While it’s the norm for celebrities to pour into Washington for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, Chelsea Handler‘s appearance, her second in a row, may have signaled something more.
In the September issue of Capitol File, writer Rachel Sklar muses that the Hollywood-harassing “E!” talk show host seems to be honing in on Washington when her current contract for “Chelsea Lately” ends in 2012. Handler briefly talks politics with the D.C. glossy before outlining what she hopes comes next in her career.
“I think Sarah Palin is a little bit more frightening than Michele Bachmann,” Handler tells Capitol File. Her reasoning? “Well, she’s dumber.”
Moving on, Handler says she hopes to move away from “E!” and to take on more than just celebrities. “I just want something more well-rounded,” Handler says. “Just a little bit more serious, still have the tone of who I am, but be able to talk about other topics and have more responsibility about what I’m talking about rather than just talking about celebrity,” she continues.
Handler also offers some love to D.C., telling Capitol File she didn’t realize this town was the “Hollywood for ugly people.” “I thought that was radio,” she jokes.
She also ticks off some of her favorite news people including Katie Couric, Joe Scarborough, Brian Williams and Chris Matthews (though, to be fair, Matthews is the only real Washingtonian).
When she visited D.C. this April for the WHCD, she seemed to be in the right places and meeting the right people. She showed up fashionably late for former “Hardball” producer Tammy Haddad‘s garden brunch, held the same day as the correspondents’ dinner. There, she chatted up guests (and was offered vodka drinks — her favorite — several times) at the former Katharine Graham estate in Georgetown, now the property of businessman and Washington Kastles owner Mark Ein. She attended wearing a gorgeous green gown, with boyfriend Andre Balazs in tow.
“It’s all beautiful,” she gushes.
