The XX Factor

We’re Talking About: April 13, 2010

-How invested is Obama in maintaining our image of a corrupt Afghanistan ? And why hasn’t Hillary Clinton been more involved in the administration’s interactions with Karzai? [ The Daily Beast ]

-Caroline Kennedy and Hyperion will publish the videotapes and transcript of her mother’s 1964 interview with Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. next year, in honor of the 50 th anniversary of her father’s inauguration. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis asked that the interviews remain sealed . [ New York Times ]

-Which of Massachusetts’ Republican leaders will attend Sarah Palin’s Tea Party rally tomorrow? The Republican gubernatorial candidate, a conservative congressional candidate, and Scott Brown are all sitting this one out, reflecting the GOP’s inner turmoil over how inclusive it should be of the Tea Party and its anti-establishment zeal. [ Boston Globe ]

-Michelle McGee apologized on Australian TV for the embarrassment Sandra Bullock has suffered since McGhee revealed her affair with Bullock’s husband, Jesse James . McGhee said she also feels betrayed. How comforting. [ Gawker , Australia Today Tonight ]

-Lady Gaga, the world’s most improbable abstinence advocate, announced that she is celibate and that her fans maybe should be too. Currently lending her poker face to MAC’s Viva Glam campaign and its anti-HIV/AIDS initiatives, Gaga is raising awareness of the rise of HIV among women worldwide as the rate of infection declines among men. [ The Daily Beast , MTV News ]