Politics
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By: Nikki Schwab
"I got to admit, I don't know who Snooki is." -- President Obama's response to "The View" co-host Joy Behar after she asked him whether the petite "Jersey Shore" star should run for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. Obama had actually used Snooki's name two months ago in a joke about the tanning tax at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. The second season of "Jersey Shore" premiered Thursday night on...By: Nikki Schwab
Look out, Luke Russert -- there's another child in the NBC family making a name for herself in Washington. Twenty-one-year-old Caroline Matthews, daughter of "Hardball" host Chris Matthews, is focusing her summer on the national debt. She's an intern for President Obama's federal deficit commission and, this week, she's biking from Philadelphia to Washington to "break the debt cycle" for an organization she helped found, Concerned Youth of America. "I'm biking, but I'm also fighting the national debt cycle," she said, noting the pun. On her three-day trek, she plans to meet with Govs. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania and Martin O'Malley of Maryland and also Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., when she peddles back into the District Friday afternoon. The University of Pennsylvania senior...By: Nikki Schwab
Someone didn't do her research. Sandra Bullock is backing out of her role in Restore the Gulf campaign's new public service announcement, "Be the One." The video features Bullock and other celebrities asking citizens to sign a petition to Congress that demands a fully funded restoration plan for the oil-ridden Gulf. The kicker? The campaign is being sponsored by the organization "America's Wetland Foundation," which Mediaite reported is "actually a greenwashing front group for big oil companies like Shell, American Petroleum and, you guessed it, BP." Bullock's reps are asking for "her participation in the PSA be removed until the facts can be determined." The video includes cameos from actress Blake Lively, musicians Lenny Kravitz and Dave Matthews and political strategists...By: Nikki Schwab
It's a much-discussed D.C. summertime problem: interns acting obnoxious when riding the Metro. But a group of concerned Washingtonians, calling themselves simply "unbeltway," took this pet peeve to a whole new level. They created a music video called "On the Metro" about the issue, set to the tune of Lady Gaga's "Alejandro". Hitting YouTube on Thursday, the video depicts a pretty good Lady Gaga look-alike schooling a scantily clad female intern and an overly preppy male intern. "I know you are young, and you are working for your congressman, but I just can't see you like this anymore, on the Metro," the faux Gaga says before beginning to sing. "She wears high heels and a red badge and she thinks she has important things to do, there's tequila inside his backpack, and his...By: Nikki Schwab
The guest list for Chelsea Clinton's wedding must be pretty high class if the president of the United States didn't even make the cut. President Obama told the ladies of daytime talk show "The View," which aired Thursday, that he will not be going and was not invited. "I have to say it'd be tough enough having one president at the wedding," Obama said. "You don't want two presidents at a wedding." He joked that the amount of Secret Service and security precautions would get out of control. "I think Hillary and Bill, properly, want to keep this as a thing for Chelsea and her soon-to-be husband," Obama said. "And I am going to have the exact -- I'm letting you guys know now that y'all probably will not be invited to Malia's wedding or Sasha's wedding." Chelsea Clinton ties the...By: Nikki Schwab
This is what happens when one Senate candidate makes fun of the other's hair: A serious poll is commissioned. Here's how the hair fared. 19 -- The percentage of Californians who have a higher opinion of Sen. Barbara Boxer's hair 14 -- The percentage of Californians who prefer challenger Carly Fiorina's coif 67 -- The percentage of survey respondents who weren't sure which 'do they preferred Source: Public Policy Polling's survey of 614 California voters from July...By: Nikki Schwab
"Peter Orszag and Larry Summers, they're fascist pigs, they're fascist pigs." -- a singing protester (and Lyndon LaRouche supporter) who interrupted Office of Management and Budget Director Peter Orszag's last public appearance with the Obama administration at the Brookings Institution on Wednesday. The man, who was hauled out of the event, sang his song to the tune of "Funiculi, Funicula," according to the Wall Street Journal....By: Nikki Schwab
Jill Biden is going to get to watch her small-screen cameo on a big screen this week. The second lady is heading to Fort Belvoir on Thursday to watch an episode of the hit Lifetime drama "Army Wives". The episode being previewed is the one in which Biden appears, playing herself. In "Mud, Sweat & Tears," Biden visits the fictional Fort Marshall to kick off its annual Fun Run, a road race and obstacle course event held on the base, and is filmed talking with military families about the hardships of deployment. Other real-life Army wives appear in the episode. (Though not an Army wife, Biden is a military mother). On Wednesday, Biden was doing something very similar, traveling with the veep to Fort Drum to welcome troops home from Iraq. The "Army Wives" episode airs on...By: Nikki Schwab
Looks like Al Gore really will have to think twice before he gets any more massages. Portland, Ore., detectives interviewed the former vice president a week ago in San Francisco regarding an alleged incident with licensed massage therapist Molly Hagerty, according to Portland television station KATU. Hagerty claims the environmental enthusiast demanded sexual favors from her and also made "unwanted sexual contact" during a massage in a Portland hotel room in 2006. The Portland Police Bureau decided to reopen the sexual assault investigation about a month ago. Hagerty went public to the National Enquirer in June and held up a pair of "soiled" pants from the alleged incident for the tabloid's cover. Police questioned Gore the same day the Enquirer published stories of two other...By: Nikki Schwab
Actor, writer and director Ed Burns was in town Tuesday night for an event at the Newseum celebrating independent film. Yeas & Nays spotted Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and veteran journo Judy Woodruff hanging out at the cocktail reception before the screening of Burns' most recent indie film, "Nice Guy Johnny." Also Tuesday, Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Rep. Early Pomeroy, D-N.C., attended the Washington Nationals game against the Atlanta Braves. Dorgan is honorary co-chairman of an upcoming event with Nats third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmerman is taking over the stadium Aug. 9 to raise money for his charity, ZiMS Foundation, which raises funds for multiple sclerosis research. The band Amos Lee will perform (the Nats aren't actually playing that night) and...By: Nikki Schwab
You would think getting a reality TV show sealed the deal of "making it," but now Georgetown Cupcake has officially made it -- with its very own Wikipedia page, according to the Georgetown Dish. The Web page focuses more on the history and the store than it does on TLC's "D.C. Cupcakes" show. It also shares the amount of calories in each cupcake. We won't ruin it for you. Contributed by Jesse...By: Nikki Schwab
ESPN reporter and "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Erin Andrews wasn't exactly eager to talk about her harrowing ordeal with a stalker on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. "Can we just talk about the Vikings?" the ESPN reporter said, taking the podium and eying up Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who had just been praising her home state's NFL team. "That's a lot easier for me to talk about." Andrews then, at times getting emotional, discussed what it was like to be stalked by a Chicago man for 18 months, filmed nude in her hotel room and then have the video posted online for all the world to see. "He's going to jail for a little over two years, but the video on the Internet will be there for the rest of my life," she said. "I have to explain that video to the kids I have one day, to...By: Nikki Schwab
First lady Michelle Obama is already getting ready for the president's birthday next week, when he turns the big 4-9. She sent out a mass e-mail to supporters Tuesday asking them to sign Barack Obama's birthday card on the Organizing for America Web site, where users must enter their names, e-mails and ZIP codes. "Every year, our family tries to come up with a fun way to wish Barack a happy birthday," she wrote. "Together with other Organizing for America supporters -- and me, Malia, Sasha and Bo -- we'll wish him a happy birthday and let him know that we're ready to take on the year ahead alongside him." Organizing for America's spokeswoman did not respond to a request for comment on whether the information would be used for fundraising or added to OFA's already massive...By: Nikki Schwab
Donald Trump will ditch the celebrities for season 10 of "The Apprentice" and will fire normal people instead. We hear one cast member is D.C.'s own Steuart Martens. Martens is president and CEO of Tradewinds Specialty Imports, which brings Spanish wines into the United States, and is a partner at On The Fly, which owns those green and white food trucks that offer up locally grown lunch options. A spokeswoman for NBC wouldn't confirm Martens was on the show, saying the cast wouldn't be announced officially until mid-August....By: Nikki Schwab
$15,000 The total cost of the porta-potties Chelsea Clinton reportedly will rent for her July 31 wedding, according to TMZ. The former president's daughter apparently is renting four to six trailers of high-class latrines that include "porcelain toilets that flush, stereo music and hot running water." Contributed by Jesse...By: Nikki Schwab
He hasn't even thrown a pass as a Washington Redskin yet, but that didn't stop about 200 fans from showing up to the downtown D.C. Borders bookstore to see Donovan McNabb on Tuesday. While he isn't necessarily known for his writing, the former Eagles quarterback was there along with executive director of the NFL Player's Association DeMaurice Smith to sign copies of the book "NFL Dads Dedicated to Daughters," in which they both wrote essays. McNabb's excerpt (which is only 170 words long) talks about preventing violence against women and his protective nature with the women in his own family. But, before the signing, McNabb chatted with reporters about his new football family. "I love the D.C. area and I want people to understand that we're going to give it all that we...By: Nikki Schwab
"Biden to visit Yellowstone Natl Park. Hope they modify 'do not feed bears' policy to allow people to at least give them earplugs." -- a Monday tweet from past presidential candidate and former Sen. Fred Thompson. The veep is visiting Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon on Monday and Tuesday to check out Recovery Act projects....By: Nikki Schwab
He's not officially a housewife (and doesn't even think "housewives" accurately describes the five local women on the reality television show), but celebrity stylist Paul Wharton gets enough face time in the first episode of "The Real Housewives of D.C." to be considered part of the cast. "You can look forward to seeing my many moods and hairstyles throughout the season," he told Yeas & Nays, adding that he filmed with the cast several days a week for five months. In the pilot, which debuts Aug. 5, he is seen hanging out with both Michaele Salahi and Lynda Erkiletian and delivers a message to Salahi that Erkiletian, who owns a modeling agency, thinks she's gotten too thin. Throughout the season, he tries not to take sides, he tells Yeas & Nays. "If I had an issue...By: Nikki Schwab
Well, this could have been awkward. President Obama celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act on Monday, the same day a new handicapped-access ramp opened on White House grounds. A construction project on the North Lawn had rerouted pedestrian traffic down a precarious set of stairs. "This has cut out [old people] doing events because you would be climbing down stairs only to turn right around and climb back up," one source told Yeas & Nays. Luckily, the new temporary ramp opened Monday. "Yes, it opened today -- right on schedule," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told Yeas & Nays on Monday afternoon. "I even walked down it...By: Nikki Schwab
Just in time for Chelsea Clinton's wedding, a local group plans to sing and pray at Vera Wang's bridal boutique in Chevy Chase. Rocky Twyman, founder of the Pray at the Pump Movement, and fellow "prayer warriors" hope to persuade Wang to give discounts on wedding gowns to brides who use their receptions to raise money for victims of the Gulf oil spill. The group is urging Clinton to use her wedding for the same cause. Since the group hasn't heard back from Clinton's people, they've switched to Vera Wang. Why Wang? Despite no confirmation Wang is the designer of Chelsea's gown, Twyman told Yeas & Nays it is because "Chelsea is using [Wang] and she deals with the privileged brides of our society. They're the only ones that can afford her gowns." The protest is slated for...By: Nikki Schwab
Two big stars will return to "The View." President Obama is set to join the women of the daytime talk show Wednesday to tape an episode that will air Thursday. And even Barbara Walters is coming back for the occasion. Obama last was on the show in 2008, when he was a senator and running for the presidency. Walters has been on leave since undergoing heart valve replacement surgery in May. She isn't planning to come back full-time until September, but wanted to be there for what ABC is touting as "the first time in history a sitting United States president has visited a daytime talk show." The network announced Monday the president will talk about "his administration's accomplishments, jobs, the economy, the Gulf oil spill and family life inside the White House." Contributed...By: Nikki Schwab
British singer-songwriter Jay Sean was spotted Saturday night at Blue Duck Tavern. The musician was with an entourage of eight, we're told. In addition, Patti LaBelle was seen checking into the W Hotel on Monday afternoon. The songstress was in town for a performance at the White House on Monday night to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act....By: Nikki Schwab
Actress Glenn Close has penned some words hoping to assist wild cats and dogs. She wrote the preface of a report, coming out this week, that examines the status of 15 species of disappearing wild cats and canids such as wolves and foxes. The International International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Panthera and Wildlife Conservation Society will share the report with Congress on Tuesday....By: Nikki Schwab
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie didn't need to pause when asked if "Jersey Shore" was positive or negative for the Garden State's image. "Negative for New Jersey," the Republican governor told Jake Tapper on ABC's "This Week." Tapper brought up the show, in part, because its second season will debut on MTV this Thursday and over the weekend the New York Times did a long profile on the Jersey Shore's pint-sized star Snooki. Christie's chief complaint: The cast isn't from New Jersey. "What it does is it takes a bunch of New Yorkers ... drops them at the Jersey Shore and tries to make America feel like this is New Jersey." He then used the opportunity to encourage Jersey Shore tourism. "We've got another six weeks or so of summer left," Christie said. "Come to New Jersey."...By: Nikki Schwab
"I'm good enough to borrow a plane from, but not good enough to be invited to the wedding?" -- An unnamed friend of Bill and Hillary Clinton, complaining to the New York Times on Friday about daughter Chelsea's upcoming wedding in Rhinebeck, N.Y....By: Nikki Schwab
Sarah Palin might have some competition if she plans on running for president in 2012. Fran Drescher, former star of "The Nanny" and a women's health advocate, told Yeas & Nays some of the things she would do if she became the leader of our country. "If I were president I would make every elected official go to the Jefferson Memorial at least once a year on a field trip and make them read everything that's in that," said Drescher, who at one point was considering a run for the U.S. Senate. "That, and let us take our puppies into restaurants." (She asked that we add that she was just joking about the puppy part -- she doesn't want people thinking she's an "airhead.") The New York native was in town Friday to speak at a congressional staff briefing about the Safe Cosmetics Act...By: Nikki Schwab
Just when we thought the only news out of Palin World would be about the upcoming nuptials between young Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin, this comes in: Levi Johnston is slated to be in his first music video. Johnston will not be performing music, but acting, when he's filmed in singer-songwriter Brittani Senser's video next month in Los Angeles. Like art imitating life, it will tell the tale of a young couple pulled apart by the girlfriend's mother, according to the New York Post. "I don't think we're going to be concerned about what Gov. Palin would want. I think that given the script, he [Johnston] should be able to turn in a good performance," Johnston's attorney Rex Butler told the Post. Not to be outdone, there is showbiz news coming out of Team Sarah Palin as well. According to...By: Nikki Schwab
Sure, we've gotten a glimpse of Michaele Salahi in her red sari headed to the White House state dinner in every promo that's aired for the "Real Housewives of D.C.," but her fellow cast members are downplaying the role that incident plays in the season. "I think viewers are going to be so surprised to find out that the White House party crash is not like the crescendo of the show," "Housewives" cast member Stacie Scott Turner told reporters Thursday. "It is like a small part of five interesting storylines, it by no means is all the drama in the show." Cast member Mary Schmidt Amons agreed. "It's going to be one small snippet," Amons said. "It's very clear to us that the show is not all about the Salahis." So, how do they know? They don't. Both housewives said they haven't...By: Nikki Schwab
Her mom is the first female speaker of the House and her career has revolved around documenting the lives of politicians, but Alexandra Pelosi doesn't plan to hit the campaign trail herself. "Are you ... Are you ... I was about to say, 'Are you on crack?' but I realized that's not a politically correct thing to say. Are you serious? Let me just ask you that ... are you serious?" Pelosi responded when Yeas & Nays asked about a future career in politics. Her response might be partly because the filmmaker and youngest daughter of Speaker Nancy Pelosi considers herself a "nobody." She joked she was going to create a T-shirt saying "I'm almost somebody." Pelosi was at the National Press Club Wednesday night for a premiere screening of her upcoming HBO documentary, "Homeless:...By: Nikki Schwab
Tamesha Warren was Washington's last hope. The executive sous chef at the Oval Room was the last "Top Chef D.C." cheftestant left on the program with ties to the District, but on Wednesday's episode she got the boot. Speaking to Yeas & Nays Thursday, Warren said her ouster came as a complete surprise. "It was out of the blue," she said, adding that her sudden dismissal was the worst part of appearing on the culinary reality show. Warren also said she didn't expect her knowledge of D.C. to really give her an edge in any of the challenges. "I didn't think everything would revolve around D.C.," she said. And for those who have been watching the show each week, Warren is at least happy she's now able to address those romance rumors about her and cast member Angelo...To view this site, you need to have Flash Player 8.0 or later installed. Click here to get the latest Flash player.
