Washington gridlock....not

My colleague Tony Norman and I drove over to Capitol Hill this morning to pick up some media credentials.  The much-anticipated Washington traffic did not materialize.  Just past Georgetown, at the edge of Washington Circle and K Street, we encountered our very first road-block, complete with soldiers in camouflage and sand-colored Humvees, but we were able to drive unhindered all the way over the Union Station and park within a block of the Russell Senate Office Building.  Again, I found myself to be the only print reporter picking up a credential.  Where is everyone?

Just across the cavernous marble hallway in the Russell building, as it happens, was Sen. Bob Casey's office.  A skeleton staff of three cheerily greeted me, probably glad to see a human being -- Kristen Gentile, the office's administrative director, said it was very busy day yesterday with Pennsylvanians coming in to get their tickets. 

To answer my own question:  Everyone is probably at the Emily's List luncheon at the Washington Hilton, which is where I'm posting from now. Secretary of State nominee Hillary Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other noted women politicos are scheduled to arrive shortly to speak to an audience of over 2,000 people, most of them female.  Just to update: Emily's List is a fundraising organization for progressive female candidates.  They've just introduced a bunch of women legislators -- in the House and Senate.  Lots of loud cheers and talk about rebuilding America with the power of women...

I'm seated in the back of the room next to former Post-Gazette-intern-now-Bloomberg-diplomatic-correspondent Indira Lakshmanan, who had breakfast this morning with Desmond Tutu.  Everyone is dining on salmon and there are cupcakes for dessert.  The only person I've recognized was actress Fran Dreschel and Susie Tompkins Buell, former head of clothing house Esprit, and one of Mrs. Clinton's biggest "bundlers" -- i.e. she helped Mrs. Clinton raise lots of money and was publicly distraught when the New York senator lost.  Today, presumably, she's gotten over it.

More later.