Network nixes Hills hustle

PRESIDENT Bush will have to make do on Saturday without the company of Heidi Montag, star of MTV's "The Hills."

The surgically enhanced blonde backed out of the White House Correspondents gala when she couldn't get expenses paid for her Svengali-like boyfriend, Spencer Pratt.

MSNBC had invited Montag to be a guest at its table at the Washington Hilton. "Then Spencer got involved as her manager," a source told Page Six. "He demanded first-class tickets for both him and Heidi - even though he wasn't invited."

When the network balked, Pratt canceled Montag's appearance, claiming, according to our source, "It wasn't 'A-listy' enough."

A rep for MSNBC denied the reality show star had ever been invited, saying, "We are not having, nor did we invite, any celebrities to sit at our table." However, a rep for Montag and Pratt said, "There was a scheduling conflict so they couldn't make it - but they always travel together."

Meanwhile, Bloomberg LP's table will feature such guests as Pam Anderson, Jeff Koons, Kerry Washington, and British beauties Jemima Khan and Nicola Formby.

ABC News has lined up Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, Ashlee Simpson and her rocker boyfriend Pete Wentz.

Time Style & Design is hosting Donatella Versace and Rupert Everett. CBS News has humorist P.J. O'Rourke, former Rep. Charlie Wilson, CIA Director Michael Hayden and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Mike Mullen.

Newsweek is bringing former Bush right-hand man Karl Rove and Hillary Clinton ex-strategist Mark Penn.

Also expected at various media tables are Garden State tween heartthrobs the Jonas Brothers, Hayden Panettierre, John Cusack, Claire Danes, Rob Lowe, Marcia Cross and Tracey Ullman.

source: page six