Breaking Dinner News
Now that the Radio & Television Correspondents Association dinner has come and gone, we can focus on the next black-tie dinner that puts journos, White Housers and other bold-namers in the same ballroom: the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. (We here at Names & Faces refer to this dinner as Prom.)
That lovely event manages to bring in Hollywood types so we can gawk mere feet away in person instead of at the big (or little) screen. And the question of the hour is: Who's coming this year? Knight Ridder has charmed Jane Fonda and Sally Field into being its guests on April 30, while Newsweek has landed Richard Gere. People mag, we understand, has Kristin Chenoweth of "The West Wing." The Denver Post opted for more humorous dinner-table chatter, nabbing the cynical creators of "South Park," Trey Parker and Matt Stone. And ABC News has cajoled Philly Eagle Donovan McNabb, "The Daily Show's" Stephen Colbert, Focus on the Family's James Dobson and Air America's Al Franken. (Fingers crossed that they seat Franken and Dobson together.)
Fox News anchor Laurie Dhue, left: The life of the radio and television correspondents party.
(Marty Kaplan)
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As for the rest of 'em, well, we just don't know. WHCA prez Ron Hutcheson tells us: "Of course, being journalists, a lot of people have busted deadlines, so we're not sure we've seen the full list yet."
Dhues and Don'ts
The Fox News babes were certainly in happy spirits at the Radio & Television Correspondents Association dinner at the Hilton Washington on Wednesday eve.
Especially Laurie Dhue.
The sultry anchor, based in Fox News's New York headquarters, got a good chuckle out of some when she was spotted offering to give autographs at Fox's pre-party -- to Fox News Washington staffers, no less. Then at the rockin' after-party, Dhue boogied the night away on the dance floor, bumping into numerous people in the packed house. Partygoers were overheard hissing (but barely, thanks to the loud music): "Laurie Don't, Laurie Don't!"
A Fox News spokesman told us, "Laurie had a good time. Everyone had a good time."
Rather Quiet
Former CBS anchorman Dan Rather held his head high at Wednesday night's book party for Jack and Suzy Welch's tome "Winning" at the Four Seasons in Manhattan.
"I did not think Walter Cronkite was too critical," Rather told our New York spy, Baird Jones. "My respect for Walter knows no bounds. You will never hear anything critical about Walter Cronkite out of my mouth."
When Jones asked if it seemed Cronkite held a grudge, Rather denied, denied, denied: "I did not see it that way at all. Walter has had one of the rightfully legendary careers in the history of television. If that is what he thought, then he had a right to say it. . . . We have had a private conversation about it, but I would like to keep that private."
Noted . . .
Contrary to popular belief, Carol Joynt has not sold her hot G-town restaurant Nathans. It was an April Fool's joke when she wrote in her blog last Friday that she had sold it to a Kinko's competitor with the fictitious name Compress. So no need to book farewell dinners. Y'all got punk'd! . . . Psst. Duran Duran's in town -- the group plays tonight at the Patriot Center -- and we hear they're staying at the Mandarin Oriental luxe hotel and just may drop by the White House for a tour.
. . . and Quoted
"I never thought I'd be on this plane again -- I had a good time. They have turkey burgers, too, which they didn't have when I was here. If they'd been serving me turkey burgers, I might not have [had] heart surgery."
-- Bill Clinton, talking about being back on Air Force One, as he accompanied President Bush to Pope John Paul II's funeral.
-- Anne Schroeder
