The big news in Congress this week was the Waxman-Markey cap and trade bill, which the house voted on last Friday. Presumably the whips were pushing Twitter along with votes because we’ve never seen such an influx of congressional tweets in an afternoon. Unfortunately, official business managed to distract our representatives from the real, compelling news of the day—not one of them mentioned Michael Jackson. Thanks to Rick Perry for his condolences.

In other news, Newt Gingrich manages to tweet about Jelly Belly beans, his lunch in McDonalds and a seven-foot troll while poor Arnold Schwarzenegger has to have his dinner in a box (blame budget worries). Mark Sanford is back on Twitter, and he wants our forgiveness (still no word from John Ensign). Bobby Jindal is keeping ahead of the criminals, John McCain thinks healthcare is going to make us less healthy and Rob Wittman hangs with boy scouts.

The July issue of the Washingtonian, on sale now, contains an article by freelance writer Brendan L. Smith about the DC police department’s Cold Case Unit. The story focuses on the 1999 murder of Yolanda Baker and details the likely involvement of Terrence Barnett, Baker’s boyfriend.

On June 23, one day before the story appeared in print, DC police arrested Barnett and charged him with second-degree murder in the ten-year-old case.

Barnett had a history of domestic violence and immediately became the lead suspect when Baker disappeared in 1999, but he avoided arrest for a decade. Baker’s family had pushed for the reopening of the investigation by the DC police’s Cold Case Unit.

“It felt good,” says Sergeant James Young about Barnett’s arrest. “I’d like to do it for all of the cold cases.” Young says it was a coincidence that the arrest happened just before the publication of the article, which police knew was forthcoming.

Nothing says sexy like self-deprecation.  From revealing “I have no game” to confessing “I’m an idiot,” we appreciate this week’s honesty (modesty?). But let’s face it, sometimes a missed connection is closer to an “I messed up” connection.

Cute girl in Red, DEFINITELY a screwup on my part - 21 (Cafe Deluxe/Green Papaya in Bethesda)
Reply to: pers-vjbce-1238504672@craigslist.org
Date: 2009-06-24, 11:48PM EDT

My two friends and I were leaving The Barking Dog and just walking off the alcohol around Bethesda around 10:30pm or so. We walked by Cafe Deluxe and you were either sitting outside there or at Green Papaya. I can’t really remember which one. You were wearing red and talking with your friend and you looked up at me and we made eye contact, but I just thought you were staring at one of my friends or someone else or that it was just a fluke, so I didn’t really think anything of it, so I smiled. We walked by again a second time and you looked up at me again and we again made eye contact and then I KNEW it wasn’t a fluke. But I’m generally a pretty shy guy and am not used to getting looks from girls, so I didn’t say anything, and I’m an idiot. I was wearing a grey crew neck shirt with dark blue cargo pants and flip flops. I have dirty blond hair and glasses. You are very attractive and red not only looks great on you, but is my favorite color. Hit me back, I would love to get to know you:)

She was wearing your favorite color?!? Totally meant to be!

C’mon people, it’s just bad form to pick up someone wearing a wedding ring. But this week’s Craigslisters don’t care how big that rock is. Either that, or they’re not convinced it’s a wedding ring at all. Sleazy or not? You decide.

You wanted to trade Porsches - m4w - 44 (Shell station dwntwn Bethesda)
Reply to: pers-6nxpx-1218854109@craigslist.org
Date: 2009-06-12, 7:50PM EDT

Friday, June 12th at approximately 7 pm at the Shell Station at the corner of Old Georgetown and Woodmont.

You: Dark (black or blue) Carrera 911, incredible smile, smelled delicious, with your Blackberry in hand, paying for a Diet Coke.

Me: Black Boxster, looking slovenly, having worked from home.

It happened so quickly I didn’t get a chance to see if that was a wedding ring on your finger or to ask you if you’d like to take a ride with me, with the top down, and with me dressed up ;-)

We just puked a little.

The Tweetosphere in Congress this week has been all abuzz about the Iranian election and some guy named “Ahminajad.” All this talk of freedom has inspired the Republicans, who see much similarity between the fortitude of repressed masses in Iran and their own struggle against oppression within the House. Because using Twitter to moan about Nancy Pelosi and using Twitter to tell the world about being beaten by a masked basiji are on the same level, naturally.

In other news, John McCain has a new car (his 14th?) and he loves it. He was also probably thrilled that a couple of people finally got round to re-tweeting his joke about Obama and the Romanovs, which he has repeated several times on Twitter. Thaddeus McCotter seems to be anti-Romanov, which presumably means he’s a communist. Jason Chaffetz wears “short pants” to work, Jared Polis makes two cartoon references and Mary Bono Mack sounds bored.

The fashion industry is hoping that the stylish Obama administration will help it rebound—social secretary Desirée Rogers posed on the cover of WSJ magazine in a Viktor Rolf trench coat and Cartier ring, although word is that press secretary Robert Gibbs nixed an Oscar de la Renta shoot in the First Lady’s garden.

The “stylish” message doesn’t always reach the male staff: Fed chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner wore the same $75 Brooks Brothers tie to a House committee meeting.

The Web site NeckOfState.com tracks what the President is sporting around his neck. During his first 100 days, the site says, Obama wore 24 neckties. The most popular—which he wore nine times—was dark blue with white dots. During the 2008 campaign, he often didn’t wear a tie, but in the White House he’s buttoned up.

This article first appeared in the June 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.   

“Being a conservative at the New York Times is sort of like being the chief rabbi in Mecca.”

—Columnist David Brooks

“We both went to the University of Chicago. David evidently went the extra step and attended class.”

—Presidential adviser David Axelrod on David Brooks

“It doesn’t look good. It’s the Yankees, not the Nationals.”

—Sports executive Maury Brown on why it’s embarrassing that the Yankees’ choice seats in their new $1.3-billion stadium are still unsold

“You might be surprised to know I don’t know of every movement of Air Force One.”

—White House press secretary Robert Gibbs responding to a reporter’s question about the $325,000 publicity photo op over New York City by the President’s backup plane

This article first appeared in the June 2009 issue of The Washingtonian. For more articles from that issue, click here.