Two years ago, on August 24, 2005, an employee at the Capitol Lounge, an institution just two blocks from the Cannon House Office Building, left a burning cigarette in a garbage can while cleaning up after closing. The cigarette caught fire and damaged much of the building, forcing the bar to close for four months. Hill workers, from interns to members of Congress, were heartbroken. Where would they find half-price pizza on Monday night and ten-cent wings on Tuesdays, all while sitting under display cases of buttons from campaigns dating back 75 years and Nixon for President signs?

Early this morning, Capitol Lounge burned again, this time started, firefighters believe, by a fire in a dumpster behind the building. The blaze comes four months after fires damaged two other beloved Washington institutions, Eastern Market and the historic Georgetown Library.

One only hopes the Lounge returns to business as soon as possible, and that the damage isn't too bad.

In actual political news today, leaving aside the Democratic forum last night, which Justin wrapped up earlier, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee is playing the expectations game as the countdown to the Iowa Straw Poll continues. He sat down with CBN's David Brody and told him that ex-Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has to be the "overwhelming" winner on Saturday. Brody, though, turns the expectations to Huckabee: "Huckabee MUST do well on Saturday -- no ifs, ands, or buts." Senator Sam Brownback is certainly hoping the same thing.

Washington Post's polling director Jon Cohen writes up his take on the Iowa Straw Poll. Cohen notes that George W. Bush spent over $100,000 on a tent location and barbeque at the 1999 straw poll, and an Iowa GOP spokeswoman confirms to RCP that the event is going to pull in more than $1 million for the party.

It is misleading to say that one candidate or another is the wild card going into Ames. The second-tier candidates are all wild cards, as are the top-tier candidates who aren't competing. But Texas Congressman Ron Paul is one who could surprise in a big way. A campaign spokesman says Paul's Iowa campaign team is making phone calls, but the camp won't be busing in supporters and won't ply voters with barbeque, two things every other campaign will do to woo anyone with a ballot.

In advance of the straw poll, Paul has become just the second Republican to air television ads in Iowa. And Paul has an undeniable following on the internet. Whether his campaign is working with those people to organize them into a massive group to travel to Ames is unknown, but if he is successful, Paul could take a significant share of the vote from other candidates. For all the internet buzz, Ames will be the first test of his actual support. Whatever the outcome for Paul, going into Saturday with absolutely no expectations -- either positive or negative -- is a good thing. He either impresses, if he does well, or is left out of the stories, which is better for him than failing to meet expectations.

On the Democratic side in Iowa, Senator Tom Harkin, the dean of the Democratic Party, told RadioIowa's O. Kay Henderson that he will not be making an endorsement this year. In late 2003, Harkin threw his support to former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, which led to some embarrassment when Dean finished third in that year's caucus. Adding insult to injury, Harkin stood behind Dean during the fateful "Dean scream," pumping his fist as Dean implodes on live TV.

Finally today, we know we've been a little Iowa-centric of late. But after Saturday, we can turn our attention to some of August's other hot events. Among them, John McCain (8/16), Tommy Thompson (8/20) and Barack Obama (8/22) stop by the Daily Show; the Illinois Republican Party holds their own straw poll on 8/16; the Indiana Republican Party hosts the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference from 8/23-26, where many '08 hopefuls will speak; Florida offers its compromise on holding a Democratic presidential primary 8/25; and the Texas GOP holds its own straw poll from 8/31 to 9/1.

Oh, and there's the Iowa Democratic debate on 8/19, a Lance Armstrong Foundation Democratic forum in Cedar Rapids 8/27, and the AFL-CIO rally in Cedar Rapids on 8/18. Just can't get away from Iowa.