— Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) advises Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) on dog care during a languishing Energy and Commerce Committee markup. Upton had said, “My dog is waiting for me to take her outside soon.”

The Pennsylvania Republican said he occasionally jams with Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) but typically plucks solo.

“I usually play quietly to avoid winding up on YouTube,” Murphy told HOH.

The self-taught musician admitted that he does sometimes perform satirical ditties, such as his “Bailout Blues,” at charity fundraisers and comedy clubs:

I got little lax with my income tax, my payments were in arrears,
Why should I care what the taxman says if the government don’t pay theirs?
Said the IRS, “Boy you got a mess, and your payments cannot fail,
Or we’ll take your shoes and your watch and sox,
And throw your butt in jail!”

Chorus:

I want a bailout, he wants a bailout, she wants a bailout, too.
I’ve got no cash left to my name, so I’ll get some from you.
Show me the money, and don’t worry honey, don’t matter when it’s due,
I wanna, he wanna ,she wanna, we wanna all bailed out, don’t you?

Sticking it to the man. Always music to our ears.

— An educator speaking at the Story Partners reception held at the home of the public affairs firm’s chairman, Gloria Story Dittus.

(Courtesy Dan Lacey)

Dan Lacey, the man known as the Pancake Painter, has struggled over the years with his faith and his politics.

His recent painting, “Obama Lohan Icelandic Volcano,” encapsulates this tension.

“That painting was about nature punishing man,” Lacey explains.

The painting shows the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull erupting to smother or punish the earth as an act of God. Simultaneously, President Barack Obama is punishing actress Lindsay Lohan “for her behavior,” Lacey says.

“So what I am saying is that the act of God creates calamity, but man working in the place of God can work for the good,” he posits.

That struggle with faith and politics goes back 20 years.

He was raised Roman Catholic but broke with the church as he grew older.

“When I went away from [Catholicism], I was very much a liberal,” Lacey tells us.

In turn, he tried to convince others to leave Christianity. Then he had a spiritual reawakening.

“[And] when I was saved,” he says. “I immediately became a Republican.”

Lacey enjoyed fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s for his online Christian conservative comic strip, FaithMouse.

Lacey says he was a favorite of the Christian right, and the Family Research Council even brought him to Washington for a signing.

After 9/11, however, Lacey says he took more risks with the strip and ended up being rejected by conservatives.

“I had [a] real falling out with my side of the political aisle,” he says. Perhaps as a result, Lacey began to lose his faith.

To process, he turned from cartooning to what would become his unique brand of political painting.

“I’m a self-taught artist,” Lacey tells HOH. “[Though] I went to the Art Center of Pasadena, Calif., on a scholarship.”

“I’m not an outsider artist,” he insists. “[An outsider artist] has done art on their own. Perhaps they’re a little bit insane, but that’s not what I am.”

His fascination with pancakes stemmed from an early Internet meme, which was a picture of a bunny balancing a dorayaki on his head. A dorayaki is a Japanese sweet that looks an awful lot like a pancake.

The picture served as shorthand for “I don’t know what you’re talking about, so here’s a bunny with a pancake on your head,” Lacey explains.

Something about the image and how it communicated bewilderment resonated as he coped with losing his faith, political party and work.

“I’m still a conservative,” he continued. “[But I] actually feel that conservatives have ruined [the government].”

The pancake painter has spent many years now painting the sticky sweet breakfast confection resting on the heads of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin (R), Minnesota Sen. Al Franken (D), Texas Rep. Ron Paul (R) and others.

Obama is now getting his share of pancake portraits. Often in these pieces, the pancake suggests a halo.

“[The work is] sort of a play on the Messiah, on the savior Christ,” Lacey said. “I just went with that. I just said, ‘What if the humanist Messiah actually was?’”

Lacey isn’t entirely sure whether he is for or against Obama, or either party. His work sends up or brings down the full spectrum of public figures, as seen in works such as “Governor Mark Sanford pancake” and “Rahm Emanuel Hamantashen cookies.”

“I’m at peace now with my loss of faith,” Lacey says. “My wife is a very firm-in-her-faith Catholic. I really do enjoy the comfort in that.”

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Secretary of Energy Steven Chu took to Facebook to show off his inner fanboy, sprinkling his pseudo-review of the box office record-smashing movie “The Avengers” with calls for tax credits and pleas for broader interest in science.

Unlike some professional film critics, Chu stays away from spoilers and philosophical debates about whether Joss Whedon’s ensemble super hero flick should be praised for carving out its own place in the Marvel-verse or panned for departing from the sacrosanct comic book canon.

What he does want to discuss is the coveted “Tesseract,” the source of unlimited energy that drives the intergalactic thrill ride:

According to Chu, the race to capitalize on clean energy technology has captured the imagination of innovators around the world.

“This is now a $260 billion global market, a sum that would impress even Tony Stark,” Chu writes, solidifying his street cred by invoking the name of Iron Man’s incredibly well-heeled alter ego.

Although he’s proud of the steps America is already taking, Chu warns that there is still much work to do — particularly by lawmakers.

“One step Congress should take immediately is to renew the expiring tax credits for clean energy — a step that will create jobs and help American companies compete,” he charged, adding, “When it comes to clean energy, our motto should be: ‘Invented in America, Made in America, Sold Around the World.’”

No word on if the pop culture diatribe scored Chu any new “friends” on the cash-seeking social media site. But many  people seemed to enjoy the segue.

“Okay, you just got a little bit cooler,” commenter Richard Mullen suggested.

Lawrence Herbert went ahead and placed Chu on a pedestal: “Dr. Chu – you’re one of America’s Superheroes too!” he declared.

Indeed, in a city often sharply divided along class, racial and partisan lines, Brown’s infectious grooves and gravely voice bridged every difference between Washingtonians.

For instance, as news broke of Brown’s passing, Doug Heye, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (Va.) deputy chief of staff, tweeted, “Chuck Brown, rest in peace. Glad I saw him live and that I bought Bustin’ Loose on 45 when I was a kid. #WindMeUp.”

“Chuck Brown’s funky go-go beat put hometown D.C. on the map, rescuing forever our town from its stolid, gray ‘government town’ image and giving the District of Columbia an identity of its very own.  How many cities in this country have their own sound?” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said in a statement Thursday.

“Music comes and most music goes, but Chuck’s go-go goes on from generation to generation with undiminished popularity. You hear it and if you can move, you do. His beat commands you to dance, and go-go means what it says, go and do not stop!” she added.

Dan Ronayne, a Washington area native who has worked in GOP politics, points to Brown’s legendary December 2005 show with James Brown at the 9:30 Club as one of his favorite memories of the Godfather.

There were a “lot of VIP transplants to D.C. … with no idea who Chuck Brown was. Listening to them walk out [after the show] wondering aloud if they like Chuck more than James was one of my proudest townie moments,” Ronayne said.

Brown, 75, passed away Wednesday after a lengthy bout of pneumonia, sending shockwaves through a city that revered him.

Best known for songs like “Bustin’ Loose,” “Wind Me Up” and “Go-Go Swing,” over his 40 year career Brown created a unique version of funk that defined the sound of the District.

“Today is a very sad day for music lovers the world over, but especially in the District of Columbia. Without Chuck Brown, the world — and our city — will be a different place,” Mayor Vincent Gray said in a statement.

Brown’s musical forays into politics were rare but memorable, including “We the People,” the title track from Brown’s band The Soul Searchers in 1972.

An impersonator of former President George W. Bush also makes an appearance in the video for Brown’s 2007 single “The Party Roll,” in which the president pleads with the Godfather for help:

“It’s a matter of national security!” faux Dubya begs.

“Gas prices are high, approval ratings are low and I’m in the middle of an unpopular war and Condi keeps eyeing me,” the faux Bush laments. “We’re gonna throw a party to throw peoples’ minds off all these things. But Chuck, have you ever been to a White House party? Lame. Lame-o … you can show them how to party!”

For good measure, the real George Clinton and former Mayor Marion Barry help show them how to party.

Film star Sigourney Weaver takes her first turn on the small screen as Elaine Barrish Hammond, a former first lady turned Secretary of State with possible designs on an even higher calling. (And we don’t mean a clever Tumblr tribute.) Ciaran Hinds portrays Donald “Bud” Hammond, the ex-POTUS with a penchant for dropping his pants. And Carla Gugino keeps tabs on everyone as Susan Berg, a reporter for the fictional Washington Globe.

We’ve not yet seen the show. Still, we can’t help but feel like we know these characters pretty well …

“Political Animals” debuts July 15 on USA.

This particular model, which runs about $250,000, has been making the rounds. Another Southern California Republican, Rep. John Campbell, was seen stepping out of a Rolls-Royce Ghost earlier this week. Campbell is known for his stable of classic and luxury cars, as well as his everyday ride, his Ferrari 550m V12 coupe.

So what’s the story? Does Issa, who ranked No. 2 in Roll Call’s list of 50 Richest Members of Congress in 2011, have a new whip?

Picture of the Rolls Royce Ghost that House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa was spotted exiting. (Courtesy Anonymous)

“Rep. Issa just got a short lift in a cool car. It’s not his, and he’s not looking to trade in or up!” Issa’s spokesman Frederick Hill tells HOH. He declined to say whose car it was.

Huh. Guess we should keep on the lookout for Ghosts roaming Capitol Hill.

– Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist on fellow “Funniest Celebrity in Washington” contestant Rep. Dennis Kucinich via Twitter. Doesn’t sound like he’ll miss Kucinich’s politics much, but he’s obviously heartbroken about no more stand-up.

One day after Boehner threw down a debt limit gauntlet, Obama hosted Congressional leaders at the White House, greeting them with olive-oil-soaked hoagies.

Fresh from a small-business roundtable at Taylor Gourmet, the president ordered takeout for a meeting about his “to-do” list for Congress.

Unfortunately for Washington commuters, this gesture led to massive downtown gridlock thanks to the security measures required to guarantee the safety of the roundtable at Taylor’s location at 14th and T streets Northwest.

But back to the food. The White House pool report confirmed that “[the] president ordered a 12-inch Spruce Street hoagie, which has roast turkey, prosciutto, roasted red peppers and sharp provolone.”

What he grabbed for everyone else wasn’t immediately clear. But he did throw down $62.79 for the deliciousness that had all of Washington excited.

Amid some policy stuff, Boehner’s office said the Ohio Republican liked his hoagie.

“The president began the meeting by laying out some of his policy goals, including his ‘to-do list’ for Congress. The bulk of the meeting was spent discussing other issues, including the next debt limit increase and the looming expiration of current tax rates.”

“The Speaker,” the statement from his office concluded, “was very pleased with the sandwiches served.”

“This was the first time [Boehner] had a Taylor sandwich,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel tells HOH. “[He] thoroughly enjoyed it.”

For those who enjoy Taylor Gourmet, the news that Obama noshed there might have sent some shivers. Wherever the Obamas eat, crowds typically follow. But not to worry. Taylor Gourmet is successful enough to have a few other locations, including on H Street Northeast and near downtown on K Street, as well as in Bethesda, Md. Food tourists can’t invade them all.

Art and Soul is certainly looking to jump-start untold hours of patio lounging with the return of its weekly crab boils. The restaurant, located at the Liaison Capitol Hill hotel, is planning to roll out the red carpet for seafood lovers by offering up Cajun-spiced, Maryland blue crabs — the restaurant’s executive chef, Wes Morton, is a Louisiana native — from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. each Wednesday. Those in search of liquid refreshment can suck down discounted suds ($4 drafts and $16 pitchers of Flying Dog Brewery’s seasonal selections) beginning at 4 p.m. the same afternoon.

Crabs — jumbos, we’re told — will set you back $21 for three, $40 for six or $72 per dozen.

Not partial to picking? The restaurant also doles out Cajun-style sausage, potatoes and corn on the cob for $3 each.

The social butterflies behind Brightest Young Things will be hosting a preseason happy hour this Wednesday that has ostensibly “sold out” (tickets were free, but you had to RSVP), though walk-ins are still welcome.

A restaurant aide said the “regular” happy hours will begin May 30 and are expected to stretch past Labor Day (weather permitting).

Netflix is prepping its first homegrown series, the politically themed “House of Cards,” and needs an army of authentic-looking Washingtonians to flesh out the cast.

“We’d like to get 300-400 people,” Central Casting Co-founder Carol Ness said of the open audition her company is hosting from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. this Sunday at 901 Restaurant and Bar (901 Ninth St. NW).

The plan is to recruit locals who can impersonate “Members of Congress, staffers, lobbyists, aides and interns” in the background while series stars Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright chew up the scenery. Hopefuls need only be 21-70 years old and provide three amateur photos (headshot, full-body shot and candid snapshot).

Any extras retained at Sunday’s audition will likely have the chance to appear in a “big scene” currently slated for a June 8 taping.

Ness told HOH that the crew is currently shooting the show’s third and fourth episodes, with most of the taping (so far) taking place in Baltimore.

Even if you don’t get tapped for the June taping, Ness said Central Casting will gladly keep folks on file for future projects.

Need more immediate gratification? 901 is rolling out “HoC” drink specials for all who brave the audition process.

Political polar opposites (and spouses) James Carville and Mary Matalin are featured in the bourbon producer’s latest commercial — a spot advocating the rise of the all-inclusive “Cocktail Party”:

The clip might be new, but the campaign has apparently been under way since the beginning of the year. Invites to the regional, members-only meet-ups — the inaugural event took place March 2 in Austin  — appear to have been blasted out back in January.

Participating “Maker’s Mark Ambassadors” (a.k.a. anyone willing to pimp out their email address for regular alerts) can still jockey for entry into the New York (June 8), San Francisco (July 27) or Loretta, Ky., (Nov. 3) events.

As part of the promotion, Maker’s Mark is also soliciting planks for their party “platform,” the best of which will be vetted on their website each week. Our current favorite:

“Life, liberty, and clean rocks glass” — Drew Hough.

That guy’s got our vote.

[Editor's note: The view expressed below does not necessarily represent those of Heard on the Hill. Most of CQ Roll Call loves Taylor Gourmet — nom nom nom — though, as with everything, there are outliers.]

Good thing I left my apartment earlier than usual this morning.

President Barack Obama’s hankering [ed. note — It was the small-business roundtable] for a Taylor Gourmet turkey sandwich snarled up my commute by offloading my Circulator bus heading down K Street and forcing me to trek over to the McPherson Square Metro station and transfer once again to make it to our NoMA (a.k.a. North of Massachusetts Avenue) office building.

The motorcade traveled up 14th Street to get to the overpriced — and soon to be overcrowded — sandwich shop and tangled up traffic trying to cross over the thoroughfare.

Two buses, two Metro trains and one hour later, I made it into the office.

Tunesmiths Stephen Bishop, Irving Burgie, Dino Fekaris, Dan Foliart, Melanie, Terri Nunn, Ray Parker Jr., Stephen Schwartz, Valerie Simpson, Chris Stapleton and Tom Whitlock all took their turns on stage, sharing anecdotes about their winding careers and the iconic songs they were entrusting to the LOC.

(Library of Congress Photo/Abby Brack Lewis)

Each performer was introduced by a Member of Congress, some of whom shared either a personal connection with the songwriter — as was the case with Reps. John Lewis (D-Ga.) and Billy Long (R-Mo.) — while the rest were paired up according to basic geography (songwriter was born or had lived in their general area).

Parker was probably the liveliest show man, opening with “The Other Woman,” his most “mischievous” hit, and following it up with a guitar heavy cover of “Ghostbusters.”

“I was gonna put on a shirt and tie but I thought this would be better,” the singer said, puffing out the rhinestone-studded American flag on his designer t-shirt.

(Library of Congress Photo/Abby Brack Lewis)

He joked that suiting up in D.C. might have inspired him to run for office. “I could see that happening,” he teased.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) heaped praise on octogenarian songwriter Burgie, introducing him as the “Francis Scott Key of Barbados;” Burgie penned the national anthem for his native Caribbean nation.

Burgie reveled in the attention, reminding folks that his original collaboration with Harry Belafonte, “Calypso,” became the first album in America to sell more than 1 million copies.

(Library of Congress Photo/Abby Brack Lewis)

And he made sure to give folks a show, shuffling around on stage — almost all out strutting, in fact — while revisiting his most iconic tunes:

The crowd ate it up, rewarding Burgie with the first standing ovation of the night.

Long was folksy and charming during his speech — until he inadvertently stepped in it. The freshman lawmaker regaled the audience with a story about his early days in Washington, D.C., fondly recalling how “Dr. Billingsley” was one of the first people he met in town. I’m sure the Librarian of Congress, Dr. James Billington, appreciated knowing he’d made such a lasting impression (his actual name, not so much).

Lewis extolled the power of the performers’ influence, noting that, “Without music, the civil rights movement would have been a bird without wings:”

In the audience: Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), former White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card and actress Jane Seymour. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) missed the performances but did make an appearance at the post-show reception.