Wonk'd: Do You Know Who I Am Edition
Today's Wonk'd brings usHu Jintao, guarded like the superpower leader that he is, andChris Rock-- also being guarded, but maybe for different reasons.Jenna Bushand friends were seen, shockingly, waiting their turn in line, but the guys fromFranz Ferdinandhad ladies waiting in line for them. Media elitesTucker CarlsonandDavid Gregory, ignoring high gas prices, were fillin' 'er up. Also spotted: Chelsea Clinton, hiding behind the latest fashions;R. Kelly, trying to get himself in more trouble; andJohn Ashcroft, ACTUALLY TAKING THE METRO. We deliver what we promise, plus so much more, after the jump.
We love our tipsters and all your hilarious tips, so please keep sending them to us via email , with "Wonk'd" or "Sighting" in the subject line (along with the name of the spotted celeb). Thanks!
* SawHu Jintaostanding outside the Four Seasons in Georgetown [4/22], looking like your everyday clueless tourist. I wouldn't have known it was him had it not been for the frantic secret service agents in tuxes all over M Street blocking traffic. Those dorks don't look so secret.
* [From the same tipster as prior item] A million times sexier sighting: I saw two of the new Scottish gentry,Alex KapranosandNick McCarthyof Franz Ferdinand, at Old Ebbitt Grill eating oysters. There is something about funky, odd looking Scottish men that just do it for me. I sure wanted to scream "Yes I want to", but I was too chicken to do it.
* I'm a maitre 'd at a very busy restaurant next to the White House that serves Sunday brunch (we all know the one). Yesterday [4/23], a party of three or 4 people walk in, and a spindly-looking guy gives me his name as "Bush", whatever common last name, but I'd seen the twins in before for a Sunday morning wrap-up of Saturday night activities. So I glanced at the rest of the party, sawJenna Bush, and told them the wait was 10-15 minutes...which happened to be the truth at the time. The Bush party got a table in the order in which they arrived, not sure about the rest. No word how many bloody marys she had to ease the hangover. She did wait patiently though, unlike many a celeb (pseudo or otherwise) I have seen before.
* Just got back from the white house press corps correspondents dinner. Amazing! But on the 8: 30 shuttle from DCA to LGA I sawChris Rockunder police escort. No hand cuffs. But definitely under restrained movement. What did he do now?
* SawTrent Lottand a couple of nondescript middle-aged white guys at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill lunchtime today [5/1], slinking through the lobby trying to avoid being noticed by a nearby group of Asians.
* I sawDonna Brazileyesterday at Frager's hardware store on Capitol Hill. She was outside in the garden area buying some flowers, not that exciting, I was hoping to see her inside buying roofing or something butch, to finally confirm that she is a lesbian!
*David Gregoryin a new Toyota SUV at the MacArthur Blvd Exxon yesterday [4/24]. It was a beautiful spring night and David was trying to figure out how to (1) open the fuel door and, once the fuel door was open, (2) how to remove the gas cap. The shiny new vehicle had temp tags so I'd assume this was the first time he had to fuel up (at $3.20 a gallon, for low grade regular). He made several calls on his cell phone, probably trying to get advice on how to fuel up.
* SawCharles Krauthammerin the lobby of the Hall of the States on 4/24/06. I knew he was in a wheelchair, but I didn't know it was one of those electric ones that speed around obnoxiously. He nearly ran over me making a beeline for the elevators. I'm surprised he didn't leave skid marks on the marble spinning out so fast. I guess he was rushing off to write another impassioned defense of the Iraq war.
* I sawTucker Carlson[5/1] filling up his Audi's gas tank at a Shell station in Alexandria right off the Parkway on the way to Mount Vernon. Just a note of curiosity, is one of his children's names "Buckley"? A gym bag in the trunk was monogrammed as such, is it an homage to William F. Buckley?
* Tonight [4/26] at Cafe Atlantico, I saw Rep.Bobby Jindal(R-LA). He was dining with a fairly large party; they were seated at a table near the front of the restaurant. Meanwhile, at the bar, DOJ hottieRachel Brandwas enjoying a glass of white wine, with two people who seemed to be colleagues.
* I sawGwen Ifillthis morning [4/27] at the corner of Connecticut Ave. and Livingston St., just inside Chevy Chase circle. I thought it was her when I saw her putting some dry cleaning in her car, but was certain when she was in line ahead of me at the Starbucks. She got some sort of coffee drink and a cinnamon scone, which they offered to heat up for her but she declined. I got a cinnamon scone as well but they didn't offer to heat mine up. Damn Starbucks.
* I was sitting [4/24] in front of the library at the University of Mississippi, facing the Lyceum (the administrative building housing the chancellor, etc). I saw Gov.Haley Barbourdrive 200 feet in a Mississippi State Trooper car in a pedestrian-only area, then get out and slowly waddle into the Lyceum with one security person. He had that air about him of an overweight, old, white, Southern male -- the "I'll take my damn time and I don't really give a shit about anyone else" attitude. He was speaking on campus about Hurricane Katrina recovery and for some reason you had to pay $150 to attend. I'm really not sure what the money went to, because it wasn't listed anywhere. Totally shady.
* On Saturday, 4/15, I was having lunch at the restaurant at Barneys New York in Beverly Hills, and sitting outside on the patio wasChelsea Clintonwith a bunch of friends. She was rocking some big-ass sunglasses and talking on her Razr. Her friends were all very good looking, hipster types - the kind of people you'd expect to find shopping at Barneys. I then ran into Chelsea in the bathroom. She looked great - much better in person.
* SawKen Mehlmanaround lunchtime today walking from the RNC to Longworth House Office Building. He's like 5-6 and really pasty. He was walking with some young Republican girl who asked him "so did you have a relaxing weekend?" To which he replied "Are you fucking kidding me? A relaxing weekend?" And that was all I caught before I ran back to my office to wash the contempt off of my hands.
*Joe Scarboroughseen at Starbucks (11th and E NW) on 4/28 with wife and child, looking very mystic tanned.
* SawJohn Ashcroftand wife on the Orange line tonight [4/26]. They we're headed toward VA and got off at Rosslyn. The eagles did not soar.
*Maury PovichandConnie Chungare at Nathan's at Wisconsin & M right now [4/26]. Should be interesting.
*R. Kellyeating in Subway on M. St. [4/10]. He eyed me down. I got scared and quickly walked away.