Fire Sale! Discount spelling bee tickets available for National Press Club members

The National Press Club's Centennial Spelling Bee is just a few days away on Sept. 18. As senators, members of congress and Beltway journalists brush up on their silent p's and b's, the Press Club is offering an additional $5 discount to Club members -- making them $15 for two hours of once-in-a-century entertainment.

Tickets are on sale here.

The proceeds from the tickets go to support the Club's Journalism Institute. Should members not be persuaded by the prospect of funding scholarships and helping journalists adapt to 21st century media, satirist Mark Russell might seal the deal. The Club favorite will be making a special appearance as the two teams of nine go head-to-head in a spelldown.

Politicians include Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who in an email said he would adopt a simple strategy: "I'm just going to bee myself."

Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., said that he's a visual person and will concentrate on sounding words out. His communications director was more direct: "Contestants beware."

Journalists include CBS News' Major Garrett, who played the self-deprecating card in an interview with FishbowlDC.

"I am not remotely confident in my abilities," he told editor Betsy Rothstein, "and I intend to invoke the Don Rickles method during the competition. On the "Tonight Show," Garrett explained, Johnny Carson asked Rickles if he could spell Chihuahua. Rickles said he could: D-O-G.