Fenty at Joint Session: Sweet Seat!

LL capped his day of Capitol Hill reporting by attending President Barack Obama's address tonight to a joint session of Congress.

The speech was great and all, but LL kept his eyes on his usual quarry, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty.

Hizzoner had a fab seat, first row of the east side viewing gallery, in the speaker's booth. Not only was he a guest of Nancy Pelosi, but he sat next to her husband, Paul Pelosi. And just to the other side of him was hero Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, along with other members of his flight crew.

Now LL didn't see Fenty interact with Sully once (in fairness, he might not have been good conversation—the pilot reportedly was being kind of a dick to reporters later); Hizzoner, dressed in blue suit and power tie, spent much of his evening exchanging what seemed to be friendly chatter with Mr. Pelosi and a well-tanned gent to his right (likely Pelosi's brother). Nor did LL see Hizzoner greet former speaker Tom Foley, seated directly behind him.

What LL did see: Fenty chewing something—gum? nuts? energy bar?—right as Obama started detailing his budget.

LL would have asked what he chomped with such relish, but the friendly Capitol Police kept him and other reporters sequestered as Fenty, Sully, and other VIPs egressed.

So LL headed down to Statuary Hall, where he found Eleanor Holmes Norton, who had already packed quite a bit into her day. Said Norton, "Barack crowned it very well for me."