<b><em>Tick Tock</b></em>: WHCD 2013

By Betsy Rothstein, Peter Ogburn and Eddie Scarry The White House Correspondents' Dinner was a blur this year as stars, journalists, nerdy political types -- and Psy -- rubbed elbows. Well, not Psy, he was busy smoking. But the rest of 'em fawned and frolicked around the Washington Hilton oohing and ahhing at one another's evening wear. People watching was admittedly pretty phenomenal. As evidenced by the shrieks coming from young, female bystanders salivating at the mere sight of a star. Each time an actor or well-known journalist walked by, they screamed and barked things out at them like faux paparazzi. In a moment of hilarity, one journalist, who shall remain nameless, was heard biting a security employee's head off as they kept constantly trying to herd and push a small smattering of people waiting by the door from one end to the other. "I have two tickets, I have a right to be here and I'm not moving," the person snapped in a display of spectacular irritation. Security immediately backed right down and eased away. And the lesson is? Yelling wins! (By the way, pictured above: actress Kate Walsh.) 4:35 p.m. Betsy tells Eddie she need 15 more minutes. He replies, "Are you trying to squeeze in a size 8 dress again?" 5:42 p.m. Eddie is running slightly behind because he has no idea how to tie a bow-tie and he couldn't get the Tucker Carlson consult. As usual, Carlson skipped out of town for the WHCD. We learned later in the evening that he's in New Orleans riding Go Karts with Daily Caller Publisher Neil Patel. 6:13 p.m. Settling in at the lobby of the Washington Hilton for some major people watching. MC Hammer sighting. Girls screaming, "WOO HOO! WOO HOO!" 6:14 p.m. TIME's Zeke Miller enters in a wrinkly blazer. 6:15 p.m. DJ at Atlantic party may have Tourette's. Ticking and chirping, etc... 6:16 p.m. Fox News Correspondent Peter Doocy sighting. This guy is too tall and everywhere this weekend. 6:17 p.m. Washington Examiner Nikki Schwab sighting. Her hair is in curls this evening. Very pleasant interaction. 6:18 p.m. Woman walks into the Hilton wearing a kimono. 6:19 p.m. It's Kathleen Turner. The gaggle of girls in the lobby: "Kathleen we love you!!!" 6:20 p.m. Amy Poehler walks by. "Ahh ahh we love you Amy!" 6:21 p.m. CBS' Gayle King has entered the hotel in a stunner of a kelly green gown by Vicky Tiel. 6:22 p.m. A rando woman who won't stop yapping is saying to her friends, "I'm walking around the house going, does this match?" 6:23 p.m. The NPR greeter awaiting NPR party guests in the front of the hotel looks like he should be at the airport. He's a vision of nerdy perfection. 6:24 p.m. Washington Examiner's Byron York walks into the hotel and promptly walks down the wrong set of stairs. 6: 25 p.m. It's Fox News' Geraldo Rivera! He's all smiles for anyone who approaches. Up close his mustache is nothing short of thick and amazing. 6:27 p.m. A Jon Huntsman sighting. He walks in with a lovely blonde (presumably his wife) on his arm. 6:28 p.m. We get reprimanded for the second time for standing in the "wrong" place. Is there a right place? Who knows? 6:30 p.m. Holy shit. It's Nicole Kidman. Bradley Cooper follows shortly thereafter. 6: 32 p.m. House Maj. Leader Eric Cantor is hanging out by the entrance. 6:35 p.m. Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis drawing major stares in the lobby. Wilde's flowing chocolate brown dress is unbelievable beautiful. 6:37 p.m. A young woman walking with CBS "60 Minutes" correspondent Scott Pelley has ample cleavage. 6:40 p.m. Sightings: White House Press Sec. Jay Carney. Chicago Sun Times' Clarence Page. Kathleen Sebelius. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. 6:41 p.m. Dave Weigel, a big FishbowlDC fan, has been spotted. Later he'll watch us like a hawk even though we're not snapping his picture tonight or bothering him whatsoever. 6:45 p.m. The kid from Glee! is here. Wasn't he at Tammy's? 6:50 p.m. Publicist and Hollywood on the Potomac blogger Janet Donovan spotted in the bar line at the Atlantic, CBS, NJ pre-party. Janet insists this is her last year doing this. "I've been doing this since 1971," she says wearily. "Enough is enough." 6:55 p.m. Bob Schieffer holding court at the CBS party. Worlds colliding. Glee! kid spotted talking to Mother Jones Bureau Chief David Corn. WTF? 6:59 p.m. CBS news anchor and producer Julie Chen stands out in bright pink dress that may have been the second best frock of the evening. Olivia Wilde's gown was hard to beat. 7 p.m. Andy Cohen from Bravo is here. He has some schmutz on his blazer. 7: 05 p.m. Overheard: "He's very brave here coming with his ugly wife." 7:06 p.m. Reince Priebus sighting. Later he'll be a dumb joke in Conan's monologue. 7:16 p.m. Ed Helms telling his girlfriend that people come here "for the food." 7:17 p.m. Psy's handlers are a bunch of asses. "No, we did red carpet interviews. We're not doing any more." Regarding Psy and pictures, guest says, "This isn't Korea. This is America." 7:18 p.m. Peter cuts U.S. Treasury Sec. Jack Lew in a line. Way to go Peter! 7:19 p.m. CNBC's Jim Cramer is yelling. 7:39 p.m. Meanwhile, at the Bloomberg pre-party, it's Hammer Time! MC Hammer poses for pictures with a slim woman wearing a bright green dress with a deep slit. Hammer lets people take a lot of pictures. He looks like he's at best enduring, not enjoying. 7:40 p.m. Either me or Peter asks, "Eddie, where the f are you?" 7:42 p.m. Partygoer knocks large USA Today sign down. Says he's not drunk. 7:45 p.m. Eddie asks Gayle King ("Ms. King") who she's wearing tonight. She replies, "Vicky Tiel." He asks, "Do you know Vicki? Personal friend of yours?" King, amused, says, "No, that's funny. She's a designer," as her friend pulls her away. 7:46 p.m. We run into Grammy-winning jazz musician Ski Johnson and his saxophone by the restrooms. We ask, what's the highlight of your night? He replies, "Seeing all my Hollywood friends. I love the WHCD!" Asked about the negative press attention the WHCD is getting this year that it's gone Hollywood-obsessed, he says, "No offense, but the media needs Hollywood and Hollywood needs the media." 7:50 p.m. HuffPost and MSNBC Contributor Howard Fineman spotted by the bathroom chewing some gum. Norah O'Donnell is a vision in a dark red gown by Zac Posen, walking with hubby, Chef Geoff. 8:03 p.m. Outside the Hilton, a woman says with some degree of authority, "Everyone was perspiring in there. It's always like that." 8:14 p.m. Overheard in front of head table. "They sat Michael Clemente next to Obama. He looks like he's going to eat the fucking President." 8:15 p.m. Fox News' Bill O'Reilly extremely agitated by waiters trying to get past him. Loudly complaining about how much he hates coming to this event. 8:20 p.m. Eric Cantor aide Doug Heye's table has a giant bowl of ice with a bottle of Stolichnaya vodka. 8:21 p.m. HuffPost's Sam Stein walking with Arianna Huffington remarking at how "hilarious" Chris Christie is 8:22 p.m. Jim Cramer walking into the dinner YELLING conversation with his companion. He must always yell. 8: 22 p.m. Gathering of powerful minds just outside of the ballroom: Politico's John Harris, Jake Sherman and JMart.

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Tick Tock: WHCD 2013

Betsy Rothstein

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Betsy Rothstein