Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-N.C.) turned himself into a traffic cop of sorts Thursday.

Standing in the middle of the hallway in the basement of the Longworth House Office Building, visitors to Capitol Hill began asking for directions. After one person started seeking his help, more and more people wanted directions. He pointed one man to the carry out, and a group of schoolchildren to the underground tunnel that leads to the Capitol.

Asked if his new job was giving directions, he smiled and replied, “I’m serving that purpose right now.”

Lawmakers don’t listen, says Owens, the Rappin’ Rep

Many of rap music’s greatest rhymers have hailed from Brooklyn: Kool Moe Dee, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z. Add Rep. Major Owens (D-N.Y.) to the list.

The self-titled “Rappin’ Rep” has been writing tunes between his Hill duties for 10 years, but Owens’ greatest hits are decidedly un-gangster. “Now you’re messing with the great American middle class/ We’ll kick your rear!/ Grandfathers are full of fear/ New anger after every tear/ Our pensions down the drain/ No shelter from old-age rain,” Owens wrote in 2002’s “Message to the Republican Mob.”

Owens sometimes delivers his raps on the House floor, but he said they rarely change minds. “Generally my colleagues ignore it, because we don’t listen to each other about anything, mostly,” Owens said. “My first concern is, I want to express my own feelings.”

Owens, who recently cut a CD of his anti-war rhymes, was unsure of when his newest legislative rap would premiere. In the meantime, he plans to re-perform 2004’s Haiti-themed “Napoleon’s Revenge.” And for inspiration, he cues up the social commentary of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power.”

The new svelte Rep. Jackson, Jr. 

You may not recognize Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) these days because there is a lot of less of him to recognize.

According to Jackson spokesman Frank Watkins, the boss has lost 40-50 pounds since December. Watkins didn’t know what diet Jackson Jr. on but said, “He’s under a doctor’s supervision.” Among other forms of exercise, the congressman runs.

After Christmas break, Watkins returned to the office, saw Jackson and joked with him, saying, “Wait a minute, where did Jesse go?” Watkins said his newly thin boss is down to about 190 from 240. “He’s feeling great,” Watkins said. “He has more energy, and you know, just generally feeling better about himself.”

So has he bought new clothes? “He needs to,” Watkins said. “I’m not sure that he has. There’s a little gathering in the waist when he puts the belt on …”

The mystery of Sen. Mikulski’s cast

Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) was spotted with a cast on her hand last week with a splint surrounding at least one of her fingers. Mysteriously, her press office claims it does not know why.

Neither Kate nor Alexandra, two women in the senator’s press office, nor even Amy Hagovsky, the senator’s press secretary, would offer any information on the matter.

The Capitol Club’s St. Patrick’s Day soiree

Feel like partying with the boys from the Capitol Club? Head to Caf� Asia, 1720 I St., on Thursday night for its annual St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Soiree.

Festivities begin at 9 p.m. and shut down at 1:30 a.m. Tickets can be bought at the door: $10 for women; $20 for men.

Attire? Leprechaun — what else?

For more information, visit www.capitol-club.com.

A New Contest: Is your boss funny? Capital Living wants to know…

Over the next several weeks, Capital Living will be taking nominations for the funniest lawmakers on Capitol Hill. This isn’t an opportunity for us to depict lawmakers in a negative or clownish way. Instead, we’d like nominations of lawmakers who are genuinely witty, whether in their approach to congressional life or in speeches on the House floor, in meetings with constituents, in committee hearings or in meetings with colleagues.

Please send convincing nominations to Capital Living by e-mailing This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or calling (202) 628-8516. Submissions may be anonymous. A panel of judges will determine who are indeed the funniest lawmakers. Winning results will be appear in The Hill.

Edited by Betsy Rothstein
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Elana Schor contributed to this report.