When did DC become Hollywood, anyway?

What is up with these red carpet events? Why is the press so chummy with the pols and having cocktails with them? Why is Nancy Pelosi wearing a ridiculous gown and laughing at Bush's offensive WMD "jokes" and acting like she's at the Oscars? Why do the WH Correspondents even HAVE a dinner?

What about that "Funniest Celebrity in DC" event on CSPAN. Since when does DC have celebs?

What about the "journalism" awards show I saw last year. They were giving each other awards for covering the war in Iraq. Guess who was the guest speaker? Yup. Dick Cheney.

The whole scene is sickening and I think it's to blame for the dire straits we're in now.

Who told these people they're like Hollywood celebrities? Where are their ethics? Who do they think they are? When did this happen?

And sadly, one of our's ushered it in

I'm not talking about state dinners.

I mean televised events that mimic Hollywood awards shows. Presidents* who tell jokes and opposition leaders who chortle and supposed journalists who laugh and laugh. And gowns and video screens and mutual self-congratulation.

wife" heped set the climate for DC chic. Several of his courtiers (Salinger, Schlesinger, Manchester, etc) even became "celebrity" pundits. It's uncomfortable (and perhaps inevitable), but still the truth

The journalists weren't part of it then, were they? Now we have this whole class of journalists who think they are Hollywood royalty, and who put on gowns and walk red carpets and give each other awards and then listen to a speech by the VERY person they've just given themselves an award for covering.

I get your point about Camelot but I think this is worse. The insidey-ness has infected the journalists and they can no longer distinguish themselves from the pols. They love glamour more than truth.