Quotes of the Day

WTF? Save Politico‘s Byron Tau, from himself

(Igor Bobic, an assistant editor at Talking Points Memo was as shocked as we were with Tau’s tweet. He wrote, “Is this DM?” Then he added, “Anyone want to join me in TPing @ByronTau‘s house sometime this month? A little bird gave me his address.” Hey Byron, our resident paparazzo Eddie will be over to your house later to snap some pictures. To provide context, Tau was reacting to the online outrage of Gawker and Journal News publishing gun owner names and addresses.)

Why are people all weird about their addresses being public? Here, I’ll go first: 526 Kenyon Street NW, Washington D.C. 20010.

— Byron Tau (@ByronTau) January 8, 2013

Morning Oopsy!

“Correction on huffpost - ‘earlier version said West Wales is located in England. In fact, it is located in Wales’” — Katherine Faulkner, Asst. News Editor at Daily Mail. The correction was on a story about a McDonald’s employee who was fired for being rambunctious with the chocolate sprinkles on a coworker’s McFlurry. She sued the company and won $5,000. “Correction: An earlier version of this story mistakenly said that West Wales is located in England. In fact, it is located in Wales.”

Reporter puts RGIII in his prayers

“Saying a prayer for @RGIII. He has brought DC together in a way very, very few have in a very, very short time.” — Roll Call White House reporter Steven Dennis. Also see NYT’s Maureen Dowd‘s columnon the subject. She begins, “Everyone told me not to fall in love so quickly, that I’d get my heart broken. But I couldn’t help it. Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris, the stellar Redskins rookies, were such appealing palliatives to our ugly, nihilistic politics and our cascade of lurid sports scandals.”

Today at the White House

“[Today] at the WH: ‘The President will host cast and crew members of the television show 1600 Penn for a screening at the White House.’” — Tribune‘s Mike Memoli.

Convo Between Two Journos

This morning’s conversation between NBC’s Chuck Todd and NYT’s Mark Leibovich concerns the late Richard Ben Cramer. Leibovich is referring to his upcoming book on Washington culture that has the working and likely title, This Town. The book will be available in April.

Todd: “@MarkLeibovich friend sent note about how he asked RBC why there no index, RBC’s reply: ‘sick and tired of seeing DC people’ read via index”

Leibovich: “@chucktodd totally agree… I’m contemplating no index myself”

Local meteorologist shivers in workplace

“Freezing in the office this morning, but a mild afternoon ahead. Partly cloudy with highs in the mid-upper 50s in D.C. today!!!” — WJLA’s Jacqui Jeras. Come on, WJLA! Turn up the heat already. Your METEOROLOGIST is freezing.

Peter Ogburn and Eddie Scarry contributed to this report.

Just before the holidays, Borderstan, a Washington D.C. blog covering the neighborhoods of Dupont, Logan  and U Street chatted with Julie Mason, who hosts “The Press Pool” on SiriusXM’ Potus Channel.

The always candid Mason didn’t hold back on her most (and least) favorite interviews… Read more

A sprinkling of things we think you ought to know…

Washingtonians are happy, even if they are alcoholics– A WaPo poll of workers in the D.C. metro area found that most of them (88 percent) described themselves as “very happy” or “pretty happy.” Roughly the same number of people described their jobs as “rewarding.” Another interesting bit: Most respondents (54 percent) said they “never really stop working.”

Fournier has a lot of presidential access– A story published late last night in NJ made quick rounds on Twitter through this morning. It’s a first person account by the publication’s editor-in-chief Ron Fournier on how he learned to fully accept that his son, who has Asperger’s syndrome, is different. The overall consensus is that it’s a touching story, just in time for the holidays. Politico‘s Ben White called it “especially beautiful.” FNC’s Bret Baier called it “a great story” that’s “worth the time.” On the other hand, FBDC’s Peter Ogburn had his own concerns. “Most of it left me wondering how in the hell he hooked up a meeting with his son and three presidents,” he said. In Fournier’s story, he recounts how he introduced his son to President Obama and former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

HuffPost blogger rails on NYT‘s Maureen Dowd– The name Geoffrey Dunn rings no memory bells as to who he is. But a column he posted on HuffPost yesterday is worth the read if for nothing more than to count the number of ways he can insult NYT‘s Maureen Dowd. A few choice adjectives in his post regarding Dowd: “breezy,” “cynical,” “name-dropping,” and “glib.” He calls her “The Mean One.” And despite Dunn bearing a vague resemblance to any given pewter item on the “Antique Roadshow,” Dunn notes that he’s “a few years younger than Dowd.” Ouch.

Donald Trump cancels Senate bid– Oops, we mean RedState Editor Erick Erickson cancels Senate bid. Our mistake. After suggesting on his radio program earlier this week that he might challenge Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) for his Senate seat, Erickson has pulled out faster than a high school boy on prom night. And he did so with a grand flair that would make Liberace blush. “I’m not putting my family through that,” Erickson writes, “when the best outcome would mean a sizable pay cut and being away from my kids and wife all the time huddled in a pit of vipers often surrounded by too many who viewed me as a useful instrument to their own advancement.” Shorter version: Tricked you!

Quotes of the Day

“I’m glad my four-star general got a four-star penis. That’s what I like. … I LOVE a good scandal. Ooooooh!!” – Comedian Loni Love on E!’s “Chelsea Lately” show last night.

Uh oh. Howard Kurtz: Shirtless?

“Feeling out of the loop for not having any shirtless photos of myself. Maybe that’s the new business card.” — CNN and Newsweek/The Daily Beast‘s Sexy Beast Howard Kurtz.

Gay activist hopes for dirty pics

“You know that in all those tens of thousands of emails that there have to be some pictures….there has to be.” — GOProud Co-founder Jimmy LaSalvia.

Actress weighs in on Petraeus scandal

“Petraeus thing getting weirder. How about the unstable sister and the judge? Still, it’s a crying shame. Many lives in ruins. — Bette Midler.

Meghan reinvents herself and the GOP

“I decided I will now refer to myself and others like me as ‘modern republicans’ not ‘moderate’. I think it’s a better description. #evolve” — MSNBC and The Daily Beast‘s Meghan McCain.

Important Question to Ponder: “WTF is your job as a flak if you literally refuse to talk to reporters? What an embarrassment.” — Mother Jones‘ Nick Baumann.

Sighting: Jada Pinkett Smith

“Spotted in Senate subways: Jada Pinkett Smith.” — Bloomberg Senate Leadership reporter Kate Hunter.

WaPo‘s Chris Cillizza becomes the Scolder-in-Chief

“Rove twitpic with Paul Broadwell is from JUNE. Come on people.” — WaPo‘s Chris Cillizza.

Sen. Kerry breaks promise to press

“Sen. John Kerry promised reporters he’d come out to the mics to talk after closed Benghazi briefing, then gives us the slip. Sneaky.” — Fox News’ Kara Rowland.

A journo has something good to say about Amtrak for a change, a GOP operative is going to flip out during his commute any day now and NBC MTP’s Betsy Fischer Martin has an observation about military marriages …

Read more

Maureen Dowd may be the only person to fantasize about GOP Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney and then publish that fantasy for a national audience. The fantasy even involves handcuffs, imagery of two men wrestling and a “mine-is-bigger-than-yours” reference.

Sounds like everything former East Cleveland Mayor Eric Brewer would want in a roommate. But no, the columnist’s musings aren’t so delicious. They really boiled down to the idea that in the event of an electoral tie, the nation could end up with a Mitt Romney presidency and a Joe Biden vice presidency.

Some excerpts… Read more

1. Writer tries hand at butt chugging — You might recognize the byline on a current story in Vice magazine on butt chugging, the practice recently made famous by a college student who found a new, back door to getting smashed. The author is former Daily Caller reporter Jeff Winkler, who tries in vain to get himself liquored up from behind. The results weren’t quite what he was expecting. Nor was the cleanup.

2. WaPo Date Lab Disaster — And then there was one. WaPo magazine’s Date Lab takes a strange turn this weekend as a man gets left in the dust right after salad is served. The woman hints that something happened just before she made her way to the bathroom and out the door. But she’s not talking. Read the story.

3. Maureen Dowd on the Veep debate — NYT’s Maureen Dowd tackles last week’s V.P. debate in her column on Sunday. In it she mentions the moderator, ABC News’ Martha Raddatz: “I knew Raddatz would be tough because I once saw her dress down a male clerk at a Marriott hotel in Saudi Arabia who told her that women were not allowed to use the gym.” Righty and Lefty journos will be pleased to say she ripped into both V.P. Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan. Read here.

Quotes of the Day

“He’ll be insufferable now.” — MSNBC “Morning Joe” Contributor Mike Barnicle reacting to TIME‘s Mark Halperin role in “Game Change” winning four Emmys last night. Halperin wrote the 2010 book that later became a movie with New York magazine’s John Heilemann.

Luke says Dad is among the ghosts

“.@brainsalsa Great shot. He’s there with the ghosts Bruce mentions.” — NBC’s Luke Russert, in reference to a picture from a Bruce Springsteen concert. After Salsa wrote and told him he’s in the front row of a Springsteen concert and misses Luke’s dad “a ton,” Luke tells his new acquaintance that Tim Russert is among the ghosts. Um, creepy?

Arianna says buon giorno to HuffPost Italy 

“Arrived in Rome for the launch of L’Huffington Post Italia.” — AOL-HuffPost Editor-in-Chief Arianna Huffington.

Important Q’s to Ponder: “Why am I sitting in traffic in LA at 7:30 on a Saturday? Don’t people have somewhere to be already?” — Politico‘s Ginger Gibson.

Scribe notices peculiar blend of hotel guests

“Interesting vibe in my hotel. 3 conventions going on: funeral directors, financial planners, Rwandans” — WaPo‘s Karen Tumulty.

Dowd dismisses Stuart Stevens

“You get the sense that the strategist considers himself cooler than the candidate, that he’s too hip to walk through fire for Mitt and that he lacks confidence that Romney could be a better campaigner. He treats Mitt like a cardboard cutout, never asking him to risk anything or pushing him to be big, bold and inspirational.” — NYT Columnist Maureen Dowd in reference to Mitt Romney‘s Campaign Strategist Stuart Stevens in her Sunday column.

Reporters get shaft on Romney plane

“In the 2 hours the press was off Romney plane in SD, a new curtain has been installed to separate the reporters from the staff section.” — NBC News’ Garrett Haake.

Ana Marie unveils her weekend plans

“Boyfriend has mysterious journey planned for bday: ‘wear comfortable clothes, bring toiletries, and something nice for later.’” — The Guardian‘s Ana Marie Cox.

Speaking of the weekend…

“Rihanna, thanks for being the song in my head. Cheers to the freakin’ weekend… I drink to that, yeahh yeahhh.” — Politico Publicist Olivia Petersen.

Preacher Sophia gets prayed up  

“Boy do I have a whole LOT to say-God is doing some stuff in and for me. It’s kinda scary, crazy, wonderful. When I get back 2 VA will share!” — Essence and theGrio.com columnist Sophia Nelson.

Self-appointed media critic

“This MTP roundtable is really good. @JoeNBC vs.Bay Buchanan is exquisite.” — Politico Capitol Hill reporter Jake Sherman temporarily parts with his Phish obsession to watch MTP.

Noteworthy: AP‘s Kasie Hunt appeared on the Fox News Sunday panel for the first time this weekend.

Dear BLANK,

I am writing to let you know about the publication of my new book, THE END OF MEN, which has been named by the Washington Post, Vanity Fair, New York magazine and the Huffington Post as one of the books most looked forward to for the fall. As a loyal supporter of Slate and DoubleX, I wanted to let you know before the book is officially out.

The book chronicles an unprecedented moment: Women are no longer merely gaining on men–they have pulled decisively ahead. I show how the radically different ways men and women earn, learn, spend, work, marry–even kill–have turned society upside down, not just in the U.S., but around the world. And I help readers see how both men and women can adapt to the new reality and channel it for a better future.In the book I address, among other things:

What we misunderstand about the hook-up culture, and how women use it to their advantage. Read my excerpt in the Atlantic: “Boys on the Side”

Why men are having a harder time adapting to the changing economy. Read my New York Times magazine cover story: “Who Wears the Pants in this Economy.”

How marriage in American is undergoing a radical transformation, in ways we never expected.

How women can get over the final hurdles and make it to the top.

I would love to meet you at one of the stops on my national book tour, which begins Sept. 11. The major tour stops and dates are listed below.  If you run an organization interested in these issues, I would love to come speak to you. To find out more, please visit my website at hannarosin.com. If you want to order the book, please visit [here].  

Sincerely,

Hanna Rosin

On Thursday, we began rolling out the results of our Summer Superlatives and today, you get to meet the rest of the winners. Thanks for voting.

Today’s results kicks off with the Best Dressed category. This cage match was between Politico’s Ken Vogel and Kate Nocerra, WaPo’s Jonathan Capehart, RCP’s Erin McPike, and CNN’s Kate Balduan. This contest wasn’t even close. While we had a feeling Capehart would be the clear winner, he was a very distant second to Kate Balduan! Congrats, Kate. Your prize is a $1 gift card to Fashion Bug!

Moving right along, we asked you to name Washington’s Best Writer. Your choices were The Weekly Standard’s Matt Labash, The New Yorker’s Ryan Lizza, NJ’s Major Garrett, NYT’s Mark Leibovich, Ashley Parker and Maureen Dowd, WaPo‘s Karen Tumulty, HuffPost’s Eliot Nelson, and Washingtonian’s Luke Mullins. This one was a close one to call. It was a two-man race between Garrett and Labash, but in the end, Major Garrett came through and was voted the winner. It should be noted that today is Garrett’s birthday.

Which Washington journo is Most In Need of a Salad? We asked you to choose between Politico’s Jonathan Allen and Jonathan Martin, Slate‘s Dave Weigel, HuffPost’s Peter Cherukuri and Jason Linkins, FNC’s Bob Beckel and Bret Baier, and author and former TWTer Rich Miniter. This was another category where it wasn’t even close. The FNC team of Bob Beckel and Bret Baier were the heavy favorites and waddled walked their way to an easy victory.

Next up, we had the category that saw more votes than any other, Sexiest. Your sultry selections were AP‘s Steve Peoples, Atlantic Publisher Justin Smith, Washingtonian‘s Kate Bennett, Real Housewives of D.C.’s sassy stylist Paul Wharton, CNN’s Brianna Keilar, NBC4′s Doug Kammerer and Maynard Institute’s Richard Prince. The winner by a slim, sexy (and consenting) majority was Brianna Keilar.

On the other side of the coin, we have Who is Most In Need of a Makeover? Your choices were CQ Roll Call (the entire publication), The Daily Caller’s Matthew Boyle, TWT’s Stephen Dinan, Publicist Wendy Gordon, DCRTV’s Dave Hughes and Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher. Once again, this was a two-man race between Christopher and Boyle. While Christopher just looks generally disheveled, the overall train wreck that is Matthew Boyle was voted the winner. Congrats, Matt. We hear that Paul Wharton may be available to help turn you into a beautiful swan.

Last, but certainly not least, is the Best On-Air Personality. The heavy-hitters on this list were ABC’s Jake Tapper, The Daily Caller’s Tucker Carlson, MSNBC’s Chuck Todd, CBS’s Bob Schieffer and Nancy Cordes, HuffPost‘s Sam Stein, and WaPo’s Nia-Malika Henderson. At the end of the day, the experience of Schieffer couldn’t keep up with your winner, Jake Tapper!

Congratulations to all of our winners.

Politico‘s Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen had many journalists around town bristling last week after they slammed the NYT and WaPo for being biased against Mitt Romney and favoring President Obama in their coverage.

Over the weekend, Keith Koffler, who writes the typically unfiltered, gritty WhiteHosueDossier.com, wrote up his take on the Politico story that caused anxiety in the Washington Press Corps. His headline: “Politico Nails Mainstream Media for Liberal Bias.” In it, he has two full disclosure type announcements: 1. He personally knows these “brave” men VandeHei and Allen. He writes, “I can tell you, VandeHei and Allen – both of whom I know personally – have done a brave bit of work here and made themselves no new friends within the Washington journalism establishment.” 2. He’s a paid contributor to Politico. 3. On a good note, at least he includes the disclosures. But what’s he doing writing this type of story? He doesn’t critique them. In fact, he cozies up and takes their side, saying he hopes this will make the media be more sensitive to bias, but he doubts this will happen.

Journalists angered by Politico‘s story pointed out that the Roslyn-based pub heavily aggregated the WaPo story they knocked. As bad luck or fate would have it, on the day the story came out, the NYT had an editorial against Obama. And in a weekend column, Maureen Dowd brought Obama down a few rungs.

UPDATE: It appears Koffler is upset that we put him on the Incest Desk. He wrote me to say that I have “impugned” his character to the world. He also insists that Politico never asked him to write the favorable post, even though we never accused him of that in the first place. But so be it. Here’s what he has to say: “What a low blow. I tried to be very careful about disclosure. … The reason I wrote the piece is that I thought my readers would be interested to know that a major mainstream media publication would flag liberal, pro-Obama bias in other such publications. I thought it was a very rare and important thing. I did not think my association with Politico should be a reason to keep this story from my readers, which is why I was careful to note the association to them. Nobody at Politico – in fact, nobody at all – ever suggested or insinuated that I should write the piece I did. …I have not done anything unethical or even unusual.”