Lady Bird Johnson, one of the nation's most popular first ladies, will be honored this month with six postage stamps as part of the centennial celebration of her birth.
Five of the stamps illustrate her beautification programs and include landmarks like the U.S. Capitol, Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial surrounded by blooming plants and trees."The Postal Service is proud to issue this historic 'forever' stamp honoring a beloved first lady who worked tirelessly to make the United States a more beautiful place," Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said.The sixth stamp has Johnson's official White House portrait. She died in 2007.The dedication ceremony, which is free and open to the public, will be at 11 a.m. Nov. 30 in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center of the University of Texas at Austin. Learn more by visiting usps.com/shop.Election monitors?U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, may want to have a word with Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott about ... election monitors.Granger, who has an international visibility these days as chairwoman of the subcommittee that funds the State Department and international agencies, was observing elections in Georgia, the former Soviet state, from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5. She was part of a team of monitors from the International Republican Institute, a nonpartisan group that promotes democracy.These are the same kinds of monitors whom Abbott threatened with arrest in Texas.Shades of ...U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions recently left some congressional staffers placing bets. But it wasn't about the makeup of the House after Tuesday's election.It was about the Dallas Republican's hair color.After his divorce last year from Juanita, Sessions -- who for years sported a distinguished salt-and-pepper look -- was spotted at different times with locks that were red, blond, blondish and, well, no one's quite sure.One media blogger even suggested that Sessions' orange period made him look as if he "went swimming in a river of Tang."But since his surprise nuptials in August -- to Karen Diebel, a former Florida GOP congressional candidate -- Sessions seems to have settled back on gray.New chiefU.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Lewisville, has hired a new chief of staff to replace Barry Brown, who held the position for nearly a decade.Kelle A. Strickland -- who has served as counsel to the chairman of the House Ethics Committee since 2010 -- is taking the reins."Kelle is held in high regard, and she has a proven track record," Burgess said. "Her enthusiasm and work ethic, coupled with her political, legislative and leadership skills, will make her a great addition to my office."Strickland, an Alabama native, graduated from the Cumberland School of Law in 1996.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
