WHCA Dinner Guest Lists: ABC Cleans Up, Others Grumble?

What do WH Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, CIA Director Leon Panetta and WH Advisers Valerie Jarrett & David Axelrod have in common (besides the obvious)? They’ll all be dining with ABC News at this year’s WHCA Dinner.

So why are the other networks “grumbling?” The Hill reports that fingers are pointed at George Stephanopoulos for using his influence to land the A-list lineup.

ABC says the claim is “absolutely false” and that George only invited one guest this year. From what we hear at FBDC, Stephanopoulos’ single call was to Jon Bon Jovi.

Which explains why an ABC spokeswoman told TVNewser: “To quote the singer, we weren’t exactly ‘livin’ on a prayer’ booking guests. We started earlier, worked harder, and these are the results.”

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