Though Mayor Villaraigosa turned D.C. on with his smile this week, he came home with little more than a bulging Rolodex and the same empty municipal pockets he left with.

The Democratic congressional delegation of California put their PR machines to work trumpeting his arrival, and the Mayor put his not inconsiderable schmoozing skills to good use, but it remains to be seen how sympathetic Republicans will be to funding requests from the city that uptight right-wingers view as Sodom, Gomorrah, and Paris (France, not Hilton) combined.

On Hizzoner's docket for this trip:

- Funding for the proposed 405 carpool lane, something car-lovin' Republicans should be able to get behind. Besides, it'll only cost a piddling $400 million dollars. Hell, that pittance wouldn't even pay for a week of combat operations in Iraq. It's chump change! Hand it over!

- A fairer share of Homeland Security funds. This may be a harder sell, since farm state Republicans love to bring home the bacon to such target rich environments (snicker!) as Goshen, WY and Absaraka, ND. Those folks take their Homeland Security very seriously - just check out the Wyoming state web site. Front and center is the Wyoming Homeland Security Advisory, which is currently at "Elevated" (Jayzuz, Edna, al-Qaida's comin' fer our cows!).

Can he swing it? Can he squeeze water from the GOP stones in Congress? Maybe. But, at the very least, he's taking his case right to 'em, blinding them with his grin while he sneaks a wing-tip into the cracked door, Jehovah Witness-style.  ¶ 9:46 PM