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Political Circus: Hotties in the House

By Ed Hornick, CNN
Adam Kinzinger isn't just an incoming freshman Republican in the House. He's also a decorated military man.
Adam Kinzinger isn't just an incoming freshman Republican in the House. He's also a decorated military man.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • A "don't ask, don't tell" war between Cindy and John McCain?
  • Rep. Denis Kucinich writes about his new diet plan
  • Meghan McCain's Secret Service name: Peter Sellers
RELATED TOPICS

Washington (CNN) -- Politics is serious business, but not all of the time. From the halls of Congress to the campaign trail, there's always something that gets a laugh. Here are some of the things you might have missed.

I'm not just a pretty face!

Check out Politico's "10 Crushworthy New Reps" featuring Hansen Clarke, Colleen Hanabusa, Adam Kinzinger and Kristi Noem.

Kinzinger, described by many Hill staffers as "the new hottie on the block," gets this glowing endorsement from writer Karin Tanabe:

"Why he's crushworthy: He's heroic. He won the U.S. Air Force Airman's Medal for saving a woman's life in 2007. Plus, we'll say it: He's handsome. A pilot and an Iraq war veteran, Kinzinger, in aviators and a flight suit, conjures up memories of Tom Cruise in 'Top Gun' -- which isn't a bad thing!"

As for GOP rising star Noem from South Dakota? "She's more than pretty. Noem isn't just a strikingly attractive woman, she's a strikingly attractive woman who can run a farm."

'A happy wife is happy life'

Republican Sen. John McCain's wife, Cindy -- a staunch supporter of gay rights -- is featured in an ad for the NOH8 campaign championing the repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

"Our political and religious leaders tell LGBT youth that they have no future," she said in the ad, which features other celebrities. "They can't serve our country openly."

Her ad, though, could cause some issues at home. After all, her husband has signaled he is against repealing the law, which bars openly gay men and women from serving in the military.

From the Twitterverse

What's in a name, you ask? McCain's daughter Meghan has the answer.

@McCainBlogette: " 'Peter Sellers' was my secret service nickname and has been my pseudonym at hotels for YEARS (whenever a crazy person threatening my family)"

The next South Beach Diet?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, and his wife are planning to write a vegan diet book called "The Cleveland Diet."

It will detail Kucinich's "evolution from eating a traditional meat-and-potatoes diet to eating no animal products," according to the article.

Headline of the day

Gawker: "White House Undecided On Whether To Let Republicans Walk All Over Them"

Mama Grizzly's Alaska, or the other way around?

Sarah Palin's new reality show, "Sarah Palin's Alaska," premieres this Sunday on The Learning Channel. But it's already being panned -- especially by New York Daily News columnist David Hinckley.

"Whether you think Palin is America's breath of fresh air or a lightweight opportunist, there can be no argument this show is way more Palin than Alaska," he wrote. "If she were buying the time, she couldn't have created a more flattering infomercial."

Happy to be here? Raise your hands ...

In this handout photo to Getty Images, members of the G-20 Economic Summit pose for their class shot. The photo was taken Friday at the fifth meeting of the G-20 group of nations in Seoul, South Korea.

Notable quotable

"President Obama is meeting with world leaders in South Korea today at the G-20 economic summit. John McCain heard 'G-20,' and he yelled 'Bingo!' " -- George Lopez

Late-night laughs

Stephen Colbert: "Wall Street hands out record bonuses. Poor people -- get ready to be trickled down on."

Jimmy Fallon: "This guy in Indonesia wrote this book about President Obama. ... It's 5,472 pages long -- the thickest book in the world. The book is called 'One of Obama's Speeches.' "

David Letterman: "I'll say this -- the president [George W. Bush] looks great now and is everywhere talking about his book. And he is being very candid: In one interview, he said that he used to do stupid things while he was drunk. But think about it: Who among us hasn't had a couple of drinks and invaded Iraq?"