Fox, ABC News reporters bicker at 'tightly controlled' Politico brunch

A picture on the web shows Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace enjoying cocktails with fellow colleague Brett Baier and their respective wives Sunday. But, according to another report, Wallace wasn't all smiles at the party.

"While the rest of the guests were casually mingling at Allbritton Communications' Sunday morning brunch after the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, ABC White House correspondent Jake Tapper, who has been filling in on 'This Week,' and Chris Wallace, host of 'Fox News Sunday,' couldn't quite let go of what had happened earlier that morning on their shows," Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri report for the Washington Examiner.

Wallace accused Tapper of holding his second guest, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, for too long, which messed with his show's rundown.

"She was late to us," Tapper responded, saying it happens often and could have been CNN or NBC's fault.

....

The men continued to bicker about the issue while shunning other cocktail party guests, who wanted to engage in conversation.

Fishbowl DC's Betsy Rothstein notes that the party was "tightly controlled."

Dominating the world takes skill, thought, finesse, lots of meetings -- and not letting hardly anyone in to cover your brunch except for your own reporters.

Politico's publisher Robert Allbritton held a brunch for the White House Correspondents' Dinner this year for the the first time on Sunday at his gorgeous, multi-million dollar Georgetown home. PR strictness was at an all-time high: The only one to really officially cover it was Politico's own Patrick Gavin and Aime Parnes. The piece read like an upper crust, high society report. Not surprisingly, it was descriptive, tasteful and void of any of the typical musings party coverage might have. The story headline: "Allbritton Brunch: The New Party in Town."

Rothstein adds, "The Washington Examiner's Tara Palmeri was not invited, but got into the event because she accompanied The Daily Beast's Lloyd Grove," and her "item on the Allbritton brunch was the only one that revealed any personality whatsoever going on at the brunch."

The Politico article reported,

The brunch was hosted in the Allbritton's lush garden, which was adorned with huge floral centerpieces and topiary. Guests found a reprieve from the humidity in an air-conditioned and carpeted tent, while others enjoyed the long-awaited spring warmth around tables arranged outside.

Hors d'oeuvres arrived on silver trays along with mimosas, champagne, wine and bloody marys. Guests also sampled other brunch delicacies, including a fritatta and mango and crab salad. A crepe station was a crowd favorite.

Along with numerous media luminaries, the eclectic guest list included "Ewan McGregor, the Scottish star of 'Star Wars,' 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Trainspotting,'" T. Boone Pickens, the Jonas Brothers, and Rep. John Dingell, a Michigan Democrat who is the longest serving House member.