White House Correspondents Weekend Insider

Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren was one of the first to respond to veteran newsman Tom Brokaw’s remarks on NBC’s “Meet the Press” when he stated it was time to “rethink” the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, calling it a “glittering event.”

Van Susteren responded via her blog:

I am game to give Tom Brokaw’s idea a try next year – no more celebrities for our one big social night in Washington (WHCD) – but here is my request: in exchange, how do we get our colleagues in the media’s attention to such issues as genocide in Sudan? does he have ideas? and could he help?

If Van Susteren is considering getting out of the celebrity booking game, we don’t want to miss the opportunity to acknowledge her savvy, along with her husband John Coale, in introducing the Washington press corps to people they perhaps would never have otherwise met.

While once a smaller fete attended by the President, First Lady and the Washington media, the WHCD has evolved into a unique occasion. It’s become common practice for big media companies, their executives and reporters, to compete head to head, off-air and off-line, to secure top guests to entertain in Washington, DC – and often to the delight of DCites and celebrity watchers.

Greta Van Susteren and John Coale have won that competition every year, and in recognition of that unprecedented record, today we present the first WHC Insider Hall of Fame Award for 10 years of the Best Bookings.

2012: Shawn Chapman, Kris Jenner, Greta Van Susteren, Lindsay Lohan, Susan Axelrod, John Coale

We also applaud Van Susteren for offering to take that booking prowess and use it to shed light on more serious issues that she has featured on her show. Whatever happens, it’s clear Van Susteren will never leave us with a shortage of headlines!

This year, Van Susteren and Coale made headlines again by bringing young superstar Lindsay Lohan, her lawyer Shawn Chapman, and Kris Jenner, the Kardashian mom.  As longtime supporters of the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch, they brought their special guests to raise awareness and support CURE Epilepsy and The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood.

2011: Tod Palin, John Coale, David Axelrod, Susan Axelrod, Sarah Palin, Wendi and Rupert Murdoch

Last year, they surprised politicos including David and Susan Axelrod, and celebrities alike by bringing Sarah Palin to the WHC Garden Brunch and the Bloomberg / Vanity Fair After Party.

2011: John Coale, Seth Meyers, Sarah Palin

In 2010, their guest was Kim Kardashian who wowed the crowds and worked the red carpet with Susan Axelrod for CURE Epilepsy.

2010: Kim Kardashian and Susan Axelrod

Todd Palin was their guest in 2009 after his wife’s unsuccessful bid for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election.

Van Susteren and Coale began their reign as the Best Bookers in 2001 by bringing rocker Ozzie Osbourne while at the height of his reality show. It was a scene like no other when President George W. Bush, at his first White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, mentioned Osbourne by name during his speech. The audience cheered as Osbourne stood on Van Susteren’s table to accept the applause.

2001: Sharon and Ozzie Osbourne (Washington Post)

With the presentation of the WHC Insider Hall of Fame Award we dare others to try to compete!  Congratulations Greta and John, and thank you for bringing in the big names, supporting the causes, and demonstrating that people in Washington do care about the nation  - and some actually have a sense of humor.

On Sunday, NBC’s Tom Brokaw chastized the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Meet the Press by saying:

“…if there’s ever an event that separates the press from the people that they’re supposed to serve symbolically, it is that one.  It is time to rethink it… I don’t think the big press event in Washington should be that kind of glittering event where the whole talk about is Cristal champagne, taking over the Italian Embassy, who had the best party, who got to meet the most people.  That’s another separation between what we’re supposed to be doing and what the people expect us to be doing.  And I think that the Washington Press Corps has to look at that.  And by the way, I’m a charter member of the White House Correspondents Association.  I was there early on and often, and often enjoyed it.  But it’s gone beyond what it needs to be.”

Politico talked to actress and activist Rosario Dawson (MIB II, Sin City) who talked about how guests “aren’t just showing up on their own.  They’re being invited and they’re guests.” More importantly, they “are very much civically participatory.”  The WHCD serves as an opportunity for cause-driven celebrities to get in front of influential lawmakers and media personalities which may not occur otherwise.

Dawson herself is a spokeswoman for Amtrak’s National Train Day and co-founded an advocacy group, Voto Latino, which empowers Latinos to get involved politically.  In addition to attending the dinner, Dawson also is a regular attendee of the WHC Garden Brunch and this year jumped on stage with Willie Geist and Elle Macpherson and helped give away Jawbone Jamboxes to CURE Epilepsy and White Ribbon Alliance donors.

Ted Johnson from Variety and their DC web site WilshireandWashington, got the first interview with ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel assessing his performance at the 2012 White House Correspondents Dinner.  Kimmel called the practice of journalists inviting stars like Lindsay Lohan and the Kardashians to the dinner and then making negative comments about them attending “cannibalism.”  He went on to say the room was difficult, like being “20,000 leagues under the sea.”

The assessment of Kimmel from attendees was that his jokes were too many and that he was just reading them.  Kimmel tells Variety that the president and first lady told him he did well.  Read the rest of Ted Johnson’s interview here.

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