It really doesn't look good



by digby

Mark Liebovich on the nerd prom:

"Basically, this is just part of the disconnect between the self-celebration of Washington and the revulsion that people outside of it feel for the major institutions here, i.e. the media, i.e. Democrats, Republicans, Congress, lobbyists, whatever. And the disconnect between incredible prosperity and wealth and, frankly, decadence that has grown up here in the last couple of decades, and the very real economic struggles that the country has had in the last six years."

This thing has been inappropriate for longer than that. Aside from the classic moment when Stephen Colbert harshed their mellow, I always think back to the one that happened the big run up to the Iraq war:

"What a fantastic audience we have tonight," Bush said. "Washington power brokers, celebrities, Hollywood stars, Ozzy Osbourne.

"The thing about Ozzy is, he's made a lot of big hit recordings — "Party With the Animals," "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," "Face in Hell," "Black Skies" and "Bloodbath in Paradise," Bush said. "Ozzy, mom loves your stuff."

(Notice he left out the two biggest hits: "Crazy Train" and "War Pigs.")

That was when I knew we had totally lost the thread --- 9/11 had just happened, we attacked Afghanistan and we were clearly gearing up for a major military adventure in the middle east. The media was in a state of overwhelming agitation 24/7. And this White House Correspondence Dinner spectacle happened right in the middle of it all. Tragedy fell directly into farce.

Update: Oh, I'm sorry, it's White House Correspondents Dinner Week-end now:

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See below for POLITICO’s coverage of the 2014 White House Correspondents’ Dinner weekend. Follow @POLITICOPress for more of our latest.

WHCD Final Course: Allbritton Brunch – Lucy McCalmont – Washington’s notables and some star guests gather for the 5th Annual Allbritton Garden Brunch. http://politi.co/1q4VMqd

Obama at WHCD: 'My Stellar 2013' – Lucy McCalmont –This year’s dinner is seen as more muted than years past. http://politi.co/1jtaOko
WATCH: http://politi.co/1q4VFer  
PHOTOS: Scenes from the White House Correspondents' Dinner –http://politi.co/Rf7TS2

Obama's Top 10 Lines – Katie Glueck – "At one point, things got so bad, the 47 percent called Mitt Romney to apologize," he jokes. http://politi.co/1unoWkh
WATCH: Obama’s Full Speech – http://politi.co/1fJh20I

Joel McHale's Top 10 Lines – Jonathan Topaz – The comedian got laughs and some groans during his WHCD speech. http://politi.co/1fJgHLm
WATCH: McHale’s Full Speech – http://politi.co/SpZHzf
PLUS: Twitter Grills McHale Speech – http://politi.co/1ngZSas

WATCH: White House Correspondents' Dinner 2014: Red Carpet Chaos – A behind-the-scenes look at the White House Correspondents' Dinner red carpet. http://politi.co/1nWx9KC
PHOTOS: Photos from the White House Correspondents' Dinner Red Carpet –http://politi.co/1fJiRe7

Leibovich: WHCD an 'Abomination' – Caitlin Emma – “We have to ask ourselves, what are we celebrating exactly?" says Leibovich, author of "This Town."http://politi.co/1ncsDYg

Beltway, Stars Hit Haddad Brunch – Katie Glueck – The event honors Dog Tag Bakery and Blue Star Families, which both support veterans.http://politi.co/1s81xkE

PHOTOS: White House Correspondents' Dinner 2014 Friday Night Parties – The “Our Voices: Celebrating Diversity in Media” and Capitol File magazine WHCD Welcome Reception events start the weekend festivities on May 2 in Washington. http://politi.co/1nWzzbY