Media Magic

ABC’s Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper tweeted the following teaser today:”A group of progressive media stars meeting with POTUS at the WH — @AriannaHuff, @WeGotEd, @EzraKlein, @KatrinaNation, @ChrisLHayes et al”

Tapper later answered a tweeter’s question about whether or not MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow was there, too, to which he replied he’d heard she was but hadn’t seen her himself.

One has to wonder who was minding the MSNBC store with so many of network hosts and guests powwowing with POTUS at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. As yet, none have let out what the purpose of the meeting was, but we can imagine. So let’s!

Arianna Huffington – She was just there to tell people she was there. Arianna loves to tell the world about the important or famous people she talks to. She’s the ultimate name-dropper, just too bad no one can understand what names she’s dropping through her thick Hungarian accent.

Ed Schultz – The President has no bigger cheerleader, especially now that Al Sharpton has dropped 100 pounds, than Schultz. There was really no reason to include Ed, it’s not like he’s going to leave the reservation or anything, but including him will stop his on-air whining about Obama refusing to be on his show. Better than having him stand outside, uninvited, yelling about how he’s going to “torch this ****ing place” for not being invited (yes, he also threatened to torch Banana Republic earlier in the day).

Ezra Klein – Oh, Ezzy. The golden boy of people who have low standards. He’s a natural choice for this meeting since anything the President says to him can be brought, carrier pigeon style, from the White House to Ezzy’s next briefing, er, “free-ranging discussion” with Senate Democratic chiefs of staff. Don’t forget, he’s a “JournoList!”

Katrina Vanden Heuvel – It’s easier to invite Katrina than to not invite Katrina. Like David Banner (a.k.a. The Incredible Hulk), you wouldn’t like her when she’s angry. But she does have a value-add beyond simply not getting on her bad side. If spontaneous choir singing breaks out, she’s have the bass parts covered.

Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow – No one on the White House staff was sure which one the President wanted to invite, since the invite list was just a bunch of headshots, so they erred on the side of caution and invited both.

No word yet on how the Oval Office floorboards dealt with the weight of so much ego, but if they held up Taft…

As many of you know by now, if it’s Wednesday, it’s Wendy Wednesday. As in Washington Publicist Extraordinaire Wendy Gordon, who now has an entire day named for her. We’ve had a few angry readers who want us to discuss her accomplishments and the many people she helps. Tell you what, send us the details and we’ll be sure to include them on a future Wednesday sometime soon.

Today we have Wendy on the verge of eating a dog. Noooo, Wendy, stop!

Either this applicant writes in computer code. Or else they have a really interesting past.

“I am a lecturer in theory at [blank] University. I hold a PhD in the fields of politics and philosophy. In addition I have written for political blogs in the UK as well as having started my own political blog entitled '[blank, blank, and blank]'. While currently I live in the UK, I grew up in and around Washington DC while residing and working there permanently for over a year. I believe I have the 'edgy' and original take on politics and the capital that you desire.”

This applicant sounds like a presidential hopeful exuding a George Clooney air of confidence that he somehow already landed the job. Reminds us of Gary Johnson or Herman Cain declaring, “When I’m President of the United States…” Or else he’s the scary intruder who calls from upstairs and tells you he’s in the house.

“My name is BLANK, and I’m very excited about joining the team at FishbowlDC as a Contributing Writer.” Some of the highlights: He’s a “proud DC enthusiast” and a “decorated radio journalist” (kind of like a war hero but not). He goes on to say what has “prepared him to excel at Fishbowl” as well as lessons that “will prove valuable at FishbowlDC.”

We feel like he’s already here.

In an unusual twist this morning, a Washington conservative reporter’s insults to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” have landed him an invitation on the show this week. So far, it’s not formal — the bookers haven’t called and scheduled the Town Car. But Willie Geist said pointedly on air that he wanted Lewis on this week. He also called him “our friend from The Daily Caller,” so feelings aren’t hostile.

The discussion on “Morning Joe” this morning has centered on GOP Presidential hopefuls. Guests have included Newsweek/The Daily Beast‘s Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown amidst other liberal leaning journalists, including “Hardball” Host Chris Matthews, host Mika Brzezinksi and branding specialist Donny Deutsch, who made a valid point about the weirdness of Herman Cain‘s hat and got unfairly ragged on by the Peanut Gallery.

Speaking of valid points, Lewis’s tweets peaked the curiosity of Geist, who praised the reporter for his criticisms and read two in full: 1. “Great diversity on MoJoe right now: The left and the FAR left — all diagnosing the GOP’s problems.” 2. “MoJoe cast discussing GOP candidates the way anthropologists might discuss a remote tribe just discovered deep in a rain forest somewhere.”

As Geist read the tweets, Mika initially remarked,  “Uh oh.” Willie said, “Not an unfair critique.” And Mike Barnicle: “That’s true actually.” After he read the second tweet, Willie added, “One hundred percent true.” And Mika: “It’s a nicer look at things than the ones I am getting.” Barnicle scolded Mika for reading hateful tweets: “Why are you reading those?”

The conclusion, however, came from Willie: “Let’s get Matt Lewis on this week.”

U.S. News & Word Report‘s Washington Whispers columnist Paul Bedard just can’t help himself when it comes to Fox News. He must have them. In a recent post he showered 1000 kisses on Bill O’Reilly as he weighed his program against Brian Williams‘s brand new “Rock Center.” Gee what a surprise that Bedard ridicules Williams after a week and a half of the program’s debut and uses that as a chance to inflate O’Reilly and Fox News. And who cares that they aren’t even competing in the same time slot?

An excerpt: “It’s bad enough that Brian Williams’ new NBC show Rock Center didn’t do better in it’s second airing Monday than the dismal show it replaced—Playboy Club—but now a potential killer Nielsen stat has emerged: Fox’s prime time hit The O’Reilly Factor had virtually the same number of viewers. Granted, the shows were not head to head, but the fact that O’Reilly’s numbers virtually equalled Williams may be proof that cable has finally reached viewer parity with network TV.”

It’s an obvious network pitch. Per usual, Bedard took the bait.

See the smoochfest here.

Clink! Welcome to the Federal Correctional Institution in Otisville – new home of Peter Labovitz, president and CEO of NOVA-based Connection Newspapers.  The 70-year-old media executive has officially turned himself into the Federal Bureau of Prisons to begin a six-month jail term for tax fraud.  Sentenced on September 27, 2011, Labovitz left behind this month a$6 million Old Town, Alexandria mansion and moved to this medium security facility in the southeastern part of New York state, near Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and 70 miles northwest of New York City.

At FCI Otisville, Labovitz will be allowed to receive visitors on Fridays from 1.15 to 7.45 pm, Saturdays from 8.00 am to 2.45 pm and Sundays from 8.00 am to 2.25 pm.  According to the FBP’s Inmate Locator, Labovitz will be released on May 2, 2012.   The back story here.

Attention WaPo journos! Someone left her BlackBerry in the ladies’ room.

This was the content of a memo dispatched to reporters Tuesday evening. Shortly thereafter another memo went out from faith writer Sally Quinn that shed light on who left her BlackBerry in the restroom.

At 6:53 p.m. a newsroom-wide email went out from Caitlin Gibson with the subject line: “blackberry left in 5th floor women’s restroom.” It went on to say, “It was left in a stall — now sitting on the wooden end table in the 5th floor ladies’ room, awaiting retrieval by its owner.”

Around 7:42 p.m. Quinn wrote: “My blackberry was left on the wooden end table in the 5th floor ladies room. Please
contact me if you find it at 202-867-5309 or sallyquinn@ilovegod.com.  Thanks. Sally Q”

Though there was a minor discrepancy on where Quinn left the BlackBerry (closer to the toilet is more dangerous) we trust she got her gadget back.

(Note to readers: We got inventive so Quinn wouldn’t be flooded with emails and calls today.)

When your fiancé is executive producer of “MTP” it’s easier to let your co-writer go on the program, even if it is the more impressive show. Such was the case this weekend when Politico‘s Maggie Haberman appeared on Sunday’s “MTP” to discuss the Herman Cain sexual harassment story instead of the story’s lead writer Jonathan Martin. Now that he’s engaged to be married, Martin has to contend with that whole Betsy Fischer conflict when and if he appears on her show. Martin instead appeared on CNN’s “Reliable Sources.”

Haberman got high marks from journalists around town for her appearance, such as a shout-out from RCP‘s Erin McPike who told her she was “killing it.” If Martin had appeared on the program it would have been his second time.

Points to Martin for taking the straight and narrow path, or at least the one without a bed in it.

ABC7 Reporter Stephen Tschida, our wild train rider, is in the thick of life after arm surgery.

Three days ago he wrote on Twitter that he was spending time with his Aunt Molly: “Off post-op pain killers and alone at a house in the country with an old lady. Feel like I’m living the ENDING of ‘Valley of the Dolls.’ Two days ago he reported, “If a surgeon says “you’re going to be uncomfortable” that means you will be in AGONY! My new goal for a return to normalcy is November 1.” On Monday he provided yet another update, saying, “Bottom line: I quit pain pills too soon. Just didn’t want to wind up like Matthew Perry. Although he really did get thin for a while.”