Entries for February 2007

Horton's Kids is a great little charity that helps poor children in Washington's crummy neighborhoods get some tutoring, mentoring, and even healthcare.

And while it doesn't get much press, the media seem to love it. At least, that's the impression from the group's Second Annual Silent Auction being held this Saturday. The list of reporters offering themselves up for lunches with donors is diverse: Fox's Bret Baier, famous for his weight loss; the formerly bow-tied Tucker Carlson; New Yorker bigs Jane Mayer and Jeffrey Goldberg; news babes Suzanne Malveaux of CNN and Norah O'Donnell of NBC; and our fave, the Politico's gossip princess, Anne Schroeder.

Included: lunch with the media figure and your guest at either Chef Geoff's Uptown, Chef Geoff's Downtown, Lia's Restaurant, Bistro Bis, the Oval Room, or the Monocle. But that's not all. The list is long and really stunning for all the cool stuff. Like a seat in the control room of George Stephanopoulos's This Week, box seats to the circus, a Kate Spade scarf, and even American Idol tickets. The Saturday event is being held at a supporter's home.

—Marshall Ramsey, The Clarion-Ledger

Distributed by Copley News Service

Today, the Children's Defense Fund will field its own presidential candidate–Susie Flynn. The goal is a big one: using Flynn to promote the fund's bid to get healthcare for all of the 9 million uninsured kids in the country. At a press conference, fund officials will show off the "Elect Susie" ads and unveil a new website, www.electsusie.com, seen here.

Credit: Children's Defense Fund

—Steve Breen, San Diego Union Tribune

Distributed by Copley News Service

—Dana Summers, The Orlando Sentinel

Distributed by Tribune Media Services

JOE CIARDIELLO FOR USN&WR

Mitt Romney, the former Bay State guv now running third in the gop presidential sweepstakes, doesn't use a BlackBerry or even carry a cellphone. But that's not to say he's not a techie geek. In fact, he's proving to be just the kind of wonk that would make Microsoft's Bill Gates giddy at an issues lunch. Here's the deal: Romney is the first-ever presidential candidate to haul out a PowerPoint presentation at campaign events. He did it recently while addressing the Detroit Economic Club, and the audience went nuts for it. "It was amazing," an auto exec tells us. "I mean he didn't just make claims. He had the graphs to back him up!"

The idea was the candidate's and was a textbook presentation outlined in classic fashion: It opened with the "Intro," wrapped up under the title "Close," and finished with an "End" on Page 21. In between were graphs that Romney tried to soften with descriptions of lines like "squiggle." PowerPoints, says spokesman Kevin Madden, "speak to the competency that [Romney] exudes and the authoritative nature of his understanding of the issues." Plus, he says, the boss just digs them--and is a great presenter. "He's the PowerPoint president. Very few people could pull this off and not look wonkish." And the Mitt-tech doesn't end there: He's started Mitt tv and raises cash on ComMitt, a computer fundraising program.

If you're wondering why, despite his denials, Al Gore remains the most talked about nonpresidential candidate, it's this: His friends think he's done so well in the private world that he could bankroll the start of his own 2008 bid. "If Al Gore wants to run, he will come with all the means necessary," says longtime ally Donna Brazile. "Al Gore is someone who can pull it off at half time," she said. But he's got competing interests for his wallet: Friends say he also wants to expand his global climate change campaign.

It doesn't look as if we'll be seeing Sen. Barack Obama, among the leanest Democrats running for the presidency, hanging out at McDonald's. That's because he's big on exercise and healthy eating. "He exercises every day," says an insider. Obama's a runner and a regular on the treadmill. The youthful lawmaker even ran for an hour before announcing his candidacy back in Illinois. Among his snacks: trail mix.

Can a prosecutor go on to become president? Well, that's what fans of tv prosecutor Arthur Branch, aka former Sen. Fred Thompson, hope. We hear that his buddies are strongly urging him to jump into the already packed gop race. "The draft- Fred movement grows," says one ally, citing several blogs pushing Thompson, who has been feeding his fans with occasional commentary-laced fill-in work for radio's Paul Harvey.

Suicide attacks dominate the headlines, but here's one that didn't happen. A U.S. Army officer in Afghanistan reports that last month a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden Toyota Corolla up to an Army base in Kabul, where an Afghan nicknamed "Rambo" was guarding the gate. Rambo wears an Army-style uniform but isn't allowed to pack heat, so he uses a big red pipe, which he sometimes slams on car hoods to slow them down. Anyway, as the suicide bomber approached, he got hung up in the gate. Rambo reached into the window and yanked the bomber out before he could detonate the explosives. Rambo's reward: Troops passed a hat and handed him a wad of cash.

Avon is joining Mary Kay February 27 to demand Congress fund the Violence Against Women Act. And note to lawmakers not into this program: Running when you see one of Mary Kay's pink brigade won't work. Avon's got some 5 million worldwide agents who dress just like you.