It wouldn’t be D.C. without a scandal in Congress, a White House official going to jail, and a headline with the words “Marion Barry” and “cocaine.”

Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) was indicted yesterday on 16 counts after a 16-month corruption investigation. When I was on Capitol Hill this morning to publicize the Campus Progress National Student Conference, I strolled past Jefferson’s office in the Rayburn House Building. I’m not sure why I was expecting caution tape and a CSI team, but they were nowhere to be found. Just another day of googling and wikipedia for the interns. 

Less than 24 hours later and just across the Potomac, Scooter Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison for lying to a grand jury and obstructing the C.I.A. leak investigation. You’ll be hearing all about this one from the MSM so I’ll save my words for the next D.C. story which deserves play outside the Beltway.

I was halfway through a roasted cob of corn, my favorite streetfair fare, at dinner Sunday night when I heard that a woman had sped through a crowded street festival in Anacostia, hitting 40 people and smashing countless jars of shea butter and scented oils. The story would have likely received only the minimal coverage typically reserved for news from Southeast were it not for a twist uncovered by some investigative reporting. Turns out the driver was high on crack cocaine and worked for a man also known to be fond of the rock, former D.C. mayor and current councilman Marion Barry.