The Obligatory Lovefest

The Mother of All DC Mutual Admiration Confabs is the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. This year had more Hollywood types than usual, since their candidate got elected this time. The President is traditionally the keynote speaker for this event, but if it isn't obvious by now, in all the years I've lived here, I don't follow it much. I have no reason to, really. The people it serves are the people deemed worthy to attend. Guess who's not one of them.

Meghan McCain was supposed to bring only one guest, but she brought two. Apparently her timeless wisdom writing on blogs about why Republicans aren't cool enough, and why she is doing them a favor just staying on the same mailing list with them with and Daddy's friends, wasn't enough to impress the security detail who wouldn't let her and her entourage in. She was overheard to say, "Does he even know who the f--- I am?”

The real question is: Would he care? Security people at events like this tend to get really skittish at the faintest sign of trouble. Sometimes even when there isn't any.

There was also the contribution of comedian Wanda Sykes to the occasion. Despite his being on record as against gay marriages, Sykes left Obama alone (which is what you do to stay on the Hollywood social register), and went after damn near everyone else, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, despite his being on record as supportive of his own daughter in the face of her lesbian lifestyle.

A report on the post-event meltdown brought about a comment by Christopher Hitchens: "The black dyke got it wrong. No one told her the rules."

Rules? There are rules to these things??? The next few years may see how some people put the "vulgar" in "vulgar riche." When those at the head table can behave badly enough to be thrown out of any decent dinner party, it is hard to imagine there being any rules at all.

Those who do not believe this possible may have to view yet again, the childish behavior on national television, of the mere shadow of a man who now calls himself Assistant Press Secretary to the President.

Bon appetit.

[THIS JUST IN: Greta Van Susteren of Fox News Channel teaches CNN -- you know, the channel with the lower ratings -- a thing or two about gentility in professional conduct: "And let me get this straight, I am the only one in the media who brought a guest? Ah….I think not….in fact, EVERYONE in the media brought a guest to the weekend’s social events….so I guess EVERYONE in the media is now a handler? or just those who brought guests and tried to show good manners at a social event?"]
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