and cookies galore.

Drink: There were two kinds of guests—those who drank club soda in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday and those who opted for champagne. Needless to say, the sounds of corks popping provided a steady tattoo to the afternoon's events.

Scene: The warm afternoon filled with sunlight and blue sky couldn't have been more perfect, but, then again, as a Royal Marine leaned over and told one guest who commented on the weather, "Well she is the head of the Church, so she might have a thing or two to say about the weather." After presenting a timed-entry card for a specific 15-minute window, guests milled about on the ambassador's lawn as everyone waited for Her Majesty to appear. British pinstripes, colorful women's hats, and lots of pink dominated the crowd. The regimental band of the Coldstream Guards played on the portico as she and Prince Philip filed down the stairs into the crowd, shaking hands and making small talk among the crowd. Joe Lieberman with his wife, Hadassah, worked their way to the front of the path to greet her, and Ambassador Manning led her through the crowd introducing her to some noticeable VIPs.

The regal Prince Philip worked the opposite side of the crowd, his hands clasped firmly behind his back, and met with a glare simultaneously both icy and jovial those American guests uncouth enough to stick out their hands in greeting. A protocol note: You don't shake his hand; he shakes yours. After an hour's circuit of the tent and lawn amid a dwindling crowd, Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, went inside to prepare for her state dinner at the White House tonight.

Ratings:

Bold Face Names: 5 (out of 5)
Swankiness: 5 (out of 5)
Food/Drinks: 4 (out of 5)
Exclusivity: 5 (out of 5)

Total Score: 19 (out of 20) 

UPDATE: An earlier version of this piece reported that the Queen skipped by Brian Williams during her final stops in the garden. According to the Examiner, the NBC anchor met her earlier in the party.

The Queen's arrival ceremony today at the White House felt proper and royal, despite a few bumbles.  While the audience waited with miniature American and British flags in the shade of the White House lawn's trees, the Air Force band played "Ruffles and Flourishes" and "Hail to the Chief." The Queen arrived in a black limo and was bedecked in a pert white and black hat.  There was a performance of both countries' anthems, a review of the troops and a short speech from both President Bush and the Queen. Many in the audience were excited by a band dressed in redcoat uniforms.

One of the best moments during the event was a mistake.  After the President accidentally said the Queen attended the bicentennial celebration in 1776 instead of 1976 there was a 10-second pause while he looked at her apologetically and the crowd laughed. Then he announced: "She gave me a look that only a mother could give a child," and the crowd was all smiles—it was the only time during the event that anyone on stage made a candid remark.

While the speeches of the President and the Queen stressed the importance of the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement, President Bush emphasized the need to fight against terrorism to protect individualism and freedom. The Queen spoke of friendship between the two countries before stepping off the podium platform with the President and walking up the steps to wave to the crowd from the South Portico of the White House. The audience, many who got tickets from friends with connections or through a lottery, responded with their cameras held high in the air.

Fires yesterday torched two of Washington's precious few local landmarks: Eastern Market and the Georgetown Library. Both were housed in brick buildings dating back to the 19th Century. Both had been studied to death by local community activists, historic preservation committees, and District officials. Squabbling over how to renovate Eastern Market, built in 1873, has gone on for more than two decades; still, not one thing has been done to fix the aging pipes and wiring, which apparently may have sparked the fire that destroyed the building. "It takes a fire to fix a village," a top DC official said this morning after Mayor Adrian Fenty vowed to keep the market's vendors in business, and to quickly rebuild the structure—at a cost of at least $20 million and an estimated time of at least two years. Which begs this question: If it took Boston one year to rebuild Faneuil Hall, why does DC need two years to rebuild Eastern Market?

Ditto the Georgetown branch of the DC library system. Plans to renovate have been batted around for years. Fire Chief Dennis Rubin said the fire was started by faulty wiring.

Fenty promised to fix both buildings. Will he get results where other leaders failed?

Here, below, are pictures of the fire that burned the Georgetown library on Wisconsin Avenue.