White House Correspondents Insider

Friends and Family Gather to Pay Tribute to the Life and Legacy of David L. Mercer

January 17, 2022 By margaretmturner

David Mercer Memorial — David Mercer memorial reception at Cafe Milano – January 13, 2022 – **Click to view Photo Gallery**

David Mercer was a nationally recognized democratic strategist, government relations advisor and media commentator. He developed and maintained strong lasting relationships with significant Washington political operatives and leaders, as well as national business leaders, regardless of their political affiliation. This was a testament to his open-minded, positive views about people and his placing personal relationships ahead of partisanship. Anyone who met him was touched by his kindness, optimism, clarity of thought, and infectious smile.

Bishop Leah Daughtry officiated and speakers included Marie-Claire Brown, Gordon Hensley, Jamal Simmons, Michelle Bernard, Lauren Hobby, Tali Raebeck, Adam Schubert, Minyon Moore, Heather Johnston, and Scott Mercer. Flutist Kevin Willois concluded by playing “Amazing Grace.”

Following the service, a reception was held at Café Milano, where guests enjoyed some of David’s favorite foods, as well as his signature drink – the newly-named Mercer Martini. On-site Covid testing was mandatory for all guests and KN95 masks were distributed.

Additional guests not pictured included Donna Brazile, Tina Flournoy, Rob Liberatore, Jeffrey Hirschberg, Kiki and Joe McLean, Mark Irion, Jill Alper, Kelly Courtney, Diana Rogalle, Kim Kauffman, Erica Payne, Ilyse Hogue, Liz Sizer, Holly Kinnamon, Jackson Dunn, Michael Simpson, Mary Ann Akers and Michael Isikoff, Katie and David Leavy, Tom Lindenfeld, Tamera Luzzatto, Melissa Moss, Christina Sevilla, Kevin Varney, Alix DeJean, Lyndon Boozer, and Eric Schwarz.

A scholarship fund to attend David’s high school alma mater, Milton Academy, has been created and was announced at the service. The David Mercer Memorial Fund will be used to help students with demonstrated financial need attend Milton. Donations can be made here https://www.milton.edu/graduates/give/

Top Biden-Harris Strategist Symone Sanders To Join MSNBC

January 10, 2022 By margaretmturner

Symone D. Sanders, the former Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson to Vice President Kamala Harris, joins MSNBC as an anchor, hosting a new weekend program on the cable channel. The hire marks the first big programming move for new MSNBC President Rashida Jones, who took charge of the channel in February 2021 after its longtime head Phil Griffin departed.

Tammy Haddad, Symone Sanders, former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, and Rachel Greenberg at the 2016 WHC Garden Brunch

Sanders’s new MSNBC program will air on Saturdays and Sundays starting in the spring, although the title, format, and time slot are all to be determined, according to NBC. She will also serve as a fill-in anchor on the network and host a show on “The Choice,” the streaming arm of MSNBC on NBCUniversal’s digital service, Peacock.

The release states that “Sanders will bring her expertise, spirited rhetoric and sharp political insight to MSNBC’s multi-platform channels. Her program will explore issues at the intersection of politics, culture and race and break down how decisions made in Washington impact electorates, industries, and communities across the country. She will also interview law and policy makers, top government officials, scholars, and thought leaders.”

Highly accomplished, Sanders was one of the highest-ranking Black women in the Biden White House. In her mid-20s, she became national press secretary for Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign, then joined CNN as a quick-witted and creative commentator. When a Republican official told her to “shut up” during a live interview, her viral response later became the title of her memoir, “No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America.”

Sanders joined the Biden campaign in 2019 as a senior adviser, with particular passions for issues of women and Black voters. She strongly advocated for her candidate, so much so that in March 2020 she tackled a protester who rushed the stage during President Biden’s speech on Super Tuesday. In the transition to the White House, she played an integral part of Vice President Kamala Harris’s team.

In an interview with The New York Times, Sanders expressed her interest in moving beyond politics and transitioning into media. “I’m a young woman, a young Black woman from the Midwest,” said Ms. Sanders, who grew up in Omaha. “Yes, I do politics, but I’m also a consumer of pop culture. I watch the news, I check Twitter, but I’m also into ‘Real Housewives.’ I’m interested in reaching what I call the nonpolitical group chats, the discussions that are penetrating outside of Washington.”

Sanders isn’t the first White House alum to transition into television news. “I’m going to tell the truth, and sometimes the truth is critical,” she told the New York Times of her new role at MSNBC. “This administration has its critics, just like everyone does — I have my critics — and we’re going to have those conversations.”

As a political spokesperson, Sanders understands the full perspective of the intersection between politics and media. “Oftentimes, when it came to the vice president over the last year, people were not reporting on the truth, they were reporting on the gossip.”

Speaking last month to The Omaha World-Herald about her decision to leave the Biden Administration, Sanders said that she planned “to continue to be a reliable voice for this White House on the outside, regardless of whatever I do next.” Sanders will remain based in Washington, D.C., as she begins her new role, and she plans to marry her fiance, Shawn Townsend, in August 2022.

White House Correspondents Association Distances Briefing Room Reporters

January 6, 2022 By margaretmturner

Photo courtesy of Doug Mills via Twitter

The White House Correspondents Association (WCHA) announced it would reduce capacity for journalists attending press briefings due to spikes in omicron variant COVID-19 cases. The WHCA Board voted unanimously to return to a previously set reduced seating arrangement from earlier in the pandemic.

In an email from the association president, CBS News radio correspondent Steve Portnoy, to the organization’s members, it was announced that 14 seats out of the 49 in the room would be used.

“Given the virulence of the spread, medical experts have once again advised that it would be prudent to substantially reduce the number of people working in the cramped, poorly ventilated workspace that we share,” Portnoy said as reported by The Hill.

The change in capacity would be temporary, and the WHCA intends to revisit the seating arrangement later in the month, depending on current climate and case rates.

“A primary objective is ensuring we are able to hold the administration accountable to the public, while preventing an outbreak that might limit our ability to cover the president in close quarters,” Portnoy said in the original statement.

The WHCA has continued to urge reporters in contact with The White House to stay vigilant by wearing high quality masks and rapid testing frequently.

WHCA Announces New Seating Chart for White House Briefing Room

December 27, 2021 By WHC Insider

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) announced its new seating chart for the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing, as reported by Deadline. The changes will take effect Monday, January 3, 2022.

Image courtesy of Deadline.com

WHCA President Steve Portnoy wrote in a letter to WHCA members that of the 65 news organizations and entities that received assignments, 14 were getting their first ever seats in the room, and 30 news organizations are sharing seats.

The front two rows remain unchanged:

First Row: NBC News, FOX News, CBS News, AP, ABC News, Reuters, and CNN

Second Row: The Wall Street Journal, CBS News Radio, Bloomberg, NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and USA Today

According the Deadline: “The organizations new to the seating chart from 2017: Telemundo, CNBC, The Grio, Fox Business, Nexstar, Newsy, Gray TV, EWTN, Cheddar, Hearst, Spectrum, Newsweek, The Daily Caller and The Washington Blade. All are sharing seats. Missing from the list compared to 2017: SiriusXM, Westwood One, The New York Daily News, Talk Radio News, OAN and BuzzFeed.”

Teresa Carlson co-Hosts Power 100 Lunch with Joanna Coles

December 8, 2021 By margaretmturner

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 06: President and Chief Growth Officer of Splunk, Teresa Carlson and creator of the mRNA vaccine, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health-Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett at the Joanna Coles Teresa Carlson Power 100 Luncheon on December 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Power 100 Lunch)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 06: (L-R) Katie Couric, Desiree Gruber, Joanna Coles, Candace Bushnell and Teresa Carlson at the Joanna Coles Teresa Carlson Power 100 Luncheon on December 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Power 100 Lunch)

AWS veteran executive, now Splunk President Teresa Carlson joined media maven Joanna Coles to host the 7th Annual Power 100 Lunch on Monday, December 6th, to bring together leaders of fashion, media, business and tech. Carlson discussed the importance of women coming together and how we can nurture the next generation of amazing women leaders.

Special guests addressing the crowd included Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11), Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53), Sally Buzbee, new Executive Editor Washington Post and Dianna Berrent, patient advocate for COVID Long Haulers.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 06: President and Chief Growth Officer of Splunk, Teresa Carlson, co-host and CA Congresswoman Sara Jacobs at the Power 100 Luncheon on December 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Power 100 Lunch)

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, NIH lead designer of the Moderna mRNA vaccine concept, who discussed the making of the vaccine, was given a sanding ovation for her work in saving so many lives.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 06: (L-R) Candace Bushnell, Katie Couric, Desiree Gruber and Teresa Carlson at the Joanna Coles Teresa Carlson Power 100 Luncheon on December 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Power 100 Lunch)

Other Power 100 guests included Anne Finucane, Jennifer Nason, Stephanie Ruhle, Anne Clarke Wolff, Kara Swisher, Nancy Dubuc, Nina Garcia, Brooke Garber-Neidrich, Deirdre Findlay, Jami Floyd, Kaitlan Collins, Olivia Nuzzi, Lis Smith, Margaret Hoover, Kris Coratti, Brandee Daly, Carol Melton, Kelley McCormick, Margaret Talev, Tara McGowan, Lisa Sherman, Catherine Hill, Desiree Gruber, Frances Stead Sellers, Katie Thomson, Genevieve Ryan Bellaire, Vanessa Cornell, Noopur Davis, Valerie Singer, Tiffany Dufu, Lila Feinberg, Heather Passarro.

Carlson was the leader of the public sector for Amazon Web Services before departing for Cloud company, Splunk earlier this year.

Coles is CEO of Northern Star Acquisition Corp., a tech investor and media maven. As the chief content officer at Hearst she lead the digital transformation of some of the most iconic women’s brands including Cosmopolitan magazine. Coles has hosted this celebration of women leaders for the past seven years, excluding the last two.

Shop-For-A-Cause Supporting Dog Tag Bakery At Tyson’s Lafayette148 Store

December 1, 2021 By margaretmturner

The political stars were out to support the veteran’s hiring program, Dog Tag Bakery, on Tuesday evening November 30th. April Ryan, Hilary Rosen, Anita McBride, and Tammy Haddad invited friends and colleagues to the holiday shop-for-a-cause at Lafayette148 in Tysons Galleria with proceeds going to support Dog Tag’s work.

Attendees were invited to shop, drink, and enjoy the sweet treats freshly made in Dog Tag Bakery’s Georgetown shop. The non-profit was founded in 2014 by Connie Milstein and Father Rick Curry. More than just a bakery, the Dog Tag Fellowship Program seeks to support veterans, military spouses, and caregivers return to their communities with confidence, support, and a new sense of purpose.

Two graduates of the program were styled in the latest Lafayette 148 fashions by King Chong, Megan Boswell from Lafayette HQ and Whitney Harrington and the Tyson’s team. Ms. Jonee Coleman served 10 years in the Army, working as an Army information systems operator/analyst. She has dedicated her time to updating her skills and revising her current business for success. Ms. Ronetta Jones served 13 years in the U.S. Air National Guard. In 2018, she founded XtraOrdinary Solutions, achieving success in business consulting and event operations management. Lindsay Walls, director of development and Elizabeth Vana from Dog Tag Bakery shared program details to the invited guests.

Notable guests included Washingtonians old and new. White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and Erica Loewe, the White House Director of African American Media were joined by Michelle Obama’s former Chief of Staff Tina Tchen, Kathleen Buhle Biden, Kimberley Fritts, Kendra Barkoff, Susan Davis, Virginia Coyne, Courtney Surls, Tim McBride, Nancy Murphy and Rebecca Kutler.

They were joined by several prominent women in media, such as Wendy Benjaminson from Bloomberg News, CNN’s Abby Phillip, and Axios DC reporter Paige Hopkins.

Lafayette 148 New York’s King Chong and Megan Boswell with Whitney Harrington and her entire Tyson’s team cheered on the shoppers!

Politico Playbook mentioned the event this morning here.

To order Dog Tag Bakery treats for your business clients and family click here.

Veteran Diplomat Martin Indyk’s New Book On Kissinger

November 22, 2021 By margaretmturner

Secretary John Kerry with Gahl Burt and author Ambassador Martin Indyk at Cafe Milano book Party

On November 17th, Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba and Franco Nuschese hosted a book party for Martin Indyk’s newest work, Master of the Game: Henry Kissinger and the Art of Middle East Diplomacy at Cafe Milano in Washington, DC.

Attendees included diplomatic heavy hitters like John Kerry and Ambassador Al Otaiba, who paid tribute to Indyk with a kind speech. Indyk then spoke, entertaining the crowd with an amusing story about Henry Kissinger and issuing many thanks.

NYT columnist Tom Friedman and Amb. Yousef Al Otaiba at the celebration at Cafe Milano

Newly confirmed U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, Israeli Ambassador Mike Herzog, Sally Quinn, and former Congresswoman Jane Harman were also present for the celebration, as well as media figures Wolf Blitzer, Norah O’Donnell, and Kaitlan Collins. Other notable guests included Tom Friedman from The New York Times, Roxanne Roberts from The Washington Post, and Jeff Goldberg from The Atlantic.

U. S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides with Tammy Wittes and friend

Cafe Milano owner Franco Nuschese and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins

Martin Indyk served twice as U.S. Ambassador to Israel from 1995-1997 and 2000-2001. He was President Clinton’s Middle East adviser on the National Security Council, and in Clinton’s second term he became the assistant secretary of state for Near East Affairs. Master of the Game is Indyk’s third book, and first solo publication in a few years.

Jonathan Karl Book Celebration at Cafe Milano

November 18, 2021 By margaretmturner

Cafe Milano was ground zero for Washington media and politicos on Tuesday, November 16th to celebrate the publication of Jonathan Karl’s new book,”Betrayal: Front Row at the Trump Show.” Karl, whose first book on Trump was called, “Front Row at the Trump Show,” was a New York Times bestseller.

Milano owner Franco Nuschese welcomed Jon Karl in his speech, congratulating him on so much new reporting making headlines around the world. President Trump responded to the headlines by calling Karl a “third-rate reporter.” President Trump has been talking to Karl for all of the 30 years Karl has been covering him.

Guests included Senator Amy Klobuchar, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, Dr. Anthony Fauci, CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, and MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell.

Karl, the former president of the White House Correspondents Association, was surrounded by other members CNN White House reporter Kaitlan Collins, upcoming President, NBC News White House Correspondent Kelly O’Donnell.

ABC News colleagues included Rachel Scott, Cecilia Vega, RIck Klein, Dax Tejera and USA Today sports columnist Christine Brennan. Politicos on site were former Virginia member Barbara Comstock, Ron and Sara Bonjean, Lis Smith and Jim Margolis.

Two other bestselling Trump authors were in attendance, famed journalist Bob Woodward and the Washington Post’s Phil Rucker.

AMY GRAPPONE TO MCCAIN INSTITUTE at ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

November 3, 2021 By WHC Insider

Veteran Hill communications Director, Amy Grappone, will join the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University as a Senior Director for communications and strategic engagement. She will oversee all areas of communications. Grappone worked with Indiana Senator Todd Young for four years as his director of communications.

“Senator McCain’s lifetime of public service continues to inspire people across America and around the world. The McCain Institute brings together prominent thinkers and organizations to promote democracy, human rights, and character-driven leadership. I look forward to highlighting how the McCain Institute is working to turn ideas into action and impact,” said Amy Grappone, senior director of communications and strategic engagement. Click here for the full release.

Her Senate career began with West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito, but she worked with then-Congressman Ron DeSantis and the Mitt Romney presidential campaign. She is a graduate of Floria State University.

“The White House Plumbers” Return to The Watergate

October 14, 2021 By margaretmturner

The Watergate Hotel became ground zero once again this time for HBO’s actors, producers, and crew to recreate the break-in orchestrated by President Richard Nixon’s Watergate plumbers, with G. Gordon Liddy portrayed by Washington native Justin Theroux and E. Howard Hunt played by Woody Harrelson.

Justin Theroux as G. Gordon Liddy and Woody Harrelson as E. Howard Hunt, set in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building.

Theroux and Harrelson flank Judy Greer as Mrs. Frances Liddy and Lena Headey as Mrs. Dorothy Hunt.

From HBO: “Based in part on public records and the book Integrity by Egil “Bud” Krogh and Matthew Krogh, the five-part limited series The White House Plumbers will tell the true story of how Nixon’s own political saboteurs and Watergate masterminds, E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, accidentally toppled the presidency they were trying to protect.”

David Bernad, executive producer of the HBO hit “White Lotus,” developed the show with “Veep” writers Peter Hyuck and Alex Gregory. David Mandel, executive producer of “Veep” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” is also an executive producer and the director of all “White House Plumbers” episodes. Frank Rich of “Succession” and “Veep” fame is also an Executive Producer.