Grapevine: PR crisis for Romanian foreign ministry

Mistakenly sends out invites with remarks about guests

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...

The Tough Questions

Attorney General Eric Holder was thrown quite a curve ball yesterday, during a sit-down interview on MSNBC with a host who certainly seems to be one of his biggest fans.

Melissa Harris-Perry divulged a nickname she has for the nation's top cop and then made an interesting request.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MELISSA HARRIS-PERRY, MSNBC: You know we call you 'the Duck' -- in 'nerd land'?

HOLDER: 'The Duck'?

HARRIS-PERRY: In 'nerd land' we say you have a very sort of placid and even way of presenting, but you are just working for justice underneath.

Would you quack for us?

ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER: Well I'm not sure I'm going to do that...

(END VIDEO CLIP)

To the attorney general's credit he did not bow to pressure and worked his way out of a decidedly awkward moment by saying he appreciates the analogy.

The Washington Free Beacon sarcastically dubbed the MSNBC host's question -- quote -- "another stirring moment of journalism."

From one Twitter user -- quote -- "Keep pounding that pavement Melissa!!"

And another -- referring to the president's recent interview with the YouTube star made famous by bathing in Fruit Loops -- quote -- "I'm glad Mister Holder cleared that 'duck quack' thing up. I thought Melissa was getting all GloZell Green on us."

Growth Industry

Last year, the Pentagon spent more than a half million of your tax dollars on Viagra.

A search of government contracts shows the Department of Defense placed more than 60 orders for the male enhancement drug in 2014, totaling almost $505,000.

Several thousand dollars also went to similar drugs Cialis and Levitra.

The military has been providing the drug to soldiers with a doctor's prescription since 1998.

At $25 a pill Viagra is not cheap.

The Free Beacon reports military doctors have been instructed to prescribe the drug only after making sure it is the best way to deal with the soldier's ailment.

Full Disclosure

And finally, the Romanian foreign ministry is doing a lot of apologizing this morning after a PR crisis of its own making.

Its Paris embassy e-mailed out invitations to a reception that accidentally included an Excel spreadsheet telling guests exactly what is thought of them.

The document -- clearly intended for private use -- described some guests as "undesirable" and one as "ghastly."

The embassy apologized immediately.

Now one diplomat has been given a warning and another has been summoned back to Romania.