Nikki Schwab

Sightings: Double Kornheisers spotted at Morton's

A patron at Morton's the Steakhouse in Georgetown was seeing double Wednesday as he sat at the bar with ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption" host Tony Kornheiser, one of our spies reports. As the show was playing in the background, the patron noticed the real Kornheiser was wearing the same suit and tie as the Kornheiser on television. He then had to explain he had just finished taping the show to the gentleman, who kept looking back and forth between the two Kornheisers. Also spotted walking on M Street toward the Four Seasons Hotel: Robin Williams in all black with three shopping bags in hand. Williams is performing two comedy shows this weekend at DAR Constitution Hall....

Continued...

 

Jill Biden, Pelosi pack care packages for female soldiers

It was the lipstick that got Jill Biden excited, and for Nancy Pelosi, it was the puzzle books and the lip moisturizer. For the first time ever, the United Service Organizations stuffed care packages exclusively for female soldiers, and the second lady and speaker of the House were on hand to help. "Many of the women on the front line requested something a little more personal directed toward them, and here we are, answering their call," Pelosi said Wednesday on Capitol Hill, before shoving Cosmopolitan magazines, flowery-smelling deodorant and, yes, lip moisturizer into plastic bags. "I want our female servicewomen to know my husband and the president and his team...

Continued...

 

Political bad eggs of the decade

With Thursday's reports out of Hollywood that Sen. John Kerry's daughter Alexandra was arrested on suspicion of DUI, the senator's daughter joins the list of prominent politicians' kids who have gotten in trouble with the law. Yeas & Nays took a look over the past decade to bring you the most prominent political offspring who were cited, charged or arrested for bad behavior. The least offensive on the list is Vice President Biden's daughter Ashley, who was arrested in 2002 at the age of 21 on a charge of obstructing a police officer outside a Chicago bar when her friend threw a soda can at the cop. In 2001, President George W. Bush's twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, were arrested...

Continued...

 

More trouble: Sen. Lugar's wife gets hit with drunken-driving, hit-and-run charges

Proving that alcohol violations aren't just for politicians' kids, Sen. Richard Lugar's 76-year-old wife, Charlene, was charged Wednesday night with drunken driving and a hit-and-run, accused of smashing into a parked vehicle and driving away, the Associated Press reported. She was driving alone and no one was in the car she hit. "Thankfully, no one was injured," Sen. Lugar said in a statement released by his office. "We are deeply sorry and embarrassed that this accident has occurred." The incident took place in the Lugars' neighborhood in McLean. Charlene Lugar's day in court has been scheduled for January....

Continued...

 

Andrews in town to promote new book

Julie Andrews has already been spotted dining in Washington, but fans can catch The "Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins" star Thursday at Politics and Prose. She'll sign copies of her new book, "Julie Andrews' Collection of Songs, Poems, and Lullabies," with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, from 4 to 6 p.m. There are some strict guidelines for the event: one book signed per person, line begins at 3 p.m. and no photos -- but there is nothing that says one can't ask the actress to sing....

Continued...

 

One reporter's move to 'The Colbert Report'

After traveling around the country with Republican candidates, including John McCain, as an embedded reporter for NBC News and the National Journal, D.C.-based journalist Adam Aigner-Treworgy found himself out of work and looking for his next opportunity in the news business. That's when the fake news business came calling: Aigner-Treworgy was told of a position opening up at Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." "I sent in my resume that night, and two weeks later they offered me the job," he told Yeas & Nays while he was back in Washington sharing his campaign trail experiences. Now the ex-reporter is using his knowledge of journalism and politics to smarten...

Continued...

 

Coulter tells beauty queen to 'go forth and sin no more'

Well, at least someone's got her back. The queen of controversy, Ann Coulter, and fallen beauty queen Carrie Prejean have been compared in recent months for their outspoken advocacy of conservative Christian values. Coulter even came to Prejean's defense after her performance on "Larry King Live," saying the veteran anchorman was badgering her. But now with word of multiple sex tapes and other bad behavior, Yeas & Nays sat down with Coulter to see whether she could still stand behind the beauty queen. "I would say that she is a great gal," Coulter said. "I think she did some bad things unbecoming of a Christian ... the latest entry that she lied about the...

Continued...

 

Where in the world is Rod Blagojevich?

We hope nobody held their breath. The greatly anticipated guest of the National Press Club's annual book fair, Rod Blagojevich, was a no-show. The former Illinois governor was slated to promote his new book, "The Governor" on Tuesday. Press Club manager William McCarren said he learned Blagojevich ditched the event early that morning from his publicist, Glenn Selig. Selig said Blagojevich never arrived in New York for a scheduled television project, so he would not make his Amtrak train to D.C. Yeas & Nays asked Selig why Blagojevich didn't fly to D.C. instead. "Everything was fallen into disarray at the last minute," Selig said. "It wasn't like the Press...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"The press that I spent every second with did everything they could do to get the story right, and they worked their tails off, and they weren't around their families and they never slept -- they drank a little bit." -- Jamie Smith, former traveling press director for the Hillary Clinton for President campaign. Smith recounted her experiences as a "press handler" Monday night as part of the "All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt: Campaign Embeds Look Back a Year Later" event hosted by Campus Progress and George Washington...

Continued...

 

Sightings: Powell, Dowd do lunch

That was New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd power lunching Monday with former Secretary of State Colin Powell. The two met at the Bombay Club in downtown Washington....

Continued...

 

Feed America: Hatch says skip meals for the hungry

Several stomachs will be growling if anyone listens to Sen. Orrin Hatch's call to skip to two meals Thursday and donate the money that would have been spent on food to organizations that feed the hungry. The Utah Republican sponsored the resolution to make Nov. 19 national "Feed America Day." "During these economic times, nearly all of us have family, friends and neighbors who are in need," Hatch said. "Unfortunately, the resources on hand to meet those needs are too often in short...

Continued...

 

Say what?: High rollers interested in the little guys

The social gathering at the Hotel Monaco following the screening of "TEN9EIGHT: Shoot for the Moon," had a different tone than the typical Washington ballroom. The big guys -- like chief executive officers, famous journalists and department heads -- were crowding around the little guys: Inner city students whose inspirational stories were featured in the documentary, which chronicles the race to the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship's annual business competition. Seasoned business leaders were eager to talk to the young entrepreneurs about their business plans for products and services ranging from film production to scented body lotions. Hilary Rosen, political...

Continued...

 

Former Washington Times editorial chief: 'I was coerced to attend mass wedding'

Former Washington Times editorial page editor Richard Miniter says he was "coerced" by company President Tom McDevitt into attending a mass wedding hosted by paper owner Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church in New York last December. Miniter said his shot at running the paper's editorial page would be in jeopardy if he skipped the event. "Being forced to attend any religion's service against your will is always uncomfortable," Miniter told Yeas & Nays, describing himself as a "plain vanilla Christian." But it was even more uncomfortable with his boss, McDevitt, sitting next to him. "[He] was examining every microreaction of mine at the...

Continued...

 

Washington Times editor alleges religious discrimination

As if the struggling paper didn't have enough problems, Washington Times editorial page editor Richard Miniter has filed a discrimination report with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging the paper forced him to attend a Unification Church event in December 2008, among other grievances. According to the complaint, Miniter "was coerced by President Tom McDevitt to attend a Unification Church event in New York City with him." McDevitt was one of the three executives ousted in last week's shake-up at the Times. Miniter also alleges the paper discriminated against him based on his age, religion and disability. Documentation of the complaint...

Continued...

 

Beyond the pantsuits: Vogue profiles Clinton's path to cabinet

In the style world, she's mostly known for her zeal for pantsuits, but that doesn't mean Vogue readers necessarily hold that against Hillary Clinton. The fashion bible features a lengthy profile of Clinton in its December issue that explores why candidate Clinton decided to become Secretary Clinton. According to Vogue's Jonathan Van Meter, when Clinton was offered the Cabinet position (an offer that completely "stunned" Obama's former rival) her aides split into two camps, with her closest female advisers urging her to say no and her male advisers -- Philippe Reines and Andrew Shapiro -- cheering her to go work for the new administration. Reines and Shapiro apparently were so...

Continued...

 

Hairspray, please: Blagojevich in town to promote tome

Rod Blagojevich, Barney Frank and Ann Coulter walk into a room. No, that's not the beginning of a really, really bad joke. The three are scheduled to sign books, greet fans and chat with reporters as part of the National Press Club's annual Book Fair, which brings together many of the city and country's top authors to raise funds for the club's Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library. Tuesday night's event will feature more than 100 writers, including big names like Sen. Barbara Boxer, journalist Helen Thomas and pundit Coulter. And also "Top Chef" alumni Spike Mendelsohn and Carla Hall; Quinn Bradlee, son of Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn; and "Newshour" host Jim...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"Fox tends to be the worst, I mean from my experience. ... I've been on several times, and I feel like it's usually two on one because a lot of the times the host, as well as the Republican, are both pushing the point." -- Political strategist Karen Finney on which cable news network books the most obnoxious...

Continued...

 

Party on: Washington Blade plans to regroup and reunite

Although the nation's oldest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender newspaper, the Washington Blade, was forced to close its doors Monday by parent company Window Media, the paper plans to regroup and party on. A post on the Blade's Twitter feed say the newspaper will host its previously planned event at Hard Rock Cafe Wednesday night. "We're approaching the event as a social hour to share happy memories. Plus, we want to have one last hurrah," the post reads. Former Blade columnist James Kirchick told Yeas & Nays he hopes the paper revives. "It would be such an incredible loss," Kirchick said. "It's the most substantive gay newspaper in the...

Continued...

 

Sightings: Wonder spotted; the stars were out at Art and Soul

Stevie Wonder was spotted at the Fairfax Deluxe 14: Cinema De Lux Sunday night attending "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire." The Sundance Award-winning film starring Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, Paula Patton, Mo'Nique and Mariah Carey tells the story of a pregnant, illiterate black American teen living in Harlem who is given a second chance through enrollment in alternative education. Also spotted: Dining at Art and Soul at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel were Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan, David Foster, Dorothy Hamill, Scott Hamilton, Charlie White, Meryl Davis, David Archuleta and Olivia Newton-John. The stars, who were seen mingling among three tables,...

Continued...

 

Prejean threatened walkout before she stepped on set of 'Larry King Live'

A huge "nay" for Carrie Prejean. Upon entering CNN's Washington Bureau Wednesday night, the first words out of Former Miss California Carrie Prejean's mouth to CNN news assistant Christina McAusland were, "You tell Larry if he's not nice to me, I will get up and leave." McAusland, who said she admired Prejean for her candor, was shocked by the beauty queen's tone and warned "Larry King Live" producer John Gilmore of her threat. Beyond her on-air hissy fit, the beauty queen's behavior at the studio was classless. She arrived with an entourage of five, (for cable news Green Room context, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., never arrives with a group that...

Continued...

 

Pitch perfect: Dowd, Schieffer sing praises to award-winner Friedman

Though Maureen Dowd says he's "perfect," it was apparent there still was plenty to pick on with New York Times columnist Tom Friedman. The best-selling author was roasted Friday night in Washington by his colleague Dowd and friends including "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer and Golf Digest's Jerry Tarde, upon winning the National Press Club's Fourth Estate Award, a distinction past given to Walter Cronkite and Bob Novak. Friedman was teased about his love of golf, daiquiris, metaphors, black turtlenecks and his solar-powered house, "which looms so big on Google Earth that Sarah Palin mistook it for a continent," Dowd said. He also was given a special...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"If Franken can get in, I can." - "Seinfeld" cast member Jason Alexander joking about a run for Congress. Alexander was in Washington on Friday chatting with Sen. Dick Lugar, R-Ind., about Israeli-Palestinian relations....

Continued...

 

Powderpuff: Losing is more fun, Blondes say

The saying goes like this: Blondes have more fun. And that's the excuse the Blondes are giving for losing -- year after year -- in the annual Blondes vs. Brunettes Powderpuff football game, a popular charity event that benefits the Alzheimer's Association. "Honestly, I think there's a difference in how the teams approach it. Many of the blondes in the past year have been about having fun, and the brunettes have been all about the win at the end," Ryan Triplette, 2009 chairwoman and co-creator of the event, told Yeas & Nays. "This year, both of the teams are all about the win," she added. Unfortunately for the Blondes, that didn't mean their team pulled through....

Continued...

 

Going latte?: Secretary of state would gladly share a cup of brew with Palin

Could this be coming to your neighborhood Starbucks in the near future? On NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday morning, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told host David Gregory she'd "absolutely look forward to having coffee" with former Alaska Governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. "I've never met her, and I think it would be very interesting to sit down and talk with her. Maybe I can make a case on some of the issues that we disagree on," Clinton said. Palin's new book, "Going Rogue," touches on a possible meet-up with Clinton, saying the pair would "fundamentally disagree" on a lot of topics, but she did salute the former...

Continued...

 

Good Eats: Eatonville celebrates six months of eats

Most restaurants aren't quite this literary. U Street's Eatonville is inspired by author and playwright Zora Neale Hurston, who attended Howard University in the 1920s and founded the university's student newspaper before going on to write the well-know "Their Eyes Were Watching God." Hurston biographer Valerie Boyd visited the Southern-style jazz joint Sunday night to sign copies of "Wrapped in Rainbows: The Life of Zora Neale Hurston" and toast the restaurant's six-month mark in the District. Also in attendance was Eatonville, Fla., Mayor Bruce Mount and Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla. Eatonville, named after the city where Hurston once resided, is owned by restaurateur Andy Shallah,...

Continued...

 

Rock on: 9:30 Club gets love from Billboard

A local favorite has taken home the distinction of "top club" as part of Billboard's 2009 Touring Awards. Washington's very own 9:30 Club won the distinction, meaning it's not only the most well-attended club in the United States, but in the world too. Spokesperson Audrey Schaefer attributed the prize, in part, to the rocking new sound system. "[Guests] are treated well, the music's great and the food is really good," she said. "We have got quite a treasure here in...

Continued...

 

Helping hand: Singer kicks off 'Holiday Mail for Heroes' program

Christian pop star Amy Grant braved Washington's miserable rain and cold Wednesday to help kick off "Holiday Mail for Heroes," a program through the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes that sends cards to service members. "I was the best they could get for free to sing outside on a cold day," Grant joked before belting out "Silver Bells" on Veterans Day. Last year the Red Cross and Pitney Bowes collected and sent more than 1.4 million cards to service members, veterans and their families in the states and...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"I think you are being extremely inappropriate right now and I'm about to leave your show." -- Carrie Prejean's hissyfit on Wednesday's "Larry King Live." The following day, the former pageant winner ditched an appearance at the Republicans-only Capitol Hill Club here in Washington and various interviews with local reporters....

Continued...

 

Not again: Pretend pundit eyes reality show

He's been described as Stephen Colbert on the loose. Meet Martin Eisenstadt, a faux pundit created by Dan Mirvish and Eitan Gorlin, to show how gullible the mainstream media can be. During the 2008 election, the duo created the Eisenstadt character and had him pose as a Harding Institute fellow (a think tank that doesn't exist) and a top McCain adviser. Through the fictionalized accounts on his blog, Eisenstadt spread disinformation -- like that vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin thought Africa was a country -- which was picked up by Fox News, MSNBC and the Los Angeles Times. Now with a book released that chronicles the fake life of the McCain adviser, "I am Martin...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"You and I are both really tall. Maybe we're from the same family." -- Big Bird, upon meeting first lady Michelle Obama. She made a guest appearance this week to celebrate "Sesame Street's" 40th...

Continued...

 

A few touch-ups can be a political face-lift

The Nixon-Kennedy debates taught Washington a valuable lesson: Smarts aren't everything in politics. With eyes closed, Richard Nixon stole the 1960 presidential debates. However, with lights and cameras on, viewers saw the photogenic John F. Kennedy as the clear winner and saw poor Dick looking stubbly and sick in the shadows. And now with the unforgiving lenses of hi-def cable news, flip cams and TMZ, politicos have taken note. How else could a lawmaker look alert on C-SPAN after a four-hour filibuster without a little injectable filler? Yeas & Nays reached out to celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Ayman Hakki of Luxxery Cosmetic Medical Boutique in Waldorf to see whether he'd weigh in...

Continued...

 

Efron visits WH, but not Obama daughters

When the White House extended an invitation to teen star Zac Efron to come visit while he was in town promoting his new movie "Me and Orson Welles," surely it was so he could meet the Obama girls, right? "I secretly suspected that was why we were going to meet," said the film's director Richard Linklater, who alongside Efron and co-star Claire Danes paid a visit to the White House on Tuesday. But when they arrived, there was no Sasha and Malia to be seen. "They didn't play sick," Danes said. Instead, the actors and director met with policy advisers, including former actor Kalpen Modi, to chat about arts in public schools, a topic that Modi holds...

Continued...

 

Happy hour: For those late nights, a 'Morning' drinking game

Some clever West Coast college students have come up with a drinking game fit for Washington: The "Morning Joe Drinking Game," based on the popular MSNBC morning show hosted by Joe Scarborough with Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. Students Julian Jack Langness and Andrew Simpson created the game while attending Washington University and have been toasting to "Joe" ever since. "At 3 a.m., after a long night of drinking there is nothing better than to sit down on the couch and watch Joe, Willie and the beautiful Mika do their thing," wrote Langness on the Facebook page he created to advertise the game. It must have worked: Scarborough caught wind of it...

Continued...

 

Chill out: Stress guru would like us all to take a deep breath

We take on more than we can handle, our titles consume us and when asked how our day is going, we answer too quickly. Even with President Obama as our "commander in cool," stress guru Sister Jenna can point to these tensions in the overworked District. And she's not even saying D.C. is the worst: "I mean New York beats you a hundred times over," she said. Jenna, who is director of Brahma Kumaris, unveiled her Meditation Museum this summer in Silver Spring. She said her clientele ranges from high-powered leaders to students to overwhelmed mothers. Specializing in D.C.-centric chaos, Jenna has extensive experience counseling politicians. "I find if a politician...

Continued...

 

Capitol File publisher resigns

...

Continued...

 

Recycled slogans: RNC outs senator as a flip-flopper

It's apparently still a dig in Washington to be compared to cheap plastic footwear, or to Sen. John Kerry, for that matter. The Republican National Committee is using the old "flip-flop" charge against moderate Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln in a new Web advertisement against her position on health care reform. The Arkansas moderate might vote to get the Senate health care bill to the floor, but then might not vote for the final package. Thus, she would be voting for it before she votes against it. Sound familiar? "It looks like Blanche Lincoln wasn't paying attention in 2004 because she may be planning to pull a John Kerry with her health care reform vote in the...

Continued...

 

Gingrich changes his tune after Scozzafava debate

While conservatives such as Sarah Palin and Tim Pawlenty were cheering on Doug Hoffman in last week's special election in New York's 23rd Congressional District, former Speaker Newt Gingrich instead had endorsed the Republican Party's more moderate pick, Dede Scozzafava, who eventually dropped out. Gingrich told reporters he was honoring local party leaders, and he told Fox News' Greta Van Susteren that purging the party of "liberal Republicans" would guarantee President Obama's re-election and Nancy Pelosi as "speaker for life." A week later, after Democrat Bill Owens snapped the seat up from both Hoffman and Scozzafava (who remained on the ballot), Gingrich has...

Continued...

 

Shake-up rattles Washington Times

The Washington Times newsroom was rattled Monday by word that three top executives had been ousted and that Executive Editor John Solomon was AWOL -- "considering his options" in the words of a top editor. The Times announced that Publisher Tom McDevitt, Chief Finance Officer Keith Cooperrider and Chairman Doug Joo had been fired. Jonathan Slevin, a vice president at the paper, is now acting president and publisher. The biggest question is whether Solomon will remain on staff. He had changed the direction of the paper significantly -- making a number of enemies in the process, according to Times staffers -- after being brought aboard from The Washington Post in January 2008. Solomon...

Continued...

 

It takes a big party to Knock Out Abuse

It was a night that at first separated the sexes, but then brought them back together for a late-night party filled with peace, love, harmony, drinks and dancing. On Thursday, two of the city's biggest fall charity events were held in tandem, with D.C.'s gentlemen sipping scotch and smoking cigars for area education programs at Fight Night and scores of Washington women attending the 16th annual Knock Out Abuse gala. The ladies tipped their glasses to raise awareness of domestic violence at a '60s-themed dinner held at the Ritz-Carlton Washington. Among the hundreds of Knock Out Abuse attendees, some of which whom took the '60s theme very seriously, were two of the D.C.'s Housewives...

Continued...

 

Chris Boutlier shows off rare art collection

Interior designer Chris Boutlier recently opened his personal art collection to friends and fellow Corcoran members so they could view rare pieces by Kara Walker, Monet, Diego Rivera and Steven Meisel alongside those of local artists such as Sebastian Martorana and Beverly West that Boutlier and his partner, attorney Aaron Flynn, say represents an "odd combination of their interests." "We tend to buy artwork that most people wouldn't buy and I think that's part of the attraction," Boutlier told Yeas & Nays at his Dupont Circle home. "Otherwise no one would buy it; no one would be maintaining it." Much of their collection tends to be erotic and...

Continued...

 

First lady's designer unveils collections

When first lady Michelle Obama stepped into Jason Wu's one-shoulder white chiffon, crystalline inaugural gown 10 months ago, the designer was plucked out of obscurity and onto high-fashion runways. On Thursday night, Wu came back to the city that launched his career, holding his first D.C. trunk show at the Neiman Marcus in Mazza Gallerie. "It's very encouraging to see that the collection is doing very well here," Wu said. "We're almost sold out of the fall collection already." The 27-year-old Taipei native unveiled his fall and spring collections to Washington women whom he considers to be "very savvy and very fashionable." "I think women here are very excited about fashion...

Continued...

 

Moore opts for one-miler; Dean cooks for crowd

Mandy Moore was spotted Sunday morning among the 2,500 participants at the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation's Race to End Women's Cancer looking low-key with her hair tied back and a race T-shirt. Out of the half marathon, 5k or one-miler options, Moore opted for the one-miler. Yo-Yo Ma gave an intimate performance for about 20 people at the home of Wanda Ferragamo. Victor Hugo, grandson of the late French writer of "Les Miserables" and founder of the Modern Art Music Movement, was the presenting sponsor of the concert which was a benefit for Evangelism Explosion International. Singer and songwriter Michael McDonald, conservative political activist Alan Keyes and Fox News' Nelson...

Continued...

 

Savory victory: New York senators will chomp cheesesteaks

Thanks to the New York Yankees and Wednesday night's big win, two lucky senators soon will enjoy delicious Cheez Whiz-filled cheesesteaks straight from Philadelphia. New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand won their World Series bet against Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Arlen Specter. The pairs bet Philadelphia cheesesteaks and New York cheesecakes on the outcome of the games. To further rub salt in the wound, Schumer and Gillibrand introduced a resolution Thursday to honor the team that has the most wins on record of any major league sports franchise. Take that, Philadelphia....

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"You're the White House. Pick on someone your own size ... focus on finding Bin Laden." - Republican strategist and pollster Kellyanne Conway on the White House's war on Fox...

Continued...

 

Sightings: Jon Voight comes to protest health care reform bill

Spotted on the West Lawn of the Capitol before thousands of protesters chanting "Kill the bill" and "Can you hear us now?": Academy Award winner Jon Voight with actor John Ratzenberger, best known for his role of Cliff Clavin on "Cheers." Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., who organized Thursday's "House Call on Congress" against the health care reform bill referred to Voight as "a true national treasure," playing on his role in "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." A prominent conservative in Hollywood, Voight said, "Obama has his own obsession to ram this health care bill through Congress and to turn America into a...

Continued...

 

Book contends Fey, Couric brought down Sarah Palin

When Tina Fey uttered those infamous words "I can see Russia from my house" on "Saturday Night Live," the caricature of Sarah Palin was forever burned in viewers' brains. That imitation and one "lousy interview" with Katie Couric helped riddle the vice presidential candidate's chances of being taken seriously by some constituencies, argues the Weekly Standard's Matthew Continetti, whose new book, "The Persecution of Sarah Palin: How the Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star," comes out next week. "I think they were damaging," he told Yeas & Nays. "People who watched 'Saturday Night Live,' they are not people who spend that...

Continued...

 

Sightings: Kal Penn, Ed Norton at Coming Up Taller awards

Kalpen Modi, better known as the actor Kal Penn, made headlines when he ditched Hollywood for Washington, but since arriving in the District he's only been the public face of the White House sporadically. Tuesday night, however, he appeared at the Kennedy Center to cheer on winners of the Coming Up Taller awards, given to successful community arts programs. "How am I supposed to follow that?" Modi joked as he took the stage after a performance from the African drum ensemble, "Express Yourself," which received an award. Modi said he was there to reiterate the President and first lady's support for the arts, and gave an anecdote about how arts education in his...

Continued...

 

By the numbers

Compared with hefty turnout last year, voters between the ages of 18 to 29 played a diminished role in New Jersey and Virginia's gubernatorial elections this year. That's to be expected in off-year elections, but Rock the Vote President Heather Smith still says that candidates didn't do enough to bring out young voters. "Candidates interested in securing the votes and support of young Americans must target youth in an intentional, visible, and effective manner," Smith said. Here's the comparison: 53 The percentage of young voters in New Jersey who voted in the 2008 presidential election. 19 The percentage of young voters in New Jersey who showed up Tuesday. 59 The...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"Winning is a lot sweeter, and if you didn't think last night was sweet, then you need to go see a doctor." - Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele on Tuesday's...

Continued...

 

Bravo in D.C. to recruit 'Top Chef' contestants

It's too early to know if Washington will get to host Season 7 of the Bravo reality TV show "Top Chef," but the show's production company is at least scouting the District for talent. On Wednesday, culinary hopefuls gathered at the Occidental Grill & Seafood restaurant at the Willard Hotel to participate in roundtable talks with producers. "We tell them to leave their knives at home," said casting producer Donna Lee. Apparently, the cooking comes later. The meet and greet brought out hopefuls from Maryland, West Virginia and even Idaho. Adam Hegsted of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, told Yeas & Nays he hoped to use the show to talk about sustainable...

Continued...

 

Republicans party on until 2010

While some of the city's Democrats were looking back to 2008 at the screening of HBO documentary "We the People," Republicans were basking in their moment. At the ESPN Zone on Tuesday night, the energy at the Republican Governors Association election party was palpable and totally different than last year's mood. A crowd filled with Hill staffers, RGA staff and big donors, along with conservative activists and House Minority Leader John Boehner, celebrated in what some described as "a landslide" because of the Republican victories in Virginia and New Jersey. The night hit a high point when New Jersey Republican Chris Christie's win was announced, with giddy staffers...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"Yes, I do have very BIGGG THINGS !!! for all you that keep asking me ...#@!" - Levi Johnston, via Twitter to fans begging for details on his upcoming Playgirl photo...

Continued...

 

By the numbers

As they waited for election returns one year ago, Barack Obama and John McCain each prepared to give a speech. One would deliver an acceptance, the other a concession speech. Here's how it played out: 1,972 The number of words in Obama's acceptance speech 1,207 The number of words in McCain's concession...

Continued...

 

Payin' the bills: Clinton name drops for cash

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton long has been out of the White House race, but she's still dropping names. Literally. To make back the campaign cash she spent in 2008, Clinton has resorted to the Washington way of making a buck -- sell your Rolodex. The New York Daily News reports Clinton has made more than $3.5 million in the past year by selling access to her donor database, according to a review of federal campaign documents. So, who's tapped into Clinton's list so far? The Democratic Party, advocacy groups, fundraising firms and Senate replacement Kristen Gillibrand, along with former colleague Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Although Clinton isn't afraid to sell her donors out to...

Continued...

 

Spiritual healing: Author Chopra weighs in on health care reform

When spiritualist and best-selling author Deepak Chopra talks health care reform, he doesn't use Washington words like "public option" and "pre-existing condition." Instead he shows concern for unnecessary surgeries and prescription drug addiction, something that plagued his close friend, fallen pop star Michael Jackson. "I guess in Washington one of the hardest topics of discussion is health care reform," Chopra said Monday night. "And nobody is actually talking about health care reform, we are talking about health care insurance reform." Chopra spent Monday at an intimate dinner at K Street favorite Teatro Goldoni with journalists -- including...

Continued...

 

Point and click: Bloggers digging dirt on Obama adviser Jarrett

Now, who said the GOP didn't have an online presence? Sure, the Republic National Committee's Web site pushes all the kitschy elements of a choreographed social networking strategy with its YouTube, Facebook and Twitter links to target that coveted 18-to-40 crowd, but maybe the party's grass-roots core has an agenda of its own. Fresh off the victory of the recently resigned Obama administration Special Adviser for Green Jobs Van Jones, conservative bloggers have set their sights on another of President Obama's longtime pals. "I'm not sure what set it off," said Adam Bitely, executive director of NetRightNation.com, "but I do know that the rumblings in the blogosphere...

Continued...

 

By the Numbers

Republicans hope to take away the Democrats' electoral momentum Tuesday by winning off-year gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. In the last election in 2005, Democrats kept both of these governors' mansions blue. Here is how they fared: 51.72 The percent of the vote Democrat Tim Kaine earned in his victory over Republican Jerry Kilgore. Sitting Democratic Gov. Mark Warner was unable to run again because of term limits. 53.47 The percent of the vote Democrat Jon Corzine earned in his victory over Republican Doug Forrester. Then-Sen. Corzine stepped in to run when acting Gov. Richard Cody decided not to run. Cody took over for scandal-plagued Gov. Jim McGreevey....

Continued...

 

Election 2.0: Web site seeks 100,000 supporters for independent

Attention third party candidates: Here's an online strategy you might want to try. A supporter of New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett has created DaggettPledge.com to try to get 100,000 people signed up to support the independent candidate who is running against Republican Chris Christie and Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine. If -- and only if -- 100,000 people sign up, then they should vote for Daggett. What's fresh about this approach? Micah Sifry, of the blog Tech President, explained that it's conditional. "So everybody jumps in the water together," Sifry said. Also, people are less nervous about supporting an underdog. So far more than 66,000 have committed....

Continued...

 

Big screen: HBO documentary on Obama 'By the People' debuts

Fired up! Ready to go! It's been a year since the election of President Obama, so it's as good a time as any for HBO to debut its documentary "By the People: The Election of Barack Obama." While HBO subscribers can watch the film from their couches Tuesday night, a private screening is planned here in Washington that will bring Ed Norton into town and administration figures to the theater. Norton served as a producer on the documentary and helped filmmakers Amy Rice and Alicia Sams get access to then-Sen. Obama. Filming started a year before Obama announced his intention to be president....

Continued...

 

Fit is it: First lady says healthy living isn't just for kids anymore

First lady Michelle Obama has tackled school lunches, snuck healthy treats in with the Halloween candy and told kids time and time again to eat those vegetables. And it seems her message has trickled up to adults, too. Feeling inspired by the Obamas, celebrity chef Art Smith told Yeas & Nays that he decided to go on a diet, and now slimmer and trimmer, the cook who was Oprah Winfrey's personal chef for a decade, has lost 52 pounds. "The first lady hugged me and said, 'whatever you're doing, keep doing it,' " Smith said. "That was really sweet." Smith, who was working in Chicago for Winfrey, has known the Obamas for several years. "One thing I've always...

Continued...

 

Oh, snap: The punch heard 'round the town

Tensions were high Friday in The Washington Post newsroom after feature editor Henry Allen punched Style writer Manuel Roig-Franzia in the face. Seriously. D.C. blogs are reporting that Allen was fretting over a "charticle" (article + chart) that was to appear in the Style section and griped at its authors. In defense of the writers, Roig-Franzia got involved and gave Allen this advice: "Henry, don't be such a c -er." Allen then gave Roig-Franzia a response with his fist. Since first reported by the blog Fishbowl DC, the Post has gone on a PR blitz, giving inquiring journalists and bloggers this statement: "I can't discuss private personnel matters but that doesn't mean we...

Continued...

 

‘Real World D.C.’ wraps up filming on S Street

The fierce Latina who grew up in a trailer park, the annoying little brother who will hook up with anyone, the inner-city orphan with enough machismo to own this city, the country girl who lived in a barn, the high school sweetheart who discovered he was bisexual, the rebel from a Christian cult and the wannabe rocker. Say hello to “The Real World,” Washington, D.C. They interned, they partied, they got a little rowdy, they made Washingtonians sign waivers at every club in the city — they even claimed to have made a few “real” friends. (Please let us know who you are.) But mostly the roommates who were in town to film the 23rd season of MTV’s reality...

Continued...

 

‘The Messenger’ learns from trip to Walter Reed

It was a trip to Walter Reed Army Medical Center that really helped Oren Moverman, the director of the new military-themed movie “The Messenger,” and actors Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson understand what they were dealing with before they started filming. “It’s a real eye-opener to go there,” Foster told Yeas & Nays. “Everybody has their pretty little one-liner about how they feel about the war — but to go there and to sit with the boys and girls who have come back missing pieces, it’s a level of reality which I don’t think most people are prepared for in the civilian world.” The movie begins as Foster’s character...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy » Reps. John Boehner and Heath Schuler

Yeas & Nays got feedback from both sides of the aisle on the Washington Redskins’ dismal 2-5 record this season: “It would be really good to see the team make a turnaround right here, halfway through the season and go on and push this thing through and start winning some games.” - Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., a former Redskins quarterback “Pathetic, really pathetic. No, there’s no hope.” - House Minority Leader John Boehner,...

Continued...

 

Sightings

California was well-represented in Washington on Thursday. Former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean stopped by book publisher Regnery to prepare for the barrage of interviews expected upon the release of her book "Still Standing." Our spies also caught Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lunching at Clyde's in Georgetown....

Continued...

 

By the Numbers: Cheating starts early

If you cheated in high school, you're far more likely to lie to your spouse, customers and employers, and cheat on expense reports and insurance claims, a new study reveals. Here are some numbers: 44 The percentage of people who said they have made illegal copies of music or videos and also admitted to cheating in high school 35 The percentage of people who admitted to cheating in high school and also admitted to lying to their significant other about something significant 13 The percentage of people who admitted to cheating in high school and also have lied on a resume Percent of workers surveyed who believed one has to lie or cheat to succeed in their occupation: 23...

Continued...

 

First gardener: Obama shows off the fruits (or vegetables) of her labor

Michelle Obama had a sweet spot for her sweet potatoes as she and local schoolchildren harvested wheelbarrows full of fall crops from the White House Kitchen Garden. "Now this is a sweet potato," she said Thursday, holding up one that easily was bigger than a guinea pig. Obama and her fifth-grade helpers from Bancroft and Kimball elementary schools pulled up carrots, dug up fennel and piled up the giant sweet potatoes all to be donated to Miriam's Kitchen, a local food shelter. The White House Kitchen Garden has produced more than 740 pounds of foods since it was planted in March, something the first lady touted with pride. "So for less than $200, we have planted enough...

Continued...

 

Gosselin circus could be coming to town

As if Washington weren't already inundated with reality TV show drama, there's another reality show circus that could be coming to town, and this one's sure to be a train wreck. Jon Gosselin of TV's "Jon & Kate Plus 8" was recently sued by TLC, which is owned by the Discovery Channel. Lucky for us, Discovery Talent Services is headquartered in Silver Spring, meaning that the legal proceedings are going to play out in Montgomery County. Discovery has requested a jury trial and is suing Gosselin for breach of contract after Gosselin began making appearances on other TV shows, like "Entertainment Tonight," and talking about his and Kate's problems in the press -- something he was...

Continued...

 

Art & Soul chef cooks for Mandela Children's Fund

Art Smith doesn't get intimidated much. He was Oprah Winfrey's personal chef for a decade, and these days drops by the White House to whip up meals for the president and first lady, but there's at least one person who has rattled the celebrity cook: former South African President Nelson Mandela. "I didn't feel worthy to cook for such a world figure," Smith told Yeas & Nays, sharing that he was introduced to Mandela through former boss "Ms. Winfrey." "She said, 'Well, honey, I didn't know if you were going to curtsy or bow to him,' " he joked, recalling a conversation he had with Winfrey about making food and meeting the world leader in Chicago. It...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"I am surprised that this issue takes precedence over the Patriot Act; that needs to be addressed before it runs out." - Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Calif., questioning why Congress was holding a hearing on the Patriots and other NFL teams and head...

Continued...

 

Congress wins annual Longest Yard Game

An unlikely group of congressional warriors traded in hard-nosed partisan politics for a hard-nosed game of football Tuesday night in the fourth annual Longest Yard Congressional Football Game. The flag football game, sponsored by the National Football League, pitted members of Congress against Capitol cops for the U.S. Capitol Police Memorial Fund, a charity that provides assistance to families of D.C.'s fallen officers. With former NFL players on their side, including Ken Harvey, Gary Clark, Ricky Ervins, Ravin Caldwell and Kenny Jenkins (Redskins); John Booty (Philadelphia Eagles); and Don Malloy and Ed Lee (Detroit Lions), the bipartisan squad showed the officers that Congress runs...

Continued...

 

Brooke hopes to see a woman in the White House

Barbara Walters thought former Republican Sen. Edward William Brooke was quite the ladies man, turning heads when she admitted to having an affair with the senator several decades ago. On Wednesday, Brooke announced that he was indeed a ladies man, saying at his Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony that he's looking forward to seeing a woman in the White House. "What a wonderful thing it is today to have a speaker of the great House of Representatives -- a lady," Brooke said Wednesday morning. He went even further to say he hoped to see a woman as president of the United States. But after Hillary Clinton's unsuccessful bid for the presidency, besides Sarah Palin, not many names are...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"Plus, she is a maniacal witch, and I'm being polite." -- Anti-abortion radical Randall Terry on why House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should burn in effigy for his Halloween YouTube video contest. He's asking contestants to submit their best display of Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "burning in...

Continued...

 

Funnyman: Bill Cosby takes home humor prize

He used comedy and charm to touch Americans from the comfort of their living room couches throughout the 1980s, and now, he's got the hardware to prove it. William Henry "Bill" Cosby was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Monday night at the Kennedy Center for his ability to exude humor from his "uniquely American experience." Cosby accepted a 1884 bronze portrait bust of Mark Twain sculpted by the late Karl Gerhard (1853-1940) before a slew of Hollywood pals and Washington elite including Cosby show colleagues Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Phylicia Rashad, and Michelle Obama and Jill Biden. Entertainers also in attendance: Jerry Seinfeld, Sinbad, Chris Rock, Carl Reiner,...

Continued...

 

Unlikely pals: Rapper finds a little love from Fox's Greta

Finding a friend at Fox News has been hard for rapper Ludacris. Bill O'Reilly, who frequently targets the rapper on "The O'Reilly Factor," recently referred to Ludacris as an artist who "makes money smearing people and feeding children corrupt images." (In 2002, O'Reilly initiated a Pepsi boycott when Ludacris was signed to the brand.) And Ludacris has fired back with his lyrics: "Hi Mr. O'Reilly, hope all is well, kiss the plaintiff and the wifey." He even mocked the pundit at the 2007 Grammy Awards. But lucky for him, he may have found a little affection from "On the Record" host Greta Van Susteren. At the Ludacris Foundation luncheon at the...

Continued...

 

Step it up: Feds Get Fit rally challenges bureaucrats to move it

With health care reform waging through Congress and a nation with two-thirds of its population overweight, it only makes sense for the feds to step up their game -- literally. "We want the federal government to be a role model for the rest of the country," said John Berry, director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. At a Feds Get Fit rally on the National Mall on Tuesday, Berry challenged federal employees to "walk around the world." The first federal agency to collectively strike 24,000 steps will be deemed the fittest. Fedsgetfit.gov also offers the Pro Challenge, which encourages feds to outstep former New England Patriots player Darryl Haley or Washington Redskins...

Continued...

 

It's on: New Yorkers hope 'Carpetbagger Curse' is in the past

With her move to the State Department, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton opened up a Senate seat from New York, and according to some superstitious baseball fans, she also may have opened up chances for the New York Yankees to clinch the title of World Series champs. The reason? It's a little something called "The Carpetbagger Curse." Just before Clinton (called a carpetbagger for her Illinois and Arkansas roots) was elected to the Senate in New York, the Yankees won the World Series, but the New York team hasn't won since. This wouldn't be significant for sports fans except that a similar situation occurred during Robert Kennedy's Senate tenure. A carpetbagger comes in, and...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"I aspire being so incredibly boring that no one can be as boring as me. I'm a CPA so I'm on my way." -- Rep. Brad Sherman, D-Calif., on why he doesn't read Yeas &...

Continued...

 

Keep your receipt: Johnston will be in his birthday suit in time for the holidays

Levi Johnston has a special gift for you this holiday season. His full-frontal Playgirl pinup. It's official. The father of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's grandson has scheduled a Playgirl photo shoot for mid-November just in time for the magazine's holiday edition, New York Post's Page Six reported. And the figures aren't looking too shabby: Manager Tank Jones told the Post he is "90 percent sure" Johnston will reveal his full-frontal anatomy for a reported six figures. Not exactly the present we were hoping for this...

Continued...

 

Road rules: Shriver caught red-handed -- again

Even though she curls up next to the Governator each night, Maria Shriver just can't help breaking the law. TMZ spotted Maria Shriver breaking a road rule again. This time Shriver's Cadillac Escalade was parked illegally in a red zone for almost an hour outside of her doctor's office in Santa Monica. According to the California Driver Handbook that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger strongly endorses, the red zone means "No stopping, standing or parking." No word on whether California's first lady will make an appearance at traffic school....

Continued...

 

Hindsight: Study shows 'town hall' meetings way safer online

After a lot of defamatory language, organized protests and outright aggression over the health care debate, studies now show online town hall meetings are a safe and effective alternative for healthy debate. A new study by the Congressional Management Foundation shows online sessions between representatives and their constituents positively affect views of the official and political engagement. In fact, the 13 members of Congress who participated in the study saw an 18 percent jump in approval ratings, on average. Not only did the online town hall meetings attract a more diverse group of constituents, but they increased the probability of voting for the member. If members...

Continued...

 

Tuned in: D.C.'s leading ladies have quite the iPod playlist

First lady Michelle Obama isn't afraid to gab to Jay Leno about the tunes on her iPod playlist. Sting, Stevie Wonder, Sarah Bareilles and Mary J. Blige, are on the presidential iPod she said. "I've got it all," Obama said, beaming. With the first lady's jams in mind, Yeas & Nays reached out to other leading ladies in town to see what they're bumping to. Miss D.C. Jen Corey, an opera singer, concedes it's difficult to get pumped for the gym on her genre of choice. On Corey's list you'll find Whitney Houston's, "I Look to You," Taylor Swift's "Tim McGraw," Rascall Flatts, Carmen, Puccini, R&B and country. An avid runner, Rep. Shelley Moore Capito,...

Continued...

 

Holiday spirit: Just in time for Halloween, Cheney gets ghoulish nickname

Former Vice President Dick Cheney is known to have a little fun with his nicknames. Two years ago, after being called Darth Vader, the Cheneys dressed up their dog Jackson like the "Star Wars" bad guy. Now, just in time for Halloween, Cheney has been given a new nickname: vampire. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., deemed Cheney a vampire Friday night on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews." "I have trouble listening to what he says sometimes because of the blood that drips from his teeth while he's talking, but my response is this: He's angry because the president doesn't shoot old men in the face," Grayson said to Matthews. "By the way, when he was done speaking, did he just then turn...

Continued...

 

Come together: Rapper touts foundation at National Press Club

Always controversial Chris "Ludacris" Bridges appeared at ease behind the lectern Friday touting The Ludacris Foundation at the National Press Club. "Immediately you wonder if I'm running for office; maybe for president in 2012?" he said. "I'm here to tell you I'm not, so you don't have to worry about that." The rapper visited Washington for his foundation's sixth annual benefit dinner, which was being held in D.C. for the first time. There, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., was honored with the first Ludacris Foundation Congressional Leadership Award. Musician Quincy Jones and BET Chief Executive Officer Debra L. Lee were among others who also were...

Continued...

 

sightings

That was Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano enjoying an Italian dinner Thursday night at I Ricchi, with interesting company: conservative hawk Cliff May and another female diner.

Continued...

 

He's got sole: Tony Podesta has happy feet for 65th birthday

Techie lobbyist Tony Podesta painted his 65th birthday party red at the National Museum for Women in the Arts. For his big night Friday, the K Street king was not particular about gifts. All he wanted were shoes, old or new, for the Soles4Souls shoe charity. Known for his flamboyant fashion -- particularly his red kicks -- Podesta asked friends to wear red in his honor. "I'm the Imelda Marcos of shoes," Podesta told Yeas & Nays. Most attendees kept to the strict dress code, especially his colleagues who wore matching red loafers. One associate gabbed to Yeas & Nays that their Giorgio Brutini shoes were purchased for the Podesta Group on Overstock.com with a price...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"He was a cheap bastard, but we don't care!" -- Carol Knopes on the late Walter Cronkite, while auctioning off a memorial cartoon at this year's "Cartoons and...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"I'm not telling." -- CBS's "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer on when he might shave the scruffy beard he grew while vacationing in...

Continued...

 

Scrub up: College Dems take Obama's 'clean up the mess' to heart

College Democrats are taking President Obama's lead and sending their GOP counterparts a message. A long wooden stick complete with cloth tendrils. The official youth outreach of the Democratic National Committee delivered mops to Republican offices Thursday and Friday to invite the right to help "clean up the mess" President George W. Bush made during his eight-year presidency. And Obama clearly embraces the DNC's message. "I don't mind cleaning up the mess that some other folks made, that's what I signed up to do," he said at a DNC fundraiser in New York on Tuesday night. "But while I'm there mopping the floor, I don't want someone saying, 'You're not mopping fast enough or...

Continued...

 

Reflections: New book finds Reagan irreplaceable, Carter bitter

In 1980, some of the country's biggest names in politics were vying for the presidency. Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy was trying to elbow President Jimmy Carter from the Democratic throne, while Ronald Reagan became a political force by outmaneuvering a sitting president, Republican George H.W. Bush and independent John B. Anderson. Author Craig Shirley examines the election in his new book "Rendezvous with Destiny," out this week. The 740-page tome covers humorous bits -- like how two Bush staffers found out they were having affairs with the same married reporter -- and also game-changing moments. "If today's primary schedule was imposed in 1980, Reagan would have lost...

Continued...

 

Just visiting: Housewives, Housewives everywhere

Just because there's a whole crop of Real Housewives gallivanting around D.C. doesn't mean there's not room for one more. Jill Zarin, of the "Real Housewives of New York City" cast, is popping down to Washington this weekend to speak at the Bone and Joint Decade Global Network Conference. Mixed in with the cocktail parties, charity events and catfights depicted on "Housewives," Zarin has used the TV show as a vehicle to depict that arthritis is more than a disease that just afflicts old people: Her 16-year-old daughter, Ally, has it. And recently stepson Jonathan was diagnosed with Still's disease, another form of arthritis. "Nobody thinks that arthritis affects...

Continued...

 

Spooky, indeed: Only a horror film fest gets 'godfather of gore' to D.C.

Unlike other celebrities who come ready to save the country, "godfather of gore" Herschell Gordon Lewis said only Spookfest could "drag [him] to the District." Lewis opened the 2009 International Horror Film Festival with the theme song of his film "Two Thousand Maniacs" Wednesday at the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring. "I never did forget the words. They may very well haunt me," Lewis said. Despite his bane for our city, one of Lewis' favorite dialogues centers on a monumental landmark and his 35 mm Mitchell camera. "One guy said to me 'That camera of yours ought to be in the Smithsonian.' I said 'Where do you think I got it?' "...

Continued...

 

By the numbers

21 The percentage of health care coverage (coming from print, online and broadcast), which made it the most-covered story of last week 8 The percentage of "Balloon Boy" news coverage for the entire week, making it the third-most covered story last week 19 The percentage of "Balloon Boy" coverage Oct. 15-18 -- which made it the top story for those three days Source: The Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism's News Coverage Index, measured from Oct. 12-18.

Continued...

 

Support group: Men Against Breast Cancer gala raises $12,000 for mammograms

The group Men Against Breast Cancer couldn't have asked for a better advocate. Coby Dolan, the legislative director for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., accepted the organization's Yetta Rosenberg Humanitarian Award on behalf of his boss Tuesday night, and gave a rare glance of what her close friends and staffers went through when Schultz was fighting a secret battle with breast cancer last year. "Anyone who knows the congresswoman knows how tough, but also how warm, a person she is, and watching her go through that year -- and we were there as staff -- she had seven surgeries in D.C. and we were there by her bedside," Dolan said, choking up. He and the Florida...

Continued...

 

No, not that: 'Character Counts' this week, but in more than 140 letters

Perhaps when brainstorming a name, the president was feeling a bit Tweetish. President Obama announced this week would be "Character Counts Week," though he wasn't referring to how many letters you could use to post something to Twitter. Instead, he wanted this week to be used to celebrate people working together. "Instilling sound character and a sense of responsibility in our children is critical to our country's future," he wrote in a presidential proclamation, asking Americans to observe the week by holding appropriate ceremonies, activities and programs. And while the White House did announce Character Counts Week to reporters, they forgot to post it on Twitter....

Continued...

 

The future: ACORN video producer says revolution has just begun

Dressed up like a pimp and armed with a lipstick camera and an iPhone, James O'Keefe and his videos have effectively laid ACORN to waste. Say hello to the future of journalism, the 25-year-old says. "This is what '60 Minutes' ought to do, but they don't, because they have become irrelevant," O'Keefe told Yeas & Nays Tuesday at cocktail party for Big Government blogger and Washington Times columnist Andrew Breitbart. "They are all about protecting whoever they want to protect, and this is the new form of journalism." O'Keefe and his 20-year-old faux prostitute partner Hannah Giles were in Washington to reveal how they busted the Philadelphia Association of...

Continued...

 

Behind the headlines: 'Law and Order' stars in town to speak out against child abuse

"Law and Order: SVU" dramatizes child abuse during many of the episodes, but actors B.D. Wong and Tamara Tunie want people to see the true life issue behind the hit series. "We are always told and taught and encouraged to remember that these cases are from real life cases," Wong said on Capitol Hill Wednesday. "I always remember for every victim, there's actually a real person out there, or thousands, that this particular thing might have happened to." Tunie believes the social programs geared toward preventing and educating people about child abuse need more government funding. "It always comes down to money, doesn't it?" Tunie said. "But,...

Continued...

 

Awk-ward: Pageant organizers sue former Miss California over implants

It was only a matter of time for former Miss California USA Carrie Prejean. Pageant organizers want their breast implants back. Seriously. According to the New York Daily News, the California pageant organizer, K2 Productions, filed a lawsuit against former Prejean for $5,200 -- the price tag of those brazen implants the beauty queen carries on her waifish frame. Prejean requested funds for the surgery "to be more competitive" for the April 2009 Miss USA pageant. Although she was stripped of her crown in June, as Miss California USA she made a verbal agreement to repay the organizers, but has yet to follow through....

Continued...

 

Keep trying: Sartorialist says there's still hope for a stylish D.C.

Washington is surely ready for the Sartorialist, but it's still up in the air as to whether the Sartorialist is ready for Washington. Fashion photog Scott Schuman, who shoots the fashion blog TheSartorialist.com and regularly contributes to GQ, was in town Monday night to sign copies of his new book (also called "The Sartorialist") and to celebrate Fashion Washington's one-year anniversary at the new Logan Circle restaurant Masa 14. While his blog focuses on put-together people walking the streets of cities like New York, Paris and London, the Sartorialist has never given much attention to D.C. And Monday, instead of fawning over the styles packed into the crowded bar before...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"I agree that Sarah Palin would be a fantastic interview, and I would love to have her on after the campaign is over." -- Oprah Winfrey's stance last September on having the GOP vice presidential candidate come on her show. It was announced Tuesday that Palin would sit down with Winfrey on Nov. 16....

Continued...

 

Book talk: 'Stinky Cheese' author calls children 'crazy'

Children's author Jon Scieszka learned an important lesson while researching his well-known book: Three and 4-year olds are crazy. "I want to ... remember how their brains work," said Scieszka, author of "The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales." "They're like Alzheimer's patients on acid," he said. Scieszka talked humor Tuesday at the Library of Congress and explained that he grew up using humor to goof off or as a defense mechanism. "I could get out of things by making jokes or deflecting the attention long enough to grab the chicken and leave brothers three, four and five laughing," he said. Scieszka is working on "Robot...

Continued...

 

All grown up: Hanson brings a little public service with their performance

Ummm, what? That's right. Those dreamy long-haired boys of Generation Y's youth are all grown up, and they were frolicking barefoot in the District. And don't be fooled by their blond locks -- they knew our streets weren't safe for their toesies, so they skipped to the greener side of town Monday to join more than 300 students to Walk the Walk for HIV. "For us, the walks are not awareness walks, they're an action," Zac Hanson said. "The idea that you are physically doing something." The boys know what it means to come to Washington, and no, they didn't march over to Capitol Hill today. "Our focus has really been on individuals, because ultimately governments...

Continued...

 

Changing voices: Former CNN correspondent says media must keep up

At the tender age of 12, former CNN correspondent Frank Sesno started his career in broadcast journalism at the Voice of America. "We would literally cut and paste dialogue. I would have scissors and tape," Sesno said at the 50th anniversary of VOA's Special English Program Monday. Sesno, who says he's proud of his humble beginnings, pressed on the media's technological makeover and how to keep up with the redefining industry. "The audience has changed. [The media] needs to think globally and connect locally," he continued. "Information has changed, and the VOA has changed with...

Continued...

 

New suit, new life: Foundation keeps D.C. women dressed for success

It may just look like a simple suit, but to the Washington women who have been given outfits by D.C.'s Dress for Success, that suit opened doors to a new lifestyle. "You feel like you're rich, because you have a personal shopper" gushed Eboni Young-Meekins, showing appreciation for the organization, which celebrated its seventh anniversary Monday with a luncheon at the W Hotel. Young-Meekins found herself unemployed and on government assistance after a tough pregnancy. Enter Dress for Success, which provided Young-Meekins with a shopper, a suit and some guidance so that she was able to get a new gig. Michelle Fenty, wife of D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty, was among those cheering...

Continued...

 

Uh-oh: 'Goosebumps' didn't make Obama's summer reading list

President Obama may have gotten a few glum faces Monday when making a surprise appearance at Viers Mill Elementary School in Montgomery County. The reason? He conceded he hadn't read any of the "Goosebumps" books, a favorite of some in the group. To show he did have kid clout, he talked Harry Potter. "Malia and I read the Harry Potter books," the president said. "We thought those were pretty good." He also mentioned he had recently seen "Where the Wild Things...

Continued...

 

American 'idol': Attorney general gives pianist a case of stage fright

Everyone gets a little choked up sometimes, but over Eric Holder? Marcus Johnson, who has the No. 4 album on Billboard's jazz chart, slid his fingers a little too quickly on the keyboard Monday when performing the national anthem at the Department of Justice's domestic violence awareness event. "I'm sorry, I'm so nervous right now because this man is my idol," Johnson said, referring to Holder. "I've been on Billboard ... but I'm going to start over." With a signal from Holder, Johnson restarted. This was the jazz great's first performance in front of the attorney general, a man he has long admired. "When I was in law school and he was appointed deputy...

Continued...

 

Stewart, unplugged: 'Daily Show' host mixes stand-up, commentary at GWU

Stripped from his "Daily Show" desk and given just a single microphone, Comedy Central's Jon Stewart entertained students and parents as part of George Washington University's Colonials Weekend, packing more than an hour of stand-up comedy with commentary on everything from politics to parenting. "Republicans love their country, they just hate 50 percent of the people living in their country," Stewart said. "Democrats love their country, but they just wish it was a different country." Without the guise of being a faux journalist, Stewart blasted the "Birthers," the Republicans and even gave President Obama a little grief. "Here's how it...

Continued...

 

Where's my stapler?: 'Office Space' stars mark film's 10th anniversary in D.C.

Umm, yeeeah. Did you get the memo? There's only one film the DC Labor Filmfest shows every year: "Office Space." To mark the film's 10th anniversary, actors Stephen Root and Gary Cole joined a sold-out crowd for a showing filled with awkward memories and red Swingline staplers. "We thought ['Office Space'] was dead until people started doing the dialogue on the street," said Cole, who played boss Bill Lumbergh. He said the film was the only thing that kept him and Root, who played Milton, "on or near the radar." Before "Office Space," Root worked as a temp and became quite acquainted with cubicles, at one point even assembling...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"Fake or real: I want to know, is Hillary Clinton a reptilian?" - Richard Heene, father of "Balloon Boy" Falcon Heene, on Hillary Clinton's shape-shifting...

Continued...

 

No instant winner: Legendary White House reporter says Obama needs courage

According to Helen Thomas, "There is no such thing as an instant president." And this reporter should know: She's been covering the White House for 57 years. "A great president has great conscience and courage," Thomas said Friday at the National Archives. "I think Obama has conscience, now he needs to become courageous." Although Thomas said she thought Obama had potential, she's also miffed that he doesn't spend enough time in the press room. "They have the world in their hands," Thomas said. "You don't say 'honesty' and 'Washington' in the same...

Continued...

 

TV, M.D.: Viewers pick up health tips from medical dramas

Sure, television medical dramas provide great entertainment, but are they able to teach viewers a little something about their health too? The answer is a definitive "yes," according to Hollywood Health & Society's director, Sandra de Castro Buffington, and ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" supervising producer Zoanne Clark. The two paired up to brief Hill staffers Friday, explaining how effective TV shows are in spreading public health messages. "Two-thirds of viewers learn something, and one-third of those viewers take action from what they learn," de Castro Buffington said, showing clips of shows including "Grey's Anatomy" and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit." Her...

Continued...

 

By the Numbers

66.2 The percentage of college students who use social networking sites daily in 2009 34 The percentage increase over 2006 7.7 The percentage of college students who never use social networking sites Source: EDUCAUSE Center for Applied...

Continued...

 

Hung up: Talking while driving one stunt Michelle Yeoh won't pull

Attention Maria Shriver: Not every big name thinks she is exempt from the rules of the road. "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" star Michelle Yeoh never would have pulled the stunt of using her cell phone while driving, which is illegal in many states -- including Shriver's California. The acclaimed stunt actress is so passionate about road safety, she trekked to Washington on Wednesday to speak about the International Automobile Foundation's latest documentary on road safety, "Turning...

Continued...

 

Harvest time: Enjoy the first lady's garden ... from a distance

How does her garden grow? First Lady Michelle Obama has been getting her fingernails dirty all summer in the White House Kitchen Garden, and finally, we can see it for ourselves this weekend -- but only from a distance. The White House Gardens will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for ground tours of the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, Rose Garden, Children's Garden and the South Lawn. Unfortunately, if we want to get a glimpse of Michelle's prize piece of land, we'll have to bring binoculars....

Continued...

 

Family tales: Former president's grandson shares stories

President Truman hated mowing the lawn, Truman Daniel recalled. "Grandma [first lady Bess Truman] said, 'You're not the president of the United States anymore. You can mow the lawn,' " Daniel said. Truman's grandson Clifton Truman Daniel shared some family quirks Wednesday at the National Archives, where "The Bess Letters" -- notes exchanged between Truman and Bess around the time of his presidency -- were revealed. When the former president finally went out to the mow the lawn, he decided to do so on a Sunday, and waved to everyone on the way to church, Daniel said. Bess ran outside and told him to "never do that again," and Truman never did. "My grandfather not only used the...

Continued...

 

Vegas, baby: Nevada Democrat hopes you celebrate responsibly

Even though her Las Vegas district is filled with "liquor, gambling and loose women," which could give any member of Congress a hangover, Rep. Shelley Berkley's a big fan of the liquor lobby and its message to sip responsibly. "I want everyone to drink, eat and gamble in excess," the Nevada Democrat told Yeas & Nays. "But what I don't want is them to do is get hurt doing it." Berkley was among those toasted Wednesday night and inducted into the George Washington Spirits Society by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. She cheered on the industry to more than 600 guests at Mount Vernon, including Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and a handful of...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy: Maria Shriver

"Like every (I think) woman I know, their cell phone is personal, professional, spiritual, financial in every respect." -- Maria Shriver on who she was on the phone with when caught illegally talking on a cell phone while driving...

Continued...

 

It’s just not a party until someone signs a release form

It’s just not that much fun to party with the “Real Housewives of D.C.” At the Park on Tuesday night, Yeas & Nays struggled to get through the door of an “exclusive” event because the polyester and sequin bombs that made their list had supposedly “filled the lounge.” Once through the velvet rope, Half Yard Productions, which Bravo tapped to produce the reality show, bombarded attendees with those pesky non-disclosure forms. While the form lacks an STD clause, it does prohibit in strict legalese any “incidental, non-derogatory mention that I participated on a Program only after the telecast of the Program episode(s) on which I...

Continued...

 

CNN’s O’Brien doesn’t mind double ‘Jeopardy’

Wolf Blitzer's performance on "Celebrity Jeopardy" may have been painful, but that didn't intimidate CNN colleague and anchor Soledad O'Brien from giving the game show a shot. O'Brien played against basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and performer Michael McKean to win money for her and her husband's charity, the Soledad O'Brien and Brad Raymond Family Foundation. "I'll tell you this, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is ridiculously smart, he's scary smart, Michael McKean is the same way. They are very, very interesting, well-traveled, well-read people," O'Brien told Yeas & Nays. O'Brien's appearance airs Thursday, so we won't give away who won, but the CNN special...

Continued...

 

Rep. Schock ready to pass the ‘hot’ torch

After photos of his abs appeared on the gossip site TMZ and then he voluntarily posed for GQ (this time with his shirt on), Rep. Aaron Schock is ready for another hot, young Republican to get all the attention on Capitol Hill. “I am ready to pass the torch,” he told Yeas & Nays. “So if there’s another young Republican, I’m ready to give him that title.” A potential contender? Rep. Jeff Flake, the 46-year-old Arizona Republican who spent a week in August on a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean. “He and I see each other quite often in the members’ gym in the morning,” Schock said. “So he’s in quite good...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

“Well somebody has to be 47. At least they didn’t give me 50.” – Restaurateur Ashok Bajaj, on GQ’s 50 Most Powerful People in Washington list at the debut party Tuesday night at one of his many venues,...

Continued...

 

Ventriloquist warms up in D.C. for 'Jay Leno' show appearance

Even puppets can't go under the radar in this town. "I hate coming to D.C. because everyone thinks I'm Joe Lieberman," Walter said. "Is Helen Thomas here? She is hot, hot, hot." The ventriloquist Jeff Dunham and his "little people in boxes" dropped a few lines at the National Press Club on Tuesday night. Although Dunham has been performing since the late 1980s, a YouTube clip of puppet character "Achmed the Dead Terrorist" catapulted his talent into an international sensation. Achmed and the "beer-drinking redneck" Bubba J practiced their jokes for "The Jay Leno Show," which will air Oct. 15. If you missed the live show, Dunham and his dummies will make a regular appearance on...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"Look at what I have spawned." -- Rush Limbaugh on Fox News' Glenn Beck as the new kid in conservative commentary on the "Today" show Tuesday...

Continued...

 

Heritage: 'Desperate Housewives' Parker backs American Latino museum

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar may not be a fan of "Desperate Housewives," but he knows the dramedy's star Eva Longoria Parker has enough glitz to give a voice to his coalition for the National Museum of the American Latino. "I've never watched it," Salazar said. "I think Eva's great ... she's a star in life, a star in America and a star in our commission." At the House Triangle on Tuesday, House and Senate Latinos including Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. and Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., partnered with producer Emilio Estefan and Parker to advocate for a potential museum in Washington to honor the Latino community. Parker, in a form-fitted red dress...

Continued...

 

Full court press: Ex-NBA champ pushes healthy school lunches

Besides enjoying the occasional stint as a reality TV star, another one of retired NBA player John Salley's passions is food. He prefers meals that are vegan, organic and kosher. And while getting vegan, organic and kosher school lunches on students' trays across the country may seem like a reach, Salley's at least trying to push members of Congress in a more veggie-friendly direction. Salley, who buddied around with another political name, Patti Blagojevich, in this summer's reality show "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here," sent letters Wednesday to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., the chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and...

Continued...

 

Almost famous: 'Housewife' hopeful talks about Bravo's recruiting process

We know they're out there, but why haven't they contacted us? Some of D.C.'s most connected ladies have closed their door on those stealthy Bravo recruiters looking for the next crop of reality television stars. Despite evidence Bravo has cast the "Real Housewives of D.C.," network reps stand behind their default position that the show is in development, and the cast has not been determined. "We go into cities and just kind of talk to influential people and buzz makers and find out who might encapsulate the kind of women that we've had on our previous shows," said Bravo Communications Director Rachelle Savoia. Housewife hopeful Terri Bollman Wyzkoski was contacted...

Continued...

 

Speakeasy

"Rush Limbaugh [has] been divisive and anti-NFL on several occasions with comments about NFL players including Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb and his recent statement that the NFL was beginning to look like a fight between the Crips and the Bloods without the weapons, was disturbing." -- Al Sharpton to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell objecting to Limbaugh's interest in the St. Louis...

Continued...