Opinion
Year in review: 8 stories that rocked the political gossip world
By: Jeff Dufour
Editor at Large/Columnist, "Yeas & Nays"
12/29/08 2:20 PM EST
Randyman 1| Larry Flynt went after Sen. David Vitter, R-La., in his own backyard: In the wake of Vitter’s public humiliation for patronizing prostitutes, the porn magnate sent exotic dancers from his local Hustler Club in New Orleans to “greet” Vitter supporters as they arrived at a fundraiser.
Act like you’re panicked
2| The premiere of HBO’s “John Adams” in the Capitol building nearly came to an abrupt conclusion, as a plane entered restricted airspace during the event. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn was evacuated in the middle of the party, but order was restored before Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti and David McCullogh had to join him.
How he rolls
3| Mr. Macho himself, Donald Rumsfeld, picked himself up a decidedly un-macho ride. The former SecDef bought a Vespa LXV 150 scooter, which can reach speeds of 60 mph, but gets a whopping 60 miles per gallon.
Winken, blinken and national security
4| Henry Kissinger was apparently so excited that the Woodrow Wilson Center decided to name its new Institute on China and the United States after him that he ... zzzzzzzzzzzzz. Yes, at a news conference announcing the new institute that bears his name, we caught the 85-year-old diplomat falling into dreamland for several minutes while the Chinese ambassador spoke.
MTV-worthy drama comes to D.C.
5| The biggest celebrity news of White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner weekend was that Lauren Conrad and Heidi Montag, stars of MTV’s “The Hills,” brought their very public feud to D.C. “Thank God it’s a big room,” Conrad snarled of her rival’s presence.
Just one thing missing
6| The D.C. Council was all set to celebrate “Don King Day” in honor of the boxing promoter back in February. Invited to attend were the likes of President Bush, John McCain, Al Sharpton, and such boxing greats as Larry Holmes, George Foreman, Roy Jones Jr. and Floyd Mayweather Jr. None showed up, including King himself, “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
Your show of shows
7| The hottest ticket this year wasn’t the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner or the Kennedy Center Honors, but rather the Miley Cyrus show at Verizon Center in January. Those on the VIP list for tickets were Democratic consultant Hilary Rosen, D.C. Councilman Kwame Brown, record industry lobbyist Mitch Bainwol, Redskins owner Dan Snyder, former congresswoman Susan Molinari and fitness guru Denise Austin.
Come back with my shirt
8| Washington welcomed a new pro sports franchise this year in the form of the Washington Kastles. But the team’s first news conference almost took on a Keystone Kops flavor when a disoriented-looking man grabbed owner Mark Ein’s Kastles jersey and made off with it.
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