Tough to say. But Abdul left last night’s V magazine party in the bowels of Washington’s Kalorama neighborhood just 10 minutes after the party started. A petite woman dressed in black from head to toe, Abdul came, barely looked up and left so fast that even the sparse early crowd barely noticed she was there. That is, until she was gone.

In her defense, Abdul was on fairly vigorous party schedule. Before the V party, she attended The Creative Coalition’s “Night Before Dinner” at Mari Vanna DC.

Sponsored by Veuve Clicquot and Belvedere Vodka, guests at the V party enjoyed the alcohol and fare as well as peering into the indoor swimming pool inside the quirky home of D.C. Architect Arthur Keyes. Some partygoers thought it resembled “Brady Bunch” house. Later in the evening singer John Legend showed up with an attractive woman in a long red dress.

Throughout the evening a procession of important looking people walked in. “Who is that woman in the red dress?” a male partygoer asked about a different woman in a different red dress. An extremely thin woman in black lace was also the subject of many side conversations.

Spotted in the crowd: People‘s Sandra Sobieraj Westfall, Andrei Greenawalt from the White House Chief of Staff’s office, Politico‘s Kevin Cirilli, The Hill‘s Alexandra Jaffe, Mila Beca from Saks Jandel, The Daily Beast’s Lloyd Grove, BuzzFeed‘s Hunter Schwarz, David Shuster’s producer, Daniel Marans, D.C. publicist running the party, Dannia Hakki, SKDKnickerbocker’s Jill Zuckman.

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1. Obama in a word – Politico‘s Patrick Gavin brings us a unique feature on the one word that kept coming up for President Obama repeatedly last night. That word? Professorial. From HuffPost to LAT to the NYT, they all used it. As to not ruin the feature, see it here.

2. Body language doesn’t lie – The Daily Beast‘s Lloyd Grove, formerly of WaPo, has a story out early this morning at 1 a.m. on the non-verbals employed by President Obama and Mitt Romney last night. What’s great about this story is Grove uses a body language expert to deliver a near minute by minute look at what’s happening. The result…”gaze down, compressed lips, head-tilt-side” and more. The entry at 10:05 p.m. is probably the most disturbing: “Romney highly aroused emotionally. Shows disagreement with kinetic head movements.”

3. A non-boring live-blog of the debate – Former Obama speechwriter Jon Lovett has an amusing writeup of his liveblog of last night’s presidential debate for The Atlantic. “I’m a partisan, so take my thoughts for what you will,” announces Lovett right out of the gate. On Romney: “Romney’s tone and manners are removed; they’re odd and tight and disconcerting. If you follow politics, you’re used to it. If you don’t, you’re not. You notice it. You wonder where he grew up and why he speaks like he’s one of the more well-off passengers on the Titanic. And it is striking.”

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To the Moon, Newt

“THEY ARE STILL DEBATING GOING TO THE MOON.” — The New Yorker‘s Washington writer Ryan Lizza.

“This portion of the debate is about colonizing the Moon. Just wanted to point that out.” — Reuters‘ Sam Youngman. He added, “I’ve been saying for years that the way POTUS is neglecting the Moon is shameful.”

“Shocking amount of #mooncolony talk tonight.” — NBC TODAY Show’s Savannah Guthrie.

Praise for Wolf Blitzer

“That’s right Wolf, get in Newt’s ass. I love this. Wolf is soooooo much better than Jon King.” — NYT‘s Charles Blow. He added, “I knew that I shouldn’t have had that 3rd drink before watching these debates.”

And a critic…“This wife stuff is embarrassing. #cnndebate” — Actress Mia Farrow.

A breath of fresh air: Ron Paul

“Ron Paul is like a palet-clearing sorbet between six courses of mud.” — The Daily Beast‘s Lloyd Grove.

Meanwhile…WaPo Express Editor discusses sex act

While most Washington reporters were fixated on last night’s debate, WaPo Express’s Clinton Yates was out on the town talking dirty. “At dinner with the gf, her friend and other friends of friends. One is certifiable. What a nightmare,” he wrote. “We’re at a Mexican restaurant btw. Arriba! This woman is trying to impress us with her knowledge. Next term: fisting! She’s so hip.”

Hair and Makeup

“I think each candidate should be given an electric razor and be allowed to cut one opponent’s hair anyway he wants.” — National Review Online’s Jonah Goldberg.

“Does Callista’s hair ever move?” — WaPo‘s Right Turn blogger Jennifer Rubin. Chicago Book Editor Beth Renaldi remarked, “Callista Gingrich’s hair never moves. #cnndebate.”

“Callista’s makeup is looking a little more natural tonight. #CNNdebate Kurtz” — The Hill‘s Howeesha Kurtz (a.k.a. Judy Kurtz).

Really Howie?

“Wolf: Why would your wife make the best first lady? All eyes will be on Newt for his Callista answer.” — The Daily Beast/Newsweek‘s Howie Kurtz in the most painfully obvious observation of the night.

Birthweek: Maureen Orth

“Missing the #FLDebate for @LukeRsmom birthday dinner. The only disagreement here is what flavor ice cream to get.” — NBC Congressional Correspondent Luke Russert referring to his mom, VF’s Maureen Orth. (h/t Luke Russert, h/t Mike Allen for h/t)

A special Happy Birthday to C-SPAN’s Communications Director Howard Mortman. From his colleague Steve Scully: “Howard is an incredibly hard worker…in the league of Chuck Todd and Mike Allen. As he gets another year older…he also looks much older than Todd or Allen. But we still love him. In fact I remember him when he was ‘Extreme’ Mortman. Those were the days. ”

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That’s right. NYP‘s Page Six reporter Tara Palmeri (pictured here at the Washington Hilton during last night’s WHCD pre-parties) has been privy to details about the brunch and its guest list and learned fairly early on that she’d be attending. Palmeri attended the highly sought after invitation-only brunch last year when she worked for the Washington Examiner. She wasn’t invited, but went as The Daily Beast’s Lloyd Grove‘s plus one.

Meanwhile, we’re hearing more chatter that some Politico reporters feel slighted about not being invited to the Publisher’s home while stars and other colleagues, such as those with more perceived clout, get in. Even Politico reporters who have been invited have been hesitant to breathe a word about going. Like any special perk within a workplace, some don’t want to brag about it.

We look forward to seeing what Page Six does with the brunch.

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* Aaron Barnhart of The Kansas City Star thinks he knows when the real beginning of the end began between Keith Olbermann and MSNBC. It involved another gargantuan personality at the network: Chris Matthews. He writes, “It was the summer of 2008. MSNBC thought it would be a great idea to have KO and Chris Matthews co-anchor MSNBC’s convention coverage. But…once the live cameras started to roll two things became clear: One, it was hard to adjust to KO sitting in the Tom Brokaw chair, trying to be objective and all; and two, Olbermann and Matthews should never, ever, EVER work that closely together again.” Read the story here.

* Today Keith Koffler, editor of WhiteHouseDossier.com, offers a parody of sorts of tonight’s SOTU. He warns readers it’s “so touching” and could make them weep. A mention that won’t surprise you: House Speaker John Boehner crying. And mentions that might startle you: Former Sen. Bill First performing a lobotomy on Keith Olbermann and two Supreme Court Justices “tongue kissing.” Read the full list here.

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Our friends at TVNewser have the details…

> Update: A statement and press release from The Daily Beast’s Brown….here. “He combines integrity and rigorous reporting,” she says.

> Update: “Huge blow for WaPo,” said CNN’s Ed Henry on Twitter.

> Update: “Not many media stories surprise me, but this one’s a jaw-dropper,” said TBD.com’s President Jim Brady on Twitter.

> From a D.C. reporter: “But will Kurtz have to fight with Lloyd Grove over who writes the site’s b—j– profiles?”

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That’s a wrap!  The second and final day of the Washington Ideas Forum came to a close this afternoon following a lively panel discussion featuring Margaret Carlson, NBC’s Chuck Todd, Atlantic Media’s Ron Brownstein, Charlie Cook and CNN’s John King.  The crew discussed a variety of topics but ultimately landed on the media’s role in politics and why a very disenchanted American public believes that Washington is broken and disconnected.  Chuck Todd conceded, admitting that Americans have a lack of faith in the media because ”we’re doing a poor job covering the recession.”  Todd went on to explain that the media makes a spectacle out of issues that aren’t of great concern to the average citizen.  “Rahm leaving, Rahm not –that’s why the media doesn’t have the trust of the public.  It’s just stupid,” he said. 

But journalists weren’t the headliners for most of  the event, attended by a ”who’s who” of media, business and the political set.  Director Spike Lee, Governor Haley Barbour, Richard Holbrooke, Senator Jim Webb, Tony and Heather Podesta, and  Ahmed Chalabi all took to the stage today.  Spotted taking in a few sessions were CBS’s Chris Isham, The Daily Beast’s Lloyd Grove, Slate‘s Dave Weigel, HuffPost’s Sam Stein, NYT‘s Maureen Dowd, CNN’s Edie Emery and Michelle Jaconi, Sally Quinn and The Atlantic‘s Marc Ambinder. 

Members of the media view interviews from the press room.

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Mother’s Day hell

“Why am I being made to jump through fiery hoops in order to get credit card charges reversed on Mother’s Day flowers not delivered? Why?” –The Daily Beast’s (and formerly WaPo) Lloyd Grove in a Monday tweet.

Journalist recalls joys of no Internet

“My younger colleagues are learning the joys of the old days when there was no email // what if there was no internet!?”
–Congress Daily’s Bill Swindell in a Monday tweet.

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Politico’s publisher Robert Allbritton held a brunch for the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this year for the the first time on Sunday at his gorgeous, multi-million dollar Georgetown home. PR strictness was at an all-time high: The only one to really officially cover it was Politico with their own Patrick Gavin and Amie Parnes. The piece read like an upper crust, high society report. Not surprisingly, it was descriptive, tasteful and void of any of the typical musings party coverage might have. The story headline: “Allbritton Brunch: The New Party in Town.”

Some Politico reporters expressed irritation that even they couldn’t get into the exclusive brunch. FishbowlDC was told that Allbritton’s wife, Elena, held complete control over the guest list, but that does not appear to be the case.

Noteworthy is the fact that NYT Magazine’s Mark Leibovich, who recently wrote an 11-page tome on one of Politico’s stars, Mike Allen, attended the brunch. WaPo’s Amy Argetsinger, who co-writes “The Reliable Source”, was invited to Allbritton’s brunch, but did not attend. “Once you get past the Big Event of Saturday, there’s an element of diminishing returns in all these follow-up events, reporting-wise,” Argetsinger told FishbowlDC. “I would have loved to have seen the house, but I had a TV spot in the a.m. (which got canceled by the car bomb), and then had to spend the day in the office writing the column. So I skipped all the Sunday parties.”

The Washington Examiner’s Tara Palmeri was not invited, but got into the event because she accompanied The Daily Beast’s Lloyd Grove. Rumors of NYP‘s Page Six attending had swirled, but nothing turned up in the column today. Even Grove has not published anything yet on the Allbritton brunch, and if it doesn’t happen in the next few days, it won’t likely happen. He did see to it to report on PR maven Tammy Haddad’s Saturday “Garden Party.”

Palmeri’s item on the Allbritton brunch was the only one that revealed any personality whatsoever going on at the brunch — it was on the bickering between ABC’s Jake Tapper and FNC’s Chris Wallace over a late guest they both had on their Sunday morning shows. Read it here.

This photograph below reveals a possible press strategy for next year’s Allbritton brunch. They could do what Haddad did at her “Garden Party” and cordon off the press in a pen for maximum party message control.

Then again, that might take away from the dignity of the party.

Full Disclosure: FishbowlDC requested to attend the party but was turned down.

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Read “Death of the White House Press Corps” here.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Gregory (very much ON the air), began hosting the show in December 2008 after the beloved Tim Russert died.

Standout Quotes:

1. “We’re still on top after my first year.”

2. “I want to be agenda-setting.”

3. “It’s not who is a better hustler or booker.”

4. “I don’t think dancing on Meet the Press would be a good idea.”

5. “…those times when we got beaten on a Sunday, I hated it.”

Gregory tells Grove that ass-kissing “comes with the territory.” On people sucking up to him: “…in some cases people are nicer sometimes, they curry favor because they want to be on the program.”

Read Grove’s Gregory interview here.

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• MSNBC’s Norah O’Donnell filled in for Chris Matthews on his Sunday show for the first time yesterday.

• Your Sunday show ratings for last week, courtesy of TVNewser. Sunday, Sept. 6th, NBC’s “Meet the Press” took first in total viewers and the demo, ABC and CBS mixed it up- “This Week” placed second in total viewers, while “Face the Nation” placed second in the demo. Check out the numbers here.

• And on the Daily Beast, the 7 Best Moments from Sunday Talk.

• Also on the Daily Beast, ABC’s George Stephanopoulos “Catches Up” with Lloyd Grove on his relationship with the Clintons and Rahm Emanuel, his appearance on “The O’Reilly Factor” and what he says sets him apart from his Sunday show competitors- “My experience in Congress, in the House, in presidential campaigns, in the White House, I hope it’s one of the things that sets me apart on Sunday morning and in my day-to-day work—that people know that I’ve been there, that I understand the issues, that I understand the politics, that I’ve lived it. Not just talked about it.”

And after the jump, check out video on CBSNews.com from Steve Kroft‘s interview with President Obama, which aired on “60 Minutes” last night…

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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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Above: Katharine Weymouth, continuing her “Who Says Publishers Can’t Be Sexy?” campaign

The highlights of Lloyd Grove‘s Portfolio piece after the jump…(and do not forget to click on this stunning graph, which really hammers home the tough spot the Washington Post is in…)

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