White House Correspondents Insider

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

She Said, She Said: Both Sides Now Debuts

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The D.C. political machine has a reputation for being a boys club rather than a gentleman’s establishment; but it takes a woman’s touch to actually discuss it.

Well, women to be more accurate.

Both Sides Now, which had a soft release as a podcast, will have its formal launch this Monday in New York according to The Daily Politics. The weekly radio show comes from The Huffington Post’s Editor-in-Chief Ariana Huffington and power pundit Mary Matalin and is hosted/created by Mark Green according to FishbowlDC.

We’re a fan of the tagline (“We Debate…You Decide”) and the Facebook page too. So what’s the premise? Huffington, Matalin and Green taking on the topics in Washington without having to wake up before 10 a.m. on a Sunday?

Sold.

One Chair To Rule Them All

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Reliable Sources brings word that Fox News’ spot in the White House press room is being challenged once again–this time by Bloomberg News’ Managing Editor, Al Hunt.

Bloomberg (via Hunt) claims–in shades of CNN’s previous reasoning–they’ve been around longer, are more established and “[w]e write about matters financial and non-financial.” Fox News’ Vice President of News and Washington Managing Editor Bill Sammon’s plan relies on a 2007 I.O.U. from the last press room restructuring and the assumption that Bloomberg still covers just finances. The Huffington Post has the full letters here.

There’s no buzz on whether this late Bloomberg bid will work, but at least we have a Fishbowl DC poll. And in case you forget the prime real estate in question, check out WHC Insider’s press room seating chart.

Greta Remains 10 o'clock's Incumbent for 2010

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Don’t know what to watch at 10 p.m. for the next two years? Well breathe easy, because Greta Van Susteren’s going to get you through it.

When not keeping up with a Kardashian (left, at the White House Correspondents’ Brunch,) Van Susteren’s has lead Fox News’ coveted 10 p.m. slot since 2002 with On The Record. The New York Times reports the host is keeping her spot for “several more years,” which quashes rumors of a Glenn Beck bump up.

Though Van Susteren may soon find a rival in Lawrence O’Donnell, who will host an as-yet-untitled 10 p.m. show for MSNBC and complete the Keith Olbermann Show Factory moving along. We can’t wait for D.C. to take sides in the Team Susteren/Team O’Donnell wars, if only because things are so boring now that Leno and Conan stopped fighting.

A New Bush Takes Global Health Stage

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Barbara Bush–one of former President George W. Bush’s twin daughters—spoke at the National Press Club today to talk about her global health organization, Global Health Corps. “Global health equity, ” is the goal of her NGO founded in 2008 and dedicated to both reducing the global health disparities and improving public health. Barbara, with input from her sister Jenna, founded the group, which sends recent college graduates on yearlong fellowships, after her travels and work in Africa. The luncheon was this Bush’s first event at the National Press Club and hosted many DC influentials beginning with her sister, Jenna and former FLOTUS Chief of Staff Anita McBride, Jean Case of The Case Foundation, Jessica Grounds and Susannah Wellford Shakow from Running Start, Jennifer Higgins, Capitol Health Group, Glamour’s Washington editor Linda Kramer Jenning, Emily Lawrimore from Senator John Barrasso’s office, USA Today’s Susan Page, and Politico’s Kiki Ryan. CLICK on press.org to watch, if you missed it on C-SPAN. Here are some photos:

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Leave' em Laughing

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There’s probably no tougher room to play for a comedian than the Washington Hilton where hundreds gather for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, with the guest of honor – the President of the United States – seated at your side.

And this year there’s no tougher act to follow than his own for Jay Leno, just months into his second stint as the host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” after a much-publicized tussle between the peacock network, Leno and Conan O’Brien.

So The Hill gathered some advice for the funny man from some fellow comedians as he preps for his hosting duties.

Quinn Gillespie/FD Kick Off The Glitz And Glamour

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Washington types have started warming up their party chops for the whirlwind weekend surrounding the WHCA Dinner. Quinn Gillespie & Associates and FD hosted a cocktail party Tuesday night at Public Bar. For more photos, check out The Washington Scene from The Hill.

Jack and Susanna Quinn
Photo: Neshan H. Naltchayan

CNN's Ed Henry
Photo: Neshan H. Naltchayan

Jack Quinn and FOX News' Bret Baier
Photo: Neshan H. Naltchayan

WHC Insider Interview With WHCA President Ed Chen

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This weekend Ed Chen will end his reign as the President of the White House Correspondents’ Association. Before he hands the mantle over to Reuters’ Caren Bohan and heads back to Bloomberg, Chen spoke with WHC Insider’s Tammy Haddad at the White House.

The Senior White House Correspondent has honchoed the Press Corps during the transition into a new administration. Recently, Chen and several colleagues sat down with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and White House staffers to discuss grievances from both sides of the table.

“We had a mutual exchange and we worked out a lot of issues, and cleared the air. And I think things will get better, especially from our perspective, with greater press access,” said Chen.

Speaking of sitting down, Chen has offered his seat in the press room for a day to Lloyd Grove whose recent article in The Daily Beast questioned whether social media like Twitter and YouTube would be the end of reporting from the White House as we know it.

Ed Chen at the White House from whcinsider on Vimeo.

Celebrating Mothers at Garden Brunch

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For the second year in a row, Saturday’s Garden Brunch is going to be dedicated in part to Mothers Day Every Day, an advocacy group combining the resources and talents of the White Ribbon Alliance and CARE. Ambassador Melanne Verveer, named by President Obama as the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, will be among the guests at the brunch

Members of these groups also gathered last month to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), a special day set aside to reflect on the achievements of women around the world and for leaders to strategize new ways to help women in the social, economic, and political arenas. Next year marks the centenary celebration of International Women’s Day.

A dinner took place in Washington, DC with members of Mothers Day Every Day and the ONE campaign which used IWD to launch a new initiative called Women ONE2ONE. The goal is to increase opportunities for women and save the lives of those living in poverty across the globe by recruiting one million people to conduct awareness-raising events and actions. Among those attending were Theresa Shaver, Director of the White Ribbon Alliance; Sheila Nix, US Executive Director, One; Mothers Day Every Day Advisory Board Members Amb. Mark Green and Mike McCurry; and JoDee Winterhof, CARE’s vice president for policy and advocacy.

International Women’s Day 2010 from whcinsider on Vimeo.