Indeed. I'm no germophobe, but would be a bit hesitant to touch some Hamptons socialite's sandal - those girls aren't known for their restraint, and who knows where that shoe has been?
Speaking of lifestyles of the rich and bizarre:
THE power-moguls and political heavyweights now luxuriating at ultra-exclusive retreat Bohemian Grove are unaware that they're being waited on hand-and-foot by a famous gay porn star. We're told that "Chad Savage," who has appeared in such carnal classics as "How the West Was Hung," is supplementing his sex job by working as a valet at Bohemian Grove, the all-male annual gathering inside a 2,700-acre redwood forest in Monte Rio, Calif., that has been attended by every Republican president since Calvin Coolidge, as well as by industrial titans and media magnates.
"All of us valets in the Grove are tittering about it," says our Bohemian blabbermouth. "To think there's all these powerful conservative guys having their drinks and food served to them by a gay porn star. He makes their beds and attends to their every need — and they have no idea who he really is."
Bigwigs who have attended the two-week retreat include George H.W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Alan Greenspan, Walter Cronkite, Newt Gingrich, Alexander Haig, Jack Kemp, Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, John Major, William F. Buckley, and former C.I.A. director William Casey.
Savage is at the Grove under his real name — which we wouldn't reveal to Grove spokesman Sam Singer, because we didn't want the valet to lose his job. But Singer said the club didn't care about his past. "All that matters is that the valets do good service," he said. "That's really all that matters."
Savage sure knows how to provide "service." When he starred in "How the West Was Hung" in 1999, one reviewer wrote that he wore a "beatific grin" while engaging in an orgy, and added that his "youthful enthusiasm is entirely winning."
When they're not listening to policy speeches, "Bohos" are known to urinate freely in the redwoods and perform mock-druidic rituals that revolve around a 40-foot-tall stone owl. In one ritual, called "Cremation of Care," members wearing red-hooded robes cremate a coffin effigy of "Dull Care" at the base of the owl altar.
While the club has claimed its share of accomplishments — Grovers privately boast that the Manhattan Project to develop the atom bomb was conceived on its grounds — its oddball activities aren't for everyone. Richard Nixon once famously described the gathering as "the most faggy goddamned thing you could ever imagine." (Page Six)
Look for Ben Affleck to address the Democratic Convention Tuesday night in Boston. The local boy's rep confirms, "We're finalizing details now." (NY Daily News)
But that doesn't mean they'll stick by their celebrity backers if they become too conroversial:
Margaret (Cho) has been Whoopi'd. The potty-mouthed comedian has been cut from a gay political bash coinciding with the Democratic convention. Apparently, its John Kerry-friendly organizers are worried that her racy routine will become more fodder for Republicans who have been trying to label the Massachusetts senator the candidate of Hollywood values instead of family values. rest of story
Good question.
Can you explain this for me, from the WashPost
Berger has known for months that he was in potential jeopardy. Breuer was hired in October, and in January former White House press secretary Joe Lockhart was enlisted to remain on standby if a public controversy blossomed. But Berger allies said he did not inform Kerry because he had resolved to work privately with Justice Department officials, and received assurances that these officials would treat the matter confidentially.
Does that mean DOJ aked him to keep it quiet or is that the slick willie way of saying he asked DOJ to keep quiet?
It's astounding how Berger remained a top Kerry adviser, testifies before the commission and does talk shows and what not, all the while keeping quiet about the investigation.
Cronkite is a big buddy of Buckley's. It must be the sailing link. In fact, Cronkite writes the opening to Buckley's just released autobiography. I got it yesterday -- it is really good. (I haven't read Cronkite's intro, though.)