The Party Girl

We noted just yesterday that the Washington party scene is of utmost importance to the Beltway media elite. It's their way of getting access to top political figures and notables. One of that scene's most aggressive doyennes is Sally "Party Girl" Quinn, wife of former WaPo editor Ben "Bad" Bradlee, and who -- coincidentally enough -- writes a column for the WaPo. Nepotism aside though, Party Girl's column today focuses on how things have gotten so divisive in her Washington. Why, in years gone by, Party Girl used to sit at a table with the likes of Barry Goldwater, John Warner, and some liberals whom she can't recall, and everybody just got along famously! She laments the tension in today's political Washington, caused by people saying mean things about each other.

Party Girl, however, is no stranger to mean talk. She was in the Beltway media's forefront in dissing the Clintons (especially Hillary), mostly because they rebuffed invitations to her parties. Her snippy self-righteousness about President Clinton's sexual misbehavior was a case of throwing stones from a glass house: she and future hubby Bad Bradlee had an affair while he was separated, but still married, to his wife. And what's Party Girl's remedy to perk up those dinner parties? She writes:

"There's an old saying that you should never discuss politics or religion at dinner parties. I disagree. I think you can talk about money and sex as well. It's all about how you bring up these things, which are after all on everyone's minds. . .Of course when all else fails, there's nobody who won't lean in when the topic turns to sex."

Especially Party Girl.

(photo: Party Girl after one too many parties)