And you definitely don’t expect to hear such Bubblicious statements when that news conference is held in indie-hipster hangout Dupont Circle.

But “Heroes” star Hayden Panettiere does things differently. The adorably tiny 18-year-old blonde held court near the Circle’s water fountain Sunday afternoon to speak out against commercial whaling.

“They are very magnificent, very cool animals,” said Panettiere, who is staying at the Embassy Suites. “And it’s good that I can use my celebrity to be known for things besides just shopping.”

Panettiere, you’ll recall, was nearly arrested in Japan for trespassing, when she and others attempted to free a pod of dolphins in October 2007.

Panettiere later spoke at Georgetown University, and on Tuesday she’ll take to the Hill for a news conference with Rep. Nick Rahall and Sen. John Kerry. Although Panettiere says she’s almost determined who’s got her vote in 2008 (but she ain’t sayin’…), she still needs to gauge her choice’s  commitment. “I can’t imagine that any candidate would be for commercial whaling,” Panettiere told Yeas & Nays. “But just because they say they’re against it doesn’t meant they’re going to fight hard to stop it. So I need to get a better sense of their commitment to the issue.”

(c) Colin Drummond / Gene Young