The event raised $133,000 for 30 scholarships — a little over $4,000 per student. The students also receive a tour of the White House.
To provide context on this paltry scholarship number, consider how much is spent on the weekend. A single corporate media outlet will often shell out as much as $200,000 on the political glitz and glamfest to entertain A-list guests. The venues sponsoring after-party events for the dinner charge a minimum of $250,000 for a few hours of cocktail snacks. There are countless invite-only bunches, happy hours, and side events employing a small army of caterers.
Throw in the first-class tickets, hotel suites, chauffeurs, private security, and all the rest, many millions of dollars are spent in a few short days purely for Beltway vanity.
But the thin facade of a scholarship is perhaps appropriate for the event. What better way to illustrate the nature of establishment politics and journalism than a public interest farce?
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