GUEST OF A GUEST: Sarah Palin made an unexpected pit stop at a dinner Wednesday night hosted by Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown; Queen Rania, and Wendi Murdoch at Tao in Midtown New York. The vice presidential candidate stopped by for predinner cocktails hosted by Condé Nast Portfolio and mingled with guests including Georgina Chapman, Donna Karan, Vera Wang, Christy Turlington, Elle Macpherson, Liya Kebede, Elizabeth Murdoch, Sarah Ferguson, Aerin Lauder, Whoopi Goldberg, Gayle King, Diana Taylor, Martha Stewart, Hearst Magazines president Cathie Black and Portfolio editor in chief Joanne Lipman (many of whom are definitely not Republicans). A host of first ladies from around the world and heads of NGOs were also in attendance. News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch introduced Palin to attendees, but the Alaska governor only stayed for cocktails. The dinner was held to discuss initiatives to reduce maternal mortality, part of the U.N.’s Millennium Development Goals that the organization hopes to achieve by 2015. Palin, of course, was in town meeting some of the foreign leaders attending the opening of the U.N. session.

— Stephanie D. Smith