Wonk'd: They Are Human, They Need to Eat
Springtime in the city, and everybody is out grubbing. This week in Wonk'd findsBill Clinton, feasting like a king, er, president; JusticeSamuel Alito, chowing like it was his constitutional right; andMichael Chertoff, securing some risotto. Also spotted: Steve Carell, filming a new movie;Tom Brokaw, picking up some workout threads; andGrover Norquist, doing the shimmy-shimmy-shake. All this and more, of course, after the jump.
Loyal readers, you have supplied us with a bounty of celebrity sightings this week. Take advantage of the warm season, and go out and spot more people that may or may not want to be spotted. Then send the info to us via email , with "Wonk'd" or "Sighting" in the subject line (along with the name of the spotted celeb). Thanks!
*Bill Clintonate at Lauriol Plaza last night [4/11] with a few other men. His tie was very blue, his face was very red, and his hair was very white. He took photos with the staff around 12: 30am. They tipped extremely well & ate a lot of food/drank a lot of coffee.
* [From the same tipster as prior item] Also: I thinkAda Smitheats there regularly. I saw the pictures of her on Wonkette and she looks exactly like the bitch who always interrupts servers for extra beans and rice and then complains to the manager when you charge her for it!
* Saturday night, 4/2: In New York,Al and Tipper Goreexiting Rosa Mexicano (the East Side branch). Al looked like he weighed 250-plus pounds, but Tipper was looking fabulous. Has she had any work done?
* I sawSteve Carell, late of the Daily Show, the Office, and the 40 Year Old Virgin standing in front of the Mayflower Hotel today [4/10]. About 7 pm. He appeared to be waiting for his car. I made eye contact, and walked on by. He's smaller in person.
* DoesBob Schiefferhaving lunch [4/12] withKatie Couricat Michael's [NYC] count? They were in a corner table at the front and people were coming over the whole time to pay homage. Barbara Walters was there too and Katie went over to her (there was a pillar blocking my view but that's what the person I was with said). Also in attendance: a guy who looked so much likeTom DeLayit freaked me out. Taller and not as rotund, but his face had that waxy I'm-wearing-stage-makeup quality - doesn't it always kind of look like DeLay is wearing eyeliner?
* I'm not sure if this counts, as I'm in Oxford, Mississippi at the University of Mississippi. But I just [4/12] sawSen. Trent Lottgiving Treasury Sec.John Snowa tour of the Trent Lott Leadership Institute. Sec. Snow is speaking here in an hour. Trent Lott likes to bring people to campus (like John McCain and Bush Sr.) to show off his institute, which basically consists of a couple offices (one occupied by his former chief of staff), a classroom, and lots and lots of pictures of himself. I think there's a class a semester that meets in his "institute." And it seems like that one class a semester is always taught by a democratic former governor of Mississippi. It's all very strange.
* Not completely famous but last Friday [4/7] I saw DC chief of policeCharles Ramseycoming out of a flower shop near the Brooks Brothers in DuPont Circle. He held the door open while a fellow police officer carried out a very large and tacky floral arrangement. On a side note, the Chief looks much thinner and shorter in person.
* Last night [4/11] at the Banana Republic in Georgetown, I sawTom Brokawbuying a couple plain t-shirts (gray and white). After helping Brokaw swipe his credit card, the red-headed kid behind the counter asked him for I.D. Brokaw at first didn't seem to understand the request, but then looked peeved and complied.
* I live nearGrover Norquistin NE (he lives on Constitution and 8th, btw). A couple nights ago, he was doing some amateur gardening in the smallish front lawn of his nice townhouse (thanks ATR/Jack/Indian-tribes-the-world-over for the lovely home!). He was wearing what looked to be a dark-colored polo shirt (untucked), faded jeans, and tennis shoes... all-in-all, a bit frumpy, but there's precious little time to exercise when one's occupations involves destroying America 24 hours/day. Like most normal people - although the sheer amount of evil that dwells within Grover is far from normal - Mr. Norquist followed his gardening diversion with a shower. Problem was, the mini-blinds on the master bathroom (located on the top floor of his home, at the front of the house) had been jostled, leaving the lower half of the bathroom window's contents painfully (believe me) exposed. Thus, I witnessed - for a total of about 2 minutes - Grover's post-shower dry off routine from his navel to his knees. Notably, he did the towel butt-floss thing TWICE. More important considerations were obscured by what looked to be a very unruly nest/jungle/rainforest of thick-n-curlies. An attempt to capture the moment via digital camera was unfortunately too late... Mrs. Norquist - who is notably taller than Grover - may have been calling.
* Sighted on the 2: 00pm [4/11] shuttle from Laguardia to National yesterday:Chris Wallaceof Fox News and son-of-Mike-Wallace fame. He was a bit hunched over and whispering into his cell phone, so, unfortunately, I couldn't overhear his latest scoop, but I naturally assume either (1) the pentagon is putting together plans to nuke New York City as a bastion of terrorism or (2) Bloomberg is about to be appointed to something.
* My colleagues and I sat next toSamuel Alitoand some other old guy at lunch today [4/12] at that venerable power lunch spot, Kelly's Irish Times. Alas, I didn't see what he was or wasn't eating or drinking. In retrospect, I really wish my table had been more articulate regarding our position on abortion and privacy, but we did loudly congratulate ourselves for a while on living in a city so true blue that the VP gets booed when he shows up to throw an opening pitch.
* NBC punditCharlie Cookat the Nats opening day.
* On Sunday [4/9], I saw Sen.Richard Shelbyhaving brunch with a woman who seemed to be his wife. Bistro Francais in Georgetown. When he left everyone stared and he waved, and I waved back like I was all excited or a republican or something. Odd since I'm still a little bitter that he switched parties, but oh well. He looked very senatorial in a navy blue suit.
* [From the same tipster as prior item] I was a little more excited (forget which day it was-- it was right after Delay resigned.) when i sawTerry McAuliffeon 15th Street. I was walking past Butterfield 9. He's very handsome. I've had a small crush on him ever since i saw him on C-Span and he mentioned something about wrestling alligators. (Also, I'd like to point out how pathetic I am. a) I don't really watch C-Span and b) I connect this sighting to congressional events, i.e. Tom Delay's resignation. I'm so disgusted with myself.) I also remember wondering what Terry was talking about and wondering if he's really excited about Delay's resignation.
* [A really prolific tipster] I also sawMatt Cooperwalking in Gtown on Sunday [4/7]. But I see Matt Cooper all the time. He's a regular on the 30-lines of buses.
* SawMichael Chertoffplus security goons at Cafe Milano last night [4/11], in the private dining room on the left at the entrance. Goons were outside, clogging the door area... And yeah, Milano on a Tuesday was an obnoxious call. ps - Have you ever listened to their hold message/promotion/music? It's worth putting a streaming clip on your site - you will not believe how stupid it is. Call in and ask to be put on hold, trust me.
* FOX 5'sWill Thomasstrolling in Dupont [4/12] wearing a bright white sport coat, dark shirt, and jeans (I think--I was forced to squint.) The lapels were so wide, he almost poked my eye out as he walked by.
* While crossing the triangle park across from city bikes in Adams Morgan on the corner of Euclid and Columbia around 5: 30 today [4/12], I was pretty surprised to see none other than former Deputy Secretary of State and current President of the Brookings Institution,Strobe Talbottjust hanging out in the park. He was talking on the phone (I think) since he was standing there (looking crazy) speaking to no one in particular but wearing one of those blue-tooth headsets. He looked like he was trying to re-live his youth or something because he was wearing a really worn white t-shirt tucked into some khaki shorts and sandals.
* I sawBob Barrsitting in the lobby of the Hall of the States last Friday [4/7], looking exceptionally bored. It's not uncommon to see "famous-for-DC" types in the HoS, which houses Fox News, C-Span and NBC/MSNBC Washington bureaus. What was unusual was that Bob was sitting in the little waiting area by security with a group of about a half-dozen other guys, none of whom were recognizable as anyone important. Perhaps he was waiting for his old buddy Newt, who has an office upstairs on the Fox News floor?
* [From the same tipster as prior item] I also seeRobert Novakaround the building a lot since he got the gig with Fox. He scares me...his perpetual scowl, his old man's gait, his three-piece suits...he reminds me of Ebeneezer Scrooge, if he were a pundit.
* MayorAnthony Williams(and a rather large entourage) was out bowling at Lucky Strike tonight, April 13. Wearing a forest green, long-sleeved polo, jeans, and a red Nats cap, the Mayor didn't bowl all that well (a 114 in the game we saw). And his bowling moniker? "That Man."
* On Wednesday night [4/13], around 9 p.m., I sawMalcolm Jamal-Warner-- a.k.a. Theo Huxtable -- checking out at the Whole Foods on P Street. Everyone behind him in line was totally freaking out and whispering about him! He seemed very nice and just went about his business, like any other shopper.