The Reliable Source

Gossip From Washington and Beyond

The Reliable Source is back, under the stewardship of Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts . Appearing in the Style section on Tuesdays through Fridays and Sundays, The Reliable Source brings you gossip from across the region and around the world -- candid looks at the lives and loves and hijinks of all your favorite bold-faced names, be they congressmen or millionaires,ballplayers or newsbabes, nightlife divas or master thespians, DJs or gadflies, has-beens or will-bes.

Argetsinger and Roberts are online each Wednesday at Noon ET to discuss your favorite gossip, what you thought about their recent columns or who you want to see them writing about in future ones.

The Columns:

Brush (and Comb-Over) With Greatness! (Post, May 3) Brush (and Comb-Over) With Greatness!(Post, May 3)The New Bush Twins: Double Dubya (Post, May 2) Brush (and Comb-Over) With Greatness!(Post, May 3)The New Bush Twins: Double Dubya(Post, May 2)It's . . . Washington Idol! (Post, April 30)

Argetsinger is a veteran of all leafy-green, protein-rich sections like Metro and National while Roberts brought you the champagne and bon-bons of Style's society beat.

A transcript follows.

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washingtonpost.com: The Reliable Source is experiencing a slight delay. They will be along shortly. Please stay with us.

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washingtonpost.com: Roxanne will be along shortly. Still delayed. Stay with us.

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Roxanne Roberts: Hey guys! Sorry for the late start! I just got back from an assignment and Amy is on jury duty, so I'm flying solo for a while. This week we tackled the the White House Correspondents Dinner, GMU's new bling as well as American Idol contestants and their Washington counterparts. Hit it! -

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Atlanta, Ga.: Hi,

I am waiting on y'all before I go to lunch. Come on now. Let's start dishing, Congress doesn't take this long!

Amy Argetsinger: Sorry, folks -- I just got disqualified from my jury, like, 10 minutes ago!

But, hey, I'm kind of liking the impatience and desperation in the room. Maybe we should keep you waiting more often -- you know, Rules Girl style. Do we seem more fascinating to you today because we're more elusive?

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It's 12:27: Tai Shan is more punctual than this!

Roxanne Roberts: And cuter.

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Washington, D.C.: Was the delay due to CLOONEY? Please give us every Clooneyriffic detail about his time here.

Amy Argetsinger: Clooneyriffic? Clooneytraffic is more like it. The mob around him during the pre-dinner receptions was like the mob you see around Michael Jackson when he comes out of court -- sycophants and shouting reporters and desperate fans and camera crews walking backwards so they could capture his every step. It was weird. Oh, and one friend claims George was wearing make-up, but I can't vouch for that.

Roxanne Roberts: Never got close enough to check on makeup. Poor boy was mobbed all night long.

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College Park, Md.: So -- what do you think about Britney's weird press conference on Thursday? I'm hoping for a divorce announcement and NOT a pregnancy. Please, God, not another baby (I miss the old Britney!)

Roxanne Roberts: Sorry to bum you out, but there are more and more baby rumors floating in the celeblogs. I wonder if Britney misses the old Britney?

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Logan North, D.C.: Could you explain why you blithely dismissed Steven Colbert's routine Saturday night before the White House Correspondents' Association while describing the Bush impressionist in great detail? Why did you not provide any of Colbert's one-liners? Were you afraid your readers might disagree with your critique that his routine "fell flat?" Or were you afraid you might cause discomfort to your sources among the powerful and in the media?

Roxanne Roberts: Folks, we've already received a ton of reaction on this item, most from people who believe there was some sort of political agenda on our part. The fact is that, sitting in the ballroom, Colbert's act just wasn't that funny. The persona he uses so effectively on Comedy Central didn't work nearly as well in a stand up format. There were a few good one liners, but it failed to capture the crowd. It may have played better on television.

The prevailing notion is that failure to adore Colbert's act that night is evidence of a Main Stream Media bias for the administration or that we don't "get it"....well, falls flat. I believe the administration has made the claims when the MSM didn't adore it. Come with the job.

Amy Argetsinger: Here's the thing: This insular world of Beltway journalists ADORES Steve Colbert. That's why you saw so many profiles of the guy as he launched his show, and that's why he was invited to perform at the dinner, duh. So to say that the crowd was offended by him... I don't think so. That kind of schtick comes with the territory of being a journalist, as Roxanne noted, and it all kind of rolls off your back, to be honest.

Here's my take (and, full disclosure, I missed a huge middle chunk of Colbert's performance because I was trying to beat the lines to the coat check and the ladies room and get a head-start to the after parties): Colbert had a bunch of legitimate knee-slappers early on. Beyond that, it's the kind of dry, cerebral routine that probably works better on your living-room TV than it does in a huge, drafty ballroom after five hours of drinking. I'd say it's similar to the reception Jon Stewart and Chris Rock got when they hosted the Oscars these past couple seasons. People in the room thought they bombed, people watching on TV loved them.

The real takeaway point of all this? Stand-up comedy is hard.

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Washington, D.C.: So ... did either of you run the Capital Challenge this morning? Did you cheer on your colleagues or see which cardiac-challenged senators were partaking of the chocolate croissants?

Roxanne Roberts: Run? Like in track shoes? Yeah, right! The only running I do is in really high heels.

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Arlington, Va.: Any dish on the Nats' new owners? Is the son single? I understand he lives in Georgetown. Inquiring minds need to know.

Amy Argetsinger: To the best of our knowledge -- or rather, that of our brilliant colleagues Adam Bernstein and Dana Hedgpeth, who profiled the Lerner family for today's A1 -- Mark Lerner has been off the market for roughly 28 years, wife by name of Judy. And we're told he drives an Infiniti.

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College Park, Md.: Did Colbert stick around DC after the dinner?Did he hang out?

Amy Argetsinger: He was spotted at the Bloomberg party, I believe...

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Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C.: Was that George Clooney playing basketball at the Sports Club/LA a few days ago?

Amy Argetsinger: Oh, probably. That's his regular place when he's in town, it seems...

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Kill Devil Hills: Keith. Did a monkey take his bottle of Rebel Yell up a tree or was it a great family story that made headlines? Oor was the jet ski the real culprit. Just another chapter of lore in a biographical movie waiting to be filmed.

Amy Argetsinger: One could write volumes about Keef. How I love him.

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Washington, D.C.: Don't be silly -- you are always fascinating to us

Amy Argetsinger: [bats eyelashes]

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: What did you think of Colbert's "talk". I read the transcript of it and nearly fell out of my chair laughing, but I can imagine with all of the principal players right there in the room, it could have been a bit awkward to hear it "live".

Roxanne Roberts: Again, not awkward, but not funny. Colbert is all about satire and irony and nuance---hard to deliver in a huge ballroom. It might have been awkward for the president, but the nature of the night is for him to grin and bear it. Comes with HIS job.

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Falls Church, Va.: Glad to read that John Rich of Big and Rich is a big and rich tipper. But it seems to me the real story was their appearance at the Rally to Stop Genocide in Darfur. Any info on how they came to be performing there?

Amy Argetsinger: My understanding is that they've always been kind of a socially-conscious, activist-type performers -- kind of refreshing, you don't always see country performers acting as advocates on international matters. But then Big & Rich has always been kind of a different country band.

By the way, as many sharp-eyed readers noted yesterday, the item yesterday mistakenly ran with a photo of a man who is NOT John Rich but rather Keith Burns of Trickpony -- some wire service screwed up the caption on the file photo that was in our archives.

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Pittsburgh, Pa.: That's what has been missing in Hollywood -- a real lover's triangle. We now have it with the Richards-Sambora-Locklear debacle.

I know that Hollywood celebs can be a bit clueless, but I can't imagine that Richards wouldn't realize that her involvement with Sambora would not earn her any fans. I hear that she is one of the few celebs who actually likes to court the press, but jeez, lady!

Amy Argetsinger: I love this entire story. It's like the fabled Debbie Reynolds/Eddie Fisher/Elizabeth Taylor love triangle of the early 1960s, reenacted by life-sized Barbie dolls and, uh, Richie Sambora. Sorry, ran out of analogies there.

Roxanne Roberts: King Arthur, Lancelot, Guinevere.

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Rockville, Md.: Oooh, Amy, were you disqualified from the Muhammad jury pool? I do not understand MoCo's need to try this man again.

Amy Argetsinger: Nah, not that one -- I live in the District.

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Bridgeport, Conn.: Did Jenna Bush and Henry Hager attend the Correspondents Dinner Friday night?

Amy Argetsinger: Sadly, no. I don't know Jenna personally, but my general understanding is that she'd probably rather gouge her own eye out than hang with that particular crowd -- you know, reporters.

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Washington, D.C.: A couple weeks ago I was at Reagan on my way to Chicago and I see Senator Obama boarding my flight. As soon as I get on the plane as I head to my seat I'm looking around for him in first class, but low and behold he is in coach with the rest of us non-rich people. I thought all of the big wigs ride first class?

Roxanne Roberts: Politicians rarely fly first class, especially on trips back and forth to their home state. Looks elitist. Plus, coach gives real folks a chance to bend their ears.

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Charlottesville, Va.: Amy, Foxfield came and went without any good celebrity sightings. Including you! What we did see were a 5-fold increase in the number or arrests, and a corresponding drop in the number of people treated for alcohol-related issues. Of course, the 250 or so police officers on hand may have had something to do with that. Not to mention the remote hook-up to the magistrate for processing. At least we have Boyd Tinsley's tennis tournament bringing in some future stars, although no Anna Kournikova like a few years ago! Get down this way soon - Charlottesville misses you!

Amy Argetsinger: Boyd Tinsley sponsors a tennis tournament in Charlottesville? Who knew? I remember when he was just another itinerant musician playing for tips (though playing extremely well, mind you) at Macado's. I also remember the first time I ever heard the name "Dave Matthews" -- not because of his band, but because a friend of mine was, uh, dating him.

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Arlington, Va.: Is Clooney still in town? I thought the other "celebs" at the White House Correspondents' Dinner looked pretty B-C-D list. I mean, Ace from American Idol?

Who cares?

Amy Argetsinger: You got it, Arlington! And of the celebs who were there, they all seemed to have a "what does this mean? why am I here?" look about them. Except for Ace. Ace was having a good ol' time, as was Ace's brother, God bless 'em.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi ladies, love your "show." Okay, I was hoping you or any of your million-plus readers in the D.C. area might be able to answer a question for me. On Park Road (in the heart of Rock Creek Park) between Cleveland Park and Mount Pleasant, there is one long-winding, extremely rich looking driveway up to the top of a hill. In the winter, you can make out a roof line and a few chimney stacks. Any scoop on who call this mansion home?

Amy Argetsinger: We've asked a couple knowledgeable sources here in the newsroom if they recognize the property you're speaking of... will let you know if we get an answer!

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Raleigh, N.C.: So TomKat is planning a July 1 wedding? Any significance to that date? Maybe it's the start of Scientology's fiscal year.

Amy Argetsinger: The UK Sun's cleavage-baring gossip columnist Victoria Newton (had never heard of her before but just Googled my way to her -- gotta bookmark this column) wrote over the weekend that the darling couple is planning a July 1 wedding (a Saturday, which makes sense, though I like your theory)... her sources seem to be connected to a Beatles tribute band that she says has been hired for the big do. And if this all turns out to be wrong -- well, then, at least "The Backbeat Beatles" got a nice write up in the papers.

Roxanne Roberts: Let me guess: Tom's got ANOTHER movie coming out July 2?

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Colbert v. Bush Twin: So I am completely anti-administration and, much to my chagrin, I laughed my a-- off at the Bush alter ego routine. I have to agree with you both: Colbert was a total dud, total.

Amy Argetsinger: The other point that's worth making, in response to people who somehow think the mainstream media "buried" the "real news" of Colbert's performance.... You tell me, what's the bigger story?: Professional comedian does a Saturday night routine he was hired to do, or President of the United States does a tag-team routine with a guy impersonating him?

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District of Columbia: Good Morning. I thought I'd try to capture the essence of a recent conversation I had with some of the usual suspects in one of my neighborhood Georgetown haunts. The thumbnail goes something like this: D.C. is not NYC, nor is it L.A. or London. As such, do columns like the Reliable Source accurately reflect what "celebrity" is in D.C. vis-w©s other metropolitan centers of affluence and power? The column does cover the internationally glamorous, placing the faces in People magazine in local venues. It has a D.C. flavor in it's coverage of official Washington - the Washington on the nightly newscasts -- as they behave or misbehave during their cherished downtime. But what about the D.C. that isn't transient, isn't bi-coastal, but rather is the definition of what it means to walk past Dumbarton Oaks as a decades long Georgetown resident or host a Kalorama fete that neighbors have cherished invitations to for years? Is celebrity something that an online reader in Iowa needs to recognize or is celebrity in this town something that the transient or uninitiated may not even recognize sitting next to them at the bar?

Roxanne Roberts: Complicated question, which I'll tackle in this short form:

Washington, like many other places, is full of interesting, attractive people who are accomplished and well-know in their specific circles. There are lots of different worlds in Washington, from the hip-hop to theater to sports and, of course, politics. We try to reflect the range and diversity of this town: Today's column mentioned a sports team, an arts leader, a Rolling Stone, and a Virginia business owner who happens to know Donald Trump.

The great challenge is to identify what and who might be interesting to as many readers as possible. A backyard barbeque in Ashburn, a Georgetown garden party, a MoCo picnic can be lovely for the invited but rarely meet a common definition of celebrity or gossip. And yes, George Clooney does manage to get pulses racing when he shows up here.

There are PhDs who spent their entire careers deconstucting the culture of celebrity, so I won't try here. But tell you what: You keep the tips flowing, and we'll keep reporting.

Amy Argetsinger: Smart question, nice response. Thanks to both of you.

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Washington, D.C.: Park Road winding driveway belongs to the Rockafellas D.C. clan. How do I know, I used to ride the school bus with a young rockafella when I went to St. Albans. Granted that was 15 years ago, but back then it was their property. Also went to school with Chelsea at Sidwell. If only this chat had been in existence back then. Oh the stories I could tell.

Roxanne Roberts: Don't know if we're talking 'bout the same driveway, but I like the trip down Memory Lane.

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Washington, D.C.: So, did either of you see Charlize Theron at FilmFestDC last week? And did she stay in town afterwards to do any schmoozing/partying/shopping?

Roxanne Roberts: Nope, but our trusty right-hand aide, Korin Miller, was there and reports: "She's gorgeous in person, but in a very approachable, in the "yes, I won an Oscar, but I'm still keeping it real" kind of way. Her handsome bf, Stewart Townsend, was there to support her as well. Charlize told us that she was just making a day of Washington. She was spotted in L.A. on Friday night and was either leaving D.C. after the screening on Saturday or early Sunday morning."

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Alexandria, Va.: I got to shake hands with Clooney at the Darfur rally on Sunday (I'm still recovering) ... didn't spot any makeup!

Amy Argetsinger: Are you in total never-wash-this-hand-again mode? Wish we'd had more people writing in with tales of the Darfur rally...

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Amy Argetsinger: Hey, thanks everyone for bearing with us during our respective crises -- I'm just glad I was able to make it for any part of the chat, there were such good questions today. Looking forward to meeting with you next week... and in the meantime, read our column, and e-mail us about it at reliablesource@washpost.com.

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Roxanne Roberts: Again, sorry for the delay. Promise we'll be here at the crack of noon next week---unless George calls and wants to have lunch? You wouldn't begrudge us that, would you?

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