RAHM AT THE TOP
Nobody can say that President Bush doesn’t take bipartisanship seriously. On Wednesday Bush flew into the Windy City for a roundtable with citizens and doctors on health-care reform and then a speech to an Illinois medical association. On the flight were his Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and Republican Sen. Peter Fitzgerald, as well as Chicago freshman Democrat Rep. Rahm Emanuel.

No word on whether Emanuel attempted to pilfer any Air Force One souvenirs left in place since the last time he was on board the plane as a senior Clinton adviser.

But Emanuel did take advantage of the free flight to go and schmooze the White House press corps on the way home to Washington. In fact, when reporters peppered him with questions about his opinions on the Middle East, Emanuel demurred. Instead, he badmouthed the president’s Medicare and prescription drug plan — a key reason for Bush’s trip to Chicago — and, handing out his business card, encouraged reporters to call him about his own health-care plan.

“Given his behavior, I’d be surprised if he was invited back,” said a reporter on the trip.

LYING HISTORY
Simon and Schuster is thrilled with the initial sales of Hillary Clinton‘s Living History. But internal memos indicate that that feeling of good cheer will be short-lived. Part of the plan to generate buzz on the book was the leaking of some of the most sensational tidbits that had been pulled together by three ghostwriters for the former first lady.

“That was really to jump-start the sales,” says a Simon and Schuster editor. “It’s a tried and true technique.”

But, says the editor, there are real concerns this book won’t have staying power. “All the people that really love her and want the book have already gotten it. We know we are not going to be seeing hundred thousand sales two weeks from now.”