White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

Karen Avrich: A Different Kind of Game Change

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Washington, DC’s top dogs cheered Karen Avrich and her new book, “Sasha and Emma: The Anarchist Odyssey of Alexander Berkman and Emma Goldman,” which Karen co-wrote with her father, the historian Paul Avrich. Todd Purdum and DeeDee Myers along with Politico’s Bill and Su-lin Nichols welcomed friends and fans to the Purdums’ Northwest home on Tuesday night. Ms. Avrich, Mark Halperin‘s partner, was feted by Fred Hochberg and Tom Healy at a New York party last week. Click to order on Amazon.

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Guests included Jonathan Martin and Betsy Fischer Martin, Fred Hochberg, James Bennet and Sarah Jessup, John Harris, Mandy Grunwald, Gwen Ifill, Laura Hand, Guy Cecil, Tammy Haddad, and Jack and Susanna Quinn.

Obama's First Post-Election Cabinet Meeting: Primary Purpose "To Say Thank You," But "A Lot of Work To Do."

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Obama on Tarmac

The overall message from President Obama about the fate of his cabinet in the new term? Thanks.

Giving a few words prior to their meeting on-air, President Obama was thankful for the service of his current  cabinet after a tough campaign.

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Obama Pardons Cobbler and Gobbler In Historic First

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Ready Set Go!

Come tomorrow, Gobbler and Cobbler can rest easy knowing their necks aren’t on the line for Thanksgiving dinner. The two presidential birds were both pardoned minutes ago by President Obama at a ceremony outside the White House’s Rose Garden.

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Petraeus Makes A Black Ops Cameo, Too

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David Petraeus' cameo in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
If the comparisons to the Coen Brothers‘ Burn After Reading weren’t enough for the ongoing Petraeus scandal, how about we get to see his face as a soulless digital avatar as well? Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 ,a sequel to the 2010 spin-off in the Call of Duty franchise focusing on the cold war, came out earlier in the week. In traditional Beltway culture, players assume the role of the same character twice (both father in the 1980s and son in the 2025) while blowing up drug lords, piloting drones and doing everything possible to keep firing a gun from point A to point B.

Except (SPOILER) toward the end of the campaign in 2025, we get a surprise cameo from (fictional) General Petraeus as he oversees the joint-adventure between Chinese and American militaries in lieu of any upcoming cyber-attacks with a motion-captured (and D.C. native) Tony Todd.

As for what’s exactly happening in the video, it really could matter less since we all know Petraeus won’t be in this role in the next 13 years. If he had, Petraeus would’ve seen the end to “The Second Cold War,” a female president and all sorts of impossible battlefield decisions made by a group of 12-year olds hopped up on Mountain Dew and candy that probably assume he’s just a made-up character for the Call of Duty franchise.

However, he is the first “living” government figure to be used in the series, disregarding the first Black Ops that featured a painfully awkward Jack Kennedy impersonator. But it did involve a mode where certain world leaders banded together inside the Pentagon to take down zombies:

The Continuing Drama of David Petraeus

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Did the resignation of General David Petraeus really happen because of misreading an email? Apparently so according to Daily Mail, who reveal the true start of this slow burn was an unpaid social liaison at a military base in Florida named Jill Kelly.  Petraeus knew Kelly from his time in Tampa, when he was the head of U.S. Naval Central Command from 2008 to 2010. Kelly contacted the FBI after being harassed by his biographer, Paula Broadwell.

The inclusion of yet another woman being the start–but, both sides claim, not an affair–makes us wonder just how much effort is needed to actually run the CIA.  Buzzfeed lays out the sins of General Petraeus and why folks shouldn’t be surprised by this reveal–but should be concerned that the FBI are so bored they’d check into his sex life. And someone finally remembered that Broadwell had a co-author for her book, “All In,” in the form of Vernon Loeb, local editor at the Washington Post. While Loeb probably knew nothing and doesn’t want to speak on the matter, it almost plays out like a terrible sci-fi movie.

Which, once again, makes all the parallels between that Argo premiere and the ongoing drama so wonderfully weird for post-election news that isn’t revolving around Nate Silver, the horrible aftermath of Superstorm Sandy or how Broadwell really was reading CIA emails and publicly discussing them.

The Twitterati Search Political Media Women

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As seen on The Huffington Post

Masters of search and the Twitterati in this election have obsessed about the real headline makers, Barack Obama‘s Deputy Campaign Manager Stephanie Cutter and Mitt Romney‘s Barbara Comstock.

Cutter’s previously invisible hand has led many initiatives in her roles in the White House, Treasury, the Senate and, of course, campaigns. For those who have shot her to the top of Google’s search by putting her name alongside “husband” or “workout routine,” she is not just another Washington lawyer. She is a fierce, effective and engaging advocate for the President and that is why a lot of people on the other side have gone after her.

And she is not alone. For example, in one of the most politically important swing states, there is Barbara Comstock. The Virginia delegate and Virginia for Romney co-chair began her media career as Chief Counsel with the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. She has been successfully working the ground game, grassroots and coalition efforts throughout the Commonwealth — door to door — as well as the leading woman’s voice on TV, radio and media; she’s micro and macro. Known in the nineties as one-half of “The Barbaras,” she and the late great Barbara Olson were the toughest Republican advocates during President Clinton’s second term when everyone wanted to be a prosecutor or was being investigated by one. As the most effective female voice for Romney, I am reminded of her challenging role in the Justice department press office post-9/11.

Shattering the debate glass ceiling were two of the longest-serving Washington correspondents. Candy Crowley and Martha Raddatz hosted two of the most important debates and showed the world just how in command strong women can be. CNN’s Jessica Yellin won the booking war by being the only reporter to host primetime specials featuring separate one-on-one interviews with President Obama and the first lady. They all represent a generation of Washington women who have played critical roles on the political inside and now have a supercharged public face. And none of these women blinked in the face of endless searches and comments about their personal lives and clothing.

Finally, there is the tech world. The prominence of women in media and politics is happening in technology chiefly through two top players, Sheryl Sandberg and Kara Swisher.

Washington Post veteran Swisher built the most important technology event of the year, All Things Digital’s D Conference, into the must-attend event for techie street cred. Swisher’s iconic interviews are best represented by hertough questions and velvet glove treatment with Mark Zuckerberg through a hoodie malfunction.

Zuckerberg turned to another Obama Treasury Department veteran, Sheryl Sandberg, to help him run Facebook and she has made history. This January, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, she mesmerized world leaders just by walking through the main hall.

Notably, she is bringing Silicon Valley and top women from across the country out of the backrooms and into the boardrooms, and on to the public stage.

A group of us were inspired by Sandberg’s efforts and started the Washington Women Technology Network, which includes successful women from politics and government — former Congresswoman Susan Molinari at Google, Marne Levine at Facebook and Mindy Finn from Twitter. Another former congresswoman, Ellen Tauscher, who was most recently Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security in the Obama Administration, is the Vice Chair of the Brent Scowcroft Center at the Atlantic Council of the United States. She is promoting the role of women as political and business leaders in international security, diplomacy, and nuclear weapon non-proliferation.

So you can keep searching, pinning and tweeting but none of these women have been defined by or talk about who they date, what they wear or any food plan.

Stargazing: White House Correspondents Dinner List

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Politico’s Caitlin McDevitt pulled together a master list for the correspondents weekend. Though many news organizations will not released their list in advance, here are some who like to let the world know who they are hanging out with this weekend.

“Celebrities expected at Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner include Hollywood legends George Clooney and Steven Spielberg, troubled starlet Lindsay Lohan, leading ladies Reese Witherspoon and Charlize Theron, plus hot up-and-comers Josh Hutcherson, Zooey Deschanel and Viola Davis. Some famous funny people are going, too, like Jimmy Kimmel, the evening’s headliner, and members of the “Modern Family” cast. Entertainers Stevie Wonder and Mary J. Blige are also on the guest list, in addition, of course, to President Barack Obama and a bevy of Washington journalists.

(PHOTOS: White House Correspondents’ Dinner guest list)

Not satisfied? There’s plenty more. Here’s a rundown of the big names we’ve heard so far, according to the media outlets that snatched them up:

ABC Sofia Vergara; Jesse Tyler Ferguson; Julie Bowen and Eric Stonestreet of “Modern Family”; Christa Miller and Bill Lawrence of “Cougar Town”; “Hunger Games” actress Elizabeth Banks; actor Paul Rudd; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie; Obama’s senior campaign adviser David Axelrod; National Security Adviser Tom Donilon; Army Chief of Staff Gen. Ray Odierno.

AFP Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage of “Mythbusters”; writer Colm Toibin; DNC Executive Director Patrick Gaspard.

Atlantic Media Actress Rosario Dawson; chef José Andrés; “Sex and the City” writer Darren Star; Stacey Snider, co-chairwoman and CEO of DreamWorks Studios; Nancy Ann DeParle, deputy chief of staff for policy at the White House.

American Urban Radio Networks Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder.

CBS “Homeland” star Claire Danes; “The Good Wife” actress Christine Baranski; Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan; Lt. Gen. George J. Flynn; Raymond Kelly, commissioner of the New York City Police Department; actor Daniel Dae Kim; Sen. Amy Klobuchar; American foreign policy adviser and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice; Capt.”Sully” Sullenberger III; Rep. Allen West; Rep. Tim Scott.

CNN’s Piers Morgan Actress Goldie Hawn.

Fortune Actress Rashida Jones.

Fox’s Greta Van Susteren Actress Lindsay Lohan.

Huffington Post Actor Daniel Day-Lewis; actress Dakota Fanning; Anna Paquin; Stephen Moyer of “True Blood”; Darren Criss of “Glee”; Nasim Pedrad of “Saturday Night Live”; Attorney General Eric Holder; Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke; Sen. Rand Paul; White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer.

The New Yorker “Portlandia” stars Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein; actor Jason Schwartzman; Aziz Ansari of “Parks and Recreation.”

Newsweek/The Daily Beast Actress Reese Witherspoon; “The Help” star Viola Davis; J.R. Martinez of “Dancing With the Stars”; Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano; Gen. David Petraeus; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand; Sen. Susan Collins; Rep. Steny Hoyer; Rep. Carolyn Maloney; Ambassador Melanne Verveer; Gov. Jerry Brown; Washington attorney Bob Barnett.

NPR Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas of “Once Upon a Time”; R&B songstress Mary J. Blige; singer John Legend; model Chrissy Teigen; actor Colin Hanks; Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes; Kathryn Stockett, author of “The Help.”

People “Hunger Games” star Josh Hutcherson; actress Diane Keaton; William Levy of “Dancing With the Stars”; former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s daughter, Katherine; Sen. Olympia Snowe; White House chef and food policy director Sam Kass.

POLITICO Actress Charlize Theron; Eva Longoria of “Desperate Housewives”; Green Bay Packers star Charles Woodson; fashion designer and stylist Rachel Zoe; WME CEO Ari Emanuel; Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba; MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd; FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski; former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm; Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal; businessman and philanthropist Ronald S. Lauder; entrepreneur Aerin Lauder; DNCC’s Theo LeCompte; Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell; Obama campaign manager Jim Messina; filmmaker and journalist Perri Peltz; RNC Chairman Reince Priebus; Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt; entrepreneur Ivanka Trump; Sen. Mark Warner.

Time Actor George Clooney and his girlfriend Stacy Keibler; Defense Secretary Leon Panetta; director Steven Spielberg and his wife, actress Kate Capshaw.

Reuters Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services; Glyn Davies, special envoy to North Korea; 46th Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli Jr.; Mitt Romney’s top adviser Eric Fehrnstrom; Ambassador of France to U.S. François Delattre; Ambassador João Vale de Almeida.

USA Today Martha Stewart; TV host Kelly Ripa and her husband, actor Mark Consuelos; “The Big Bang Theory” actor Johnny Galecki; Kelli Garner of “Pan Am.”

The Washington Post Actor Pierce Brosnan; Adm. William H. McRaven.” Thank you Caitlin.

Jackie Kennedy's White House Tour

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One of the most famous White House moments without a president was Jackie Kennedy’s tour of the White House 50 years ago. She saw the potential for connecting with the American people and television network news divisions have been trying to replicate the upclose personal feel for the people who inhabit the White House eve rsince. Merrill Knox of FISHBOWL tells the story an interviews the CBS producer, “This week marks the 50th anniversary of Jackie Kennedy’s famous televised tour of a newly-restored White House, which was broadcast on three networks and drew 50 million viewers. The broadcast was produced by CBS producer Perry Wolff, who is now 90 years old. Scott Pelley caught up with Wolff last night on “Evening News”:
http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cbs-news-marks-50th-anniversary-of-jackie-kennedys-televised-white-house-tour_b112628

Hitchens: The TV Gladiator

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Christopher Hitchens and Graham Moore

Every pundit that has tried to make a point, throw a punch, or declare victory should pause today to salute Christopher Hitchens.

He burst on the U.S. media scene first on William F. Buckley Jr.’s television series Firing Line, then on CNN’s Larry King Live and Crossfire in the early Reagan Presidency. He (along with now presidential candidate Newt Gingrich) knew immediately that cable television was the new media play for serious public policy combat. The “disruptors,” as our web friends say now. Hitchens didn’t talk to the empty chairs each night on C-SPAN as Gingrich did to make his points and show the American people that he was still at work, he just swung for the rafters with every comment on the only two cable shows.

Pat Buchanan, a great verbal brawler in his own right, is the only person I ever saw who could anticipate the blows. Hitch had a big fight with Bob Novak once on Crossfire and Bob banned him from the show for a while. It was like losing a world champion. I think Bob finally let us bring him back because he knew Hitch had real fight in him, and we kept bringing up his name.

Hitch was even more dangerous in person. The twinkle, the total confidence — he never missed anything. To be invited to Hitch’s home was Washington’s equivalent of the Vanity Fair Oscar party. There was no doubt that anyone who mattered would be there. With his incredible wife and partner, the writer Carol Blue, you knew you were at ground zero for intellectual conversation.

When longtime friend Christopher Buckley’s book, Thank You for Smoking, hit the movie screens, I attended a small dinner celebration at the Metropolitan Club. Being with these magical word masters and best of friends on such an important occasion was a total treat. These gladiators of language would throw something in the air and it would burst into fireworks dazzling those lucky enough to watch it rain down. It was then I decided the greatest TV show of all time would be The Dueling Christophers. (Yes, I did later pitch the idea to PBS.)

Carol, Hitch and I went to the Naval Academy to attend the memorial service for the father of our friend, Elizabeth Edwards. Hitch wanted to be there for his friend. After selling millions of books condemning religion, to my surprise, he gently sung all the hymns. I asked when the last time he was in a church and he said six months earlier at Bill Buckley’s funeral.

One of my favorite TV stories was when a young ABC News producer booked him to give funeral commentary for one his favorite targets, Mother Teresa. It was another brief but great Hitchens TV moment. You didn’t have to share his beliefs to share his passion for debate. He was voted one of the top five public intellectuals on a website for a publication only the very elite read; we used to joke he moved down the list when he quit smoking. In the last few years, when I was lucky enough to get to know him well, he was telling me about his summer plans. I interrupted him to tell him I already knew his exact schedule and told him every TV producer in town knew about his annual trips and his phone numbers at the various locations. He was a ringer, a sure thing, and we tracked him like a criminal to bring into an important show.

Last year I asked him if he would talk to a young writer, Graham Moore, who had just signed with Jonathan Karp at Hitch’s publisher, TWELVE. Hitch guided Moore through the publication of the best selling novel, The Sherlockian. During a book party for The Sherlockian at Vice President Biden’s home, Moore got to meet and thank Hitch for his mentoring. Despite serious health challenges, Hitch was determined to go and finally meet his protégé in person; and in the company of all who glitter in Washington no one twinkled more than Hitch, with Carol and his kids at his side. For a town and an industry still mourning the loss of Tim Russert, this is a painful day. So let’s drop our iPhones and iPads, and raise a glass to remember a great gladiator.

Gibraltar's McCormick Feted

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An intimate group of media friends and pr colleagues raised their glasses to Kelley McCormick in celebration of her new role as partner and chief operating officer at Gibraltar Associates. Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer co-hosted the summer luncheon at the Jefferson Hotel.

Eric Bovim, GA’s CEO and co-founder, said McCormick’s tenacity and spirit were the perfect fit for taking the GA team to the next level. McCormick, who comes to GA from Qorvis Communications, welcomed everyone in the room by saying they represented the different aspects of her life thus far. Guests included: Mike Allen, Adam Sharp, Kimball Stroud, Tracy Sefl, Michael Clements, Emily Lenzner, Kate Bennett, ThinkFoodGroup’s Ann McCarthy, Karen Sommer-Shalett, Janet Donovan, Nikki Schwab, Susannah Shakow, Kiki Ryan, Matt Dornic, Holly Page, Marc Adelman, Maura Corbett, Amy Argetsinger, Halle Mayes, Tiffany Cross, Gretel Truong, David MacKay, Sarah Schaffer, Sophie Gilbert, Alicia Jennings, Ha Chan, Christina Wilkie, Elizabeth Thorp, Jennifer Nycz-Conner, Kate Ocyzypok, and Revamp.com’s Daniel Swartz.