Gridiron Club considers joining the 21st century
They're among the most powerful journalists in the world, but the 60 members of Washington's famous Gridiron Club can be pretty slow picking up on national trends. Just consider how the club, established in 1885, reacted to the 19th Amendment, passed in 1920, giving women the right to vote. The ink-stained boys didn't let the gals in until 1975. Now it's in the middle of another old-guard-new-kids fight: Originally a newspaper- and wire service-only club whose sole purpose is to host an annual humor skit and dinner normally attended by the president and his government, the Gridiron is considering a vote to let TV, radio, and magazine reporters join its ranks. Old-school purists oppose the move. "I'm against the change," says columnist James J. Kilpatrick. "It's opposed by some of the old guard." But Gridiron President Al Hunt of the Wall Street Journal and CNN says the change is an overdue recognition that TV counts. "It took us a while to get into the 20th century," he says, referencing admitting women. "Now let's get to the 21st century."
Selling off those John Hancocks
Former Sen. Paul Simon never made it to the White House, so he did the next best thing: He brought the presidents into his house. Actually, their autographs. In fact, recalls daughter Sheila, before Simon died in 2003, his wife used to say, "Everyone else has paintings on their walls, and we have signatures of dead presidents." Not anymore. After culling the personal items from the collection, the family sent the rest to famed auction house Alexander Autographs. In just the first sale, 68 autographs from Washington to Clinton netted $55,890. "He did very well," said Alexander President Bill Panagopulos of Simon, who had been such a good customer that Alexander's staff knew the distinctive voice of the former Illinois Democrat when he called in bids. Panagopulos said Simon had a nice collection of old stuff, but the real showstoppers were personal notes and letters from modern presidents. Those included a first-ever auctioned letter signed by both Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton ($800) and likely the last picture of JFK ($4,500) signed before his death. That stuff brought in nearly $20,000.
The Anti-Moore
The right's answer to lefty Michael Moore 's Fahrenheit 9/11 might finally get an airing despite Hollywood's effort to blackball it. Producer David Bossie of Citizens United in Washington tells us that theaters have been besieged by customers demanding his Celsius 41.11, which aims to debunk claims against President Bush in Moore's movie. One example: Megatheater Loews has called Bossie to get the movie. And dozens of other chains and independent theaters also want the flick. "After they saw 9/11, " says Bossie, "people called the theaters and said they wanted to see Celsius 41.11 for balance." Because Hollywood won't distribute it, Citizens United will do the hard work. Bossie says it could end up in hundreds of theaters in the big cities of most electoral battleground states.
It's Yahoo!, baby
Our recent Whisper about 20 million Clinton White House E-mails being made public next year shook up a few in the Bush administration. "I don't want my E-mail made public," said one insider. As a result, many aides have shifted to Internet E-mail instead of the White House system. "It's Yahoo!, baby," says a Bushie.
Homeless homies
Being homeless sure ain't easy, as the staff members of the House Select Committee on Homeland Security know. Because the committee doesn't have permanent status yet, it doesn't get a hearing room of its own. So it borrows space from other committees. The problem could be resolved if the panel is made permanent, as expected. Panel spokesman Ken Johnson joked that the ideal hearing room would be "one with carpeting and working microphones. Hopefully, in Washington."
French connection
The French . OK, maybe they don't enjoy exactly the best rep in Washington these days, but consider this, from the CIA's new report on Iraq and those phantom weapons of mass destruction: In his bid to win French support for eliminating United Nations sanctions on Iraq, Saddam Hussein provided "economic favors" to French diplomats with close ties to President Jacques Chirac and even looked to pony up for Chirac's 2002 re-election.
Siriusly talk radio
Schlock-jock Howard Stern 's move to Sirius, announced last week, awoke us to this whole new satellite radio thing where pundits from both sides have been toiling in this year's political vineyards. But, says Ben Mankiewicz, a cohost of Sirius's left-leaning Young Turks show, "Stern brings us credibility." For the uninitiated, Sirius has a politically left channel featuring the Turks and others and a politically right channel hosting Tony Snow and other conservatives.
Data wars
The nation's largest provider of personal info to the feds is being targeted by the Congressional Black Caucus, which is concerned about the accuracy of the information used to build voter databases and screen new employees. The caucus plans to ask the Government Accountability Office to probe Georgia-based ChoicePoint. It also plans hearings to review the contracts ChoicePoint holds. The Caucus worries that bad data could bump blacks from the polls or jobs. ChoicePoint denies any wrongdoing. "If the Congressional Black Caucus wants to go over what we do," says spokesman James Lee, "you're not going to find a happier group than us."
Maher on Kerry
Standup guy Bill Maher thinks he gets why John Kerry has such a hard time relating to Joe Sixpack. "You just get the impression that the only time Kerry has to talk to working-class people is when they're holding a tray of hors d'oeuvres." President Bush clicks, Maher says, because he seems ordinary--and by that, "we really mean not that bright."
The Bypass Diet
Former Prez Bill Clinton 's recent heart bypass surgery hasn't slowed the November opening of his Little Rock library and museum, but it has nixed plans to touch up the film museum visitors will see. That's because Clinton looks so much thinner now, making it impossible for filmmakers Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and Harry Thomason to edit in new clips until he fattens up a bit and looks like his old self.
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With Samantha Levine, Dan Gilgoff and Suzi Parker
This story appears in the October 18, 2004 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.