U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar has been confirmed as the Democratic speaker at this year's Gridiron spring dinner, a hallowed Washington institution dating back to 1885. The Republican speaker for the white-tie event on March 9 has not been announced. Traditionally, the dinner is a high-amperage event mixing media and political elites, including the president, for an off-the-record evening of self-deprecating jokes and irreverent skits. President Obama's attendance has been spotty, but the group announced Wednesday that it is "hopeful" of securing his attendance with the First Lady this year. In a notice to Gridiron Club and Foundation members, the group noted that Klobuchar won her second term with 65-percent of the vote, that she's a former prosecutor, and that her father, Jim Klobuchar, is a "long-time journalist in the Twin Cities."
