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Inside The 2009 Bloomberg | Vanity Fair After Party

May 12, 2009 By Tammy Haddad

After the tour de force from President Obama, it didn’t seem like the night could be any more magical. But as guests walked up the circular drive for the Bloomberg | Vanity Fair after party at the French Ambassador’s residence, the magic continued. It was the ultimate insiders affair: no red carpet or paparazzi gauntlet, just Owen Wilson lounging near the front door talking quietly to a few Washington admirers.

With Donald Rumsfeld, who lives down the street, stopping by for a drink, it was a night, a location, and a crowd where anything could happen. Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Vanity Fair Editor Graydon Carter, joining party forces this year, welcomed the exclusive guests.

The brave captain of the Maresk Alabama, who offered his life in exchange for his mates, was Bloomberg’s special guest for the weekend. That followed getting the keys to New York City from Mayor Bloomberg the day before. Captain Richard Phillips shrugged off the compliments of celebrities (Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore) and politicos who lined up to shake his hand, but he did pose proudly with another real-life Captain America, Chesley Sullenberger, who safely piloted a US Airways jet onto the Hudson River.

Earlier in the day, Phillips and his wife, Andrea, met with President Obama in the Oval Office, after a private tour of the White House. The unflappable captain told Bloomberg it was an “honor to meet the President. He’s a very amazing man and he’s a very down-to-earth man.” His wife agreed, “It was very overwhelming, surreal to actually, be inside the Oval Office … I was so deeply excited to have met the President like that.”

After being introduced to the Commander-in-chief, Phillips admitted it was hard to get excited about meeting anyone else after being introduced to the Commander-in-Chief.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: Washington Events Tagged With: After Party, ashton kutcher, Bloomberg, Captain Richard Phillips, Celebrities, Demi Moore, Obama, Vanity Fair

The Captain Comes to Washington

May 8, 2009 By jdonofrio

Captain Richard Phillips and his wife Andrea

Captain Richard Phillips and his wife Andrea

 

One of the most sought after guests for this year’s WHC Dinner, Captain Richard Phillips and his wife Andrea, made their way to Washington, D.C. on Friday. They received many invitations, but chose to attend with Bloomberg. The Phillips say they are “honored to be Bloomberg’s guests.”

Filed Under: WHCD 2009 Guests Tagged With: Bloomberg, Captain Richard Phillips, White House Correspondents Dinner

About White House Correspondents Insider

Exploring “behind the scenes” of the most powerful reporters and editors in the world, the Washington press corps. We track the White House Correspondents’ weekend and all the activities around it from journalists and media companies to the White House and politicos. Tammy Haddad is Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief of WHC Insider and she hosts the Washington Insider podcast.

White House Correspondents Insider is not affiliated with or approved by the White House Correspondents Association which is a registered trademark of the WHCA.

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