Wow, we've been away far too long!  While we'd like to say that we were off solving the economic crisis or finding a cure for cancer, truth is, we've been watching waaaaay too many episodes of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.  And we've been busy planning our next Cocktail Caucus with Saks Fifth Avenue which, by the way, will take place on Sunday, July 12th from 1 to 4 pm.  But more on that later!  For now, the news...

Talk of the Town:  Get ready to hear nothing but healthcare, healthcare, HEALTHCARE in Washington.  President Obama wants to reform America's healthcare system, but he'll need a bipartisan compromise in Congress to pull it off. [The New York Times]

What in the World:  North Norea is giving the U.S. all kinds of 'tude.  Despite international warnings to end its nuclear program, North Korea is shouting from the rooftops that it will continue to try to build nuclear weapons.  And as for U.S. backed U.N. sanctions against the country? "We'll take firm military action if the United States and its allies try to isolate us," a spokesman for North Korea said. [New York Times]

Beauty Contest:  Remember back in high school, how during elections for homecoming queen, the winner was always the pretty cheat who stuffed the ballot box with multiple votes for herself?  Well,  Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also digs this campaign strategy.  He won Iran's presidential election taking 62% of the vote, even though few can remember voting for him.  Man, ballot stuffing = really effective campaign strategy!  (Well it works, doesn't it?  Who cares if some jealous bitches - or in Ahmadinejad's case, citizens denied the right to vote - get mad?)  [The Washington Post]

Sex:  We're so glad Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is defending her membership in an all-women's group, because we will never, ever let a man join Polichicks.  Unless he's hot. [Politico]

The Skinny:  Ruby was here! We were going to join her for a health walk around Georgetown, but then we opted to lick frosting off cupcakes instead. Anyway, Love ya Rub and sorry we missed ya! [The Washington Post]

That's all.  We must go shopping now....  Toodles.

This young brother is really feeling the president's fade. 

President Obama bends over to let the young son of a White House staffer touch his hair, because the child wants to see if the president's hair feels just like his own.

For the first time in our history, an African American child visiting the White House can see that someone with hair (and skin) like his (or hers) can be anything he wants to be when he grows up - even president of the United States of America.  It's amazing to see that what an Obama presidency means for African Americans - inclusion, representation, unlimited dreams and long awaited, hard fought for change - is not lost on a child this small.

President Obama picked up a hearty lunch at Five Guys (the one by Nats stadium) Friday afternoon.  He ordered a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, jalepeno peppers and mustard. Dee- lish!

(For those of you who are unfamiliar with Five Guys, just know this one little fact:  Give an atheist a bite of a Five Guys burger, and you'll have her on her knees, shoutin' thanks to the Lord and speaking in tongues! They are that good.  Seriously.) 

Anyway - as you can see in the video,  the president is one of those guys who doesn't decide what he wants until he gets to the counter and takes forever to place an order. We like the prez, but that drives us CRAY-ZAY! He's also a chatty fella and seems to enjoy making small talk with the other folks waiting for food.]]> http://www.polichicksonline.com/2009/05/president-stops-for-scooby-sna.html http://www.polichicksonline.com/2009/05/president-stops-for-scooby-sna.html Barack Obama Barack Obama Fri, 29 May 2009 23:43:49 -0500 Soooo, we got this casting notice looking for a few good Polichicks who want to keep it real... on film:

EMMY AWARD-WINNING LOS ANGELES BASED PRODUCTION COMPANY is NOW CASTING for a new docu-reality series set in Washington DC!

We are currently looking for a range of women in DC, from young up-and-comers (determined staffers, aspiring politicians, fearless journalists, and fledgling socialites) to the real powerbrokers on the Hill (commanding congresswomen, sassy socialites and dynamic divas in charge).  We want the wonder women of Washington who know the ins and outs of both the political and social scene.  The show will follow the lives of these high-octane women as they tackle the daily dramas that only DC can dish out.

Our company currently has nine series on the air and would like to feature you in one of our next series!

If you and your circle of friends are interested and worthy of having your own show, please submit an email to:

Weingradcasting@gmail.com

Please include:  Name, age, occupation, give a brief bio of who you are, tell us why you think you should have your own show.  Don't forget to add recent photos, and a contact number where you can be reached.

MUST LIVE IN THE DC AREA!

And you thought reality TV drama ended with campaign '08.

Nigel Barker, Rep. Nita Lowey and Pam Barnes.  Photo credit: Nigel Barker, LLC  

When it comes to helping children and families with AIDS, Nigel Barker is a "top model" advocate.  Barker, who is best known as a photographer and judge on America's Top Model, is a longtime supporter on the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and champion for public policies that help children with AIDS. 

Barker recently accompanied  the foundation's president and CEO, Pam Barnes, to Capitol Hill for an advocacy visit with Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY).  Barker and Barnes spoke with the congresswoman about the foundation's policy work; programs in Africa preventing HIV transmission from mothers to infants; and treating children, mothers, and families living with the virus.

Barker was also shooting material for an upcoming documentary about the foundation's history and current efforts to eradicate pediatric AIDS. He recently traveled to Tanzania filming clinics suppoted by the foundation and talking to mothers and children with AIDS. The documentary is scheduled to have its premiere at an event in DC sometime in the fall.

White House Social Secretary, Desiree Rogers, and Special Advisor to President Obama, Valerie Jarrett, are featured on the cover of the June issue of Capitol File.  Read the cover story over here.

As ambassador, Bristol will promote abstinence as a means of teen pregnancy prevention, although she has said in the past that abstinence is "not realistic" for teens. "I am so happy to have this opportunity to work with The Candie's Foundation on spreading the message of teen pregnancy prevention. I feel that I could be a living example of the consequences of teen pregnancy," Palin said in a statement released by the foundation.  "If I can prevent even one girl from getting pregnant, I will feel a sense of accomplishment."

Last year, the Candies Foundation ran a public service announcement that warned about the teen pregancy "epidemic" and featured pictures of Palin and Jamie Lynn Spears, who is also a teen mother.   

Michelle Obama made People magazine's list of most beautiful people for 2009.

First Lady Michelle Obama was a hit at the Kennedy Center Spring Gala, receiving a standing ovation even though she never appeared on stage.  She enjoyed the event with her mother and longtime girlfriends Valerie Jarrett (Special Advisor to President Obama)  and Desiree Rogers (White House Social Secretary).  Gala guests included Vera Wang and Paris Hilton.

Desiree Rogers in the East Room of the White House.  She is wearing Cartier earrings (We want, want WANT!) and a trench coat by Viktor & Rolf.

We've got some interesting dish on White house Social Secretary Desiree Rogers.  Like, when she plans a White House party, she has a lot more on her mind than just seating charts, what to wear and whether to go with cloth or paper napkins - she's thinking of how each event might extend the Obama presidency as a brand.  (Smart!) She has an after Weight Watchers figure (hate her!), impeccable taste, and - get this!- an ancestor who was a Creole voodoo priestess! (No, seriously.) 

How are we so smart?  Where do we get our secrets?  Why, from WSJ Magazine, of course!  Ms. Rogers is featured in the May issue.  So either pick up a copy or click on the links below to take a peek inside the magazine and her fabulous life.

You can read the WSJ magazine article about Desiree here.

You can view a slide show of Desiree-produced White House events here.

You can see who Desiree has friended here. 

You can check out Polichicks last profile on Desiree (including a CNN video interview with her) here. 

Stereotypes are seen as a necessary mechanism for making sense of information.... When people don't fit our preconceived notions, we tend to ignore the contradictions, until they are too dramatic to overlook. In those cases, said John F. Dovidio, a psychology professor at Yale, we focus on the contradiction -- Ms. Boyle's voice, for example. While that makes us see her as more of an individual, we also "find a way to make the world make sense again, even if the way we do it is to say, 'This is an exceptional situation.' It's easier for me to keep the same categories in my mind and come up with an explanation for the things that are discrepant."

Even when presented with multiple exceptions to the stereotype, we often keep the broad category and simply create a subtype, Professor Dovidio said.

For example, President Obama challenged negative stereotypes about blacks, but some people may have come up with a subtype of blacks -- black professionals -- rather than challenge the overall stereotype, Professor Dovidio said.

Makes an interesting conversation, to say the least. 

First Lady Michelle Obama's well-toned arms have attracted many compliments and landed her on the cover of several magazines.  Not to be outdone, her husband Barack scored a few "hot bod" points himself this month, when Washingtonian put his presidential pecks on its May cover and declared that "Our New Neighbor is Hot."

This being Washington and all, the cover has inspired serious debate: Appropriate or not to put a half nekked U.S. president on a magazine cover and call him hot?  What about calling him beefcake, tenderoni or hunk o' hunk of burnin' love instead of hot?  Any better or no?  Do limitations on name calling apply to magazines only, or do they also apply to in person interactions? Say at a White House dinner, would it be okay to to introduce yourself to the president as Sasha Fierce and greet him with a respectful (albeit slightly husky and slurred), "Shawty, what your name is?" 

After these issues are resolved, Washington power players will return to solving the economic crisis.