If you were wondering where all the powerful people were Wednesday night, you probably weren’t at the Jefferson Hotel’s Plume Restaurant.

Deficit hater Pete Peterson hosted what looked like a mini-Bretton Woods Conference: Sens. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Reps. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas), Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).

Joining the lawmakers were Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, former Fed Chairmen Paul Volcker and Alan Greenspan, International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde, Business Roundtable chief John Engler, former Treasury Secretaries Hank Paulson and Robert Rubin, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget President Maya MacGuineas, Aetna CEO Mark Bertolini, Peterson Institute for International Economics Director C. Fred Bergsten, senior Treasury aides Gene Sperling and Lael Brainard and Center for American Progress Chairman John Podesta.

Whew.

“I looked around and I thought, ‘Nobody should drop a bomb on this room,’” our HOH tipster says.

“I have always felt that the best way to understand economic and political currents and to advance effective solutions is to bring together the most respected and influential voices,” Peterson said in an invite to the event.

Rubber chicken was definitely NOT served.