White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of one of the most powerful clubs in America.

Recognizing the Best in Government at the Sammies Awards

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Michael Kelly, Denis McDonough, and Stephanie Ruhle at the Sammies Awards, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

Michael Kelly, Denis McDonough, and Stephanie Ruhle at the Sammies Awards, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

This year’s Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Awards, better known as the Sammies, honored the finest in government service. The event was held Tuesday, September 20th at the historic Andrew Mellon W. Auditorium.

Hosting the big event were Michael Kelly, who plays Doug Stamper on Netflix’s House of Cards, along with NBC’s Stephanie Ruhle. Together they added humor and wit to the night’s proceedings. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough caught up with Michael Kelly, who portrays the role McDonough fills in real life. At the winner’s reception, they got a chance to thank and mingle with the winners of this year’s awards.

Among the VIP’s at this year’s awards were:

  • Ronnie and Larry Heyman
  • Tom Bernstein, co-founder, Chelsea Piers
  • NASA Administrator Charles Bolden
  • IRS Commissioner John Koskinen
  • Fmr. Representative Tom Davis
  • Sean O’Keefe, former NASA Administrator
  • Former Campbell’s Soup CEO Doug Conant
  • Deputy Secretary Chris Lu, Department of Labor
  • Former Rep. Mike Rogers
  • Rep. Garret Graves
  • Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Sarah Raskin
  • White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough
  • Former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy
  • Stephanie Ruhle, NBC News Weekend Today Show and MSNBC
  • Michael Kelly, House of Cards Chief of Staff Doug Stamper
  • OMB Director Shaun Donovan
  • Admiral Thad Allen (Ret.)
  • Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy
  • Former WH Chief of Staff Josh Bolten
  • Rep. David Price (D-N.C.)

You can read more about the event and the winners of this year’s Sammies here.

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.