White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of one of the most powerful clubs in America.

Veteran Photog and White House News Photographers Association Prexy Dennis Brack Keeps the WH Honest

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Rails Against WH Use of Stock Photography and More…..


Dennis Brack is one of those people whose work you’ve seen maybe more times than you can count, even though you’ve probably never heard of him. Ditto his more than 400 colleagues.

Brack is president of the White House News Photographers Association, the camera-bug counterpart to the White House Correspondents Association. Ever since Lyndon B. Johnson laid claim to the Oval Office back in the 1960s, Brack has been snapping pics of presidents and pretty much anyone else of importance at the White House — with notable success.

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Kal Penn Leaves Fox's "House" for White House

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Yes, it’s true — actor Kal Penn (Dr. Kutner on Fox’s “House” as well as the stoner in “Harold & Kumar”) is taking a break from the screen to work in the White House.

Kal Penn campaigns for Obama at the University of Maryland.

Kal Penn campaigns for Obama at the University of Maryland.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Penn said he’d been offered the job of associate director of the Office of Public Liaison. His mission: “do outreach with the American public and with different organizations,” as he told EW. Full story here.

List of Previous Talent: From Sykes to Nixon’s "Disneyland Golden Horseshoe Review"

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Timeline of WHCD Performances From Wikipedia

1945:Performers included Frank Sinatra, Danny Thomas, Jimmy Durante, Fanny Brice and Danny Kaye.

1969: President Richard Nixon personally requested the Disneyland Golden Horseshoe Revue.

wallyboagpecosbill

Wally Boagpecosbill from Golden Horseshoe Revue

1985: Rich Little and President Ronald Reagan in a dual press conference skit.

1988: Yakov Smirnoff

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List of White House Press Secretaries According to Wikepedia

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A

B

D

E

F

G

H

L

M

N

P

R

R cont.

S

T

Z

Wanda Psychs Out Washington?

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Sick and Tired

Sick and Tired

Is Washington ready for Wanda?  That’s the question posed by Politico style reporter Patrick Gavin over the weekend and one that underscores the incredibly sensitive nature of selecting the “official entertainment” for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner each year.

When it was announced earlier this year that Sykes would be the headliner for the 2009 dinner, it seemed a non-controversial choice on the surface.  While traditionally the actress/comedian has not been a politically active force by Hollywood standards, she was vocally opposed to California’s Proposition 8 and it’s fitting symbolism for President Obama’s first major Washington dinner.

But as the event draws nearer, expect the nerves to grow.  There’s a thin line between edgy comedy at these events and that which borders on the offensive — either politically or in terms of taste.

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Memorable Moments of Dinners Past

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If there’s a single instance in the recent history that encapsulates what the White House Correspondents’ Dinner has become in staid, old Washington, it would have to be the “Ozzy moment.” The year was 2002 and the unified spirit that enveloped Washington in the wake of the 9/11 attacks still lingered as the elite masses gathered at the Washington Hilton hotel for the annual dinner. President Bush was on hand, riding a wave of political popularity. Cabinet members like Colin Powell were also present, as well as the upper echelons of official Washington.

Comedian Drew Carey was the featured entertainment (after the president, of course), and the requisite celebrities were on hand as well – Harrison Ford, Christie Brinkley, etc. But it was heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne (invited by Fox News host Greta Van Susteren) everyone was clamoring to see. His MTV reality show “The Osbournes” had become a cultural phenomenon and the muttering poster boy of rock ‘n roll excess was more famous than he had ever been in his head-banging heyday. Even the president couldn’t resist the pull of America’s sudden and most unlikely celebrity. “The thing about Ozzy is he’s made a lot of big hit recordings,” Bush said as he gave the singer a shout-out during his remarks. “’Party With Animals,’ ‘Sabbath Bloody Sabbath,’ ‘Face in Hell,’ ‘Black Skies’ and ‘Bloodbath in Paradise’ … Ozzy, mom loves your stuff.” Osbourne responded by standing on his chair, arms raised and shouting as the audience howled and applauded.

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