White House Correspondents Insider

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

Photos from Cafe Milano's Inaugural Bash

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In case you were with us during Inauguration Day, Cafe Milano was still in full swing on Monday after Sunday’s Bipartisan Brunch. Hosted by
Robert Johnson (The RJL Companies), Gina Adams (FedEx) and Milano’s own Franco Nuschese. The Hill mentioned the event in their wrap-up of Inaugural activity. Georgetown Dish was there to hear Franco give a few Inaugural words to the packed room:

“Earlier today, we heard President Obama’s soaring words of inspiration. We now look hopefully for the most strident of the election rhetoric to fade and for all of our leaders of both parties to join in maximizing the greatness and opportunities of our country.”

Check out the slideshow above to see who else was at the Georgetown soiree.

Kevin Spacey on Shakespeare and Bill Clinton for House of Cards

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Netflix CEO Reid Hastings had a big smile on his face as he watched some of Washington’s most influential media grabbing a seat for a first look at two episodes of House of Cards. Howard Fineman, George Stevens,Jr. , Jim Hoagland, and Joanne Horowitz, Spacey’s manager joined Reema alSabah, Bonnie Lepard , Buffie Cafritz and Ambassador Lloyd and Ann Hand for the stylish screening and dinner that followed. T.Rowe Price tech whiz Henry Ellenbogen chatting with Living Social CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy, Reggie Love in Wharton school appropriate glasses, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, Linda Douglass and John Phillips. Bloomberg View’s chief Frank Wilkinson beamed standing with actress wife Sakina Jaffrey, and David Haddad. At the Step n’ Repeat ABC’s Rick Klein, Janet Donovan, and Media Bistro’s Eddie Scarry asked questions of Oscar nominated writer Beau Willimon, actors Kate Mara, Robin Wright,Sebastian Arcelus,and finally Kevin Spacey. The entire reporter gaggle together into one giant ball of cameras, microphones and iPhones to talk about what inspired Rep. Frank Underwood from Shakespeare to a certain former president that stole Spacey’s Academy Award in 2000.

All thirteen episodes of “House of Cards” on Netflix Instant, so you can see how much of Bill Clinton Spacey can channel past his Richard III.

The Bittersweet Tuesday Job Announcements

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Daily Beast Bipartisan Brunch
It’s a rough day if you’re Ray LaHood or a CNN employee–but congratulations John Kerry!

Starting out with the good news today is John Kerry was unanimously approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. That was the expected announcement this week. CNN, however, decided that such a thing was too boring for a Tuesday and launched a mass exodus/hiring spree just to see if we can keep up.

Chris Cuomo is leaving ABC for CNN.The younger brother of Andrew will take point as morning anchor for CNN, which is a rough spot since that’s where Soledad O’Brien is supposed to sit. Matt Whitaker,an executive vice president and managing editor, announced this morning that he’s leaving the network due to new CEO Jeff Zucker‘s “forceful ideas about where to take CNN’s reporting, programming and brand.” Also out? Long-time husband-and-wife duo James Carville and Mary Matalin. Erick Erickson is also gone, but where else could he find an opening?

In the flurry of media news, it seems someone confused Ray LaHood causing him to announce his resignation as transportation secretary.

“I want to thank Secretary LaHood for his dedication, his hard work, and his years of service to the American people — including the outstanding work he’s done over the last four years as Secretary of Transportation,” the president said in a statement.

No other information was given from the former republican Representative from Illinois. It’s a strange ebb and flow around CNN and the cabinet these days.

edit: We mixed our Cuomos up! Andrew Cuomo is Chris’ brother and current governor of New York. Mario is the former governor of New York and father to both Andrew and Chris. We regret the error.

Obama’s New Chief Of Staff Won’t Just Cycle Through

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One of the worst parts about the ins and outs of D.C. is the commute, especially if you’re a biker. Unfortunately that’s exactly what Obama’s new Chief of Staff Denis McDonough is about to face with his new role. Announced last week in the Times, among other things a foreign policy expert, McDonough is well known for being cycled through the District on his bike.

Except not for much longer, as DCist found. McDonough’s preferred method of transportation isn’t an option once he’s formally accepted. USA Today found the line from the president that “Dad will probably have to stop riding his bike to work as chief of staff…I don’t think that’s allowed.”

So what’s a jilted cycling machine like McDonough to do? Inspire a hashtag on Twitter! The League of American Cyclists’ Andy Clarke created #letdenisride over at the LAC’s blog. He’s already come up with five reasons to keep McDonough in a bike seat over the Metro or an Uber car including “he’ll never get stuck in traffic in times of emergency.”

To be fair, riding your bike around the White House is not only dangerous but near suicidal. Even with bike lanes, anything on two wheels seems to be prey to buses, speeding cars or the legion of Circulators that loop around the Hay-Adams. No matter what reason folks find to #letdenisride we’re siding with the president when it comes to keeping McDonough in a car, waiting in traffic like the rest of us commuting back and forth through the District. Then again, it’s not like biking from Maryland into D.C. is faster than Metro.

Obama’s Remarks: "My main purpose is to say thank you."

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It seems like the “Change” campaign is coming back in 2013. President Barack Obama gave a preview of today’s Inaugural speech during a reception at the Building Museum. After introductions from Vice President Joe Biden and the newly Tweeting FLOTUS Michelle Obama, the president took the stage.

“Now, first of all, I love Michelle Obama. And to address the most significant event of this weekend, I love her bangs,” he said. The sentiment that followed was one of thanks but a preview of his Inaugural speech breaking ground with gay rights, environment and capped off with Beyoncé’s voice overpowering the Capitol sound system.

“I’m delivering another speech tomorrow so tonight I’m going to be pretty brief, because there are a limited amount of good lines and you don’t want to use them all up tonight. My main purpose tonight is just to say thank you.

As I look out on the room, we’ve got people from every walk of life, every corner and nook and cranny of this country, every state, every city, every suburb — people who have invested so much heart, soul, time, money, energy. One of the things that made this campaign unique was the degree of investment and ownership people had in this common project of ours, because you understood this was not just about a candidate; it was not just about Joe Biden or Barack Obama. This was about us, who we are as a nation, what values we cherish, how hard we’re willing to fight to make sure that those values live not just for today but for future generations.

Among today’s other surprising lines?

“Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well.”

And of course, this:

” Progress does not compel us to settle centuries-long debates about the role of government for all time – but it does require us to act in our time.”

So far, this Inaugural has been way more interesting than the last one. And–knock on wood–there’s still cell reception in downtown D.C.! It’s an Inaugura-miracle!

Welcome to the Inauguration with Huffington Post and Third Way!

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Welcome to the 57th Presidential Inauguration! We’re here live at the Old Ebbett Grill directly on the parade route and comfortably heated. We’re having a bit of a viewing party with our friends from Third Way and Huffington Post’s HuffPost Live along with their D.C. bureau.

We’re offering the usual Insider information related to the Inaugural along with live video from Huffington Post.

We’ll be updating throughout the day with video and photos.

Inaugural Insider Round-Up

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Good morning and happy Inauguration Day/Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Here’s all you’ll need to know while waiting in the parade line and fidgeting for AT&T service.

Know how there’s supposed to be less attendees at the Inaugural? It’s still in six figures, but a more manageable six figures. The gridlock around downtown D.C. will be like a Monday multiplied by Wednesday’s Metro Fail.

Huffington Post profiles the episcopal priest that replaces Gigligo:
“[The Reverend Louis] Leon’s own parish is known for welcoming openly gay members. The church, which has openly gay, non-celibate priests and has had a gay bishop, announced this summer that it would bless same-sex partnerships and ordain transgender priests. This month, the Washington National Cathedral, an Episcopal church, announced that it would also begin same-sex marriage ceremonies.”

The AARP profiles Charlie Brotman, the man who will be announcing his 16th Inaugural Parade today:
“Brotman, now 85, has been the official announcer for every inaugural parade but one since then. He didn’t man the microphone for President Dwight Eisenhower’s first parade in 1953, but ironically, it was Eisenhower who probably made him the go-to voice from then on.

Here’s how it happened. In 1956, Brotman, who as a child lived with his parents and sister behind the family’s corner grocery store in the nation’s capital, landed a dream job as the stadium announcer for Washington’s baseball team, the Senators. When President Eisenhower came to throw the first pitch on opening day, it was Brotman who squired him around and introduced him to the team. Eisenhower liked him so much that the White House asked Brotman to announce the president’s second inaugural parade, in 1957.”

WaPo historically breaks down weather patterns over the Inaugurals:
“The 1985 swearing-in ceremony remains the coldest of all presidential inaugurations since D.C. weather records began. Ironically, it was preceded by the warmest January inauguration just four years earlier. When President Reagan took the oath of office in 1981, the temperature was 55ºF at 12 p.m., and peaked at 56 degrees later that afternoon.”

Metro’s operating schedule is like all the worst parts (Peak fares) with the worst of the weekend (Yellow Line ends at Gallery Place-Chinatown.)

The Christian Science Monitor has an Inaugural quiz to test your knowledge. Cabs are a $1 more from 4 a.m.until midnight, which even effects UberTaxi.

Ken Salazar Also Out Before the Inaugural

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Ken Salazar told President Obama today that he plans to resign as interior secretary. Joining Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Salazar seemed to be a definite keeper for the president’s second term. But instead the former senator from Colorado gave the president his notice that he’d be leaving the position in March.

From the president:

“I want to thank Ken for his hard work and leadership on behalf of the American people. As the Secretary of the Interior, Ken has helped usher in a new era of conservation for our nation’s land, water, and wildlife. Ken has played an integral role in my Administration’s successful efforts to expand responsible development of our nation’s domestic energy resources. In his work to promote renewable energy projects on our public lands and increase the development of oil and gas production, Ken has ensured that the Department’s decisions are driven by the best science and promote the highest safety standards. Ken has also made historic strides in strengthening our nation to nation relationship with Indian Country, helping to resolve longstanding disputes and make tribal communities safer and stronger. I have valued Ken’s friendship since we both entered the Senate in 2005, and I look forward to receiving his counsel even after he returns to his home state of Colorado”

What’s The Best Feature for the Inauguration App?

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Among the other announcements today about Chelsea Clinton and who’ll be speaking at the Inaugural Day of Service, AT&T has released the official app of the 2013 Inauguration.

Available for free on iOS and Android, the Inaugural app seems like an essential tool this weekend. While the social scheduler is lax, focusing primarily on the Day of Service, the Inaugural ceremonies and parade. There’re options to view volunteer opportunities around the District, along with the Presidential Inaugural Committee’s blog and pre-loaded map of the parade route with First Aid, food and screen locations marked out.

The app may be the least of your inaugural woes if AT&T’s extra cell towers are nothing more than an eyesore. Reception’s still spotty downtown, frequently bringing our snail-like 3G all the way back to the dreaded E. If the app could promise us clear calls and full bars, we’d forego even the Google Maps app in place of the official Inaugural one. So what is the best feature for the Inauguration app?

Letting us know when we’ve lost the signal this weekend. And the map.