The Observer

“You have to admit, a Senator Geraldo would NOT be dull.” — FNC’s Greta Van Susteren on the prospects of her colleague Geraldo Rivera getting plucked for the New Jersey Senate seat upon the death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D).

Speaking of whom…

“Flags around the Capitol complex to be lowered to honor the late-Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).” — FNC’s Chad Pergram.

Weingarten likes big butts!

“Miss The Hunt? Check it out in photos, including The World’s Most Ginormous Butt.” See the WaPo feature that “humor” columnist Gene Weingarten is promoting here. It’s not that surprising that the “ginormous butt” jumped out at Gene considering his daily fixation on the anal area.

Howard Kurtz writes something funny

“Joe Biden cancels summer press party. Crisis for Beltway journalists. Maybe Holder would invite us over instead? I mean, off the record?” — CNN and Daily Download‘s Howard Kurtz.

Actors and lawmakers: soulmates?

“I never understood why Hollywood was always at odds with DC. There are more liars in Hollywood than in Congress. Veritable soulmates.” — Stephen Rodrick, Men’s Journal, NYT Magazine.

Anonymous email to FishbowlDC: “Washington Times shuttle to stop? Maybe they’re instituting hack service.”

Ron Fournier gets emotional

“Get measured today for tuxedo at my daughter’s wedding. (Sniff.) Would it look weird if I cry during the mid-seam measure?” — National Journal‘s Ron Fournier, when he can tear himself away from MSNBC and spend a little time on Twitter (and yes, we’re being facetious).

Congrats to… Justin Snow, who has been named political editor at Metro Weekly. Previously he was a political reporter at the publication.

Morning Love Note

“While the rest of us speculate and guess, @chucktodd reports. Informed insight on @Morning_Joe now.” — NJ‘s Ron Fournier ass kissing NBC’s Chuck Todd.

 Peter Ogburn contributed to this report.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Travel Bitches

“If an airplane itself could have influenza, I’m on it.” — Politico‘s Dave Levinthal.

“Guy behind me on plane whacks me w/ suitcase as putting it in overhead. ‘Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you.’ Cuz I’m REALLY tiny #HappyNewYear.” — Joanne Bamberger, mommy blogger, former news anchor and author of “Mothers of Intention.”

And a travel apology…“Off to Paris for a bit. Nice to see you again, turkish air. Please carry me safely to my destination and sorry for any anxiety exhibited.” — Seyward Darby, freelancer, former online editor at TNR.

Press aide tells everyone to calm down

“Folks out there w/ crazy theories about what’s going on in House. All ridiculous. Just figuring out best path forward. Stay calm, carry on.” — House Maj. Leader Eric Cantor aide Rory Cooper during fiscal cliff negotiations.

For a gay old time…

“Two tickets for @GayPimp‘s #GayestWeekendOfAllTime this March in Florida? Yes, please.” — Syndicated columnist and Bullfight Strategies’ Karl Frisch.

Loesch takes a breather from laptop

“I’ve not opened my laptop since December 21st. Rare. Christmas vacation was lovely, but am ready to roll up the sleeves again.” — Ex-Breitbart.com’s Dana Loesch, who is now suing her former employer. Considering the backlash she received after the Sandy Hook shootings, in which she accused President Obama of playing politics with the deaths of children, this may have been a welcome relief.

Breitbart newbie on first-name basis with U.S. leaders

“In case anyone didn’t notice, we have now officially jumped off the fiscal cliff. Thanks John , Barry and Harry!” — Breitbart.com‘s Matthew Boyle, who hopes to one day fill the shoes of the late Andrew Breitbart.

A rare nod to CNN

“CNN is the only big cable news network doing fiscal cliff coverage right now. (I mean, if you’re a geek.)” — The Daily Caller and The Week‘s Matt Lewis on New Year’s Day.

And now, a New Year’s Eve observation on facial hair: “Back on CNN with the bearded ones–Wolf Blitzer and Robert Reich–at 8:30. All agree. No taxation of facial hair.” — Americans for Tax Reform Prez Grover Norquist.

The Self-Appointed Media Critic…

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Mediabistro hosted a party at Science Club Tuesday night. Reporters, PR types, freelancers and more showed up and packed the bar. Discussion centered on the usual meet, greet and what’s your day job kind of banter. But a certain male of Germanic roots was overheard asking what a jock strap was. A lengthy (amusing) explanation from a friend followed with an even longer explanation of what the friend did for a living — something pertaining to eBay, perfume and advertising. Spotted mingling in the crowd were Drake Lundell, Assoc. Editor of The Kiplinger Letter, Federal News Radio Producer Jamie Blanco and Laureate’s Randy Serrano. American Enterprise Institute’s Stu James was there serving as a spy and Mediaite White House Correspondent’s Tommy Christopher‘s bodyguard should one be needed. He was sitting in a booth dressed in flannel. The above trio (from L to R): Veronica Santa, Maryam Sabbagh and Alfonso Pernia.

Photograph in Statuary Hall by Cox Radio’s Jamie Dupree: “PLEASE STAND BY: Back in a little while from the State of the Union Mosh Pit in Statuary Hall.” 

Jake and Luke to tie the knot?

“With all these media types in stat hall now might be the time to poll em on what to give @jakesherman and @lukerussert for their wedding” — the Henry Clay Statue, of the U.S. Capitol, during last night’s State of the Union. He (we assume it’s a “he”) was referring to fast friends NBC’s Luke Russert and Politico‘s Jake Sherman. Clay also got feisty with ABC News White House Correspondent Jake Tapper, who remarked, “Statuary Hall/ Next to Brigham Young statue/ State of my Union #SOTUHaiku.” Clay cracked, “Ooooh, you’re too good for me are you?” But it turns out Clay might be trouble. He also remarked, “True story, at last year’s #SOTU I caught [FNC's] Chad Pergram eating mushrooms behind the Andrew Jackson statue. Tripped his ass off.” He also remarked, menacingly, “I’m watching you [USA Today's] Jackie Kucinich!”

SOTU Observer

“Huge, drawn-out yawn from the gentle lady sitting in the third row center of the chamber. #sotu” — Yahoo! News’s Chris Moody.

Insight is…

“DC has been a relatively quiet place in recent weeks but it feels like all eyes are on Washington for the SOTU tonight.” — The Hill‘s White House Correspondent Amie Parnes.

Peter Ogburn contributed to this report.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

“I’ve had better days for sure,” Founder and CEO Melinda Wittstock told FishbowlDC this afternoon in a phone interview. “We’ve worked so hard for the past eight and a half doing something special. This recession has been a really tough fight.”

Three reporters and Wittstock will be out of jobs with CNC. They are Elizabeth Wynne Johnson, host of NBC Washington’s “Power Breakfast,” which will continue outside of CNC, Patrick Terpstra and Ana Radelat.

The writing wasn’t necessarily on the wall. But Wittstock saw the company struggling more acutely since 2008. “Here’s the thing. I knew it was a really tough slog,” she said. “I saw what was happening to the public radio ecosystem. All of them are struggling. All are facing the lost of their federal funding. A lot of these stations can only exist but for federal funding, and a lesser known story, state funding.”

Wittstock points to Congress as at least partially to blame. The Corporation lost some $30 million that Congress has taken away to cut the deficit. She lamented, “It all gets passed on down the chain I guess.”

Over the years CNC has been what Wittstock calls a “great incubator of talent.” There was FNC’s Chad Pergram, their first reporter who ultimately won an Edward R. Murrow award — “He is amazing,” she gushed. “He is a great reporter.” Alumni also include NeuStar’s Heather Dahl, who was formerly the President of Radio TV Gallery, Jill Jackson, a House producer for CBS News, “The Takeaway’s” Todd Zwillich, who came to CNC as a print reporter and quickly transitioned to radio, Matt Laslo, who began at CNC as an intern, and Gannett’s Paul Barton.

For a good while, the news service beat the odds. They began shortly after Sept. 11, 2001 with just three employees and no office. Their marching orders were to produce 500 stories that first year and instead they produced 690. They were supposed to bring in $20,00, but instead brought in $55,000.

CNC will continue to hunt for a buyer. But in the meantime, Wittstock, who began her journalism career at the Times of London as a business correspondent and proceeded to BBC and ABC, has a new business venture in the works that she’s working on with Dan Kunitz, former associate publisher and managing editor of Politico. The venture, called NewsiT, is a mobile social network for citizen journalism. Wittstock stresses that it is in its “infancy,” is a for profit and will be minimally viable by late October.

“I seem to gravitate toward challenges,” she said with a sorrowful laugh that contained more than a tinge of hope. “We were sort of the last man standing. And now, even us. It’s sad.”

UPDATE: Former CNC reporter Manuel Quinones moved on to E & E Publishing earlier this year after CNC. He remarked to FBDC, “They’ve been going through tough times, but they deserve all the recognition possible. I will remember my time there very fondly. I’m sure the others will agree, that CNC gave us a chance to do great work.”

Correction: An earlier report stated that they Wittstock and three employees would be unemployed. Wittstock is technically working on her next venture, NewsiT. While she is not yet paying herself, she is “working on fumes of equity, our early investor dollars devoted solely for now to the technology.” Radelat, meanwhile, was a freelancer for CNC and will continue to freelance on her own.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

A Convo Between Two Journos

Today’s conversation is between The Guardian’s Richard Adams and NYT’s Brian Stelter.

Stelter: Unconfirmed: There are 2 yfrog pics of a tiger on a street, allegedly after London Zoo break-in. [Accompanied by the picture above] Adams: @brianstelter seriously, you can’t just retweet nonsense and put “unconfirmed” in front. Stelter: @RichardA it was a mistake, and I tweeted the correction within two minutes. I’m sorry.

NPR’s Carvin is known for live tweeting violence

“Oh dear. Now @acarvin is Twitter-reporting the #londonriots. From the Arab Spring to the London Summer. Things must be bad.” — The Guardian‘s Matthew Wells in a Monday tweet about NPR’s tweeting maniac Andy Carvin.

A question about Luke

“The House got rid of its Page program? I’m confused. Does this mean @LukeRussert got fired?” — William K. Wolfrum, a Brazil based journo who has been published in the Boston Globe, Alan Colmes’ Liberaland and HuffPost.

And this…While HuffPost‘s Sam Stein promotes the new HuffPost iPad app, conservative pundit Kevin Madden naturally cries bias. “Media bias!!” writes Madden in response to HuffPost Publicist Stein, who wrote: “HuffPost has a new ipad app. It is awesome.” Find it here.

Contributor points out program pitfalls

“Grrr After the indulgence of guest hosting hour long show I’m frustrated by reality of 3min guest segments. #hardball” — MSNBC Contributor and The Nation Columnist Melissa Harris-Perry in a Monday tweet.

Bio of the Day

TNR‘s Seyward Darby: “Online Editor at The New Republic, writing about politics and education reform. Not so minor side obsessions with bad TV and Eastern Europe.”

Boybander has bank troubles

“Ah, the reporter’s life. Unable to use credit card. Call bank. They put a hold on it b/c of all these transactions in strange cities.” — Slate‘s Dave Weigel in a Monday tweet.

Paul Bedard loves the Washington Examiner

“New Washington Examiner political site kicks butt, launched a day before it co-sponsors Iowa GOP debate.” — U.S. News & World Report‘s Paul Bedard has a continued love affair with the Washington Examiner. See the site here.

Disgruntled journo

“On the phone with @VerizonSupport @Verizon again. Going on—what, 4 months of paying for DSL without getting any?” — The Daily Caller‘s Mary Katharine Ham in a Monday tweet. She also wrote, “For the record, the strike didn’t affect my Verizon phone customer service at all. Plenty of people to talk to & no help, as usual.”

Invented Summer Superlative

One of our avid Twitter followers, Donald Edmond, a lawyer in town, came up with the following: “Journalist most likely to go to the Cap Lounge & order a soy Banana Daiquiri? @ezraklein #EzraWearsOnesies”

How hot is Washington?

“Walking through DC in August will give you a pretty good idea of what it’s like to take a bath in donut glaze.”– Reason Magazine’s Peter Suderman in a Monday tweet.

Reporter dresses someone down

“Don’t spam me about your Michele Bachmann blog if you don’t have the decency to link me. You know who you are.” — Mediaite‘s White House Correspondent Tommy Christopher in a Monday tweet.

Sayonara Pages

“In the 19th Century, some pages would go to Capitol Hill watering holes to summon lawmakers back to the Capitol to vote.” — FNC’s Chad Pergram in a Monday tweet.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Some 20 Miami of Ohio interns endured what proved to be a grueling schedule this morning designed by Fox News’s Congressional Reporter Chad Pergram, who has been mentoring his alma mater’s D.C. summer interns for several years, but was not there today. During the classroom chat, The Hill‘s Washington Scene blogger and In the Know gossip columnist Christina Wilkie gave interns what Pergram describes as a “pastiche” of what to expect here in Washington.

One intern didn’t fare so well. He fell fast asleep during the classroom chat, but at one point jarred himself awake to ask a question about starting a literary/poetry blog. Thankfully the remaining interns stayed awake. Luckily the designated future intern for The Hill kept it together and took notes.

Pergram says he has never witnessed an intern with this program zonk out in the past. Cheryl Gibbs, the Miami of Ohio journalism professor who is leading the fall internship program, concurred, saying that this kind of situation is not typical. “There may be a medication side effect,” she told FishbowlDC. “It’s frustrating for me. If it is medically related, that’s what we have to deal with. When you’re in a program like this, you deal with the whole person. And it doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s a problem we’re trying to work through.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Below is Schumer’s response. He says, “I regret that your request cannot be granted.”

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Before you do anything else, he writes, check the lawmaker’s Web site. On now ex-Rep. Eric Massa’s (D-N.Y.) Web site, Pergram found a feature called “Ask Eric Anything” – a link that amazingly allows a viewer to pose questions to the embroiled lawmaker. Pergram’s hoping to score answers, but he’s not holding his breath considering the lawmaker is officially resigned from Congress and the site will be taken down.

Read the story here.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Janet Donovan hosted a birthday party for Kiki Ryan last night at Teatro Goldoni, after her first day with Politico Click where she’ll be covering “night life” (and we assure you, she’s an expert). Though we do love her, we promise this is the last post on Kiki for a while…

In attendance: Politico Click colleagues Patrick Gavin and Anne Schroeder Mullins, Yeas & Nays’ Jeff Dufour, Jayne Sandman, Bloomberg’s Tim Burger, Green & Glover’s Stephanie Green, CNN’s Edie Emery, Jessica Hoy, Lee Brenner, Chelsea Cummings, David Bass, Washington Whispers’ Nikki Schwab, msnbc.com’s Lauren Vicary, WUSA’s Angie Goff, Pamela Sorenson, Politico‘s Alex Isenstadt and Fox News’ Chad Pergram, among others.

More photos after the jump…

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The Radio and TV Correspondents Association just announced via email that the 66th annual dinner will be held Wednesday, March 17th next year, and again at the Washington Convention Center.

Linda Scott with “NewsHour” is this year’s dinner chair. C-SPAN’s Peter Slen, SRN News’ Linda Kenyon, WTOP’s Dave McConnell, Fox’s Chad Pergram, CBS’ Jill Jackson and Al Jazeera’s Jeffrey Ballou make up the rest of the executive committee.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The piece evaluates the city’s rising stars, anchors, behind-the-scenes movers and shakers and the best reporters at “explaining what news means.”

ABC’s Jake Tapper, NBC’s Chuck Todd and CBS’ Lara Logan were no surprise but the “rising stars” category was interesting. The category included WaPo’s Jonathan Capehart, Politico’s Jonathan Martin, FNC’s Chad Pergram, HuffPo’s Sam Stein, WaPo’s Anne Kornblut, NJ’s Shane Harris and WRC-TV’s Lindsay Czarniak to name just a few.

Check out the June issue of Washingtonian for the full list.

*Pictured: Wapo’s Dana Priest, FOX’s Carl Cameron, Time’s Karen Tumulty

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

A FishbowlDC insider tells us that Pergram was rocking Gotti-chic: black tie, black jacket and black pants with a gray sport coat.

Apparently, Boehner didn’t approve of Pergram’s mobster ensemble:

“For someone born in the 8th district of Ohio, you don’t look like it,” Boehner said.

Molly Hooper asked: “What district does he look like he’s from then?”

Boehner plead the fifth.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Big names gathered for last night’s uber-glam bash honoring the 21st anniversary of Roll Call’s “Heard on the Hill” and a recent refresh of the RC website. The festivities took place at swanky Coco Sala where guests noshed on an array of chocolate-themed appetizers and cocktails (who knew you could mix chocolate and mojito?).

Maybe it was the chocolate…or maybe the cocktails, but RC Publisher Peter Cherukuri managed to pull Senator John Thune, Senator Trent Lott, Juleanna Glover, Yebbie Watkins, Mike Feldman, Debbie Dingell, Christina Sevilla and Senator John Breaux to help celebrate his pub’s successes.

Representing the media were Former HOHer – The Sleuth’s Mary Ann Akers, Michael Isikoff, C-SPAN’s Greta Brawner, Bloomberg’s Tim Burger,Susan Davis of the WSJ, WaPo’s Paul Kane, MSNBC’s Bob Franken, Chad Pergram of FNC, MySpace’s Lee Brenner, NYT’s Carl Hulse, Emily Lenzner from ABC News and the Examiner’s Kiki Ryan.

Christine and I were on hand to cover it for you…not for the chocolate and cocktails.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram, a candidate in this year’s Radio-Television Correspondents’ Galleries annual election, put out this humorous sign in the Senate TV gallery recently.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Check it out after the jump…

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.