Washington Monthly: Tidbits & outrages

He claims he was running an undercover sting operation.

The second highest-ranking official in Washington, D.C.'s child-support agency is being sued for failing to pay child support.

They're still better than the Supreme Court.

Al Gore must be relieved. Ralph Nader has teamed up with the League of Fans, a sports-industry watchdog, to launch a crusade against the "notorious" quality of NBA officiating.

DIDN'T HAVE THE ROCKS TO SIGN IT

The Oklahoma state Senate recently passed a 35-5 vote on a bill that would have castrated sex offenders ... twice. A first offense would permit chemical castration; a second, surgical castration (which only Texas allows). A poll by an Oklahoma City television station suggested 75 percent of callers favor the bill, which Gov. Frank Keating vetoed.

You Bet Your Life.

Israeli police are probing a gambling ring suspected of offering odds on which city will be the target of the next Palestinian suicide bomber, according to Reuters. The shortest odds are in Jerusalem (3-2) and the longest in the Red Sea tourist resort of Eilat (17-1).

PARTY ANIMAL

A San Francisco man faces six months in jail and a $1000 fine for registering his toy poodle, Barnabus, as a Republican. Donald Miller says he wanted to draw attention to the laxity of voter-registration laws, but was busted when Barnabus got a jury summons.