Mike McCurry Archives - White House Correspondents Insider

Meyers and McCurry Host Junior Statesman of America

May 19, 2011 By WHC Insider

Junior Statesmen Foundation and Junior State of America alumni and friends gathered at the Arlington home of Dan Meyers and Kevin Latek last week to hear a presentation from the CEO of the Junior Statesmen Foundation, Jeff Harris. The event was held to raise awareness of the Junior Statesmen organization, which provides opportunities to educate high school students on the American political system throughout the DC area.

“Our challenge is getting high school students to be excited about their government, their chance to participate, their chance to make a difference,” said Harris. “JSA is all about giving high school students the skills, the knowledge that they need to become active, involved participants in our democracy for the rest of their lives.

Mike McCurry, the former Press Secretary to President Clinton and JSA alum, co-hosted the “friendraiser” along with fellow JSA veteran Dan Meyers, Rich Galen, Sarah Hoffman, Junelle Cavero, Andy Green and Tammy Haddad. He told the gathering that his first and only political campaign was through the Junior Statesmen of America Foundation while he was still in high school. McCurry ran for the position of Junior Governor of California, which he won.

“[JSA] is a program unlike some of the others that I think many [people] are familiar with… this one actually allows people to be involved, get involved, and really learn by doing,” said McCurry.

Dan Meyers joined the JSA when he was a student in Ohio. Today, he serves on the JSA board and sees it as his way of giving back to the foundation for the support it gave him throughout his high school years.

“The foundation is something that is very close to my heart,” Meyers said. “It’s something that inspired me to get involved in politics.

Guests included JS Board members Doug Bailey, Chris Dunn, JSA staff alum David Mark, Susan Sher, the former FLOTUS Chief of Staff, Jessica Stuart, Junelle Cavero, CEO of Blue Knot Strategies LLC; the divine Chris Edwards, wowed the crowd with the families fabulous Edward Marc Chocolates.

Check out photos from the event below:

Press Veterans vs. Obama White House Press Corps

May 19, 2011 By WHC Insider

Some of the biggest names in the news business complained about the relationship between the White House press corps and the Obama White House accusing the press of being too deferential to President Obama.

Former Clinton press secretary Mike McCurry moderated a panel on the 50th anniversary of the first televised presidential news conference which was conducted by John F. Kennedy. Panelists included Sid Davis, Haynes Johnson, Don Larrabee, John Palmer, and Sander Vanocur.

When talking about the current press corps, Davis said, “I don’t like today’s news conferences” with the president. Kennedy’s, he says, were “thoroughly unrehearsed, natural and they worked to a large extent.” Today’s versions, he adds, “look like they are rehearsed.”

U.S. News and World Report’s Paul Bedard reported on the forum; to read his full story, click here.

2010 Moynihan Prize Awarded

May 14, 2010 By WHC Insider

The 2010 Daniel Patrick Moynihan Prize was awarded to Robert Greenstein, founder and executive director of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, on Thursday evening at a dinner ceremony at the Newseum.

Over 100 guests from the world of academia, government, journalism, think tanks and non-profit organizations gathered for the annual ceremony hosted by the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Also honored was Rebecca Blank, Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce, who was inducted as the Eleanor Roosevelt Fellow of the Academy.

The American Academy works to bring scholars and government officials together to improve the policy process. The prize is given to someone who is deemed to follow in the Moynihan tradition of drawing on data and evidence in making public policy that advances the human good.

Some of those helping to celebrate the honorees were MSNBC commentator Lawrence O’Donnell, Newsweek’s Howard Fineman, Mike McCurry, Jason Furman of the National Economic Council and his wife Eve Gerber, HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Greenberg, Tom Malinowski of Human Rights Watch, and OMB’s Katherine Wallman.

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Celebrating Mothers at Garden Brunch

April 27, 2010 By WHC Insider

For the second year in a row, Saturday’s Garden Brunch is going to be dedicated in part to Mothers Day Every Day, an advocacy group combining the resources and talents of the White Ribbon Alliance and CARE. Ambassador Melanne Verveer, named by President Obama as the Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, will be among the guests at the brunch

Members of these groups also gathered last month to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD), a special day set aside to reflect on the achievements of women around the world and for leaders to strategize new ways to help women in the social, economic, and political arenas. Next year marks the centenary celebration of International Women’s Day.

A dinner took place in Washington, DC with members of Mothers Day Every Day and the ONE campaign which used IWD to launch a new initiative called Women ONE2ONE. The goal is to increase opportunities for women and save the lives of those living in poverty across the globe by recruiting one million people to conduct awareness-raising events and actions. Among those attending were Theresa Shaver, Director of the White Ribbon Alliance; Sheila Nix, US Executive Director, One; Mothers Day Every Day Advisory Board Members Amb. Mark Green and Mike McCurry; and JoDee Winterhof, CARE’s vice president for policy and advocacy.

International Women’s Day 2010 from whcinsider on Vimeo.