mediabistro.com: FishbowlDC

"I do think that the quality which makes a man want to write and be read is essentially a desire for self-exposure and is masochistic. Like one of those guys who has a compulsion to take his thing out and show it on the street." - James Jones

Good morning Washington.

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We've got your morning mix of media Muesli after the jump...

An insider's report from the Washington Times' summer "Chill" party: That was John Solomon and wife boogie-ing on the dance floor and smooching in the photo booth. And Peter Parisi has replaced Stacy McCain as karaoke king.

It's Clarence Thomas' birthday. Also: KT Tunstall and Randy Jackson.

For reporters on the trail, you could only hope that your luggage was checked by a dog as cute as this one.

When we asked you Friday, most of you did plan on watching Sunday's "Meet the Press."

Over the weekend, Mike Allen's Playbook told us that it was LA Times'r Andrew Malcolm's birthday.

Yes, yes, we need candidates to talk even less in depth than they already do: There's a Twitter debate coming up.

"McClellan: Bush must blame himself for mistrust"

Who said this:

"My wife is standing over here. Come over here, Kathy. She never does this. ... Kathy, come here. She doesn't want to come on"

Right. Chris Matthews. Hat tip: Wake Up Call.

What is Ari Fleischer doing tomorrow? Speaking to The Freemasons of the Nation's Capital

Via Oprah.com: Tim Russert's A-Ha! moment.

Check out today's White House Photo of the Day from Time.

Quickly navigate Morning Reading List:

This week's mediabistro.com classes include "Breaking into Political Writing."

REVOLVING DOOR

From Talking Biz News: "Alec Klein, an investigative business journalist at the Washington Post, is leaving the paper and will begin teaching business journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in the fall."

Also, AP's Dibya Sarkar sent this email, obtained by FishbowlDC, to staffers last week:

Please note, effective Monday, I will no longer be covering technology, telecom and lobbying issues for AP, but have moved on to other duties within the organization.

While I will still be keeping an eye on such issues, my colleague Joelle Tessler will be taking over the technology and telecom beat, which she has extensively covered previously at CQ, San Jose Mercury New, Dow and other places. She had been covering defense matters for AP.

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NEWSPAPERS

On the media's love affair with John McCain...

"Do news industry's problems tilt views of economy?"

The WaPo won't endorse Obama? Yeah, right.

Harry Jaffe says the Washington Post's National section is in disarray, post-Susan Glasser.

"How Peggy Noonan Won the Democratic Primary"

From Playbook:

FREE STEAKS ALL AROUND? A pipe bursts in the ceiling between Charlie Palmer's (above) and Politico's congressional bureau (below), giving new meaning -- thank you, John Harris -- to the words 'saturation coverage.' Amie Parnes' toys are dry. Bresnahan's NY Giants Super Bowl T-shirt is not.

"Charles Kaiser on McClatchy's torture coverage"

Clark Hoyt thinks Maureen Dowd went "over the top" in some of her descriptions of Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Yawn...Matt Taibbi thinks every reporter but him still stinks.

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Last night's not-so-flattering "60 Minutes" profile of Al Hurra. WaPo unflatters too.

Some things speak for themselves:

JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: You know what I did yesterday?

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: What's that?

CAFFERTY: I had the day off yesterday. Know what I did?

BLITZER: Relaxed?

CAFFERTY: I went to "Sex and the City."

(LAUGHTER)