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Does body language ever lie?

"We"---if you mean the Reliable Source or news department--- did not. Trump is an old friend of  Lally Weymouth, daughter of the late Katharine Graham and mother of our current publisher. She issued the invitation; unclear if it was before or during the birther flap. But asking him as a guest is not an endorsement of his political views.We also asked Speaker Boehner to be our guests at the dinner, and not everyone always sees eye to eye on policy issues.

I trust that you understand its possible for reporters (and non-media types) to sit at a table and behave like civil adults without agreeing with everything (or anything) they say.

I don't think we'll ever truly know. So much black ops.

Dude, that critique is so 2002. I'll defend the dinner -- or what it was originally supposed to be -- by noting that covering newsmakers doesn't mean you can't break bread with them once a year or so, and that reporters do these kinds of things to sucker newsmakers into giving them information.

If you want to keep up to date with the latest in WHCD criticism, check in with Dana Milbank, who excoriated the flood of corporate and lobbying dollars into this affair.

Or, ask us -- and we'll tell you the problem is that showbiz celebrities are now shoving all the pols and journalists out of the action.

Not at the dinner---they were at separate tables. And they mingled separately at Vanity Fair's after-party for a while, until they started the neck kisses and other PDAs. 

We're all replaying the evening in our head, analyzing every quip and gesture of the president for new insight into what was going on that night...

B. Winning.

The White House Correspondents' Association -- basically, a panel of reporters who cover the president, and put on this dinner to raise scholarship money -- pick the entertainer.

Although I doubt that was the intention when he was invited, Trump turned out to be comic gold. I ran into Seth Meyers at one of Friday's parties and introduced myself as a reporter for the Washington Post. He grinned and said, "Thank you for inviting Donald Trump."

Shaken? Or stirred?

No--because it wasn't one of the better jokes.

The invitations, for the most part, are issued by the media organizations that buy tables at the dinner. So most of the seats go to journalists and their newsroom or corporate overlords, and then to the government/political sources they hope to seduce and impress. Of course, increasingly they're also inviting advertisers, hoping to impress them into buying more ads; and Hollywood celebrities, to impress the advertisers and the government/political sources. In other words -- good luck.

Don't know if C-Span is replaying the entire dinner, but you can see videos of Obama and Meyers' speeches on the Reliable Source blog.

Seth, we warned you about crashing the chat.

What can I say -- the reaction in the room was HUGE. I've never sensed that much energy in the room. (Lethargy is the usual reaction.) I'd call it cathartic. You have a press corps that's been tied in knots and vaguely humiliated by this whole Trump thing -- do they cover him, do they not cover him? -- and so to hear those jokes when the man himself was right there. The room was on fire.

The president is very skilled at this kind of symbolic jujitsu.

Guts to speak the truth on what exactly?

Factchecker: Trump in birther issue, Libya, etc.

I actually touched his hair, at the Vanity Fair Oscar party in February. I reported that it felt like corn silk. And, yes, it was the height of journalistic achievement.

If Mitt Romney were to fall on his knees, he might dislodge his perfect coif.

Do Norwegians also have a hard time evaluating the difference betwen  Seth Meyers and Seth Rogen?

: )

I think Trump would have had a chance to ingratiate himself, just a little, if he'd waved or winked or grinned when the jokes were aimed at him. People are always impressed by that kind of grace. However, I'm sure it's not pleasant to hear yourself mocked, so maybe Trump should be applauded for being authentic to what was probably his actual mood rather than putting on a fake smile. 

I don't think there was any coordination. It's just, well, this is a media-political dinner, and this is the guy who had dominated the news for the past week -- and there he was in the room. It was inevitable that he would be the focus of much of the humor.

Like I said: I didn't invite the guy; the publisher's mom invited him.  On the other hand, we don't know if he accepted before the whole birther flap exploded.  Anyway, it was awkward---but the jokes turned out to be awesome.

I saw Rashida Jones & Co. (followed soon after by Jon Hamm) leave the Atlantic/NationalJournal/FunnyorDie party at Long View Gallery after midnight Friday, and they walked south on 9th Street NW, presumably headed for the Passenger. Not sure how it was recommended to them. A friend who was there said Hamm communed peaceably with the drinking masses, who kept their cool.

If they did, she had on her game face.

Some more of Meyers' and Obama's Trump jokes are here.

And you know, of course, you can see Seth Meyers' speech and Obama's speech on video.

I think "the Hilton" conjures images of the comfortable-but-not-glamorous. It's not the White House. The dinner was in a multi-purpose "ballroom." And it was very crowded.

Obama did take aim at many major Republican figureheads (except Palin): Pawlenty, Bachmann, Paul Ryan, and on and on, but I don't think it was mean-spirited. He did rib himself about being too "arrogant" or "professorial" (but it's not like those are entirely bad qualities) and he dinged himself for his flagging poll numbers (which are probably on their way back up as we speak). The room rippled with squeamish chuckles when Seth Meyers laid into the media, repeatedly.

Hardly. It's the media organizations that buy tables. I think it was $300 a few years ago so probably a lot more now.

Our White House correspondents, of course, and columnists. Reporters actually covering the dinner. A few editors. And a couple of guests. No plus ones---and for every reporter who gets pouty, there are 10 greatly relieved they don't have to go. It's a marathon night. Not for sissies.

Yep.

Who? Trump? Obama? Meyers? Wolf Blitzer?

Smart politicians ALWAYS laugh at jokes about them---even if they secretly don't think the joke is fuuny. It proves how secure they are.

The only time I laughed out loud was at the 2nd punchline of this bit, from Seth Meyers: “Mr. President, look at your hair. If your hair gets any whiter the tea party is going to endorse it. Ooooh, I’m going to get an angry voicemail from Ginni Thomas in 19 years.”

Dan Zak had the privilege of touching Trump's hair at the Oscars. And I had the opportunity to study its mechanics at the pre-dinner reception. It's not just a comb-over:  There's so much more going on. There are these long pieces that begin at the sideburns and are swept back horizontally over the ears. Then, just above them, there are these little white pieces that lay perfectly vertically over the temples -- though up or down, I couldn't tell. It's like basket weave.

Gov. Palin and I touched butts. By that I mean we scooched by each other in one of the many parlors of the French ambassador's palatial residence on Kalorama Road NW. I didn't engage her, and I didn't overhear anything, but I will say this:  She is a very good-looking woman. Radiant, actually. And she was delightedly yucking it up with the media elite she derides during daylight hours. It was a very peculiar -- and dispiriting -- display.

I talked to her and Todd. Both were charming, but I can't help but feel she was secretly a little bummed there wasn't a single joke about her at the dinner.

And I wrote a piece on the gawkers. My observation: Washington is very good about not giving a damn while secretly giving a damn.

Someone got Trump to sign a copy of Obama's birth certificate...

She was sitting next to him, directly in front of me. I never saw her laugh out loud; she looked a little nervous but didn't freak out.

One hundred times better than Rich Little and Jay Leno. Not as momentous as Stephen Colbert.

But he owned the room in a way Colbert did not. Colbert was apparently much better on TV; in the room, he was too subtle and cerebral for a group that had been drinking for five hours. Seth Meyers had Wanda Sykes' sharpness and fearlessness, but a much higher dose of confidence and topicality. And of course the room was just primed to welcome this, so the energy boiled over like I've never seen it before.

All kinds of new people coming to the chat today. Be nice and welcome them.

The whole thing is momentous, from the standpoint of news dissemination. From the first tweeted confirmation (issued by an aide to Rumsfeld, from what I observed and what's being reported) to the Facebook-fueled pilgrimage to the White House gates -- it was quite a night. Stuever summed it up nicely here.

Oh, I read Vanity Fair. (Where else would I get my monthly dose of JFK news and stories about rich familiy feuds?) They do pretty well for a magazine, I believe. They get a lot of luxury good ads, which pretty much power that entire industry. 

You're probably right: I actually spent most of my time watching Trump for his reaction.

I'm speculating: Trump is securely ensconced in his own ego, and surrounded by people who reinforce that security. Saturday night, though, he was mostly surrounded by people laughing at his expense. I doubt that's ever happened to him before (even the Comedy Central roast had certain artificial parameters).

Becaused The Washington Post invited him, and because he likes publicity. He's got a TV show to promote.

Anyone out there got any votes?

It was eclipsed by Trump jokes, but pretty damn funny, too. Good back and check it out. 

We can tell you his name is Justin Mikita. They were a very smartly-dressed and -paired couple, and walked hand-in-hand on the streets of D.C.  Google Mikita and Perez Hilton will fill in the details.

If no joke falls in the forest, can her ratings crack 18 percent?

Not that I'm aware of. I did meet Calista, though, when I cornered Newt for a short convo. She reminded me of Cindy McCain.

Actually, I think we should invite our web designer next year.

You're right, it's definitely different. As we noted in a lead-up story the other day, self-deprecation has been a hallmark of a lot of good presidential speeches.

But Obama definitely takes a harder edge, as Paul Farhi noted in his assessment last year of Obama's second WHCD speech: "Barack Obama, the Insult Comic President, was up to his old shtick..."

We don't know, but the White House's "new media team" arranged the video segments, which went over very well.

I'm sure they will. Or go to the C-SPAN web site, I'm sure they've got it there in full.

Those absences were mostly cigarette breaks----he chain smokes, as far as I can tell. I did see a few of the PDAs---nothing too intimate. Part of me wanted to take bets of when they'll break up. I give them another six months.

Yep. Then, coming full circle, I was watching cable news last night in the 10 p.m. hour when everyone started freaking out about the president's imminent speech, and I decided to flip over to network to see how they were handling it -- and on NBC, there was "Celebrity Apprentice."

It wasn't the Post, as far as I read. I would have been shocked if they WEREN'T Trump jokes. I think Mr. Trump has much to learn about the ways of Washington.

The White House needs to craft its message. It is -- besides an executive enterprise -- a salesman of policy. The president has decisions to make, and can't spend all day crafting graceful/deflective snippets about those decisions.

The hunky Mr. Zak is sitting just feet away.

A picture is worth 1,111 words, huh? I don't know, but it's possible that Mrs. Cantor was just attending one of the pre-dinner receptions and not staying for dinner. Then again, you see people in a wide array of dress at these things.

Hollywood crowds out Washington at many WHCD parties

Meyers wouldn't have shown the president his remarks. As far as Trump's candidacy, only Mr. Trump can end it.

Maybe that's why he looked glum all night.

Edgiest WHCD night ever. Do you think maybe the world will now forgive our corporate overlords here for inviting Donald Trump? I mean, the night would not have been the same without him.

It was sublime and a clever reference. But nothing about Palin by name. 

Amy and Rox wrote about the epic Trump-vs-Palin battle here.

A rare pleasure of the night. I think Roxanne had the best vantage.

I sat just a couple feet away. I have to say I was surprised at his reaction. I would have expected a wave to the president when he was first mentioned, maybe a wink to the cameras.  There were very few chuckles---but he did stand and applaud when the president finished his routine, which I thought was appropriate. Anjd he was pleasant enough when I jumped up and asked a couple questions as he was leaving.

She did look amazing, both Saturday night and at the New Yorker magazine party on Friday. But, you know,  you don't really want to make chipper small-talk with a stranger about the kinds of things she went through -- so, no.

Well, yes, they're both blonde and bit Stepford-y. But even their facial structure and bearing seemed similar. It was a fleeting first impression, though.

I wasn't there for that dinner, but Amy's right: Colbert was very cerebral, and the crowd had likely had at least two cockatils by the time he started. Plus, his satire was very cutting. Without saying it explicitly, Colbert implied that Bush was a buffoon and knocked the media for not questioning the initial execution of the Iraq War. That smarts.

I wore a black suit with a black tie and black vest (the whole ensemble cost less than $200). I sat at our table for about 15 minutes, scarfed down some steak, and then had to peck away at my BlackBerry from the back doors, where there was cell service. Had a nasty 10:30 p.m. deadline. So, no, I enjoyed nothing.

I wore a metallic antique-gold gown, mid-length, kind of slinky -- and with sleeves. (Sleeves are so modern, you know. Not to mention: warm.) I ate the dinner, but there wasn't much sitting -- had to run around the room in search of material, and then spend a lot of time BlackBerrying Dan Zak and Aaron Leitko (who was back at the office posting material to the Web).

And I wore a long gray gown, and ate the surf but not the turf. Ran around shagging quotes before and after the dinner; was on Trump Watch during.

Everyone is so quick to be offended these days. It's stifling. So that's one good thing about the WHCD: Everyone gets roasted. Relieves some of the pressure to be untowardly PC.

How 'bout the worst couples? I was told Wolf Blitzer was very taken with Mila Kunis (they were at the same table), which makes me queasy.

You chatters haven't focused enough on the substance of the evening here. Sean Penn and Scarlett Johansson went public with their relationship in a big way.  He was definitely the big star of the whole weekend -- probably the highest ranking Hollywood person. He even had opportunity to get into it with a drunk guy who tried too hard to take his photo. What can I say: You don't have to even like or enjoy Sean Penn to think he was the hottest guy in the room. 

We'll pass this on to the important people who make those decisions. Amy, Rox and I had no say over who was invited. If we did, our table would've included Sean Penn, Tilda Swinton and Bo Obama, the first family's dog.

No dislike personally---she was very charming to everyone at the after-party. I just wondered if she was genuinely glad there were no jokes about her. That has to be a relief, but also possibly a sign that her moment is over. But given her reception at the after-parties, probably not.

Ginny Thomas called Anita Hill a few months back asking her to apologize for saying mean things during Clarence's confirmation hearing---19 years ago.

I hate to speculate on levels of intoxication, but Rashida Jones and Jon Hamm seemed adequately intoxicated during the pre-partying on Friday.

Oh, I could name some people, but they're not famous.

The real question: Is he really REALLY running? Fascinating to consider the possibilities, including half the traditional Republican party plotting a hit and the other half slamming their heads against a brick wall. 

Good times. Anyway, kids, we've got a column to write. Many thanks for sharing your Monday with us. Check back in for our regular chat at noon Wednesday, and send your tips and sightings to reliablesource@washpost.com. Thanks for chatting.