The reverend Jesse Jackson’s accidental admission that he’d like to emasculate Barack Obama was hardly the week’s only awkward idle chatter. Hillary Clinton teamed up with Obama for $4 million of meeting and greeting in midtown. Outspoken Virginia senator Jim Webb talked down the idea that he’d be the Democratic vice-presidential candidate. Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson discussed the excruciatingly slow progress of rebuilding the World Trade Center. Representative Charlie Rangel was initially at a loss for words after the Times revealed his sweetheart leases on four rent-stabilized apartments.

State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno hinted he’ll be gone from Albany before the leaves start to turn. As the mortgage mess continued to mushroom, the feds whispered about a bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. TLC honchos rejected cabbies’ request for a dollar-per-trip gas surcharge. The New York Historical Society’s plans to develop a 23-story condo tower became history.

The court-appointed psychiatrist in Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook’s divorce said they both need shrinks; days later, they reached a settlement. The Times removed part of the stepladder façade from its headquarters after a third climber scaled the building. In Bronx wildlife news, a coyote wandered the lawns of Riverdale, and the Skyfari ride was left hanging above the zoo. Bon Jovi fanatics dropped four figures for tickets to the band’s free Central Park show. The dance troupe Pilobolus debuted a puppets-and-people shadow play at the Joyce. iPhone freaks waited for days outside the Fifth Avenue Apple Store to upgrade. Ex–Wall Street Journalist Marcus Brauchli got the nod to take over the Washington Post.

C-Rod filed to void her prenup; friends speculated that A-Rod had been in love with Madonna for months; Lenny Kravitz wondered how he got mixed up in all this. And (married) 60 Minutes correspondent Lara Logan divulged that she was pregnant with a (married) Iraq contractor’s child and plans to become a blushing war bride — once their divorces are official. —Mark Adams