For instance, Shot/Chaser and Swizzle Challenge. Media news will be reported in Media Monitor, which publishes at noon.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

National Journal

The newsletter will be written by Matt Cooper, Ron Fournier, Chris Frates, Michael Hirsh, Jill Lawrence, Josh Kraushaar, and other top NJ journalists with “high-utility summaries of the day’s often-chaotic events, and original looks at what’s trending each evening.” The Edge, according to a statement, will also feature “National Journal’s unique take on the most important news of the day, breaking news, and engaging new features such as Bedtime Reading, Top Tweets, Key Indicator, and Reality Check.”

Features will rotate and won’t appear in every newsletter. Bedtime Reading won’t actually be Fournier reading you a bedtime story in his pajamas. It will be a good book or article that is recommended for readers. Reality Check will be a truth squad segment, pointing out any falsehoods, or things that require correction. Key Indicators will highlight a specific poll/piece of data/statistic that merits attention or perhaps went overlooked in the news media. Top tweets will showcase “funny or poignant tweets” discovered by the NJ editorial team.

NJ has a variety of newsletters… continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

“The AIR CONDITIONED porta-potty at the CNN Grill #rnc2012” -- BuzzFeed‘s John Stanton. Really, double sinks?

If fat jokes offend you, don’t read this.

“Oh my god you guys, the FATTEST PERSON WE HAVE EVER SEEN just walked onto the stage. Ha ha ha! 10:36 — Did you see him walk on stage? Waddle waddle waddle, whee! 10:38 — Chris Christie’s parents were the poorest people who have ever lived. Mom took 64 buses to work, and made no money, ever… 10:40 — When is he going to smash an ice cream cone in some joe’s face on the boardwalk? 10:41 — Liquified ham sandwiches are being sent up his butt via a reverse-enema, every three seconds. This could backfire quite literally!” — Jim Newell for Wonkette. See the full live blog for evening.

Other Christie commentary…

“People are talking about Christie not mentioning Romney like it was an oversight. Pretty sure these speeches are written in advance.” — The Atlantic‘s Molly Ball.

“SPOTTED: @DanaBashCNN on the massive screen onstage beside Chris Christie.” — ABC’s Jonathan Karl. We’re pretty sure this isn’t a fat joke.

“Hoping that by speech’s end, Christie will have taken off his suit coat, dress shirt and tie, revealing only a sauced stained wife beater.” — Clear Channel’s Colby Hall, who can’t resist.

“I would say I love this speech, but I guess I just respect it.” — Reasons‘ Peter Suderman mocking Christie for saying he prefers respect to love.

The Complainers: “Whatever is being projected on the screen behind Gov. Chris Christie is vertigo-inducing.” — Marketplace’s David Gura. And Ezzy on acid: “Feel like the blue mist swirling behind Chris Christie is about to coalesce into a Genie.” — WaPo‘s Ezra Klein.

Reporters drool over N.C. Gov. Nikki Haley

“Ooo. I like Nikki Haley’s necklace a lot.” — HuffPost‘s Amanda Terkel. Terkel also gushes, “Nikki Haley’s suit is fantastic too.” And our own Eddie Scarry has an unusual “How Can I Make This About Me” moment last night, writing, “I remember seeing Gov. Nikki Haley come speak to auditorium at my school when she was a candidate. Maybe 15 people showed up.”

As compassionate as it gets.

“Reasons NOT to stay at the office during evening newscasts. The cleaning crew vacuums without any clue that they’re disrupting work.” — the ever compassionate conservative Tim Graham of Media Research Center last night at 7:19 p.m. Graham occasionally tweets (or toots) about passing gas.

Meanwhile, journos, others melt for Ann Romney.

“Only flaw of this speech: We may have nominated the wrong Romney.” — National Review‘s Jim Geraghty.

“Wow, Ann is looking gorgeous.” — Heritage Foundry writer Lachlan Markay.

“Honestly, Ann Romney looks stunning.” — Eddie Scarry. (Eddie, are you okay?)

“Now some ground rules ya’ll this is a nice lady, and she has MS. No mean jokes or Ima have to wreck you on Twitter.” — Sophia Nelson, a columnist who writes for USA Today, Essence and theGrio.com.

“There’s something sort of Hollywood about Ann Romney.” — LAT‘s David Horsey.

“Democrats are watching Ann Romney and slowly dying inside. Heh heh heh.” — Breitbart.com editor John Nolte.

“I find it very refreshing to hear from a prez candidate’s wife who isn’t badmouthing her hubby publicly all the time.” — Conservative author Michelle Malkin.

“Ann Romney tonight: gracious, intelligent, kind, firm, truthful, incisive. A home run. Juan Williams — what an embarrassment for FOX.” — Americans for Prosperity Prez Tim Phillips.

“Ann Romney will play huge. Ameica [sic] loves her.” — Conservative radio host Laura Ingraham, who meant to write “America.”

“Ann Romney delivers the best speech of the night so far.” — WaPo‘s Jonathan Capehart.

The Anti-Ann Dissenters

“Am I the only one who thinks Ann Romney is a little too cheerful talking about all these sad people?” — HuffPost‘s Christina Wilkie.

“Dude this speech by Ann Romney is kinda creepy…” — InTheseTimes.com Labor journo Mike Elk.

“Ann Romney is so polished that I am actually afraid of her.” — Colby Hall.

“Nancy Reagan red. What a fashion shocker.” — Baron‘s James McTague.

“I believe Ann Romney’s outfit is Sudafed red.” — HuffPost‘s Elise Foley.

And another thing, boogers?

“This host is arguably the least funny human I’ve met. He’s telling booger jokes. BOOGER JOKES.” — BuzzFeed Washington Bureau Chief John Stanton on a comedy show at the GOP National Convention. Stanton also observed National Journal‘s funnyman Matt Cooper doing standup: “Matt Cooper now telling Chris Christie jokes. Cause they’re both fat. And no I’m not joking.”

Journo endures snoring neighbor

“Dispatch from Clearwater: I am awake at this hour because I can actually hear the snoring from the room next door to me. #paperthinwalls” — TPM‘s Erin McPike at 3:16 a.m.

Meanwhile, another scribe is knee deep in chicken fingers

“Admire reporters who are on trail full-time & don’t keel over. 2 days in, I’m a pile of chicken finger baskets & Coke cans.” — HotAir’s Mary Katharine Ham.

File this under life’s little F.U.’s

“I should have more followers than Luke Russert.” — Comedian Joe Mande. The tally: Mande has 43, 489; Russert clobbers him at 105,988.

Peter Ogburn and Eddie Scarry Contributed to this report.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

You’ve been warned.

“I swear if Pepco hits us with a rolling brown out I’m marching on Potomac and lighting every rich person I find on fire. Fair warning.” — Soon to be Buzzfeed Washington Editor John Stanton, who, if played by Tom Hanks might look like this.

TV journo in heat

“Have no a.c. and two HOT dogs! and I don’t have a drop of chilled Sauvignon Blanc in the house. THAT IS STRESS!” — ABC7′s ever dramatic Stephen Tschida. That same day he wrote, “In a house built in 1870 with no air conditioning. I truly am a HOT MESS!”

TWTer gets the Rachel

“Just realized why my new haircut seems so familiar. I think my stylist gave me ‘the Rachel.’ gasp.” — TWT‘s Anneke Green.

Priorities.

“Fresh round of accidental unfollows. If I victimized you with one, sorry! Happy Sunday.” — Politico‘s Ben White.

“You think you’ve got problems? Just realized forgot to bring yoga clothes to Aspen.” — The Atlantic‘s Molly Ball.

Luke Russert weighs in on impending Tom-Kat divorce

“Katie Holmes to me will forever just be a sweet #Catholic girl from Toledo. I blocked out the last 5 years.” — NBC’s Luke Russert.

Weather woes

• “Still no power, but the basement was nice and cool so I sept well. The prospect of not having power for a week is no fun.”– NBC Washington’s Jim Long.

“I won’t say being without power all yesterday was great, but being off the electronic leash wasn’t entirely awful, either.” — Center for American Progress’ Matt Duss.

• “Filling up at swamped gas station had a Lord of the Flies feeling. Woman got out of her car and screamed at guy who cut in line.” — Roll Call‘s Steven Dennis.

“It’s like someone played ‘he loves me, he loves me not’ with power outages in #Alexandria.” — WaPo Express‘ Sara Schwartz.

• “Air conditioning is out at the gym. I have always wanted to try hot yoga….here is my chance.” — CNN’s Jen Scoggins.

“Clearing storm debris from my yard has caused a perspiratory event of mythic proportions.” — National Review‘s Jonah Goldberg.

• “In case yall were wondering, @DailyCaller data center got hit by storm. We’re working as fast as we can to get it back up.” — The Daily Caller‘s Matthew Boyle plays spokesman over the weekend.

“In her book @AliEWentworth says to straight to the Four Seasons during disasters. I have power but I still want room service.” — Publicist Courtney Cohen, former producer for ABC’s “This Week.”

• “Would not be surprised to come home to find my cat doing the backstroke in the toilet for relief. Poor thing. Come on, power!” — Conservative journo Mary Katharine Ham.

“Why have we lost our electricity in #Bethesda 30 hours AFTER the big storm? (So much ice cream, so little time.” — WaPo Book World Editor Ron Charles.

• “At 6pm there is a 95% chance of more T-storms in #DTSS #SilverSpring – tie up those tomatoes!” — Kathy Jentz, Editor of Washington Gardener Magazine.

“Big storms in dc! Wow – apparently -80 mph winds clocked. Listening for a freight train sound to grab the kids and head to the basement.” — FNC’s Bret Baier.

• “Holy shit. Biggest storm I’ve ever seen. Trees down, power out, huddled in the basement. Scary. #Bethesda” — Brett Haber. You lost us at Bethesda, Brett.

(Photo credit above left storm picture: CBSNews.com.)

Luke invites Chuck over for a swim

“Hey @chucktodd go take the guest room at @LukeRsmom house. AC working. Kids welcome. Pool open till 10.” — NBC’s Russert to his colleague Chuck Todd.

Meanwhile…Politico‘s Shermanator Jake Sherman spent the weekend — where else? — at a Phish concert near Milwaukee: “Midwest phish. Alpine valley.”

How to Make It All About Me

“This is how I work with no power. This storm is freaking me out.” — The Daily Caller‘s Michelle Fields.

“Though I ended keeping from puking reading #FASTANDFURIOUS coverup plan docs, I was screaming through newsroom. Sickening people.” — The Daily Caller‘s Boyle.

Thanks for the memories…

“Remember showing @SavannahGuthrie around DC bureau on one of her 1st days @NBCNews and now she’s a Today Show anchor! BIG congrats!!” — CBS’s Christine Delargy.

Grief porn…“So sad to hear about Nora Ephron. I had a few meals with her and she was as great as I imagined her to be.” — NJ‘s Matt Cooper. Cooper’s not alone. “I sat next to Nora Ephron at dinner just a month ago. She was funny, charming, & full of life. A light went out tonight. RIP, Nora.” — MSNBC’s Willie Geist. And this: “I got to cook for Nora Ephron once. Man, it made me scared.” — NYT National Editor Sam Sifton, who wrote this piece about making meatloaf for Ephron in 2009.

WaPo finally has good excuse for techno difficulties

“Send us your storm photos — we would’ve asked sooner, but storm knocked this feature offline.” — WaPo, which shockingly had online difficulties during the hurricane storm that hit D.C. this weekend. Who would believe WaPo would otherwise have web issues?

Howeesha flees Washington

“Leaving DC’s #stormageddon for the city that never sleeps…and hopefully has power to boot. DC –> NYC” — The Hill‘s gossip columnist Howeesha Kurtz (a.k.a. Judy Kurtz, daughter of you know who.)

Amtrak Complaint Desk

“Y didn’t @Amtrak alert passengers to issues B4 we boarded? Train 99 said all on time when left NYC, but tracks were still closed.” — founder of the political blog PunditMom  Joanne Bamberger, who contributes to Politico‘s Arena section.

“For the record, not traveling this weekend,” wrote avid traveler complainer Steve Buttry, noting that Amtrak declared Philly and D.C. service suspended due to weather. Buttry is the Community Engagement Director for Digital First Media.

A Happy Birthday to WaPo‘s Jonathan Capehart. They sung to him during his appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” just before he weighed in on Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise‘s marriage troubles, saying he felt the marriage was a five-year contract. “She decided five years, I have an option to get out, I’m getting out!”

Peter Ogburn contributed to this report.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The event, Commedia dell Media IV, was held to raise money for Writopia and REACH, Incorporated.

NJ‘s Matt Cooper stole the show. His prize was a giant tiara. He said his victory showed it wasn’t all about the swimsuit competition.

Some of his riffs about the presidential candidates:

• “These guys are making George W. Bush look like Churchill.”

• “Can Barack Obama really be so lucky as to draw Alan Keyes and Rick Santorum in one lifetime?”

• Depicting a world of illegal contraceptives under Santorum: [Opening his jacket like a drug dealer] “I got Trojans, KY, Nuvarings. How ‘bout a sponge?”

• An imitation of John Edwards getting his top aide to claim his mistress’s baby: “ I need you to do me a solid.” Then adding a Clinton impression: “Man, even I never thought of that.”

See all who participated after the jump…

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

In the memo, Cooper says he was “taken by Nicole’s ambition to break news, her exceptional energy and her spirit of generosity.”  Perhaps sensing her generosity might not justify her position for the rest of his crew, Cooper closed the memo with a disclaimer:

“Please welcome her when she arrives or before then. And if you have questions or concerns you can let me or Ron know privately.”

Duran begins her new gig on September 6th. We hope she’s up for the challenge.  Full memo after the jump.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The official word on why the Commedia crown is still in contention: Upon late-night review of Friday’s performances at the National Press Club, the judges who included former CNN Pentagon correspondent Jamie McIntyre and Fox News Business reporter Rich Edson noticed a few errant chads hanging loosely in the applause. This casts doubt on their decision to award WCP‘s Brooke Hatfield the Commedia crown and title of “DC’s Funniest Journalist.” Others who had the most clapping in the first round of voting include the following performers: Award-winning documentary producer and former anchor at WUSA Mike Walter and WaPo columnist John Kelly.

So the jury is STILL out.

Congress (i.e. the powers that be at Commedia del Media) has mandated a re-vote to commence immediately prior to total government shutdown. We’ve agreed to host the vote.

The finalists are:

1. Mike Walter: Watch here.

2. Brooke Hatfield: Watch here.

3. John Kelly: Watch here.

Watch the videos. Cast your vote. We’ll tally the numbers.You’re on the honor code to vote just once.

Write us at FishbowlDC@mediabistro.com.

Find out other weird details about the evening…

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

*But will they be funny? Commedia dell Media III tickets are officially on sale. The final lineup is 13 journo competitors. But only one will be named D.C.’s Funniest Journalist. The date: April 1. WaPo cartoonist Nick Galifianakis will host and PBS’s Miles O’Brien will headline the show. Sharpening their wits in prep for the competition, the candidates are: Politico’s Jon Allen and Meredith Shiner, NPR’s Jamila Bey, Nadia Bilbassy of the Middle East Broadcasting Company, NJ‘s Matt Cooper, WCP‘s Brooke Hatfield, WaPo‘s John Kelly, Riz Khan of al-Jazeera English, Bloomberg’s Scott Lanman, Bloomberg TV’s Lizzie O’Leary, Mike Walter of Walter Media, TWT‘s Shaun Waterman and freelancer Tim Young. Last’s year’s winner’s, Military.com’s Jamie McIntyre (who trash talked CNN last year) and FOX Business News’s Rich Edson will head a snark panel of judges, but audience input will anoint the winner. Buy tickets here: $15 online and $20 the night of the show. The event takes place at the National Press Club. Starting time: 8 p.m.

*The Irony As the House gears up to vote on funding for NPR, NPRNews releases its “Song of the Day.” That would be Jessica Lea Mayfield‘s “Strength In Vulnerability.”

*Gender Confusion on Capitol Hill: The Hill‘s Christina Wilkie reporting over Twitter that Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) referred to Under Sec. for Defense Michele Flournoy as a man. “Has @RosLehtinen ever met under secretary Flournoy, who she just quoted on the House floor? Because Flournoy is a Ms., not a Mr.” Wilkie wrote.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Comedia dell Media III is set for April 1 at the National Press Club.

So far, NJ‘s Matt Cooper and Bloomberg TV’s Lizzie O’Leary have signed up. Cooper’s a repeat comedian who is at ease with the stage. “Lacking the ability to raise journalists from the dead, Commedia dell Media III is on the hunt for comedic talent in DC’s media community,” says a release from event organizer and freelancer Christina Davidson.

The event raises money for the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders and The Eric Friedheim National Journalism Library.

The winner? He or she takes home a crown and a one-day supply of beer provided by sponsors at Flying Dog Brewery. “To be specific, I guess a six-pack,” said Davidson.

Interested budding comics can contact Davidson at Christina@journopalooza.com by Feb. 25.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Here’s a hint: after a brief hiatus, he recently returned to journalism to take a gig at the new National Journal. Answer after the jump.

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New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

CNN Ed Henry‘s photo from India: “This sounds sick and wrong.”

Journos react to Olbermann suspension

“Shortest suspension in the woooorrrld.” — HuffPost National Editor Nico Pitney in a Sunday night tweet.

“His punishment was to take Friday and Monday off? I believe that’s called a long weekend.” — NJ‘s Matt Cooper in a Sunday night tweet.

“The Worst Person in the World Keith Olbermann will be back on his MSNBC show on Tuesday…$70k poorer and one the wiser.” — Human Events senior editor Emily Miller in a weekend tweet.

Advice to Obama on “60 Minutes”: Down with the doily

“60 Minutes” notes: Kroft — don’t read questions verbatim from notes. Obama: Take doily off water glass. –Politico‘s Patrick Gavin in a Sunday night tweet.

Brief TBD critique

“TBD seems to be doing really well with the community-building. I’d like to see them break some more stories.” — WTOP news reporter Neal Augenstein in a weekend tweet.

Insensitive headline award

Politics Daily: “Jill Clayburgh is Dead. Long Live the Unmarried Woman.”

A polite warning

“Cleaning up my following list. If I unfollow you in the near future, I may just have moved you to a list.” — WTOP’s weekend anchor and general assignment reporter Nathan Hager in a weekend tweet.

A Kennedy free Congress

“When Patrick Kennedy leaves office, it’ll be the first time since 1947 that Congress will be without a member of the Kennedy clan.” — NJ “The Hotline’s” Executive Editor Reid Wilson in a weekend tweet.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Guests enjoyed cocktails, fancy hors d’oeuvres and the sounds of a live jazz band. They complained of too few bathrooms and a sweltering indoor temperature.

The dimly-lit warehouse space was enveloped in red velvet curtains. NJ Daily Editor Jason Dick loosely bragged that he had attended party after party and wasn’t tiring of it.”This is how we roll,” he joked. “I take my cues for living from the old Pink Panther movies with the martinis.

“It’s a little bit more fun than I anticipated,” he said, referring to the new web site launch and subsequent parties. “We started this back in February and it was hard to see where it was going. We’re all working as hard as we ever have. There’s a lot more steam in our strides.”

NJ brass did their best to squash talk of a NJ-Politico rivalry. But partygoers chattered about it. “For me, Politico is a start, but I’m not going to get a lot of substance out of it,” said a guest. Others felt the party logo looked too much like Politico. Dick dismissed the so-called feud, saying there much less animosity and more friendship than people know. “I have a lot more friends than enemies at Politico,” he said. He laughed, saying people had tweeted earlier in the week about whether NJ and Politico were going to “meet in a parking lot with knives and guns.”

Fournier said he was “excited” about the launch but just as excited to make it an early night and get home to his wife and child.

Many a journo turned up. Find out who and see more pictures after the jump…

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Dal LaMagna having a swinging good time at Comet Ping Pong.

Last night’s book party for Dal LaMagna (a.k.a. Tweezerman) was something to see. As shown above, there’s Dal swinging from a light fixture at Comet Ping Pong. The book is Raising Eyebrows, A Failed Entrepreneur Finally Gets it Right. “I can’t believe what a cross section of friends I have,” Dal told the crowd while standing atop a chair. “It’s quite remarkable.”

Remarkable indeed. Take a lesson Michaele and Tareq. No fete is complete without party crashers. And this one had crashers of the leopard and zebra variety. It wasn’t even pre-Halloween weirdness. They work at National Geographic (he works in editorial as a coordinator; she’s an intern. They say it’s consensual.)

The animal couple, Willie Schubert and Laura Newcomer, are partaking in a social experiment that will debut Monday on a blog detailing their travails. The point is simple (well, sort of). They don skin tight animal onesies and go out amidst the rest of the human population and see what happens. They go to museums, liquor stores, on the Metro – and apparently to book parties to which they haven’t been invited. “You wear a suit like this and you make your way into the party,” Schubert says, explaining that reaction to them has been largely positive. “People hand me their children.” (Security guards, however, bristle. One in the Metro ordered them to remove their hoods.) Coincidentally, Newcomer admitted to owning LaMagna’s famous tweezers.

Spotted in the crowd imbibing and eating delectable pizza: NJ‘s Matt Cooper, FishbowlDC and QGA’s Matt Dornic (among the hosts), Juleanna Glover (lobbyist and fellow host), Daily Caller Spokeswoman Becca Glover, FD’s Mary Kathryn Covert, Media Consultant Anne Schroeder Mullins, Wahington Life’s Kevin Chaffee and John Arundel, CNN’s Edie Emery, TIME‘s Jay Newton-Small, Politico‘s Patrick Gavin, Michael Steel, press sec to House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), Host Committee member Glenn Ballard, Washington Life photog Kyle Samperton, American Morning News radio host Amy Holmes, CBS’s Christine Delargy, Tim Burger (former Time scribe), Heather Podesta, a lobbyist, and Code Pink Founder Medea Benjamin.

Glenn Ballard gets kissed by the Social Experiment

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

NBC’s Luke Russert and CNN’s Brianna Keilar won “Best Duet” for Livin’ on a Prayer

(All photos taken by FishbowlDC’s Matt Dornic.)

Milling about in a darkened upstairs barroom last night at the Rock & Roll Hotel, the mood amongst journalists was a low buzz of excitement. Some of Washington D.C. ‘s nerviest participants in the charity competition were there having pre-Karaoke drinks. They showed not even a trace of anxiety.

One such performer was CBS “Face the Nation” host Bob Schieffer, all decked in cowboy attire and accompanied by a CBS reporter and correspondent, Kaylee Hartung. Schieffer was moments away from performing with his band, Honky Tonk Confidential. Asked if he was nervous, he laughed and replied, “I’m so bad I’m so past that. Anyone with as little talent as me is beyond being embarrassed.”

Peter Parisi, a TWT copy editor, was particularly chipper in his red gingham button-down and blue jeans. He told me he had performed Karaoke dozens of times and was more than ready for his performance. “Sonny and Cher. I Got You Babe,” he said, when asked what he’d form. “Cher had a previous engagement so I’m going to have to do this alone.”

Journalists soon moved downstairs to the stage area. In the crowd, but not performing was NJ “The Hotline’s” Executive Editor Reid Wilson, Politico‘s Natasha Lennard, The Hill‘s Tricia Barba , Susan Crabtree and Christina Wilkie, QGA and FishbowlDC’s Matt Dornic, Chicago Sun Times D.C. Bureau Chief and Politics Daily Flotus columnist Lynn Sweet, Washington Examiner’s Julie Mason, NJ‘s Matt Cooper and Major Garrett, CBS News’s Christine Delargy and CNN’s Abby Livingston. Upcoming performers included NBC’s Luke Russert (who knew he could sing?), Politico’s Shira Toeplitz, Slate‘s Dave Weigel (who knew he could, er, dance?), CNN’s Brianna Keilar, HuffPost contributor Stephanie Green (lovely voice), Washington Life‘s Michael Clements (borrowed Green’s long fur tiger print coat for the performance; one journo said he wears coats like that only to funerals) and TPM (but soon-to-be CQ-Roll Call‘s) Christina Bellantoni.

CNN Senior White House correspondent and “Dynamite” performer Ed Henry was spotted by the bar horsing around with his backup singer children, Patrick and Mila, prepping them for the big event. He admitted to some pre-performance jitters. “Covering the White House is easy compared to this,” he confided. “This is sink or swim.” But Henry persevered and won “Best in Show.” (See a complete list of performances, more photographs and award winners after the jump.)

Nerves or not, a decent-sized roster of journos soon took to the stage.

Amongst White House scribes, the competition grew tense over Twitter with lots of smack talk. One of those talkers was The Hill‘s White House correspondent Sam Youngman. Once on stage, the lights beamed on him and he looked utterly relieved.  “This is awesome, I can’t see any of you,” he told the crowd. He had planned to sing three short verses of “Lawyers, Guns and Money,” by Warren Zevon, but during the performance appeared surprised when the song seemed to stretch on so long. Still, he held his own, sang in tune and thankfully, unlike some of the other performers, didn’t try to hit any high notes.

Jaws dropped when…

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National Journal’s Matt Cooper hides from the paparazzi behind one of Arianna’s book-themed pillows. 

Arianna Huffington made a splash last night at the home of Tammy Haddad.  Guests such as actress Geena Davis, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Rep. Dennis Kucnich and wife Elizabeth, Richard Wolffe, Morning Joe’s Mika Brzezinski, White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, Hilary Rosen and  MSNBC’s Dylan Ratigan flooded Haddad’s Foxhall backyard to toast Huffington’s new book, “Third World America: How Our Politicians Are Abandoning The Middle Class and Betraying The American Dream.” 

The event, which Huffington joked was like an “Obama backyard party” played host to hundreds of the city’s political and media set who mingled over cocktails in the brisk fall weather.  One of the most popular topics of conversation was Howie Kurtz‘s recent announcement that he will leave the Washington Post for a new gig at the Daily Beast.  Several guests agreed that Yahoo’s Michael Calderone seemed like the only viable option to replace WaPo’s longtime media beat writer. 

We caught up with Calderone who admitted that he wouldn’t spill to Fishbowl if he was in talks with the Post but joked that, “Marcus [Brauchli] hasn’t even returned my calls about Kurtz leaving so it’s safe to assume that he hasn’t pursued me to replace him.” 

Also spotted at the backyard book bash were HuffPost’s Peter Cherukuri, Sam Stein and Mario Ruiz, Qorvis’ Kelley McCormick, SKDKnickerbocker’s Emily Lenzner, National Journal’s Matt Cooper and Taylor West, Janet Donovan, Tim Burger, Bloomberg’s Ha Chan, Politico’s Kiki Ryan, NYT’s Jeff Zeleny, Daily Beast’s Kirsten Powers and Dr. Marty Makary, Pamela’s Punch blogger Pamela Sorensen, ABC’sPolson Kanneth, Jim Courtovich, CBS’s Christine Delargy and The Hill’s Emily Goodin.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and Arianna Huffington. 

Geena Davis, Michael Calderone and more after the jump. 

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