WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Even if the news of 2012 is all about how the tenants in the Capitol just can't get along, a group of Congressional leaders will gather to prove otherwise as they join with members of the Washington press corps for an evening of good natured fun.

The Washington Press Club Foundation has invited Capitol Hill notables to join the guests of the 68th Annual Congressional Dinner on Feb. 8 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for an evening of off-the-record merriment, bipartisan style. We've asked them to share their take on the lighter side of life in Congress with the sold-out audience of members of the D.C. press and their Congressional guests.

Special guests for the evening include Sen. John Cornyn, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee; House Minority Whip, Congressman Steny Hoyer; Rep. John Carter, secretary of the House Republican Conference; Sen. Charles Schumer, vice chairman of the Senate Democratic Conference and chairman of the Senate Democratic Policy Committee.

Headline speakers are Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH; Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-CA; and Rep. Billy Long, R-MO.

More than 750 distinguished guests will gather for the invitation-only dinner, an evening of bipartisan banter and barbs that benefits one of D.C.'s leading journalism organizations.

The Annual Congressional Dinner is Washington's premier media affair, where members of Congress, elected officials and the diplomatic corps mix and mingle with members of the press. Inaugurated by the Women's National Press Club in the early 1940s, the event is among the oldest of the year's media galas.

In addition to the two prestigious awards presented at the dinner, the David Lynch Prize and the Washington Press Club Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award, the evening's program gets to the heart of the workings of Capitol Hill, as interpreted—with a wink and a nod—by those who serve there.

The 2012 recipient of the Washington Press Club Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award is Edith M. Lederer. Edith has covered all the major stories on almost every continent for the Associated Press and has served as an example and mentor to many a journalist throughout her extraordinary 50 year career.  

The evening includes a special appearance by the House "house band":  The Second Amendments, "No Politics, Just Rock and Roll." Rep. Collin Peterson, D-MN, on guitar and vocals, Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-MI, on guitar, Rep. Stephen Fincher, R-TN, on bass and former Rep. Kenny Hulshof, R-MO, on drums and vocals.

Sponsors for the 2012 dinner include The Hill, CQ Roll Call, Toyota, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Ford Motor Company, United Healthcare, AO-HuffPost Politics, American Petroleum Institute, The National Beer Wholesalers Association, AARP and Honeywell.

SOURCE The Washington Press Club Foundation

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