(A Sprinkling of Things we Think you Ought to Know…)

Crawford Commemorates Mother’s Day – To celebrate Mother’s Day, Craig Crawford is giving his readers the chance to vote for “Favorite TV Mom.” Crawford has an extensive list of 15 different TV Moms. Some are timeless, like Edith Bunker from All in the Family and Marion Cunningham from “Happy Days.” Others are a little less conventional, like Marge Simpson and Nancy Botwin from “Weeds.” Vote now at www.craigcrawford.com.

Cicada Nation – Yes, the cicadas are coming. Yes, people will freak out. No, it’s not the end of the world. Just don’t mention that to Mother Jones, which lists their story on the political history of cicadas as the “Top Story” in their Political Mojo newsletter. While everyone seems to be talking cicadas these days, it’s hardly a POLITICAL news item.

Major Garrett Continues to Battle Illness – Earlier this week, CBS’s Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett announced on Twitter that he was feeling a little under the weather. Even Twitchy noticed.

Tweeps, was off the air & off the grid yesterday & will be for a few days. I need to wrestle this case of double pneumonia to the ground.

— Major Garrett(@MajorCBS) May 7, 2013

Double pneumonia sounds pretty hardcore. Since it’s been a few days, we reached out to Garrett, who tells FBDC, “I’m on the mend. I’m taking more drugs than Elvis but doing fewer shows. I also have a sinus infection with the reach and aggression of the 19th century British Navy. Between the twin maladies, I feel older than 50 and slightly younger than Yoda.” Rest up, Major. And if you just read this, you might want to Lysol your computer. Just to be safe.

Quotes of the Day

Weiner Wisdom

“To reduce what Weiner did to ‘He tweeted his junk’ is to miss the point and plays into his narrative.” — Larry O’Connor of Breitbart.com on ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY).

J-School: “Dear media: “When you rely on named sources, you don’t have to worry if their information proves to be wrong. #Boston Marathon.” — Dan Kennedy, journalism instructor at Northeastern University and a blogger for The Nation.

Major Garrett on playing soccer in Politico-U.S. Soccer charity event

“I played soccer in high school. I was a middling quality defender then. I am a full-time offender to the beauty of the game now, though typically away from public view. For a great cause, I will try to minimize the damage my game does to soccer now.” — CBS Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett.

Regular Wisdom

“Dear Media: Tomorrow, try decaf.” — WaPo‘s Karen Tumulty.

Funny Reporter

“Obama’s remarks are on the podium. Two minutes. Cc @peterogburn” — TIME‘s Zeke Miller cheeky response to this item published Tuesday by Ogburn.

Politico Playbook Publish Time: 6:34 a.m.

In case you missed the news… last night about BuzzFeed getting screwed out of a table at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner see what their Plan B is here. And let’s just go ahead and say, no, Fox News’s Ed Henry. You’re not invited.

Not that we’re doubting his skills or anything, but next week CBS News Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett will play in Politico‘s organized soccer event with the U.S. Soccer Foundation at Galludet University. He’s the sole journalist mentioned as a participant. No doubt he’ll be the shirtiest player there.

Players (yes, some will just be watching): Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.); Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.); Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.); Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.); Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.); Luke Messer (R-Ind.); Jim McDermott (D-Wash.); Dave Reichert (R-Wash.); Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) (she’ll watch; an aide will be designated for a penalty kick); Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.); Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.).

Also participating: Jürgen Klinsmann, U.S. men’s national soccer coach; former U.S. national team players John Harkes, Cobi Jones, Eddie Pope, Claudio Reyna, Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak, Juergen Sommer; and members of D.C. United.

Speakers: According to a release from Politico, U.S. Soccer Foundation President & CEO Ed Foster-Simeon; Co-Chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus, Rep. Chris Van Hollen; Politico Exec. Editor Jim VandeHei; Chief White House Correspondent Mike Allen; Johnson & Johnson’s Roberto Marques and Gallaudet University Provost Stephen Weiner. WTOP Radio’s Dave Johnson, who is also D.C. United’s television play-by-play voice, will emcee the event.

The event benefits Soccer for Success, the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s free soccer-based after-school program that uses soccer “as a tool to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles for children in under-resourced urban communities.”

If you’re interested in playing or signing up your children for a clinic, visit here.

UPDATE: We’ll be updating the members of Congress who are actually playing soccer next week. The release was confusing and we’re getting clarity. For instance, as we added above, Slaughter will be watching only.

UPDATE 2: And now, a moment of clarity. Lawmakers who will actually play in the game are: Joe Kennedy (D-Mass.)’s wife; Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.); Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.); and Todd Young (R-Ind.). Rep. Adam Smith intended to play but now cannot make the event. We’ve changed the above to reflect that.

All others will participate in penalty kicks or designate a staffer to kick for them.

Quotes of the Day

PICTURE FROM PETRA: CBS Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett, who is traveling with President Obama, snapped this photograph from Petra. He describes it as “6 of 16.” FNC Chief White House Correspondent Ed Henry asks in a tweet, “Is it illegal to take rocks home from ancient city of Petra? Asking for a friend.”

Ouch!

“Wow, @HuffingtonPost, your website blows.” – Roll Call reporter Emily Cahn.

Marty bitch slaps Twitter troll 

“What is your Problem? No, I’m not a Pedo- I’m a Soap Opera Fan, you Idiot!” — Media fan favorite Marty Rudolph to Wayne Bevins, an Ohioan who watches “One Life to Live.”

Washington brunch topic: cucumber farmers, pickles

“Brunch discussion: Do cucumber farmers feel ambivalent about pickles? Good business, but also essentially saying cuke not good enough as is.” — Ry Rivard, technology reporter for Inside Higher Ed.

Politico Playbook Publish Time: 9:03 a.m.

From the Dept. of Bragiculture…

“I frequently end up on the lonely side of news stories; that means the factually correct side. Facts are not always that hip.” — Lee Stranahan.

This little piggy…

“Officially asking my editor on Monday if we can get a newsroom piglet.” — Digital First Media Project Thunderdome and Nieman Lab’s Adrienne LaFrance.  She links to this story by the NYT.

Signs of Spring…pundit and blogger Craig Crawford has a must-see picture of a couple of doves on his windowsill. View here.

Taxicab Confessions

Former The Daily reporter Myles Miller: “Here I Am To Worship by Passion is happening in this cab.” He links to this spiritual music.” To which Digital First Project Thunderdome’s Ryan Teague Beckwith remarked, “I would avoid both worship and passion in a cab.”

Unbelievable! Media Matters takes whack at Fox News…

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Neda Semnani is a full-time columnist for CQ Roll Call‘s “Heard on the Hill.” Yet there she was last night with a piece about Craigslist sex ads published on BuzzFeed. Was she changing jobs?

Nope. Just working her ass off.

“You know how journalism is today,” she told FishbowlDC when we asked what was going on. “Its all a bit of a hustle, get the stories reported, written and published.”

More and more often reporters are working full-time one place and serving as contributors elsewhere (as I do here at FBDC while working at The Blaze). In many cases, they juggle between publications or they contract with a cable news outlet to serve as on-air commentators.

“It is definitely a challenge to write everyday for my job, freelance and do my own stuff,” Semnani said, “but I feel like I’m still making my bones in this business and this is all trial by fire. If this schedule is what it takes to do it, then that’s just the way it is right now.” Read more

On Monday CBS Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett set a decent segment of the Twitterati ablaze with a quote that some believe was actually intended to be a direct message. The quote that stopped the news cycle: “The f**k I am. That is shirty business what you did. Fix it. I’m not f**king kidding.” It was to National Journal‘s National White House Correspondent Jim O’Sullivan, who absolutely never engages in profanity or trash talk (yes, we’re joking).

Yesterday Garrett was mostly mum on the matter, saying only that it was an exchange with Sullivan and that he knows why. But this morning he responded to FishbowlDC, saying, “I should know better than to use Latin on Twitter. I get my imperfect, future perfect and pluperfects all mixed up.”

The story deepens. Sullivan wrote a few comments on Twitter Monday… Read more

Quotes of the Day

WISH YOU LIVED HERE? “My view while riding the Bay Trail today.” — Markos Moulitsas, editor of Daily Kos, who lives in Berkeley, Calif. and is a weekly columnist for The Hill.

“Because I was wrong at the top of the lungs,” — GOP Pollster and Pundit Dick Morris‘s explanation for why he was canned by Fox News, as told to CNN’s Piers Morgan last night.

Journo Love

“I am always in awe of the gorgeous & talented [PBS Political Director Christina Bellantoni] @cbellantoni, looking ravishing in blue tonight as a co-host of this Congressional dinner.” — Roll Call‘s Meredith Shiner. The Washington Press Club Foundation Dinner was held last night. CBS Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett was the emcee.

“Politico girls wear color.” — Politico‘s Ginger Gibson, who appeared in the above photograph with her coworkers Rachel Bade (center) and Juana Summers (right) at the Washington Press Club Foundation Dinner.

Ouch!

“Would have been far more fun to have actual polling experts make fun of Dick Morris instead of someone who clearly knows nothing. #thisisCNN” — Media Matters’ Justin Whitehouse, reacting to Morris’ appearance last night on CNN.

And now, a little praise for Piers

“Thanks to @piersmorgan for broadcasting my tweet: ‘If Dick Morris can be fired for being wrong and dumb, that means no pundit is safe.’” — Politico‘s Roger Simon.

The roller coaster continues…

“You’re all part of the problem, people tweeting about Dick Morris. Just know that.” — Logan Dobson, research analyst, The Tarrance Group, a GOP polling firm.

“Dick Morris is still an asshole who needs a good solid ass-kicking #CNN” — GOP Consultant and HuffPost and StoneZone blogger Roger Stone.

How often does Gavin Newsom Google himself?

“Never. For me, digging into all the negative stuff out there is just too distracting.” — California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom in a Politico “Answer This” questionnaire by Patrick Gavin in which he also admits that he never skimps in cost on hair gel. Hey, at least he admits it. Read the full interview here.

Politico Playbook publish time: 9:13 a.m.

Wanted: Publisher

“WWR seeks publisher to turn history tweets into a book of colorful presidential stories/facts. Big marketing platform. westwingrpt@gmail.com” — Paul Brandus, author of WestWingReports, columnist, The Week.

Cat defiance

“Cat blatantly peed outside litterbox in front of me. Dislike of emergency litter (dirt) or anger over yesterday’s vet visit?” — Anneke Green, former TWTer who now works for the White House Writers Group.

Conservative Radio Host Laura Ingraham: “Dept. of Who cares? What’s on Michelle Obama’s playlist?” Ingraham was reacting to this feature in People mag.

Speaking of FLOTUS…

“Last week, we picked Napa cabbage in the garden. Now, we’re using it to make kimchi in the kitchen. Make it at home.” — First Lady Michelle Obama.

Actress and pretend Senate hopeful Ashley Judd held court in Atlantic Publisher David Bradley‘s gorgeous kitchen last night at his pre-inaugural bash. The party, dubbed “Downton Bradley” for its hoity-toity guest list, was a who’s who of Washington D.C. where the living room was filled with everyone from TIME‘s Joe Klein, CBS Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett and CBS’s Norah O’Donnell to former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan with wife, NBC Chief Foreign Correspondent Andrea Mitchell, White House correspondent for ABC News Radio Ann Compton, WaPo and MSNBC’s Jonathan Capehart, Debbie Dingle, wife of Rep. John Dingle (D-Mich.), whose surname persistently comes out “Dungle” on the iPhone, CBS Washington Bureau Chief Chris Isham, Atlantic Publisher Justin Smith, Hungarian Amb. Greg Szapry, Comcast Executive V.P. David Cohen, and AOL Co-founder Steve Case.

The dining room, meanwhile, had its own plateful of D.C. V.I.P.’s — former White House Press Sec. Joe Lockhart, former PBS’ Jim Lehrer (yawn), CNN and Newsweek/The Daily Beast‘s Howard Kurtz, BuzzFeed Bureau Chief John Stanton and reporter Rosie Gray, Roll Call HOH’s Neda Semnani and Warren Rojas, National Journal Publisher Bruce Gottlieb, NJ‘s new spokesman, Ben Fishel (former flack to ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Penistown), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Media Matters), reporter Chris Frates and Atlantic Spokeswoman Natalie Raabe, NJ National Correspondent Ron Fournier, NJ‘s Ron Brownstein and Washingtonian‘s Carol Joynt, who described her recent quick bout with the flu despite having a flu shot. Also in the dining room: Lobbyist Heather Podesta.

In the foyer was a male guest with a neck beard (see pictures after the jump), Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), lobbyist Jack Quinn and wife, Susanna, Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and outgoing Sec. of State Hilary Clinton‘s former Chief of Staff Melanne Verveer.

It was the kitchen, however, that was the apparent nerve center of Bradley’s house. With beautiful creamy couches and a blazing fireplace, and the surprisingly down-to-earth Bradley in the corner chatting up guests, it was there where we spied on Judd mingling with D.C. insiders such as HuffPost‘s Howard Fineman, who wore a bright pink tie and signature mane of longish silver locks, Bloomberg View‘s Margaret Carlson. Judd was accompanied by an unidentified partially balding man. Also roaming the kitchen was Fineman’s sister, Elizabeth Schroeter, in from Colorado. Asked about her brother, Schroeter said he was a “really good guy.” Judd, with a red flower in her hair, struck various poses throughout the night. Most noteworthy, however, was her stick straight posture, even when sitting, and her ability to stick her chest out when engaged in casual conversation. Let’s just say she was well aware that flashbulbs were capturing her every move.

Out on the enclosed patio were more guests to gawk at and grill.

(Pictured above left: Atlantic Publisher David Bradley)

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This just in…

The Washington Press Club Foundation is thrilled to announce that Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), will be the featured speakers at the foundation’s 69th Annual Congressional Dinner, to be held Feb. 6 at the Mandarin Oriental.

As we previously reported, the typically smiling CBS Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett will emcee the event and former Newsweek writer Lynn Povich will be honored with the foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

CBS’s new Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett will be master of ceremonies for the upcoming 69th Washington Press Club Foundation Congressional Dinner in February. Lynn Povich, the first female Senior Editor in Newsweek history, will be given the Club’s lifetime achievement award. Povich was among 46 women who sued the magazine for sex discrimination.

The event will be held on Feb. 6 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Last year’s event was emceed by WaPo‘s Dana Milbank (a contrast to Garrett, who is taller).

As the release states, Garrett comes well-credentialed to head up the dinner. See his career path in Washington… Read more