Posted by Mike Dorning at 12:19 pm CST
You never know who you'll run into in a bar. Particularly, the sleek, glamorous bar at the Beverly Hilton, a landmark show-biz hotel that served as the Western White House when President John F. Kennedy was in town and now annually hosts the star-studded Golden Globe awards.
Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the celebrity-politician of the moment, held a fundraiser at the hotel Tuesday evening that had the Hollywood elite passing through the hotel's elegant marble lobby. Flashes popped as tourists spotted Jennifer Anniston walking through in a black leather jacket and black slacks. Eddie Murphy, Ron Howard, the Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines, Ben Stiller and Stephen Spielberg were just a few of the others who attended.
Well, after several hours of standing outside the fundraiser and celebrity- spotting, a group of reporters retreated to the hotel bar, as reporters on the road generally do after stories are filed and the day's work is done.
In walks Sen. Dick Durbin, Illinois' other senator and now the Assistant Senate Majority Leader, the second-ranking leader in the U.S. Senate. Durbin, naturally, is wearing the standard-issue Washington political uniform: blue suit and tie.
Coincidentally, Durbin, who was not at the Obama event, is also taking advantage of a one-week Senate recess to do some fundraising of his own in Southern California. He said he had a breakfast fundraiser that morning in Century City and mentioned another event in Orange County that day. He also said he met with a group of liberal bloggers.
Invited to join us, Durbin plopped down and ordered a beer. He chatted amiably about fundraising, the Internet in politics and the war in Iraq for about an hour before begging off and heading up to his room.
We had barely put in our food order when the next guest arrived. At this bar, by the way, a club sandwich costs $15, not including tax and tip.
In walks the Rev. Jesse Jackson, accompanied by two aides in suits. They sit down with us and the Reverend orders a cup of coffee while telling us why he's come from Chicago to Beverly Hills.
With the Oscars scheduled for this weekend, Jackson's been meeting with studio executives and other entertainment industry figures to complain about the composition of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. According to Jackson, African Americans make up only about 100 of approximately 1,500 of the voting members who choose Oscar winners. That, he argues, places black nominees at a disadvantage.
In one night at a Beverly Hills, Calif., hotel, three of the most prominent figures in Illinois politics all pass by, each on their own errand. It's not just movies that are made in Hollywood.
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Comments
Democrat politicians hobnobbing with Democrat reporters in a swanky Beverly Hills bar. How cute.
It must be the $15 club sandwiches that give them their feel for how the ordinary Americans live.
Posted by: bruce | February 22, 2007 12:35 PM
The "Angry Old White Guy" Party aka The GOP, can't find anyone to be beat Durbin in Illlinois.
Illinois is a BLUE STATE and we haven't bought into any of the W. administrations lies ever since W. rode into the Presidents office on KKKarl Rove's "swiftboat" in 2000.
By the way,I've noticed that Sleepy McCain has hired all of KKKarl Rove's people who worked on the "successful" swiftboat campaign in 2004 for President LoneRanger.
Posted by: John E. | February 22, 2007 12:36 PM
Speaking of L.A., why didn't the Tribsters pick up the article from their sister publication, LA Times.
You know, the one that says the Brits are nowhere near controlling the area they're vacating and are just moving on because they have to hustle troops away from the Bush Vanity War in Iraq and toward the Real War on Terrorists in Afghanistan.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-fg-brits22feb22,0,6950456.story?track=mostviewed-homepage
Oh, that's right. You don't like saying that your boys Bush and Cheney are liars as well as incompetents, do you?
Posted by: tom | February 22, 2007 12:39 PM
The reporters, of course, weren't encumbered by doing their actual jobs. You know, reporting on what business was going on inside the event raising public funds for a Presidential campaign. Drinking with their buddies must've more important. Sure hope the Trib. company wasn't picking up expenses
Posted by: Jeff | February 22, 2007 2:04 PM
Judging by Bruce's post, you'd think that when Repub politicians get together with WSJ reporters, they share pieces of day old Wonder bread and drink water from garden hoses. Get real.
Posted by: a blinkin | February 22, 2007 2:45 PM
Ease up on the news guys, Jeff/Bruce...they only stopped for a couple beers after they filed their stories. It's not like they paid gay prostitutes to pose as reporters and lob softball questions for the president in some White House press conference, is it?
Posted by: Tom O | February 22, 2007 5:47 PM
Notice how the Left-wing bloggers don't bother to deny the Left-wing bias of the Tribune reporters? In fact, the Left WANTS biased journalism--so long as the bias tilts their way. And the "all Democrat, all the time" Swamp reporters deliver for their Dem drinking buddies.
Posted by: bruce | February 23, 2007 8:40 AM
Ya know, Bruce, when reporters print the facts it usually looks like left wing bias to Republicans. That's because Republicans are wrong so much of the time.
Posted by: Tony | February 23, 2007 11:31 AM