White House Correspondents Insider

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

Sex and the City’s Cynthia Nixon Mulls Run for NY Governor

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Cynthia Nixon accepting this year’s HRC Visibility Award, Photo Courtesy AP

Another celebrity is seriously considering joining the ranks of actors-turned-politicians like Al Franken, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sonny Bono, and Frank Grandy. Cynthia Nixon, of HBO’s “Sex and the City” fame, is reportedly weighing her options in a potential primary showdown with Andrew Cuomo, who many see as a strong contender for a presidential run in 2020, for governor of New York. While she is yet to make any sort of official announcement, she “is in serious conversations about jumping in and has begun reaching out to potential campaign staffers,” according to a new report in Politico.

Nixon has been vocal in her criticism of both Donald Trump and Governor Cuomo. In an op-ed published by CNN in January, she wrote, “President Trump’s first year in office has been a dark year for many in America. For those of us who value equal rights for all, or economic and racial justice, or want to combat climate change, we’ve taken huge steps backwards.”

Governor Cuomo, who many see as a strong contender for a presidential run in 2020, and his team were reportedly caught off guard by the news. Politico claims that the reelection campaign has not done any polling on Nixon or any other potential primary opponent.

You can read Politico’s full report on Nixon here.

Morning Consult & POLITICO Poll: 2/3rds of Americans in Favor of Stricter Gun Laws

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David Hogg, activist and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student

Support for stricter gun laws is at its highest point in the last 25 years according to a new poll conducted by Morning Consult and Politico. While it is known that support for new gun control legislation sees a slight uptick after highly publicized shootings, the poll, found that the Parkland, Florida shooting that led to the deaths of 17 students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has impacted the views of Americans in a profound way.

According to the report, “Roughly two-in-three Americans now say gun control laws should be made more strict in the wake of the murder of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, according to a number of polls, including a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll which shows support for stricter gun laws among registered voters at 68 percent, compared to just 25 percent who oppose stricter gun laws.”

The poll found that most of the new support for increased gun control laws comes from Republicans. According to Kyle Dropp, Morning Consult’s co-founder and chief research officer, “53 percent of Republicans indicated they supported stricter gun laws, compared to 37 percent [of Republicans] who said the same following the Pulse nightclub shooting in June 2016.”

Other polls show similar upticks in support for stricter gun laws. A CBS News poll out last week showed 65% of Americans support more restrictive gun laws, and a CNN poll out this week showed 69% support. As POLITICO points out, that is the highest amount of support for new legislation since 1993.

The poll comes as students from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are organizing a March for Our Lives protest set to occur on March 24th in Washington, DC. The Michael Bloomberg-funded nonprofit Evertown USA is assisting the students in organizing similar protests across the United States.

You can read more about the latest Morning Consult/POLITICO poll here.

 

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.”

When Chris Christie Comes Calling at Politico Cocktails

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Last night may’ve been the Night of Many Book Parties in Washington. While entertaining a “audience of 500+” at Politico Cocktails, Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski got a surprise visit from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

“Is that Chris,” Scarborough asked in the middle of a self-proclaimed great story. “You son of a…” but Mika cut him off and let the good governor speak. Per Playbook: “Mika puts Christie on speakerphone to discuss his surgery, and their blunt conversations for her new book about body image, “Obsessed: America’s Food Addition – And My Own.” The audience of 500+ repeatedly applauds the chatty, jovial Christie, including when he tells why he kept the surgery a secret.”

Allen claims the event drew a larger crowd than even March’s Cocktails with Bill Gates. Which makes sense when you think about Washington having an on/off affair with people’s two favorite addictions on Capitol Hill: Starbucks and Microsoft.

PR Firm asks Politico's Mike Allen "Are You Media?"

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Politico's Mike Allen recording the program
edit: Yes, in the original we said “Mike Ryan.” It’s because we were reading HuffPost Entertainment.

This seems to be too crazy even for the week leading up to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday. Politico reports that the actual White House Correspondents’ Association overnighted a trademark lawsuit to GBK Productions (which Politico provides here). The source of the lawsuit? A gifting suite that GBK is co-partnering with The Creative Coalition that’s called “GBK & The Creative Coalition White House Correspondence [sic] Weekend Gift Lounge.”

This goes against the trademark of the WHCA and gives visiting celebs the false impression that their dinner hosts would be providing free swag from “the St. Regis Bora Bora, Made by Survivors handmade jewelry, Lovelinks by Aagaard jewelry, EyeWalker Elements Aromatic Botanical Alchemy (a.k.a.., perfume) , Jorg Gray watches ‘and more'” according to today’s Playbook.

To further dig a knife into the wound, when Mike Allen tried to inquire further he was met with the age-old response given to online journos since 2004: “Are you media?” And given the always charming response from another GBK representative: “If you’d like to RSVP, follow the instructions on the email. Any other questions, we have no comment.”

It seems silly that a gifting firm wouldn’t look into possible legal issues if they name themselves after the weekend festivities they’re attending. Even sillier is asking whether or not a company like Politico are press. Maybe Tom Brokaw wasn’t wrong when he took the encroaching celebrity aspect of the dinner to task? Or maybe it’s far too late as our annual fete for journalists–now the worst ranked job of 2013–comes calling.

POLITICO Scores With Bradley Cooper at Allbritton White House Correspondents Sunday Brunch

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George Clooney and Barbara Walters

Big News on the White House Correspondents Weekend Soiree front. In a release from Politico this morning, eyes widen and hearts raced with the name Bradley Cooper in the final paragraph. The Georgetown graduate who once worked at Cafe Milano is expected as a guest, so is top White House aide Alyssa Mastromonaco at the Sunday Allbritton brunch. Lucky Lady.

Here is Politico’s rundown.

POLITICO ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR 2013 WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ DINNER

Below are details on POLITICO’s coverage and involvement with this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner – beginning Friday with the release of POLITICO’s must-read WHCD guide and culminating on Sunday with the annual Allbritton-POLITICO Garden Brunch.

FRIDAY, APRIL 26:

WHCD GUIDE – Celebrity Politics: The Lines Blur Between Hollywood and D.C.
This annual magazine edition of POLITICO offers influential dinner attendees and readers alike a sneak peek inside Washington’s biggest weekend. The ultimate guide includes an exclusive interview with comedian and dinner headliner Conan O’Brien, an introduction to the WHCA board, profiles of scholarship and award winners, a look behind the scenes of the Washington Hilton and more. Nearly 40,000 copies of the magazine will be distributed around Washington including at more than 100 Starbucks locations. Stories from the magazine will also be available here.

WATCH LIVE: WHCA SCHOLARSHIP LUNCH – The White House Correspondents’ Association will honor its scholarship recipients at a luncheon on Friday at 1 p.m. POLITICO will livestream the luncheon’s panel discussion with the winners. Watch the event at POLITICO.com/live.

‘THE SCRUM’ PODCAST – POLITICO reporters will preview the weekend’s festivities, examine key moments from past dinners and analyze why Hollywood makes the pilgrimage to the nation’s capital each year in ‘The Scrum,’ POLITICO’s weekly podcast. Subscribe to each weekly installment of ‘The Scrum’ on iTunes.

SATURDAY, APRIL 27:

COMPLETE COVERAGE – As the one-stop destination for coverage of the WHCD weekend, POLITICO will have reporters at each of the biggest events, offering intel on everything from pre-dinner parties to late-night celebrations. Coverage will include live blogging, celebrity interviews, on-the-ground videos and must-see photo galleries. Get the latest in one click: POLITICO WHCD Complete Coverage.

WATCH LIVE: DINNER PROGRAM – Tune in to POLITICO to watch this year’s dinner, including red carpet arrivals, the president’s remarks and entertainment headlined by Conan O’Brien. Watch here: POLITICO.com/live.

POLITICO DINNER GUESTS – POLITICO is honored to host more than two dozen leading names in business at this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Some guest highlights include: Marty Durbin, incoming CEO, ANGA; Steve Case, co-founder, AOL; Jim Cicconi, Executive Vice President, AT&T; Brian Moynihan, CEO, Bank of America; Don Baer, CEO, Burson-Marsteller; Tita Freeman, Executive Vice President, Business Roundtable; Clyde Tuggle, Senior Vice President, and Matt Echols, Vice President, Coca-Cola; Maria Pica Karp, Vice President and General Manger, Chevron; Lorenzo Simonelli, CEO, GE Transportation; Gary Cohn, COO, and John Rogers, Executive Vice President, Goldman Sachs; David Drummond, Senior Vice President, Google; James Murren, CEO, MGM Resorts; Mark Penn, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft; Wes Bush, CEO, Northrop Grumman; Peggy Johnson, Executive Vice President, Qualcomm; and Eric Spiegel, CEO, Siemens. Additionally, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck will be joining POLITICO.

SUNDAY, APRIL 28:

ALLBRITTON-POLITICO GARDEN BRUNCH – For the fourth consecutive year, POLITICO Publisher Robert Allbritton and his wife, Dr. Elena Allbritton, will open the doors of their Georgetown home for an exclusive, invitation-only brunch. Invited guests include: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), actress Kerry Washington, White House Social Secretary Jeremy Bernard, Hollywood couple Ed Burns and Christy Turlington Burns, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Director of the National Economic Council Gene Sperling and Allison Abner, actor Bradley Cooper, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, actor Daniel Day-Lewis, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Alyssa Mastromonaco, MSNBC’s Chris Matthews, Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren, CBS President David Rhodes, Jordanian Ambassador Alia Bouran, British Ambassador Peter Westmacott.

DCI's Meyers: "Be mindful of the rise of these Republican millenials"

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Dan Meyers

Enough with comparing Lena Dunham to millenials when Dan Meyers is taking the same issue to Politico’s Op-Ed page. The DCI Group Vice President is bringing the millenial focus directly to the GOP and proving the party’s need to acknowledge this emerging group.

The main point Meyers gets at is same-sex marriage and how it effects millenial voters.

“Nearly every recent public poll has shown extraordinarily high and growing support for freedom to marry among younger voters. A recent survey by ABC News/Washington Post stands out. TargetPoint’s survey revealed that 64 percent of evangelical millennials support the freedom to marry. This number further highlights the generational shift on issues such as marriage equality — even among those who strongly align their personal belief systems with their faith.”

Only in Washington can you get an idea of how the other half of the political spectrum lives. While the entertainment niche is an easy foothold, can’t we all agree on how to live regardless of politics? Or even choosing which HBO show best represents us? Granted, Game of Thrones could inspire both Dems and GOP to come together if dragons ever show up. As for which generation will claim to have that title is left to a future op-ed in Politico.

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.

The Running Of The Who's Who for 2013

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cure_224
The end of the year is for making lists and conjecture about who’ll be in charge come next term. Politico’s already started their weekly half-video/half column Behind the Curtain featuring Mike Allen and Jim Vandehei as they tackle the weeks that were–so far that means immigration and the rebranding of Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan.

Buzzfeed, however, seems to be focused entirely on 2013 with today’s list of the 23 People Who Will Be Running Washington Next Year. This service comes complete with headshots that tell us whether we’re looking at a daytime regular on MSNBC, Fox or CNN–or to provide photographic evidence of Paul Ryan’s Michael Steel, pictured above.
[Read more…]