Reporters and politicians are known more for thinking on their feet than dancing on them.
But it was the latter that mattered Thursday night as a dozen journalists and politicos – paired with professional dancers – took to the Crest Theatre stage for a competition titled "Dancing with the Capitol Stars."
The fundraiser for the Sacramento Press Club's scholarship program also celebrated Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton's 50 years in journalism.
His fellow curmudgeon, Bee columnist Dan Walters, handed out Simon Cowell- esque feedback, telling Democratic Assemblywoman Alyson Huber that her dancing was "smoother than your re-election campaign will be."
Fellow judge Ron Cunningham, artistic director of the Sacramento Ballet, may have delivered the slickest diss when he told former Republican Assemblyman Roger Niello that his performance was "effortless."
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, meanwhile, sang a spoof version of Frank Sinatra's "That's Life," rhyming "If I can't fix my budget by July," with the word "occupy."
Judges named Skelton's daughter, political consultant Karen Skelton – who's actually had dance training – the overall winner. Their family was a major donor.
"Someone call the FPPC!" demanded one spectator, with typical Capitol cynicism.
>BALLOT WATCH
A GOP-backed group seeking to place newly drawn state Senate districts before voters is asking the California Supreme Court to prepare for its referendum to qualify for the ballot. Fairness and Accountability in Redistricting's petition asks the court to use the maps in effect for the 2010 election or combine two new Assembly maps into one Senate district.
>WORTH REPEATING
"Are any GOP Assembly members putting out statements praising court decision to require full public disclosure of (Assembly) finances?"
JON FLEISCHMAN, Republican blogger, via FlashReport's Twitter feed Friday, following a judge's ruling that the Assembly's budgets must be disclosed
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