One of the delights of visiting Washington DC is to visit the many bookstores (though sadly Trovers and the Borders near the National Press Club have now closed). I get lots of new ideas - and pick up books which are either unavailable in the UK or are cheaper.
I've already visited Politics and Prose; Borders at 18th & L Street; the George Washington University Bookstore; and the bookstore in the Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress. Unbelieveably, I can still lift my case!
Already I have original editions of "The Making of the President 1960" and "...1972". They are great studies for anyone interested in political campaigning - as well as US political history. Theodore White (C-SPAN programme about the influence of Theodore White is available here.) was a political journalist, who wrote the first of the series (1960), and continued through 1972. He began a tradition of campaign books which has now mushroomed. He died in May 1986.