Washington’s Oscar weekend begins May 9 as Hollywood and New York’s biggest celebrities come to town for an evening with the President, Vice President, official Washington and the media.
2010 WHC Garden Brunch: Story Landis, Susan Axelrod, David Axelrod
While at the 2010 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch, guests were asked to share the best advice from their mother in honor of Mothers Day Every Day and CURE Epilepsy.
Some of the answers from the media, business, and political elite who stepped across the lawn at the 18th annual brunch are posted below – and be sure to WATCH the video of the tribute to two important causes which affects the lives and health of families all across the globe: maternal mortality and epilepsy.
Susan Axelrod, Founder & Chair of CURE Epilepsy spoke from the heart about the disease and the desperate need to support research and find a cure. Axelrod, the honorary co-chair of the brunch, was joined on stage by “Glee” star Matthew Morrison, People’s cover boy Chace Crawford, and HBO’s “The Pacific” star Joe Mazzello, as well as the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, who showed their support for CURE Epilepsy and MDED by signing a giant Mother’s Day card.
CHERYL HINES: My mom taught me to have fun in life. That’s what it’s about!
RUPERT MURDOCH: My mother told me to look after my sisters!
DANA DELANEY: Tell the truth – it’s easier to remember
STEVE WEBER: Swallow your spit
SUSAN SHER, First Lady’s Chief of Staff: 1. Always wear lipstick 2.
It’s just as easy to fall in love with a rich man as a poor man. (I followed neither.)
WOLF BLITZER: Do the best you can!
ARIANNA HUFFINGTON: Be fearless!
NICK JONAS: Treat women with respect!
JOE JONAS: Coins are not edible!
DEMI LOVATO: Pack clean underwear!
JOE MAZZELLO, HBO’s “The Pacific”: Make it real
DAVID GREGORY: Always wear socks!
KIM KARDASHIAN: My favorite thing my mother taught me is…. To be myself
CHEVY CHASE: Make sure you shake few hands. You can get hurt.
JAYNI CHASE: Wear comfortable shoes.
PATRICIA ARQUETTE: Get quiet and ask God to let you feel who you are …your true self.
BRET BAIER: Always open a door and pull out a chair for a lady!
ANDREA MITCHELL: Watch out when you cross the street
Jon Favreau, Graydon Carter at the 2009 Bloomberg & Vanity Fair Cocktail Reception
Photo - BILLY FARRELL/PatrickMcMullan.com
President Obama owned the room at the 2009 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner before some 3,000 elites in the Washington Hilton Ballroom. While the President’s charisma and innate comic timing carried him through the night, he did have a little help from his scribes.
Speechwriters Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett led the charge with timely references, including a video where the President welcomes a “Pirate” to the Oval Office (a tip of the feather-topped hat to Bloomberg Media guest Richard Phillips, Captain of the Maersk ship who was captured by Somali pirates in April 2009 and valiantly rescued by US Navy SEALS).
Senior Advisor David Axelrod was one of the top presidential aides who helped come up with the visual joke.
Tom Vietor, Jeff Nussbaum, Jeff Shesol, and a few other outside joke writers helped polish the President’s speech. This year, it will also be a team effort to make sure WHCA Dinner host Jay Leno will not be the only one getting laughs.
No pirates this year, but there’s bound to be a health care joke or two tickling the crowd’s funny bone.
Politico has more on what it takes to make a president funny – on purpose.
After two weeks of snow and snow-related traffic headaches, Washington’s media and political elite showed up to honor one of their own, Betsy Fischer, executive producer of Meet the Press. Gold, green and purple Mardi Gras themed decorations adorned Jack and Susanna Quinn’s Foxhall home.
White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod made a guest appearance in a special birthday video and noted Fischer is one of only a few people who still work for their first employer. Fischer’s media colleagues roasted and toasted themselves and Fischer, on the video and in the room, including: Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Savannah Guthrie and Chuck Todd, Wolf Blitzer and Bret Baier, Mike Allen and Bob Schieffer, and 10,000 Women’s Dina Powell.
The biggest laugh came when Bloomberg’s Kevin Sheekey appeared in the video talking to someone off camera, asking help for advice on how to run for president. The camera widened to reveal Al Sharpton suggesting Sheekey “call Betsy Fischer like I did or, more importantly, like Obama did.”
Obama notables Susan Sher and Dan Pfieffer, Sarah Feinberg, Stephanie Cutter, and Dag Vega all enjoyed Classic Catering’s jambalaya and Walter Issacson gave a thumbs up to the Louisiana food.
Fischer broke up the crowd when she called newly 40 Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham, “grandpa,” and David Gregory her “Irish twin.” Mike Feldman earned the accolade, Fischer’s “cool older brother with cute friends,” and Nicole Nason her “best friend.” Partygoer Hilary Rosen was the “cool cousin” and Carrie Stephenson, the “great sister-in-law.”
Media star sitings included Andrea Mitchell and Alan Greenspan, Jim and Autumn VandeHei, the Washington Post’s Dan Balz, Jonathan Capehart, and Ceci Connolly, as well as Evan Thomas, Ron Brownstein, Al Hunt and Judy Woodruff.
Clintonites Terry McAulliffe, Dee Dee Myers, and Steve McMahon rubbed shoulders with Republicans Ed Gillespie, Alex Castellanos, Matt Rhoades, Danny Diaz, Rob Collins and Barbara Comstock.
The dance floor remained packed all night and Winston Lord was later named hottest dancer. Also spotted at the party: Ann Hand and Ambassador Lloyd Hand, Washington’s newest star and Miami import, Adrienne Arsht, Ambassador Capricia Marshall, Biz Bash David Adler, Kelly McCormick, Pam Stevens, Ann and Geoff Morrell, and Anita McBride.
The party was hosted by MTP anchor David Gregory and Beth Wilkinson, Newsweek’s Jon Meacham, Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Nicole and David Nason, Brunswick Group’s Hilary Rosen, Glover Park’s Mike Feldman, CNN’s Carrie Stevenson, and Haddad Media’s Tammy Haddad and Ted Greenberg.
The early peace talks between Fox Chairman Roger Ailes and White House Senior Adviser David Axelrod appears to have made no headway — NYT’s Jim Rutenberg compared them to “pre-Pearl Harbor peace talks between the United States and Japan.”
While Fox News may see the administration’s volleys as “ratings candy,” the NYT article notes the White House has stepped up its anti-Fox commentary following indications other news organizations were closing ranks.
The verbal skirmishes between the White House and Fox News continue, despite last month’s “Fox Summit” between Obama’s Senior Adviser David Axelrod and Fox Chairman Roger Ailes, leading the NYT to offer: “But shots are still being fired, which animates the idea that both sides see benefits in the feud.”
The back and forth between the administration and Fox — reignited by White House Communications Director Anita Dunn’s suggestion that the cable channel was “a wing of the Republican Party” — has started a blogosphere discussion of CNN (Democrat) versus Fox (Republican) and lining up other networks and programs on one side or the other.
Click here for Michael Sherer’s Swampland from Time.
President Obama will be the only non-family member to offer a eulogy at Senator Edward Kennedy’s funeral Mass on Saturday in Boston. Obama adviser David Axelrod told USA Today it would be “about Ted Kennedy the man … the president was so fond of him as a person.” Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama was a game changing moment in the campaign; “a passing of the torch of leadership,” Axelrod said.
MSNBC threw a memorable Radio and Television Correspondents Dinner after-party that stood apart from parties past. Held directly across the street from the main event at the Washington Convention Center, MSNBC turned the traditionally staid Historical Society of Washington, D.C. into a brightly-lit fete of themed cocktails, glowing neon necklaces and comfort food.
As guests walked down the blue carpet entrance, we asked them the question of the night: are you a nerd or a jock? Politico’s Mike Allen said he was “all of the above!” and Patrick Gavin thought he was a hybrid of the two. NBC’s Andrea Mitchell exclaimed she was a “total jock.” John “I’m a PC” Hodgman discussed the modern cultural divide at length during the dinner.
Inside the party, the scene downstairs included a Starbucks-sponsored coffee bar where guests ate ice cream sundaes and desserts. From the main bar, guests walked outside to a large outdoor patio, where dance music had the party-goers on their feet for “Don’t Stop Believing.” Faces and heads glowed in the light of neon necklaces and headbands.
Upstairs, special guest bartender Rachel Maddow was mixing up cocktails at her heavily-branded “Rachel Maddow’s Bar”– complete with MSNBC napkins and “Rachel’s Bar” menus. Maddow’s signature cocktail was listed as a Hearst: a mix of gin, sweet vermouth and bitters (though she told us she actually served more of her cava drink, “Airmail” which mixed rum, fresh lime juice, honey and the bubbly cava on top). Afterwards, Maddow relinquished her bar duties to catch up with Ana Marie Cox and John Hodgman.
Later in the night passed treats included mini-pancakes and mini-ham, bacon and cheese croissants. As the bars began to close, guests went out back. Among the last to leave at 3:00 a.m. were MSNBC Morning Joe’s Willie Geist, Luke Russert and many of the cable network’s junior staffers.
Media heavy-hitters spotted at the party: Steve Capus, Tamron Hall, Norah O’Donnell, Contessa Brewer with Matt Ackland, Joe Scarborough with Mika Brzezinski, David Shuster, Carlos Watson, Chris Matthews, Lynn Sweet, Margaret Carlson, and Eugene Robinson.
Politicos rounded out the guest list, including Obama senior adviser David Axelrod, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Obama economic adviser Larry Summers, as well as Hilary Rosen, Alex Castellanos, Brad Dayspring, and Kevin Madden.
Move it to a Friday night (for the first time), bring a celebrity bartender to the after-party, and the night is guaranteed to go long. The Radio-TV Correspondents’ dinner festivities didn’t break until several hours after midnight.
The MSNBC-thrown after-party, attended by Obama advisers David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, among others, had a different vibe than Fox’s fondly remembered 2004 disco affair: more cocktails and comfort-food. Contessa Brewer’s black dress, with its open back, was one of the more daring of the evening and drew admirers; her lengthy conversation with NBC News president Steve Capus had some guessing. The special drinks that Rachel Maddow was mixing up behind the bar — including her “signature cocktail” the Hearst (gin, sweet vermouth and bitters) — must have been potent: The last of the NBC junior staffers trickled out after 3 a.m.
Obama as Comedian-in-Chief
As for the dinner itself, the reviews are in: President Obama was pretty funny. Then again, it’s hard to know — it could be just another manifestation of that whole being-in-bed-with-the-press phenomenon that hepoked fun at in his remarks last night. “Why bother hanging out with celebrities when I can spend time with people who make me one?” Obama said, comparing the RTCA event to the Hollywood celeb-studded White House Correspondents Association dinner in May.
Unlike the WHCD, there was no one line that everyone grabbed on to, but the papers, Twitterers and bloggers found plenty to like, although they appear to be tiring of his frequent jokes about chief of staff Rahm Emanuel’s colorful vocabulary. (Last night’s: “In Egypt, we had the opportunity to tour the pyramids. And by now, I’m sure you’ve all seen the pictures of Rahm on that camel. I admit, I was a little nervous about the whole situation. I said at the time, ‘This is a wild animal known to bite, kick and spit. And who knows what the camel could do.’ “) Read more…
Fox News set the bar for RTCA after-parties with its disco extravaganza in 2004, and this year, MSNBC will try to top it with Rachel Maddow, who will be mixing cocktails behind the bar. If that’s not enough, there will also be a chocolate fountain.
More than 400 guests are expected to cross the street from the Convention Center when the dinner ends to an MSNBC logo-swathed Washington Historical Society, at 801 K Street.
Maddow won’t be at the dinner; she’ll head to the party after doing her show; her “special cocktail” is being kept a tightly guarded secret. But an insider reveals the rest of the menu will include mini-milkshakes, ice cream bar, the chocolate fountain and breakfast, for those who stay to the bitter end. And a Starbucks Coffee Bar, in honor of the new “Morning Joe” sponsor. There won’t be a band, just a DJ.
MSNBC muscled in on the party after Fox News backed out. MSNBC was initially told Fox had locked up the Historical Society, the only party venue around in that part of town, and ”It was this space or nothing,” said an insider. No official word on why Fox may have changed its mind but someone in the know said it was due to the ever-changing dinner date, from April 2 to June 4 to June 19, a Friday-and Father’s Day weekend, no less. (Many on-air talent types at all the networks are begging off this year because of the timing.)
NBC is going all-out with dinner tables, too, purchasing 13, which will seat administration guests including Attorney General Eric Holder; David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett, senior advisers to President Obama; White House economic adviser Larry Summers; Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Congressional guests include Sen. Susan Collins, R.-Maine, and Rep. David Obey, D.-Wisc.
NBC’s lengthy list of on-air talent attending includes: Chris Matthews, Pete Williams, Andrea Mitchell, Chuck Todd, Tom Costello, Savannah Guthrie, Jim Miklaszewski, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, John Harwood, David Schuster, Carlos Watson, Tamron Hall, Contessa Brewer, Monica Novotny, Alex Witt, Ed Schultz, Norah O’Donnell, Dylan Ratigan, Willie Geist, Kelly O’Donnell and Luke Russert,as well as a number of commentators and analysts (Lawrence O’Donnell, Ana Marie Cox, Michelle Bernard, Eugene Robinson and Richard Wolffe.)
Execs include NBC News President Steve Capus, MSNBC President Phil Griffin, SVP and Washington bureau chief Mark Whitaker, and Betsy Fischer, the longtime exec producer of “Meet the Press.”
“This is our year, this is our time. We’re the place for politics and we really wanted to make a big splash in D.C. at this dinner,” said spokesman Jeremy Gaines.
Obama Walks to Oval Office -- courtesy Antoine Sanfuentes
Mark Lukasiewicz (a.k.a. “Luk”) is one of the biggest names in TV news, yet he operates behind the cameras and lights — and notoriety — as a Vice President of NBC News.
He has been leading NBC News’ digital efforts and on the side (ahem) over the years he has created and produced some of NBC News biggest events, the most recent: NBC’s “Inside the Obama White House, Brian Williams Reports.” With amazing access and resources, he and his team shot 150 hours of tape and created two primetime network hours, which also appeared on NBC’s cable channel MSNBC.
WHCInsider talked to Luk about the two-night special report, both of which captured a “top 10″ TV ranking for that week. about how the NBC the program came together.
Linda Rozett: Did you plan what everybody would be shooting beforehand, or did you just show up with lots of people and start shooting … and sort it out in the edit room?
Mark Lukasiewicz: The White House puts out a public schedule each day, so we certainly knew in advance some of what would be on President Obama’s schedule. But in terms of exactly how it would unfold, there’s no way to know that. You just roll with it. In the end, the broadcast included an entire chapter on how the White House managed the Sonia Sotomayor story — and that episode completely unfolded before our eyes. No one could have predicted it.
Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest and NBC News VP Mark Lukasiewicz on the South Lawn of the White House, consider camera locations for "Inside the Obama White House: Brian Williams Reports" – courtesy Subrata De
In the process we followed, every producer submitted an outline of their best material, what they saw what was noteworthy, what unfolded. Each submitted the outline by midnight on Friday, a few hours after they left the White House.
Before leaving the White House Brian, Subrata De and I were also able to compare notes — and overnight I put together a 12-act outline of the two hours incorporating all the best material from the producers, and laying it out and structuring it into a rough narrative.
By noon Saturday everyone was back in New York and the entire team went to work on that 11-page outline, in a two-hour meeting. We moved some things around, added some things, took some others out. And at the end of that meeting, a producer/editor team was assigned to begin producing each act.
Sunday was another full day in a “war room” on the 5th floor of 30 Rock, where Brian worked with each producer/editor team and scripted each act in sequence. Brian recorded his scripts for those acts Sunday evening. By Monday morning, we were screening a largely completed version of the two-hour special. It was an incredible process.
In addition to the NBC Special, didn’t you have time on MSNBC?
On NBC, we had one hour on Tuesday, June 2, and one hour Wednesday, June 3. We combined those into a single, two-hour program on Friday, which also ran on MSNBC on the weekend. And very soon, it will be a DVD.
And had our own website for the broadcast: www.whitehouse.msnbc.com. Pieces of video that we let run longer and stuff that didn’t make the broadcast, we put that on the website. We also had web-exclusive elements — our web producers were involved from day one; and msnbc.com had its own editorial team with us at the White House. They had access to everything. The website also has the full two-hour video, as well as all the previous “Inside the White House” broadcasts going back several years
With that much material, you must have had some good stuff that got left on the cutting room floor … what were your favorites that just didn’t quite make the cut?
There is. We had 150 hours of material. One thing we couldn’t get into the Monday, Tuesday broadcasts, but got in on Friday was a section about White House photographer Pete Souza. The producer who shot that material made the case for a great segment; a lovely and fascinating little glimpse of how the White House photographer works, how he works with the President. The segment told the story behind a particular photo, hanging in the West Wing, of a young boy in the Oval Office. The picture shows a 4-year old standing in front of the President’s desk and Obama is leaving over so the young boy can touch his hair. Souza told us the little boy had recently had his hair cut and wondered if their heads felt the same. In the photo, Obama is leaning over so the boy can feel his head.
How would you describe Obama’s comfort level with cameras following him that closely for an extended period?
I can’t speak for the President on this, but it appeared that he was very comfortable. We certainly had extraordinary access to him all day long in different settings: casual interactions with immediate staff members, casual interactions with the First Lady, walking from place to place, backstage, meetings in the Oval Office, in the Roosevelt Room, in the limousine, getting off the elevator in the morning and getting on the elevator in the evening. He seemed very comfortable.
ICYMI … Tuesday night’s NBC Special Report from the White House showed team Obama managing the fallout from Sotomayor’s comment about a Latina woman’s experience. First Gibbs, then Ax, tried to cool down the debate. But it took Obama (perhaps channeling Fred Armisen’sObama Cool) to do the job.
Rahm Emanuel was working his own agenda that day, and it didn’t include NBC cameras.
The Examiner’sJeffDufour got the scoop of the night: Who wrote the President’s comedy routine? Jon Favreau, the president’s chief speechwriter. Favreau told The Examiner it took him two weeks, working with speechwriter Jon Lovett, Obama political adviser David Axelrod, and a team of joke writers, to craft the punch lines. He also said they spent several hours on Friday, working out Obama’s opening sight gag with the teleprompter screens.
Bon Jovi, Kate Walsh, Taye Diggs, Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod, Meghan McCain, Antonin Scalia and More
ABC News will have its share of political and entertainment stars at its tables:
David Axelrod, White House senior advisor, and his wife Susan Axelrod
Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff
Peter Orszag, Director, Office of Management and Budget
Valerie Jarrett, senior presidential advisor
Jackie Norris, First Lady’s Chief of Staff
Leon Panetta, CIA Director
Susan Rice, UN Ambassador
Justice Antonin Scalia
Meghan McCain
Jon and Dorothea Bon Jovi
Kate Walsh
Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel
25 responses to “President Obama and Jay Leno at White House Correspondents Dinner”. MaggieBeganovic says: September 2, 2010 at 11:00 pm. WHO IS THE BLACK MAN. luciferdanify says: September 2, 2010 at 11:00 pm. Leno was horrible. ...Ask Questions, Get Answer - http://aquestions.com/ […]
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The Beck team pointed out the funny point that the White House correspondents dinner could also be described as "predominantly white." But no, that's not because they're raaacists. They can keep playing the "opposition to Obama is ...Kenneth Durden - A Free Man,... - http://www.kennethdurden.com/ […]
Teens Press... they have done a couple of tongue-in-cheek, romantic photoshoots together and posed in photographs together at the White House Correspondents dinner. ... […]
