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Presented by PatientRightsAdvocate.org: | | | | |  | | By Max Tani and Alex Thompson | Presented by PatientRightsAdvocate.org | Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. Send tips | Subscribe here| Email Alex | Email Max Defense Department press secretary JOHN KIRBY has expanded his portfolio beyond the regular Pentagon duties: For the moment, he’s become the informal lead in managing the Biden administration’s relationship with Fox News. Earlier this year, Kirby sat down for an off-the-record meeting with reporters and top news executives from the conservative news channel to candidly discuss the administration’s positions on defense policy issues, according to multiple people with knowledge of the meeting. One source told West Wing Playbook that the meeting fits with Kirby’s view of the media landscape. He has said privately that he feels it is important to engage and push back on the cable network because, well, a lot of people watch Fox News and their coverage can often sway story lines pursued by mainstream outlets. Kirby’s role as one of the Biden administration’s unofficial envoys to Fox News is emblematic of how his stock has risen within the administration over its first year. He has carved out a reputation as one of the teams most reliable communicators despite the fact that Biden World is populated by many State Department veterans who are sometimes wary of the Pentagon (Kirby also briefly did a tour as then-Secretary of State JOHN KERRY’s press secretary in the waning days of the Obama administration). His stock has only risen in recent weeks. Kirby has been the administration’s point person for communicating about the ongoing standoff between Russia and the Ukraine in the most adversarial media environments, appearing multiple times a week on outlets including Fox News. His Pentagon press conferences have also been given repeated airtime on the major cable news networks in recent weeks. They rarely produce the kind of fireworks that have created backlash for other administration flacks. A former Navy rear admiral, Kirby has cultivated strong relationships with many reporters over the past decade at the Pentagon, where he has generally been known for his accessibility, particularly in contrast to some of his recent predecessors. In 2015, he wrote that one of his “rules to live” by as a government spokesperson was “Reply to emails promptly. Get the phone before it rings three times. Make sure people know how to get hold of you at all times. Don’t be afraid to give out your home number.” (Another rule noted: “You represent the military. Look the part. Workout regularly. Wear your uniform smartly.”) Kirby rose to prominence during the early part of the Obama administration as the go-to press person for then-Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman MIKE MULLEN . Several Pentagon reporters told West Wing Playbook that he was consistently helpful in providing access to the chairman’s thinking and views, the kind of currency that plays well on the defense beat, where sensitive, newsworthy information can be difficult to come by. One Pentagon reporter described him as a deeply effective "schmoozer" whose understanding of the craft of beat reporting allowed him to effectively shape the narratives of reporters. Another noted that he is often more reachable than some predecessors, but still ultimately remains a communications official whose job is to steer the press away from damaging stories. He’s also taken some hits during the Biden era: His evasive comments following the deaths of Afghan civilians from a US drone strike last year were panned in some media outlets. Kirby’s performance hasn’t gone unnoticed within the administration. As West Wing Playbook previously noted, Kirby is on the list of possible successorsto White House press secretary JEN PSAKI, a prospect aided by his calm performance during the chaotic U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan last August. There would be some symmetry in following Psaki’s footsteps at the podium, after also succeeding her at the State Department, albeit with one press secretary in between. And if foreign policy continues to dominate the headlines over the coming year, that Fox diplomacy may come in handy in dealing with Biden administration sparring partner (and Fox White House correspondent) PETER DOOCEY. TEXT US — Are you PETER DOOCEY? Send us an email or text and we will try to include your thoughts in the next day’s edition. Can be anonymous, on background, etc.Email us at westwingtips@politico.com or you can text/Signal Alex at 8183240098 or Max at 7143455427. | | A message from PatientRightsAdvocate.org: New PatientRightsAdvocate.org report shows that only 14% of hospitals are complying with the Price Transparency Rule that has been in place for more than a year. That means 86% are hiding their prices, not letting consumers compare and save. It’s time for hospitals to unleash the data and compete. Everyone benefits when we all can compare prices in advance of care. | | | | | | From the White House Historical Association Trailed by an enthusiastic crowd, which president paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue after his inauguration? (Answer at the bottom.)
| | | THE DR. IS IN— Dr. FRANCIS COLLINS, who stepped down as the head of the National Institutes of Health, will succeed ERIC LANDER as White House science adviser. ALONDRA NELSON, the Deputy Director for Science and Society at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), will become temporary director of the OSTP (Lander had both titles so they are essentially splitting them up). The Associated Press first reported the move, which was confirmed to us by a source familiar with the matter. Lander, as readers of this newsletter know, resigned recently from his post atop the OSTP after POLITICO reported that an internal investigation found he had bullied and mistreated subordinates. “I want all of you to know that the President will value this collaboration greatly as we work toward naming and nominating a permanent science advisor and director of OSTP who will go through the Senate confirmation process process,” Deputy Chief of Staff BRUCE REED told OSTP employees on a call this evening with Nelson and Collins, according to a recording obtained by West Wing Playbook. EXIT: ADAM FRANKEL quietly ended his temporary stint in Vice President KAMALA HARRIS’ office last month, according to an official familiar with the departure. The former Obama speechwriter joined the VP’s team several months ago, along with LORRAINE VOLES, “to focus on organizational development, strategic communications and long-term planning,” as the Washington Post’s TYLER PAGER reported last September (the White House noted at the time that the roles would be temporary). Voles is staying put for now. It’s unlikely Frankel will be completely out of the Biden World loop, however. He’s married to STEPHANIE PSAKI, senior adviser on human rights and gender equity in the Office of Global Affairs at the Health and Human Services Department, who is also the younger sister of press secretary Jen Psaki. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: ERIC BOEHLERT’s Substack. BEN WAKANA on the White House’s Covid team tweeted out a link from Boehlert, a former Media Matters staffer and liberal writer. Wakana shared this part of the piece: “Last week, Politico reported, 'Republican strategists have described the pandemic' as 'a godsend.' Ponder that for a moment." For context, here’s that POLITICO original story. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: A new LA Times/UC Berkeley poll that shows Vice President Harris’ approval rating is underwater with residents in her home state. According to the new poll of California voters, while both JOE BIDEN and Harris’ poll numbers have dropped, just 38 percent of respondents said they approved of her job performance and 46 percent disapproved, compared to the 47 percent who approved of Biden’s performance and 48 percent who disapproved.
| | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | | BIDEN VS THE BLUE SLIP — Sen. RON JOHNSON (R-Wisc.) announced Tuesday night that he would not return his “blue slip” for Judge WILLIAM POCAN , the president’s nominee to the Eastern District Court of Wisconsin, stalling a hearing that had been scheduled for Wednesday and drawing the ire of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman DICK DURBIN. Durbin noted that Johnson and fellow Wisconsin Sen. TAMMY BALDWIN, a Democrat, had “recommended Judge Pocan to the White House as one of the four candidates” to fill the vacancy. Under Trump, Republicans did away with the blue slip courtesy for circuit court nominees, but not district court picks. SCOTUS SPIN DOCTORS: The three leading contenders to be Biden’s nominee to the Supreme Court are turning to trusted communications professionals to help navigate one of Washington’s most grueling and stage-managed processes, CHRIS CADELAGO reports. Circuit Judge KETANJI BROWN JACKSON has enlisted ROBERT RABEN, the founder of the consulting firm The Raben Group, with a small assist from onetime Biden spokesperson TJ DUCKLO. For South Carolina District Judge J. MICHELLE CHILDS, the role is largely being played by AMANDA LOVEDAY, a South Carolina-based Democratic operative. And for California Supreme Court Justice LEONDRA KRUGER, the task has been taken on by TRACY SCHMALER, a communications specialist who led former attorney general ERIC HOLDER’s press team. NO MORE DRAMA: The Senate voted 83-13 to confirm CELESTE WALLANDER to serve as assistant secretary of Defense for international security affairs, a key leadership role at the Pentagon. Lawmakers also voted 94-1 to confirm DAVID HONEY as the Pentagon’s No. 2 research and engineering official. The votes come after Sen. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) blocked quick action of their confirmations last week. MEA CULPA: Last night we incorrectly reported the name of Biden’s nominee for ambassador to the WTO, MARÍA PAGÁN. We feel stupid about the error.
| | | | A message from PatientRightsAdvocate.org:   | | | | | | MEDICARE MOVES — The Biden administration is debating whether to overhaul a major Trump-era program tied to Medicare as soon as this week in the face of rising pressure from prominent progressive Democrats, RACHAEL LEVY and ADAM CANCRYN report. The Trump program — known as a direct contracting model — has come under increased scrutiny from liberals like Sen. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-Mass.) and Rep. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-Wash.), who warn that Biden is smoothing a path to privatizing Medicare by keeping it intact.
| | | EXCLUSIVE: Biden to seek more than $770 billion in 2023 defense budget, sources say (Reuters’ Mike Stone) Biden’s Afghanistan counsel left the White House in January. Now he’s poised to reap financial windfall from billions in seized Afghan assets (The Intercepts Lee Fang and Ryan Grim) Afghans who bet on fast path to the U.S. are facing a closed door (The New York Times’ Miriam Jordan)
| | | U.S. Trade Representative KATHERINE TAI is doing a “business roundtable” with Mastercard CEO MICHAEL MIEBACH at 3 p.m. in NYC at the company’s tech hub (RSVP here)
| | | He received the President’s Daily Brief in the morning. He also spoke to German Chancellor OLAF SCHOLZ in the afternoon to discuss the latest on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
| | | She joined the president for the Daily Brief. She also swore in CYNTHIA TELLES to be the ambassador to Costa Rica and RETA JO LEWIS to be the president of the Ex-Im Bank.
| | | | DON’T MISS CONGRESS MINUTES: Need to follow the action on Capitol Hill blow-by-blow? Check out Minutes, POLITICO’s new platform that delivers the latest exclusives, twists and much more in real time. Get it on your desktop or download the POLITICO mobile app for iOS or Android. CHECK OUT CONGRESS MINUTES HERE. | | | | | | | | For MATT KLAPPER, chief of staff to Attorney General MERRICK GARLAND, the 1993 political comedy “Dave” was what sparked his interest in politics. In it, the White House chief of staff replaces the president with a look-alike after the president suffers a stroke. Klapper confessed in a May 2018 podcast episode of “Party People,” that it’s “an amazing movie … Some would find it the opposite of inspiring, there’s plenty of that in it too.” The movie, however silly, showed him “some of the ‘do-gooding’ that I found in the most wonderful role models in my life, merged with a profession where I saw that you could bring a lot of relief and comfort and joy to a lot of people through politics.” He clarified: “I didn’t see that movie and go ‘I want to get into politics,’ but that was the first moment where it clicked.” Here’s to hoping a Garland look-alike isn’t holding the AG post!
| | | After his swearing in ceremony in 1829, former President ANDREW JACKSON led an impromptu parade of supporters, culminating in a reception at the White House, according to the White House Historical Association. A CALL OUT — Do you have a better trivia question? Send us your hardest trivia question on the presidents and we may feature it on Wednesdays. Edited by Emily Cadei | | A message from PatientRightsAdvocate.org: It took scientists less than a year to create a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
Meanwhile, hospital execs have had more than a year to comply with the Hospital Price Transparency Rule and 86% of them are still hiding their prices from consumers.
This isn’t brain surgery. It’s a no-brainer. It’s time to enforce the rule and tell the rich hospital executives to show the American people their prices, unleash competition, and allow us to shop for the best quality of care at prices we can afford. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
