Speech-less: Tales of a White House Survivor

Former speech writer for the Bush White House, Matt Latimer, appeared on Alan Colmes Radio to give an interview regarding his new tell-all book "Speech-less: Tales of a White House Survivor" and talk a little about his experiences in the White House.

The following is an unofficial summary-transcript provided by value of a premium podcast subscriber and is not connected in any way to FOX News Talk or the staff of The Alan Colmes Show:

______________________________________________

LATIMER: I was a conservative son of two liberal parents from a union family in Flynt, Michigan. I wanted to talk about my personal journey through Washington. Which, as you know Alan, is a circus. I saw Capitol Hill, the Pentagon and the White House from high levels and it's a rare, unique perspective of Washington.

COLMES: But you knew you'd upset people.

LATIMER: Sometimes there were people who I saw in Washington who sort of forgot why they were sent there, and I didn't hesitate to have ancedotes that revealed that. I knew those people weren't going to like the way they came across.

COLMES: You think Lara Bush was a Democrat, right?

LATIMER: The prevailing wisdom in the White House--before she married him she was a Democrat and most people in the White believed that was certainly her sentiment.

COLMES: Some of the other things that have come out. The president's statements about Hillary Clinton's keister.

LATIMER: The media has kind of picked up the juiciest [parts of this book.] Yes, he did say something like that.

***

LATIMER: I found an appeal in Barack Obama. What I liked about him was he promised to be different from the usual Washington crowd. He spoke to people in a real language and, you know, once you get to Washington you kind of forget how to talk to people.

______________________________________________

Find a copy @ Amazon.com

Colmes Interviews

Another CC Exclusive!

As promised, here is CC’s follow-up interview with Nathan Stobezki of MyOwnRunway.com! View the initial Q&A here. Photos via style.com.

1) Welcome back, Nathan! I understand you attended 19 shows at New York Fashion Week... Which 3 were your favorites and why? Were there any disappointments?

My 3 favorite shows would have to be Tory Burch, Rodarte and Oscar de la Renta.

Tory Burch traded in the cute sandals for some tough combat boots and I enjoyed that a lot. I also noticed Tory’s love for leather and incorporating it into the Fall 2009 Collection was genius. Fashion is all about breaking the rules but knowing your limits and Tory seemed to nail both perfectly.

Rodarte – Kate and Laura Mulleavy know a thing or two about fashion and when they make clothing it shows. This runway collection there seemed to be a little Edward Scissorhands theme but what I loved most was all the organic fabric and materials they used for a lot of the dresses and each number looked handmade in its own individual way. Just Magnificent.

Oscar De la Renta – Well let’s start off by saying Oscar is Oscar. His dresses and gowns are just fabulous and the colors are always right on. The subtle variety like a black silk off the shoulder column cinched with a metallic belt was spot on. Even in times of an economic downturn Oscar seems to ignore it and just plow through and everyone knows if anyone knows how to dress a woman and make her look Polished then Oscar is Your Man.

2) Here at CC, there is a strong focus on accessories. Were there any collections that really impressed you in terms of handbags, shoes, gloves and millinery?

Well, I really enjoyed the wonderful handbags at Tory Burch. The models at Marc Jacobs and Rodarte walked the runway in Alice Cooper-worthy chain-wrapped black booties. It’s time to give love to the glove. The gloves I saw this week at Max Azria and Elie Tahari are the type of gloves begging for some attention. There was Lots of Fur but no PETA. The fur at Matthew Williamson [right], Thakoon and Dennis Basso came in a broad array of colors and textures and are an easy way to glam up your all-black outfit in one simple step.

3) What key trends did you notice among the collections you viewed? (CC has already noted the one-sleeve phenomenon)

Yes, there were several trends like the one sleeve dresses that were found on almost every runway. Then there were the neon pink and green dresses at Marc Jacobs [right] and Michael Kors. The versions of leather pants from the likes of Derek Lam, Alexander Wang and Diane von Furstenberg … were delightful. The overall Key Colors were gray, white, basically the neutrals. There were as well lots of Neon Colors at Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs. Lastly, the majority of the designers were showing looks from the 80’s, trying to instill Confidence and Better Times ahead.

4) Where can we go to view your videos of the collections?
Well you can now go to http://www.myownrunway.com and view at least 20 full length videos and tons of Pictures. The Barbie 50th Anniversary Fashion show was Amazing and if you go to my website you can watch the full show, Trust me you won’t be disappointed! Milan and Paris are to follow! Stay Fashionable!

Thanks, Nathan! See more here, darlings. And enjoy your Saturday!
xoxox,
CC
P.S. CC has a Guest Blogger feature today on Fellow Fashionista Danz's blog, Fatal Attraction 2 Fashion... It's CC's top 5 picks for Spring under $50 and you can check it out here.

Interview with Fellow Fashionista Audrey of "Frassy"

5 Questions for Style Writer Audrey Leighton, an English Literature major at Durham University

CC met Fellow Fashionista Audrey on blogger and is pleased and honored to share with you an interview with the stylish young writer . . . Keep an eye on this gal, as CC knows she is going places!!

1. You are bilingual (as am I). How did you learn your second language?
I have lived in Spain for 8 years and was forced into first language Spanish classes from day one. So it just rolled from there.

2. What are the best and worst parts of working at a newspaper?
The best part about working at a newspaper is the actual writing of articles. It is so satisfying opening the paper and seeing my style section exactly the way I had imagined it in my head. The worst part, hmm maybe distribution, where we as, newspaper staff stand outside in the cold on the streets and hand out papers to students. It is fun for a little while but then the cold creeps into your bones and you just want to go inside!

3. Let's talk fashion: What are your top 5 dream picks for fall (money is no object)?
5 dream picks for fall would be: Jimmy Choo's Fringed Suede Boots, Tomato Red Feather Bustier Dress by Alexander McQueen (for formal events), the Prada lace dress, an Alberti Ferretti Purple Coat, and the Hermes Paisley bag. If only I could actually afford to buy these five beauties!

4. How did your interest in style evolve and who are your primary fashion influences?
My interest evolved from Zara, the fashion shop. I went in there with my mother when I was twelve and I was pretty much mesmerized. Soon enough, all my money was being spent on clothes and now I am a full-fledged addict. My primary fashion influences are Sienna Miller, Nicole Richie...I like girls who pull off style in a casual, quirky way. Street-style is the most inspirational and many ideas have developed from pictures on the Sartorialist or hel-looks.

5. Where were you ten years ago, and where do you see yourself ten years hence?
Ten years ago I was 9, so I was probably collecting stickers and playing with beanie babies. lol. Ten years from now I'd love to be in a job at Vogue or any acclaimed fashion magazine. I would also love to have finished my novel and maybe have an apartment in Paris.

Check out Audrey’s blog, Frassy, at http://frassy-audrey.blogspot.com/ . . . Audrey interviewed CC, too!

And don't worry, darlings, I haven't abandoned the ABCs of fall fashion - today's post, "A is for Armadillo" can be found below!

xoxox,
CC