Washington's constituition is coming to Mount Vernon

Photo Credit: The Blogmocracy

George Washington's Constitution is coming home to Mount Vernon. Washingtonian's Capital Comment blog reports, "The Mount Vernon Ladies' Association won an auction Friday at Christie's for the rare book that far exceeded the estimated sale. In furious bidding, the book, which pre-sale estimates suggested might fetch $3 million, went instead for nearly $10 million. The 106-page book, contains Washington's handwritten notes and the family bookplate, the book has the first President's personal copy of the US Constitution, a draft of the Bill of Rights, and other documents recording the early acts of the new Congress. Washington received the book in 1789, his first year in office as US president, and brought it with him to Mount Vernon upon his retirement from public office in 1797." More from Washingtonian Magazine.

Obama announces Olympic opening ceremony delegation

Photo Credit: DC Urban Sports on Blogspot

President Obama announced last week the Olympic opening ceremony delegation is heading to London next month. Washingtonian magazine says, "The President has selected seven people to represent the U.S. at the opening ceremonies July 27, which includes the First Lady and a number of former Olympic and Paralympic stars. Among them will be Grant Hill, a member of the 1996 Dream Team; and Dominique Dawes, who has three bronze medals and one gold, earned as part of the 1996 Magnificent Seven. The First Lady will lead the delegation and hopes to parlay the excitement surrounding the games into increased sports participation by American kids." More from the Washingtonian's Capital Comment blog.

Former NY Governor's "bad" birthday gift

Photo Credit: Mario Cuomo Twitter Account

Former New York governor Mario Cuomo has, for some reason, never sat for an official portrait, resulting in a sad, empty space on the wall of Albany's Hall of Governors. But no more. Daily Intel says, Cuomo's friends secretly commissioned an oil-on-canvas painting based on a 1989 photograph of the politician, and then they had his son, current governor Andrew Cuomo, present it to him as a belated birthday gift. According to an aide present for the surprise unveiling, which took place during an Executive Mansion gathering of campaign alumni, the elder Cuomo wasn't totally thrilled. "I didn't want a portrait, I didn't ask for a portrait," he said during a brief address. However, by the end, he was willing to admit to at least "liking" the thing. More from NY Mag's Daily Intel.

Murdoch rips Romney



Photo Credit: AP


News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch seems disappointed with Mitt Romney's campaign. On Sunday, the owner of Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, revealed on Twitter that he's not happy with the Republican nominee. "When is Romney going to look like a challenger? Seems to play everything safe, make no news except burn off Hispanics...," he tweeted. "Easy for Romney to spell out restoration of the American dream and bash incompetent administration. But not a word!" In a previous tweet,
Murdoch had declared Rick Santorum was the,
"only candidate with genuine big vision for the country." More from Politico.

'Glee' star visits the White House

Photo Credit: ABC News

Jane Lynch was on hand to see President Obama depart the White House on Marine One on Friday. The "Glee" star tweeted a video from the scene, writing: "Marine One Lift Off!" A White House official said that Lynch also "had a brief drop by the Oval Office." According to ABC, Lynch was at 1600 Pennsylvania Thursday as well when she had the chance to meet the first dog. "Bo was pretty awesome," she said afterward. The actress, who's hosting a fundraiser for President Obama this week, also tasted some cherry pie from the pastry kitchen as part of the tour. More from Politico's Click Blog.

Cheney's daughter ties the knot





Photo Credit: The Daily Caller

Former Vice President Dick Cheney's daughter Mary has tied the knot, The Daily Caller reports. They write, "Mary Cheney, the openly gay daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has married her long-time partner Heather Poe. Cheney spokeswoman Kara Ahern confirmed to site that the couple married Friday morning in Washington, D.C. In a statement provided to The Daily Caller, both the former vice president and his wife, Lynne, said they are "delighted" the couple could have their "relationship recognized." Poe and Mary Cheney have two children: Cheney gave birth to a son in 2007, and a daughter in 2009. They live together in Virginia." More from The Daily Caller.

The "Romey Boys" appear on Conan

The five Romney boys did in fact pop up on Conan Wednesday night. Entertainment Weekly writes, "Tagg, Matt, Josh, Ben and Craig stopped by the program in an attempt to humanize their dad. Conan O'Brien joked about the number of them right off the bat, passing around name tags and pointing out that he felt like the "Romney Boys", as the press calls them, were better suited to a boy band at the mall than the campaign trail. The five took the jokes in stride and came prepared with stories about their dad from when they were kids. The big takeaway: Mitt Romney loves pranks. In the funniest moment (video above), they shared a campaign highlight from when Gov. Romney was hoping for an endorsement from Arnold Schwarzenegger. The brothers had a machine that makes your voice sound like Arnold’s, and called their dad asking ridiculous questions like, “Who is your daddy?” Mitt did not seem amused. More from Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch Blog.

Joe Biden calls Oregon grad



Photo Credit: Glittarazzi.com


Vice President Joe Biden surprised recent graduate Carly Burns with a phone call after meeting her parents at a California fundraiser. The Sacramento Bee reports, "Hello, this is Vice President Joe Biden," the caller said she thought it was a joke. Well, it wasn't. Carly's mother and father, Dina and Michael Burns, had shaken Biden's hand minutes earlier at a fundraiser in the Sutter Club. They mentioned that their daughter had just graduated from the University of Oregon, had studied abroad in Tunisia, had been inspired by him and had kept a newspaper from Election Day 2008 on the wall of her room. "He said, Oh get her on the phone." After two or three minutes, the conversation was over, a simple exchange in what seems to be an endless trail of fundraising and campaigning leading up to the November presidential election. More from the Sacramento Bee.

Congressman's Stolen Motorboat Recovered

A thief swiped Congressman Norm Dicks' boat, but according to In the Know, the boat is back in safe waters. They write, "The Washington Democrat's cell phone started ringing Wednesday in the middle of his speech on the financial services spending bill. It was his son, Ryan, calling up his dad to update him on the boat, which had been stolen the previous night." Dicks' office tells ITK that Dicks keeps a motorboat for fishing at a canal in his home state. "It was tied up out there, but someone must have taken it out for a joy ride because it was apparently hotwired," said Dicks' Chief of Staff, George Behan. After hanging up with his son, Dicks apologized and told the crowd, "My boat was stolen last night...but we got it back." Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky) later quipped to his colleague, "The next time I borrow your boat, can you leave more gas in the tank?" More from The Hill's In The Know.

Photo Credit: The Seattle Times

Palin's "Life's a Tripp" falls flat in ratings



Photo Credit: Hollywood Life


"Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp" didn't attract many viewers on Tuesday night, Deadline reports: The premier of Lifetime's new reality series Bristol Palin: Life's a Tripp drew an underwhelming 726,000 total viewers and 254,000 adults ages 18-49. Life's a Tripp, which received mostly negative reviews, also was well below the debut of the Lifetime's now-defunct Roseanne Barr docureality series Roseanne's Nuts, which opened with 1.6 subsequent airings. Let's just say the primer of Bristol's show didn't take after her mother's. Sarah Palin's Alaska, a reality show the state's governor hosted from November 2010 to January 2011, actually premiered to record numbers for its home network, TLC. Nonetheless, the program failed to achieve a longevity beyond a few months. Todd Palin is the next member of the Palin clan to join the reality TV scene. Todd will be one of many competing on NBC's new show Stars Earn Stripes. More from Deadline Hollywood.

Press Corps vs. Congress



Photo Credit: The Washington Post

It was the women of Congress versus the women who cover Congress last night. But the Congressional women's softball team couldn't catch the journalists who spend their days covering the Capitol. The "Bad News Babes," as the journalists called themselves, beat Congress 13-10 in a game that was a near blowout for most of the evening. Between the play-by-play came announcements of the latest member to walk in. Among the notables in the bleaches were Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, House Speaker John Boehner, Senator Lindsey Graham, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Majority Whip Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer. Last year, Congress narrowly edged out reporters 5-4, who in 2011 had rallied to beat the members 13-7. The game was part of a benefit to raise money for the Young Survival Coalition, which aids young women affected by breast cancer. More from CNN's Political Ticker.

Brit and Mitt have something in common



Photo Credit: Steve Jennings/WireImage, Joe Raedle/Getty Images, ACLifts.com



Britney Spears and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney have something in common — they both have the same elevator in their homes. Us Weekly says, "both installed state-of-the-art $55,000 Phantom Park car elevators." The recently engaged singer had the lift in her old Calabasas, California rental. Romney ordered one for the $12 million La Jolla, California pad he plans to renovate after the election in November. American Custom Lifts describes the elevator on their website as a "dream for auto aficionados who like to maintain a hands-on relationship with their machines." says creator Brad Davies, "a lot of celebrities have the elevators!" More from US Weekly.

Clinton spices up ceremony

Photo Credit: ABC News

Secretary Clinton decided to spice up the swearing in of Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Michael Hammer by wearing purple costume jewelry and wing-tipped purple and green sunglasses. ABC reports, "Amidst a room full of family, friends and colleagues, Clinton started her remarks by saying that the day was not only about Hammer but the color purple, well-known throughout the State Department as the assistant secretary's favorite color. The secretary of state proceeded to put on purple mardi gras beads and what she called her "piece de resistance," wing-tipped purple and green glasses.(Clip) "Mike I was in a real dilemma," joked Clinton. "I have pantsuits in nearly every color — except purple," she said as the crowd clapped and laughed. More from ABC's The Note.

Romney Repels Readers

Photo Credit: The New Yorker

BuzzFeed says that Mitt Romney is losing in the war on the web. They write, "the Republican's traffic poison has been felt this year at websites across the political spectrum — including at BuzzFeed — and it's left many editors, publishers and bloggers yearning for the days of the unpredictable Sarah Palin, the maverick John McCain and the Obama-Clinton blood feud. "Some of this is probably because Romney is old news; in a sense he's been running for president for five years," said Matt Lewis, a blogger at The Daily Caller. Lewis, like other journalists interviewed, declined to share specific metrics. But he said he sees a noticeable drop-off in online engagement when he writes a post about Romney." More from Buzzfeed.com.

Child writes Ronald Reagan requesting "federal funds"

When Andy Smith's mother declared his room a "disaster area" in 1984, he got the awesome idea to write then- POTUS Ronald Reagan with a request for federal funds to hire a cleanup crew. HyperVocal says, "Surprisingly, the Gipper responded with a personalized letter, politely telling Smith that he person declaring his room a disaster — in this case, Smith's mother — is supposed to make the request, and uses the opportunity to plug his private-sector initiative. Reagan writes, "Your situation appears to be natural. I'm sure your mother was fully justified in proclaiming your room a disaster. Therefore you are in an excellent position to launch another volunteer program to go along with the more than 3,000 already underway in our nation — congratulations." More from HyperVocal.

Photo Credit: HyperVocal.com

Catherine Zeta-Jones uses Michele Bachmann as her muse

Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones says she looked to Rep. Michele Bachmann to fine-tune her part in the new movie "Rock of Ages." "I kind of had a Michael Bachmann moment," Zeta-Jones told iVillage, when asked whether any politicians shaped the role. "...She'll hate me for the rest of my life, but yes I did." Zeta-Jones described the woman she plays, who's the wife of a mayor, as a "conservative, everything has to be perfect, control freak who has a past." More from Politico's Click Blog.

Secret Service scrutinized while vacationing on the Vineyard

Photo Credit: J. Scott Applewhite / AP

Today is officially the first day of summer and if President Obama follows his usual routine, we can expect him to be sunning and funning on Martha's Vineyard in August. But according to Fox News, the Secret Service hasn't been on its best behavior during the trip in years past. "They left ammo behind, they told me things they shouldn't be telling anyone about the details about how they protect the president. They let us hold their weapons, see all their stuff, they had huge house parties," said the man, who spoke to FoxNews.com with his wife on the condition they not be named. A chef at one popular restaurant, said the hi-jinks weren't confined to male agents. Three female Secret Service agents "partied just as much, if not more, than the other guys," he said, and even organized tequila-fueled "ladies nights" out on the town. More from Fox News.

Bob Turner gives Bieber the boot

Photo Credit: Josh Haner/The New York Times

The democratic congressman, who is seeking for the Republican nomination to challenge Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, made headlines when he arrived at a public elementary school Monday. Turner decided to protest Coney Island elementary school's principal, Greta Hawkins after the New York Post reported she sought to replace "God Bless the USA" with Justin Bieber's popular song "Baby"at a kindergarten graduation. Sources later reported that this never happened. Still, this story prompted political protest. Turner showed up to the school in order to lead flag-waving children and parents in a rendition of "God Bless the U.S.A." Those in support of the principal, countered with "America the Beautiful" and according to the New York Times, the event "devolved into rival groups of children singing in a kind of face-off." Hawkins was said to have banned the patriotic song because the lyrics were "too adult." More from NYMag's Daily Intel blog.

Todd Palin to compete on NBC reality show

Todd Palin is yet another member of the Palin clan to join reality television. Between his wife's "Sarah Palin's Alaska" and daughter Bristol's "Life's a Tripp", this dad caught the reality TV bug. Todd will compete on NBC's forthcoming reality show "Stars Earn Stripes" — a series hosted by retired U.S. Army General Wesley Clark. Entertainment Weekly reports: Stars Earn Stripes will feature celebrities competing in tough military training exercises. NBC has tapped General Wesley Clark (ret.), to host the show along with TV personality Samantha Harris. The celebrity competitors include: boxing champion Laila Ali, actor Dean Cain (Out of Time), former NFL player Terry Crews (The Expendables), singer Nick Lachey (The Sing-Off), Olympic gold medalist Picabo Street, The Biggest Loser trainer Dolvett Quince, WWE star Eve Torres and of course, Todd Palin. "Stars Earn Stripes" premieres August 13, according to NBC. More from Entertainment Weekly.

Photo Credit: Time Inc.