Can Michael LaRosa possibly be replaced?

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Aug 04, 2022 View in browser   By Max Tani and Alex Thompson Presented by Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice.  Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Max   The hunt for JILL BIDEN's next spokesperson is on. In recent weeks, the White House has started talking to potential candidates who will replace former FLOTUS press secretary MICHAEL LAROSA, who left the job last week for a gig at a D.C. strategy firm. People familiar with the process told West Wing Playbook that the first lady's team has considered a number of potential candidates. Among them are current and former Biden administration officials including U.S. Surgeon General VIVEK MURTHY's communication's director ALEXANDRIA PHILLIPS, Precision Strategies' SEAN HIGGINS, and White House communications officials JEN MOLINA and ERICA LOEWE. Multiple people with knowledge of the search process said the first lady's staff have had conversations with some candidates, but it's still a fairly open search. It's unclear if the first lady has personally spoken with candidates for the job, an obvious prerequisite for hiring a position of that stature. One reason she may have put off those interviews is she's not in D.C. CNN's KATE BENNETT reported on Thursday that the first lady has been quarantined in Delaware over the past few weeks, as her husband continues to test positive for Covid. Whoever ends up with the job will need the sign off of the first lady's comms director, ELIZABETH ALEXANDER. The person will also need to charm senior adviser ANTHONY BERNAL, a key figure in Jill Biden's orbit, well-known within the administration for his intensity and occasionally aggressiveness. When asked about qualifications to take over the press secretary gig, one Biden White House veteran remarked: "The number one quality you need is someone who can deal with Anthony." The White House declined to comment. The press sec role for the first lady comes with a specific set of responsibilities in addition to requiring a unique set of skills. Jill Biden and her staff often attempt to avoid the rough and tumble world of daily politics (and pesky political media outlets who cover it like this one), and find a more receptive audience in lifestyle and soft-focus media publications. Like previous first ladies, Biden largely avoids the world of cable, instead appearing on human interest television programs like CBS This Morning and magazines like People and Real Simple . But that hasn't kept her completely away from political controversy. The first lady's office was forced to issue a rare apology earlier this year after she compared the diversity of the Hispanic community to "breakfast tacos," prompting a rebuke from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Her issue portfolio has also begun to shift throughout the second year of her husband's administration. A major priority for the first lady's first year in office was advocating for vaccines and boosters against Covid-19. But as the president faces low approval ratings and midterm elections loom, she's shifting her focus. According to the Associated Press' DARLENE SUPERVILLE , who knows the first lady as well as any journalist on the White House beat, Biden is on a "new mission … working to help elect Democrats who can help her husband." CNN also reported on Thursday that Jill Biden caught some in the administration off guard when she canceled a July trip to Africa, reporting that she has "zero interest in unveiling a branded initiative, second term or no, telling her staff there are just too many projects and priorities for her to focus on." At least one Biden world veteran believes that whoever the first lady's team finds for press secretary, they'll confront far choppier political watters than during the first year and a half. And that doesn't even take into account the legacy left by the predecessor. Asked about the hunt for his replacement, LaRosa told West Wing Playbook in a text message: "They are conducting a thorough process and nationwide search… but I have it on good authority that I could never truly be replaced." MESSAGE US — Are you DORINDA SALCIDO, director for strategic communications and external engagement for the Covid-19 response? We want to hear from you! And we'll keep you anonymous if you'd like. 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 . A message from Meta: The metaverse may be virtual, but the impact will be real In the metaverse, biology students will have a larger-than-life view of microscopic organisms—transforming what is possible for science education, research and medical breakthroughs. Learn how Meta is helping build the metaverse.   POTUS PUZZLER This one is from our very own TAYLOR MILLER THOMAS. Which president once campaigned for a Senate seat using a helicopter? (Answer at bottom.) The Oval ANOTHER PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY: The Biden administration declared the monkeypox a public health emergency today in an effort to speed up vaccine distribution across the country, our ERIN BANCO, BETSY WOODRUFF SWAN , ADAM CANCRYN and DAVID LIM report. The move comes as monkeypox infections have risen sharply in recent weeks — more than 6,600 cases have been reported in the U.S. — along with reports of insufficient vaccine supply.  BIDEN ON GRINER: A Russian court handed down a nine-year prison sentence to American detainee BRITTNEY GRINER today, marking a dark turn in a months-long saga for the WNBA star. President JOE BIDEN was quick to respond, calling the sentence "unacceptable" and demanding her release. The sentence serves as "one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney," Biden said. "I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates." DADDING LIKE DOUG: In an interview with Fatherly magazine , second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF answered a slate of questions from parents about how to navigate the Covid pandemic. The father of two kids from a prior marriage, he spoke about being more aware of warning signs, the isolating effects of social media, and indications that one's children are struggling emotionally. "It's been incredibly hard on young people, so I would just ask all the parents out there to just ask, 'How you're doing?'" he said. He also made a concession. With his kids having hit their 20s, he said, "I've had to up my parent game, so they still need you no matter how old they are."   STAY UP TO DATE WITH CONGRESS MINUTES: Need to follow the action on Capitol Hill blow-by-blow? Check out Minutes, POLITICO's 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.     THE BUREAUCRATS ON THE MOVE: DAVID NURNBERG has been promoted to deputy director of the Office of the Social Secretary at the White House, DANIEL LIPPMAN has learned. He most recently was associate director in the office and was also a former consultant for the Democratic National Committee and worked in advance for the Bidens between 2017 and 2020. DEPARTURE LOUNGE: ADRIAN SAENZ , the deputy director in the Office of Public Engagement, sent a goodbye email to colleagues Wednesday. "We don't hear about it enough, but YES!, there has been tremendous progress made by this Administration," he wrote. "A lot has happened, but there is one day that stands out for me as an example of the importance of the work that Team OPE does — and that is the day POTUS welcomed Holocaust survivor BRONIA BRANDMAN to the Oval Office." The Playbook team has a run-down on those who attended his goodbye party last night.   A message from Meta:   Agenda Setting FOLLOWING UP: A group of Senate Democrats sent a letter to the White House asking the adminstration to follow up on its promise to bolster abortion protections through executive action after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June. Democratic Sens. ELIZABETH WARREN (Mass.), MAZIE HIRONO (Hawaii) and TAMMY BALDWIN (Wisc.) requested a progress report from the administration on the initiatives by Aug. 7, and asked the president to take specific steps to expand abortion pill access. Our ALICE MIRANDA OLLSTEIN has more details .   INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY .     What We're Reading Top Experts Raise Questions Regarding Legal Basis of Zawahiri Strike (Just Security) Democrats Aren't Forgiving Biden for His Slow Response to the Roe Reversal (Bloomberg's Nancy Cook) Justice Department Charges Four Louisville Officers in Breonna Taylor Death (WSJ's Sadie Gurman) Transportation Department proposes new rules to make it easier for airline consumers to get refunds (CNN's Pete Muntean and Nicky Robertson) POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER In 1948, when LYNDON JOHNSON ran for an open U.S. Senate seat in Texas, he used a helicopter to campaign. "LBJ's air assault on rural Texas began in Terrell, 30 miles east of Dallas, where a small crowd was waiting at a softball field," according to a write-up in Smithsonian Magazine . "Johnson played the part of the indignant conservative, waving his arms in anger about HARRY TRUMAN's civil rights program (a 'fraud and a sham' that he would fight) and federal attempts to control schools. Then he rose up and headed off to seven more stops that day. He would fly six days a week, dawn to dusk." While Johnson didn't win the primary against COKE STEVENSON , the election was so close it went into a runoff, which Johnson ended up winning. A CALL OUT — Do you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents with a citation and we may feature it. Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein. A message from Meta: The metaverse will help future aviation mechanics gain skills In the metaverse, aviation mechanics will have an immersive way to learn and master their work from any location—helping them better prepare to keep us all moving. The metaverse may be virtual, but the impact will be real. Learn how Meta is helping build the metaverse.     Follow us on Twitter Alex Thompson @AlexThomp Maxwell Tani @maxwelltani Allie Bice @alliebice   Follow us

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