David Columbia
Warmer first day of winter in Manhattan.
12-03-06
Photo Of: Bette Midler, Kathie Berlin, Hillary Clinton, Joe Armstrong, Marlo Thomas, Walter Cronkite, and Cecile Richards at Michael’s.
Over at Michael’s where the passing parade now meets in cavalcade Joe Armstrong was hosting Bette Midler, Kathie Berlin, Marlo Thomas, Cecile Richards (national head of Planned Parenthood and eldest daughter of the late Ann Richards), Walter Cronkite, and Senator Hillary Clinton.
The restaurant was already mobbed when Hillary arrived, turning even the most jaded of the seen-it/done-it gaggle.. At another table Liz Smith was entertaining Louise Grunwald, Tita Kahn, Billy Norwich, Mort Janklow, Peter Rogers et al. Across the way Tom Brokaw was holding forth and right next door Richard Cohen, Nora Ephron and company were entertaining, among others Arianna Huffington.Ron Perelman, Michael Fuchs, Beverly Sills with George Moore, Paige Peterson entertaining family and friends. Everywhere you looked there were bold-faced names and yakking it up is an understatement.
Senator Clinton came in late apologizing the standard Manhattan apology for tardiness: TRAFFIC. I used the same one a few minutes before for my lunch with Eric Konigsberg of the New York Times. Mr. Konigsberg did the front page piece the other day on Tom Finn, New York’s famous society DJ, maybe best DJ in the land. Mr. Konigsberg told me that he’d got the idea for the piece from seeing Tom’s ad on the NYSD. Have you looked? That guy can get anyone moving around the dance floor; breaks down their resistance with rhythm.
Hillary arrived wearing an ivory white jacket with a lace trim and black pants. She enters these rooms like a breath of fresh air, bright eyes and a big smile. Very hard to resist; even the most hardened Hillary-haters have a hard time resisting that kind of sunshine.
Which, speaking of sunshine, reminds me of the guy in the other picture. Which I think he might have taken of himself while handling my digital. Steve Millington, General Manager of Michael’s restaurant, uber-greeter, the man to know when you need some holiday cheer.
