Alan Krueger and Billie Jean King

The Washington Kastles held their first annual celebrity tennis match to benefit the American Red Cross on the final night of the Washington Kastles season … and crowned Obama’s Assistant Treasury Secretary MVP. Alan Krueger joined media and political celebrities — Sen. Evan Bayh, Fox’s Bret Baier, CNN’s Ed Henry and ABC’s Jonathan Karl — coaching on the sidelines: Billie Jean King and the GEICO Caveman.

Bloomberg’s Al Hunt and Margaret Carlson called the game in a Washington version of the Wimbledon voice over. Celebrity ball kids included Patrick Henry (8), David (8) and Rachel (10) Greenberg, Betsy Fischer’s daughter Ella (8), and Jonathan Karl’s girls Anna (9) and Emily (12).

Celebrity Tennis in Washington from whcinsider on Vimeo.

lrozett Event Coverage, Washington Events Al Hunt, Alan Krueger, Billie Jean King, Bret Baier, Ed Henry, Evan Bayh, GEICO Caveman, Jonathan Karl, Margaret Carlson, Washington Kastles

Alan Krueger

With Redskins superstar Darrell Green and tennis great Ilana Kloss, it was hard to imagine that a former Princeton economics professor would be the breakout star of the first annual celebrity tennis match to benefit the American Red Cross on the final night of the Washington Kastles season.

Alan Krueger, Assistant Treasury Secretary for Economic Policy, impressed his team and his media/political opponents — including Senator Evan Bayh, Fox’s Brett Baier, CNN’s Ed Henry and ABC’s Jonathan Karl. Coaching on the sidelines: Billie Jean King and the GEICO Caveman.

GEICO Caveman with Darrell Green

Bloomberg’s Al Hunt and Margaret Carlson called the game in a Washington version of the Wimbledon voice over. Celebrity ball kids included Patrick Henry (8), David (8) and Rachel (10) Greenberg, Betsy Fischer’s daughter Ella (8), and Jonathan Karl’s girls Anna (9) and Emily (12).

Insiders were disappointed that Washington fav Gene Sperling had to cancel his appearance due to meetings, but Kreuger was the tournament’s MVP. Kastles owner Mark Ein has expanded the reach of the franchise, only in their second year, and with this first-ever charity celeb match has created a new Washington tradition.

Check out all the photos …

and check back later for video highlights.

thaddad Washington Events Al Hunt, Alan Krueger, Billie Jean King, Brett Baier, Darrell Green, Ed Henry, Evan Bayh, GEICO Caveman, Ilana Kloss, Jonathan Karl, Margaret Carlson, Mark Ein

Mike Allen's Birthday Cake

Politico Playbook Editor Turns 45

Politico’s Mike Allen celebrated his birthday on Wednesday. The h/t goes to the 150+ people who turned out on a cold and damp evening for a man who is what Harry Truman called a rare Washington commodity: a friend.

The cake (candles lit by Austan Goolsbee) — and lapel pins — carried an image knocked off from another president, fitting for the editor of Politico’s Playbook.

Mike Allen Birthday Speech from whcinsider on Vimeo.

(Surprise) Birthday Invite

Hosts John Harris and Ann O’Hanlon, Jim and Autumn VandeHei, Mike Feldman, Betsy Fischer, Jonathan Karl, Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Hilary Rosen, Jonathan Martin, and Tammy Haddad kept the birthday boy in the dark about the true reason for the party with an invite highlighting 160 days of media coverage.

Check out all the photos from Mike Allen’s birthday party:

Did too much birthday celebration interfere with Allen’s “Morning Joe” appearance the next day? No one’s telling.

Read more…

lrozett News Media, Washington Events Add new tag, Ann Compton, Ann O'Hanlon, Austan Goolsbee, Autumn VandeHei, Ben Bradlee, Betsy Fischer, Bill Burton, Bob Barnett, Bob Stevenson, Campbell Spender, Courtney Diesel, Debbie Dingell, Dee Dee Myers, Fred Hochberg, Geoff Morrell, Greta Van Susteren, Hilary Rosen, Jake Siewert, Jay Carson, Jim VandeHei, John Coale, John Feehery, John Harris, Jonathan Karl, Jonathan Martin, Juleanna Glover Weiss, Kim Kingsley, Laura Capps, Lois Romano, Maralee Schwartz, Marc Adelman, Margaret Carlson, Michael Allen, Mike Allen, Mike Feldman, Natalie Ravitz, Norah O'Donnell, Rita Braver, Rob Collins, Robert Allbritton, Ron Bonjean, Sally Quinn, Sam Feist, Sarah Feinberg, Savannah Guthrie, Stephanie Cutter, Steve Rattner, Tammy Haddad, Taylor Griffin, Todd Purdum

Jim Lehrer of PBS' "NewsHour"

Two of the news organizations that won’t be taking as many people to the RTCA dinner this year as in the past are PBS’ “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer” and ABC News.

In conjunction with “Washington Week with Gwen Ifill & National Journal,” “The Newshour” normally takes 15 tables, but this year, it is down to just two. The show’s financial crunch in the last year, due to corporate underwriting cutbacks, has been well documented.

“It’s a tight economic climate and we can’t afford it,” says Rob Flynn, VP of communications and marketing. “The organization is important to us and we’d like to do more.” Indeed, Linda Scott, producer of Capitol Hill and Congressional coverage for “The NewsHour,” will serve as chair of next year’s dinner.

Despite the smaller presence, the “NewsHour” snagged a high-profile administration guest. Sitting at one of its tables will be retired Marine Gen. James Jones, the National Security Adviser, and his wife Diane.

Also at the tables: “NewsHour” correspondent (and soon to be co-anchor) Judy Woodruff, PBS President CEO Paula Kerger and her husband Joe Kerger; the new COO of PBS, Michael Jones and his wife, Vicki Hawkins-Jones; and Les Crystal, the president of MacNeil Lehrer Productions. Ms. Ifill won’t be in attendance because “Washington Week” duty calls.

ABC News' Jonathan Karl

ABC News, meanwhile, will have just a single table. George Stephanopoulos won’t be there, but Jonathan Karl, the network’s senior congressional correspondent, will be in attendance, and of course Robin Sproul, VP and Washington bureau chief.

“We made a decision to cut back and have a smaller presence at the dinner this year. Since the White House Correspondents’ dinner was Obama’s first journalism dinner as President, we had a greater presence there and the guests to show for it. We’d also rather focus our resources on covering the news right now,” said spokeswoman Emily Lenzner.

EJensen Washington Events, rtca dinner Gen. James Jones, George Stephanopoulos, Gwen Ifill, Jim Lehrer, Jonathan Karl, Judy Woodruff, Les Crystal, Linda Scott, Michael Jones, National Journal, NewsHour, Paula Kerger, Radio Television Correspondents Association Dinner, Rob Flynn, Robin Sproul