White House Correspondents Insider

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

J-Mart Goes From Politico to New York Times

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Ben Smith,Jonathan Martin

Jonathan Martin goes from the best politico job in Washington to the number one job in political journalism. Originally with Politico from the very start, Jonathan Martin sent out notice yesterday that he’ll take on the role of National Politics Reporter at the New York Times.

If you could question just how essential J-Mart is to Washington, go no further than the mammoth memo sent out by Politico and republished on HuffPost.

In an email to friends and colleagues, Martin wrote:
“It is truly an awe-inspiring place. They are committed to the best traditions of New York Times journalism: depth, sweep and fearless reporting. But just as exciting for me, the paper is leading the way in fusing those values with some remarkable technological innovation.”

The same message contains a memo from the Times’ Political Editor, Caroline Ryan:
“I’m delighted to announce that Jonathan Martin will be our national political correspondent.

The job is a storied and special one at the Times, and has been home to such giants as Robin Toner, Adam Nagourney, Rick Berke, and, of course, R. W. Apple.

Jonathan is a natural for the role: he has an unending passion for politics, an intrepid journalistic spirit and an astonishingly extensive Rolodex.

He also has a deep love of political history (ask him about his LBJ fixation, when you meet him) and a startlingly detailed knowledge of campaigns and candidates at every level.

Jonathan, 36, was among the first hires at Politico and spent two years on the campaign trail writing about the historic 2008 presidential campaign. He then became White House correspondent, traveling across the country and overseas with President Obama.
After covering the midterm contests in 2010, he served as Politico’s senior reporter on the 2012 campaign, winning praise for his ability to break big news and offer ahead-of-the-curve reporting and analysis.

He came to Politico from the National Review and previously worked for National Journal’s political publication, The Hotline.

Jonathan is a huge fan and student of the Times. He is eager to team up with the gifted political reporters we have here, especiallythe supremely talented Jim Rutenberg – much as Jim did with Jeff Zeleny, who drove our stellar coverage of the 2012 race.

A Virginian, Jonathan is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College and is married to Betsy Fischer Martin, senior executive producer of Meet the Press. He is an adventurous explorer and appreciator of all corners of America, especially BBQ joints, state capitol buildings and Fenway Park.

Please join me in congratulating and welcoming him.”

Gretawire Continues to Dominate Forbes Power Lists

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John Coale, Greta Van Susteren, Kevin Spacey, Rep. Darrell Issa

Gretawire makes a comeback on the annual Forbes power list. Ranking in near her first spot from six years ago, Greta Van Susteren proves she’s still got it after fifteen years. The list of World’s Most Powerful Women runs from television, production and into global trade rather than the usual Washington politics.

Which means that she continues to dominate the airwaves and Twitter alongside ABC’s Diane Sawyer. It doesn’t come as a surprise after she stopped at the Garden Brunch to pose with “House of Cards”‘ resident rep Kevin Spacey or actual Californian Representative Darrell Issa above. As always, she keeps Gretawire humming faster than Hotline when it comes keeping touch with Capitol Hill.

Barbara Walters Announces Her Retirement…

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…next summer? Ok!

The mainstay anchor and reporter of ABC has announced her plans to retire in 2014.

“I am very happy with my decision and look forward to a wonderful and special year ahead both on ‘The View’ and with ABC News,” she said. “I created ‘The View’ and am delighted it will last beyond my leaving it.”

“There’s only one Barbara Walters,” says ABC News President Ben Sherwood. “And we look forward to making her final year on television as remarkable, path-breaking and news-making as Barbara herself. Barbara will always have a home at ABC News and we look forward to a year befitting her brilliant career, filled with exclusive interviews, great adventures and indelible memories.”

As for the rest of the release–ok? Back in March Walters suffered from a fainting spell, which turned out to be the Chicken Pox. But now we’ve got a year to honor and praise “The View” co-founder including her last series of specials to air later this year.

Capricia Marshall To Leave State Dept. By End of Summer

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Capricia Marshall, Cheryl Mills and Chelsea Clinton

Capricia Marshall is out of the newly-minted John Kerry State Department sometime at the end of the summer. Speaking to the Reliable Source on Monday, the soon-to-be-former-Chief-of-Protocol issued a non-offcial announcement and reminded readers that she’s a long-time member of Hillary Clinton‘s team. She’s spent the last 20 years working for the former Secretary of State, and may join her depending on decisions for the 2016 race with this kicker to the Source: “If she decides to run, I’ll be behind her 100 percent.”

Well, as everyone in D.C. knows–even Presidents on the campaign trail–just be careful to watch where you’re running before you follow someone down there.

Catherine Bennett Joins IMG Worldwide

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Catherine Bennett, known around Washington as Katie and daughter of Bob and Ellen, has taken a new role at IMG Worldwide. Reported on Wednesday by Women’s Wear Daily, Bennett is taking on the role of senior vice president and managing director of IMG fashion events and properties. She’s on her way from coming from the Council of Fashion Designers of America as a director of business affairs having been there since 2009.

Since heading out of Washington she’s made her mark in the business side of fashion and advertising at William Morris, Central Parks Summer Stage, and–like her father–can practice law after passing the bar in New York and a Justice Administration degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

“We are very pleased to have an executive with Catherine’s experience as the new head of IMG Fashion Events and Properties,” said Chuck Bennett, President of IMG Golf, Tennis, Fashion and Events and Federations, to whom Ms. Bennett will report. “She has a deep knowledge of the fashion industry and a keen appreciation of established and emerging designers.”

According to the official announcement from IMG, “she will be responsible for further developing and expanding the company’s leading fashion events business around the globe, and representing many of the industry’s top organizations.”

“I am very excited to be joining IMG,” Catherine Bennett said. “I am very confident that the skills and relationships I developed during my time at the CFDA will be extremely beneficial as we work to take IMG’s Fashion business to the next level.”

Chris Hayes Takes Ed Schultz' Primetime Slot at MSNBC

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Ed Schultz

MSNBC has outed Ed Schultzand replaced him at the 8 o’clock hour with Chris Hayes. The two on-air talents will be trading roles as Hayes moves to weekdays and Schultz goes off to host weekend blocks according to Dylan Byers. The changeover is scheduled for April 1, a scant 26 days before the White House Correspondents Dinner in D.C.

Brian Stelter theorizes the shift is age and lead-in to Rachel Maddow:

“The change is predicated on the belief that MSNBC can win a wider audience with Mr. Hayes than it did with Mr. Schultz, a champion of the working class whose bluster didn’t always pair well with Ms. Maddow and the channel’s other prime-time program, ‘The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell.’ Mr. Hayes, on the other hand, is just as wonky as Ms. Maddow and Mr. O’Donnell, and is a regular contributor to both of their programs.”

Schultz, who has spearheaded a blue-collar vibe for MSNBC, will become host of a series of weekend specials for MSNBC. While the network has been trying to get the established anchor out from his slot for a while–remember when Ezra Klein was a bold-faced name floated for this in November? Hayes has gained steam and popular press with how he’s formatted his weekend program “Up with Chris Hayes,” especially when it comes to conservative commentators. It’s apparent MSNBC hopes he’ll be the last nail in order to drive away Fox News’ O’Reilly juggernaut. Until then, here’s hoping Hayes will join Maddow behind the bar at the White House Correspondents Dinner after-party in April.

Favreau Joins The Beast of the Northern Wild

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Photo: Haddad Media

So much for Los Angeles for former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau. The recently departed director of communications made his media farewell tour and we had all assumed he set sail for greener pasteurs inspired by (now canceled) 1600 Penn. Instead it seems Favreau figured out there was another Favreau in town and decided to go the traditional route for former presidential speechwriters: a bi-weekly column at The Daily Beast. This comes after the fact that Favreau is yet another former White House staffer looking to open his own specialized communications firm in Washington. But at least he’s following in the time-honored footsteps of the Beltway!

Fishbowl NY has the full memo for News|Beast Editor-in-Chief Tina Brown:
I am thrilled to announce that President Obama’s former director of speechwriting Jon Favreau is joining The Daily Beast as a bi-weekly columnist. It’s wonderful to have his combination of writing talent and sophisticated insight as commentary on the political scene.

Says Jon, “I’m excited to join the talented variety of writers and political observers who contribute to The Daily Beast, and hope I can add a new perspective from time to time based on the experiences I’ve had over the last several years.”

Please join me in welcoming him to The Daily Beast!

Best,
Tina

Obama Announces Additional Nominations for State Dept, Heritage Abroad

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Earlier this morning President Barack Obama announced the next three individuals for positions in the administration. “It gives me great confidence that such dedicated and capable individuals have agreed to join this Administration to serve the American people. I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come,” said President Obama.

They include Ambassador Deborah K. Jones, currently Scholar-in-Resident at the Middle East Institute, for Ambassador to Libya; Ambassador James Knight, currently Assistant Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, for Ambassador to the Republlic of Chad. And Lesley Weiss, currently Director of Community Services and Cultural Affairs for NCSJ, to be Member and Chair for the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad.

Both Jones and Knight will require nominations to be approved in upcoming Congressional sessions while Weiss will be appointed at an upcoming date.

The Donald Denied Reopening White House Tours, Obama May Anyway

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Not even The Donald can reopen The White House tours shuttered by the sequester. Or to be more accurate, The White House said “No thanks” when the notable centerpiece of NBC’s The Apprentice took to his new beloved medium of Fox News to take on the administration.

In the ultimate act of media ourobouros, Politico quoted White House Senior Adviser Dan Pfeiffer on CNN earlier after Trump commented on a Tweet from Newt Gingrich. So much back and forth between the news mediums makes our head spin as pundits go from Twitter to TV to Politico and back again. So why exactly can’t it work? Pfeiffer explained earlier:

“It doesn’t work that way; we can’t have private individuals paying the Secret Service — so that’s not how it works. This is about a very tough budget cut that the Secret Service has to take because of the sequester. It’s why we should have avoided the sequester to begin with.”

Already Yellowstone announced a late opening–by a week–that has caused tourists and small businesses to grumble about experiencing the Great Outdoors. Meanwhile this morning President Obama may review the suspended tours for school trips and students according to Post Politics. From his interview with ABC News:

“I’m always amused when people on the one hand say the sequester doesn’t mean anything and the administration’s exaggerating its effects and then whatever the specific effects are, they yell and scream and say, ‘Why are you doing that?’ Well, there are consequences to Congress not having come up with a more sensible way to reduce the deficit.”

Politico Pro Bono Later This Month

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Politico has announced Politico Pro will become a free quarterly magazine while keeping exclusive web-only content for subscribers. Fishbowl NY announced the new quad-nual publication from Allbritton. While it is hyperlocal in covering catch-all issues like energy, technology, lobbying and health care with the slogan “We’ll spare you the boring, jargon-laden stories,” Pro has built itself steadily online over the last year.

Nieman points out the “pricing starts at $3,295 per year. But most Pro subscribers are part of a group membership, and those start at around $8,000 per year for licensing content from a single vertical to five people.” Share the content and you get banned. It’s like all the giddy exclusivity from 2003 of having Hotline sent to your Blackberry and printed for your daily media packet at 6 a.m.

You can hardly put a cost on information in Washington if you recall the exorbitant fees for Hotline. Even if, in the case of “House of Cards,” that information is incorrect it’s still the sexy type of power that makes folks want to eat ribs and address an unseen fourth wall. Still, if Politico Pro could tell us where to find decent ribs to eat while lamenting our attempts to be Secretary of State, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad? We’ll wait to see when the new quarterly “will be distributed on Friday, March 22 to every member of Congress, the White House and all federal agencies as well as to 160 newspaper boxes and 100 Washington-area Starbucks. Like POLITICO’s newspaper, the magazine will be free with a circulation of nearly 40,000.”

“When we launched POLITICO Pro in 2011 our mission was to deliver exclusive, ahead-of-the-curve reporting and dominate coverage of the most important policy areas,” said POLITICO Chief Revenue Officer Roy Schwartz. “We are thrilled with how quickly Pro became the essential news source for thousands of policy professionals working at the country’s most influential organizations.”

If you’re feeling particularly generous via social media, you can always use their hashtag: #GoPro2013.