Business As Usual

Sometiimes you learn more about national politics and the national political media from the ostensibly non-political stories. If you do a little digging.

For example, who says you can't learn anything from Politico.com? Here's a report on Norah O'Donnell, appropriately located in the gossip pages:

The pregnant and positively glowing MSNBC anchor, along with "Meet the Press" producer Michelle Jaconi, party-thrower extraordinaire (and lobbyist) Juleanna Glover Weiss and Mary Amons, is hosting a book party for Jill Kargman, author of "Momzillas," at the Ralph Lauren store at the Collection at Chevy Chase on Tuesday. Kargman, by the way, also happens to be the daughter of Chanel CEO Arie Kopelman, guaranteeing everyone there is dressed to the nines. If you miss it, don't worry; no doubt every "luxury" mag in town will have pictures of it for their future issues.

And who is Juleanna Glover Weiss?

Juleanna Glover Weiss is a lobbyist and media and campaign consultant who, in early 2005, left the Clark & Weinstock firm to become a principle [sic] in the new Ashcroft Group firm, founded by former U.S. Attorney General Ashcroft.

Previously, Glover Weiss "served on the 2000 presidential campaign and in the White House as the Press Secretary to Vice President Dick Cheney. Her campaign experience also includes significant roles in the Rudolph W. Giuliani U.S. Senate Exploratory Committee and the Steve Forbes 2000 Presidential Campaign. Before that, Ms. Glover Weiss served as a senior policy advisory to Senator John Ashcroft (R-Missouri); as the publicity director for the Weekly Standard; and as legislative director for the Project for the Republican Future."

At Clark & Weinstock, Glover Weiss "helped the Iraqi Governing Council's U.S. rep on 'messaging' and planned overall strategies for meetings with Administration officials, members of Congress/staffers and reporters," reported O'Dwyer's PR Daily.

Glover Weiss is a graduate of Marymount University and received her MBA from George Mason University

Noron and a Meet the Press producer partying with a Cheney flack, the daughter of a fashion CEO and a "socialite" (Ms. Amons). No wonder Noron so often sounds like a G.O.P. press release, and never sounds like a reporter.

Also in Politico, we learn why Holy Joe was so desparate to retain his Senate seat -- the opportunity to do public service!

Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.), NPR's Nina Totenberg and Charlie Cook donning leather jackets and shades "as the cool kids at Camp Wannabeapolitiki" -- must have been some prime-time acting for that one.

The skit (or whatever it was) was performed at a fundraiser for Thanks USA, a charity which raises scholarship funds for millitary families. The centerpiece of the event involved the 9 and 11 year old children of a Republican NBC lobbyist "donating $1,000 of their chore money" to a scholarship. (The children nominally created the charity, the article claims.) The sleazebag father/lobbyist, Bob Okun, bragged, "The girls really believe that the more you give, the more you get. The personal thank yous they received from the military families have made it all worthwhile for them."

If Holy Joe and Bob get their way, the precocius tykes will, in the fullness of time, be able give (and get) even more through their military service in Iraq. If they don't mind the cut in pay.