Got my vote
The Democratic National Committee is so intent on reaching every American voter in advance of the 2008 presidential election that even its chairman, Howard Dean, discovered his name on the DNC’s mailing list.
“Dear Howard,” reads a letter sent to Mr. Dean last week by DNC Executive Director Tom McMahon. “Remember the Republican culture of corruption? The revolving door of Republican politicians moving in and out of top political offices and Washington D.C. lobbying firms? That’s Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson … .”
Queen Hillary II?
A posting by a British resident in the “rants and raves” section of London’s “Craigslist,” headlined “The U.S. monarchy” and in reply to a posting by an American critical of Britain’s monarchy:
“Imagine that Hillary Clinton, New York Democrat] wins the next election. That would mean that in the last twenty years two families will have controlled the USA … and they make fun of our monarchy!”
Greek night
That will be Republican Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida being feted this evening at a Greek reception of sorts at Bullfeathers on Capitol Hill, with several members of Washington’s Greek business community expected to be on hand.
Among them: event co-host and lawyer Plato Cacheris of Monica Lewinsky, Aldrich Ames, Iran-Contra and Watergate fame.
Challenging Eve
Carrie Lukas, Washington-based author of “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex and Feminism,” was keynote speaker when the college-based Network of Enlightened Women (NeW) held its second annual national conference on Saturday.
“NeW has the potential to do one of the most important things for the conservative movement, which is to change the climate on college campuses,” said Miss Lukas, a senior fellow at the Goldwater Institute and vice president for policy and economics at the Independent Women’s Forum.
“The feminist movement has done damage to our conception of women. It has done even more damage to our conception of men,” she told attendees.
“NeW is first and foremost a book club, so having an author speak was particularly appropriate,” NeW Founder Karin Agness, a graduate of the University of Virginia (UVA), told Inside the Beltway. “A few of our chapters read her book this past semester.”
Three chapter presidents spoke at the conference, including Christa Byker of UVA, Sara Byrd of Mary Washington University and Catherine Smith of Arizona State University (ASU). The chapter of the year award was presented by NeW to ASU for its success in “standing up for conservative principles and encouraging students to challenge the liberal campus atmosphere.”
The chapter during the past year read “What Our Mothers Didn’t Tell Us: Why Happiness Eludes the Modern Woman,” by Danielle Crittenden.
Luntz artifacts
A sure sign that it’s summer is our invitation to what is now political pollster Frank Luntz’s sixth annual baseball All-Star party at his sprawling Virginia estate, dubbed “the Smithsonian McLean branch” because of its vast collection of history, politics and sports memorabilia.
Under Mr. Luntz’s expansive roof, one finds perhaps the most valuable private newspaper collection in Washington, a ticket from every day of Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial, the Playboy interview with Jimmy Carter, and the original electric chair from “The Addams Family.”
Then there’s the baseball Mr. Luntz calls “New York’s Finest,” signed by former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, newly independent New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, former baseball great Yogi Berra and New York Yankees manager Joe Torre — signatures gathered by the pollster at one of Mr. Giuliani’s weddings.
Items to debut this year include a blackjack table signed by every actor who has played James Bond, a personal letter written by Winston Churchill, a handwritten note from a John F. Kennedy suitor (seriously) and the infamous “Kerry picks Gephardt” newspaper banner, compliments of the New York Post.
Each year, Mr. Luntz entices guests with a top-10 list of reasons to attend his party. Our favorites this year: Rosie O’Donnell and Donald Trump Jell-O wrestling, a Nancy Pelosi kissing booth with a “no-line” guarantee, and Colorado congressman and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo rebuilding the pool fence to keep out illegal attendees.
John McCaslin, whose column is nationally syndicated, can be reached at 202/636-3284 or jmccaslin @washington times.com.
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