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Presented by The American Petroleum Institute (API): | | | | | |  | | By Ruby Cramer , Alex Thompson and Tina Sfondeles | Presented by The American Petroleum Institute (API) | Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With Allie Bice. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Tina About six months into KAMALA HARRIS’ 2020 presidential campaign, her husband DOUG EMHOFF was getting ready for his big debut. The Florida Democratic Party had asked Emhoff to speak at its annual Leadership Blue Gala in June 2019. The otherwise unremarkable party dinner, held at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club in Orlando, would be his first time headlining an event on the presidential campaign trail. And so began the greatest of deliberations: what should be his walk-on song? Back at Harris HQ in Baltimore, Emhoff and a group of campaign staffers, including several at the senior level, convened a meeting to bat around ideas, continuing the conversation in a lengthy email thread, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Emhoff, a white entertainment lawyer from Los Angeles, wanted the vibe to be just right for his debut as the potential future first husband of the first female, Black and Asian president. They tossed some ideas back and forth. “Whatta Man” by Salt-N-Pepa? “Teach Me How to Dougie” by Cali Swag District? Eventually, they landed on a less risky choice: When Emhoff stepped on stage in Orlando, it was to a short snippet of the guitar-heavy intro to Beck’s 2005 song, “E-Pro.” | The high-level meeting — “playful,” one source said, but methodical — reflected both Emhoff’s earnest excitement over his role on the campaign as well as how deliberate he is in crafting his public persona. Campaign staffers who worked with Emhoff say his defining characteristic as a surrogate was a wide-eyed enthusiasm for the trappings of life on the trail. All of it — the state fairs, the party dinners, the pageantry, the mechanics and logistics — was new to Doug and “endlessly fascinating,” as he put it in March 2019. Rather than jaded or cynical, one former aide said, Emhoff was like a kid entering an amusement park for the first time. In the White House, Emhoff — or SGOTUS, as his acronym goes — has tried to maintain a public-facing role, although he is still trying to find a niche. The interests he discussed during his frequent appearances on the Biden fundraising circuit last fall — reopening small music venues after the pandemic, for instance, or expanding “access to justice” through his experiences in entertainment law — have given way to a more generalized portfolio dictated by the times. Since taking office, he’s held carefully scripted events to promote vaccination efforts, the administration’s Build Back Better agenda, and the Covid-19 relief package Congress passed in the spring, traveling to more than two dozen states and 19 vaccination clinics, according to his communications director, KATIE PETERS. He has represented the U.S. at the Paralympics in Tokyo, sat down with NBC’s PETER ALEXANDER to talk about being “out front to the effort to combat Covid,” as the segment introduced him, and, last week, threw out the first pitch at a Washington Nationals game (a pretty solid toss). And while some of his moves have been more official — rebranding as “Douglas” instead of “Doug” and taking a teaching gig at Georgetown Law School — he has still shown his gleeful side, such as when he tried to quietly purchase a copy of SETH ROGEN’s book or offered up some PDA toward Harris. Besides the many kisses blown to her at Biden’s joint address to Congress, he tweets heart emojis at her, and even paid a visit to a crochet mural of his wife on display at D.C.’s wharf earlier this year. “Couldn’t miss seeing this crochet mural of @VP Kamala Harris in honor of International Women’s Day,” Doug, er, Douglas tweeted. Do you work in the Biden administration? Are you in touch with the White House? Are you ALEXANDER WANG, associate director for immigration? We want to hear from you — and we’ll keep you anonymous: westwingtips@politico.com. Or if you want to stay really anonymous send us a tip through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram, or Whatsapp here. | | | | A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API): The Environmental Partnership released its third annual report highlighting the industry’s progress in reducing flaring. Participants in the partnership’s new flare management program reported a 50 percent reduction in flare volumes from 2019 to 2020, even as oil and natural gas production remained consistent among participating companies. The partnership and its growing coalition continue to demonstrate the industry’s commitment to further reduce emissions and routine flaring and deliver improved environmental performance. | | | | | | From reader NICK FIELD — Who was the first U.S. president born after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution? (Answer at the bottom.) | | | BLAME BORIS — At today’s briefing, press secretary JEN PSAKI said White House staffers were surprised that British Prime Minister BORIS JOHNSON took questions from British reporters during an Oval Office meeting on Tuesday. After Johnson opened the floor to questions from British reporters, the press pool was led out of the Oval Office as American reporters shouted questions in vain at Biden. Asked why Biden didn’t take questions like his counterpart, Psaki responded that the PM, “called on individuals from his press corps without alerting us to that intention in advance.” Later, CBS News Radio White House correspondent STEVEN PORTNOY, also the president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, pushed Psaki to schedule a “formal” press conference with the president — describing many encounters with POTUS and the press as “fleeting.” The WHCA on Tuesday also lodged a complaint with the White House about the lack of questions granted to American reporters. Psaki said Biden has answered questions from the press 135 times, leading up to September. She also said she didn’t believe the “format, whether it is multiple shorter Q and A’s or a longer formal press conference, is at the top of the list of the American public’s concern.” EMILIO CASALICCHIO and NAHAL TOOSI have more on the Biden-Johnson relationship here. | | | | JOIN THURSDAY FOR A WOMEN RULE CONVERSATION ON ENDING SEXUAL ASSAULT IN THE MILITARY: Sexual assault in the military has been an issue for years, and political leaders are taking steps to address it. Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) proposed bipartisan legislation to overhaul military sexual assault policies, but still face opposition. Join Women Rule for a virtual interview featuring Sens. Ernst and Gillibrand, who will discuss their legislative push and what it will take to end sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | WEIRD OR NOT WEIRD? It’s a little unusual to get a readout of conversations between members of the same administration, but the vice president’s office insists there’s nothing out of the ordinary going on with a statement released today from Kamala Harris’ chief spokesperson SYMONE SANDERS , detailing a Tuesday call between the VP and Homeland Security Secretary ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS. “During that call, the Vice President raised her grave concerns about the mistreatment of Haitian migrants by border patrol agents on horses, and the need of all CBP agents to treat people with dignity, humanely and consistent with our laws and our values,” the release says. Harris’ office told CHRIS CADELAGO that members of the press had requested a readout of the call after Harris told reporters yesterday that she planned to speak to Mayorkas about the widely circulated images of border patrol agents appearing to use their horses’ reins as whips against migrants in Texas. Pushing back on the idea there was something weird about the readout, deputy press secretary SABRINA SINGH tweeted : “It’s actually not weird. It’s an important issue that Secretary Mayorkas is addressing. The VP and the Secretary spoke about it and we wanted to provide a readout of that convo.” RAHM WATCH: RAHM EMANUEL’s required paperwork to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Japan, including his financial disclosure, has been received by the Senate Foreign Relations committee, according to a Senate aide. That means the former Chicago mayor and chief of staff to former President BARACK OBAMA may see a confirmation hearing sooner than later. Committee Chairman BOB MENENDEZ (D-N-J.) today also said he wants to see the Japan nomination move quickly. | | | |   | | | | | | AFGHAN MESSAGING HELP — OLIVIA DALTON, most recently a chief spokesperson and director of communications for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, has been temporarily detailed to the National Security Council to serve as a senior adviser to former Delaware Gov. JACK MARKELL, the White House coordinator for Operation Allies Welcome — the Department of Homeland Security-led effort to resettle Afghan refugees in the U.S. Dalton, a former Biden Senate aide and campaign consultant, also led communications on the Biden-Harris transition’s confirmations team. She’ll return to her role at USUN before the end of the year. OBAMA ALUMNI REUNION: PENNY PRITZKER and ASH CARTER, two former Obama Cabinet members, were named to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the White House announced today. CLAIRE RAFFORD reports that the two are among 30 experts who will advise the president on matters related to science and technology. BIDEN ALLIES GET AMBASSADOR NOD: The White House is tapping three longtime Biden allies for ambassador posts, MYAH WARD writes. For the Belgium job, Biden will nominate MICHAEL ADLER, a Miami real estate developer, confirming expectations that the president’s friend would snag the nomination. Biden will nominate ERIK RAMANATHAN , chair of national health nonprofit Heluna Health, as ambassador to Sweden. And he has picked CALVIN SMYRE, the former chair of the Democratic Caucus within the Georgia Assembly, to serve as ambassador to the Dominican Republic. | | | BATCHELDER CONFIRMED — The Senate confirmed LILY BATCHELDER as assistant Treasury secretary this afternoon, 64 to 34. The NYU professor and former Obama economic adviser has been a vocal supporter of efforts to raise taxes on inheritances, a flashpoint as Democrats look to overhaul the tax code in their reconciliation bill. | | | | TELL US WHAT YOU THINK: Do you listen to POLITICO podcasts? We want to hear from you! Tell us what you like, what you could do without, and what you want to see in the future from the POLITICO Audio team! Your responses will help us improve our offerings and tailor our podcast content to better fit your needs. Find the survey here. | | | | | | | | PARDONNEZ-MOI — Biden acknowledged during a phone call this morning with French President EMMANUEL MACRON that his administration should have consulted with the French government before announcing a new trilateral security pact with Australia and the United Kingdom, QUINT FORGEY writes. A statement released about the call said Biden and Macron plan to meet in Europe at the end of October — and the French ambassador to the U.S. PHILLIPE ÉTIENNE would return to his post in Washington next week after being recalled last Friday. The White House released a photo of a smiley Biden on the call. | 
Biden talks on the phone with President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic on in the Oval Office of the White House. | Adam Schultz/ Courtesy of the White House | | | | Even as the Biden administration deports some Haitian migrants, it is letting in others (NYT’s Eileen Sullivan) Former GOP Treasury secretaries tried defusing debt ceiling bomb in private talks with McConnell, Yellen (Washington Post’s Jeff Stein) Biden allies launch nonprofit aiming to protect Latino, Asian voting rights (POLITICO’s Sabrina Rodriguez) | | | He participated in a virtual Covid-19 summit as part of the U.N. General Assembly, then called President Macron to discuss the U.S. submarine deal with the U.K. and Australia that has enraged the French. In the afternoon, he held a series of meetings in the Oval Office with House and Senate Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER and Speaker NANCY PELOSI, to discuss the latest infrastructure and funding bills. | | | She led a session of the virtual Covid-19 summit, and later, met with Zambian President HAKAINDE HICHILEMA in the vice president’s Ceremonial Office. | | | Principal deputy press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE told Elle magazine in August that one piece of career advice she’s never followed was to be the loudest in the room in meetings. “I’m inherently shy and introverted,” she told the magazine. “I think people kind of roll their eyes when I say that, but it’s true. People used to be like, ‘You need to speak up in a meeting. You need to put your foot down.’ And sometimes, that’s not for everybody.” She explained that “sometimes being the person who’s listening, the quieter voice, is a lot more impactful.” First off, who gives career advice to be loud? Secondly…. Introverts rise up! | | | JOHN TYLER was born on March 29, 1790. AND A CALL OUT — A big thanks to Nick for suggesting this question. Do you have a really hard trivia question about the presidency? Send us your best one and we may use it: westwingtips@politico.com. We want your trivia, but we also want your feedback. What should we be covering in this newsletter that we’re not? What are we getting wrong? Please let us know. Edited by Emily Cadei | | | | A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API): In 2020, The Environmental Partnership launched its latest environmental performance program, which is focused on reducing flaring of associated gas in oilfield operations. As part of the flare management program, companies are advancing best practices to avoid flaring and minimize emissions. To gauge progress, participants in the program have committed to report data to calculate flare intensity, a measurement of flare volumes relative to production. Participants reported a 50 percent reduction in flare volumes from 2019 to 2020, even as oil and natural gas production remained consistent among participating companies. This progress underscores the industry’s commitment to advancing best practices to reduce flare volumes, promoting the beneficial use of associated gas and improving flare reliability and efficiency. Read more about the partnership’s commitment to environmental progress in its third annual report. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
