White House intern Molly DeWolf Swenson took time off to try out for "American Idol"

Former White House intern Molly DeWolf Swenson belts out "Dock of the Bay" on "American Idol." (Courtesy of Fox)

Amid the blur of hopefuls auditioning on "American Idol" Wednesday night, one stood out. Three words: "White House intern."

It's true! Molly DeWolf Swenson, the leggy Harvard grad who wowed the judges with her husky "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" recently finished an internship with the Obama administration. ("I'm in love with this president," she told the cameras, but "not in a Monica Lewinsky-Bill Clinton kind of way!"). The name-drop made for good TV but doesn't seem to be what scored her a ticket to the show's vaunted "Hollywood auditions": The Seattle native didn't yet know she'd get the fall internship when she first showed up for a Idol cattle-call in Milwaukee last July. Swenson was brought back to sing for the celebrity judges in October -- that's when her mini-interview you saw on the show was taped. Mom Abigail Halperin told us Swenson was "reluctant" to tell them where she worked but they kind of teased it out of her. She had to take some time off from the White House to compete in Idol's Hollywood round (which will air next month). "They were very understanding and supportive," said Halperin, who couldn't say much more about Swenson's current situation -- everybody in reality TV is bound to those no-spoiler agreements.

See video of Molly Swenson's performance and more...

See video: E! highlights Molly DeWolf Swenson's American Idol audition

Read Lisa de Moraes's full recap of Molly's episode, American Idol, Season 10, Episode 3

Earlier: Another local had a much less happy experience with "Idol" last year, and gave us a fascinating look into how those auditions really work.
'American Idol' judges call D.C. native Austin Bisnow 'annoying'

Updated 5 p.m.