FEATURE
Washington Parties!
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We were at a spectacular cocktail party in Washington last week -- a book party for Arianna Huffington's new Greetings From the Lincoln Bedroom -- an hilarious Alice in Wonderland account of a fictional long weekend at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue that only Arianna could pen -- and so well. The book had us laughing out loud and often, although the content might make Don Imus blush at its irreverence.
Of course the guest list was heavy with Republican pundits and hosted handily and graciously by the Ourismans in their superbly decked Washington manse. Aside from three pound shrimp and the best crab cakes we've tasted in a long while, wine and liquor flowed into three hundred gleaming guest glasses with ease from more-than-enough white-gloved waiters at ease with the glitterati.
The Ourismans were terrific and gracious hosts.
Aside from an unnamed frowning creep who walked around the house all night handing out stock tips to people who seemed uninterested, the party was a great success with people hanging in until two hours after the closing bell of 8 PM.
The left side of the aisle was anchored by David Corn, political editor of The Nation, Bill Press of CNN's Crossfire and the Grand Dame of Washington hostesses, Esther Coopersmith, well-loved from both sides of the aisle and as "in -demand" in GOP homes as she is welcome at the White House. Jeff Koopersmith, patron of American Politics Journal was there as well, chatting up the right like a Gingrich Republican. In all, perhaps a dozen well-known liberals were scattered amongst hundreds of Republican revelers as Arianna burst into song with guest Mark Russell singing snippets from songs in her new book designed to embarrass the White House.
Hot on the "chat list" was Paula Jones' highly anticipated "Guest of Shame" appearance at the White House Correspondent's Association Dinner as the trumped-up table tenant of Insight Magazine -- owned by the far right Washington Times, published by "Reverend" Sun Myung Moon's Unification "Church" -- but read by almost nobody.
If you have not seen Richard Cohen's editorial of 23 April in the Washington Post on this disgusting display -- do -- it's a must! You see, the White House Correspondent's Dinner is a Presidential banquet and the presence of "Winnebago Jones" is a calculateded and tasteless slap at Bill and Hillary Clinton. They braved it out with dignity and sat in the same room as the illustrious "Queen of the 'Ho' Down" while the world titters at their difficulty.
The Correspondent's Association should have had the guts -- not to mention the decency and discretion -- to ban Jones from the room, but there was no such luck, we're afraid. Besides, it will give all the pundits something to prattle about Sunday in another desperate move to increase ratings points at the expense of truth and the Clintons.
Mr. Brill -- pay attention.
But I digress -- back to Arianna's party.
One attendee reported hearing -- from two different and unrelated people -- a new theory running around ultra-right wing circles -- that Bill Clinton is an "obvious cocaine addict" and that he demonstrates the "classic" actions of a stoner. The proof? Not learning from his mistakes, ignoring reality, and an overzealous libido. HAAAAha, haha, ha! Gee, you'd have thought they were describing every politician in America.
Of course, Matt Drudge couldn't resist jumping into this scene and trying to steal Arianna's thunder. He succeeded as well -- being the center front in a picture run in the Post next day. Drudge, doing his full-body ticking as usual, with sunglasses but sans trademark Fedora, was the apple of one gal's eye. She'd had way too much too drink and was hanging on his every word.
Even Matt is not sure that his rumored television show is, in reality, going to happen -- but we vote YES, if only to have another ill-informed pundit from Dick Scaife's payroll to kick around! Koopersmith half-jokingly congratulated Drudge for America On Line's victory over the White House's Sid Blumenthal's quest to have them held accountable for Matt's outrageous libel against the Blumenthals (he claimed that Sid beat his wife).
Drudge replied, "Yeah, I guess that was sort of a victory for me…" , then trailed off, realizing slowly that he was now the sole target of the $30 million suit brought by the Blumenthals against him and AOL.
Another guest heard Tony Blankley telling Koopersmith that Newt Gingrich thought he would make a run for the Presidency but that Blankley thought Newt would change his mind in the end. Blankley also said that the White House had forcefully tried to spin an evil story that tragic suicide Sandy Hume and Bill Paxon were lovers -- and that's why Paxon had made a hasty and totally unexpected retreat from the House. Koopersmith was calmly livid telling Blankley that was a ridiculous lie, but Blankley wouldn't be swayed "off message."
Present as well was pundit pollster-cum-author Kellyanne Fitzpatrick who, looking absolutely gaunt, is rumored to be living at Stanford working on her "book." Fitzpatrick, owner of The Polling Company which some people call "the Woolworth of polling firms," spent the entire evening with what appeared to be three drooling college freshman out for a "night on the town."
Two hours into the party, book agent Lucianne Goldberg, arch defender of Linda Tripp appeared with her son Jonah. Despite her tough outward appearance, she's a terrificly interesting lady, and her son outdoes himself with charm. Goldberg could be heard telling a covey of oglers that Tripp was "stunned" over the "viciousness of the press" -- something we find hard to believe from a woman who has been a professional inside the White House for over a decade. As for Goldberg (born Lucianne Steinberger in 1935), she grew up outside Washington. Her best quote reagrds L.B.J. -- she told People in 1992 that "he used to twist your nipple in the elevator and think it was a sexy move."
Not MINE, Lucianne!
As for Tripp: Hey Linda, sorry you're "stunned," but when you wear a wire to entrap your "best friend," people are going to talk. At least you had the good sense not to show up at the White House Correspondent's Dinner on Saturday.
Claire Shipman trotted in late as well, wearing red -- and becoming the object of sly attention from bachelors young and old. Shipman, not hard on the eyes, looked fresh and yummy as she mingled with the ultra-right, the moderate right and the smattering of pro-Clintonites at the fete. Laura Ingraham, prepped-out darling of the new right -- and fresh from a broken leg -- actually sat in her car in front of the house waiting to congratulate Arianna but never appeared inside due to medical immobility.
Koopersmith brought Huffington a white chocolate "White House" stuffed with truffles but told us he wasn't sure Arianna ever ate it, or saw it for that matter. He had the pastry chef at DC's toney Hay Adams Hotel put it together and deliver it to the party.
We thought we spied Chris Wallace, son of 60 Minutes' Mike Wallace, as well, but he soon disappeared. Chris Buckley (or a look-alike) was also floating through the Ourisman patio but nary an elected official could be found.
We missed Bay Buchanan and her insightful wit, but an Equal Time trio -- headed by stunning producer Robin Gelman -- was there in spades checking out the crowd and impressing super-bachelor David Corn and Koopersmith with their "wit and wisdom." One of them went gaga over Matt Drudge and eyes were rolling, we can tell ya.
Apart from no elected officials in attendance, conspicuously and thankfully absent were Monica Lewinsky, Kathleen Willey, Susan Carpenter McMillan and Linda Tripp, who would have made the party unforgettable. Regretfully, even Socks, the White House cat -- who actually talks to Arriana -- was unable to attend.
Shows that even Republicans have taste.
- The Editors
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