Maureen's House Party Was Off The Hook

Maureen Dowd threw a bold-names-only pre-Inauguration party at her house Sunday night and it was packed. The Washington Times reports some celebs couldn't even squeeze in.

We're also told that at Maureen Dowd's house party in Georgetown, the crowd is so thick that not even Tom Hanks could get in the door.

SFGate lists some of the other attendees:

Jerry Brown and Anne Gust attended a Sunday night party hosted by Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, crammed with glitterati including Ron Howard, Tom Hanks, Alan Greenspan, Chris Matthews, Brian Williams, Anderson Cooper, Tom Brokaw, Diane Von Furstenberg, Larry David and San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris.

Steve Clemons of The Washington Note was there and had a full report including these juicy bits:

But the real stars were in her living room -- and one corner of the party was owned by David Geffen and his boyfriend Jeremy, who were both charming...
{snip}
And then entered Rahm Emanuel, his wife Amy Rule, and three beautiful kids who Geffen's Jeremy (whose last name I missed -- but who is a great guy) promised to romp with next time the little Emanuels were in Malibu.

Clemons gives a full list of celebs that were there and confirms (or was the source of) the Tom Hanks anecdote.

And as the Hollwood A-List continued to arrive, I had the opportunity to meet and chat with George Lucas, Ron Howard, Larry David, Tom Hanks -- who pretty much stayed at the doorway.

Others at the Dowd gala were California Attorney General Jerry Brown and Anne Gust, Andrew Sullivan and Aaron Tone, Alan Greenspan, Helene Cooper, Chris Wallace, Alison Silver, Al Kamen, Janice O'Connell, Aspen Institute President and historiographer Walter Isaacson, Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, New Yorker writer and torture policy chronicler Jane Mayer, Arianna Huffington, Tammy Haddad; Politico's Ben Stein, Jonathan Martin, and Mike Allen; Chris Matthews, Margaret Carlson, 'Results the Gym' owner Doug Jefferies, Adam Clymer, Brian Williams, Anderson Cooper, Tom Brokaw, Michael Hirsh, John Harwood, Arianna Huffington, Atlantic Monthly editor James Bennet and his brother Michael Bennet (who is the newly appointed Senator from Colorado succeeding Ken Salazar), David Sanger, Diane Von Furstenberg, David Shuster and Julianna Goldman.

The DC Examiner says there were 400 invitees and at least that many attendees:

Roughly 400 invitations were sent out and nearly all 400 showed up for her party, which quickly became buzzed about as the party to go to that evening.

As a result, Dowd's house on 32nd and N streets quickly became a can of sardines and more than a few attendees told Yeas & Nays that it was simply one of the most crowded parties that they've ever attended.

I was even in the neighborhood yesterday since I had gone to the inauguration concert. I should have dropped by.

Update: The Daily Beast is the latest with an on the scenes party report:

There was gridlock, too, on the narrow staircase to the third floor, where David Geffen and George Lucas were entertained by Dowd in the first hour of the party. Larry David and Ron Howard were also part of a robust Hollywood contingent, which may be what atttracted New York Post gossip columnist Cindy Adams. Brian Williams, Jill Abramson, and Andrea Mitchell and Alan Greenspan were gamely trying to wiggle into the party as we were leaving. Bob Woodward and Chris Matthews were attempting to leave. There were warnings that the coat-check had already devolved into complete chaos.