CBS’ plans to own WHCA weekend

From: POLITICO West Wing Playbook - Friday Apr 22,2022 10:22 pm

Apr 22, 2022

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Some news organizations are shying away from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner this year.

CBS is not one of them.

The nearly century-old network is using the annual gathering of political dweebs, clout-chasers, and the occasional legitimate A-list celebrity as a reintroduction to official Washington at a time when other media organizations have scaled back in the face of Covid jitters or financial woes.

White House Correspondents’ Association president STEVEN PORTNOY, the first person in that role to hail from CBS in 20 years, has been the chief dinner planner. He’s been assuaging concerns about Covid following the Gridiron Club dinner earlier this month (next Saturday’s dinner rules include a vaccine mandate and a same-day testing mandate) and helped get an RSVP from the event’s biggest VIP: President JOE BIDEN.

Two people with knowledge of the planning said executives from CBS parent company Paramount also got involved, helping to plan a ritzy after party at the French ambassador’s residence, once the site of the Vanity Fair after party, the hottest post-dinner ticket during the Obama years. The news network is even planning on co-hosting a reception before the dinner with the leadership of the publication that publishes this newsletter.

The dinner, as always, is dedicated to a noble case: Proceeds benefit WHCA scholarships and fund the organization’s operations. Awards for important journalism will be handed out, and speeches about the industry’s importance will be given (Portnoy will likely address the threats to free press abroad and at home, the heroism of journalists covering the war in Ukraine, and the value of journalism in preserving Democracy).

But it’s also a chance for schmoozing and gawking at nearby tables.

In CBS’ case, it is a chance for the network’s new leadership to show face in a room split between power players and people hoping to be perceived that way. Since the last correspondents’ dinner in 2019, most of the top leadership at CBS News and its parent company have turned over.

GEORGE CHEEKS took over the network in early 2020. Former CBS News president SUSAN ZIRINSKY was replaced by co-presidents NEERAJ KHEMLANI and WENDY MCMAHON, and MARK LIMA moved from the West Coast to Washington to take over as D.C. bureau chief earlier this year.

Many top CBS and Paramount power players will be on hand. Cheeks, Showtime CEO DAVID NEVINS, MTV Entertainment Group president CHRIS MCARTHY, and Paramount+’s TOM RYAN are hosting the Paramount afterparty. At the actual dinner, The Daily Show host and Paramount employee, TREVOR NOAH will be roasting the guests as the night’s host. And CBS News has trotted out A-List stars at the network’s table including actress DREW BARRYMORE and philanthropist MELINDA FRENCH GATES.

Who gets invited to the dinner and which outlets nab administration officials can feel like finding a spot at the high school cafeteria for folks who never sat with the popular kids. High-ranking administration officials are often invited by multiple outlets — and then have to decide who they’d rather sit with for the night. Each table seats 10 people and costs $3,500. The social hierarchy is sensitive enough that several outlets and reporters even hoarded their invite list after we asked, even though it all will be public in just a week (looking at you NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, and others).

Still, we cobbled together a partial list of which outlets landed which administration officials with the caveat that Covid could lead anybody to cancel.

CBS itself nabbed White House chief of staff RON KLAIN, the most coveted guest among many D.C. insiders. Assistant press secretary KEVIN MUNOZ will also join. The network will also host the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S., OKSANA MARKAROVA, Sen. KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D-N.Y.), former FDA Commissioner SCOTT GOTTLIEB, former COVID Task Force Response Coordinator DEBORAH BIRX and others.

Here are some others:

The Washington Post

Impressive showing from JEFF BEZOS’ paper so far.

Top Biden adviser MIKE DONILON
Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG
White House Cabinet Secretary EVAN RYAN
Labor Secretary MARTY WALSH
Sen. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-Minn.)
Sen. PAT LEAHY(D-Vt.)

Do everyone a favor and seat Amy and Pete at the same table. No word yet on whether Bezos himself will attend.
Fox News

Chief of staff to the press office, AMANDA FINNEY
Senior adviser in the State Department’s Bureau of Global Public Affairs, MEGAN APPER
Rep. DAN KILDEE (D-Mich.)
Rep. BRIAN FITZPATRICK (R-Pa.)

POLITICO:

Pentagon Press Secretary JOHN KIRBY
State Department Chief of Protocol RUFUS GIFFORD
Deputy Staff Secretary MICHAEL HOCHMAN
VP Press Secretary KIRSTEN ALLEN
Rep. ELAINE LURIA (D-Va.)

Some others:

NBC News: Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA
Associated Press: Deputy Press Secretary ANDREW BATES

TEXT US — ARE YOU an important (or unimportant) guest we missed? Can you confirm that a certain A-List celebrity couple is planning on attending the dinner? Where’s STEVE RICCHETTI sitting? We want to hear from you (we’ll keep you anonymous).

Or if you think we missed something in today’s edition, let us know and we may include it tomorrow. Email us at westwingtips@politico.com or text/Signal/Wickr/WhatsApp Alex at 8183240098 or Max at 7143455427.

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POTUS PUZZLER

From the University of Virginia’s Miller Center

A tough one today. Which president said: “If the government of any country on the face of the earth was ever effectually guarded against the election of ambitious or designing characters to the first office of the state, I think it may with truth be said to be the case under the Constitution of the United States.”

(Answer at the bottom.)

Cartoon of the Week

Cartoon by Matt Wuerker

Cartoon by Matt Wuerker | POLITICO

TGIF. It’s cartoon feature time! This one is courtesy of our very own MATT WUERKER. He also publishes a selection of cartoons from all over the country. View the cartoon carousel here.

The Oval

SCOOP: The White House Covid-19 response team is in the midst of a comms reshuffling, with senior aides BEN WAKANA and COURTNEY ROWE set to depart, POLITICO’s ADAM CANCRYN scoops (follow him here).

The two have run strategic communications and engagement for the pandemic response since Biden took office, and planned to leave once former Covid coordinator JEFF ZIENTS officially handed off control of the team to its new leader, ASHISH JHA.

SUBHAN CHEEMA, a former Biden campaign official who’s worked on Covid comms since March 2021, is moving up to take over Wakana’s responsibilities. Rowe will be replaced by DORI SALCIDO, who joins the White House after a stint as senior counselor for strategic communications to ROCHELLE WALENSKY, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK: ANITA DUNN, a close adviser to Biden, is coming back to the White House in a senior adviser role after leaving last August. (As some Bidenworld people have noted, her departure coincided with Biden’s declining approval ratings.) WaPo’s TYLER PAGER scooped the personnel move. Dunn did not comment about the story when we texted :(.

DUNN’s +1: Dunn is expected to help respond to the onslaught of GOP probes that will come if Republicans win back the House and/or Senate. Health and Human Services spokesperson IAN SAMS, who worked on KAMALA HARRIS’ presidential campaign, will also join the White House counsel’s office to focus on responding to potential congressional investigations, Pager reports. Sams also declined to comment :-((.

NEW TALKING POINT ALERT: During an Earth Day event in Seattle today, Biden essentially repeated an attack line against Republicans that he offered up at a fundraiser the night before: “This is a MAGA party now… These guys are a different breed of cat… This ain’t your father’s Republican Party.”

FLASHBACK: Biden in 2019 said, “The thing that will fundamentally change with DONALD TRUMP out of the White House, not a joke, is you will see an epiphany occur among many of my Republican friends.”

TWEET OF THE DAY: Second Gentleman DOUG EMHOFF noted three things that made him smile and asked: “What made you smile this week?” Here’s a reply that stood out to us:

Tweet by This Must Be The News

Tweet by This Must Be The News | Twitter

HEADED TO TSU: Harris is set to be the May 7 commencement speaker at Tennessee State University, a historically Black university, CBS News’ TIM PERRY first reported. Harris is the first HBCU graduate to serve as vice president.

SPOTTED: The White House political team’s NATALIE MONTELONGO and the DNC’s ANATOLE JENKINS, the political chief of staff at the Democratic National Committee, at Barcelona Wine Bar last night.

GINA INTRIGUE: Amidst reports of an imminent departure and White House denials, national climate adviser GINA McCARTHY told Axios’ MIKE ALLEN today that "I'm not ready yet to call it a day," but "obviously, I’m not going to be here until the end of my days.”

DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM THE 2022 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from the 25th annual Global Conference. This year's event, May 1-4, brings together more than 3,000 of the world’s most influential leaders, including 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. "Celebrating the Power of Connection" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect influencers with the resources to change the world with leading experts and thinkers whose insight and creativity can implement that change. Whether you're attending in person or following along from somewhere else in the world, keep up with this year's conference with POLITICO’s special edition “Global Insider” so you don't miss a beat. Subscribe today.

Agenda Setting

TRADE WAR DETENTE?: Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN told Bloomberg TV today that the administration is looking at rolling back Trump-era China tariffs to help fight inflation. “It’s worth considering. We certainly want to do what we can to address inflation, and there would be some desirable effects,” she said.

BAD BUT NOT, LIKE, SO BAD: Yellen also went on CNBC today and said “I don’t expect a recession,” but she noted risks exist. She added that "we'll have to put up with high inflation for a while longer."

STANDING BY IT: The White House is sticking behind its decision to end the Trump-era expulsion border policy for migrants, known as Title 42, despite pushback from Republicans and Democrats ahead of the midterms, our LAURA BARRÓN-LÓPEZ, CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO and EUGENE DANIELS report. The policy is set to come to an end May 23rd.

What We're Reading

Biden Warns Democrats Aren’t Cluing In Voters on Achievements (Bloomberg’s Josh Wingrove)

Biden's New Antitrust Cops Alarm M&A Players With 'Terrifying' Rhetoric (Bloomberg’s Brody Ford)

A message from Blackstone:

Where's Joe

He received the President’s Daily Brief.

He delivered remarks on Earth Day and the climate crisis at Seward Park in Seattle. He also delivered remarks on lowering health care and energy costs at Green River College in Auburn, Wash. Aides with the president include: Director of Communications KATE BEDINGFIELD, Deputy Chief of Staff BRUCE REED, Director of Oval Office Operations ANNIE TOMASINI,

Principal Deputy Press Secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, Director of Speechwriting VINAY REDDY, among others.

He heads to Delaware this evening, where he’s scheduled to arrive around 10:40 p.m.

Where's Kamala

No public events scheduled.

JOIN US ON 4/29 FOR A WOMEN RULE DISCUSSION ON WOMEN IN TECH : Women, particularly women of color and women from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, have historically been locked out of the tech world. But this new tech revolution could be an opportunity for women to get in on the ground floor of a new chapter. Join POLITICO for an in-depth panel discussion on the future of women in tech and how to make sure women are both participating in this fast-moving era and have access to all it offers. REGISTER HERE.

The Oppo Book

One of MERRICK GARLAND's guilty pleasures? Ice cream, a family friend of the Garlands told People Magazine back in 2016.

The friend, CHERYL WEINER , said Garland's "daughters had to put a lock around the ice cream pints to keep him from plowing through them. He laughed when he discovered the lock but jokingly threatened that there was a loophole — he could just cut a hole in the bottom of the carton to get to the ice cream if desperate.” He’s even treated Justice Department staff to an ice cream appreciation day.

Biden and Garland have occasionally clashed but maybe mutual love of ice cream can…. melt their differences.

Here's some photographic evidence of Garland's addiction:

Tweet by Sadie Gurman

Tweet by Sadie Gurman | Twitter

POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER

JAMES MADISON discussed the new role of president on June 16, 1789, during the critical first session of Congress. Madison was a key member of the House of Representatives at a moment when it effectively functioned as the government.

He added: “Where the people are disposed to give so great an elevation to one of their fellow citizens, I own that I am not afraid to place my confidence in him; especially when I know he is impeachable for any crime or misdemeanor, before the senate, at all times; and that at all events he is impeachable before the community at large every four years.”

For more on Madison’s path to the presidency, visit millercenter.org.

AND, A CALL OUT — Do you have a more difficult trivia question? Send us your best question on the presidents with a citation and we may feature it.

Edited by Eun Kyung Kim

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