Newseum campaign trail exhibit

Tina Fey's red suit, flag pin and eyeglasses worn to parody Sarah Palin in the 2008 presidential race are on view at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., along with items from candidates and journalists who made history in presidential politics.

WHAT YOU'LL SEE

The new exhibit, "Every Four Years: Presidential Campaigns and the Press," will be updated with material from the long campaign season ahead. It includes relics of presidents and comics from long before "Saturday Night Live."

There are handwritten notes by candidate John F. Kennedy during a 1960 debate with Richard Nixon, a radio microphone used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt for his "fireside chats" and political ads from Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Besides Fey's costume, the Newseum also borrowed the jacket Amy Poehler used to impersonate Hillary Clinton, a set of "pork knives" used by Sen. John McCain on "SNL" when he pretended to sell items on QVC to cut campaign debt, and the mask worn by then Sen. Barack Obama on "SNL" in 2007 for a sketch about a Halloween party hosted by the Clintons.

CAMPAIGN NOSTALGIA

The Newseum pulled together about 120 objects and images dating to President William McKinley's campaign in 1896, which McKinley ran from his front porch, while his opponent William Jennings Bryan traveled thousands of miles to make his pitch.

A case of campaign memorabilia includes Hillary Clinton's beer mug and shot glass from her campaign stop at a bar in Crown Point, Ind., and President Barack Obama's bowling ball and size 14 1/2 bowling shoes from a stop in Altoona, Pa.

There's a cowboy hat given to President George W. Bush in the 2004 campaign and a guitar labeled "The Prez" that President George H.W. Bush played at his 1988 inaugural ball.

Other sections explore the effect of radio, television, faster travel and the occasional scandal on a presidential race.

From the media world, Katie Couric lent her purple suit from a newsmaking interview with Palin on CBS in 2008 and her notes from the interview. Tim Russert's white dry erase board from election night in 2000 is on view with the words he wrote that night: "Florida, Florida, Florida," as well as a gold-plated microphone from talk radio's Rush Limbaugh.

Details at newseum.org.