White House Dinner: Stomping Ground
Tomorrow's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner is shaping up to be a Republican presidential primary cattle show. The most bizarre cattle show ever, considering the side attractions include the singing, faux-hawked pop culture icon Sanjaya and oh-so-last century icons Jane Fonda and Rich Little, who's emceeing the event.
While none of the major Democratic presidential contenders are taking a break from campaigning to attend the annual Hollywood-comes-to-Washington soiree, the big dogs in the Republican field will be there. All except for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) who'll be watching the surge and making up new lyrics to Beach Boys songs from his cabin in Arizona.
Former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) - who continues to drag out his decision on whether to run - is coming as a guest of ABC Radio Network, where he's a regular commentator. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani - who didn't appear on the guest list earlier this week - is attending courtesy of Fox News. And former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will be there with Newsweek magazine.
Also in the "flirting with running" category, both Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House, and Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York City, are coming to the dinner. Bloomberg is also planning to attend his news service's big after-party at the Costa Rican Embassy, where, oddly, according to Bloomberg spokeswoman Judith Czelusniak, "there will be a bathtub involved."
And of course, the Bloomberg party will be non-smoking. VIP smokers may choose to head over to the Vanity Fair late-night bash at the home of Washington's last living chain smoker, Christopher Hitchens. (Vying to win the battle of the exclusive after parties, one Bloomberg insider tells us, "You just wouldn't want to be in a smoky room with cheap liquor at Chris Hitchens'." Raarrrh!)
We wouldn't be surprised to see Thompson pressing the flesh at the Bloomberg party. He and his wife, Jeri, were there last year.
And we're told that Gingrich, Giuliani and Romney are expected to hit this year's party as well.
The three leading candidates in the Democratic field - Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) - are all stumping in Iowa this weekend. (And let's face it, they don't care see President Bush anyway.)
But Hillary basher David Geffen, the movie mogul and mega Democratic donor who caused the first big public fight between the Clinton and Obama camps, is coming to the dinner as a guest of Newsweek.
Besides Sanjaya, who, sadly, was eliminated from "American Idol" this week, other big-name celebs expected at the dinner this year include: Dennis Hopper, Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, country singers Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Morgan Fairchild and James Denton, the hot and (not often enough) shirtless handyman on "Desperate Housewives."
And the hilarious, handsome and talented Harry Shearer, who starred in the first great mockumentary "This Is Spinal Tap" and "A Mighty Wind" and is the voice of Ned Flanders, Smithers and many other characters on "The Simpsons," is coming to the fete as a guest of WashingtonPost.com.
We'll bring you a full report on the dinner and anything weird we see behind the scenes.
By
Mary Ann Akers
|
April 20, 2007; 1:39 PM ET
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Posted by: paradislarry | April 20, 2007 7:21 PM | Report abuse
Since when is Bloomberg the "former mayor?"
Posted by: Mark | April 21, 2007 4:24 AM | Report abuse
Hmmm, Vanity Fair and Christopher Hitchens, I wonder if he will be reading my letter to the editor about the "Draft Condi" movement in the June issue? If so, I hope that he goes to our website:
www.thinkcondi.net
Mary Ann Akers might give a report about what Secretary of State Condi Rice is wearing for the White House Correspondents dinner, and her reaction if Rich Little mentions the possible entrance of our Secretary into the GOP 2008 arena.
Some people have asked me why our group is so focused on getting Condi Rice to run. Her foreign policy and diplomatic experience are valuable assets for the next White House, (she helped Gov. Bill Richardson prepare for his recent visit).
In fact, Richardson is an example of how bipartisan diplomacy can work to help our nation as compared to the Shadow Government attempt by Speaker Pelosi's trip to Syria.
I was amazed so many reporters took Pelosi to task for overstepping her boundary into the State Department's territory.
It will be interesting if Pelosi is at the dinner.
Posted by: Crystal Dueker | April 21, 2007 2:08 PM | Report abuse
Crystal Dueker, you and the reporters who disapprove of Pelosi's trip to the Middle East are in a small minority. I've seen the polls and they are solidly in her favor.
As for Condi, let's see how her testimony before the Senate goes before you annoint her. Trust me, Republicans are not going to nominate her anyway. The successful GOP candidate will be the one who puts the greatest distance between himself and George Bush.
Posted by: Sonofabastard | April 22, 2007 1:09 AM | Report abuse
I hear Rich Little bombed tonight. Gee, what a surprise!
Posted by: Sonofabastard | April 22, 2007 1:09 AM | Report abuse
Dear Son,
The GOP base supports our president, and the polls show that 70% of that base will ONLY support a candidate who stands with Bush. So that is just a fact.
Son, the Democrats will always badmouth Condi because they are afraid that if she is on the 2008 ticket, she will take votes away from African-American base and the women from your own party. There are thousands of people who will cross over to vote for Condi.
Most people have given Pelosi a thumbs-down, and her job approval is down as well. Please try to keep up with the news since those are the same sources which you will be using to debate this issue.
Posted by: Crystal Dueker | April 23, 2007 4:38 PM | Report abuse
The downward swirl for America began in 1992 when "Clintonmania" began and for me it was one of the darkest days of my life....and I was correct. My children would be soon effected by a loss of innocence due to the character of Clinton while in the White House and during this period we saw the beginning of the attacks on Christianity and the nations moral standards attacked daily supplied by the liberal media. Impeachment of Clinton did not go far enough....he should have been removed from office! To compare the character of Pres. George W. Bush and V.P. Dick Cheney with the trashing of the White House during the Clinton era is outrageous. America is at War with an enemy who cannot be diplomatically dealt with...the wussies from the left are delusional and heaven forbid we end up with
the Kucinich mentality in the White House in 2008. Snot-nosed school yard mentality from the Democrats is crazy considering our men and women in uniform are, this very minute, trying to keep the horrors of the mindless killings from coming again to our shores!! The terrorists love the American Democratic Party.
Posted by: Eve Nelson | April 26, 2007 11:06 AM | Report abuse
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I am so dissapointed, though that be my fault, for expecting too much
You have upon you, the eyes of so many
Yet banter about shirtless men, when there are so many un-addressed issues
If only I had those ears
Take care my friend