The circuit

U.S. Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D., Md.), the House Democratic whip, hit Montgomery County on Thursday to stump for the county's Democratic congressional candidates. Among his stops Thursday was a fund-raiser for Josh Shapiro, 30, who is running for Pennsylvania's 153d District House seat against Jon Fox. How did Harrisburg-hopeful Shapiro land Beltway-insider Hoyer? Shapiro was Rep. Joe Hoeffel's chief of staff and knew Hoyer from Capitol Hill. The short answer: Shapiro just picked up the phone and asked.