White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

WH Press Corps: "Bootlickers"? Respectful? Or Just Surprised?

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Video of the WH press corps suddenly jumping to its feet when President Obama made a surprise visit to the briefing room last week has been stirring up the blogosphere. Why? Because it’s paired with a vid of the press corps remaining seated when Bush once entered the briefing room. CNN’s Jeanne Moos investigated. Check out the video below to see what she found.

Comedy Pro Phil Rosenthal Directed President Clinton’s Famous WHCD Departure Video, Has Advice for President Obama: Play It Straight

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By tradition, the president is the guest of honor at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and the guest of honor addresses the audience of roughly 2,000 at some point during the evening.

It’s usually a light-hearted, often funny speech, very much in keeping with the chummy spirit of the occasion. But for the jokes to work, delivery is everything.

“I’d tell Barack Obama to treat the jokes, the whole thing, as seriously as the State of the Union speech,” Phil Rosenthal tells WHCInsider. “He should deliver it with the same gravity and seriousness.”

Rosenthal, the creator and executive producer of the hit comedy “Everyone Loves Raymond,” wrote material for all WHCDs that Bill Clinton attended as president and also directed “The Final Days,” the famous video of President Clinton at his last WHCD. Considered one of the funniest presidential comedy routines, the short spoof featured President Clinton riding a bike through the White House and later running to give First Lady Hillary Clinton her lunch before she went off to work in a limo. [Read more…]

BBC Joins the WHCD Celebrity Challenge

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McDonalds Family Tribute on Ice - Backstage

The Beeb has landed a balanced cross-section of name guests: Sony Corp. chairman and chief executive Sir Howard Stringer, figure skating champ and a recent “Dancing with the Stars” winner Kristi Yamaguchi, Oscar-winning actress Ellen Burstyn, and Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Phil Gordon.

White House Press Corps Needs "Somebody to Yell at 'Em," Letterman Writer Says

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Bill Scheft Hails Wanda Sykes as Great Choice for WHCD Entertainment

If the elite gathering of A-list journos, politicos and celebrities that make up the White House Correspondents’ Dinner

Bill Scheft, right, on the "Late Show" set with Dave, left.

Bill Scheft, right, on the "Late Show" set with Dave, left.

can’t loosen up when Sykes starts her monologue, it’s likely to get what it deserves, says Scheft, a veteran scribe for “The Late Show with David Letterman.”

“If they take Wanda too seriously, she’s going to let ’em have it,” Scheft tells WHCInsider. “I’ve know Wanda a long time. She’ll really give it to ’em, and I think that’s what they need — somebody to yell at ’em.”

Scheft says that Sykes was a great choice to book for the entertainment, noting that Stephen Colbert — who raised as many hackles as he did laughs with his controversial routine at the 2006 dinner — is altogether different. “Colbert was a character playing a character playing a character at that dinner. He’s very character-oriented. Wanda is much more joke-oriented.” [Read more…]

CNN Gets More Glitter for WHCD

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Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore To Have High-Profile Company at Cabler’s Table

4th Annual New York Times Sunday With The Magazine - Part 1

In addition to Kutcher and Moore, CNN will be bringing actors Val Kilmer, Kyra Sedgwick, Bradley Cooper and supermodel-turned-talk-show-host Tyra Banks. But anchor Wolf Blitzer has invited a local bold-faced name — Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

Former Bush Press Aides to Advise House GOP

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Press Secretary Perino gives final press briefing of Bush Administration in Washington

Former Bush White House press secretary Dana Perino and her former deputy Tony Fratto, along with ex-Bush press adviser Ed Gillespie, will advise House Republican press secretaries during their annual workshop at the end of this week, Politico reports. Specifically, they will advise on reshaping the GOP’s overall message.

Think it will help? Let us know in a comment.

Obama Tweets, Media Follow

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1562488393_210c6f0377With a president who addresses the nation weekly via YouTube, can you really be surprised that the White House is now on Twitter? The account name is — surprise again — WhiteHouse, and it’s yet another way the Obama administration is trying to get its message out beyond the usual avenue of the White House press corps.

As of this moment, there are nearly 33,000 followers, including at least one White House correspondent — Jake Tapper of ABC News. The media at large have noticed with articles (Washington Post and USA Today, for instance). Doubtlessly more news organizations will as well.

The question: Is a Twittering White House a good thing? Let us know what you think in a comment.

And be sure to follow WHCInsider on Twitter, too!