Behind the scenes of one of the most powerful clubs in America.
Katie Couric, Bang Bang!
Mediabistro’s Matt Dornic has learned the CBS News anchor scored comedian and New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Handler as her guest to the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Handler has sipped vodka in the nation’s capital before as a guest of Glamour magazine at the 2008 WHCA Dinner.
Sasha and Malia weren’t there, but presidential pooch Bo was on hand while First Lady Michelle Obama entertained questions from a curious crowd of kids in the East Room. Executive Office employees brought their offspring to the event as part of Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day.
The First Lady joked a few may have “read my bio” beforehand when asked about childhood obesity.
“Every First Lady defines their job based on what their interests and passion are,” Mrs. Obama explained. “For me the issues are healthy living for our kids.”
That includes limiting the number of snacks, to which one youngster said they only ate two snacks a day – Mrs. Obama approved.
As to how she was going to celebrate Earth Day, which also happens to be today, the First Lady said her daughter Sasha had brought home a few energy efficient light bulbs, so there would be some bulb changing taking place at the White House.
On a lighter note, Mrs. Obama said that Bo’s favorite toy was a big rope and “the game is, can you get it before he gets it?” and yes, she often wins. The kids gave a big “whoa” when they heard the girls have to get up at 6AM but Mrs. Obama got the last laugh: “They can get up later if they move faster.”
By Betsy Rothstein on Apr 21, 2010 04:19 PM
The White House Correspondents’ Dinner could potentially get really uncomfortable next weekend at the MSNBC tables, particularly if hosts Keith Olbermann and Donny Deutsch are in the mix of guests and stars.
Olbermann showed up to WHCA’s dinner last year — will he come again this year? Media insiders want to know: Will Griffin split the pair up, or will Olbermann refuse to sit with Deutsch if he attends? And who decides the seating chart? “Is Olbermann controlling the strings?” a media rep asked.
This week we’re compiling an Awkward Seating Chart for media folks around town. If you have input on potentially uncomfortable pairings, tell us about it. E-mail us at fishbowldc@mediabistro.com.
Deutsch is off the air this week, at least in part, we’re hearing, because Olbermann was furious about Deutsch floating a photograph of him while speaking of the Tea Partiers and “America the Angry.” President Phil Griffin was also reportedly angry and said as much to Deutsch and his producer, Gresham Striegel, who’s also off for the rest of the week.
Wolf Blitzer, Bobby Flay Headline Press Party
By Paul Bedard
Posted April 21, 2010
[picappgallerysingle id=”4753149″]It’s that time of year again when the Washington press corps fights over Hollywood stars as dates for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. This year’s May 1 event is already turning into a who’s who from the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Politicians and Washingtonians have almost become a sidebar at the annual media event that features a funny monologue by the president and a real comic. This year it’s Jay Leno. Stars expected include Alec Baldwin, Ewan McGregor, Jimmy Fallon, Jon Bon Jovi, Judd Apatow, Tracy Morgan, Mary J. Blige, Steven Spielberg, Michael Douglas, John Cusack, Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Alba, Julianna Margulies, and Jeremy Piven.
And it’s not just the press “prom” that’s a big show. There are several major parties built around the event, some before, some after, and TV talker John McLaughlin’s is held the next day, on Sunday. To get a feel for the types of parties, below is the press release description of the one affair virtually everybody will trek to after the official event is over Saturday night. It’s held by Jason Binn’s Capitol File and this year co-hosted by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and celebrity chef Bobby Flay. We don’t know if Flay’s going to do a throwdown challenge to Blitzer.
http://www.usnews.com/news/washington-whispers/articles/2010/04/21/wolf-blitzer-bobby-flay-headline-press-party.html
Niche Media CEO Jason Binn and Capitol File magazine’s John Colabelli and Sarah Schaffer are hosting their Fifth Annual Afterparty with special guests including Wolf Blitzer of CNN’s The Situation Room. Bobby Flay, Chef and TV personality will be adding his unique flavor to cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and music will be handled by world-renowned DJ Cassidy.
The WHCD after party will take place at the The Mayflower Renaissance Hotel starting at 10 pm. Last year’s event was held at the Corcoran Gallery.
Tom Hanks feels for the “poor slobs” of the White House Press Corps.
The Academy Award winning actor said as much while checking out the old Pony Express espresso machine he bought in 2004 for the hardworking men and women of the Fourth Estate after noticing they didn’t have a proper source of java.
Hanks couldn’t resist visiting the press room last month to see if the coffee maker was still there while at the White House for a special screening of HBO’s “The Pacific” with President Barack Obama.
Director Steven Spielberg and Hanks are Executive Producers of the ten-part WWII miniseries now airing on HBO.
Hanks showed off the coffee maker to pal Spielberg, along with their wives, actresses Rita Wilson and Kate Capshaw. He also promised to send the press corps a new one after declaring that “this one is on its last legs.”
Well, despite a question of ethics jokingly raised by veteran CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller (to which Hanks replied: “It’s just a gift — it’s not like it’s a pizza oven.”) Hanks has made good on his promise: a shiny new coffee maker and personal note from the actor were delivered this afternoon.
It was nice while it lasted, right?
As reported by Politico’s Mike Allen, mere days ago White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs met with a delegation from the White House Correspondents’ Association, headed by Ed Chen, WHCA president and Bloomberg News White House correspondent.
Chen asked for the meeting “to clear the air because in my 10-plus years at the White House, rarely have I sensed such a level of anger, which is wide and deep, among members over White House practices and attitude toward the press.”
The two sides spoke on a number of issues including improved press access. Chen told Politico that he felt “very good about the collegial give and take.” Read the full interview from Politico.
Would Chen still feel that way, however, after watching Gibbs’ interview on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” with Howard Kurtz? Gibbs admitted he does “wonder at times what it would be like if we turned the cameras off and we could just have a discussion. I sometimes joke that I know when somebody thinks they have a good question, because when I walk in they’ve already got their makeup on.”
Gibbs also lamented the cable “spin cycle” and marveled at Twitter, which he called a “fascinating, fast-moving medium.”
“Proud, grateful, wistful.”
That’s how former President Bill Clinton summed up his feelings about daughter Chelsea‘s upcoming summer nuptials to investment banker Marc Mezvinsky in an interview with another former first daughter, TODAY show contributor Jenna Bush Hager. “I just hope I can keep it together when I walk her down the aisle.”
Hager sat down with Clinton in Miami, Florida at the third annual Clinton Global Initiative University, where over 1,300 students met with university officials and leaders from nonprofits to talk about creative solutions to today’s global issues. Included among the students were six from Haiti. President Barack Obama called upon Clinton and Hager’s father, former President George W. Bush, to help in relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake earlier this year.
One particular area of interest to both Clinton and Hager, a teacher and author when she’s not on NBC: education. Clinton says the issue is vitally important:
“The country needs to start educating its people, so what we’re trying to do now is use this as the beginning to total universal enrollment.”
Check out the entire interview below:
White House Correspondents Insider Managing Editor Linda Schoumacher Rozett is joining oil and natural gas powerhouse API. Check out what The Washington Post and The Hill have to say about the new vice president of communications at the American Petroleum Institute.
Everyone at Haddad Media wishes Linda well!
More folks are clamoring for tickets to the 2010 White House Correspondents’ Dinner than ever before and we’re starting to learn who some of the lucky ticket bearers will be: WWD reports Time will be bringing Steven Spielberg and wife Kate Capshaw, along with Michelle Pfeiffer and David E. Kelley.
Spielberg is no stranger to the WHCD or Washington; he was recently in D.C. to screen HBO’s latest miniseries “The Pacific” at the White House for the president. The Commander in Chief just happened to also be the number one person guests wanted to meet at last year’s WHCD, according to our random and unscientific poll at the 2009 Garden Brunch.
WHCI Garden Brunch 2009: Who Do You Want To Meet? from whcinsider on Vimeo.