Former Texas Rep. Charlie Wilson (D) is known as much for his role in CIA espionage as he is for his one-liners. So it was no surprise that actor Tom Hanks, who plays the hard-partying womanizer in the upcoming movie “Charlie Wilson’s War,” employed a little Wilsonian humor when he recently met up with some of the former Congressman’s staffers. [IMGCAP(1)]

Hanks filled in for Wilson, who is recovering from heart surgery, at the Nov. 15 Washington “Legends” fundraiser. At the event, Hanks mixed with former Wilson female staffers, who are legendary in their own right for being nicknamed “Charlie’s Angels” because of their, shall we say, assets. Hanks stayed in character as he greeted the former angels by riffing on the first half of the oft-quoted Wilson line — “So, can you type?” To which he got the quick-witted reply from former Wilson staffer D’Anna Tindal: “No, but we got great tits.”

Of her repartee with Hanks, Tindal, who worked for Wilson during the 1980s, says, “What else can you say? He started it, but it just sort of popped out.”

While the angels haven’t gotten a sneak peek at the film yet, Tindal says many former angels, who have lived with that title much to their chagrin, helped the studio’s prop department with details on everything from what color file folders the office used to whether the labels were typed or hand-written. Tindal even got campaign paraphernalia that she sent to the prop shop back with a made-for-movie “Re-Elect Wilson” button featuring Hanks’ mug.

Tindal says more than 20 angels are expected to attend a movie preview Wednesday to benefit the Disabled American Veterans Charitable Service Trust.

Seeing Green. It was just a matter of time before Members of Congress started using the holiday season to their benefit — campaign fundraisers, snapshots with the local Santa and his elves.

South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint went a step further, sending a campaign e-mail missive yesterday with the subject line, “The U.S. Senate Needs a Grinch this Christmas.” In the e-mail, DeMint takes it upon himself to play the Grinch, saying Democrats are on a Congressional spending spree, playing Santa Claus with taxpayers’ money.

While DeMint promises to clamp down in true Grinch fashion, he also does a bit of his own begging. In the postscript, DeMint asks for supporters to help him finish the year out strong by sending in campaign donations. “I promise to do everything in my power as a United States Senator to stop Democrat spending in its tracks. But I need your help to finish out the year strong,” he writes.

Unsurprisingly, Democrats weren’t thrilled with DeMint’s bait and switch. “Doesn’t Senator DeMint realize that the Grinch fails in the end?” said Jim Manley, spokesman for Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “Which is exactly what is going to happen to Senate Republicans if they continue to stick with their failed strategy of standing in the way of America’s priorities.”

Southern Gentleman. Washington often gets a bad rap as city full of pushy, career-climbing politicos where even the interns think they are important. Not Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.).

Shelby made an impression of a different sort with a local taxi driver, according to the blog “Diary of a Mad DC Cabbie.”

“Yes this dude was always nice to me and next time he’s up for re-election I think I am moving to Alabama just to vote for him,” wrote the anonymous blogger in a post last week. “Mad Cabbie” writes that he would pick Shelby up in Georgetown and drive him to the Russell Senate Office Building. The time spent together has left the cabbie with warm fuzzies as he gushed about the Alabama Republican, complimenting him on carrying on political conversations even though their political views differ, admiring his slim physique, and the trademark of a good rider — over-tipping.

Shelby spokeswoman Laura Henderson wasn’t at all surprised by the cabbie’s high praise for her boss. “This is obviously a lot more flattering than the average taxicab confession. I’m thrilled that the rest of the city is finding out about Senator Shelby’s friendliness, generosity, and hard work in the gym each morning,” she quipped.

Target Practice. Vice President Cheney didn’t exactly garner a welcome wagon when he made a stop in Kansas to stump for GOP state Sen. Nick Jordan, a prized House candidate, last week.

In fact, not all of Jordan’s neighbors were pleased to see Cheney. One went so far as to put out on their gate a “No Hunting” sign, complete with a hunter and shotgun, riffing off of Cheney’s shooting a friend while on a hunting trip last year. The move didn’t ruffle feathers in the Kansas state Republican Party, though.

“I’m pretty certain there’s no hunting in the city limits of Leawood so it was a little redundant,” said Christian Morgan, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party. “We got a good chuckle.”

The last laugh may have been on Democrats. The event raised around $100,000 for Jordan’s run to unseat Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore.

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