By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts
Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Don't invite Catherine Reynolds and Buffy Cafritz to the same dinner party unless you want some expensive fur to fly. And best to keep Beth Dozoretz and Catherine Meyer on separate continents. Cafritz, a member of the Kennedy Center board, and Meyer, wife of the former British ambassador, are surprisingly bitchy about other A-listers in the December issue of Vanity Fair.

Most of "When Washington Was Fun" rehashes the familiar D.C.-society-is-dead story for the umpteenth time. The claws come out toward the end of the piece when author Maureen Orth asks local lionesses to weigh in on their fellow hostesses:

• Former DNC finance chair Dozoretz is cast as a social-climbing self-promoter. Says Meyer: "Poor Beth. She did try to invite us all the time." Cafritz: "Beth Dozoretz? Enough said."

• Student-loan mogul Reynolds is dismissed as a nouveau who bought her way into society. Meyer: "I knew why she cultivated me. She wanted to be invited. She stepped into the British Embassy, met people and then she dropped me." Cafritz: "She goes to the ladies' room and her husband stands outside. Why not? She's the bank."

• Rima al-Sabah, wife of the Kuwaiti ambassador, gets zinged for pleading with guests to attend dinners and locking in dates. Cafritz: "She asks you to attend six months in advance. When my brother was asked to attend four months in advance, he said, 'No, I'll be attending a funeral.' "

Dozoretz and Reynolds said yesterday they weren't contacted for the article and were unaware of it until we called. Dozoretz declined further comment. Said Reynolds: "The concept of high society is so last century. . . . I'm comforted by the fact that we must be making a difference. The old expression goes, 'To make a difference, you have to break a little china.' " Sabah was just baffled by the dig: "I never invited her brother. I didn't even know she has a brother."

Meyer is now living back in London. Cafritz told us she's very fond of the Dozoretzes, is a close friend of Sabah's and is "very disappointed" how her remarks came across. "Honestly, that's not how I meant any of that," she said. "I'm ashamed of myself."

Is there a doctor in the house? One reason to invite Dick Cheney to your party: If things get rough, he's got his own medic. The veep was a surprise guest Sunday at Chuck and Lynda Robb's McLean book party for historian Jay Winik's "The Great Upheaval." Among the VIPs, according to our colleague Laura Blumenfeld: Antonin Scalia, George Will, Bob Barnett, Clinton strategist Mark Penn (cellphone glued to ear), Romney strategist Russ Schriefer . . . and former AG Dick Thornburgh, who suffered a nosebleed mid-fete. No worries -- the veep's personal physician emerged from the six-car motorcade to help. Meanwhile, Cheney was overheard counseling National Counterterrorism Center Director John Scott Redd on his upcoming knee surgery, having been there, done that himself a couple of years ago.

• David Letterman touring Air and Space's Udvar-Hazy Center on Saturday with gal pal Regina Lasko (who has family in Maryland) and son Harry, who just turned 4 and could name virtually every aircraft in the place -- and even passed up a simulator ride to stare at some engines. (Bono and his young sons got a similar tour Friday.)

• Regina King high-fiving fellow Patriots fans Sunday afternoon . . . at Champps in Reston? Seems the star of "Ray" had just flown into Dulles (to promote her new flick, "This Christmas") and had to see the big game, so she rolled into the sports bar with her driver and two friends.

• Scott Stapp cheering his sister-in-law in the Miss Maryland USA pageant in Bethesda last weekend. The fight-prone former Creed lead singer is married to former Miss New York USA Jaclyn Stapp, whose younger sister Dina Nesheiwat was named a "top 17 semifinalist." (Hey, there were 70 contestants! Casandra Tressler of Damascus won.)

• Born: boy-and-girl twins to sharp-tongued CNN legal-affairs host Nancy Grace and banker husband David Linch in Atlanta on Sunday. The first-time mom, 48, developed fluid in her lungs, and doctors decided to induce labor two months early, said a CNN rep, adding that John David (5 pounds 1 ounce) and Lucy Elizabeth (2 pounds 15 ounces) are both doing well.

• Expecting: Christina Aguilera and husband Jordan Bratman, who finally confirmed months of pregnancy rumors to Glamour's U.K. edition. The 26-year-old chanteuse is due sometime around the holidays. Ball's in your court, J-Lo!