'Real Housewives of D.C.' on Bravo; Casting Buzz Inside Washington

Bravo announced Tuesday that the cable channel added the TV reality show, "Real Housewives of D.C.," to its program offerings for next year. The franchise is currently being filmed here in the Capitol. Washington has been abuzz since May about which D.C. women would be cast on the show.

Although several candidates have been seen with film crews around the city in recent weeks, Bravo has not yet announced the final cast for our group of "housewives."

With "Real Housewives" shows filmed in Orange County, New York City, New Jersey and Atlanta, the Washington, D.C. version will be the fifth of the series. The various incarnations of "Real Houswives" are extremely popular reality shows for Bravo.

The premise is the "real" lives of very wealthy women as they handle marriages, children, jobs (for some), plastic surgery (for others) but is mostly dramatized by infighting among themselves.

Now that Bravo has announced the "Real Housewives of D.C." have been picked up for a season, Washington insiders are playing the guessing game about who will be in the final cast. Apparently, casting has proven difficult for producers because established political women turned down offers to be on the show.

Among those who are believed to have been approached by Bravo, but turned down their offer are: Rima al-Sabah, wife of the Ambassador of Kuwait; Susanna Quinn, wife of uber-Democratic lobbyist Jack Quinn; lobbyist Jill Daschle, daughter-in-law of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.); and her mother-in-law, Linda Daschle, also a big-time lobbyist.

"Powerful relationships in D.C. are based on discretion," explains one woman ensconced in the Washington establishment. "Once you start showcasing those relationships, they dissolve into the ether, and you are nothing in D.C. anymore. Who wants to risk that for 15 minutes of fame?"

So, the current rumored cast members are a mix of those considered by D.C. insiders as legitimately well-connected and others considered to be D-list choices. One female power broker says of the rumored cast members: "I've never heard of any of them. I don't even know how to pronounce their names."

The "housewives" who are believed to be in the final round of casting choices are:

Lisa Spies: Spies is half of a powerful Republican fundraising couple. Her husband, Charlie Spies, ran Mitt Romney's presidential campaign finances. Lisa Spies is the chief fundraiser for Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). One Republican says of her: "Bravo to Bravo for landing one woman who is the real deal in D.C. politics. Lisa has the connections to get the show cameos with top politicians."

Mary Amons: Amons, who lives in McLean, Va., is called by one (unnamed) socialite a "better fit for 'Real Housewives of Orange County' than D.C." Amons, a mother of five, is criticized by the socialite for "having nothing to do with Washington" and for being "not politically connected or even socially connected."

Lynda Erkiletian: As president of a Washington modeling agency, Erkiletian "has the social cache and real job to be a fun cast member" says one woman who knows her, although not for attribution. "She isn't political, but she will have the access to photo shoots and celebrities to give the show some star power."

Michaele Salahi: Michaele and her husband, Tareq, own a winery in Fauquier County, Virginia, and are owners of America's Cup Polo Match. At the recent Polo D.C. Fall Classic, the blog FishbowlDC posted pictures of Salai being followed around by Bravo cameras. Her casting is also controversial because, as one real D.C. housewife says, "What does polo have to do with D.C.?"

Edwina Rogers: Also seen followed by cameras at the polo match, Rogers is the wife of longtime Republican lobbyist Ed Rogers. They live in a mansion in McLean, which they call "Surry Hill." Reportedly, Rogers told Bravo that she is dropping out of the show. One Republican woman told me, "Edwina finally realized that she and Ed were being mocked on the show, and it wasn't worth risking his firm's clients."

Sissy Yates: Elizabeth Wentworth Yates is a jewelry designer and is also socially prominent in D.C. She is the sister of Ali Wentworth, who has her own show, "Head Case," is a regular on Oprah, and is married to ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos. Sissy also reportedly wanted to do the show and talked to producers over the summer, but more recently pulled her name from the casting list.

The current list of potential cast members leaves most D.C. insiders less than impressed. "I don't know anyone who would be caught dead doing this show," says one top female lobbyist.

But will you watch the Bravo show, I asked? "Of course! Any chance I get to watch people make fools of them is great entertainment."

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