Palin to attend W.H. press dinner (this Saturday)

Politico/US Magazine ^ | 5-4-09 | Ben Smith

[STARWISE]

Palin to WHCD

Taking a break from her present Alaska First posture, Sarah Palin will appear at the White House Correspondents Dinner Saturday night, according to -- where else -- US Magazine.

As US reports it:

Usmagazine.com has exclusively learned that Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford has been invited to be the guest of the Fox News Channel at Saturday's White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Crawford -- who is currently filming the drama Twelve in New York City -- will join former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and husband Todd, and actor Matthew Modine, as guests of the channel and their various anchors, including Greta Van Susteren, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Bret Baier and Chris Wallace.

[STARWISE]

Will be a MUST see on Cspan.

###

The 2009 WHCA DINNER

The 2009 WHCA Dinner will take place on May 9th at the Washington Hilton. Mark your calendar and save the date! Wanda Sykes will be the featured entertainer.

~~~~

Wanda Sykes says she'll be the entertainer at White House Correspondents' Dinner
> By ERIN CARLSON, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) _ Wanda Sykes will soon get the chance to make fun of President Barack Obama to his face. The comic actress said Thursday that she has been selected as the entertainer at the annual White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner in Washington, slated for May 9.

Obama is expected to attend the black-tie affair at the Washington Hilton and to follow in his predecessors' tradition by putting on a comedy act of his own. The guest list of some 2,000 people will likely include the usual mix of Washington elite, White House press corps and Hollywood celebrities.

"The first thing I did when they asked me to do this gig _ I made sure my taxes were paid," quipped Sykes, taking a dig at the withdrawal of former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle from Obama's cabinet due to unpaid taxes. Sykes, who booked the gig this week, said the idea of performing for such a high-profile crowd is "scary but very exciting."

The dinner has tripped up comedians before. Rich Little and Stephen Colbert both provoked criticism of their performances before the crowd. She said it's her job to "poke fun and ridicule," and even a popular figure like Obama isn't off limits. She already has some ideas about what she could mine for laughs. For example, she noted, Obama can be "a little long-winded. So we can get him on that."

Sykes, 44, has established a comic identity around her blunt, feisty personality. Last year, the comedian publicly announced she is gay and spoke out against the passage of California's Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage. Sykes appears on "The New Adventures of Old Christine," and first made a name on TV with stints on "The Chris Rock Show" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Jennifer Loven of The Associated Press is president of the association and chose Sykes because of her fresh style and engaging stage presence. Sykes expects fumbles in the Obama administration between now and the correspondents' dinner. "I'm not rooting against him at all, because, especially in this economy and everything, we need him to succeed," she says. "But there's gonna be some incidents and missteps, like we saw with the whole tax thing."

At the dinner, the association also presents its journalism awards as well as scholarships to aspiring reporters. The White House Correspondents' Association was formed in 1914 as a liaison between the White House press corps and the presidents they cover. Every president since Calvin Coolidge has attended the dinner.

[9YearLurker]

Good get, Greta!

[SolidWood]

Palin PING!

Anyone on or off the Palin ping, write me.

...

Cuda will never be kept down by the media hyeanas!

[a fool in paradise]

Isn’t this the dinner where they treat it like a celebrity roast of the President? But comedians don’t joke about The One.

Will they do shadow puppets?

[Tublecane]

Isn’t it flagrantly illegal for the governor of Alaska to leave her office during her term? How dare she! Lawsuits to come, I’m sure. /s

[a fool in paradise]

She already has some ideas about what she could mine for laughs. For example, she noted, Obama can be "a little long-winded. So we can get him on that."

"You can't keep blaming the man when you ARE The Man." - Wanda Sykes.

[mick]

Ya got good sources, Pal !

[Drill Thrawl]

Wanda Sykes is only slighlty funnier than Margaret Cho.

Another Angry Lib gets the mic.

[STARWISE]

~~PING!

[Sarah Barracuda]

I think it’s awesome that she is going, but Wanda Sykes is not a Palin fan and does anyone here think for a second that she will poke fun at Obama..please, she will look in the audience, see Sarah, and go off on her

[floralamiss]

“Taking a break from her present Alaska First posture, Sarah Palin will appear at the White House Correspondents Dinner....”

“POSTURE”? ROFL! They’re soooo threatened by Sarah, they really can’t help themselves. :)

[griswold3]

That’ll make the Marxists laugh for sure.

GW was the best at these events where he didn’t take himself too seriously.

[luvie]

I wonder if she’ll end up getting “uninvited” by the
leftie wretches at the white house.

[STARWISE]

I know ... the mere mention of her name makes them apoplectic .. it’s very interesting to watch them implode.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I’m afraid you’re right, SB.

[Loyalist]

Any president, no matter how bland his personality and moderate his governance, is a natural target for humour and satire. The office, more than its occupant, unavoidably attracts it.

The fact that comedians find themselves unable even to poke mild fun at Obama is indicative of something much more disturbing.

You joke about Presidents. You joke about kings. You even joke about the Pope. You don’t joke about God.

[GQuagmire]

Add me to the Palin ping list please....

[GreatDaggar]

You don’t joke about God.

But Obama is........... nvm

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

If I were Sarah I’d bring a bodyguard and a food taster. Just sayin’.

[STARWISE]

Aah .. the one the haters call "that dumb cowboy" .. the guy who was always mocked, demeaned and laughed at. And yet, he's the only President with an MBA, and he always had everyone's number, and he sure was dumb ... like a fox. He loves this country, protected it .. and I don't have the words to describe how much I miss him.