The Reliable Source - (about guests @ WH Corres. Assoc. dinner)

WashPost ^ | 4-25-06 | Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts

[STARWISE]

Who are you taking to the prom? Condoleezza Rice is going to be there with Drew Lachey , you know, Nick's brother? Mary Cheney is going to be there with Ludacris !

Yes, it's time again for another White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Saturday's press prom at the Hilton Washington -- with President Bush and Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert -- will be packed with 2,600 of the usual Washington suspects and eye candy from the world of television, music and sports.

"This is a great time of year, when the WHCA president manages to infuriate everyone he's ever known because they all want tickets," says the prez, AP reporter Mark Smith , who's fending off requests for the sold-out event.

ABC is bringing Rice, Valerie Plame and Joe Wilson , Gen. Peter Pace and "Dancing With the Stars" winner Lachey; People magazine nabbed Mary Cheney, "Grey's Anatomy's" Isaiah Washington , John Legend and Chris "Ludacris" Bridges ; Bloomberg gets Michael Chertoff, Gov. Mitt Romney, New York Giant Tiki Barber , tennis babe Anna Kournikova and Melina Kanakaredes .

Newsweek's table includes Josh Bolten , Gov. George Pataki and maybe George Clooney. Fox News has Laurence Fishburne; USA Today has Alberto Gonzales and "Desperate Housewives" hunk James Denton; CNN boasts Alex Trebek and Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger; L.A. Times has Mayor Ray Nagin and Tommy Lasorda; and Business Week scooped up Steve Case.

[STARWISE]

The New York Times (Sen. Susan Collins and Rep. Jane Harman ), CBS ( Karl Rove and Dan Bartlett ) and The Washington Post ( Steve Hadley and Mary Matalin ) are sticking to actual political types. Executive Editor Len Downie says The Post prefers "to invite people who are working inside the administration of the moment."(snip)

" Last year, Bloomberg booker Julianna Goldman , 25, and MSNBC's David Shuster , 38, met at the party's fab ice chandelier; in January, he proposed at the same site. And yes, they made the list this year."

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It's sure to be pretty vicious.

[STARWISE]

Ding

[Grampa Dave]

Dang, I must have miss placed my invitation.

[Lokibob]

I'm going to be having bologna and cheese (gourmet grilled, of course).

[Lancey Howard]

I simply cannot imagine what the attraction is. Are these people that desperate for a free meal? Do they need their pictures in a magazine? I can't even figure out what the purpose of this silly dinner is.

[STARWISE]

A DC tradition, that's all.