Lloyd Grove

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The Reliable Source -- Live
Hosted by Lloyd Grove
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 18, 2001; 3 p.m. EDT

Got a rumor to dispel or confirm? Looking for dirt on your favorite or most-hated Washington celebrity? Ask "The Reliable Source" columnist Lloyd Grove, who's live online Friday, May 18, at 3 p.m. EDT.

Grove, a 20-year veteran of The Washington Post, has been writing The Reliable Source column in the Style section since May 1999.

Grove grew up in Los Angeles and Greenwich, Conn. He was an English major at Yale and worked for the Kansas City Times (now defunct, we think), the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and the Dallas Morning News before joining the Post on the Weekend section, where for a few years he reviewed practically every live theater show that opened in D.C., including a few in church basements.

From there, he joined Style as a general assignment writer with a special interest in politics, and spent a year and a half covering the 1988 presidential campaign for the National staff. In 1991 -- after an ill-advised book leave -- he returned to Style and served as a political reporter, with occasional detours into television and movie coverage. He also has written extensively for Vanity Fair magazine.

A transcript follows.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

To read the most recent responses, click "Get New Responses" or select "Automatically Update Page."

Lloyd Grove: Afternoon, everybody. Sorry, my day got a little crazy and so we're doing this late. Anyhow, I'm glad you managed to find me at the different time today. Now to your wit!

Rosslyn, Va.: Hi Lloyd!!

Was it just me, or was anyone else grossed out by the Rose Garden engagement item? I mean, a 23 year old, fresh out of college woman living with, and now marrying, a 37 year old Republican staffer! Ick. Carolyn Hax could have talked her out of that tragic error, given the chance!

Lloyd Grove: Sorry for the delay. I was just dickering with the phone company and you know what THAT's like. anyhow, I wasn't grossed out at all, tho I did get some reaction that some folks found it a little creepy. As for me, I wish the love couple the absolute best.

Washington, D.C.: Hey Lloyd: Hearing Jeb Bush deny, deny, deny this week raised a question-- why doesn't he speak with the same drawl as George W.? Speech therapy?

Lloyd Grove: I think George spent pretty much all of his post-college adult years in Texas, unlike Jeb, who has lived in Fla. for the past two decades.

Alexandria: N.Y. Post says that Gary Condit is an Adams-Morgan-living, mosh-pit-diving, motorcycle-riding party animal. Have you heard this before?

Lloyd Grove: Never--but unlike Rep. Condit, I wouldn't touch them there mosh pits with a barge pole.

WDC 20007: My spellchecker always tries to change "Moran" to "Moron." Your thoughts?

Lloyd Grove: If only your spellchecker also tried to change the behavior as well as the spelling of Moran!

Reston, 20190: In comparing the way Clinton and that Brit reacted to the egging I think we need some Brit pols here. None of this namby-pamby "I feel your pain" stuff. Just a good right hook to the unwashed masses. My kind of guy.

Lloyd Grove: Apparently the right honorable Mr. Prescott, a fiery Scotsman, is also a longtime amateur boxer.

Falls Church: So the Clinton gang didn't trash the White House after all. Think any pundits will ever apologize for this? Who was behind the story to begin with?

Lloyd Grove: Well, I have to admit that I was the one who broke the broken Dubya key story--but that one was entirely accurate, then everybody else got carried away and embroidered it. Anyhow, even though I didn't do nuthin' wrong, let me offer my heartfelt apology,.

Capitol Hill: Re: Rose Garden Proposal...

Like the current presidency, I give it 4 years.

Lloyd Grove: Well, I'm not sure I have the patience to see if you are correct. But who knows, maybe it'll last.

Washington, D.C.: How many of my tax dollars were spent so that that Republican cradle-robber could propose to that chick in the rose garden? Sounds like an abuse of position, to me. Was she cleared before she was admitted?

Lloyd Grove: Oh come now. As Admirable Rickover once admonished an irritating woman who claimed to be a taxpaying owner of the nuclear sub he was commanding, and therefore demanded to be let on, "Madam, take your little grease stain and be gone." Or something like that. In other words, I don't really see that this was much of an abuse to the taxpaying public,.

Silver Spring: Who has embarrassed their state worse: Jim Moran & Virginia or Willie Don Schaefer & Maryland?

Lloyd Grove: Another one of those Maryland vs. Virginia contests. Well, I'd have to say that Mr. Moran's hijinks seem to be getting a whole lot more attention than those of the colorful Mr. Schafer ever did.

D.C.: I didn't get the part of your column yesterday about the young bride of the old Bush guy saying "So you're Jenny's roommate?" Is Jenny his daughter, did you mean Jenna Bush, whadupwitdat, as Katie Couric would say?

Lloyd Grove: It was a mutual friend who happened to be her college roommate and her name was Jenny. I explained it more thoroughly in the PM Extra version but had to cut it out for space for the column in the paper.

Dave from Herndon: Hi Lloyd,

Well, after all these months of pointless submissions by me I've finally got a gen-u-ine report to dish. Last night I was swilling with the guys over at the Vienna Inn. I was halfway through my story about the Jamaican hooker and who do I see walk in but David Albo, the Virginia State Delegate from the 42nd district!

Man oh man.

Ya know how you meet a celebrity and they seem TOTALLY different in person? Well, that definitely wasn't the case with Mr. Albo. Granted, one of his fraternity brothers had to point him out to me and explain who he was. And yes, -technically- I live in his district and have never heard of him, but let me tell you, he was just a regular guy.

I felt like I could have used you in that situation, Lloyd. I didn't really know all the right questions to ask him. I ended up asking stuff like, "So, there's a national legislature AND a state legislature??"

Well, I guess my Government teacher was right - I WAS only cheating myself.

Your pal,

Dave

Lloyd Grove: You met David Albo??? Good lord, Dave, you are a lucky man! Hope you saved a memento of the occasion--maybe even the paper umbrella from his drink.

Arlington, Va.: Any information about the Gary Condit-Chandra Levy connection?

Lloyd Grove: Haven't checked into this beyond what I've read--which does make it seem a little fishy, but it is equally likely that the two of them had an innocent platonic relationship and that Mr. Condit is going through undeserved hell right now over this.

Arlington: Did you see the LA Times' front page today? Several stories on Bush's energy plan, all with headlines like "Bush Plan to Favor Big Business," "Bush Plan Decades Out of Date" and "Bush Plan Stresses Fossil Fuels, Nuclear Power." (I'm only slightly paraphrasing). How much did the DNC pay for this? And why didn't they just print, "Bush to California: Drop Dead."

Lloyd Grove: Actually, if it wasn't a wordy broadsheet given to gray headlines, that might have worked perfectly. I think the LA Times, though, is accurately portraying the feelings of Californians about the Bush administration energy policies right about now.

Alexandria: Lloyd, this Bush girl is gonna be trouble. Think a good talking-to from her Grandma Barbara would help?

Lloyd Grove: I have no doubt that she has already received the good talking to from the Silver Fox. But talk goes only so far, and Jenna will do what she must. She sure is the only member of her family--her nuclear family that is--kind enough to provide me with something to write about.

D.C.: If Chandra Levy takes after her mother at all, I suspect she may be lost somewhere.
sbm

Lloyd Grove: not sure what you mean, here. do you have some special knowledge about her mom or her family? It would be nice, of course, to think, that she will eventually turn up in good health.

D.C.: Is Chandra Levy a poor man's Monica Lewinsky? They're both rather buxomous, Japs, and of course, bopping politicians.

Lloyd Grove: Well. I bet if you put your name and address and phone number by those comments, you'd get some very interesting traffic over the weekend. But I wouldn't advise it.,

Greenbelt: How soon until Jim Moran & Jenna Bush start dating? They sound perfect for each other. What would Dubya think if Jenna married a 37-year-old divorced staffer?

Lloyd Grove: Jenna and Jim, Jim and Jenna? Well it does have a certain euphonious appeal if nothing else. I don't think our president believes it's the proper time for his daughters to marry anybody, let alone middle aged men.

Alexandria, VA: Rose Garden proposal? Huh? I leave town for five minutes... What is the story?

Lloyd Grove: We did an item earlier in the week about the chief counsel of the RNC, who happens to be a divorced 37-year-old, taking his 23-year-old live in girlfirend on a white hosue tour and falling down on one knee whgen they reached the Rose Garden.

D.C.: Was wondering this morning what the former Mayor-for-life Barry was up to these days?

Lloyd Grove: Well I haven't heard much about him since his inetraction with the justice system over the unftrunate men's room incident at Baltimore Washington airport. I believe he's still doing some ibnvestment banking, whatever that means, and occasionally still goes to strip clubs in his great "nught owl" tradition. Anybody with anything fresher?

Arlington: What do you hear about a sex scandal involving Andrew Sullivan that his been talked about on the Web? I was in N.Y.C. and Michael Musto's column in the Voice had a mention.

Lloyd Grove: I think Andrew has a few enemies in the liberal-left gay community and some folks are trying to embarrass him. Doesn't seem to me like a worthy enterprise.

Arlington, Va.: Re: Condit-Levy: Do you know the contents of supposed e-mail Chandra's friend dug up? The news piece I heard didn't elaborate much.

Lloyd Grove: Afraid not, but would welcome some enlightenment from any of you out there.

Fairfax, Va.: "Innocent Platonic Relationship"? C'mon, Lloyd, the woman was given the keys to Condit's apartment, fer cryin' out loud! And why would the Honorable Congressperson announce a contribution of $10K to the reward for finding a "casual friend", as he called her? You're the Post's gossip columnist, for Pete's sake, you have to have feels out on this story...

Lloyd Grove: Actaully, this is too big a story for me, and our Metro and national staff are all over it. I have to settle for the crumbs, dontcha know.

Washington, D.C.: Re: sbm's comments about Chandra taking after her mother --

I, too, hope beyond hope that Ms. Levy returns safely. But to clarify sbm's comments -- I thing her mother has some serious issues -- was not very coherent and seemed way spacy -- possibly an illness or post-stroke symptoms? Of course, it could also be the shock of her daughter being missing, but she seemed like a major space cadet.

Lloyd Grove: I see. I think any of us in a similar situation--i.e. a parent facing the prospect of the violent death of a child through foul play-- would not be at our best.

Fairfax: Maybe Marion Barry is dating Jenna.

Lloyd Grove: Yikes. You're making me start to feel protective about Jenna. Leave the poor girl alone, won't you? (At least till she misdemeans again!)

Silver Spring: Is Dave from Herndon really Dave George, the Quizmaster? If so, where is the Happy Fun Quiz? Everyone misses it! Come back, Dave!

Lloyd Grove: Everybody misses it Dave, so how about it? I even miss it, and I never heard of it before.

Washington, D.C.: Is it just me, or does it take a very special kind of jackass to make jokes at the expense of a woman who is facing the very real possibility of her daughter being dead, not to mention using unkind epithets (JAP) to describe that person. It is really sad to think that those thoughts actually occured to someone and they were so not bothered by those thoughts that they submitted them to an online chat ... terrible.

Lloyd Grove: Well, I agree with you. I hope I didn't err by posting those comments, but I thought they might have provoked some thoughtful reactions such as your own.

Washington, D.C.: Lloyd,
Last week we had to tell you Ann-Margret was in town. Anybody glamorous in town this week that you don't know about?

Lloyd Grove: David Albo, for one.

Arlington, Va.: Ha ha. Miss DeMean(e)r...

Never seen misdemeanor "verbified," but this is the era of Bush-English...

Lloyd Grove: These are desperate times.

Alexandria: Lloyd, does that "out & about" Monday column have much of a following? I hardly ever know who any of those muckety-mucks are, who are featured. I wind up hating myself for even bothering to read it ... it's just habit to go to page 3 of the Style section immediately after the crossword. What say we get rid of it and do more reliable sourcing?

Lloyd Grove: Well, I believe the out & about column has a wide following and it's an entertaining look at some of the mostly high-end socializing that goes on around here. Me, I like to have my weekend, thank you for very much, so I won't be doing a monday column absent some compelling financial reason. But what I want to know is: why do you go to the crossword FIRST?

Somewhere, USA: D.C.'s comments about Ms. Levy were outta-bounds. What a schmuck he is. Interesting comment about Andrew Sullivan. Now that you are dating a conservative pundit, you seem to have jumped on the mean lefties bandwagon awfully quickly.

Lloyd Grove: Nah, my reactions are my reactions. I've been knocking around too long to have any others but my own, alas.

Rosslyn: All this talk of Chandra Levy is beyond unsavory, seeing how desperate and sad this situation is.

That being said....her e-mail to her friend referred to "my man" coming back to D.C. when Congress returns. Hmmm ... I think we have a match w/Condit, no?

I wonder what kind of questions Mrs. Condit is asking her husband about said "close, personal friendship?"

Lloyd Grove: Can't be comfortable, I wouldn't think. But I suggest that we all take a deep breath before rushing to judgment here. I don't want to be flip about this stuff, because after all someone's life is in the balance here. Sorry to have lost my sense of fun here.

West Caldwell, N.J.: So who gets whacked Sunday night? Ralphie? Jackie Jr.? Paulie Walnuts? Christopher?

Lloyd Grove: Now a terrible confession. I have never ever ever ever watched a single solitary episode of ":The Sopranos.:"

Arlington, Va.: Why are people freaking out over a 37 year old marrying a 23 year old? This isn't exactly like a septugenarian Strom Thurmond marrying a 20 year old Miss South Carolina. I thought they are a good-looking couple.

Lloyd Grove: Actually, I don't think it's all that unusual for there to be a 15-year age gap between husband and wife. Now strom, who married the 22-year-old Nancy when he was 69--that WAS a little weird.

Washington, D.C.: Don't forget readers. Do not ask Lloyd questions about the Republocrites and, in particular, the Cheney-Bush White House. This IS hands-off territory for the RELIABLE SOURCE!!! Right, Lloyd?

Lloyd Grove: wrong again, you silly billy!

Pentagon City, Va.: Geez, you've got some seriously unfunny sickos present today.

Get a heart, guys...

Lloyd Grove: Indeed.

Arlington, Va. My sleuthing turned up just the following excerpt from an e-mail Chandra Levy sent to her friend back home:

"My man will be coming back here when Congress starts up again, I'm looking forward to seeing him."

Her friend has stated that Chandra told her that she had a romantic relationship with "someone in politics." That should narrow it down ...

Lloyd Grove: Well there are a lot of folks who might fit that description, and I'm perfectly willing to let the police investigate this for the moment.

Atlantic City, N.J.: How are you coping with the XFL's demise?

Lloyd Grove: Devastated, of course. But I am hopeful that NBC will come with something equally cheesy to put on the air. I doubt I will be disappointed.

New York, N.Y.: You must hear more interesting rumors about Jeb Bush than the average person. What have you heard about Cynthia Henderson? It seems to me that sex is the only thing that could explain why such an incompetent ninny was being kept on the public payroll.

Lloyd Grove: Now now. It's been my experience that there is no shortage of incompetents on the public payroll who didn't get their jobs through sex.

20009: Yes, Washington D.C. it does take a special kind of jackass (I can think of other words) to malign a young woman who has probably been murdered and whose body may never be found. The fact that sbm felt it necessary to insult her mother's pain as well is evidence enough that this moron should someday know that hell him/herself. What a loser!

Lloyd Grove: Can't disagree.

Pentagon City, Va.: Regarding Sopranos: My bet is for Ralphie... They've been building it all season.

Lloyd Grove: Any takers? Any alternate theories?

Re: Jeb Bush: My daddy says: a bit dog always hollers!

Lloyd Grove: Your daddy sounds like a colorful guy.

The QuizMaster from Herndon: Lloyd,

The jig is up. Dave from Herndon is the QuizMaster. Dave George has been resting and strategizing since the flop of Foofoo.com.

Rest easy, my lambs. We shall return.

Dave

Lloyd Grove: Hallelujah.

New York: Lloyd, it is unusual to have a 15 year age difference between marrieds. If it were common, no one would comment. Funny, you don't notice such things. Also, to use Strom Thurmond as a norm? You've beeen inside the Beltway for too long.

Lloyd Grove: I didn't use Strom as a norm. Just the opposite, if you read what I wrote somewhere above. As to the 15 year age difference, yes, it's not usual, but neither is it freakish. I know many such couples who appear to be quite well matched.

Alexandria, Va.: Not Ralphie--he's too obvious. I'd go with Paulie. Remember--Tony made him take full responsibility with Salva (sp) if the crazy guy ever turned up missing.

Lloyd Grove: Hokay.

Alexandria, Va.: Hello Lloyd --

I hope I am the first to congratulate you on the exact date of your second anniversary of writing the Reliable Source column! Did they throw you a party at the Post? Or were they all too busy booking themselves on MNSBC and CNN?

Hey -- great snarky story on that pugnacious Jim Moran. Any follow up planned?

Lloyd Grove: Well thank you. Until you just reminded me, I had forgotten that this is quite a milestone, to say nothing of a millstone. And you are the first. Well, thanks a lot. and I appreciate everything all you have done to make the job here more enjoyable. As for Jim, he does bear watching, and we will be doing so.

Arlington, Va.: Lloyd--pink capri pants, tight black tank top and a toe ring. Did Jenna Bush think she was going out clubbing or going to court? Do you agree that a more "judicious" selection in wardrobe may have been warranted for the 1st Partier's sentencing date?

Lloyd Grove: Well, I had the same thought, but then again, Jenna IS a college kid.

Washington, D.C.: Do you realize what a hottie you look like in your picture for the live chat page, and how much like a geeky 15 year old boy you look like on your regular column picture? Drop the latter picture asap!

Lloyd Grove: Do you realize how often, and at what volume, I have pleaded and whined with the washingtonpost.com people about this very thing? And do you further realize how completely my bleatings have been ignored? Hmm. maybe they have better things to do. Could that be possible?

Age Gap?: Truth, Lloyd--would a 15 year age gap between an older woman and a just-out-of- college male student seem creepy to you? I think either match up shows a certain immaturity and insecurity on the part of the 37 year old.

Lloyd Grove: Oh please. I don't think anybody has said that about Joan Collibns--oops maybe they have. But no, I think it more likely shows maturity on the part of the 23-year-old. People can be chronologically old and still emotionally immature and vice versa, no? Maybe this is one for Carolyn Hax to handle.

Richmond, Calif.: The conversation here is all about one insider talking to the other. Isn't there anyone from the real world here? Since the Bush gang is not off limits, I am totally disgusted with the non-stop lies they told about Clinton's group when the left the White House. And you thought the Clinton group with sophmoric. Only 1458 or so days left thank goodness!

Lloyd Grove: Your opinion has now been registered in the national registry of opinions.

Brooklyn, N.Y.: Lloydie,

Earlier this week, one of the N.Y. papers had a piece about the impending divorce of Ted Kennedy and his wife, Victoria. What do you hear?

Lloyd Grove: That this is nonsense. But then again, i haven't gone investigating the state of ted and vickie's marriage. I hope it ain't true for the senator's sake--it seems that she has brought a good deal of balance and peace to his life.

Washington, D.C.: Hey Lloyd--
Who's the lucky gal/guy to succeed Beth Berselli, your R.S. assistant? Rumor has it it's an "insider". Inquiring minds want to know.

Lloyd Grove: Well, since you ask, it is Barbara Martinez, a whiz kid from the Budget analysis unit. But I have already warned her to keep her cotton picking hands of MY expense account.

Somewhere, USA: "...take a deep breath before rushing to judgment." Oh, Lloyd, you hypocrite! It's never prevented you from printing unwarranted false claims about Bill and Hillary Clinton.

Lloyd Grove: I have no idea what you're talking about, but you sound overwrought. Perhaps you can calm down and explain yourself.

My D.C.: The key issue with the age gap of the couple is that he (then 35?) picked her up at a COLLEGE bar! Yuck.

Lloyd Grove: What have you got against college bars?

Nashville, Tenn.: Read this week that Trude Feldman was nabbed wandering the White House and found at someone's desk going through papers. Where is the outrage at the lax security in the Bush White House?

Lloyd Grove: Well, trude, who's a bit of strange one, was caught rifling through somebody's desk and she was duly punished, banned from the white hosue for 90 days. So my outrage has been satisfied and quelled.

Bethesda, Md.: I love your coverage of the Archbishop Stallings flap. Has anyone else been covering it, or are you the only one? Is this guy as loopy as he sounds from the quotes?

Lloyd Grove: Well, the Afro-American has quite an interesting interview with the good archbishop and I commend it to you. For a man of God, he does seem a bit self-involved, even more than your average gossip columnist. Anyhow, I am hoping to work on improving myself over the next week so that next Friday I can show up for work on time. In the interim, I wish everyone a great weekend. See ya. Bye.

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