Monday night was the premier of Jeopardy’s “Power Players” Edition. Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs won the opening round, beating CNN’s Lizzie O’Leary and MSNBC’s Chris Matthews. Matthews put up a pathetic performance and didn’t exactly convince anyone of his brain power. O’Leary took the opportunity to live-tweet her own appearance on the show and let us know just what was going on behind the scenes. She tweeted, “It’s all about the buzzer, people.” Later, as the show was going to a break, O’Leary tweeted, “You guys: in the commercial breaks I totally trash-talked Gibbs.” We’re not sure if we believe that. Crazy Lizzie tweeted 24 times last night referencing her appearance. She jabbed at herself online when she gave an incorrect answer about New York Yankee baseball player, Derek Jeter, saying, “Look, New York, it’s Jeter. I KNOW. #pressure.” When Matthews bombed a question about Francis Gary Powers and just called him “Gary Powers”, O’Leary shit-talked him by tweeting, “Francis. Gary. Powers. #seventhgrade”

O’Leary came in second place and raised $10,000 for her charity, 826DC, a non-profit that tutors children in creative writing.

We now have the details for the Jeopardy “Power Players” edition that is coming to D.C. It tapes this weekend and starts Saturday morning. The first round will see MSNBC’s Chris Matthews battle Lizzie O’Leary from CNN and former POTUS Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs. Their game will tape at 10am ET. After that, Fox News’ Dana Perino will battle CNBC’s David Faber and basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Because when we think Washington D.C. power players, we think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After that, BBC’s Katty Kay faces down Fox’s Chris Wallace and Dr. Mehmet Oz. Again, Oprah’s doctor isn’t the first person that pops to mind when we think D.C. Power Players but he can talk poop with the best of ‘em. Following that meeting of the minds, CNN’s Anderson Cooper meets MSNBC’s Kelly O’Donnell and NYT columnist and all-around big-brain Thomas L. Friedman. The final matchup tapes at 6:35pm ET and features MSNBC’s Chuck Todd, comedian Lewis Black and Chicago Tribune’s Clarence Page.

QUOTES of the DAY

And the Worst-Sounding Breakfast Award goes to…

“Easy Sunday breakfast: Cook and drain some frozen peas. Thickly slice and cook bacon. Toss together with lots of salt and pepper. Done.” — Chef Ezra Klein in a Sunday tweet. Professor. Doctor. Blogger. What’s next? We’re not Food Network experts or anything, but this doesn’t sound so good, Ezzy. Maybe add fresh figs? (FYI: Klein moonlights for a food blog called the Internet Food Association. Last year he revealed that he was adding fresh figs to his diet.)

White House correspondent en route to Paris

“Woke up mid-flight to discover a napkin on my lap on which was scrawled “Kentucky 76-69″ Awesome!!!” — The Hill‘s White House Correspondent Sam Youngman in a weekend tweet on a flight to Paris.

Heads up GQ‘s Ana Marie Cox: Drinking Game Alert

“Libya drinking game. If Pres O says, “let me be clear,” turn off the tv and drink half-bottle of Jack.” — National Review Online‘s Greg Pollowitz in a Monday morning tweet. President Obama is scheduled to give an address on Libya tonight.

The Critic

“Missing from the NYT profile of Astoria, OR: It was the backdrop for Kindergarten Cop” — Politico Deputy Politics Editor Sara Libby in a Monday morning tweet. Most necessary part: “h/t Jonathan Martin.”  Libby links to the piece here. (We h/t Libby of course…)

Journo loses her mother

“Still, in the wake of my mother’s death- rain feels more like tears than luck. So I went inside.” — TIME‘s Jay Newton-Small in a weekend tweet on the passing of her mother. She also wrote: “Guess it’s lucky. My father proposed to my mother during the monsoon. And I was born in a thunderstorm.” Our condolences to her.

Now this is dedication…

“Ha! I’ve used TBD so much in tweets that my iPhone corrected a typo to tbd. (Was trying to write “the.” Looks like I thumbed “tbe.”)” — TBD Community Engagement Director Steve Buttry in a Monday tweet.

Ever the observer…

“With the recession technically over, the New Yorker profiles Christian Louboutin. It’s a fun piece. Loubi practically profiles himself.” — The Daily Caller‘s “Daily Baller” Mike Riggs in a Monday morning tweet. (We thank Riggs for the excuse to run a photograph of beautiful shoes and note his expertise and ease with Loubi lingo.)

Fake Jim V.  wants to know what the hell happened…

“Juicebox Mafia? James Hohmann still drinks Capri Sun totally non-ironically. Where’s our trend piece?” — FakeJimVandeHei in a Sunday tweet. To return to a dead PoliticoMouse is truly awful. Thank God FakeJimV is alive. Here he (or she) is referring to Politico‘s young whippersnapper James Hohmann, a former WaPo intern, in reaction to NYT‘s incredibly softball Sunday Style section piece on Boy Banders WaPo’s Klein, Slate‘s Dave Weigel etc… (More on the death of PoliticoMouse and that NYT Style story later…)

Why Gibbs shouldn’t take Facebook job….

While the rest of D.C. is commenting on former White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs‘ potential move to Facebook, WUSA’s Angie Goff throws a wet towel on the idea with this Monday morning tweet: “Researchers say Facebook could cause depression.” Goff’s story link hails from Fox News’s website, which runs an AP story today about how Facebook presents a “skewed view” about what’s really going on. Oh the irony…

Slate‘s Shafer makes a request

“Please subscribe to the NYT so I’ll have it to kick around.” — Slate media writer Jack Shafer in a weekend tweet.

D.C. journo mentality

“Actually having a weekend = long Sunday night of work. ” — WaPo Social Media Producer Katie Rogers in a weekend tweet.

NPR’s Inskeep in Disneyland karaoke hell

“At Disneyland: 6yr old too terrified to visit Haunted Mansion, so we stand in New Orleans hearing jazz band play Back Home Again in Indiana.” — NPR’s Steve Inskeep in a weekend tweet from Disneyland. He continues: “You haven’t lived until you step into House of Blues, adjacent to Disneyland, & discover it’s a karaoke bar with $18 drinks.” And this: “p.s. Karaoke singer now belting out “Dancing with Myself”- it may take between $36 and $54 to make this right.”

F&@# Smoking!

“I quit smoking almost exactly three years ago. It remains one of the best things I’ve done. Ever. Seriously, fuck smoking.” — Journalist, author, and media critic Craig Silverman in a weekend tweet. He writes the “Regret the Error” website and works for PBS Media Shift.

Mika learns a thing or two from “Playbook”

“Thanks to Politico for the reminder that it’s my father’s birthday.” — MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinksi this morning on “Morning Joe” in a silent shout-out to Mike Allen, who included it in this morning’s “Playbook.” Mika’s father, who often appears on the program, is Zbigniew Brzezinksi, former U.S. National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter.

After being shut out of the President’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday,  the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) is appealing to the White House to give the press corps access to an event that’s been called one of the President’s most important foreign policy priorities for almost a year – the signing of the START Treaty.  In a letter to Press Sec. Robert Gibbs, the WHCA Board complained about their lack of access to the President throughout the crisis in Egypt and outlined their request to open today’s treaty signing to the White House pool.   Letter from Julia Whiston of the WHCA below:

Good morning Robert,

We recognize that the crisis in Egypt is a quickly evolving story and you are working to get us the information we need in a timely manner, but we are concerned about several access issues on Tuesday and now today.

On behalf of the White House Correspondents Association we are writing to protest in the strongest possible terms the White House’s decision to close the President’s Cabinet meeting on Tuesday and his signing of the START Treaty today to the full press pool.

The START treaty was held up as one of the President’s most important foreign policy priorities for almost a year dating back to the trip to Prague last spring. We are concerned that now his signing of it is open to still photographers but closed to editorial, including print and wire reporters and television cameras.

We know the President came out late last night to speak on Egypt, and we appreciate the email updates from NSC spokesman Tommy Vietor, but his emails have not gone to all members of the press corps and are not a substitute for access to the Press Secretary or the President.

Prior to the President’s statement Tuesday night, the press corps had not received a substantive update from the White House all day on the situation in Egypt. In addition, the press corps did not have an on-camera briefing, or an off-camera gaggle, with you yesterday to ask the White House about its decision-making process during this major foreign policy crisis. Now for two straight days the full press pool is being shut out of events that have typically been open and provided opportunities try to ask the President a question.

These issues are vitally important for all of our members – print, TV and radio.

We value our working relationship, and we hope you will reconsider and at least open the START Treaty signing to the full pool.

Thank you for your consideration,

The WHCA Board

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs in a White House briefing today discussing former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin‘s use of “WTF” with lefty radio host Bill Press.

Gibbs at one point moves into a stage whisper: “We should talk offline,” he tells Press. ..”.I’m sure all the answers are on her Twitter account. …Do you think it means World Trade?”

C-SPAN captures the moment here.

THE DEEP END…TIPS FROM THE POOL

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs addresses POTUS’s upcoming appearance on The Daily Show in D.C. in the final question of  a press gaggle aboard Air Force One en route to Portland, Ore. Wednesday afternoon. The D.C. show tapes on Oct. 27.

Q Quick question.  The Daily Show — why did he agree to appear on that?  And is there any significance to that so close to Election Day?

MR. GIBBS: Well, look, I think it’s a program that younger voters and even occasionally older voters, the 39-year-old age group, catch, if they can remember to stay up late.  No, I think it’s a great way to appeal to a younger voter audience that is a big part of the President’s base.

A bet’s a bet.

And The Hill‘s White House correspondent Sam Youngman felt the sting of having to admit that White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had the better team at Tuesday’s presser. In fact, the scribe had to say it out loud after losing a sports bet to Gibbs over the weekend. The bet was on the Kentucky-Auburn football game. The loser had to declare the opposing team superior during the briefing.

Youngman said at the press conference: “Per our agreement from last week, the Auburn University Tigers are a superior football program to the University of Kentucky Wildcats.”

The aftermath wasn’t pretty. “It hurt me, but a bet is a bet,” Youngman, a fanatic when it comes to Kentucky basketball, said.  “And I would eat my own ass with a spork before I’d say that about Kentucky basketball.”

The ever hip White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs with his easy smile and Easter egg-colored ties seems to be bringing back the gaggle, at least for now.

WhiteHouseDossier.com Editor Keith Koffler writes on the matter today. This is good news, he says. But he stresses the importance of not cozying up too much to the likable Gibbs. “You get to know Gibbs, you grow to love him, and then you hesitate to take the tough angle your supposed to be taking in your stories,” he writes. But back on that good note…

An excerpt:

The gaggle provides a more informal atmosphere for reporters to question the press secretary, to the benefit both the public and the White House itself. When Gibbs began yesterday’s gaggle, he pointedly stepped to the side of the lectern to emphasize the relaxed nature of the upcoming interchange.

The White House Soup of the Day, as alerted to us by MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown,” is New England Clam Chowder. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, who appeared on the program this morning, revealed the soup.

Co-hosts Savannah and Chuck brought White House Oatmeal into the mix this morning, with Savannah Guthrie showing a close-up of the raisin-infested mush. Chuck Todd chimed in on the raisins, saying, “My son is obsessed with Raisin Bran right now – a boy after my own heart.”

Say hello to Tangi Quemener, White House correspondent for Agence France-Presse. Quemener hails from Brest, France (that’s right, that’s the name of the north-western French town in Brittany where he grew up). He studied journalism in Paris. He has been working for Agence France-Presse since 1999 – he worked on the international desk in Paris, on the Middle East desk in Cyprus and as a West Coast correspondent in L.A.

Quemener was a delight to chat with by phone from Martha’s Vineyard Thursday afternoon, where he’s covering President Obama’s summer vacation. He does not appear to fall under any stereotypical French attributes. He’s self-deprecating and self-conscious about his English and respectful of his American colleagues in the White House Press Corps. “I’m the newcomer,” he says, explaining that the wire service assigned him to the White House beat in December. He told me, “My English is far from perfect, so please feel free to correct any spelling or grammar horror that might have gone undetected.”

He does not refer to French Fries as Freedom Fries. “The French Fries are not really French,” he says. “They are from Belgium.” But he isn’t taken aback by the ongoing jokes against the French. “The French are not easily offended,” he says. Oh, and the photograph? His choice. He wanted to be an international man of mystery, and I’m not one to argue with a Frenchman.

If you were a carbonated beverage which would you be? Full Sail beer from Hood River, Oregon. Or Diet Coke, the White House Correspondent’s drug of choice.

How often do you Google yourself? Once a month. But I confess that I check my byline on the AFP wire more often than that.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever said to an editor (or vice versa)? You just made me realize how lucky I’ve been so far. I really can’t remember any serious rift with my gentle and beloved brass. I’ve never fallen [in with] a prick editor. Blame it on the 35 hour workweek, the 61 day a year paid vacation or even our amazing health care system. That’s the French way but we work a lot. Every American worker is green with angry or red with rage.

Who is your favorite working journalist? Gail Collins makes my Metro ride a bliss. I have a great deal of respect for my AFP colleagues working in war or disaster zones. But my all time favorite journo is Frenchman Joseph Kessel (1898-1979), a real adventurer and a master wordsmith.

Do you have a favorite word? Two: Ice cream.

Who would you rather have dinner with – First Lady Michelle Obama or Bestselling Author and former V.P. candidate Sarah Palin? Sarah Palin would give me a hard time as I’m French, thus a cheese monkey girlie man cowardly palling around with communist treehuggers. But I’d rather have a charbroiled moose burger than sauteed broccoli. Decisions, decisions.

What’s the name of your cell phone ring? My cell is in vibrating mode only. Robert Gibbs doesn’t like interference when he’s briefing.

When did you last cry and why? I shed a tear this summer after receiving a pic of my young sons that my wife e-mailed from their long French vacation. Corny but true.

What word do you routinely misspell? This summer, its has been “flottille.” It’s flotilla in French.

What swear word do you use most often? “Bordel de merde.” Need a translation?

What word or phrase do you overuse? In English, “Basically.” Must be unnerving to others but can’t help it.

What TV show do you have to watch? BBC’s “Top Gear.” I’m a car freak.? Plus it’s hilarious and beautifully shot.

Where do you shop most often for your clothes? I usually go on a rampage every year in a shopping outlet like in Delaware or Virginia. You must know [NPR’s} Ari Shapiro. He’s always very well dressed. I’m not like that at all.

Who do you prefer for daytime talk, Dr. Phil, Ellen, Oprah, Tyra or the women of The View? I have to monitor cable news all day but I’d rather watch Ellen, who has a great sense of humor. The others actually scare me. I’m really scared of Oprah, the way she hands over gifts and cars, maybe she’s too powerful, and Dr. Phil is even worse.

Pick one: Leno, Letterman or Conan? None of the above, really. I’m more of a Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert aficionado.

If you were trapped on a deserted island, which public official would you want to be trapped with and why? Thad Allen seems to have a few boats handy. And his mustache is has soothing powers.

Find out what Quemener’s first journalism teacher wrote about him after the jump…

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