White House Correspondents Insider

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

Donna Shalala, Favorite of Both Parties, Running for Congress

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Donna Shalala and Sally Quinn at the Alfalfa Club afterparty at Cafe Milano, Photo Courtesy Haddad Media

Donna Shalala, the former President of the University of Miami and Health and Human Services secretary under Bill Clinton, has announced her plans to run for Congress in Florida’s 27th district. The news comes nearly one year after incumbent Ileana Ros-Lehtinen announced her plans to retire from Congress.

Despite being a longtime Clinton ally, serving as head of the Clinton Foundation after a 14-year stint as University of Miami’s President,Shalala has a storied history of bipartisanship in Washington, working for both Democrats and Republicans over the course of her career. In 2007, she was handpicked by George W. Bush to run the Commission on Care for Returning Wounded Warriors along with Senator Bob Dole. In 2008, President Bush awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Before joining the Bush administration, Shalala was appointed HHS Secretary by President Bill Clinton, staying in the position for 8 years, the longest tenure for an HHS Secretary in history.

Shalala released a video explaining why she’s throwing her hat in the ring saying, “Everything we fought for in our lives is under attack under the slogan, ‘Make America Great Again’,” and adding, “Running for Congress was never in my plans. But now I realize everything we fought for is at risk.”

The district, which encompasses the greater part of Miami and Coral Gables, is relatively Dem-friendly, going for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by nearly 20 points during the 2016 presidential election.

Shalala was in Washington for the annual Alfalfa Club Dinner shaking hands and greeting old friends including Sally Quinn. Here’s an interview with Shalailah and the Miami Herald after news of the announcement broke.

 

Warren Buffett Cheers on Michael Kives as He Goes Solo with K5 Global

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Michael Kives and Kate Hudson, Photo Courtesy People Magazine

Michael Kives, a longtime leader at the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), former aide to President Bill Clinton, and close advisor to investor Warren Buffett, is launching his new venture, an advisory firm called K5 Global where he will serve as CEO.

Kives has long been a link between the worlds of DC politicos and Hollywood stars. In a statement from Kives, K5 Global will “work with corporations, government entities, and start-ups, and will be involved in a range of industries, including sports, technology, politics, and entertainment.”

Kives is a longtime colleague of Bill and Hillary Clinton, working as interim spokesperson for the Clinton White House and serving alongside Huma Abedin in Hillary Clinton’s Washington office. During his tenure at CAA, Kives’ clients included Warren Buffett, Bruce Willis, Katy Perry Jesse Eisenberg, Eric Stonestreet, and Jessica Alba.

Warren Buffett said of Kives, “I have known Michael for 10 years and he is one of the most creative and well-connected professionals in his space. Michael knows the worlds of finance, media, technology and popular culture and has an unusual understanding of how those industries will intersect and develop in the future.”

Richard Lovett, president of CAA, said of Kives’ departure, “Michael Kives is an absolute original. Because of his incredible instincts and unique ability to connect people, he has created a vast network that will help to provide growth and opportunity for anyone fortunate enough to work with him.”

You can read Variety’s full report here.

Masters in Politics: Amy Klobuchar Unsure Whether Merrick Garland Will be Nominated to Supreme Court in Clinton Administration

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Senator Amy Klobuchar at at the Washington Womens' Technology Lucheon

Senator Amy Klobuchar at the Washington Women Technology Luncheon

On the latest episode of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin interviewed Senator Amy Klobuchar and Kevin Cirilli, Bloomberg’s reporter covering the Trump campaign since the day he announced his candidacy.

Klobuchar (D-MN) voiced her concern over Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s claims that the election is being rigged against him. “Of course I’m concerned about that. We’ve always had our share of problems even without Donald Trump’s words. My hope is that on Election Night we’ll make a strong statement about that. You’ve had a lot of Republicans standing up to it. The Republican National Committee had to issue a statement that night saying we do respect the outcome of elections.”

Senator Klobuchar appeared unsure when asked whether Hillary Clinton would nominate Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court. “That is going to be entirely up to her and I really couldn’t predict what would happen. She has said that she’s going to make her own decision. I do think he’s someone who’s qualified and would get probably confirmed rather quickly, but that it’s going to be up to her.  I think that he has gained a lot of support from people and my hope is that they just do this in the lame duck instead of waiting. Can you imagine if we wait another six months, or a year, with all of these cases pending it’s gotten to the point where it will be a constitutional crisis.”

She also applauded Bernie Sanders’ assistance with getting Hillary Clinton elected. “First of all, no one has been more loyal to her campaign since he got out than Bernie Sanders. He has been running around the country, he came to my state, and it’s not just because he gives good speeches. He has defended her many times against Donald Trump attacks. I think that’s got to  be clear. I don’t think it’s anyone surprise that he’s going to continue to his work and continue to advocate her positions. Many of which he agrees with, like they came to agreement on the student loan program. I do think you will have some differences with her when you get into the Congress and I think that’s just fine. You don’t want everyone in your political party acting the same or saying the same thing. I think his loyalty to her and the campaign since he left the race is really been extraordinary.”

Bloomberg reporter Kevin Cirilli discussed his experiences following the Trump campaign throughout the election cycle and the direction the conservative movement will take post-Trump.

“Some of the [Trump] advisers that I speak with tell me that this is exactly what the conservative movement has wanted for decades.  This is what Republicans have wanted, to take the case directly against Hillary Clinton in a way that holds her, in many ways, as an indictment.”

You can listen to the latest episode of Masters in Politics here.

Masters in Politics: Ana Navarro Says “Republicans Have Lost the Presidential Race No Matter What Happens”

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On the latest episode of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast hosts Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin interviewed Neera Tanden, the President of the Center for American Progress, and Ana Navarro, CNN and Telemundo contributor.

Ana Navarro, whom the Miami Herald called “the voice of the outraged Republican women,” says there is no hope for Trump to win the White House. “The Republicans have lost the presidential race no matter what happens. It is a damn shame that somehow we managed to have nominated the only Republican candidate who could lose to Hillary Clinton. But it is what we did and we have to live with the consequences. And now that we know that, if you are a realist, you realize that we have got to focus on the down ballot candidates. We’ve gotta focus on keeping the House, we’ve gotta focus on keeping the Senate, because god only knows what the effect of Trump will be on some of those tight races for the Senate and even the House.”

Neera Tanden, whose emails were also leaked in the Wikileaks data dump, finds it suspicious that the email leaks were so well timed. “I do not think it’s a coincidence that the weekend before the Democratic convention they leaked out these e-mails at the DNC. and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that as their candidate is up against the ropes.Roger Stone said these emails were coming. How does Roger Stone know these emails are coming? He tells us he is directly connected with Wikileaks and Julian Assange. He also says he talks to Donald Trump. I’m not saying that Donald Trump is leaking these things. I think he’s the direct beneficiary and his response is to take a weakened position on a host of issues; for example, on NATO and the United States direct relationship with Russia.”

You can listen to the full interview here.

Masters in Politics Special Edition: Tammy Haddad Goes Inside the Post-Debate Spin Room

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The Press Room at the debate, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

The Press Room at the debate, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

In this special debate edition of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast Tammy Haddad was in attendance at Monday’s debate and went inside the spin room to interview top campaign officials including Donald Trump himself, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Hillary campaign chairman John Podesta. Haddad also interviewed architect of Obama’s 2008 campaign David Plouffe, retired Lieutenant General and current Trump surrogate Mike Flynn, the Clinton campaign’s chief strategist and Masters alum Joel Benenson, and Trump senior advisor Sarah Huckabee.

John Podesta revealed his doubts about whether Trump will appear in subsequent debates saying, “I think we have very substantial questions given his performance tonight. We’ll see whether his campaign holds a meeting tomorrow and says, ‘What’s a way that we can get out of these last two debates?’ We’re very worried about that.”

Former NYC mayor and current Trump supporter Rudy Giuliani blasted Secretary Clinton and defended the controversial stop-and-frisk program, “Mrs. Clinton doesn’t understand the difference because Mrs. Clinton is a phony and you guys don’t get it. She doesn’t understand economics and she had a chance to as Secretary of State. Look at the condition of the world. Do you want more of that? Well then vote for her. I think the American people want a change. She’s a phony as a lawyer and when she said it’s unconstitutional, which is totally incorrect. Stop and frisk is going on right now as we speak all over America. It is approved by the United States Supreme Court and I can give you the entire definition.”

Top strategist to the Clinton campaign Joel Benenson was in the spin room to criticise Trump for his birther comments. “I don’t know what’s worse, the the keeps repeating the lie, whether he really believes it or not, or whether he’s just trying to stoke some kind of racial animosity that he thinks benefits hit. But it’s disgraceful and he continues to do it and it’s shameful.”

You can check out more of Masters in Politics’ coverage from the spin room here.

Debate Night: Experts Predict Record Number of Viewers

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The Debate Stage at Hofstra University, Photo Courtesy Hofstra Chronicle

The Debate Stage at Hofstra University, Photo Courtesy Hofstra Chronicle

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump are set to face off in the first presidential debate of the 2016 election of at Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, and will be moderated by NBC’s Lester Holt. Experts are suggesting that the worldwide audience for the debate could top 100 million viewers, on par with television spectacles like the Super Bowl, meaning it could generate the biggest debate audience ever. The last time a debate drew an audience of over 80 million viewers was the 1980 presidential debate between Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, which remains the most-watched presidential debate ever.

The debate at Hofstra will almost certainly surpass the previous presidential debate’s ratings. In 2012, the three debates between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama averaged around 67 million viewers. Expectations are high that this debate will shatter records. The first Republican primary debate, held in August 2015, was the most watched primary debate ever.

The debate will be available for live stream on more platforms than ever. Aside from all the major cable news channels, social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, as well as Youtube, will make streaming the debate available to their viewers. Subscription streaming service Hulu will also air the event as well as online news outlets such as The Huffington Post and Politico. Reports from cable networks indicate that ad space is sold out for the remaining presidential debates.

You can found out more on the stakes of the debate as well as stream it live here.

Masters In Politics: Ben Carson Refuses to Say Whether Obama is a Better Leader than Putin, Clinton Foundation COO Craig Minassian Does a Deep Dive on Their Policies and Procedures

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Ben Carson at the first Republican Primary Debate in Cleveland, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

Ben Carson at the first Republican Primary Debate in Cleveland, Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

On the latest episode of Bloomberg’s Masters in Politics podcast, hosts Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin spoke with Clinton Foundation’s Chief Communications Officer Craig Minassian and former Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson. Carson attempted to clarify Trump’s comments on Vladimir Putin, and Minassian discussed controversial donations to the foundation.

Carson, who has lent his services to the Trump campaign as an informal advisor, believes Trump has no need to apologize for his comments regarding Russian Leader Vladimir Putin. “He’s saying that Putin is looked upon in his country with a great deal more respect than Obama is in this country.” When asked whether Putin was a better leader than President Obama, Carson ducked. “He tends to be more aggressive, more assertive, and more of a leader, and therefore gains more respect in his country.”

Hosts Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin questioned Craig Minassian on the controversies surrounding the Clinton Foundation’s donors and programs. “Countries were donating before [Clinton] was Secretary of State, and most of those donations came pre-2004”. When asked about Saudi Arabia’s contributions to the foundation, Minassian explained, “Saudi Arabia never donated while she was Secretary of State. They did contribute again after she was out of office but the majority of countries did not.” He also noted to the fact if Saudi Arabia wrote a check today to the foundation that they would be unable to do so. Minassian is a longtime Clinton advisor going back to the Clinton White House years.

You can check out the full interview here.

Masters in Politics: Clinton State Campaign Director Talks Battleground States, CBS Face the Nation Host John Dickerson Discusses Trump Leadership Shakeup

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Bloomberg Masters in Politics hosts Tammy Haddad and Betsy Fischer Martin interviewed Hillary Clinton’s man leading her campaign’s ground efforts. Marlon Marshall, state director for all 50 states, broke down the strategy for this year’s battleground states. In their conversation with John Dickerson, host of CBS News’ Face the Nation and the author of the new book Whistlestop: My My Favorite Moments from Presidential Campaign History, they discussed news that Donald Trump has recently enlisted former FOX News chairman Roger Ailes to assist with debate prep.

Many have pointed to Utah, which has solidly voted Republican in presidential elections since 1968, as state Clinton could pick up. According to Marshall, “President Clinton was out there the other day. He did a meeting with some community leaders in Utah. I think a lot of public polls will show Utah to be closer than one would expect. I attribute it to a couple of things: One, I think our message is resonating on the economy and what Hillary wants to do to build an economy for everyone and not just ones at the top. But I do think Trump’s rhetoric is very divisive rhetoric. In some states it’s really turning people off. I think in a state like Utah, which is typically more conservative, they’re saying, ‘This is not the type of person who should represent this country or our state.’ So, are we going to win Utah? I don’t know. But is it something that’s on our radar? Yeah, we’re gonna take a look.

When it comes to the differences between Trump’s ground game and Clinton’s Marshall says, “I think, one, we just have a general belief that organizing matters. I think you’ve heard out of his mouth that these big rallies and other things are kind of what he’s done in his campaign. I think rallies are good. One of the things you’ve probably seen us doing at rallies, when we have rallies, we actually are signing people up as potential volunteers.”

The hosts also caught up with John Dickerson to get his take on Trump’s new hires, Breitbart exec Stephen Bannon as the campaign’s chief executive and veteran GOP pollster Kellyanne Conway as Trump’s new campaign manager. Dickerson also discussed the optics of a Trump-Ailes alliance given Ailes recent controversies. “You can imagine a more traditional campaign not wanting to be associated with a figure who’s in the news for allegations that Ailes has been but Trump doesn’t really give into that kind of stuff. Will it help? He’s had a pretty good track record. What will be interesting is Donald Trump has a pretty big base of support but he needs to build his support with voters who want him to behave a little bit differently. And the question is whether he can behave differently, whether he wants to, and whether you can even imagine what behaving differently means in this context.”

You can check out the full interview here.

FEC Filings: Trump Campaign Paid $1 Million to His Own Companies Last Month, Financial Situation Growing Dire

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Photo Courtesy of Haddad Media

In filings with the Federal Elections Commission Monday, the Donald Trump campaign revealed that over $1 million was spent on Trump-owned companies such as his Palm Beach resort Mar-a-Lago, to which he paid over $400,000. Trump’s campaign paid nearly $350,000 for private jet and helicopter expenditures through TAG Air, also owned by Trump. Other expenditures include a $125,000 bill from Trump Restaurants, $35,000 for the Trump National Golf Club in Juniper, Florida, and nearly $30,000 for rentals and catering at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Also revealed in the FEC filings are the surprisingly empty coffers of the Trump campaign. Trump declared an astonishingly low $1.3 million war chest, the smallest ever for a modern presidential candidate. His on-hand cash is dwarfed by the Hillary Clinton campaign’s $42 million it raised from both private donors and super PACs. The Clinton campaign is expecting to spend well over $100 million on television ads alone before November.

It is unclear how the Trump campaign plans to make up this enormous deficit, and reports have surfaced that Donald Trump seems unwilling to reach out to big donors in the face of paltry fundraising numbers. Politico reported on June 15 that Trump walked out of a fundraising session coordinated by the RNC. According to the report, “Trump had promised [RNC Chairman Reince] Priebus that he would call two dozen top GOP donors, when RNC chief of staff Katie Walsh recently presented Trump with a list of more than 20 donors, he called only three before stopping, according to two sources familiar with the situation. It’s unclear whether he resumed the donor calls later.”

You can read the full story from Politico here.

For more on Donald Trump’s FEC filings click here.

GLENN THRUSH PODCAST: Obama on HRC, Bernie, 2016

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It looks like President Obama has gotten the podcast bug. Last fall he spoke with podcaster, Marc Maron and now Politico’s Glenn Thrush sat down with Barack Obama in the latest episode of his Off Message podcast. Obama spoke candidly for the first time about the coming presidential election, even weighing in on the fight between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, and reflected on his own experience campaigning in Iowa in 2008.

Thrush asked, “Do you see any elements of what you were able to accomplish in what Sanders is doing?”

Obama responded, “Well, there’s no doubt that Bernie has tapped into a running thread in Democratic politics that says: Why are we still constrained by the terms of the debate that were set by Ronald Reagan 30 years ago?”

He went on to suggest Sanders will be put under spotlight if he wins any of the early contests. “I think that if Bernie won Iowa or won New Hampshire, then you guys are going to do your jobs and, you know, you’re going to dig into his proposals and how much they cost and what does it mean, and, you know, how does his tax policy work and he’s subjected, then, to a rigor that hasn’t happened yet.” He went on to say, “Bernie is somebody who —although I don’t know as well because he wasn’t, obviously, in my administration, has the virtue of saying exactly what he believes, and great authenticity, great passion, and is fearless. His attitude is, ‘I got nothing to lose.’”

Speaking about the Democratic frontrunner Obama said, “I think Hillary came in with the — both privilege and burden of being perceived as the frontrunner. ”

“I’ve gotten to know Hillary really well, and she is a good, smart, tough person who cares deeply about this country, and she has been in the public eye for a long time and in a culture in which new is always better. And, you know, you’re always looking at the bright, shiny object that people don’t, haven’t seen before. That’s a disadvantage to her.”

Obama reflected on his days campaigning in Iowa. According to the President, “The caucus process in Iowa was, for me, the most satisfying political period of my career, just in terms of campaigning and politics. And the reason was that it vindicated — in my mind, at least — my view of what politics should be.”

You can listen to Glenn Thrush’s Off Message podcast here.