Republicans might not be the majority party, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to party. The Republican Communications Association, a group of GOP press and communications folks, is electing its executive committee this week, including the contested position of social director, the guy or gal in charge of setting up gatherings for a notably party-happy crowd.

We got a peek at the pitches each of the candidates made to the group, and although most of them were pretty buttoned-up, a few stand out for invoking some heavyweight pop-culture icons.

Brad Dayspring, who was just appointed communications director for the Republican Study Committee, claimed an endorsement by Jack Bauer, the badass lead character of the Fox action series “24.” “Remember, Jack Bauer never retreats, he just attacks in the opposite direction,” Dayspring reminds the group in his spiel. He also notes that he lost last year, despite being endorsed by Chuck Norris.

Our favorite pitch, though, came from Greg Keeley, communications director for Rep. Ed Royce of California.  Quoting heavily from the cult comedy “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” Keeley promises good times ahead. “You don’t want wusses like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman running your social calendar,” he tells the committee members. And here’s a campaign promise we can’t resist: “I’m all jacked up on Mountain Dew and if elected, I’m gonna come at the job like a spider monkey,” Keeley wrote.

Other entries, while more sedate, provide a window into life as a GOP staffer these days. Education and Labor committee spokeswoman Lindsay Mask, who is running to head up the group’s professional-development efforts, vowed to offer “more opportunities for members to meet with private companies and learn more about transitioning from life on the Hill to life in a firm.”

Um, what revolving door?

 
Rep. Shuler’s office guarded by fluffy and cuddly puppy

Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) has only been in Congress for a few weeks, but already, his office is going to the dogs. Shuler, a former NFL player, raises and trains Labrador retrievers. And his fondness for man’s best friend means he’s running a dog-friendly office.

Which is a good thing for Reese, the 8-week-old English bulldog who has been accompanying his new owner, Shuler legislative assistant Rob Ellsworth, to work. Too-cute Reese, who was named after the candy treat, has been attracting legions of admirers since he arrived in Shuler’s Cannon office this week.

Reese spends some time in a doggie crate, Shuler spokesman Andrew Whalen said, and Ellsworth takes him for frequent walks outside.

Mostly, though, Reese is napping on the job. “He sleeps a lot,” Whalen said.

Shuler apparently likes having a dogged staff: Both of his campaign offices hosted four-legged friends, one of which Shuler had given to a staffer. And although his Washington office boasts a painting of Labs, Shuler’s own pups are back at home in Waynesville, N.C.

Reese is still in good company, though, joining some other Capitol Hill dogs whose popularity has threatened to eclipse that of their bosses, including Charlotte, the friendly spaniel belonging to Majority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Sen. Edward Kennedy’s  (D-Mass.) rambunctious Portuguese water dogs, Splash and Sunny.

McHenry finds Frank touché touché on floor

In the procedure-geek world of C-SPAN, it was the equivalent of an action-packed duel. Two strong-willed members, Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), had a gloves-off moment on the House floor during a debate over the stem cell research bill the House adopted last Thursday.

And the exchange proved to be such good theater that a clip of it was shown at a Republican conference meeting yesterday.

In the floor fight, Frank had the literal high ground, though, since he was presiding over the chamber at the time.

In a move reminiscent of Democrats’ tactics while they were in the minority, McHenry made several parliamentary inquiries in an effort to call attention to the GOP’s message du jour: that Democrats were unfairly exempting American Samoa from separate legislation raising the minimum wage. McHenry tried asking if American Samoa was exempt from the stem cell bill. Frank dismissed the effort. “That is not a parliamentary inquiry,” he sniffed. 

Undaunted, McHenry kept trying, but Frank wouldn’t recognize him. “So the gentleman will not recognize me for an additional parliamentary inquiry?” McHenry asked. “The chair will say, having heard several parliamentary inquiries that were not parliamentary inquiries …” Frank began. McHenry continued to press his case, further agitating Frank.

Finally, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) stepped in, with no more luck than McHenry had. He tried raising a point of order noting that Frank himself tried similar moves way back when he was in the minority, but Frank wouldn’t bite.

“Comments on the past behavior of the Speaker might be interesting, but they are not points of order,” Frank concluded.

Hey, thanks for getting shot at, here’s a wooden nickel

A few members of Congress think America’s military heroes deserve more than the equivalent of a faux Rolex from a street vendor. Under a bill introduced in both chambers last week, the Medal of Honor, the highest honor bestowed by branches of the military for service, would go from being mostly plated medallions worth about 30 bucks to actual, real gold.

The Marine Corps Times reported last week that Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.), who is sponsoring the bill with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), was upset to learn that the military awards are much less valuable than the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, which run about $30,000 apiece.

Under the bill, which the duo also introduced last year to no avail, medals would have to be made of at least 90 percent gold.

“When we recognize their exceptional service, I believe the United States of America can do better than a $30 gold knock-off,” Kerry agreed, according to the article.

Ante’s not up in Vitter-Obama bet

Please, oh, please, not another one. Can we just say enough with the “friendly bets” between lawmakers whose home teams are playing one another? Of course not. 

But can we at least make ’em interesting? Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) have a little wager riding on the outcome of the New Orleans Saints-Chicago Bears NFC Championship game, the winner of which goes to the Super Bowl and, presumably, will be the subject of yet another goofy bet. 

The prize? The winner has to make a congratulatory speech on the Senate floor and “serve the winner’s staff a sampling of home cuisine,” according to Vitter’s office. Zzzz…

How about another push-up session, like the one Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) had to deliver when Ohio State lost to Florida last week?