Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Media-Whore D'Oevres



(image via daylife)

"After coming up short in his bid for the presidency in 1980, Sen. Edward Kennedy realized he'd never be president, and rededicated his career to the Senate, where he focused on advancing his liberal agenda through legislation. Kennedy may have had a few regrets that he wouldn't make history as half of the only brothers to serve in the White House, but the record shows he became one of the Senate's most influential lawmakers only after he gave up his dream to fulfill the family legacy. Could Hillary Clinton follow Kennedy's example by giving up her dream of becoming the first woman and first First Lady to be elected president, and become the Senate's liberal champion instead? Giving up the dream freed Kennedy to look for allies across the aisle. Republicans such as Orrin Hatch of Utah knew they could work with Kennedy without fear that he was only building accomplishments for a run for the White House." (MarketWatch)

"This was an important occasion in New York and the crowd that filled the Grand Ballroom almost to capacity confirmed that. Called for 11:30, I arrived closer to noon to find the entrance gallery jammed with people. The first person I spotted was Norma Dana who was one of the founders of the Women’s Committee of the Central Park Conservancy. She was talking to a brunette woman who looked familiar although typically I couldn’t place her. Norma introduced her but I couldn’t hear the name above the roar of the crowd. 'I think we’ve met before,' I said, adding as we shook hands, 'but I couldn’t hear your name.' 'Teresa Heinz,' she said. Teresa Heinz Kerry. Oh. Duh." (NYSocialDiary)



"Despite the blustery winds, the ladies at Monday night's 68th-annual American Ballet Theatre spring gala (which raised a whopping $1.8 million) had their full trains on display ... Following the performance at the Metropolitan Opera House, some very fashionable couples, including Kelly Klein and Sean Avery, Sigourney Weaver and Jim Simpson, Emilia and Pepe Fanjul, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, Annette Roque and Matt Lauer, and Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky made their way into a tented dinner at Lincoln Center that was awash in pink." (Fashionweekdaily)

"'It's always a neck and neck race with red ink,' quipped Woody Allen at the end of a Martinez lunch with a few journalists earlier this week here at the Cannes Film Festival. While discussing his acclaimed new film, 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona,' Allen pondered the challenges of finding the funding to make his own movies, while at separate fest events this week the Dardenne Brothers and filmmaker James Gray -- all Cannes favorites who frequently bring new work to the festival -- discussed similar challenges facing the personal, auteur cinema typically showcased here each year. On a short break from the New York shoot for his next film, a comedy starring Larry David, Allen candidly explained that as fond as he is of Barcelona, he went to Spain for his latest film because that's where he found the money to make the picture. Making movies in the States can be particlarly challenging given the costs, so he secured $15 million to make his new film. 'I realize that I don't make enough money with my films to support a budget of $20 million,' Allen noted, 'If they gave me $20 million they'd prob end up losing money, so I understand their position.'" (Indiewire)

"The Senate stopped in its tracks Tuesday with the news of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s illness — not because a malignant brain tumor means he will be a missing vote or an absent committee chairman but because the Massachusetts Democrat is such a part of the place that his mortality reminds the Senate of its own." (Politico)

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