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Archives for December 2012

Looking Back at 2012 From The 'Cliff'

December 28, 2012 By WHC Insider

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Welcome to the end of 2012 and the start of 2013 just beyond the (fiscal) cliff!

After a particularly rough election year, it almost seems unfair that we’re ending on the threat of the fiscal cliff. While the president is due to speak at 5:45 p.m. today, sources have already been spilling out as fast as they can to say there isn’t a deal. The National Journal already consultated their crystal ball to see what this means for Obama’s second term:

“After the debacle that resulted from Boehner’s pre-Christmas effort to pass a GOP fallback plan for resolving the cliff, Republicans seem poised to shoulder a bigger share of the blame if Washington misses the Jan. 1 deadline. Going over the cliff would also bring some tactical advantages to Obama and the Democrats. Once the Bush tax cuts lapse, the conversation will shift away from tax increases to enacting tax cuts, putting pressure on Republicans to drop their opposition to legislation that would renew the tax cuts only for the middle class.”

Still there’s more to 2012 than cliff crisises and elections–Think Progress goes over the year that was for bills blocked by the GOP. Even if there is “no White House bill” there was still so much that the last year gave us.

We found out Joe Biden could crash a party AND give a moving speech to a gathered crowd in Georgetown. That films shown at 48 frames per second need to be about hobbits, dragons and giant eagles. That Daniel Day-Lewis is a very convincing Abraham Lincoln. That anthropomorphic eggs are more fun at the White House than anywhere else. But more importantly, we learned in 2012 that no matter what cold or dark thing that happens that there’s always a silver lining.

Whether it’s a lifelong Star Trek fan getting his last wish or the WMATA not completely ruining the trains for one weekend. Also, that tickets for the Redskins/Dallas game this weekend are crazier than some of the things being said around the House and Senate aside from “cliff” talk. We even beat the apocalypse! So on that note, as the rest of Washington nervously watches the cliff talks now, be as calm as an Egg-man at the White House Easter Egg hunt.

We’ll be back in the new year with more insider intrigue and finding ways to help explain why the Beltway is so addictive despite it just being two loops inside of a larger loop. So why not leave a comment about what you’re thankful for in 2012 while we say Happy New Year.

Filed Under: DC, Entertainment, News, Washington Tagged With: 2012, DC, News

Starbucks Comes Together for DC Despite Slushy Cliff

December 26, 2012 By WHC Insider

The holiday cheer still lingers around DC, despite the slushy weather topped off with sleet. Except instead of the gingerbread and tickets to Les Miz—or Mis!–the Capitol is chugging back to work on the looming fiscal cliff. The White House Pool reports that President Obama is heading back from Hawaii tonight to DC, which seems like a positive sign for the cliff standstill. Heck, even Starbucks is getting an opinion about the cliff.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: DC, News Tagged With: DC, Howard Schultz, Media, News, Starbucks

Barbara Bush on Why You Should Apply to Global Health Corps

December 23, 2012 By WHC Insider

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Have you ever thought about working in policy, or just dropping everything to travel the world and gain insight to how “everything” works? Then why not start by applying to the Global Health Corps? Started in 2008 by a collection of like-minded and global-conscious individuals like Barbara Pierce Bush, her sister Jenna, Jonny Dorsey and Dave Ryan from FACE AIDs and Google’s Charlie Hale and Andrew Bentley. The Corps announced last week what positions would be avaliable for 2013 applicants. We reached out to the president of the Global Health Corps, Barbara, over email to find out what makes an ideal GHC candidate, how applicants could prepare for the role and the start of the corps.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Causes, DC, Foreign Travel, News Tagged With: Africa, Barbara Bush, Causes, DC, Fellowships, Foreign Travel, Global Health Corps, Jenna Bush Hager

Brief Moments in Biden: The Other Kerry for Secretary of State

December 21, 2012 By WHC Insider

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Not only is Vice President Biden crashing parties and giving speeches, but he’s even sending in the other Kerry!

From the White House Pool Report of President Obama’s recent announcement to nominate Senator John Kerry for secretary of state:

“One thing you probably didn’t see on TV — Biden and T(eresa) H(einz) Kerry entered the room first and stood before reporters for a couple of minutes before the president and Sen. Kerry came in. In the awkward silence, Biden turned to the pool and said he was there to announce the nomination of Teresa Kerry as Secretary of State. She then smiled and said, ‘another woman!’“

The Pool also reports that Obama spoke to secretary Clinton today and “found her in good spirits.”

Filed Under: DC, News, The White House Tagged With: Barack Obama, Cabinet, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Secretary of State, Teresa Heinz Kerry

John Kerry Nominated for Secretary of State

December 21, 2012 By WHC Insider

Sen. John Kerry meeting the President of Liberia (via Press Office for Senator Kerry)


Christmas comes early for Senator Kerry with this nomination for secretary of state. Let’s run down what we’re all saying about the expected nomination from President Obama at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon:

WaPo: “Kerry has long sought the post as America’s top diplomat, but appeared to be Obama’s second choice after U.N. Ambassador Susan E. Rice. Rice withdrew her name from consideration earlier this month because of Republican opposition based on her role as administration spokeswoman in the fatal Sept. 11 attack on U.S. compounds in Benghazi, Libya.”

CNN: “It’s ironic that several prominent Republicans are rallying behind Kerry, just eight years after their party demonized him during his failed 2004 presidential campaign against President George W. Bush.”

Los Angeles Times:”Kerry, 69, has chaired the Senate Foreign Relatons Committee since 2009. His selection gives the White House a veteran foreign policy hand who has demonstrated his willingness to work with Obama’s inner circle of advisors over the last four years.”

Politico: “Kerry’s Republican colleagues have indicated that the confirmation process will be a smooth one — far easier than the one United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice would have faced had Obama nominated her. Rice withdrew her name from contention last week.”

Politico also reports that current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will not attend while still recovering from a slight concussion. But that hasn’t stopped the rumor will for who’ll be gunning for his seat. The Atlantic Wire toplines a scruffy Ben Affleck, Scott Brown, Ed “Ted” Kennedy, Jr. while The Hill likes Rep. Ed Markey.

Slate wishes there was a special election because why not make 2013 more than just a regular ol’ “election year.” But maybe being will help?

Filed Under: DC, News, Schedules and Announcements, The White House, Washington, White House Staff Tagged With: Ben Affleck, Cabinet, DC, Ed Kennedy Jr., Ed Markey, John Kerry, Nominations, Presidential Cabinet, Scott Brown, Secretary of State

CNN Gets Tapper, ABC Has Their Own Shuffle and No Go on ''Plan B"

December 21, 2012 By WHC Insider


In case you thought it was the end of the world–well, it’s just another Friday for the District.

In pre-Christmas media shuffle CNN announced that Jake Tapper is their new chief Washington correspondent and anchor. Mike Ryan’s Playbook backstory sheds light on what CNN seems to have in mind for the former ABC correspondent: “Tapper’s new show will initially air during one of the hours that CNN programming is in D.C., between 4 and 7 p.m., after which it will likely find a later time slot. The pitch to Tapper by incoming CNN Worldwide President Jeff Zucker was key to the hire. Before his White House gig, Tapper was a utility player at ABC News, doing stories on Iraq, the culture wars, and plenty of general assignment stories ranging from the Virginia Tech attacks to interviewing Larry David. A show that focused on a broader palette of story subjects, from politics to international affairs to sports to popular culture, has always been his main goal.”

Which means over at ABC, Jonathan Karl has become their new Chief White House Correspondent and Martha Raddatz is bumped to Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, which the release notes will find her as “primary substitute for George Stephanopoulos on This Week and will contribute regularly to the roundtable” along with Karl.

Going to the pundit side, Politico has Purple Stategies’ Rob Collins being vetted for the National Republican Senatorial Commitee.

Would you call the failure to pass Speaker John Boehner’s “Plan B” proposal “embarrassing”? You’re not alone as nearly everyone lead with that description after last night’s rejection of his fiscal cliff spending plan. Here’s a sampling:

Bloomberg: “The flawed approach left Boehner embarrassed and Republicans without a clear alternative to Obama’s proposal to raise $1.2 trillion in taxes on high earners and cut $1.2 trillion in spending.”

Washington Post’s Right Turn: “House Republicans embarrassed their speaker Thursday night by shutting down his Plan B to protect all but millionaires from a tax hike, come Jan. 1. How close was the GOP to having enough support for Speaker John Boehner’s plan? A senior leadership aide replied glumly, ‘Not close enough.'”

On Morning Joe, David Axelrod said: “But the fact that they couldn’t even pass that was an embarrassment. This is the longest day of the year and certainly true for John Boehner, I’m sure he’s scratching his head right now.”

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Filed Under: Correspondents, DC, Insider Round-Ups, News Tagged With: CNN, David Axelrod, DC, Jake Tapper, John Boehner, Jonathan Karl, Martha Raddatz, Media, Morning Joe, Rob Collins, This Week

Obama Named TIME's Person of the Year

December 19, 2012 By WHC Insider

Obama on Tarmac
For the second time, Barack Obama is TIME Magazine’s person of the year. After being included on a short list that featured the Clintons and Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi, joins the same club as fellow two-fer Persons like former president Ronald Reagan, both father and son George Bush, Harry Truman, Franklin Roosevelt and Richard Nixon.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: 2012 Election, DC, News, The White House

HBO and Scorsese Collaborate on Clinton doc

December 17, 2012 By WHC Insider

President Clinton - 2010 SIF Lifetime Achievement Award for Public Service

The most famous eyebrows behind the camera are focused on Bubba. HBO announced earlier today that they’re financing a documentary/biopic on Bill Clinton to be directed by Martin Scorsese.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: DC, Entertainment, TV Tagged With: Bill Clinton, DC, Documentary, Entertainment, HBO, Martin Scorsese, TV

Ambassador Susan Rice Withdraws from Secretary of State Nomination

December 13, 2012 By WHC Insider

From Rice’s desk to our eyes.


Susan Rice, ambassador to the United Nations, is out of the running for the coveted secretary of state seat. After weeks of harassment from congress

ABC News published the letter that Ambassador Rice sent to President Obama, which is avaliable here. She starts her letter off thanking the president.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: DC, News, The White House Tagged With: DC, News, Secretary of State, Susan Rice, Washington, White House

Joseph L. Allbritton Dead at 87

December 13, 2012 By Tammy Haddad

Joseph Allbritton. Photo from Politico.

Joseph L. Allbritton, former owner of the Washington Star and founder of Politico, died yesterday at the age of 87. Politico broke the story yesterday afternoon with remarks from the Allbritton family.
[Read more…]

Filed Under: DC, News, Washington Tagged With: Joseph Allbritton, News, Obituary, Politico, Washington, Washington Star

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About White House Correspondents Insider

Exploring “behind the scenes” of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

We track the White House Correspondents’ weekend and all the activities around it, from journalists and media companies to the White House and politicos.

Tammy Haddad is Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief of WHC Insider and CEO of Haddad Media.

White House Correspondents Insider is not affiliated with or approved by the White House Correspondents’ Association, which is a registered trademark of the WHCA.

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