Also: Were you at Schlesinger's recent book party?

Journalists and speechwriters were well-represented at the party, with ghosts from seven of the last eight administrations (excepting Carter) present at General Casey's residence at Ft. Myer. Several guests fell into both categories including Andy Ferguson (Bush 41/Weekly Standard), Tony Dolan (Reagan, and a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter before that), Don Baer (who was at US News & World Report before joining the Clinton admin), commentator Ben Wattenberg (LBJ), Lee Huebner (Nixon, later Int'l Herald Tribune, now at GW's School of Media & Public Affairs) and Matthew Scully (who has worked for various news outlets, including the Washington Times, but also wrote for Bush 43 and now for John McCain). John McConnell, another member of Bush's famous "troika" of speechwriters also made the party. Missing in action? Michael Gerson.

Journos present included Brian Kelly and Margaret Mannix of US News, the very un-skanky AB Stoddard of The Hill, David Mark of Politico, Peter Canellos and Susan Milligan of the Boston Globe and Siobhan Gorman of the Wall Street Journal.

Guest of honor Robert Schlesinger thanked all and sundry, noting that speechwriters representing so many different administrations had not been gathered before in one place ... since David Gergen dined alone.

The evening concluded with Sheila Casey giving the last few straggler guests a tour of the historic house (as the residence of the the Army chief of staff, it's been home to the likes of George C. Marshall and Dwight D. Eisenhower), culminating in the best view in the DC area -- from the upper floor you look across the river to see the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the Capitol all lit up and lined up (as it's slightly off-center, they line up right next to each other).