Entries for March 2007

A mundane trip manifest of reporters who traveled to Latin America with President Bush has turned colossally controversial because the White House mistakenly included personal ID info on the E-mail sent to news bureaus and accountants. The key ingredients of identity theft–Social Security and passport numbers and dates of birth–were included in the E-mail that the White House Travel Office sent out in what's typically the first stage of billing. "A lot of us went crazy," says one reporter, "because it's an identify theft waiting to happen." Among those on the trip were CBS's Bill Plante, Fox's Bret Baier, CNN's Ed Henry, and NBC's Kelly O'Donnell.

—Matt Davies

Distributed by Tribune Media Service

If you were an executive at Mattel toys, you probably couldn't have done a better job making Bill and Hillary Clinton dolls than the two new ones we're revealing today: Bill as a basketball bobblehead and Hillary as a grown-up Barbie.

SUZI PARKER

—Gary Markstein

Distributed by Copley News Service

—Scott Stantis

Distributed by Copley News Service

Our very own in-house doctor, Bernadine Healy, had her official party to roll out her new book Living Time: Faith and Facts to Transform Your Cancer Journey Tuesday night at Capitol Hill's trendy Sonoma Restaurant.

—Marshall Ramsey

Distributed by Copley News Service

All those prayers from the president of St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., have paid off. We hear that President Bush will give the commencement address. About two months ago, we Whispered that the president's former faith-based initiative czar, Jim Towey, was offering up his prayers for the visit.

New from FitzLand: C-SPAN biggie Steve Scully, who's also president of the White House Correspondents' Association, is this year's recipient of the Fitzwater Center for Communications Award. The center, at New Hampshire's Franklin Pierce College, gives the award out to those it feels exemplifies its model of journalism and public service. It's handed out by former Reagan and Bush spokesman Marlin Fitzwater, the boss of the center.

—Michael Ramirez, Investor's Business Daily

Distributed by Copley News Service

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton coined the "I'm in it to win it" phrase first, but friends of Law & Order actor and former Sen. Fred Thompson say he's thinking the same thing.

"Very simply put, he is seriously considering a run," says one.

Now you may be saying, "Duh, he already said he was thinking about running."

But in true Washington fashion, his foes have started a whispering campaign that suggests he really doesn't want to devote the needed energy, time, and passion to running. Or that he's really just a stalking horse for another candidate whom he'll endorse at the right time later in the fall. But his allies say that's all junk. "It sounds like a lot of wishful thinking," says one.

Here's the thing–we might not know his plans until late summer. The reason: Some GOP strategists say that the second wave of candidates, including former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, plans to size up the race during the summer, then get in as late as September. But, add the strategists, they will most likely telegraph their intentions weeks in advance.