A Little of the Old In and Out



(image via obama.senate.gov)

In: Barack Obama, Singing at Gridiron Dinner. Ah, it's time, once again, for the influential (and vaguely secretive) Gridiron Club Dinner. The Golden Boy of the Democratic Party (should the Dems win Congress that title could easily go to the political-half of the DC-LA nexus Emmanuel Boys, Rahm) has a whirlwind weekend schedule this weekend. As a one-man fundraiaing cyclone, Obama is hitting the campaign trail, garnering political IOU's (Giuliani, especially, is expert at this Lost Art of leveraging political celebrity), doing the Sunday Talking Head Shows; but -- most important -- Obama will lighten his image by singing at the Gridiron Dinner, confronting his dust-up with Senator McCain, the frontrunner for the Republican nod in 2008. From Sweet's Weekend:

"Friday ... Obama in Vermont." (campaigning for Progressive Congressman Bernie Sanders, who'se running as a Democrat in a Senate race)

"Saturday, after a stop in Boston he's paired with Republican Lynne Cheney at the Gridiron."

"Sunday, he's on 'Face the Nation' on CBS."

Sounds like the career John Edwards should have had if he had played his cards right (and patiently grew a bit more seasoned in the United States Senate).



(image via hiphopgalaxy)

Out: Jermaine Dupri and Da Brat. Everything, thus far, that Jermaine Dupri touches turns to Platinum -- but can even he rescuscitate Da Brat's tarnished image?

When last we saw Da Brat she was, quixotically, playing a moist game of tonsil-hockey with the ultra-metrosexual David Guest (Averted Gaze), the ex-Mr. Liza Minelli. (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment). Perhaps she had Steuben glass -- which Guest collects -- hidden between her cheeks?



Eew. (image via jjb via our lovely blog wife Miu)

But we digress. On hitmaker Jermaine Dupri's blog at SOHH, they debate the merits, and sometimes veer off into an interesting discussion as to whether or not a woman rapper needs to have sex-appeal. Dupri says:

"Da Brat is definitely on the horizon. That's why I put her on the 'I Think They Like Me Record' joint because I wanted to get everybody back in the mindset that we about to come back strong and it's time to work.

"But yeah Brat is definitely one of the next up to bat!"

Obviously Jermaine Dupri is in hustling mode. (Averted Gaze) The commenters on the Message Board were even more skeptical than The Corsair. To wit:

"JD, i can't knock ya for stickin' by ya artist, but keep it real da brat through. a cameo cool, but a whole album. a female rapper has to have some sex appeal ... as an artist she lacks depth. and as for ya new artist sunny save ya money. nobody wanna buy a cd from somebody who won their deal in a contest. "

"... Brat's career was over when she stepped into The Surreal Life. Brat can go into porn, now that would be a good outlook."

"... It's obvious Brat-tat-tat-tat's got some blackmail status dirt on you. Brat, blackmail him to broke-ness, I would be mad too if I were left for a Jackson, milk that old ass kid."

"... I am from Chicago and I often support my people trying to do it big but...The Brat needs to go put in an application at K-mart because it's over. It's been over for a looooooong while."



(image via iowest)

In: Tina Fey's New Pilot. Tine Fey's Unitled New Project sounds hott. Tracy Morgan and Alec Baldwin will be there. We got this via Lindsayism:

"Next Friday, March 17th, Tina Fey will be shooting her television pilot in Studio 8H at Rockefeller Center. Tina Fey stars in a workplace comedy behind the scenes of a television show. The pilot also stars Alec Baldwin and more details are to follow. We would LOVE to have you as a part of our audience! Shooting will take place from about 1:00pm until 5:00pm . Arrival time of audience will be no later than 11:45am. If interested in attending, please email: Kathleen.Tula@nbcuni.com with 'TINA FEY PILOT' in the subject line. Please include all names, numbers, and email addresses of those that would like to come.

"**ALL CALL TIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**"



"What makes this glass of Honduran peasant's blood so perfect is the terroir."(image via ijp)

Out: Deputy Treasury Secretary Robert Kimmitt. You may or may not remember the name Robert Kimmitt from 18 years ago. He was a name mentioned in the corridors of power during the waning days of the filthy Bush-Dukakis campaign. As an aide-de-camp to James Baker, he had the job of clearing then-Senator Quayle as a Vice Presidential pick for George Bush 41. (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment) According to Rovak, "(he) vetted Dan Quayle as the prospective vice presidential nominee and did not ask him about his Vietnam National Guard service that became a major campaign issue."

(A considerable pause) We all know how that went. But Republicans are a loyal breed; his career didn't end over that. But now, with Major-Fuck-up Number Two, we may be nearing the end of Robert Kimmitt's inglorious career in public office.

According to the perfect Dickensian villian, Robert Novak (and, no doubt, the choleric "RoVak" was leaked this little chestnut by a true-blue Kimmitt enemy, no?):

"Deputy Secretary Robert Kimmitt's high-level colleagues at the Treasury are furious about his performance in the Dubai ports management controversy in which he told Congress he did not learn about the government's decision much before the lawmakers did.

"Kimmitt, in charge of foreign acquisitions, denied prior knowledge of the sale to an Arab company of the British company managing U.S. ports only after Congress attacked the deal. The resentment toward his position was stated privately by officials at the next level below him."



(image via beyondhollywood)

In: Sienna Miller, Party Girl. Blogger, please. Frankly, we see it as a flagrant double standard that Sienna Miller can't play rebound after her complicated breakup with asshole Jude Law. We always though Sienna was a little, uh, porridge-bland, identity-less; this is her existential moment to differentiate herself from the other Britisher accented, blond Hollywood armcandy.

If a guy were doing this -- and, they do; they do -- we would be cheering theis asses on. This is precisely what we do for Nick Lachey and his interchangeable saucer-eyed whores. So long as Sienna isn't, like, Tara Reid-ing it (horizontal, backwards baseball-hatting it up, panties-in-full-view, etc), then let her have her fun. According to the 3AMGirls (via egotastic):

"SHE'S one of the hottest, brightest stars in Hollywood - and hailed on both sides of the Atlantic as a style icon.

"... The blonde beauty was taken aside last week by friends worried about her hard partying.

"They fear her recent hectic work schedule coupled with a hell-raising social life is taking a heavy toll.

"And they begged the 24-year-old actress - who is enjoying a fling with her latest co-star Hayden Christensen - to try to stop burning the candle at both ends.

"Sienna raised eyebrows during her Oscar week in Los Angeles by being a late-night fixture at virtually every party.?"

Hey, that sounds like the perfect Corsair remedy to a broken heart, quite frankly.

"There were a series of incidents in which she appeared to be disorientated - including a scene at Chateau Marmont Hotel on Sunset Strip where she embarrassed herself in front of tough guy actor Sean Penn.

"'Sienna was having a good time, but it wasn't the kind of behaviour the moguls like.

"'She's partying hard, some of us would say too hard. We sat her down and told her she needed to count to 10 and cool it.

"'There was a scene with Sean Penn in the bar where she was being a little too familiar and we knew it was time to have a word.'"

Please. Sean Penn can handle himself. He was fucking married to Madonna. When an article is written on how Nick Lachey needs to "count to 10 and cool it," then we'll stop: Until then, Do your thing Sienna. You, do your thing.