An unusual group of Washington journos is convening on June 23 at the home of Politico‘s Lois Romano and politico bigwig Sven Holmes to celebrate The Rise of Marco Rubio by WaPo‘s Manuel Roig-Franzia. Expect to sip on cocktails made with special rum from the Shapira Family Distillery. The book is scheduled for release on June 19.

Apart from Romano and Holmes, the journalists and publicist types on the host committee are: Robert Draper, a contributor to GQ and NYT Mag, WaPo “In the Loop” writer Al Kamen (who almost never makes appearances on the Washington cocktail circuit), Michael Manganiello, a partner at HCM Strategists, WaPo’s Maralee Schwartz, Ian Shapira and Peter Wallsten, and SKDKnickerbocker’s Jill Zuckman.

Please note: Sven Holmes’ title is so crazy Washington long that we’re putting it after the jump.

Correction: The invitation read Ira Shapira and has since been corrected as has our post above. Thanks to AnonymASS who alerted us by writing in this: “It’s IAN Shapira not IRA … espeically if you’re touting his family’s spirits company, you would think you’d know how to get his name correct.” — Thanks Ass, you’re right and that is just lovely.

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WaPo‘s “In the Loop” column is officially evolving. Today they launch the blog, an extension of Al Kamen’s column, which runs Wednesdays and Fridays. As he puts it, “Today we launch the ‘In the Loop’ blog to intensify the pain.” Along with Kamen’s usual antics, it will feature Emily Heil, who joined the publication this summer from Roll Call’s “Heard on the Hill.”

They began publishing posts just before 7 a.m.

Regular features to expect:

• Quote of the Week from a bizarre or mangled speech

• RSVP for a fun or strange fundraiser or other event

• Travel and Leisure section about government officials’ junkets

• On the Run/Revolving Door, to track who’s leaving government to cash out on K Street or to another venture.

In today’s blog launch, Kamen and Heil ask readers for a phrase that will define President Obama‘s presidency. Examples from prior presidents: “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” or “Ask not what your country can do for you” or “I did not  have sexual relations with that woman.”

Visit the blog here.

Another Capitol Hill press veteran has joined QGA Public Affairs. Jim Manley, former spokesman to Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the late Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), joins the firm as Senior Director of Communications and Government Affairs. Manley spent six years working for Reid and 12 for Kennedy. Already in QGA’s midst is John Feehery, former spokesman to Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and the firm’s Communications President.

But like some news around Washington, sometimes it gets leaked early — the hire was supposed to break this morning, but an early report by WaPo‘s Al Kamen presented the need for the below preface to a press release. Noteworthy: Roll Call‘s Emily Pierce reported in her piece at 2:24 p.m. Monday that Manley, after spending 21 years working in the Senate, spent his 50th birthday in Europe. He then took to Capitol Hill coffee shops to tweet and contemplate his next move.

Friends — We are very excited to let you know of an important new hire at QGA Public Affairs.  Jim Manley, who has served as press spokesman for Leader Harry Reid, as well as Senators Ted Kennedy and George Mitchell, will be joining us as a Senior Director of QGA Communications and a Director of the Government Relations practice.  He begins with us this Friday.  As you may know, this news appeared in at least one publication today.  We had hoped to share the announcement with you in advance, but an unexpected leak made that impossible.  We look forward to introducing Jim to you personally.

UPDATE: It was WaPo‘s Kamen, referenced in the above preface, who first spilled the news of Manley’s new job at 1:02 p.m. Monday. Kamen was not cited in Pierce’s story. Read his post here. HuffPost Hill reported the “news” last night. Politico‘s Mike Allen reported the “news” in this morning’s Playbook.

Roll Call is losing one of their finest reporters to the Washington Post.  Scott Montgomery announced to the newsroom tonight that Emily Heil is leaving the publication after more than four years to join WaPo’s national staff, where she will work with Al Kamen on the “In the Loop” column.

In an email announcing her departure, Emily said “It’s been an honor to be part of Team Roll Call. More than colleagues, you have been fierce friends, co-conspirators, mentors, sounding boards, and inspirations.”

Heil joined Roll Call in early 2007 to take over the “Heard on the Hill” franchise. She penned the column for three and a half years with Anna Palmer as a co-pilot and later, with Beth Brotherton.   Congrats to Emily and to WaPo!

In what is probably the most stinging media news of the day, WaPo‘s Al Kamen reports that Fox News pitched a really super fun profile idea of their newest star, former CNNer Ed Henry. Henry left CNN for FNC after CNN decided in the spring that his contract would not be renewed.

Kamen wrote of the PR pitch initiated by Fox News to a WaPo reporter.

“His profile is rising at Fox, she said, because he’s ‘not afraid to ask the tough questions no matter where he works.’ Well, that’s true. … Think we’ll take a pass. But we’ll check with David Remnick at the New Yorker to see whether they have any interest.”

Now that’s gotta hurt.

The National Press Club journalism awards are in and the ceremony is tonight.

The results…The Washington Post: two first-place awards. The Seattle Times, The Salt Lake Tribune, McClatchy Newspapers and The Wall Street Journal: one award each.  PBS was among the broadcast winners. MSNBC.com and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting won for online journalism and outstanding multimedia reporting.

From the release…WaPo‘s Dan Balz won the Lee Walczak Award for Political Analysis for his writing about the atmosphere that set the stage for GOP gains in the 2010 elections, while Al Kamen won the Gingras Humor Award for humorous columns on life in the nation’s capital. The Seattle Times’ Michael J. Berens won the Consumer Journalism Award for newspapers with an in-depth examination of Washington state’s adult family home system that showed how efforts to move seniors out of nursing homes into community care results in bad conditions and negligence. Tommy Burr of The Salt Lake Tribune won for Washington regional reporting.

Congratulations to all.

There are many more award winners…read here.

Via Newseum.org.

Notice anything different about your paper this morning? WaPo unveiled a new look today, complete with an eight-page “Redesign Owner’s Manual,” which includes notes from publisher Katharine Weymouth, editor Marcus Brauchli and editorial editor Fred Hiatt.

Most noticeable changes include: bigger, more readable fonts, navigation bars across the tops of section fronts, Health & Science section now on Tuesdays, Local Living section on Thursdays, new opinion page Washington Forum in the A-section, and classifieds have been moved to the Local Living and Sports sections. Reporters’ emails are now at end of their pieces and columnists like Howard Kurtz and Al Kamen‘s photos have been added to their columns.

WaPo welcomes comments at ideas@washpost.com and staffers were prepped this weekend on how to handle reader feedback. That memo (via Politico) is after the jump…

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Good morning Washington.

Got a blind item, interesting link, funny note, comment, birthday, anniversary or anything of the sort for Morning Reading List? Drop us a line or let us know in the tips box below.

We’ve got your morning mix of media Muesli after the jump…

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Good morning Washington.

You may have noticed Peter Baker taking a stab at the Post’s “In the Loop” page Monday (which already features Jeffrey Birnbaum, Al Kamen and Lois Romano).

Since Kamen took the buyout, he’s now on contract and one of the
things he wanted to do was scale back from three columns a week to two. Therefore, in order to replace his Monday column, the Post has started a new White House “Loop” column (similar to the K Street “Loop” column about lobbying on Tuesdays by Birnbaum and the On the Hill “Loop” column about Congress on Thursdays by Romano). Michael Fletcher will primarily author the White House “Loop” column, but Baker and Michael Abramowitz will fill in on occasion.