Party guide for the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner
By ANNE SCHROEDER MULLINS | 5/5/09 4:20 AM EDT

The White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner is like a high school prom — the real action takes place at the parties before and after.

The celebrity in chief and his leading lady will be on the dais Saturday night, but lesser lights will be shining here, there and everywhere starting Thursday night and running through Sunday morning.

Here’s the rundown on the biggest weekend in Washington since the last biggest weekend in Washington:

Thursday

National Journal’s Hotline and the PR firm Qorvis kick things off the night before the night before with a “Political Pursuit” event at the O’Byrne Gallery at the Daughters of the American Revolution building.

It’s like “Jeopardy!” — politics style. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Bob Casey, Rep. Mark Kirk, former Rep. Tom Davis, NBC’s Chuck Todd, Bloomberg’s Al Hunt, ABC’s Jonathan Karl, CNN’s Dana Bash, Fox’s Molly Hennenberg, The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza, The Wall Street Journal’s Sue Davis and The Washington Times’ Christina Bellantoni have all signed to up to be “stumped” by Hotline editors Amy Walter and John Mercurio in “the ultimate face-off of political wits.”

The cool kids will be at the Creative Coalition’s kickoff party. It’s at a private home, and if you need to ask whose, you’re not invited. Among those who are: Dana Delany, Connie Britton, Ellen Burstyn, Tim Daly, Barry Levinson, Kerry Washington and Rachael Leigh Cook.


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Thanks, Quel. I'll move this to the News & Info section.

-TR

It was a fun mix of Hollywood types at the private dinner for the Creative Coalitioners: Tim Daly, Dana Delany, Rachael Leigh Cook, Barry Levinson, Alfre Woodard, Matthew Settle and a few others at an intimate gathering of about 50 people.

Daly, for one, enjoyed it because you could actually sit back and “talk to people” without it being “really crowded” to the point where you can’t hear.

Fun fact, this is Dana Delany’s 7th Correspondent’s Dinner. Fresh off the plane, she told us, she sat at John McLaughlin’s table four times, Bloomberg’s table one time and NPR’s once. Why do you come? “Cause it’s fun!” she says. Why do you think people ask you? “Probably because I can hold up my end of the conversation.” As for the Obama administration, she couldn’t be happier. “So far I’m thrilled. There’s new energy, I love the Chicago mafia, they’re going to kick this city in its ass.”

So, Matthew Settle, is this your first trip to D.C.? “No, my brother was a liaison for Congress and the Coast Guard so I used to come when I was 15 and stay on Capitol Hill,” he told us. “I’m looking forward to everything! Going to the Capitol, potentially the White House,” then he trailed off, “oh my gosh, is that Alfre Woodard? I love her.”

Of course who he really wants to meet is “President Obama oh and who’s that guy… Geithner.” (For “Gossip Girl” fans, Settle says, do not fret, of his character Rufus – “a good guy” – and Lily. “They’ll get together,” he says.

Asked to choose between a Team Chuck, Team Blair, Team Serena he opted for a British accent and said he'd go with “Team Ed Westwick!”

Rachael Leigh Cook, a political vet by now after going to both conventions over the summer, is just “thrilled to be here.” She doesn’t care about seeing celebs. “They’re from my neighborhood so I don’t really care,” she says, “but I do like running into people I know.”

Actress and former Obama surrogate Alfre Woodard describes herself as a “rebel rouser,” and a “professional agitator.” She can’t stay for the dinner – it’s her senior daughter’s mother/daughter banquet – but “I’m really looking forward to chatting with Jim Clyburn, He’s a really close friend.” And, “I’m going to strategize with Kendrick Meek.” Woodward says she spent 19 months as a surrogate for Obama, went to 5 states more than 3 times each and yet never ran into the man himself on the trail. “Part of the responsibility of a surrogate is to be where the president isn’t” she says. But on the plus side, “I went to the hinterlands – did the meatball competition in Iowa.” As for being an actor, she rolls her eyes, “it’s only a means to an end,” she laughs.

Producer Barry Levinson was kind enough to offer to help us with the delayed flash on our camera. Hey, he would know! He has “no expectations” for this weekend but likes the “interesting mix of people” it brings. Discussing his film, “PoliWood” he says “it’s the collision of celebrity, politics and the media.” Isn’t everything the collision of celebrity, politics and the media? “Oh, I think it’s inevitable.” He says he reads the New York Times, Huffington Post, POLITICO, the Daily Beast, Drudge Report — and the Baltimore Sun “to check up on my Orioles.” As for the cables, he flips around them all.

And finally, Tim Daly, who is somewhat of a begrudging party-goer, he recently told Vanity Fair at the PoliWood premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival: “If I had to choose between putting a rusty spoon in my eye and going to something like this, it would be a very hard decision.” Who do you look forward to seeing? “Well, I think Barack owes me at least a handshake,” he laughed. (He was joking.) “And if Michelle can touch the Queen inappropriately, she can give me something.” (Again, Joking people!)



By Anne Schroeder Mullins 10:34 PM

• Julia Allison told Rachael Leigh Cook she looked just like that actress Rachael Leigh Cook (Cook gamely replied that people usually think she's Christina Ricci, and are then disappointed). From: New York Magazine

Now thats too funny. lol Best quote ever.