by guest contributor Phil Trupp
Photo credit: Neshan H. Naltchayan
Greta Van Susteren held center stage at the National Press Club ballroom where Fox News friends and members of the American News Women’s Club (ANWC) gathered to present Van Susteren with the club’s prestigious Excellence in Journalism award.
Greta van Susteren
From the very beginning, the annual event which raises scholarship money for promising journalism students, lacked the glitz of ANWC’s 22 previous annual galas. The sober tone reflected the on-air demeanor of the honoree. When the American News Women’s Club voted to honor the Fox News Channel star, Van Susteren immediately jumped in and began restyling the show. Among her requests: No “roasting.” Instead there will be toasts—just a plain old understated love fest. And, please, no belly laughs. Keep the gags to a minimum. By the way, forget the usual flashy stuff: attendees will wear “ordinary” business attire. That’s right, ladies. Keep those gowns in the closet. As for the usual sizzle of a celebrity-rich dais—no way! There will be a podium from which the honored guest may or may not answer all your questions.
ANWC Scholarship recipients, Ellie Hartleb and Katharine Magill, both from AU, with Greta Van Susteren.
Okay. But one is allowed to ask if this is what most of we Washington types call a “gala”? I don’t think so, said a few guests who had attended a few dozens such events. It’s not a “gala” if you put the kibosh on edgy humor, scrap the cool-people guest list, forbid the wearing of those pricy shoes you didn’t buy at DSW. Just follow Greta’s RX for fun and—voila!–welcome to the freshman study hall. Yet despite all the no-nos, the guests still managed to have fun. How much fun? How about fun with “surprise” cameos!
The Liberal’s liberal, Rachel Maddow, sent a fun-flashy video to tell the guests, “Don’t tell that other network, but Greta and I are friends.” And if that weren’t cozy enough, Maddow let it slip that she finds Van Susteren, star of “On the Record,” to be “irresistible.” Hmm…Can this be for real? Maddow’s video evoked what Larry David calls a smattering of “well-meaning laughter.”
CBS’s Norah O’Donnell, last year’s ANWC honoree, also contributed a video. And the Fox News Channel gang followed by similar means of remote control. How remote? Helena Andrews-Dyer of the Washington Post aptly called these video taped greetings from Bill O’ Reilly, Sean Hannity and Bret Baier as “taped yearbook messages”–Hey, you’re the best! Yay! See ya around the water cooler!
“Who else should get this award?” said O’Reilly. We don’t know, Bill. Why don’t you tell us!
Greta Van Susteren with fellow FOX News personality, Griff Jenkins
It was D.C. attorney Ted Williams who jumped off script when he cheerfully described his long-time friend. “She’s a stick of dynamite,” he exclaimed. “A combination of Batman and Captain America.” He paused to allow for some muted cheering. “She’s also a professor,” Williams added, respectfully, referring to Van Susteren’s years teaching at Georgetown University Law School.
It should be noted that of the many reporters who have interviewed Donald Trump, Greta is one of the very few who manages to keep him from exploding into hyperbole. During an April 27 town hall interview in Indianapolis, an audience member asked Trump if he would consider Greta for a Cabinet post. Greta burst into laughter: “Any more than an hour with me would be enough for Donald.”
Gala Chair, MC Andrews presents Greta Van Susteren with the Excellence in Journalism Award
In a separate interview on the May 26 Fox extravaganza, “Meet the Trumps,” Greta gently prodded Melania Trump concerning her husband notorious temperament. “Do you ever fight?” Greta asked.“Oh, never,” Melania replied. “He never gets loud.”
That her reply failed to illicit even a whisper of snark from Greta is a testament to her ability to resist a zinger which hangs in the air like a motionless soft ball. She demonstrated her penchant for restraint years earlier as a legal analyst for CNN during the O.J. Simpson trial.
Cheered on by her husband, attorney John P. Coale, a republican insider and adviser to Sarah Palin, along with her assistants and Fox friends, Van Susteren began to loosen up. She applauded the award of ANWC scholarships to a pair of young journalists from American University.
Greta Van Susteren with Catherine Herridge, Chief Intelligence correspondent for the FOX News Channel and former UN Ambassador and FOX News personality John Bolton
A somewhat unexpected guest at the event was former U.N. Ambassador John “Josh” Bolton, who served under President George W. Bush and was a controversial figure in the run-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. A reporter attempted to get some pithy political quotes from Bolton on the presidential campaign. No luck. “Care to comment on Donald Trump’s foreign policy?” Cold stare. “Greta’s a terrific journalist,” Bolton said, flashing a toothy smile beneath his familiar bushy mustache. But he wasn’t about to pitch in on his party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Donald J. Trump. He mumbled something vaguely unintelligible before turning his back and pumping the hands of his die- hard admirers.
Greta Van Susteren gets a hug from Peter Herridge, son of Catherine Herridge of the FOX News Channel. Roger Cossack, on LT, was Greta’s co-host on CNN
Roger Cossack, a professor at Pepperdine University and a former Van Susteren TV colleague, emceed the show. He reminded the guests that Van Susteren became a prominent figure when she hosted CNN’s “Burden of Proof” and “The Point” before moving on to Fox.
Chair of the gala, Mary Catherine Andrews, applauded Van Susteren’s calm, lawyerly pursuit of the news.“We are delighted to pay tribute to Greta,” Andrews said. “Greta is an outstanding journalist and thoughtful commentator who skillfully uses her legal background in reporting on the highest profile issues of the day.”
Gala Co-chair Julie Chase called Greta a “trailblazer, an inspiration to aspiring journalists.”
