How things have changed! Vanity Fair editor Todd Purdum, once the thrower of fabulous celebrity political parties, has been upstaged by a new hostess. That would be Times columnist Maureen Dowd.

Barack Obama is the fashion of the day. Accordingly, his most visible supporters have been rewarded with increased social cachet. Supporters like unnecessary Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who jumped into the politics bed with bigtime Obama fan David Geffen some time ago and hasn't looked back. She had a star-studded pre-Inauguration fete at her Georgetown home this weekend—a party so crowded that the likes of Tom Hanks and Larry David were forced to mingle outside. She was the social queen of the waning political season.

In 2000 Purdum and his wife, former White House spokeswoman Dee Dee Myers, had a glittery and in-demand party, when the DNC was in Los Angeles back and Purdum was bureau chief for the New York Times. (In 2006, Graydon Carter lured Purdum to Vanity Fair with a big pay raise and a "national editor" title.) It was the hot ticket of the evening, with all manner of celebrities clamoring to get in. Sarah Jessica Parker left Purdum a voicemail at his office the next day, thanking him for the lovely evening. It was a natural success. Purdum and Myers were big Clintonians, which, back in 2000, still really meant something.

Purdum had a party in DC the same night as Dowd's. And looks like they haven't quite shaken off the Clintonian brand even though they've fallen out of the Clinton orbit. Earlier this year Bill called Purdum a "scumbag" because he had the audacity to point out in Vanity Fair that much of his post-presidential life seems to be flying around with billionaires and models on private planes people refer to as "Air Fuck One." So, the sad thing? Their biggest celebrity guest was Michael Powell, Colin's FCC-chairing boring old son.