Stars Speak Out at Declare Yourself Party

999 Ninth St. NW -- If you were wondering who made up the alleged youth vote, one look around the ballroom at the Renaissance Washington hotel would have told you. About 90 percent of the people milling around the Declare Yourself "Rebirth of Citizenship" inaugural kickoff event were under 30 and representing all sorts of lefty causes.

Jessica Alba and Jamie Foxx shine pose on the "orange carpet." (Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)

But first, the celebs: high-wattage stars made an appearance tonight. Jessica Alba hosted. Hayden Panettiere flashed her big smile for the cameras and her progressive idealism for the microphones. Samantha Ronson DJed with Lindsay Lohan texting behind her on the DJ stage. (LiLo wore a short dress with tights and ankle boots.) Jamie Foxx wowed reporters on the "orange carpet" by singing Ray Charles's "What'd I Say." Rick Schroeder talked politics and laughed off a question about "NYPD Blue." Ben Affleck, who popped in toward the end of the night, was fleeing from a crowd of camera-wielding fans.

John Legend was the one who had the girls fawning, though. "He's a dreamboat," puffed one of the girls next to me, as Legend walked onstage for his set. (Do people still talk that way?) After Legend's rendition of "Redemption Song" and a few of his hits, Maroon 5 took the stage to shrieks and waving arms. Then SamRon got the floor moving with a set of high-energy hip-hop.

Drew Simon and Brian Schwartz came sporting stickers for Powershift 2009, a planned conference on climate change.

"We came to represent the youth," said Schwartz.

"Yeah, but the music's not so bad either," I said.

"I do like the music," said Simon, "but we're here for bigger things."

-- Julia