Fox Channel religion reporter Lauren Green's fiancé has received the "Mike Huckabee Seal of Approval."

While at the Atlanta airport last week, I noticed the former Arkansas governor and host of Fox's "Huckabee" waiting at a gate where I was getting off a plane. He was looking down at his phone, his back to the concourse — I assume that's his celebrity pose for keeping a low profile.

I told him I had wanted to interview him the last time he was in Minnesota, and he gave me the name of his contact person. While chatting, it dawned on me that I could have asked Green to cut through the red tape for me. A classically trained pianist, Green plays the keyboard in Huckabee's TV show band "The Little Rockers"

"What a dear friend, she's getting married," Huckabee told me. "About stinking time. This pot was on the stove simmering for quite a while. You ought to see the rock she's got. She's a wonderful person, a good friend and an amazingly talented person. I told her I had to check this guy out and give my approval. I did. He's a good guy," Huckabee said on my startribune.com/video.

When Green returned my phone call Monday, she had sobering news: "Why are you just finding out? I left you a message months ago."

Now that's a voice mail that would have gotten my attention, so I don't know why Green wasn't suspicious that I hadn't returned her call.

"I thought maybe you didn't care," said Green. I thought maybe she just forgot to tell me. Not everybody in Minnesota, besides her mom, Bessie Green, should remain top of mind.

"I got engaged on Good Friday," Green told me. I was aware that attorney Ted Nikolis was on the scene but the last time I wrote about Green, we decided not to mention him. "He and I were just hangin' and now we've been together for three years," she said.

"We're going to have a big, fat Greek wedding here in New York. You know, I've lived here for 18 years. It's just easier for me to do everything here. May 2, 2015. I just bought a wedding gown Saturday."

Breaking bridal news!

Congrats.

On-air hi for Ben Tracy's folks

Last week while subbing on "CBS This Morning," for Charlie Rose, St. Paul's Ben Tracy, the CBS News national correspondent, was asked if his parents were watching.

"Oh, they certainly were," said Tracy, replying to a tweet of mine. "Gayle made mom and dad's day!"

Gayle King consistently adds an intelligent, human touch to that show. (I'm extremely miffed she's mostly excluded from the first hour.)

Via e-mail Tracy added that his parents, Barb and Pat Tracy, "live in Highland Park [and] loved Gayle's shoutout, although my mom asked me if it embarrassed me. Of course not, I thought it was charming."

Indeed, it was, Barb and Pat. Your kid, the WCCO-TV alum, is a humble superstar!

Way to Sparks the day, Jason

Jason Derulo went to the White House with Jordin Sparks last week and somehow concluded that was an appropriate acknowledgment of the singers' third dating anniversary?

The female half of "The Rusty Gatenby Review with Melinda Jacobs" called last week to ask if I had a question for Derulo, who performed Friday at Macy's Glamorama. I asked Melinda to find out the status of the singers' hot romance.

"We're happy and we're good. She's backstage. It's our anniversary today," Derulo told Jacobs. Melinda asked what he got Sparks. "We went to the White House last night. We had dinner at the White House with the Obamas. I don't think you can really top that."

Jacobs affirmed, "No, I don't think you can."

WHAT? Yes, you can, Jason.

You took your girl to a dinner — you didn't even pay for — with a bunch of other people the day before your actual anniversary and you thought that's romantic? Derulo's response made me want to "Talk Dirty" to him in a way very different from the theme of his song.

C.J. can be reached at cj@startribune.com and seen on Fox 9's "Buzz." E-mailers, please state a subject; "Hello" does not count.