Marc Ambinder, The Atlantic’s Political Editor (right, seated), blogs CNN’s John King in conversation with political strategists Steve Schmidt and Robert Shrum 10.02.2009
Photo: Atlantic.Live

The “T” Team – Todd and Tapper – should consider themselves warned (that’s NBC’s Chuck Todd and ABC’s Jake Tapper). Marc Ambinder has lots of sources and long-time relationships in politics; he’s a must-read political blogger for TheAtlantic.com, curates their Politics channel, and is the chief political consultant to CBS News. Ambinder is also half of the new “A” team recruited to help cover the White House for the National Journal Group.

NJ tripled its White House Team with the addition of Ambinder and Aamer Madhani, currently a correspondent with USA Today. They will be joining staff writer George Condon, Jr., who covers the White House for CongressDaily when the National Journal newsroom is unified this fall.

“The New ‘A’-Team—Ambinder and Aamer—is going to be formidable,” said National Journal Editor-in-Chief Ron Fournier. “They are smart, savvy and richly sourced in foreign policy, domestic issues and politics. They have an extraordinary combination of skills that will give National Journal Group readers deep, dependable coverage of the Obama administration.”

When putting those skills to use, Ambinder says his ultimate goal is to “find out what I can find out and pull back the curtains as much as possible.”

Ambinder was also a founding editor of Hotline’s path-breaking news blog, Hotline On Call and one of the founders of ABC’s The Note. He will continue with The Atlantic through the November elections and join National Journal Group immediately thereafter.

Madhani covers foreign affairs for USA TODAY out of Washington, DC after joining the paper in December 2008 as the Baghdad Bureau Chief. He has also worked with the Chicago Tribune. Madhani will begin his work with National Journal next month.