Jimmy Kimmel told Variety today that even though the White House Correspondents Assn. dinner is one of the toughest gigs in comedy, he would "definitely do it again."

In a short conversation, President Obama "said he thought it was very funny and he was just kind of laughing," Kimmel said. "His wife did too."

"I think it went well," Kimmel said. "When you get there, you want every joke to be great, so I have a tendency to focus on the negative. But I think overall people really liked it."

Here are other highlights from my interview with Kimmel, including how he calmed his nerves and why rituals of the event can be compared to "cannibalism."

What reaction to a joke really surprised you?

One of them that really surprised me was the joke about President Obama covering his ears, which is something I really threw in, really. I think part of it was that the First Lady laughed so hard that it made everyone really laugh. But it is such Popsicle stick type of joke.

What didn’t work as well?

There were a couple I stumbled over a bit, so I think that hurt them. I had a long joke about Rachel Maddow’s book that ended with the words 'women... nag nag nag.' That killed every time I ran it by anybody, but I think the set up was too long.

This is one of the hardest gigs in comedy. What was going through your mind?

I was very nervous. I thought I might throw up in my hotel room before. I have to say the First Lady really calmed me down, chatting with her, because it helped take my mind off about what was about to happen.

Were you a little worried about some of your barbs directed at the President?

Not really, no. Because I know he has a good sense of humor. I know that some of the jokes he has to shy away from laughing at are jokes about other people. So I think it is probably a relief to laugh openly, and I think you can do that when the jokes are about you.

The one particular biting joke was about Marcus Bachmann. That got a pretty big reaction. Did you worry at all that may have been a little too strong?

I don’t know. I think that you haven’t done your job unless you have made people feel uncomfortable a few times throughout the presentation. I think it all just kind of goes with the territory.

Did you talk to Chris Christie or Newt Gingrich?

I did not see Newt Gingrich. I did not talk to Chris Christie, but I could see him laughing really hard. He was close enough to the stage where I could see him laughing hard when I told the jokes about him. You know what? He is a very funny guy. I had a feeling he’d find the jokes funny.

How about other targets?

I know Barbara Walters was upset about the very silly joke I made about her because I saw her on ‘The View’ this morning talking about it. I have not spoken to anyone other than the President and the First Lady. [White House Press Secretary] Jay Carney, too. He thought it was funny.

LA Observed has posted the Howard Berman campaign's latest video, an endorsement from Betty White. Also giving Berman her blessing is Wendie Malick, White's co-star on TV Land's "Hot in Cleveland."

Thought this was going to be an Obama-Romney race? With help from some Hollywood figures, Americans Elect is trying to get a slot on the ballot in all 50 states for a yet-to-be-determined presidential and vice presidential candidate designed to force issues to the political center. In my latest column for the print version of Variety, below, one of the big "ifs" in the effort is actually finding a viable candidate.

Ten years from now, it is not morning in America, but time for a "wake-up call," as the president sits in the Oval Office and talks turkey with the American people: The economy is still suffering from decades of stagnation and high unemployment, China is the wealthiest nation on Earth and India, too, is about to surpass the United States.

That's the dire scenario put forth by writer-director George Nolfi in a Web spot he created for Americans Elect, the latest -- and, its supporters believe, best -- chance to break the stranglehold the two parties have on the presidential election.

The idea is that with President Obama and Mitt Romney all but certain as the major party nominees, it won't be too long before blocs of voters sour on the choices.

But rather than pursue the kind of third-party campaign waged by Ross Perot or Ralph Nader, the goal of Americans Elect is to obtain ballot access in all 50 states for a ticket that will be chosen via a series of online primaries and an online convention. Any registered voter who passes certification (no donation required) is eligible to be a delegate in a process that will winnow dozens if not hundreds of potential candidates down to a field of six, with the final Americans Elect ticket chosen via the online convention June 12.

Although Americans Elect may not have entered the public consciousness, its backers hope that will change in the coming weeks. Starting May 8, the process will begin to winnow down the field of potential nominees, in a caucus that will take up to three rounds of balloting. Buddy Roemer, who ran for the GOP nomination, has the most support of all declared candidates, with more than 3,800 backers as of last week. Republican Ron Paul, also who ran, has the most support of all draft candidates, with just over 8,200 backers. Other draft candidates include Jon Huntsman and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)

While there is uncertainty as to who will emerge as the ultimate choice -- one caveat is that the candidate presumably has to agree to run -- what is definite is that they have to pick a running mate from a different party. It's in the Americans Elect rule book. As of last week, 400,000 people had signed up online to be delegates, and the org had obtained ballot access in 25 states.

The idea behind the process is not just to make things more democratic, but to provide a solution to partisan gridlock.

Nolfi became interested in Americans Elect the way many did: a column written in the New York Times last summer by Thomas Friedman, in which he talked of the org's ability to "remove the barriers to real competition … and let the people in."

"I had always been interested in whether there is a way to put pressure on the two-party system, which had seemed to run off the rails," Nolfi said in a recent interview on Variety's Wilshire & Washington podcast. He had been curious about third-party candidates, but never thought them realistic. "They were more idiosyncratic," Nolfi said. "What was interesting for me … was that (Americans Elect) had thought through the process in such a comprehensive way that it really made me believe that there was a way to change the system."

While it is still seems more than likely that the majority of showbiz will back President Obama, based on his wide lead in fundraising figures, Americans Elect has drawn a hefty list of notables to sit on its board of advisers, including Nolfi, Michael Eisner and Brit-born reality-TV mogul Mark Burnett, who became an American citizen in 1990.

Yet as pure and lofty as the org pitches its intentions, it has run up against cynicism over the way it is funded, and whether its ultimate effect will be not to re-center American politics, but rather to serve as a spoiler and help hand the election to either Obama or Romney.

The cost of operations and ballot access is expected to be around $35 million, but the suspicions over funding have been inevitable, and were triggered because the org is set up as a nonprofit, not a political party, and donors don't have to be disclosed. What is known is that investment banker Peter Ackerman anted up $1.5 million in seed money, and, according to CNN, that figure has grown to to $5 million. The org says on its website that it encourages its funders to disclose who they are, but "they also know that it's hard being among the first to publicly support something that challenges an entrenched and powerful establishment."

Elliot Ackerman, an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran who is chief operating officer of Americans Elect (and Peter Ackerman's son), says that some 7,000 individual donors have contributed to the org. He challenges the idea that Americans Elect is fixing to "spoil" the race, noting polling that shows the public's desire for an independent or "unity" ticket would take equally from both parties. "And that ticket, with the right message, can win," he says.

That messaging is where Nolfi has stepped up. In addition to the "wake-up call" spot, he's created another that features D.C. politicians and lobbyists doing the hokey pokey.

It is amusing and catchy, but Nolfi believes the idea can take root not just because it's accessible, but because it represents the public consciousness.

"The disatisfaction and desperation for change is so strong that when people see (Americans Elect) is inherently a centrist process, I think there is going to be a massive upswell of interest," he says. "I think it is coming, and it is coming soon."

President Obama and Jimmy Kimmel pulled off what I would call a B+ at the White House Correspondents Assn. dinner tonight. It didn't quite have the zingers of last year, but there were more than enough one-liners that stood out. They both joked about the Secret Service, the GSA and Newt Gingrich. If there was a subject that they each couldn't resist coming back to again and again, it was dogs.

Obama once again proved how adept he was at timing and delivery. He actually was in the better position, preceding the professional comic and therefore having the freshest material. He was biting but not mean-spirited, and made several jokes that at once were at his own expense and mocked the campaign focus on silly stories, like his admission of eating dog meat when he was a child.

Some of the stand outs:

Talking about Sarah Palin, he said, "What is the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull? A pitbull is delicious." The quip got an extended laughs --- and a few oooohs.

On Mitt Romney: "We both have degrees from Harvard. I have one. He has two. What a snob!" Rick Santorum, in the audience, gave Obama a thumbs up.

"Here we are in this vast magnificent Hilton ballroom, what Mitt Romney would call a fixer upper."

"In my first term I ended the policy known as 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell.' In my second term we will replace it with a policy known as 'It's raining men.'"

On Kimmel: "Jimmy got his start on 'The Man Show.' In Washington that is what we call a congressional hearing on contraception."

On 'slow-jamming' the news with Jimmy Fallon: Mitt Romney "asked his staff if he could get equal time --- on 'The Merv Griffin Show.'"

Kimmel's regular guy delivery worked, even if some of his jokes did not. He went on a bit long, and he got in the most uncomfortable digs of the evening, jibes at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (his weight) and Gingrich (his campaign's bounced checks). Christie laughed, Gingrich didn't seem so amused. His best line may have been about the event itself. Noting the presence of politicians, celebrities, the media and advertisers in the same room, he said, "Everything that is wrong with America is in this room tonight."

Some of the stand outs:

On the growing size of the WHCA event: "The president wanted to move it to the Kennedy Center, and the Republicans wanted to keep it at the Hilton. They compromised so here we are at the Hilton."

On Obama's last campaign: "Remember when the country rallied around you in the hopes of a better tomorrow? That was hilarious. Your best one yet."

On the presence of the dog from "The Artist": "Uggie is amazing. He can roll over on command. He is a Democrat."

On the presence of Sully Sullenberger and Lindsay Lohan: "Sully, would you do us a favor? Would you mind driving Lindsay Lohan home?"

On Keith Olbermann's firing: "He has more pink slips than Marcus Bachmann."  

Video of Obama's performance here, and Kimmel's standup here.

Washington

The Washington Hilton tonight is once again a surreal place, as President Obama addresses the White House Correspondents Assn. dinner. The event is actually a benefit for journalism scholarships, but that purpose has gotten lost in the tradition of Hollywood types, tabloid celebrities and policy wonks mixing it up.

For at least this weekend, cultural triviality has conquered the political community. A case in point: tonight, outside the CBS News/Atlantic Media pre-dinner reception at the Hilton, one of about two dozen cocktail receptions, Donald Rumsfeld walked down the hall just ahead of Uggie, the Jack Russell terrier from "The Artist."

Standing with three of his children at the Yahoo! ABC News reception, Rick Santorum told Variety, "The only reason I am here is they wanted to go. I took they around the country with me [during the campaign] and the least I could do is bring them someplace where they wanted to go." Soon he was mingling with Sofia Vergara, and then he engaged in a long conversation with California Gov. Jerry Brown, from the other side of the political spectrum.

While the spectacle is not new, what is new is the scope.

What was once a curiosity has become the norm. C-SPAN has done the red carpet for the past few years; this year they are covering arrivals at not just the dinner but one of the pre-parties, the annual Garden Brunch hosted by Tammy Haddad, Hilary Rosen and others. The weekend "has just got a lot of unique, smart, interesting folks," Kerry Washington told one reporter on her way in.

The space inside the Hilton entrance is packed with entertainment media paparrazi, penned off as they shouted at actresses like Rashida Jones, Charlize Theron and Lindsay Lohan for a pose. Other outlets, like CNN.com, the Washington Post and Politico, have joined C-SPAN in offering live streaming coverage.

Lohan was part of a contingent of celebrities making the jump from TMZ to mixing with the D.C. policy elite. Also present were Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner.

George Clooney, Steven Spielberg, Diane Keaton, Kate Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Goldie Hawn and Clare Danes also were among those there. And there also is a number of industry executives, including Leslie Moonves, Ari Emanuel and Stacey Snider. Woody Harrelson appeared at several events with Steve Schmidt, the man he played in HBO's "Game Change." Asked by one reporter why he was here, Harrelson said, simply, "I was invited."

The event has long been a promotional platform for media companies, but sponsors have increasingly turned to the event. A party on Friday, hosted by The Atlantic, the Impact Film Fund and Funny or Die, was held in a former Borders Books, dressed in the Regency style to look like the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. Supermodel Kate Upton bounded in and headed to an area roped off for VIPs.

Another difference: The presence of tech firms. Google and The Hollywood Reporter hosted a party on Friday, a reflection of the tech giant's increasing DC influence, to the point where some administration officials did not attend because of concerns over lobbying rules. But reps from Facebook and Twitter were out and about, and Yahoo! for the first time bought a table at the dinner, having hired a White House correspondent for the first time.

Eva Longoria tweeted on Saturday afternoon, "Getting ready for the White House Correspondence dinner!" It's "Correspondents," but with what the event has become, you start to get how she made the error.

Photo by Riccardo Savi/Getty: Nick Loeb, Sofia Vergara, Rick Santorum.

Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) and musician John Mayer were honored by the Recording Academy on Wednesday at their annual Grammys on the Hill, in which musicians lobby lawmakers on pending legislative issues of concern to artists. Berman brought up piracy and the Performance Rights Act, the latter a long-sought law that would require broadcast radio stations to compensate performers when their songs are played over the air. The most recent legislation stalled in Congress in 2010, and although there isn't anything imminent, Berman's message was that they shouldn't give up.

"All other radio platforms in the U.S. have to compensate the creator to use the very same music," he said.

"Songwriters and music publishers rightly do get paid when their song is played on the radio, but the artists and musicians whose music is an integral part of the draw that brings in the ad revenue for the station never gets to give permission or receive a penny from the station that is using their works to make a profit. 

"The disparity makes no sense and we should continue advocating for a performance right that ensures that those creators who enhance our lives through their music are rewarded for their contribution."

Berman was introduced by Jimmy Jam and Pat Collins of SESAC, and Mayer performed with Buddy Guy.

Photos: Wire Image

The GOP-leaning SuperPAC American Crossroads is turning President Obama's pursuit of the youth vote on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" against him, with a new spot called "Cool" that shows the president slow-jamming with Fallon, calling Kanye West a "Jackass" and dancing with Ellen DeGeneres, while pointing out that young voters have been hit especially hard by high unemployment.

The spot is below (via Mike Allen), along with Obama's "Late Night" appearance on Tuesday. The "Late Night" appearance has so far generated almost 2 million views on YouTube.

FCC chairman Julius Genachowski faced a lukewarm crowd at the National Assn. of Broadcasters as he addressed their convention Monday and tried to sway them on a plan to require that campaigns' ad buying data be posted online. While he cited support of journalism deans and editorial boards, as well as the "common sense" of the digital age, Genachowski finished his remarks and then quickly bolted from the hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center without taking questions from station owners or the media. Here's my story from today's print Variety on what he said and why his appearances here are usually a source of friction.

FCC chairman Julius Genachowski on Monday defended a plan to require stations to post information about candidates' political ad buys online, saying that some of the critics are taking a stand "against technology, against transparency and against journalism."

Speaking to the National Assn. of Broadcasters, Genachowski gave little indication that he would support softening the proposal in the wake of the org's concerns that posting the data would give away rate information to competitors.

Stations are already required to disclose the information, but the public can usually access the records only by visiting their offices.

Posting the information online once a campaign has made an ad buy could shed light on election spending and strategy -- valuable data, especially in the final weeks before voters go to the polls. Public interest groups say such disclosures could serve as something of a counterweight to the unprecedented spending among candidates and interest groups.

The campaign of Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) put out a statement today questioning the amount of cash that Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) has on hand, saying it cannot be taken at "face value."

Berman beat Sherman in fundraising in the last quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012, but the latest figures show that Sherman still has $4.1 million in cash on hand, while Berman has $2.5 million.

Brandon Hall, a senior adviser to Berman's campaign, pointed out that Sherman incurred $118,885 in debt in the most recent quarter and, according to LAObserved, is raising money for 2014. The effect is to inflate cash on hand with sums Sherman can't even use in this election, Hall said in a statement. He added that Berman has "padded his fundraising numbers by loaning $250,000 to his own campaign."

John Schwada, spokesman for Sherman's campaign, said in an email that only $37,000 of his current cash on hand is for the 2014 campaign, less than 1 percent of the total. "And as far as the loan is concerned, yes, Brad loaned his campaign $250,000 (at zero percent interest it should be noted). Again, no biggie. Brad's just counterbalancing --- with his own 'bet' --- the $210,000 Berman is getting from a SuperPAC affiliated with Berman."

He also said that the Berman campaign is "dancing around on a hot skillet today trying to avoid the unavoidable: They have outspent the Sherman campaign 2-1 and they have nothing to show for it. The poll numbers haven't budged."

FCC chairman Julius Genachowski will address the National Assn. of Broadcasters convention later this afternoon, and a hot topic is expected to be a government proposal in which stations will be required to post data online detailing campaign buys of TV ad time. That information already is available to the public, but often it means visiting each station to collect the figures. Stations oppose the move, believing that the easily accessible information will put an undue regulatory burden on their operations and put them at a competitive disadvantage in setting ad rates.

In my latest story from print version of Variety,  below, I look at how broadcasters are especially sensitive this year because they are becoming ever-more dependent on political spending to boost their bottom lines.

Leslie Moonves, president and CEO of CBS Corp., perhaps spoke for many a station owner in December when he summed up his take on a bonanza of 2012 political ad spending: "I'm not saying that's the best thing for America, but it's not a bad thing for the CBS Corp."

A quarter of the way through the year, he is right: Stations are reaping the returns of not just a longer-than-expected Republican contest, but also the rise of the independent expenditures via SuperPACs. Election ad spending is boosting bottom lines in an industry that has yet to fully recover from a bruising recession. Signs still point to a record-setting year in broadcast political advertising, with estimates that spending on local television could hit $2.6 billion, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group.

Stations are required to sell the lowest unit rate to candidates, so during peak periods such as the week before a primary or the month or so leading up to Nov. 6, demand may drive up prices for non-political advertisers. Stations also can charge top dollar for SuperPACs, which are not under the same restrictions as candidates. And with such independent expenditures outspending the campaigns in some of the primary states, they have proven to be even more lucrative.

What it means for station groups, particularly those with a good share of properties in swing states, is the ability to bolster balance sheets.

Bob Prather, prexy and COO of Gray Television, which has 36 stations in 30 markets, says the extra cash flow has allowed them to pay down debt. He points out that the election this year has the added advantage of being Nov. 6, almost a week into the month.

"That is huge spending those last six or seven days," he says.

He says political ad revenue has accounted for 16% of Gray's revenue in 2010, the highest it has ever been, and he adds it could go even higher this year. Gray's political ad revenue reached about $57.6 million that year, a record.

This year, "It has been good, and we are ahead of where we wanted to be," he says.

Gray has stations in such swing states as Ohio, Florida, Colorado, Michigan and North Carolina. Its three stations in Wisconsin stand to benefit not just from being a presidential battleground, but also the recall campaign against Gov. Scott Walker.

"The key is if you have got the No. 1 station (in a market), you are going to get two-thirds of the dollars," Prather says.

Some stations have been expanding their morning newscasts --- into ever earlier hours --- that adds to inventory most prized by campaigns. Dennis Wharton, spokesman for the National Assn. of Broadcasters, says that as great as spending may be this cycle, it is "all over the map" on which stations will see substantial returns, even in markets where races are competitive. "You tend to see the same sort of station groups get the bulk of political revenue because of [campaigns'] laser-like focus on top newscasts," he says.

Vincent Sadusky, president and CEO of LIN Media with 32 stations in 15 markets, says, "Some markets have outpaced and others have lagged." But he doesn't doubt that political ad revenue will be ever more important this year for stations.

"It has become a much more significant revenue source than it has been in the past," he says. "In today's digital world there are so many advertising alternatives, the reality is it is hard to get the message across in a medium where you have people's attention."

Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.) raised $572,897 in the first quarter, outpacing his rival Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) in the race for a San Fernando Valley congressional seat.

Sherman raised $202,065, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Their race is one of the most contentious primary battles this year.

Sherman still has a whopping $4.1 million cash on hand, while Berman has $2.5 million.

Tonight Berman raised money at the Holmby Hills home of Sharon Nazarian, in an event themed around Berman's human rights record. Among the activists who were expected were John Prendergast, co-founder of the Enough Project, as well as actors Don Cheadle, Julia Ormond and Ewan McGregor, Max and Vicki Kennedy, attorney Robert Offer and Bobby Shriver. Cohosts include Casey and Laura Wasserman, Rica and Jonathan Orszag, Jamie Lynton, Kelly Meyer and Janice Kamenir Reznik.

Both sides have been touting their endorsements. Studio and music industry money has largely gone to Berman, but Sherman has emphasized his support among local officials in San Fernando Valley, and his website features prominently words of praise from former President Bill Clinton.

Bill Cosby today talked to CNN's Candy Crowley about the Trayvon Martin case, telling the host of "State of the Union" that the problem was the proliferation of firearms.

"When you tell me that you're going to protect the neighborhood that I live in, I don't want you to have a gun," said Cosby, referring to Neighborhood Watch volunteer George Zimmerman. "I want you to be able to see something, report it and get out of the way."

Cosby's son, Ennis, was shot and killed in 1997 during an attempted robbery off the side of the San Diego Freeway in Los Angeles.

Cosby also addressed the criticism of President Obama, saying,“I'm disappointed at people who don't look at the woes and the trouble given to this man. People blatantly speaking out against his color, wasting time, starting up new stories about whether or not he was born here, saying things that they can't prove.”

Cosby predicted that Obama would win reelection.

Digital activists are turning their attention to a new piece of legislation, aimed at cybersecurity, hoping to stall out a bill just as they forced lawmakers to abandon anti-piracy legislation earlier this year. The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act has bipartisan support and is moving quickly through the House, but opponents say that it is written too broadly and raises privacy concerns.

On the latest Wilshire & Washington on the Radio, we talk to Nick Judd, managing editor of TechPresident, about the Internet's new political power and what campaigns are doing right, and wrong, to gain from its influence.

You can listen to the latest show here, or on the link below.

"Downton Abbey," brought to you by Obama for America.

It's not so far-fetched following a federal appellate court ruling that public broadcasters should be free to air political and issue ads.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, in an opinion issued on Thursday, ruled that the FCC's restrictions on political and issue ads don't pass First Amendment muster. But the court let stand the prohibition on traditional commercial advertising.

The court said that "the government cannot point to evidence that its fear of harm to public television would come from allowing stations to issue public issue and political advertisements is 'real, not merely conjectural,' much less that portions of the statute which ban such political and public issue advertisements 'alleviate those harms in a direct and material way,'"

The case was brought by Minority Television Project, a nonprofit that operates KMPT San Francisco. It is licensed as a public broadcast station but does not get funds from the Corp. for Public Broadcasting. In 2002, the FCC fined the station $10,000 for accepting promotional spots from companies such as State Farm, Chevrolet and U-Tron Computers.

The intent of the advertising restrictions, 9th Circuit Judge Carlos Bea noted, is to prevent advertisers from gaining influence over the type of programming, as stations would seek out shows with mass market appeal. But "neither logic nor evidence supports the notion that public issue and political advertisers are likely to encourage public broadcast stations to dilute the kind of noncommercial programming whose maintenance is the substantial interest that would support the advertising bans," Bea wrote.

Judge John T. Noonan concurred with the opinion, while Judge Richard Paez dissented.

Updated

The whole Hilary Rosen flap says more about where we are in the election cycle than anything about working women or stay-at-home moms. Everyone knows it is politics, but that isn't going to stop the story.

This afternoon, President Obama weighed in, saying that she needed to "rethink" her statement. Mitt Romney's campaign, under pressure to shore up its support among women, took the comment and ran with it, as it issued statements, abetted a Twitter backlash and even raised money on Rosen's comment that Ann Romney has "never worked a day in her life." Some of the most incendiary came on Twitter, where debate devolved into whether an adoptive parent (which Rosen is) is better than a birth parent (which Ann Romney is).

Ever since Rush Limbaugh apologized for offensive comments about Sandra Fluke, putting Republicans on the defensive, there has been an effort to establish an equivalence that will do the same to the Democrats. Bill Maher, fresh off of making a $1 million donation to an Obama SuperPAC, briefly became an issue over comments he made about Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann. Now Rosen is being called out, even if she does not have the reach or influence of either of them. The point is to tie her to the Democratic party and White House, even if she is a strategist and not on the DNC or White House payroll. (Republicans, however, are noting that she has been a frequent White House visitor and making the case that she is an informal to the Democrats.)

It's only April, and this is just the start of a battle not necessarily to win hearts and minds on substance, but by mere fact of keeping something front and center in the news cycle, or the top trending topic on Twitter.

Rosen, by the way, explained her remarks last night and issued this apology this afternoon.

"Let’s put the faux ‘war against stay at home moms’ to rest once and for all. As a mom, I know that raising children is the hardest job there is. As a pundit, I know my words on CNN last night were poorly chosen. In response to Mitt Romney on the campaign trail referring to his wife as a better person to answer questions about women than he is, I was discussing his poor record on the plight of women’s financial struggles."

"As a partner in a firm full of women who work outside of the home as well as stay-at-home mothers, all with plenty of children, gender equality is not a talking point for me. It is an issue I live every day. I apologize to Ann Romney and anyone else who was offended. Let’s declare peace in this phony war and go back to focus on the substance."

Just how this all plays --- like whether it actually moves the numbers for Mitt Romney with women --- will speak volumes about how politics plays in the age of social media.

CNN contributor Hilary Rosen appeared on "AC360" tonight and said that it was wrong for Mitt Romney to use his wife Ann as an example of economic struggle when she "had never worked a day in her life."

Twitter came alive with the remark, as Ann Romney said that she "made a choice to stay home and raise five boys. Believe me, it was hard work." Jim Messina, campaign manager for President Obama's reelection campaign, called on Rosen to apologize. And David Axelrod called the comments "inappropriate and offensive."

But Rosen defended her remarks in a blog post on CNN.com.

She wrote, "Spare me the faux anger from the right who view the issue of women's rights and advancement as a way to score political points. When it comes to supporting policies that would actually help women, their silence has been deafening. I don't need lectures from the RNC on supporting women and fighting to increase opportunities for women; I've been doing it my whole career.

"If they want to attack me and distract the public's attention away from their nominee's woeful record, it just demonstrates how much they just don't get it."

She added that it was Mitt Romney who "put the issue of his wife's views squarely on the table."

First Lady Michelle Obama survived Stephen Colbert's satire tonight on "The Colbert Report," as she promoted an issue that Colbert himself has championed, aid to veterans and their families.

Obama appeared on the show on the first anniversary of her Joining Forces initiative, which focuses on military families and the need to find employment for returning soldiers.

Via Mediaite, here's the video from tonight's appearance.

He's Joe Muto, an associate producer on "The O'Reilly Factor." For two days he has written anonymously on Gawker about Fox News' cheap surroundings and the lack of privacy in the public restrooms, and was responsible for video of Mitt Romney talking about show horses with Sean Hannity before they went on the air in February. Muto also blasted Fox Nation's coverage of President Obama's 50th birthday, as they called it a "hip hop barbecue" with the presence of a number of African American celebrities.

Muto writes, "They nailed me.

"In the end, it was the digital trail that gave me away. They knew that someone, using my computer login, had accessed the sources for two videos that ended up on Gawker over the past few weeks. They couldn't prove it entirely, but I was pretty much the only suspect.

"I denied it, which is why they didn't fire me outright. But two nice gentlemen from security escorted me to my desk to pack up my stuff, and it was pretty obvious at that point that I would not be setting foot back into 1211 Avenue of the Americas again."

Fox News reportedly is considering legal action.

Bob Woodward has his doubts. Via Tech President are details of responses that Yale students gave to him to his question on how Watergate would have played out in the age of the Internet.

Among the statements:

"Nixon would not have been re-elected in 1972. The Watergate cover-up would not have lasted more than a few days."

"With the advancements in the technology of the Internet it would be much easier to unravel the truth. It would have been simple to track down the $50,000 that was withdrawn from the intelligence gathering fund [i.e. Nixon's secret slush fund]."

"There would be hundreds, potentially thousands of people investigating the story. We'd learn from the Internet the details of James McCord's [the lead burglar] military records. With such readily available information, it would have been difficult for the conspirators to deny involvement for as long as they did."

Another response: "I would have Googled 'Howard Hunt' and found out that he worked for CREEP, or I would have Googled 'secret fund.'"

Woodward has long advocated the benefits of "shoe leather reporting." And that doesn't mean walking and Google-ing on mobiel devices.

Corrected post

George Clooney will host a fundraiser at his Los Angeles home for President Obama on May 10.

Jeffrey Katzenberg is co-host of the event, which will be the second fundraising trip Obama has made to Los Angeles this year.

The event is aimed at higher-dollar donors, with tickets up to about $40,000 per person. The first $5,000 will go to Obama's reelection campaign, the next $30,800 to the Democratic National Committee and the remaining sum to state party committees. Exact sums will depend on whether donors already have made their maximum contributions.

Clooney already has attended fundraisers for Obama last year and in February, at an event at the Holmby Hills home of Colleen and Bradley Bell. He held a fundraiser for Obama in Switzerland in 2008.

The actor visited the White House in March and met with Obama to discuss the crisis in Sudan.

"Entertainment Tonight" first reported on Clooney's plans for the fundraiser.

Clooney also gave a memorable quote last year to liberal disappointment to Obama, noting that Democrats have a tendency to "eat their own" and saying, "I'm disillusioned by the people who are disillusioned by Obama."

The Obama campaign has been holding smaller fundraising events --- fewer than 200 people --- as a way to draw top dollar donors in a more intimate setting. Clooney's event is expected to draw a mix of stars and studio executives.

Rick Santorum's exit from the race pretty much ends the race for the GOP nomination and frees Mitt Romney to focus on President Obama.

Santorum railed against the media throughout his campaign. He chided, even swore at reporters by accusing them of distorting his statements, and was even hesitant about Fox News' coverage. He wilted as his populist approach in Iowa detoured into a debate over contraception and pre-marital sex.

That Santorum made it this far will still be one of the biggest surprises of 2012. Not until December, just weeks before the Iowa caucus, did major media pay much attention. When he entered the race a month earlier, he was treated as something of a joke. The social conservatism that was supposed to be marginalized this year, as Tea Partiers emphasized economic populism, came back to life.

The sheer number of presidential debates gave candidates like Santorum and Newt Gingrich more opportunity than they otherwise would have had --- a dependence on the very media they often campaigned against --- but that neither could break through in larger states like Florida, Michigan and Ohio still shows that the ability to compete in the long term has very much to do with the campaign war chest. SuperPAC benefactors kept Santorum and Gingrich alive, but they were no match for the support for Romney, who showed little hesitation to unleash attack ads and a barrage of biting messages.

Here's Santorum's speech today.

Debuting ABC drama "Scandal" focuses on the world of crisis communications, and the PR wizards who specialize in spinning the news when public figures and corporations have gotten themselves into a tight spot.

On the show, the crisis managers seem more like defense attorneys, or maybe even members of "The A-Team." But as ABC tries to sell viewers on a show about so-far largely unseen "fixers," the reality is that there is a kind of crisis in the whole business of crises these days, whether in politics or in showbiz.

Social media has made any message much more unpredictable and difficult to shape, exemplified by the kind of simmering, Internet-driven protest that takes on a life of its own: It sidelined SOPA, nixed Netflix's pricing plans and halted Bank of America's proposed new ATM fees.

The D.C. crisis communications manager who inspired "Scandal," Judy Smith, who has represented Monica Lewinsky, the Chandra Levy family and Michael Vick, among others, says that it doesn't matter whether a fixer is thrown into a political crisis or an enterainment crisis. "A crisis is a crisis," she says. "The elements are the same."

Smith is one of the many D.C. figures to have gravitated to entertainment, often with the promise of a heftier paycheck and a saner schedule. After a stint in the George H.W. Bush White House as deputy press secretary, she went to NBC in corporate communications before starting her own boutique firm.

One has to wonder whether that promise of a slower pace outside the Beltway is really all that true anymore, given the speed at which stories spread in social media, where public figures seem more prone to stumble.

A recent example was Spike Lee, who re-tweeted the address of an elderly Florida couple, thinking it was the home of George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin. In the furor that followed, Lee issued an apology and worked out a settlement with the couple.

Chris Lehane, a Clinton White House veteran and press secretary for Al Gore's presidential campaign, who has a communications firm with former White House special counsel Mark Fabiani, says that people in the public eye live in the age of crisis. "Crisis is a state of perpetual nature where either you are in a crisis or need to be prepared to deal with a crisis," he says.

Lehane's firm is representing Current TV in the fallout over the firing of Keith Olbermann who, after his dismissal, took to Twitter to make his case, hinting that everything would come out in a lawsuit. In his place, the cable channel put a figure swept out of office in scandal, Eliot Spitzer.

Lehane says it's key for clients to understand that they can't put the genie back in the bottle; rather the overriding need is to re-establish credibility. "You will be evaluated on how you handle the situation in the aftermath," Lehane says. "You will survive if you can demonstrate that you are trustworthy to your key audiences."

There are tributes aplenty for Mike Wallace, the "60 Minutes" correspondent who died Saturday at 93, after a marathon career as a prosecutorial interviewer who ferreted out stumbling moments from everyone from powerful players to lowly scam artists.

Variety's obit is here, and CBS News has some great clips of some of his most memorable interviews. Variety's Andrew Wallenstein recalls what it was like, when he was a college student, being interviewed by Wallace.

Politico's Dave Levinthal reports that Netflix is burnishing its influence in D.C.

The online streaming site has formed a political action committee called FLIXPAC, allowing it to contribute up to $5,000 per candidate per election cycle.

Levinthal notes that the company's lobbying outlay has increased in recent years, including an update of the Video Privacy Protection Act.

The Keith Olbermann vs. Current TV feud is just getting started.

Current TV filed a cross complaint on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeking a determination that "it had every right to terminate" Olbermann, "rather than continuing to pay a princely sum while receiving a pauper's performance in return." They claim that Olbermann was "showing up sporadically and utterly failing to keep up his end of the bargain."

They claim that "instead of delivering the open, collaborative relationship called for by his contract, Mr. Olbermann instead completely shut himself off from the rest of the network."

Among other things, the network claims that in January and February, Olbermann worked just 19 of 41 working days.

Current includes passages from Olbermann's contract, pointing out areas where it called for him to promote the network, appear on other shows and develop specials and do other types of P.R.

The suit also makes light of Olbermann's claims that the network was "cheap," and portrays him as a prima donna. "[H]e arrogantly and falsely calls 'cheap' the company that has paid him the highest compensation he had ever received in his career, provided him the largest staff of any program he had ever works, and paid over $50,000 in an eight month period to eight different limousine companies because none of the previous seven were able to meet his Patrician standards for how to drive him around New York City."

It goes on to cite examples of his behavior, Current includes some of Olbermann's emails, in which he berates Current President David Bohrman and, in another, he is upset that a photo of the set has been given to the press by the set designer. "Can you assassinate him please?" he tells Current co-founder Joel Hyatt. In another incident, the studio's landlord complained that Olbermann threw a glass mug on the set, causing it to shatter.

Imagine what the discovery process will be like in this suit.

The problem for Olbermann is that the suit exposes one more employer with whom he butted heads; the problem for Current is that the suit is probably the most publicity they have gotten since, well, when they hired Olbermann.

Current claims that Olbermann refused to consult with its senior executives about the show, and instead assigned those tasks to his manager and agent. In his suit, Olbermann complains that it was Current who insisted that he only consult with them and not involve his representatives.

It also appears there is a dispute over the interpretation of his contract. Current, for instance, says that he had a right to be consulted about the "lead-in" and "lead-out" shows to "Countdown," hosted by Cenk Uygur and Jennifer Granholm, but not a "right of approval."

As promised, Keith Olbermann has sued Current TV. And as promised, the suit casts Current's Joel Hyatt as power hungry and reneging on his word and Al Gore as complicit. He calls the channel's two-co-founders as "dilettantes portraying entertainment industry executives" and the channel overall as the "keystone cops."

And while Olbermann's suit has many of the details that have popped up in the press in recent months, as the relationship soured, his claim argues that the deal to come to Current was troubled from day one. The channel, he said, wouldn't properly market and promote the debut of "Countdown," nor would they post clips from the show on the web, something essential to building audience buzz for a cable channel most subscribers are unaware they even have.

It's Hyatt who is the target of much of the suit, as Olbermann claims that he pushed a polished television executive, Mark Rosenthal, out the door and instead made himself the chieftan of the network even though he had no experience. It was Hyatt, Olbermann's suit says, who sought to do things on the cheap, delivering a technically subpar show in a subpar studio with no security. A homeless man once wandered in to Olbermann's private office, the suit notes.

But Olbermann also seeks to point out the flaws of Current not just with what happened in the past, but the network's future. He slams their picks of Cenk Uygur and Jennifer Granholm in the primetime lineup, as Current rejected his ideas for two unnamed journalists to host news shows.

Olbermann's arrival at Current was trumpeted as a way to remake the network in a progressive voice, all but in his image. Yet he suggests that Current got carried away on the strength of personality to draw in viewers, forgoing pricier promotional campaigns.

Current will have to file a response, which undoubtedly will add more fuel to this fire. But what is striking about Olbermann's complaint is the detail in which he goes into his grievances, not just ego and broken promises but the inability of a fledgling network to literally keep the lights on.

The complete suit is here.

President Obama will introduce a USA Network screening of "To Kill a Mockingbird" on Saturday, marking the film's 50th anniversary, but he's also hosting a White House viewing of the movie on Thursday.

Mary Badman, who played Scout in the movie; Peck's widow Veronique; Universal's Ron Meyer; AFI trustee Howard Stringer and American Film Institute's CEO Bob Gazzale will attend the event at the White House Family Theater in the East Wing of the White House. Also expected is Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

The American Film Institute is sponsoring the event with USA Network and Universal, and issued a statement from Harper Lee, the author of the novel who rarely issues public statements or grants interviews.

"I'm deeply honored that President Obama will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by introducing it to a national audience," she said. "I believe it remains the best translation of a book to film ever made, and I'm proud to know that Gregory Peck's portrayal of Atticus Finch lives on, in a world that needs him now more than ever."

Thursday also marks what would have been Peck's 96th birthday. He was founding chair of the AFI Board of Trustees from 1967 to 1969. He received the AFI's Life Achievement Award in 1989.

"The Colbert Report" announced that First Lady Michelle Obama would visit the show on April 11.

It's an indication of just how far the show has evolved. Lawmakers once avoided the show, even as they embraced "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," because of the unpredictable nature of Colbert's comedy.

That has changed, as figures such as House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have made recent appearances on the show.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) gave his blessing to the reelection campaign of Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), who is facing the "race of a lifetime" as he battles Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) in the primary for a San Fernando Valley congressional seat.

Issa and Berman were being honored on Sunday at the annual American Spirit Awards from the Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors.

"I don't tell people to vote for Democrats, and if there were a good Republican in the race, I wouldn't tell you to vote for Howard, probably," Issa told the crowd at the Beverly Hills Hotel. "But the fact is Howard is in the race of his lifetime, and I want him back."

Issa praised Berman's efforts to reach across the aisle, noting that he is among the few in Congress who "when they say they are going to do something they put the power into it."

Issa did quip about Berman's brother, Michael, who served as a redistricting consultant in 2000 (and is a sore spot for Sherman). "His brother did shit on me in redistricting 10 years ago, and I am bitter," Issa said. "I lost Orange County over it."

Issa and Berman found themselves on the opposite ends of the debate over the Stop Online Piracy Act. Berman was one of its champions, while Issa helped lead the campaign against it, sponsoring an alternate piece of anti-piracy legislation called the OPEN Act. Both bills have stalled out.

"I will tell you there will be a deal," Issa said. "It may not be SOPA and it it may not be OPEN and all the other names you have heard. There will be a deal. Congress has to address this."

He called for "cooperation from organizations from Facebook and Google and all the other people who profit from the Internet because of their innovation.."

"I want to get it right, so I am not sorry that we didn't get there, but I am sorry we didn't get back to the table the next day," he said.

Berman also praised Issa, calling him "one of the most creative elected officials with one of the most creative minds" he has served in Congress with.

On anti-piracy legislation, he said, "Regardless of the differences in approach... we all agree there is an urgency here and an importance to addressing this issue."

Writer-director Lionel Chetwynd introduced Issa and Dennis Doty introduced Berman. Also honored were Bob Barker and Larry Auerbach.

Sarah Palin's guest shot on "Today" this morning showed that as much as she chides the lamestream media, it's hard to imagine her career without it.

She talked Oprah Winfrey, tabloid celebrities, "Game Change" (she hasn't watched it) and Tiny Fey ("pretty clever.") At the end, she said she enjoyed her hour-long foray as a guest host.

Here's one of the highlights, when she joined the "Today Professionals" segment:

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Robert Redford will narrate a two-hour documentary for Discovery Channel call "All the President's Men Revisited," described as an "overview of the startling history with a deeper investigation into the legacy of the greatest constitutional crisis of modern times."

Redford will serve as executive producer along with Andy Lack and Laura Michalchyshyn, and Peter Schnall will produce and direct. Plans are for a January broadcast.

Redford and Michaelchyshyn are teaming in anew production company, Sundance Productions, focusing on TV and multimedia content.

The 40th anniversary of the Watergate break-in is this June.

Edward Norton, Elijah Wood, Marisa Tomei and Jason Alexander turned out for “All in for the 99%,” an effort to engage artists and actors in promoting the “99% Spring,” a plan to train 100,000 volunteers in nonviolent action, including protests at corporate shareholder meetings. Van Jones, founder of Rebuild the Dream, has been promoting the plans, and addressed the group.

Jones also tells the New York Times that the reason that Glenn Beck decided to go after him was because of a boycott mounted by Color of Change, which Jones helped start. Jones had been President Obama's green jobs czar, but resigned in 2009 after Beck claimed that Jones' signature had been on a 9/11 truther petition. As it turned out, that was false.

Jones says, "Ultimately Beck pushed me out of my job, and Color of Change pushed Beck out of his job. Now we’re both irrelevant!"

Video of Saturday's event in Los Angeles is below.

I asked historian Richard Reeves, City Hall bureau chief for the New York Times during the tenure of John Lindsay, about the Romney "clown" comment on "Mad Men," and whether it had to do with a rivalry between the New York mayor and Michigan Gov. George Romney.

Reeves e-mails, "I can't remember Lindsay mentioning Romney, but there are a couple of possibilities. They were essentially rivals for the Republican VP nomination. Romney was running for President already, as was [New York Gov.] Nelson Rockefeller and Lindsay might have wanted to avoid putting a finger in Rocky's eye."

Reeves writes that, at Rockefeller's request, Lindsay went to California to see Ronald Reagan to sound out a Rocky-Reagan ticket, but that plan "blew up." The press started talking about a Reagan-Lindsay ticket, which didn’t sit too well with Rockefeller, Reeves says.

The fictitious Henry Francis, the aide to Lindsay, previously worked for Rockefeller.

In a very indirect way, "Mad Men" touched upon the beginning of the end of the liberal wing of the GOP. Rockefeller and Romney fell short to a resurgent "new" Richard Nixon in 1968. Lindsay switched to the Democrats in 1971 before launching a failed bid for the presidency in 1972.  And Reagan's challenge to Gerald Ford from the right in 1976 played a role in the incumbent president forcing Rockefeller off the ticket that year in favor of the more conservative Bob Dole.

Update: Slate's Dave Weigel found the "clown" comment out of place.

He writes, "The myth of Romney's foolishness really got going when he gave an interview in 1967 about his shifting position on the Vietnam War. He said, mea culpa, that he'd had "the greatest brainwashing" from generals and the diplomatic core. It made him sound like a schmuck. ("A light rinse would have sufficed," said Gene McCarthy, one of the great snobs of American politics.) Tagg, if you want to keep this fight going, take it to anachronism court."

Here's the clip of the 1967 interview in which Romney talks of the "brainwashing" he underwent in his visit to Vietnam.

HBO unveiled its trailer for Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom," about the cable news business, and it's impossible to watch it without seeing Jeff Daniels character and not think of Keith Olbermann, especially in light of Olbermann's exit from Current TV.

Alyssa Rosenberg writes at Think Progress that it'll be good PR for Olbermann:

"As crisis PR goes for Olbermann, it’s a dream. He gets painted as a truth teller stifled by the expectations of his network and the people around him, never mind that flinging Blackberries at your camera operators is utterly un-charming behavior. Aaron Sorkin does love him a principled truth-teller, and in an age when the presidency is on tighter verbal lockdown than ever before, it makes a certain amount of sense that he’d give up on the hope of a Commander in Chief telling it like it is in the White House briefing room and downgrade his fantasies to cable television instead."

Daniels' character is not a mirror image of Olbermann, as the trailer makes clear that he is a neutral-conscious anchor before expressing his POV. He's also a Republican.

Update: Variety's Jon Weisman reports that Ken Finkleman, creator of the Canadian "The Newsroom," is readying a new show about a right wing cable network. The title: "Good God."