— DIANE CLEHANE

The media mavens, captains of industry and money men were out in full force today where a heaping helping of presidential politics were on the menu. Mayor Joe Armstrong, fresh off his latest trip to Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Gang Camp hosted one of his legendary lunches where his guests were Robert Draper, GQ writer and author of Dead Certain: The Presidency of George W. Bush (Free Press), political pundit Jonathan Alter (who deconstructed FDR's first 100 days in his book, The Defining Moment) and Joan Ganz Cooney. "There are some explosive things in Robert's book!" says Joe. No doubt. On the other side of the aisle, I learned a fun fact about Estee Lauder's Sally Susman who stopped to chat with me at the bar. Before she became a beauty bigwig she worked at the White House. Which one? I asked. "The only one," she quipped. "The Clinton White House!" Of course. Coincidently, Sally was lunching with another Clinton alum, Internet exec. Margo Spiritus, who now toils as Pingg Interactive's vice president of marketing. Turns out 55th & Fifth is a must-stop on the campaign trial. Are you listening Hillary & Barack?

Here's the rundown on today's crowd:

1. Mayor Joe Armstrong and the gang.

2. Gerry Byrne.

3. Terry Allen Kramer and her son, who, we hear, made the scene at the US Open this weekend.

4. Viacom's Philippe Dauman.

5. 60 Minutes' Steve Croft, Brian Grazer (thanks to his distinctive 'do we spotted him immediately) and a fetching mystery gal. We wanted to ask Brian about the upcoming season of 24 which, we're told, has Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) matching wits with the first female president. But since he kept his back to the room throughout lunch, we abstained.

6. Luke Janklow (loved the charming photos of your family at home in this month's Vogue!), Michael Soloman and designer Liz Lange.

7. An exec. from Satellite Radio XM, so we're told...

8. George Leeds and Estee Lauder's Lew Rice.

9. Vidicom's Christy Ferer with C.J. Kettler, founder and CEO of Life Balance Media, who, says Christy, is "every venture capitalist in the city's secret weapon."

11. Cosmo gal Kate White.

12. Portfolio publisher David Carey.

14. Jonathan Tisch (who, we hear, is getting married in three weeks) with MTV's John Sykes.

15. Walter Sabo.

16. Pat Murphy & Joan Jacobson.

17. Marshall Cohen17 with Time Warner's Pat Fili Krushel.

18. Faye Wattleton with Estee Lauder's general counsel Sara Moss.

19. We couldn't see...

20. Our good pal Joan Gelman and Lisa Drew.

21. Quest's Chris Meigher.

22. Jack Myers.

23. World Bank's James Wolfensohn.

24. The luscious greenery blocked our view...

25. Ambassador Carl Spiegelvogel.

26. Sally Susman and Margo Spritus.

27. Victor Garvey.

28. Margo Weinstein.

29. We couldn't see...

30. David Corvo.

Please send comments and corrections to DianeClehane AT mediabistro Dot com and lunch at mediabistro DOT com.