(CBS) President Bush was among more than 5,000 people at a Republican fundraiser in Washington Wednesday night that took in more than $23 million for congressional campaigns.
But, explains CBS News White House Correspondent Bill Plante, it was another guest who got all the attention she hoped for, and a lot more than her GOP hosts wanted.
Mary Carey is an actress in "X"-rated films and a would-be politician. She ran for governor of California two years ago and says she plans to run for lieutenant governor there in 2006.
"I've been a Republican now for, ummm, a couple of days," she quipped.
So Carey and her boss, adult film producer Mark Kulkis, came to town to do a little networking with GOP heavy hitters.
"I hope people look around the room and say, 'Where is that porn star?' " Carey says.
The party is trying to reach out and broaden its base but, says Kulkis, "Some people don't want us here, because they think we're contrary to traditional family values."
That's for sure, Plante notes.
The prospect of the porn star in the same room with the president raised a lot of eyebrows.
Christian evangelical leaders called for an explanation. The only one they got, at least in public, was from a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, who said: "We'll take that money and use it to elect more Republicans."
REAL FUCKING POST-FEMINISM JAG-OFFS!!!!!!!!
But, explains CBS News White House Correspondent Bill Plante, it was another guest who got all the attention she hoped for, and a lot more than her GOP hosts wanted.
Mary Carey is an actress in "X"-rated films and a would-be politician. She ran for governor of California two years ago and says she plans to run for lieutenant governor there in 2006.
"I've been a Republican now for, ummm, a couple of days," she quipped.
So Carey and her boss, adult film producer Mark Kulkis, came to town to do a little networking with GOP heavy hitters.
"I hope people look around the room and say, 'Where is that porn star?' " Carey says.
The party is trying to reach out and broaden its base but, says Kulkis, "Some people don't want us here, because they think we're contrary to traditional family values."
That's for sure, Plante notes.
The prospect of the porn star in the same room with the president raised a lot of eyebrows.
Christian evangelical leaders called for an explanation. The only one they got, at least in public, was from a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, who said: "We'll take that money and use it to elect more Republicans."
REAL FUCKING POST-FEMINISM JAG-OFFS!!!!!!!!
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The two only met a month ago during an interview while Kulkis, 40, president and CEO of Kick Ass Pictures, was in DC for the National Republican Congressional Committee's annual President's Dinner. He's honorary chairman of the NRCC's Business Advisory Council, a roundtable of millionaire entrepreneurs.
Benz denies she's cozying up to Kulkis to get a scoop for CNN about the private lunch he and Carey had with White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove. "Mark's a wonderful guy and I think this could be the real thing," she tells girlfriends.
Benz, 35, is known in Washington power circles for dating such figures as venture capitalist Jonathan Ledecky (now trying to buy the Washington Nationals), Univ. of Maryland basketball coach Gary Williams, and spent time last August with Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin at his Hamptons home.
Her regular companions include Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Tex.), John Sununu, Sr, venture capitalist Mark Ein, and Chicago Cubs VP John McDonough.
sorry it took a minute to sink in.