Media-Whore d'Oeuvres

"The Democratic National Committee raised $11.1 million during the first 13 days of October, a figure that officials say puts the party on pace for one of its best months ever in a midterm election and a sum that wary Democrats say is encouraging them that Nov. 2 might not be as bad as it once looked. A Democratic source told CQ-Roll Call the DNC will file a report Thursday posting the $11.1 million figure. What's more, the DNC is revising its September figure to be higher than the $16 million previously announced. The party raised nearly $17 million, the source said. Like a Democrat close to the White House told us yesterday, the DNC believes President Barack Obama's campaign travel has helped. The source said fundraising has taken off as Obama has hopscotched around the country for Democratic candidates." (CQPolitics)

(Emily Smith, the new Page Six columnist, with the legendary Liz Smith via NYSD)

"The Michael’s Lunch. The place was especially lively yesterday. In the center of the room, Jolie Hunt, the director of public relations for ThomsonReuters was hosting a luncheon for her friend Tatiana Sorokko, the former Russian supermodel who has just published a book on her career ('lavishly illustrated') 'Extending the Runway.' The book captures the highlights of that glamorous career as well as the great couture collection Tatiana has been collecting for many years now. She is in New York for a booksigning tonight at the Roger Vivier boutique from 6 to 8 where books (and shoes) will be sold. Tatiana has been on the circuit with her new book. Glenda Bailey, editor-in-chief of Harpers Bazaar and Diego Della Valle, Chairman and CEO of Tod’s, hosted a star-studded dinner for 40 for Tatiana at Caviar Kaspia ... Meanwhile, their table served only to double the buzz in the room. Right across the aisle Matt Lauer was lunching with Jack Welch. Liz Smith was with the editor of People. Jean Doumanian and Ed Zwick were with Peggy Siegal. Next door to them, the Rubensteins pere et fils – Howard and son Steven were entertaining Emily Smith, the new head of Page Six, replacing Richard Johnson who is moving to California." (NYSocialDiary)

"With the biggest show on the night, Fox's Glee, airing a rerun, CBS' veteran 8 PM drama NCIS (4.2/12, 19.1 million viewers) got a 8% boost, which the network carried over to 9 PM where NCIS: Los Angeles (3.9/10, 16 million) was up 11% and 10 PM where The Good Wife (2.6/7, 12.2 million) was up 4%. All 3 dramas won their hours in 18-49 and total viewers and posted CBS' highest 18-49 Tuesday tally since February." (Deadline)

"Around lunchtime on Monday, staffers heard Danny Klaidman, one of two acting editors at Newsweek since the end of August, cursing in his office on Hudson Street ('Fuck! Shit!'). Mr. Klaidman had just read the news online from The Wall Street Journal that Tina Brown and Barry Diller had walked away from merger talks with Sidney Harman, the magazine's new owner. Mr. Klaidman told The Observer that any cursing was in jest, and had nothing to do with Ms. Brown or The Daily Beast. 'It was just the sense of frustration that is shared by everyone at Newsweek that it will take a little while longer before there's resolution for people. It wasn't so much for me, as venting on behalf of the institution,' he said on Tuesday. As of Monday afternoon, at least one other editor was holding out hope. Maybe this was just a bargaining technique? But by 3 p.m., those hopes were dashed when Newsweek CEO Tom Ascheim and Mr. Harman announced to the staff that the talks were over. Most of the Newsweek staff has been largely kept in the dark about the future of the magazine. 'The place clearly needs a makeover,' said one staffer. 'People were ready for her to come in and just blow it up. A lot of people were just very disappointed.'" (Observer)

"Amanda Hearst and Colombian financier Alejandro Santo Domingo have broken up after dating for a year, according to sources close to the couple. But Hearst seems to have rebounded nicely. She was spotted in Ibiza in July with Luis Medina, count of Feria. Medina is one of the most eligible bachelors in Europe and a perennial on various international best-dressed lists. The two were very much together this past weekend in Toledo, Spain, at the wedding of Luis' brother, Rafael Medina, duke of Feria, to Laura Vecino, the creative director of Spanish retailer Mango. Hearst and her new love mingled with guests including Valentino, Carolina Herrera and a gaggle of European royals. Hearst, a great-granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, is an assistant fashion editor at Marie Claire." (PageSix)

"This is a critical moment for the United States's most fraught diplomatic challenge. Pakistani officials arrive in Washington this week for meetings designed to shore up a relationship that is both vital and exceedingly dangerous for both regimes. The Pakistani delegation will nominally be led by the country's foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi. But the real focus will be the man who many feel is so powerful that the fact he is not yet president reflects only a personal choice on his part. As Pakistan's top military officer, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani might as well be known as General Plan B. If the current government stumbles, if unrest spreads, U.S. officials are fully counting on him to step in and put a lid on the problem. The conversations this week will be publicly focused on gestures of support for the Pakistanis from the U.S. government, from beefing up civilian and military aid to generating public statements of common purpose. But behind the scenes there will be palpable tension. The United States is dissatisfied -- the feeling being that Pakistan is not doing everything it can to assist in tracking down extremist groups living within their borders. That discomfort undoubtedly is not eased by the exclusive report in Britain's Guardian today that is entitled, 'Pakistan intelligence services 'aided Mumbai terror attacks.' The story describes a 109-page Indian government report based on the interrogation of David Headley; the Pakistani-American arrested in relation to the Mumbai attacks. 'Under questioning,' writes Jason Burke, 'Headley described dozens of meetings between officers of the main Pakistani intelligence service, the ISI, and senior militants from the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) group responsible for the Mumbai attacks." (David Rothkopf)