Quote of the Day:
“Concerned that my phone just sent me a message welcoming me to Canada. I thought this plane was landing in Detroit.”
— Olivia Nuzzi, writer, New York Mag.
Mood: “iPhone still thinks I mean to say ‘ducking,’ I see.” — Seung Min Kim, White House reporter, Washington Post.
Ex-Weiner sexting amor Sydney Elaine Leathers is a journalist
Sydney Elaine Leathers is starting out strong. “My best guy friend invited himself over,” she tweeted this afternoon ahead of tonight’s Democratic debate on CNN. “I let him know there are 2 problems: it’s debate night & I’m out of weed.”
On Wednesday morning, Leathers made her debut as a journalist with her first story for Washington Babylon
Her father gave her a big thumbs up.
“BTW I read your article, I loved it you are so smart and beautiful as well,” he texted her in a run-on sentence. “You are one in a million my sweet daughter. Too corny? Too bad I meant it.”
Her new boss, Ken Silverstein, formerly of Harper’s Bazaar, promoted his new star writer for Washington Babylon.
“Sydney Leathers, aka @sydneyelainexo, is country’s smartest & funniest political analyst. Disagree? You haven’t read her. I couldn’t be prouder that she’s our Senior Contributing Writer. ‘Did You Wake Up Depressed? Yeah, I Watched Democratic Debate Too.’
The real headline is slightly more suicidal: “Did You Wake Up Feeling Like Dying? Yeah, I Watched The Democratic Debate Too.”
Read her debut piece here.
Silverstein has a lot of hefty promises for his new publication (bolding is mine):
“Would you prefer something written to high reporting standards but that treats politicians, the media and the entire political class with total contempt? How fun would it be to have a vicious online tabloid that mixes highbrow political investigations with the sleaziest (but truest) Washington political gossip?”
“That’s where WashingtonBabylon.com comes in. I’m going to cover DC politicians and journalists like Hollywood celebrities — not the way they are worshiped by our current media masters, but the way they were mocked and exposed by the great Hollywood tabloid Confidential and by Kenneth Anger in his wonderful, lurid book Hollywood Babylon.”
“You want stories about Bill Clinton shacking up with two blondes at a luxury DC hotel? Coming right up. You want to know how deeply Hillary Clinton has been penetrated by Wall Street? I’m on it. You’re wondering if Donald Trump has his brain up his ass or if he doesn’t have one at all? I can answer that question. A Democrat with a coke problem? A Republican family values man whoring around town? Trust me, these things are happening right now and I will have the details.”
The Ass Kisser
“It was another good night for President @realDonaldTrump. My advice to him after tonight: Get out of these people’s way! You are winning the battle of ideas. Sit back and enjoy the show! #DemDebate.” — Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).
Confessional.
“I’d rather be hired help than still on the Democrat Plantation.” — Raheem Kassam, editor, Human Events.
ShareBlue‘s Oliver Willis piped up, “Oh you’re definitely on a plantation.”
Kassam replied, “Womp womp.”
Trump dings CNN’s Don Lemon (because of course he does)
“CNN’s Don Lemon, the dumbest man on television, insinuated last night while asking a debate “question” that I was a racist, when in fact I am “the least racist person in the world.” Perhaps someone should explain to Don that he is supposed to be neutral, unbiased & fair… or is he too dumb (stupid} [sic] to understand that. No wonder CNN’s ratings (MSNBC’s also) have gone down the tubes – and will stay there until they bring credibility back to the newsroom. Don’t hold your breath!”
Please note: It is not clear what Trump’s single squiggly parenthesis is supposed to mean. But he obviously knows his synonyms.
Should Ben Dreyfuss move to Brooklyn?
“I don’t know what I want. I can’t make up my mind. Someone please take my choices away from me. Thor’s brother was right when he said in that one Avengers film that freedom is a burden. This tweet is about whether I should move to Brooklyn or not.” — Ben Dreyfuss, editorial director, Mother Jones.
Journo is upset about having to miss ‘The Bachelorette’
“Really fucked up that I have to miss the Bachelorette finale for my job/democracy.” — Priyanka Aribindi, newsletter writer, Crooked Media.
In the weeds of the CNN debates
“It took over 100 people eight days to build the set for CNN’s Democratic debates. Nine 53-foot semi-trucks were needed to haul in all the equipment.” — Oliver Darcy, media writer, CNN.
Lesbian reporter deals with new mommy questions
“A thing I’ve noticed a week into becoming a mama: nurses + med forms assume there is a husband. In 24 hours, a nurse told my wife her hubby had to fill out part of a birth certificate form; the form req’d a mom and dad + a nurse asked if I was family. As I held my baby. Come on!”
“I have a feeling this is going to happen forever. I’ve been thinking about responses that are fun and also make everyone feel awkward. ‘You need the husband’s name? Sure. Jennifer.’ or ‘Oh we dumped that guy in a trash can after we used him.’ or ‘I’m daddy. Who’s yo daddy?'”
“Just means it’s time rail against the ol heteronormative paradigm some more. Ain’t no thang.”
— Jennifer Bendery, HuffPost.
The Observer
“There is nothing sadder than Beto O’Rourke saying ‘in my administration.'” — Ross Douthat, columnist, NYT.
A note on Bernie Sanders’ voice
“Bernie Sanders makes my ears bleed. Stop shouting.” — Mary Elizabeth Chastain, Reason, The Hill, Washington Examiner.
Gossip Roundup
Jonathan Weisman, deputy Washington editor, NYT: “Admit it, you’re in love with Marianne Williamson — or at least her dusky voice.”
Katherine Krueger, Splinter News: “Time to read the comments on my Marianne Won post to really put me in a good mood for the day.”
Charlie Savage, national security reporter, NYT: “I ran into Williamson on Sunday at a green room at MSNBC and the makeup artist did not cry, but that aside I would just like to note that nobody watches more TV news than the makeup artists who work for the channels. It is playing their entire workday whether they like it or not.”
BuzzFeed‘s Ben Smith can corroborate this: “A Marianne Williamson staffer told me in Miami that when she visits the networks, reporters and producers sneer at her but the makeup artists always cry when they meet her.”
Former Gov. Mike Huckabee: “I may abandon my support of @realDonaldTrump and go w/ Marianne Willamson. I’ve already lit a candle, stroked a crystal, got in yoga pose, taken deep breaths, and chanted out loud and I feeling real love right now. She’s got the groove!”
Ezra Klein, Vox: “Williamson legit outshining most of the candidates on that stage.”
Caitlin Huey-Burns, CBS News: “I asked Marianne Williamson how she thinks she did tonight: ‘I don’t know, I was in my own head.'”
Debate watchers treat Beto O’Rourke like a piece of meat: “Gays at my house now debating whether Beto is ‘even cute.’ Getting kinda heated.” — Guy Benson, openly gay contributor, Fox News.
Author Emily Miller remarked, “Ugh!! Enough with this hot Beto nonsense. It goes right to his head.”
The Fashion Critic: “Brown shoes with a blue suit? WTF, Buttigieg?!” — Daniel Drezner, WaPo contributor.
