Open thread: Elite gather in D.C. to celebrate their own importance
posted at 5:30 pm on May 9, 2009 by Allahpundit
Politicians, movie stars, media handmaidens, and a few subversives who can’t stand any of them (the boss went a few years ago): It’s the most obnoxious Beltway event of the year, and C-SPAN, bless its heart, will be covering all of it. Watch here starting at 6 p.m. ET to see the Illuminati make their red-carpet entrances — behold the guest list — or tune in at 8 as the actual dinner begins. The One will be speaking, of course, as will Wanda Sykes in the Colbert role. I trust she’s got some killer material lined up about how awesome Obama is.
How obnoxious is the self-importance on display here? Dude:
At Tammy Haddad’s brunch, Ann Curry yelled at the crowd: “You are the most powerful people in the world!” let’s hope not.
Journalists have dubbed this “nerdprom” in a naked attempt to lend an ironic dimension to the fact that they’re eager to hobnob with the same pols they’re supposed to be watchdogging. One redeeming virtue: Meghan McCain will be there and is promising to live-Tweet the whole thing, which should be as entertaining as it is surreal. You can follow her updates here; for gossip with a more professional flavor, Politico’s page is probably the best bet. Let the self-congratulation begin!
Update: Mary Katharine Ham’s there too and it looks like she’ll also be Tweeting up a storm.
Blowback
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goodnight everyone.
blatantblue on May 10, 2009 at 12:15 AM
‘night
Upstater85 on May 10, 2009 at 12:15 AM
Sehr wichtige Leute.
Johan Klaus on May 10, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Just caught part of the replay on C-Span. Wanda Sykes is about as funny as appendicitis, only less entertaining.
But at least a few people booed her. Nice to know they’re not all automatons.
Snowed In on May 10, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Don’t know except for browsing posts.
But as near as I can tell, you missed OD’ing on pâté de snob.
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 12:17 AM
Try to be good.
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 12:18 AM
Can we really expect someone funny? At least they didn’t get Stewart… I mean, Obama is a fan of Earth, Wind, and Fire…
Upstater85 on May 10, 2009 at 12:18 AM
Next year I’m sure they will get Janeane Garafalo.
Speedwagon82 on May 10, 2009 at 12:21 AM
Why not Congressman Franken?
Upstater85 on May 10, 2009 at 12:22 AM
LMAO! I think “One” is the winner . . . young and perky, just like the future Mrs. AP.
And, just in case I’m not the last to know, Hawkdriver’s been posting over on the “Rich People . . .” headline thread.
califcon on May 10, 2009 at 12:26 AM
Harry Reid.
They’ll be rolling in the aisles.
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 12:26 AM
http://twitter.com/AKGovSarahPalin
I asked Palin about this on twitter and she didn’t response back for obvious reasons
TimeTraveler on May 10, 2009 at 12:37 AM
hhheeehhe
Upstater85 on May 10, 2009 at 12:40 AM
So when will Obama use his
nipplesbully pulpit to actually do something good? Haven’t heard him say anything about this…Upstater85 on May 10, 2009 at 12:55 AM
The fascinating thing to know is how they’ll keep their wealth while the rest of us are punished for being merely middle class?
Dr. ZhivBlago on May 10, 2009 at 12:57 AM
Just watched Fredo’s attempt at humor………….
……….. I noticed that he didn’t even dress for the occasion.
Seven Percent Solution on May 10, 2009 at 12:57 AM
The modern fascist movement is all about elevating those in power and “the know” and crushing the rest into government dependents.
Upstater85 on May 10, 2009 at 12:59 AM
By the way………..
……… not one single mention for Armed Forces of the United States of America, nor our allies in the ongoing battles being fought tonight while they were yucking it up.
I don’t want to be banned………….
………… I will have to stop there.
Seven Percent Solution on May 10, 2009 at 12:59 AM
……… not one single mention for Armed Forces of the United States of America, nor our allies in the ongoing battles being fought tonight while they were yucking it up.Seven Percent Solution on May 10, 2009 at 12:59 AM
Thanks for posting that. That they forget can’t be forgotten.
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 1:03 AM
I don’t think they forgot. It’s just inconvenient. When Obama is a pacifist/strong commander in chief anti-Bush/continuing Bush’s policies walking contradiction.
Upstater85 on May 10, 2009 at 1:04 AM
Thanks for posting that. That they forget can’t be forgotten.
(If I continue posting here much longer, I’m going to turn into Cindy Mumford, the formatting queen, but at least I’ll know how to make banana pudding.)
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 1:05 AM
Veterans.
Members of the Armed Forces.
National intelligence Agency Staff.
The Constitution.
Capitalism.
Liberty.
Responsibility.
So many things are so very inconvenient, aren’t they?
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 1:07 AM
Sorry, getting bitter.
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 1:08 AM
It might be a good idea to keep videos like this one handy around election time……………..
…….. along with a request for absentee ballots for our service men and women to get them in time to vote,
if not for anything but an election ad, but to at least make these “things” squirm…….
Seven Percent Solution on May 10, 2009 at 1:10 AM
It’s the nature of man to break the rules that cut down on, well, rules…
The regulations that the left hate so much are those that regulate their power…
Upstater85 on May 10, 2009 at 1:17 AM
You are a treasure. Goodnight, young sir.
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 1:32 AM
If the followers of Islam bombed the city, the world would probably be better off.
Tim Burton on May 10, 2009 at 1:33 AM
This will not end well for those in the room………..
……….. remember our friend Yuri Bezmenov.
Seven Percent Solution on May 10, 2009 at 1:52 AM
Once again Allah decides to report on something without telling us what the heck he is reporting on.
Thanks for making me click on blind links.
amkun on May 10, 2009 at 2:15 AM
The gathering of the “useful idiots”. Wow
hopefloats on May 10, 2009 at 6:27 AM
What are all the useless Hollywooders doing at a correspondents’ dinner?
drjohn on May 10, 2009 at 6:57 AM
I can’t believe anyone watches this crap. Why would you want to?
Terrye on May 10, 2009 at 7:25 AM
Yep. Over rated. A bunch of B and C list actors plus media that everyone sees all the time plus seeing the president and his wife tell jokes written for them and delivered poorly. And the icing on the cake is the continuous slobbering over Obammy.
Blake on May 10, 2009 at 8:09 AM
everytime they pick on dick cheney, i want to arm myself & re-take America.
the left should notmention cheney’s name. ignoring him would further their goals better.
kelley in virginia on May 10, 2009 at 8:16 AM
I have no idea how I ended up on Huffpo’s email list, but I got one this morning about how “Obama brought down the house” with his speech. So I followed the link and watched it. A couple of observations:
How did Obama get the reputation for being such a great public speaker? While he didn’t “umm and ahhh” his way through it last night, his delivery is very mechanical. His cadence is monotonous and not at all natural. Whether he was telling a joke, or his serious point at the end, it was all said in the same tone of voice and rhythm.
None of it was particularly funny. The bit in the beginning with the tele-prompter was probably the best bit, but, because of his delivery it wasn’t as funny as it should have been.
Most of his jabs were mean spirited. Well, the jabs at others were. His Hillary joke was pretty funny, but I couldn’t help notice how mean spirited it was in relation to his jokes about Geithner and Biden.
His own attempts at self deprecation were bizarre. I don’t think the man is capable of self analysis enough to even be self deprecating. Making fun of the media’s coverage of him isn’t exactly the same thing as making fun of himself.
The low point was his Rahm Emmanual joke. Hey, I can swear with the best of them, but it was crude and very undignified. If any white person had made that joke the cries of RACIST! would be all over the place.
Jaynie59 on May 10, 2009 at 8:23 AM
I realize one has to self promote but ChubChub’s tweets are always “look at me!” Her latest is a link to Politico interview at the People Mag party. For someone who has to fly her own hairdresser in from California, her hair looks like crap and she appears to have a weird growth on the right side of her head. She says she was most looking forward to meeting Wanda Sykes at the WHCD. So, deep. Seriously, AP, you are not doing her any favors by promoting her or defending her stupidity.
And AP has managed to piss off MK Hammer and her friends. Good job! I see your point but you handled it very poorly. In your defense, all I saw from her were minimal tweets and mostly of Sykes’ really bad jokes. She was also obviously drinking. If she wants to have a good time and go out and get drunk — do so. But, she shouldn’t try to sell it as “news” and bore people with it.
Blake on May 10, 2009 at 8:40 AM
I hear they did this every year.
Then I heard whoever is from the party that isn’t in power whines about it while people from the party in power just have a laugh or two.
Dave Rywall on May 10, 2009 at 9:06 AM
If it had been Dennis Miller up there saying he hoped someone like Nancy Pelosi contracted Swine Flu, the MSM Character Assassination Squad would be thrown into high gear to destroy him as a human being.
Wanda Sykes gets up there and says she hopes Rush Limbaugh’s kidneys fail and she gets applause.
Sickening.
pilamaye on May 10, 2009 at 9:07 AM
I was a little surprised that during the opening video montage for the dinner last night that they used the Rev. Wright “Goddamned America” shot.
Bet some video editor will be scolded for that.
myrenovations on May 10, 2009 at 9:08 AM
No, we whined about it a couple of times during the last eight years. We whined, specifically, about Colbert’s hosting and the jokes about not being able to find the weapons of mass destruction as a joke.
myrenovations on May 10, 2009 at 9:10 AM
No, we whined about it a couple of times during the last eight years. We whined, specifically, about Colbert’s hosting and the jokes about not being able to find the weapons of mass destruction as a joke.
myrenovations on May 10, 2009 at 9:10 AM
———
That Bush folks were so stupid they had Colbert speak is the funniest bit of all. So, so, clueless.
If you don’t like the event, say so, but don’t like it less when a Dem president is in power.
How come you guys aren’t whining that Obama doesn’t have time for a dinner and he should be fixing the economy or something.
Dave Rywall on May 10, 2009 at 9:15 AM
Please, Colbert just wasn’t funny. Even the Dems thought so. If you can’t be funny with a target rich eight year president, then you pretty much stink. I didn’t watch last night and have only seen clips. Explain to me how people getting ill is funny or dying is funny.
Cindy Munford on May 10, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Most of us have said so, regardless of the party affiliation of the president. Have you read this thread? Minus the guitar duel that takes up a lot of pages two and three, of course.
myrenovations on May 10, 2009 at 9:21 AM
(If I continue posting here much longer, I’m going to turn into Cindy Mumford, the formatting queen, but at least I’ll know how to make banana pudding.)
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 1:05 AM
Cindy Munford on May 10, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Bet some video editor will be scolded for that.
myrenovations on May 10, 2009 at 9:08 AM
This just in: Video editor missing. Trail of acorns only clue. Film at eleven.
faol on May 10, 2009 at 9:44 AM
Cindy Munford on May 10, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 9:45 AM
This is amazing. An event featuring members of our government, our supposed leaders, including our president, and they hire an opening act who wishes death on a citizen. And they all laugh. Talk about completely and totally crass and inappropriate. Here is our president endorsing comments encouraging the painful suffering and death of a US citizen.
Hey, do you think Mr Anti-torture would have laughed if that moron called for the waterboarding of Rush? That would have been beautiful irony.
Please tell me that this is the norm at presidential parties so my disgust can be equally distributed. Anyone? Really, anyone?
Spectreman on May 10, 2009 at 10:01 AM
Ha!! Good morning.
Cindy Munford on May 10, 2009 at 10:08 AM
Thanks for being a good mother to so many here at Hot Air.
Loxodonta on May 10, 2009 at 10:10 AM
Wanda Sykes gets up there and says she hopes Rush Limbaugh’s kidneys fail and she gets applause.
Sickening.
pilamaye on May 10, 2009 at 9:07 AM
This is amazing. An event featuring members of our government, our supposed leaders, including our president, and they hire an opening act who wishes death on a citizen. And they all laugh. Talk about completely and totally crass and inappropriate. Here is our president endorsing comments encouraging the painful suffering and death of a US citizen.
Hey, do you think Mr Anti-torture would have laughed if that moron called for the waterboarding of Rush? That would have been beautiful irony.
Please tell me that this is the norm at presidential parties so my disgust can be equally distributed. Anyone? Really, anyone?
Spectreman on May 10, 2009 at 10:01 AM
——
Sure, the joke’s in a bit of bad taste, but both of your outrage is a wee bit over the top.
Dave Rywall on May 10, 2009 at 10:10 AM
I guess they get around that by saying “just kidding”. My reply is that such remarks & tactics must desensitize the public because I don’t give a flying flip if they waterboard.
Cindy Munford on May 10, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Oohh, very telling about me! I did in retrospect think three was not enough. Thank you so much.
Cindy Munford on May 10, 2009 at 10:13 AM
Drywall:
I can’t believe that I agree with you! These parties are to blow off steam and the party out of power should not pay attention to it if it is going to offend them. Politicians have huge egos. What’s the old saying… can’t live with ‘em, can’t shoot ‘em?
Vince on May 10, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Sorry I didn’t return to the thread last night, I got sick, but did wake up and watch the re-run of this trash that used to be funny.
Wanda got her talking points from the Precedent it appears. Did I hear boo’s coming from the audience? Where was our Precedents Tux?
Knucklehead on May 10, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Hope your are back to 100%.
Cindy Munford on May 10, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Nope, still feeling poorly today.
What in the hell was that last night?
Knucklehead on May 10, 2009 at 10:45 AM
I didn’t watch, I have just seen clips. Since I am older it’s depressing to sit around and watch what are suppose to be the movers and shakers act like they have never been anywhere before.
Hope you can take it easy today and recoup.
Cindy Munford on May 10, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Then I’m sure you and the rest of the left wouldn’t mind if Rush started calling for the assassination of your dear leader. Sure it would be a little bit in poor taste, but hey, he would be just blowing off steam right? This is not like wanda when up on stage and made fart jokes. At least that would have been funny, if in bad taste. The president laughing at the idea of the death of an American citizen shows exactly what zero thinks of the people.
Spectreman on May 10, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Then I’m sure you and the rest of the left wouldn’t mind if Rush started calling for the assassination of your dear leader. Sure it would be a little bit in poor taste, but hey, he would be just blowing off steam right? This is not like wanda when up on stage and made fart jokes. At least that would have been funny, if in bad taste. The president laughing at the idea of the death of an American citizen shows exactly what zero thinks of the people.
Spectreman on May 10, 2009 at 11:03 AM
———
Your example is poor. Rush’s is worse for obvious reasons.
Had Rush thrown out a liver failure joke about a politician with drug/alcohol problems then the situations would be comparable. And would be in just as bad taste.
Apples to apples. Not apples to calls for assassination.
Saying “The president laughing at the idea of the death of an American citizen shows exactly what zero thinks of the people” is a bit dramatic.
Dave Rywall on May 10, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Did they clean the stables after the party was over?
DL13 on May 10, 2009 at 1:19 PM
No, manufactured outrage over a political commentator like Limbaugh wishing for the failure of policies of Obama is over the top.
Joking about the death of a citizen you don’t agree with is disgusting. And pathetic. Can’t refute or rebut what he says? Hey, let’s just wish him dead. Hur hur hur. Snort.
You and your leftist ilk are a pathetic bunch, Rywall. Funny how it always comes down to death though. Death of unborn children, death of your critics; all the righties want is for terrorists and enemies of the US to bite the big one, but not you guys. Give civil rights to terrorists and kill the rightie critics. Yeah, you guys have got some f**king AWESOME priorities. Enjoy your power, you turd.
austinnelly on May 10, 2009 at 2:44 PM
No, manufactured outrage over a political commentator like Limbaugh wishing for the failure of policies of Obama is over the top.
Joking about the death of a citizen you don’t agree with is disgusting. And pathetic. Can’t refute or rebut what he says? Hey, let’s just wish him dead. Hur hur hur. Snort.
You and your leftist ilk are a pathetic bunch, Rywall. Funny how it always comes down to death though. Death of unborn children, death of your critics; all the righties want is for terrorists and enemies of the US to bite the big one, but not you guys. Give civil rights to terrorists and kill the rightie critics. Yeah, you guys have got some f**king AWESOME priorities. Enjoy your power, you turd.
austinnelly on May 10, 2009 at 2:44 PM
——–
You need to lighten up.
Dave Rywall on May 10, 2009 at 3:36 PM
No, you lighten up!
Wishing death to one’s political enemies is pretty “heavy.”
And it wasn’t even slightly amusing as a dinner “joke” not even in a roast.
With the trend of Barack’s Administration and its Chicago gangland ways, many of us might think that Zero will take Wanda’s suggestion seriously and make it happen.
Weirder things have been known to occur when Democrats with shady (and criminal) backgrounds like NObama and Clinton are in charge.
Jenfidel on May 10, 2009 at 6:39 PM
No, you lighten up!
Wishing death to one’s political enemies is pretty “heavy.”
And it wasn’t even slightly amusing as a dinner “joke” not even in a roast.
With the trend of Barack’s Administration and its Chicago gangland ways, many of us might think that Zero will take Wanda’s suggestion seriously and make it happen.
Weirder things have been known to occur when Democrats with shady (and criminal) backgrounds like NObama and Clinton are in charge.
Jenfidel on May 10, 2009 at 6:39 PM
—–
Awwwww so sorry the bad bad comedian made a joke that made you and Baby Jesus cry.
Dave Rywall on May 10, 2009 at 8:42 PM
Fart Sound.
5u93rm4n on May 10, 2009 at 9:27 PM
Er, it’s the White House CORRESPONDENTS Dinner, not “The White House Dinner”. The “Bush folks” didn’t arrange for the entertainment except for minding their own presentations.
KittyLowrey on May 10, 2009 at 11:01 PM
Oh, I get it.
Nevermind.
KittyLowrey on May 10, 2009 at 11:02 PM
What a slimy party! I hope Wanda’s kidney fails!
Eyvonne on May 11, 2009 at 10:02 AM
To pick up on Dave R.’s point of organ failure as a legitimate subject for humor:
Assassination is off the table, as standards must be kept (and powder must be kept ry). But according to Rywall, repeated voicing of the desire that someone’s lungs fail (tobacco?), or that their liver fails from prior drug abuse (what was it – choom, cocaine, anything else?), is apparently not only acceptable but funny. Hyuk-hyuk funny.
But sorry, only the party in power is allowed to “blow off steam”. The critics had better either shut up, die of organ failure, or else expect persecution or worse.
I say this only to acknowledge what has already begun to occur. Attempting to minimize it as mere “drama” is unfortunately moot at this point.
All of it – like Rywall’s taunts and admonitions – are just another form of the leftist argument: SHUT UP.
RD on May 12, 2009 at 7:38 AM
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