Jeff Kosseff: The FishbowlDC Interview

Say hello to Jeff Kosseff, who works in the Oregonian's Washington bureau. <How many suits do you own? Seven, all of which I acquired after moving to Washington from Portland three years ago. Portland's informal dress code is one of its many quality-of-life advantages over Washington. What word do you routinely misspell? According to my spell-check program, while typing the response to the previous question, it's "acquired." Aquired? Acuired? Did you see Brokeback Mountain? No. I haven't seen a big studio film in years. But I've read and loved all of Annie Proulx's stories and novels. Did you see The Da Vinci Code? No. What's the name of your cell phone ring? "Ringer quick." What time did you get up this morning? 4:10 a.m. Habitual early riser. When did you last cry and why? Can't remember. Which of the seven deadly sins are you? I'd like to think I'm not a deadly sin. Beach, city or country? Beach, definitely. But only if we're talking about a state-park beach where you can swim and surf without bumping into hundreds of people. Not overdeveloped beaches like Ocean City. Would you say you're cute? Pretty? Hot? Beautiful? Ha! None of the above. But on a related note, I am the proud father of the two cutest cats in the Washington, D.C. area. Read the rest when you click below...(and see previous FishbowlDC interviews: Julie Mason, David Shuster, Joe Curl, Alex Pareene, Peter Beinart, Jonah Goldberg, Megyn Kendall, Ana Marie Cox, Jim Brady, Howard Mortman, Amy Argetsinger, Jose Antonio Vargas, Chuck Todd, Tom Gottlieb, Kelly Ann Collins, David von Drehle, David Lat, Mark Leibovich, Zain Verjee, David Plotz, Paul Kane, Karen Travers, Mark Halperin, Hugo Gurdon, Greg Kelly,Ken Rudin, John Dickerson, Anne Schroeder, Spencer Ackerman, Bret Baier, Bob Sellers, Greta van Susteren, Danielle Jones, Jonathan Salant, John McCalla, Pam Hess, Ryan Grim, Marc Ambinder, Marty Kady, Jack Shafer, Annie Lou Bayly, Jerry Zremski, Charlie Cook, Dave Hughes, Howard Fineman, Katie Tarbox, Mark Segraves, Chris Cillizza, Tom Sietsema, Bill Triplett, Robin Givhan, David Brody, Norah O'Donnell, Carl Cannon, Jordan Lieberman, David Folkenflik, Molly Henneberg, Ernesto Londono, Brody Mullins, Aaron Blake, Martha Raddatz, Andrew Sullivan, Christina Bellantoni, Shane Harris, Nora McAlvanah, Adam Nagourney, Maura, Erin McPike, Mike Memoli, Ju-Don Marshall Roberts, Arthur Delaney, Chris Mincher, Rachel Sklar, Laura Sullivan) What color is your bathroom? White. How many emails do you receive a day, roughly? 200. What's your opinion of New York City? Greatest city in the world. What's your favorite letter? I like all letters equally. Sorry: that's a reflexive answer that comes from being around politicians in D.C. for too long. I'll go with "J." What single person played the biggest role / had the biggest influence on your journalism career? Phil Nussel, then-managing editor of Crain's Detroit Business, who gave me an internship when I was in college and taught me how to aggressively pursue a story. And Steve Engelberg, my managing editor, who comes up with more amazing story ideas in a 10-minute meeting than most journalists think of in a year. Have you ever downloaded a podcast? If so, which one? All the time. The most recent one was a performance by Dar Williams on a folk station in Illinois. Dar is the best living storyteller and songwriter. It's a sad statement about mainstream radio that it's so hard to find her music. Who's your all-time favorite American Idol candidate? Never watched it. But I'm sure Dar could beat anyone who has ever been on American Idol. When's the last time you volunteered? Where? In September I volunteered at the D.C. Central Kitchen, one of the most efficient operations I've ever seen. Who is your favorite active journalist? Seymour Hersh. What did you have for breakfast? A large El Salvador blend from Murky Coffee. What's your favorite item of clothing? My ratty old University of Michigan t-shirt, which I've had since I graduated six years ago and really should replace. What one toiletry item could you not live without? Baxter of California conditioner If you could have one superpower, which one would it be? Flying, so I wouldn't have to take commercial airlines. Better role model: GIJoe? Barbie? I was always partial to Voltron.

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Jeff Kosseff: The FishbowlDC Interview

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