Just What DC Needs

Another FamousDC glossy mag

Project Beltway:

Soon Washington will have another, yes another, fashion/social scene/party/lifestyle glossy. This time, the Washington Post franchise getting in the game. The Washington City Paper seems to have broken the news (with obligatory eye-rolling, of course) for FW (Fashion Washington). While the distribution model is a little disappointing, The Post isn’t ripping off The Examiner exclusively at all; the paper seems to be considering all of the models its competition uses - select mailings and select retail drops (you can pick up DC Magazine at Muleh on 14th Street and Capitol File at Erwin Gomez in Georgetown).

Breaking Bob Novak News

Robert D. Novak was cited after he hit a pedestrian with his black Corvette in downtown Washington D.C. Wednesday morning. [Go to Politico for more]

In Case You Didn’t Know

Frank Luntz is a BIG deal. He has many leather bound books and his apartment smells of rich mahogany.

Shenanigans: Who said the following?

“I’ve been getting yelled at that I need to take time for me.  I work so hard I have great relationships.
Steve Wynn wants me to go on his yacht for a week– I can’t go.  Mike Milken wants me to fly on his plane with him - I can’t go.  I had dinner with Prince Charles a month ago – it was so hard to schedule, this is the prince, the future King of England, and I could barely schedule it. Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson – it’s all jammed in.  I’ve missed all these opportunities -  I never have time to go.  I’m not retiring in any way but I have reached 100 hours of work a week. And I’m going to do about 350,000 [flier] miles this year. Tally it up.”

FamousDC wonders if Prince Charles called Mr. Luntz after his self Google Alert went off.

Jill Chappell is FamousDC

Wolf Blitzer’s producer Jill Chappell might want to hire an agent pretty soon.

First she handles a LIVE call from Ellen and now she’s hanging with Tate Donovan.

Shenanigans: The Damages Edition

CNN booker in D.C. Jill Chappell got to visit actor Tate Donovan on his TV set of “Damages” in New York over the weekend. See? Good things do happen in Iowa. You get to meet people like Tate Donovan.

We’re Totally In Love With Barack, Too

The McCain camp just launched a couple of YouTube videos about the media’s love obsession with Barack Obama. And they want you to vote.

Do you love the idea?

Crazy C-Span Prank Calls

Keep the audio down if you’re in the office. We can’t believe the hosts never lose their cool.
These are a little dated, but they never get old.

Mad Props to the Advance Teams

OK, so we need someone to ask Speaker Pelosi a question about global warming, and then we need Pelosi to check her blackberry, and then we need to have Al Gore’s voice come over the loud speaker, and then we need Gore to walk on stage and make a surprise appearance at Netroots Nation. And we need to pull this off without any of the media knowing until Gore walks out on stage.

Impossible?

Hotline On Call: Gore Makes Surprise Visit To Netroots Nation

Gore joked, “We oughta take that act on the road, Nancy,” to which Pelosi responded, “We are on the road!” Gore replied, “We are on the road, but I feel right at home, I’ll tell you.”

Ryan Grim Worked This Weekend

And ended up with a top of page Drudge Alert

Politico: Pelosi calls for high-level meeting with Iraqis

[Speaker Pelosi] “So with the prime minister saying it’s time for you to go,” she told the crowd, “I think it’s time for our country to sit down with the Iraqis and work that plan out. [We need to be] respectful of what the prime minister says, and respectful of the will of the American people, who have been against this war for a long time…[We should] have a high-level meeting with the Iraqis to work out the terms of our deployment out of Iraq…So, the end could be in sight.”

FamousDC Media Ticket [Round Up]

Last week we launched the FamousDC Media Ticket. Several of our favorite Web sites linked to it so we wanted to pay back the favor:

FishbowlDC:

Lord Save Us: Journos Running The White House?!?
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The folks at FamousDC have proven smarter at this whole “start a new blog” thing than we ever could have anticipated.

Extreme Mortman:

Save A Pulitzer For FamousDC
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Outstanding work by FamousDC for its new “Media Ticket.”

Mike Allen’s Playbook:

YA CAN’T MAKE IT UP –FAMOUS DC, the mystery website, posts its all-media fantasy administration, with Dana Milbank as V.P., Chuck Todd as White House chief of staff, Rick Klein as Secretary of Labor, Danielle Jones as Secretary of Transportation and Jonathan Martin as Secretary of Education. Someone who’s famous not just in D.C.: “Now THAT’S a good way to abolish the Department of Education.”

Shenanigans:

FamousDC’s Media Ticket!
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“The Beltway Community lives and dies by the words penned from Washington’s elite press corp - so isn’t about time we put our entire country’s livelihood in their hands?”  — FamousDC
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And so the blog FamousDC is debuting their media campaign ticket tomorrow, and gave Shenan some teasers - they are hilarious.

Potomac Flacks:

Famous DC has posted their “Media Ticket” — who they envision making the best 2008 Administration if it were all journalists.  At the top of the list — none other than Mike Allen, President.  Good call and we’re certain he’ll leave office with a higher approval rating than any President in history.  Overall, in our judgment, a well-rounded administration.

theHotfile Returns

We still don’t know who theHotfile is, but FamousDC’s favorite news producer turned YouTube news host has returned!

Facebook Update of the Week

Josie Hearn, former Politico reporter, needs someone to watch her VW:

Josephine Hearn is looking for a friend or trustworthy acquaintance to take her 14-year-old VW for 9 months while she is in NYC. $63/month pays the insurance. 

Come Back, Hotfile

Some of our tipsters have emailed they’re worried about theHotfile. These tipsters want to know if Hotfile is OK, or if FamousDC scared her away. It has been over a week - come back hotfile!

If It’s Meet the Press

It’s time for advocacy ads.

Media buyers know their target audience and they’re drilling home the energy ads during the expensive MTP airing:

T. Boone Pickens - The Pickens Plan
Southern Company - Powered by Common Sense
Chevron - Human Energy
SVEZ - Energies of Progress
Association of American Railroads - Freight Rail Works

Next week Al Gore will be a guest on MTP. Will we see more clean coal, energy futures, and drilling? Or will it be all green and clean?

Monday Morning’s Talker

JoMa: Ya can’t make it up: The New Yorker says it’s satire. It certainly will be candy for cable news.

Famous DC’s Media Ticket

Introducing the “FamousDC Media Ticket.”  If your favorite journalist didn’t make this list - perhaps they’ll make the next - or perhaps, they’re not working hard enough.

President - Mike Allen, Politico
The hardest working media personality needs the top office.  He’s moral, honest, and trustworthy - to a fault. We need a President who will send 1,000 emails per day to answer the American citizens’ questions and concerns. We need daily morning summaries that include White House tee ball updates. We need a President who carries extra blackberry batteries with him, because he always outworks his PDA. We need a President who sleeps only because he’s forced to. We need Mike Allen 2008!

Vice President - Dana Milbank, Washington Post
We’re not sure what the Vice President does, but it sure would be entertaining to watch Dana in office. Milbank’s vlogs from “undisclosed locations” would be the modern day fireside chat. Milbank, who also boasts a solid pedigree, with a degree from Yale, is also a rumored member of the Skull and Bones - a secret quality needed by any potential Vice President.

White House Chief of Staff - Chuck Todd, NBC
Imagine coming into a Monday morning staff meeting at 5:45 a.m. and Chuck Todd has graphs and numbers for you as you’re choking down your first cup of coffee. Amazing. All leaked documents will finally make sense and will be justified with graphs, numbers, and awkward hand motions. We’ll follow the goater to the grave.

White House Press Secretary - Patrick Gavin, Washington Examiner
Pat already scoops most of Washington with his real time updates. We need him in front of the cameras daily for the gaggle. Cameras will be waiting for Gavin to announce the annual online contest to determine the hottest WH beat reporters.

Secretary of State - Emily Heil, Roll Call
This position requires lots of travel and protocol. Emily is perfect for the job, especially since the American people want the scoop. Who was over-served in South America? Which dignitary lost his luggage in Dubai? State press conferences would become must watch TV.

Secretary of Defense - Jeff Emanuel, Red State
Jeff has not only served his country, but has been to Iraq numerous times and knows what life is like for a US soldier. It takes a brave mindset like his to oversee the Pentagon - not to mention, any Secretary willing to live-blog from the front lines, is a man to follow.

Attorney General - Wolf Blitzer, CNN
We don’t know if Wolf has a law degree, but we believe every word out of his mouth. He’d fix whatever needs to be fixed and the 12 screens and custom animation that accompanied him would have the American people on his side.

Secretary of the Treasury - Charlie Mitchell, Roll Call
Charlie is leading a team that makes the most money in Washington and will have no problem getting the Economist to back him up. If Secretary Mitchell is the man tasked with debating currency exchanges with China - we’ll always stay in the black.

Secretary of the Interior - Anne Schroeder Mullins, Politico
The Second Secretary of the Interior was Thomas McKean Thompson McKennan, so we figured the “all media ticket” could use someone with two awesome last names. The Secretary of the Interior also oversees the National Park Foundation. And when you think of parks, you think of fun and when you think fun, well, you think of that gal with two last names.

Secretary of Agriculture - Perry Bacon, Washington Post
Who better than Secretary Bacon to investigate the tomato recall? Nobody cares about tomato more than Bacon. Nobody. Perry Bacon is from Kentucky and knows the plight of the southern farmer. He’s also another Yalie on the Allen-Milbank ticket so the DC dinner party circuit will stay intact. Secretary Bacon will be known throughout the world as “Secretary BLT.”

Secretaries* of Commerce - Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser, Washington Post
Listen, we understand there is more at stake here than sports, but does anyone really care? Within the first 100 days they’ll implement a PTI-esque daily show to explain to Americans what is happening to their hard earned money. Who doesn’t want a rundown of where to invest and when to buy another round at the bar? Tony Reali will become a household name after his “Stat Boy” updates tell people which stocks to dump in the morning before dropping pitchers in their baseball fantasy league. “Goodnight, Canada”

Secretary of Labor - Rick Klein, ABC
Secretary Klein will be the Boy Wonder of the Media Administration. A Long Island native, Klein knows the hardships of the American workforce. His Princeton degree also deepens the Ivy League bench of the Allen - Milbank ticket.

Secretary of Health and Human Services - Nora McAlvanah, The Hotline
When it comes to your well-being - they say laughter is the best medicine - and that’s exactly what Nora does day in and day out as editor of Hotline’s Wake Up Call and Last Call.  Nora will likely have this country in tiptop shape within months of taking office.

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development - Christian Bourge, Congress Daily
The HUD Secretary should have an affinity for good cigars and a working knowledge of New Orleans jazz musicians. Ok, none of that will help with the job, but the HUD bureaucrats would all benefit from Secretary Bourge’s background. Originally from Louisiana, he will continue to rebuild New Orleans. Secretary Bourge will strengthen the Allen - Milbank ticket and will pull the tobacco farmer vote.

Secretary of Transportation - Danielle Jones, Politico
When it comes to moving, shaking and keeping the trains running on time - there’s nobody more qualified than this young lady.  A veteran of political journalism - Danielle has seen and reported on her share of congressional train wrecks at the Hotline - so she’s more than ready to tackled the nation’s gridlock.

Secretary of Energy - Howard Mortman, Extreme Mortman
The Secretary of Energy is an integral part of any Administration, so you need someone who has a lot of energy to spare. His Extremeness never rests - posting from vacation, the powder room and several stops in between; it’ll take Extreme insight in order to manage the corner office on Independence Avenue.

Secretary of Education - Jonathan Martin, Politico
Designer Fast Food in Every Classroom! Secretary JoMa will make sure all children eat Chick-fil-a for lunch and then spend the next half hour practicing leg kicks to really awful 80’s music. We’re not sure what the kids will learn from this, but the nationwide webcast will be smash-time awesome.

Secretary of Veteran Affairs - Susan Davis, Wall Street Journal
It takes the grit of a Wall Street Journal reporter to tackle this job.  Davis is known far and wide as a fair and balanced journalist - the exact qualities one needs to handle the job of Veteran Affairs Secretary.  She’s also developed very good relationships within the Pentagon - which can’t hurt.

Secretary of Homeland Security - Jim Mills, The Hill
Nobody loves his country more than Jim Mills and he’ll do anything to protect it. Don’t expect to see any more duck tape press conferences with Secretary Mills at the podium - we’re in for a lot of good old fashioned US of A yelling!

Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency - Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post
Juliet covered the environment since it was the smelly little thing that nobody talked about. Now she has environmental issues always on the WaPo’s front page. If we’re ready for real reform we want Administrator Eilperin at the helm.

Director of Management and Budget - David Rogers, Politico
David Rogers should be President, but he knows he’ll have more of an impact as Director. He will run circles around Obey, Lewis and the approps gang. He’ll make sure the money goes where it should. Forget earmarks - everything will run through Director Rogers…and the country will be better for it.

Director of National Drug Control Policy - Ryan Grim, Politico
This will be fun to watch. Director Grim will need a good press secretary if anyone is looking for a job. His weekly Eastern Shore Ken Kesey parties will become Page Six fodder.

United States Trade Representatives - Jackie Kucinich, The Hill; Erin McPike, Congress Daily
We understand there is only one USTR, but have you ever seen Jackie and Erin not together? We’ve heard reports since their freshmen year at American that they’re inseparable. So, we’re making two USTRs, but they’ll always travel together. Washington’s “It Girls” are too much to keep in the beltway. We support these appointments solely on the fact of future Facebook updates from abroad.

Chairman, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System - Carl Hulse, New York Times
Does Carl understand foreign markets? We don’t know, but we do know his hair will never be out of place. Markets need stability like that.

Commissioner of the Social Security Administration - Markos Moulitsas Zuniga - Daily Kos
Mr. Kos has figured out how to solve the rest of the world’s problems from his laptop, so let’s give him a go at Social Security. It will be broke in a few years and if anyone can crash the gate - it’ll be Kos.

Director of National Intelligence - John Stanton, Roll Call
We understand the DNI is usually an active duty commissioned officer in the armed forces, but we have a feeling Stanton, an American bad ass who ain’t scared of a damn thing, knows people that know people - if you know what we mean.

The Hills meets The Fix meets Countdown

Ok, FamousDC fans. Let’s figure out where thehotfile works. During the day she is a normal news producer, but once home she turns into….thehotfile.

The self-described “good liberal” is willing and ready to take on the “Double Talk Express.” She wants her 15 minutes, so let’s shine the FamousDC spotlight on thehotfile.

Hotfile:

Yesterday at work I declared, “I canNOT read another blog, I’m all blogged out.” As a producer for a news program, I scour the web, newspapers and magazines for the latest political stories about the ‘08 campaign trail. And now that I’m formally complaining about that on a blog, I can’t help but feel somewhat guilty and like a bit of a brat…but still, I can’t deny that I had truly reached the end of the blogosphere. And after all the reports and analysis on gaffes, cheap shots, superdelegates, superduperdelegates, Bosnia, Bubba, Wright, wronged, Penn, pins, and a place called Hope, I thought, let me take a stab.

We Could Understand Viqueira

but David Gregory?

Craigslist: NBC–David - 35 (NW DC)

Interested in what type shoes David Gregory wears to work? his shoe size?

John Stanton Eats Fireworks for Breakfast

John Stanton - reporter, rock star, radio host, 100% American bad ass.

How to Get On-Air

FamousDC readers know we’re big fans of Patrick Gavin and Nora McAlvanah. You can imagine our surprise to read an article that has advice from both of them. Luckily for all of us….they nailed it (with an Extreme quote).

Campaigns and Elections: How to get on the air - all the time

“What can you say that no one else has said and can you say it smartly?” asks Howard Mortman, who works at New Media Strategies, an Arlington, Va.-based marketing firm. Too many people rush to accept appearances outside their area of expertise, then stare blankly at the camera or say something mundane. And in TV, it’s one strike and you’re out.
…
If you do have unique insights but no outlet just yet, try creating your own. Nothing could be more fundamental, easy and inexpensive as starting your own blog. Mortman has had success with his own blog, ExtremeMortman.com, which has been linked to from several popular aggregating websites and blogs.

Please enjoy your FamousDC head’s up before D. All hits us with another moon bounce email alert.

Do His Thumbs Hurt?

From today’s Playbook

Mike Allen: Playbook yesterday sent our 100,000th e-mail since Politico launched 18 months ago.

Which intern has to count those?

Twitter Taking Over MSM

Several of our DC newspapers and reporters are firing out tweets (but they’re not all on the GraphicDesignr’s list):

Washington Times
Politico
The Hill
Washingtonian
FishbowlDC
NPR News
Houston Chronicle’s Julie Mason
CQ’s Eric Pfeiffer

The Washington Post has 13 Twitter pages. Here are a few:
The Fix
The Sleuth
Washington Post Politics

NYC Tweets:
Wall Street Journal
WSJ’s OpinionJournal
New York Times
NY Times Politics

FamousDC’s Twitter page

Hat Tip Katie Harbath

JoMa’s Quest Continues

The Search for Designer Fast Food

Mendelsohn also noted that he had heard the same plea.  ”‘We need more good food here on the Hill. We need more good food in the city.’”
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Amen.
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D.C. will never have the offerings of New York and comparisons only set us up for failure.  But there is no reason the nation’s capital — a city with so many people from all over the country and world —  should be stuck with a sea of Cosi’s and mediocre deli’s that are closed after 5 and on weekends.

Chris Cillizza Raps

Look out Eminem - The Fix can freestyle.
“F to the I to the X to the C to the A to the M.”

And the winner is…

Lawmakers in DC, not Big Oil or the War in Iraq, are now the top scapegoats for high prices at the pump.  But perhaps the  most interesting result from this survey is that a whopping 81% of those who responded want the U.S. government to allow more domestic drilling. 

Americans are feeling the impact of record gas prices in their pocketbooks. Nearly half of those surveyed said they are saving less, and 24% said they cut back on essentials like food and health care costs.
…
As a result, 90% of those surveyed support an increase in alternative energy development, and 81% want the U.S. government to allow more drilling on and off our nation’s shores. Americans also favored conservation measures, with 83% saying they supported tax incentives for alternate transportation.

Get the Chuck Outta Here

Well, it’s official, somebody in this country has an unhealthy obsession with Chuck Todd - and proof is in the latest creation dedicated to the Chuckster.

No, it’s not Viva Chuck Todd, we already posted on that strangeness.

Chuck Facts?  Nope, been there, chucked that.

This time, it’s Chuck Todd 08.  Yup, and entire site dedicated to getting Chucky T on the presidential ticket.  Check out the circus for yourself and if you’re feeling brave, grab yourself a campaign poster.  We did.

Twitterific Beltway Talking Points

Yep, we gave in. We’re on Twitter.

Hop on board — http://twitter.com/famousdc

Get your Twitterific beltway talking points delivered to your cell phone, blackberry, or email.

Twitter or Die Tryin’

Breaking Snooze: WaPo Late to the Dance, Again

It doesn’t take a nuclear physicist to figure out that Barack Obama is beating John McCain online.  But, don’t tell that to the crew over at the WaPo Style section - because do they have a timely story for you…

DEPT. OF FISH IN A BARREL - The WashPost Style front examines the tricky question of whether Obama or McCain has the more energized Web operation. Hope you’re sitting down…

Do they not understand that this story has been written over 1 million times?  It’s almost as if they report from a cave in Afghanistan and don’t have a clue as to what’s news and what’s not.

Not to mention, if you’re a loyal FDC reader, you already know that if you ignore online communities like Facebook, and even take it a step further and don’t vote- then chances are you won’t get struck by lightning.  Find out why by clicking here.

Congressman Turns the Tables on TMZ

If you’re a constituent from Houston, TX, you’d be happy to know that you got a two for one special when you elected Rep. John Culberson.  On one hand he’s a legislator who serves the needs of his constituents back home [when he’s not breaking house rules by Twittering]- and on the other hand, he’s a member of the paparazzi.

Yesterday Culberson turned the tables on a TMZ reporter and had this to say to his new friend:

“I’m a big believer in the disinfecting power of sunshine… And TMZ just got ambushed and that’s cool, that’s great and I think that’s awesome…”

We will give him credit - he’s very tech savvy and seems to know what he’s talking about.

Watch the ambush here. *Warning, the camera work is sub par and will make you want to vomit.

When They Ask You To Leave, Don’t Forget That Nappy Hat

Don Imus, famously known for opening his old mouth and sticking his foot in it, has done it again.

Politico has the scoop and the audio.

Our Prediction: Al Sharpton will make an appearance in 3….2…..1…..

“Extreme”ly Quoteworthy [Top 10]

His Extremness has outdone himself yet again.

Here at the glass-enclosed nerve center of Extreme Mortman, we don’t wait until the end of the year to run our top ten funniest lists.  No, come end of June, we dive right in.  Yes, we’re that bold.  Fortunately, so far 2008 has given us a wealth of material to work with.  The challenge was trimming, not scrambling.  So without further introduction — after all, there’s not much more you can say about a top ten list — here’s the top ten funniest political quotes so far in 2008.

Our favorite: “It’s part of reporting this case, this election, the feeling most people get when they hear Barack Obama’s speech. My, I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don’t have that too often.”

Click here to learn which tv personality said that.

Like It Or Not, Welcome to Obama America

CNN, the station who thinks they have the best political coverage ever, has apparently let the Obama campaign hijack their graphics department.

Below is a screen grab from the latest Obama television appearance on CNN.

Someone might want to alert the hard working McCaniacs to pack it up, because according to the best political team this side of the Universe, the race for the White House is apparently over.

Welcome to Obama America…

AP Sets Up Toll Booth For Bloggers

The blogosphere is on fire this morning over the recent news that the Associated Press wants to now charge bloggers a per word usage fee.

G.E.N.I.U.S.

So, which mental giant over at the dinosaur facility came up with this stroke of brilliance?

The (cr)AP, who hasn’t quite joined the 21^st Century, will be immensely disappointed to find out that the new “fee” platform won’t be appreciated by anyone in the blogosphere - a community growing by the hundreds each day. The same community that prides themselves on dishing out link love to other bloggers.

Michelle Malkin writes: The Internet firestorm over the Associated Press’s heavy-handed attempt to bully bloggers over fair use article excerpts has been absolutely schadenfreude-licious. Now, it’s time to turn the tables. If your blog or blog commenters have ever been quoted by the AP, listen up: It’s time to prepare a bill and demand payment…

Malkin continues by listing a few occasions in which the (cr)AP quoted her blog directly, without permission, and then using the (cr)AP structure now in place, Malkin formulated a bill for $132,125 in which she will present to the (cr)AP.

We’re sure they’ll pay right up - if they can even figure out the cost structure Malkin used, which was, um, their idea.

Tell us how brilliant you think this idea is by emailing us a TIPS@FamousDC.com. And in the spirit of “fair use,” we’ll post the best comments.

UPDATE: Here’s a promoted comment that we found funny…

From bradkanus: “If I were the AP I would wait and see if this whole “blogging” thing catches on before I go and do anything hasty. Who knows, this whole internet thing may blowover next year and we’ll all be sitting around the record player in the den reading the newspaper again.”

Also, PhoenixSunsPhan, wrote a very good response as well. Check it out in the comment section.

All News is Spun

The Atlantic’s Mark Bowden goes behind the scenes of Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of the Wall Street Journal and the analyzes the future of media as we know it. Print this out and read it on the metro ride home today.

Mark Bowden: Mr. Murdoch Goes to War (a few highlights):

When journalists worry about the decline of newspapers, this sort of seriousness is what they fear is being lost. The Internet is in many ways a superior medium for journalism. It costs virtually nothing, in contrast to multimillion-dollar printing presses, giant rolls of paper and tankers of ink, and fleets of delivery trucks, to say nothing of the thousands of laborers needed to operate the equipment and distribute the product. But while the Web is rapidly destroying the business model that sustained all of the above, it has yet to develop institutions capable of replacing print newspapers as vehicles for great in-depth journalism, or conscious of themselves as upholding a public trust. Instead, the Web gives voice to opinionated, unedited millions. In the digital world, ignorance and crudity share the platform with rigor and taste; the independent journalist shares the platform with spinmeisters and con artists. Cable television and satellite radio have taken broadcast journalism in the same direction, crowding out the once-dominant networks, which strove for the ideal of objectivity, with new channels that all but advertise their politics. When all news is spun, we live in a world of propaganda.

Bowden also looks at the dividing wall between editorial and business sides of newspapers and let’s us know what the reporters think of the people paying the bills.

(In my 20-plus years as a newspaper reporter, I was always amused when skeptics suggested that I wrote just what the newspaper’s owner told me to write. If only they knew how mightily the newsroom looked down its nose at the business side of the operation.)

Warner PR Team on Fire

Never seriously in the running, Warner’s press team spins his Senate run into “Warner takes self out of VP mix.”

HAMPTON, Va. (AP) - Former Gov. Mark R. Warner on Saturday removed himself from consideration as a vice presidential running mate for Democrat Barack Obama.

Yeah, his press team pulled an AP story with a Hampton, Virginia dateline. Well played.

/his Extreme-ness thinks Obama could get Warner to reconsider:

Here’s betting Barack Obama could get Warner to back down down from that position, real quick-like.

Saturday Prep for MTP

Ken Vogel and Mike Allen: Prepping for Russert

If it was “Meet the Press,” it was Saturday at the office.

Good Form

FishbowlDC’s Patrick Gavin knew this past weekend would be remembered forever, so he burned the midnight oil and compiled all of the Tim Russert condolences.

FishbowlDC: In Memoriam: Tim Russert
FishbowlDC: In Memoriam: Tim Russert (Day 2)
FishbowlDC: In Memoriam: Tim Russert (Day 3)

Also, the Washingtonian’s Garrett Graff remembers

FamousDC applauds both of these gentlemen for their work over this sad weekend.

Sundays won’t be the same.

Ben Smith in the Bag

We should have seen this one coming. Politico’s Ben Smith was coaching Hillary on how to exit the race with grace pretty early and now he’s given us another example of how much of  Team Obama supporter he is.

Ben Smith: Obama Brings a Gun to a Knife Fight

Obama doesn’t actually use the phrase “new politics” a lot, and this is a box that the Clinton campaign tried, and failed, to keep him in last year, when it emerged early that he was happy to throw punches, and even to start fistfights, sending, for instance, the first negative mail to hit in Iowa last fall.
…
Obama never paid much of a price for his willingness to go negative. He also, to be fair, never promised that he wouldn’t attack, and indeed often promised to be tougher than past Democrats, and bragged of his Chicago training. He disavowed nasty character attacks, but then everybody disavows nasty character attacks.
…
What’s left of course, is to speculate on what form of political change Obama promises: It’s not some sort of disarmament; it’s not any large deviation from traditional Democratic policy; it’s more a vaguer — and harder to control, and deliver — promise to lead the country past the deep cultural divisions around race, religion and even Vietnam that have dominated national politics for decades.

Who signs his checks?

No Smug Bear in the Gov’s Office

Calderone: Dobbs says he’s not running for NJ governor

“I’m not considering anything right now in terms of running for governor, and that’s where I am,” Dobbs said in a voice-mail message to The Star-Ledger. “As of now, I am not in any way intending to run for political office.”

Tiny Town

Leibovich: Washington After a Fall

These were the kind of days when Washington lives up to the cliché that it is really a small town — in the same way that Wall Street, Broadway and Hollywood are small towns, too, incubating outsize egos and ambitions, but also different.

Reports: Tim Russert, Dead

From the NY Post

UPDATE: Patrick Gavin at FishbowlDC is constantly updating Tim Russert related news.

You can’t read all the statements pouring in without being moved.

Sundays won’t be the same.

SECOND UPDATE:  FishbowlDC has In Memoriam: Day 2

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