But here we have the very wealthy Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee posing with author Robert P. Smith on Dec. 18 at a luncheon for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Shocking. Smith, the founder of Boston’s boutique Turan Corp., just happened to have a copy of his book Riches Among The Ruins (published by Amacom) on hand for picture posing. Smith has been called the “Indiana Jones of international finance.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

We told you last week that Oprah would be back in town this holiday season, reuniting with President Obama for an ABC Christmas special. Well today’s the big day… the big O will be at the White House to interview the President and check out the fesitivities.

We hear the press corps is on standby for Oprah to start giving out cars or broadcast the supposedly shelved “Favorite Things” episode from the briefing room…

“Christmas at the White House” airs Sunday, December 13th at 10pmET on ABC, and will also include an interview with the First Lady and a tour of the decorated grounds.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

We told you earlier about Katie Couric, Brian Williams, Robin Roberts and Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Other notable media-types that we didn’t catch wind of earlier… CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, WaPo‘s Rajiv Chandrasekaran, NYT‘s Thomas Friedman, and author Deepak Chopra, who FBDC actually met earlier this month.

And ladies… Jon Favreau doesn’t appear to be bringing a date… I’m just saying.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

>>MORE: TVNewser adds ABC’s Robin Roberts and NBC’s Brian Williams to the list. There have also been rumors of a surprise Oprah appearance…

>>And even MORE: MSNBC just dropped CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta‘s name on the guest list.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

In her first interview since Senator Ted Kennedy’s death, his widow Vicki Kennedy will sit down with Oprah Wednesday, AP reports. Her stepson, Ted Kennedy Jr., and her two children from a previous marriage, Caroline and Curran will join her.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Oprah‘s interview with Sarah Palin doesn’t air until next Monday, but the talk show host turned to YouTube this week for a sneak peek.

Oprah: “We talked about inside the campaign, about what it felt like when she was first asked to be vice president… There was nothing we didn’t talk about.”

On Facebook Palin said she “enjoyed it so much that we went way over on time.”

(h/t Click)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Good morning FishbowlDC! Today is Veterans Day.

More “Sesame Street” for you- First Lady Michelle Obama guests in a segment about vegetables. Take note. What we know and what we’re reading this Wednesday morning…

NEWSPAPERS | TV | ONLINE | MAGAZINES | NEWS NOTES | WEST WING REPORTAGE | AWARDS & EVENTS

NEWSPAPERS

TPM: Family Feud: How Much Is Moon Church Conflict Driving Wash Times Turmoil?

TV

“Morning Joe”: The Drinking Game. We suggest playing with mimosas.

Some of our favorite TV pundits are making nice in New Orleans this week at the Bipartisan Policy Center’s “Take the Poison Out of Partisanship” conference. Natives Mary Matalin and James Carville, Mandy Grunwald, Dan Barlett, Hilary Rosen, Steve Schmidt and Joe Trippi are all there. More dets on Politico Click.

And Evening News ratings, courtesy of TVNewser.

ONLINE

Tammy Haddad makes what we think is her Politico debut– TamCam catches up with the New Yorker‘s media writer Ken Auletta.

NEWS NOTES

Oprah, Barbara Walters, Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly- more to be announced- have interviews lined up with “Going Rogue” author Sarah Palin. (h/t Playbook)

Letterman latest.

WEST WING REPORTAGE

Helen Thomas on “presidents and the power of the press.”

Fox News wishes Anita Dunn well.

More on Dunn via Politico: “In an e-mail, Dunn said: ‘It’s an honor to serve the nation and the President and I have been fortunate to be given this opportunity at this critical time in our history. I look forward to continuing to work for the President’s agenda for change in the future.’”

AWARDS & EVENTS

CQ-Roll Call Group and Political Wire’s Taegan Goddard will host an “Early Election Preview” next Tuesday from 8:30am-10:30am at the Columbus Club at Union Station. Register here.

JOBS

TPM is hiring a publisher.

HAT TIPS: mediabistro, TVNewser, Politico

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Winfrey and Palin will meet for the very first time on the episode. You’d remember Oprah endorsed and campaigned for President Obama– the first time the talk show host has publicly supported a candidate.

(h/t Sun Times)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Good morning FishbowlDC! Got a blind item, interesting link, funny note, comment, birthday, anniversary or anything of the sort for Morning Reading List? Drop us a line.

Happy Birthday to Ana Marie Cox! (Mike Allen apparently got a record number of hat tips for this Playbook bday shout-out.) What know and what we’re reading this Wednesday morning…

NEWSPAPERS | TV | RADION | MAGAZINES | NEWS NOTES | REVOLVING DOOR | IN MEMORIAM

NEWSPAPERS

E&P: McClatchy Newspapers is discussing changes in its foreign operations that could see some bureaus closing, with other locations opening and some expanding. One scenario being reviewed would have bureaus in Jerusalem, Moscow, Nairobi, and Caracas closing, while re-opening a bureau in Mexico City.

VA Governor hopeful Creigh Deeds (D) published an op-ed piece in today’s WaPo titled “My Transportation Plan.”

TV

More than seven million people tuned in as President Obama paid a visit to Dave Letterman on the “Late Show” Monday night. Big crowd, yes, but second to Oprah‘s kiss-and-make-up visit in 2005, which drew 13 million viewers.

Not as good news for Jay Leno‘s primetime ratings.

Katie Couric landed an interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that will air on tonight’s “Evening News.” The interview goes just before Ahmadinejad addresses the UN General Assembly.

Check out TVNewser’s coverage of the 2009 News and Documentary Emmy Awards here. Highlights: Barbara Walters was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award with a tribute by Couric, CNN was honored with the President’s Award for “longstanding commitment to long-form documentaries, PBS won the most- six Emmys, CBS won five including an investigative journalism award, and NBC won for election night coverage. The full list of winners is here.

RADIO

Former Florida congressman Mark Foley has a new radio show, “Foley on Politics.” Missed Tuesday’s debut? Don’t worry- Politico‘s Patrick Gavin live blogged it for Click.

MAGAZINES

Conde Nast execs are expected to cut 25%.

NEWS NOTES

We learned via Yeas & Nays that British Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald is a big fan of Ali Wentworth‘s “Head Case” and his morning reading list includes BBC News, Realclearpolitics and FT.com.

Are you a permalancer? Michael Moore‘s looking out for you.

And courtesy of Air America, a dramatic reading of the ACORN tapes, as performed by Ana Marie Cox, TWT‘s (soon to be TPM‘s) Christina Bellantoni and ABC’s Rick Klein.

Speaking of Klein, he’s on baby watch. Recent Twitter updates include: “Enlightened hospital doesn’t mind tweeting/texting. Thought I’d have to hide the Berry today” and “DVD viewing while we wait – Arrested Development (three seasons’ worth).”

REVOLVING DOOR

Starting this week, Politico‘s Alex Isenstadt is moving from the Congress team to the Politics desk under editor Charlie Mahtesian. Good luck Alex!

IN MEMORIAM

WaPo: Max Page, a former television journalist who led the team overseeing the design and construction of the Newseum, died after a heart attack at his Vienna home on Sept. 15, his 60th birthday.

HAT TIPS: mediabistro, TVNewser, Politico, NJ‘s Wake-Up Call and Last Call!

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

• Wolf Blitzer, George Stephanopoulos, Cokie Roberts, Candy Crowley, Sam Donaldson and Connie Chung are among celebrity experts on “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’s” new “Ask the Expert” lifeline. Tune in tonight to catch Gwen Ifill. (h/t TVNewser)

• Oprah has issued her first ever “Power List” in this month’s O Magazine, 20 “remarkable visionaries who are flexing their muscles in business and finance, politics and justice, science and the arts.” And DC’s well repped– Donna Brazile, DC School Chancellor Michelle Rhee and FDIC Chair Sheila Bair all make the list. (h/t Politico)

• Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony hosted a dinner in Sonia Sotomayor‘s honor at their Long Island home last night, according to a gossip blog.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

How about to tour the set of This Week with George Stephanopoulos? $900?

To tour Meet the Press set with David Gregory and the opportunity to turn the questions on him? $1,000?

Luckily for Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights there are plenty of people out there who would pay those current bids for charity.

Other journos up for bidding: Anderson Cooper (a taping of 360 going for $2,000), Bill O’Reilly (a taping of The Factor going for $1,850) and Helen Thomas (a dinner with 5 going for $550). Oprah‘s killing it- bid’s at $27,500 to meet her backstage- while poor Tom Friedman‘s only going for $450 for lunch at the Bombay Club right now.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Good morning FishbowlDC!

Got a blind item, interesting link, funny note, comment, birthday, anniversary or anything of the sort for Morning Reading List? Drop us a line.

It is day 114 covering the Obama administration and week 15 for us. Happy birthday to Jeff Dufour! What we know and what we’re reading this Wednesday morning…

NEWSPAPERS | TV | RADIO | ONLINE | MAGAZINES | NEWS NOTES | JOBS

NEWSPAPERS

A member of NYT Co. Board says they haven’t been in discussions with Google.

TV

Can Ed Schultz improve MSNBC’s 6pm ratings? Politico takes a look here.

What tvnewser donned a skull cummerbund at this weekend’s WHCD? FishbowlLA has the answer here.

RADIO

IndieWire reports that as Kirby Dick‘s new documentary, Outrage, opened, NPR trimmed its review of the film, cutting mentions of the American political figures depicted in the movie. Critic Nathan Lee subsequently removed his byline from the article in protest and lodged a comment on the NPR site.

ONLINE

Mediaweek: Fox News’ online ascent continues, as the network’s formerly lightly-trafficked Web site FoxNews.com has significantly improved its numbers for several key engagement scores over the past year as its audience has steadily climbed, according to newly-released data.

TheStimulist.com, a news site created by MSNBC anchor and Air America radio host Carlos Watson for “the change generation” went live yesterday. WebNewser caught up with him here.

paidContent reveals Twitter.com had more unique visitors last month than WSJ.com and NYTimes.com. Why? Two words: Ashton and Oprah.

MAGAZINES

NYO profiles Jon Meacham- “Jon Meacham, with his recessive posture, his slow gait, his bone-dry jokes, may not strike you immediately as the man who can make your magazine look good. But he has become the embodiment of Sunday-schooled fogeyish integrity in a journalism industry looking for heroes.”

NEWS NOTES

Sarah Palin has landed a book deal- a memoir with HarperCollins to come out spring 2010, the year she’s up for re-election. In an AP piece, she says, “This will be a wonderful, refreshing chance for me to get to tell my story… unfiltered.”

Also Marketwatch’s Jon Friedman on why Sarah Palin still befuddles the media here.

HAT TIPS: Mediabistro

JOBS after the jump…

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continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Time convened some of the most influential people in the world last night at the 6th annual gala celebrating the 100 Most Influential list. The black-tie party was held at Frederick P. Rose Hall in Lincoln Center in NYC.

First Lady Michelle Obama, a Time 100 honoree, made remarks at the gala and sat at a table with Oprah Winfrey, Time managing editor Rick Stengel, Gayle King and Time Inc. Editor-in-Chief John Huey.

Attendees hailing from DC included President Obama’s speechwriter Jon Favreau, Van Jones (both TIME 100 honorees), plus White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett and social secretary Desiree Rogers. And from the media world: Chris Matthews, Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer and Charlie Rose, to name a few.

Photo of Jon Favreau with Oprah courtesy of Wire Image

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Just when Washington was weaning itself off Twitter, Oprah has to join and make it cool again…

From @GStephanopoulos on Friday:

Had some fun “welcoming” Oprah to Twitter today — even though my wife only had eyes for Ashton Kutcher and I can’t come close (yet!) to matching his million plus followers.

Stephanopoulos’ wife Ali Wentworth was a guest on Oprah’s Friday show.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Good morning FishbowlDC!

Got a blind item, interesting link, funny note, comment, birthday, anniversary or anything of the sort for Morning Reading List? Drop us a line.

Its day 85 covering the Obama administration and week 11 for us. Happy Birthday to Sasha Issenberg! What we know and what we’re reading this Tuesday morning…

NEWSPAPERS | TV | RADIO | ONLINE | MAGAZINES | NEWS NOTES | JOBS

NEWSPAPERS

The Chicago Tribune plans to cut another 20% of its newsroom staff in yet another bid to reduce expenses amid continuing advertising declines. Staffers were told of the impending layoffs last week, and the cuts will take place over the next several weeks.

TV

A guest on Glenn Beck‘s Fox News show passed out as the opening segment was coming to an end. Beck and his guest, David Buckner, professor of organizational leadership at Columbia University program, were standing at a monitor talking about what is leading American companies to bankruptcy.

FBN’s Cody Willard is profiled in the Los Angeles Times. He describes his first NYC job (Starbucks barista), most embarrassing on-air moment (involving an ex) and more.

Half way through the month of April, CNN is in fourth place among the four cable news channels in prime time (8-11pmET) in the A25-54 demo. More from TVNewser here.

RADIO

In memoriam: Harry Kalas, the sincere and sentimental Phillies broadcaster whose smoky voice and singular home-run calls were for nearly 40 years as much a franchise fixture as the “P” on its players’ red caps, died yesterday at 73. Philadelphia Inquirer: “We lost our voice today,” said Phillies president David Montgomery. Kalas was found unconscious in the broadcast booth yesterday before the Phillies’ game at Nationals Park.

ONLINE

NYT: The first reaction many people have to Twitter is befuddlement. Why would they want to read short messages about what someone ate for breakfast? But taken collectively, the stream of messages can turn Twitter into a surprisingly useful tool for solving problems and providing insights into the digital mood.

MAGAZINES

From Playbook: Ebony’s May issue names “The Ebony Power 150: The Most Influential Blacks In America,” including President Obama, Rep. James Clyburn, Donna Brazile, Gwen Ifill, Mayor Fenty, Michael Steele, Soledad O’Brien, Don Lemon, General Powell, Oprah and Dr. William H. (Bill) Cosby Jr.

Ebony also has “Power Behind Power: Top Blacks in the Obama Administration” and “A Great Day at the White House: African Americans in the White House Press Corps” by Kevin Chappell.

NEWS NOTES

The Iranian-American journalist, Roxana Saberi, accused of spying in Iran went on trial this week and a verdict is expected soon, an Iranian official has said. She has worked for the BBC, NPR, and Fox News and is being held in Evin prison near Tehran.

Dan Rather‘s case against CBS, now in its 19th month, is back in court today.

HBO Films has optioned “Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime,” an in-the-works Harper Collins book by political writers Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.

HAT TIPS: Mediabistro, Romenesko

JOBS after the jump…

continued…

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.