Wonkette

The city of Albuquerque, New Mexico settled a lawsuit with the Justice Department in 2004 over racial discrimination against a group of anonymous American Indians. DoJ sent out a letter to Gallup residents this week informing them that their last day to call for a portion of the settlement was fast approaching. It included a phone number at the bottom to call Justice to stake a claim. This is Wonkette, so you can guess what happened next. MORE »

Today’s Wonk’d brings us Hu Jintao, guarded like the superpower leader that he is, and Chris Rock — also being guarded, but maybe for different reasons. Jenna Bush and friends were seen, shockingly, waiting their turn in line, but the guys from Franz Ferdinand had ladies waiting in line for them. Media elites Tucker Carlson and David Gregory, ignoring high gas prices, were fillin’ ‘er up. Also spotted: Chelsea Clinton, hiding behind the latest fashions; R. Kelly, trying to get himself in more trouble; and John Ashcroft, ACTUALLY TAKING THE METRO. We deliver what we promise, plus so much more, after the jump.

We love our tipsters and all your hilarious tips, so please keep sending them to us via email, with “Wonk’d” or “Sighting” in the subject line (along with the name of the spotted celeb). Thanks!

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Considering that yesterday we posted an old resume of his and analyzed the Google results for his name, you might think that we’re a bit obsessed with Joel D. Kaplan, who’s replacing Karl Rove as deputy White House chief of staff for policy.

But we’re not the only ones these days scrutinizing Joel Kaplan — who, given the high-profile shoes he’s filling, can expect to be placed under the microscope. Last night Jon Stewart had a riff about Kaplan on the Daily Show, discussing Kaplan’s participation in the “Brooks Brothers riot” that contributed to halting the Miami recount in 2000. In today’s Post, Al Kamen chimes in, noting that Sen. Frank Lautenberg is not a Kaplan fan (but that’s not a problem for Kaplan’s promotion, since his new gig doesn’t require Senate confirmation).

The most interesting info about Kaplan is that he used to be a Democrat, in his college days. Back in 1990, he was elected as an alternate delegate to the Massachusetts State Democratic Convention. Who’d have thunk that a Brooks Brothers rioter and successor to Karl Rove was a Democrat in his youth? A college classmate of Kaplan has this to say:

I vaguely remember that he was an active Democrat, albeit a somewhat conservative one. He was a total politico: he represented Eliot House in the Undergraduate Council, and IIRC, he agitated for bringing ROTC back onto campus. I’ll bet my last dollar he voted against Bush 41 in ‘88.

And there’s much more to say about the White House’s new policy guru. After the jump, an extremely detailed, “Single White Male”-style email from a law school classmate of Kaplan’s, who has some highly specific recollections.

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We didn’t have too many takers for our guessing game item asking which “senior Justice Department official,” as quoted in Eric Lichtblau’s NYT article, told the Senate Judiciary Committee to take a hike with respect to the NSA eavesdropping-related documents. MORE »

Here is the first wave of responses to the inaugural installment of the Senior Administration Official Guessing Game. We wanted to know: Who was the administration official who tattled to the Times about the White House’s successful “pitch Alito as boring but levelheaded” strategy?

One of you immediately guessed, “Karl Rove!” But, contrary to general belief, Rove is not behind everything that happens in this town.

More guesses — including what appears to be a very informed one — after the jump.

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• Reliable Source: Rachel Brand is called the “breakout star of the hearings”. . . Accusations of age discrimination at Washingtonian magazine. [WP]
• Inside the Beltway: Clinton will deliver the eulogy to Eugene McCarthy. . . Bush reads “five to every one [book] that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reads,” according to Fred Barnes. [WT]
• Liz Smith: Ana Marie Cox says there’s “a cold war of gossip” in Washington.[NYP]
• Lloyd Grove’s Lowdown: Sen. Hillary Clinton kept her distance from Harry Belafonte at Rainbow Room event. [NYDN]
• Rush & Molloy: Russian politician: Condoleezza Rice is “a very cruel, offended woman who lacks men’s attention. Such women are very rough.”. . . Sen. McCain carries lucky compass, lucky feather, lucky penny, lucky rock and a lucky pen. [NYDN]

We love it when a discussion turns ugly. With all of you writing in yesterday on the Rachel Brand vs. Laura Alito debate, we knew someone would have to dissent. An Alito web cast watcher passes along the following from yesterday

A Wonkette operative passes along an update on your unhealthy attraction to Alito