As we anxiously await lesser Baldwin brother Stephen's self-imposed exile, the McCain-grieving, born again zealot remains on domestic soil, plugging his latest book—an essential addition to the religio-detective canon called The Death and Life of Gabriel Phillips: A Novel—on the Christian bookstore circuit. And who should pop up at a Tennessee signing table but Disney Channel superstar Miley Cyrus, with Underoos-flaunting man-candy Justin Gaston tucked under her arm. Why? Not even a befuddled flack could say:

"I'm not exactly sure," her rep said, who's apparently as mystified as we are by this surprise showing. "I know they're friends of the Baldwins." And it gets even weirder... Stephen showed off an "HM" tattoo on his upper bicep that reportedly stands for Hannah Montana, Miley's hit Disney show. The story is that Miley dared him to get the tat, in exchange for a cameo on her show. While Stephen's manager wouldn't confirm if that's what the tat means, he did say "there's a possibility" he'll be appearing on an upcoming episode.

It's a cute anecdote, made up on the spot just to toy with a Miley-hungry media. Of course, the true story is far less wholesome, involving an incident in which the actor got a little too drunk on hope at the Republican National Convention, and stumbled later into a Minneapolis tattoo parlor insisting that a "Heil McCain" insignia be etched permanently into his skin.