Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson joined Fox’s Juan Williams and others to celebrate TV’s Armstrong Williams’ 57th birthday at Capitol Hill’s Monocle Restaurant just hours before the State of the Union.
Carson joked with Williams about his age and Juan Williams dubbed the cabinet secretary “the liberal here today.”
Amid laughs and grins, Armstrong Williams called the lunch “the best birthday I’ve ever had.” …
- With at least seven and maybe more Senate Democrats expected to be on the 2020 presidential campaign trail this and next year, party leaders are getting nervous that Republicans will have a clear path to passing anything they want. That’s prompted two Senate Democrats — Oregon’s Ron Wyden and Illinois’ Dick Durbin — to form a “Designated Driver Caucus” to plan out its opposition. “We are the two who are in the front seat making sure the car is moving forward while all of our colleagues are in the back seat waving out of the window,” said Durbin. …
- The Gridiron Club Dinner where big shot media members skewer political figures takes place March 2, and there’s talk that President Trump may attend and speak for a second time. There is a possible hangup, though. He plans to be in Vietnam to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un Feb. 27-28 and might travel on to China. …
- Despite frequent rumors that Vice President Mike Pence might be replaced on the 2020 GOP ticket, insiders said that President Trump has never considered a change and sees his No. 2 as his best “wingman.” …
- The Media Research Center is packing its 11-day Mediterranean cruise in September with some big names in politics, media and entertainment. The latest is Joe Piscopo of Saturday Night Live fame. He said he plans to give a talk or speech and “I may even do a tune or two.” …
