Our galpals were positively gleeful at the news: "You're going to talk to Perez Hilton? I want to hear EVERYTHING," giggled Janelle in Kerrville, Texas.

Seems the celebrity chronicler and self-named "Queen of all Media" Perez Hilton has become just about everyone's favorite guilty pleasure as he blogs on the sacred and silly in Hollywood. (C'mon. You know you read it, too.)

Turns out, Mr. Hilton, aka Mario Lavandeira, is thoughtful when it comes to politics.

Much to our slight disappointment, he didn't make catty, nasty fun of anyone. Not once. And it seems to us he's got a lot of good material to work with -- given the ... er ... ummm ... diversity of the landscape to date. Oy!

If only someone cute, like George Clooney, would run ... sigh. There is just no money in public service, which is why we think most cute guys beg off.

And yet ... our Perez is a busy dude in Hollywood these days who says he'd like to be at Oprah's big shindig for Mr. Clooney's favorite "rock star," Barack Obama, but sadly he's double-booked and will be attending MTV's Video Music Awards in Las Vegas.

Pity his robust social calendar. Everybody wants him.

He's also set to host his own celebrity show, which premieres Sept. 11 on VH1, "What Perez Says."

"I like Barack," says Perez.

Why, we ask?

"He seems like he could WIN."

Ah, yes, the vexing electability factor that is keeping a lot of committed Democrats in a quandary these days.

Going on ...

"He seems like a unifier," says Perez. "I just think he's saying all the right things I want to hear -- he's reaching out to gay people and Latinos. His message strikes a chord with me. I also like Hillary, but she seems too polarizing. There are a lot of people who like her and a lot who don't. If Oprah would have run, I think she would win."

Sidebar: Somewhere in the great Princess Palace in the Sky, dontchathink Diana must be saying: "Gosh my boys turned out great."

What a lovely, elegant and real tribute to their mum. She would have dubbed it parfait. We miss her, ever so. This world needs a stylish princess to look up to, now more than ever. It really does.

-- Andrea Billups, national political reporter, The Washington Times