This oddly-worded press release came out today:

“Bob Woodruff to be Roasted for Spina Bifida”

No, the ABC anchor who was seriously injured while reporting from Iraq, will not be roasted for having spina bifida. He’ll be roasted at this year’s Roast for Spina Bifida in October, which is hosted annually by Washington journos Judy Woodruff and Al Hunt. Their son was diagnosed as a child as having the debilitating disease.

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Wow. Just wow. Your response has been deafening regarding the recently announced male winners of the annual Big Head Rob Hottest Media Types Contest.

And now the wait is over. Here come the ladies.

In a surprise move, you chose a real doozy for your hottest female on-air. You picked the delight that is former CNN lead anchor Judy Woodruff, who’s now a special correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. You like her hair, you like her body, you like her charm. We hear you. When she sat down for an interview with us in 2004, we couldn’t see a wrinkle. And we’re happy to tell you that we haven’t heard a peep about any recent visits to any Bethesda plastic surgeons. She’s definitely a gracious dame, and we’re proud of all of you for thinking outside the box on this one.

As for hottest female off-air, the results weren’t even close. Liz Gorman, freelance photog extraordinaire, more than doubled your votes for the runner-up, Laura Sessions Stepp, the famous WaPo wingman promoter.

Where does Liz buy her clothes? Who does her hair? Does she have a stylist?

We don’t know. But we can provide you with this recent exclusive BHR interview Liz did with us earlier this summer.

Great picks, folks.

Now, be sure to get your nominations in early for next year when we do this silly little stunt all over again.

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Anderson Cooper, overheard on CNN tonight: “I don’t spend much time in Washington.” Right. So why did he co-anchor the CNN coverage of the State of the Union? Why was DC reporter Wolf Blitzer reduced to semi-correspondent status? And why did Judy Woodruff get “let go,” only to be seen “stalking around the GW Dining Facility, taking wads of cash out of the ATM”? CNN, he’s not a “hottie.” Even Wonkette brought back the original Ana for this monumentous event. CNN, we want a Washington reporter covering the DC “big events.” Show us a little respect.

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Inside Politics brought an old Judy Woodruff tape out of the mothballs today to highlight her recent interview with Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. If the interview was good enough to run again, why wasn’t Judy good enough to keep on? Is Wolf Blitzer’s Situation Whatever going to be so amazing that I’m not going to care that Judy was treated poorly, which is why she ultimately left CNN? Doubt it.

P.S. She was called a “special correspondent” on today’s show, on which she appeared live. Must have been a little painful to be a guest on her own show.

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My favorite TV columnist, Lisa de Moraes, on the unfortunate timing of President Bush’s press conference last night:

“The president of the United States scheduled his show during TV-Turnoff Week, the one week of the year when the well-meaning folks at the Washington-based TV-Turnoff Network ask people to turn off their sets and spend more time doing something else.

“We asked TV-Turnoff Network Executive Director Frank Vespe if the timing of the president’s show wasn’t unfortunate for his movement.

“‘It sort of is, particularly because he’s spoken many times, and the first lady, too, about the benefits of turning off the TV,’ he replied.”

de Moraes also offers some insight on why Judy Woodruff is really stepping down:

“Two sources familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified because of the confidentiality of contract talks, said CNN had offered Woodruff a role as a kind of ’super correspondent’ in Washington but planned to drop her as ‘Inside Politics’ anchor. The offer, which would have amounted to a demotion, confirmed Woodruff’s earlier decision to step down, the sources said.”

This probably means that Inside Politics will soon be cancelled. So, now that CNN has killed Crossfire, Connie Chung, Talkback Live and perhaps Inside Politics, has its ratings skyrocketed? Nope, but Paula Zahn and Anderson Cooper keep on tickin’. Why get rid of the old when its the new that smells bad?

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