White House Correspondents Insider

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

No Lucky Lottery Winner for White House Correspondents’ Dinner

By

The New Republic has backed off plans for a contest to award 1 ticket to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner for a lucky new subscriber.  The contest included a roundtrip ticket and hotel accommodations for the April 28th event, but the magazine canceled the contest after being told it violated the rules of the White House Correspondents’ Association.

According to a written statement, “After being informed by W.H.C.A. that our offer was in conflict with their policies, The New Republic has suspended this campaign. Our editors look forward to attending the dinner at the end of the month.”

The annual dinner raises money for scholarships and to “honor the professional recipients of the WHCA’s journalism awards” and the association does not approve of other organizations raffling off tickets for commercial purposes.

Hollywood stars descending on DC for the dinner include George Clooney and his girlfriend Stacy Keibler; Steven Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw; Academy award winning actresses Reese Witherspoon and Viola Davis, and more.

Clooney returns to White House Correspondents Dinner

By

Time magazine has snagged George Clooney and his girlfriend Stacy Keibler; and Hollywood bigwig Steven Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw.  This makes Richard Stengel the top booker of the weekend.

Greta Van Sustern and John Coale finally have some competition.

Newsweek’s Daily Beast is right up there with  Academy award winning actresses Reese Witherspoon and Viola Davis, and former soldier, actor and “Dancing with the Stars” winner J.R. Martinez.   Actress Rashida Jones will be the guest of Fortune.

Politico is reporting that ABC is bringing actor Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks from the super hot movie “Hunger Games” and “Modern Family” stars including Sofia Vergara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Julie Bowen and Eric Stonestreet, as well as  “Cougar Town” actors Christa Miller and Bill Lawrence.

Follow all the news about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend right here, and take a look at this great moment from the Bloomberg Vanity Fair party when Sarah Palin and Seth Meyers meet.

Hank-ering For A Cup Of Coffee

By

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

By

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.