The black duffel bag on the floor next to the fax machine wouldn't command your attention. It looks much like your average nylon gym bag, but its red tag suggests otherwise. It reads simply, "9 Masks."

Technically, they aren't masks -- as in gas masks -- stashed inside that bag. They are "escape hoods," and in this age of post-9/11 terror alerts, with Code Orange part of the daily jargon, escape hoods have become a vital part of the office-supply checklist here in Senator Jim Jeffords' office and all over Capitol Hill.... Read more