White House Correspondents Insider

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

First Lady Fields Questions From Kids

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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.”

Hank-ering For A Cup Of Coffee

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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.

White House Correspondents' Dinner: Time Scores Big Guests

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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.

CBS News' Mark Knoller To Receive WHCA Award

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Courtesy CBS News

We’ve heard that voice for more than thirty years. Now CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller, 58, known around the Press Room for being the unofficial statistician of all things presidential, will be honored by the White House Correspondents’ Association with the Aldo Beckman award for sustained excellence in White House coverage. Knoller was a reporter with the Associated Press before joining CBS News in 1988 and has covered every president since Gerald Ford.

Check out Politico for more on Knoller’s award and others to be handed out at the 2010 WHCD.

Voto Latino's ON SERIES talk Green in DC

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Voto Latino, the non-profit organization founded by actress Rosario Dawson to promote American Latino youth civic participation, celebrated its five-year anniversary last month by kicking off its ON Series here in Washington, DC.  Dawson and Voto Latino Executive Director Maria Teresa Kumar were joined by the President’s Domestic Policy adviser Melody Barnes and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis for “ON: Greening the Next Generation Workforce” to discuss the role of Latino’s in the emerging green economy.

Voto Latino ON Series in DC from whcinsider on Vimeo.

BizBash Political Fund-Raising Primer

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The changing landscape of political fund-raising was the focus of the inaugural BizBash Media Eye Opener Breakfast Series discussion. CBS News’ Nancy Cordes moderated the panel that included The Ashcroft Group’s Juleanna Glover, Hillary Clinton’s former National Finance Director Jonathan Mantz, Wiley Rein’s Jan Baran and Lisa Spies from The LS Group.

Stephen Geer, who successfully helped raise some $500 million online during the 2008 presidential campaign as Director of Email and Online Fund-Raising at Obama for America, says Twitter will be a powerful fund-raising tool in the future but will never replace email.

BizBash Media Eye Opener Breakfast: Political Fund-Raising from whcinsider on Vimeo.

Defending Twinkies

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First Lady Michelle Obama is on the cover of the latest Newsweek magazine with a shiny red apple but last week she came to the defense of the Twinkie (the cream-filled sponge cake is apparently a favorite with the Obama girls).

The First Lady spoke with Newsweek’s editor Jon Meacham at the magazine’s Executive Forum in Washington about her Let’s Move initiative to fight childhood obesity.

She’s challenging grocery companies to rework their products and wants nutritional information put on food packaging that’s easier to understand. The First Lady draws a line at putting a warning label on Hostess Twinkies or Kellogg’s Froot Loops cereal but appeals to parents to use common sense when it comes to feeding their kids.

“I’m all in favor of good snacks. We grew up with snacks and chips. But we have to exercise more. Parents have to understand what’s in the Twinkie. So we don’t need a warning, we need information that’s easy to understand.”

The First Lady Defends Twinkies from whcinsider on Vimeo.