Klain at a crossroads

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Nov 08, 2022 View in browser   By Eli Stokols and Alex Thompson Presented by Walmart 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 Eli For the last several months, West Wing aides have quietly prepared for the next big transition point: the exodus of aides and Cabinet members that typically follows the midterms. And inside the West Wing, staffers are increasingly focused on one name in particular: RON KLAIN. Whether the chief of staff stays or goes is, perhaps, the most consequential White House staffing decision that will be made over the next two years. We explored the discussions and thinking behind it in an in-depth, just published piece, which we are excerpting below: Several departures are expected to be announced after the midterms, although aides also envision many in the senior ranks to stay… But there is growing concern among many of Klain's loyal devotees that his own run in the job — already the longest ever for a Democratic president's first chief of staff — could soon be coming to an end.  "People want him to stay, but staying for years in that job is almost inhumane," said JEN PSAKI, Biden's first press secretary who left the post in May…. …. Those who have filled the role recognize that the job, especially the way Klain approaches it, may not be sustainable.  "I can't imagine having a more stressful, more time-consuming job than the one that Ron has today," said ERSKINE BOWLES, who served as President BILL CLINTON's deputy chief of staff before departing the White House — only to return six months later for an 18-month run as chief of staff… Klain, known around Washington for his dedicated tweeting, continues to hold JOE BIDEN 's trust, several administration officials said. Inside the West Wing, there is a contingent of Klain fans and loyalists who see him as a generous, responsive and capable boss, eager to offer advice and counsel on policy, politics and messaging. "I could spend 10 min with Ron and be ready to do the briefing," Psaki said. "He's so ingrained in every aspect of the place. He's also a driver of moving things forward. Whenever he leaves, it will be a huge loss." There's no question that this president, who will turn 80 this month, relies heavily on Klain and the other senior advisors who've been with him for years. Three administration officials, who asked for anonymity to relay closely-held private conversations, intimated that Biden himself has urged Klain to stay.  Part of the thinking is that Klain is uniquely well-suited for an era of more intense partisan combat, should Republicans regain the House or the Senate. Beyond that, there is concern about whether his potential replacements – [JEFF] ZEINTS is rumored to be among them – could match his political experience. Some people close to Klain, who declined an interview request, are worried about his health and stamina given his around-the-clock approach to the job. He is often up at 3:30 a.m. checking – and tweeting about – gas prices, and still up at 10 p.m. doing occasional MSNBC hits from the North Lawn. He is a voracious emailer, sending notes at all hours, sometimes writing in all caps. He has also made time in recent months for weekly happy hours on his office patio with senior- and junior-level staffers. But across the broader administration and on Capitol Hill, some officials and lawmakers working with the White House are privately eager for a change. Over the last two years, some have come to view Klain as a micromanager and grown frustrated with his certainty about his own political instincts as Biden's approval rating has languished around the 40 percent mark. More than a dozen administration and congressional officials who spoke to POLITICO on the condition of anonymity described a chief of staff intent on managing the flow of information to the president and keeping a tight grip on power, advising everyone on everything and being involved in even the smallest policy and planning details. Whenever Biden is set to deliver a speech, one official explained, "Ron often has to see the [camera] shot beforehand." READ THE FULL PIECE HERE. MESSAGE US — Are you someone who has received an ALL CAPS email from RON KLAIN? We want to hear from you! And we'll keep you anonymous. Email us at westwingtips@politico.com . A message from Walmart: Walmart is strengthening their commitment to American jobs and communities by investing an additional $350 billion in products made, grown or assembled in America. Last year, the company sourced $13.3 billion in goods from roughly 2,600 diverse small businesses, like Le'Host. This investment is estimated to support the creation of 750,000 new American jobs by 2030, based on data by Boston Consulting Group. Learn more about Walmart's commitment to small businesses.   POTUS PUZZLER Since it's Election Day, we feel it's only right that today's trivia question be election related. When was the eligible voting age lowered to 18 years old in the U.S.? (Answer at the bottom.) The Oval LAST MINUTE OUTREACH: Yesterday, we wrote about how the big hurdle facing Biden with respect to Latino voters was that they were not, in fact, being contacted by political parties ahead of the midterms. Shortly after that posted, the White House announced that the president taped an interview with OSWALDO DIAZ for a Hispanic radio show, "Erazno y La Chokolata," which aired Monday evening 7 p.m. EST. Biden also made a final Election Day pitch to Black voters, recording an interview Tuesday morning with D.L. HUGHLEY that "will air in markets across the country during the afternoon," according to a pool report. EARLY LID: There was no drama about whether the press would see Biden on Election Day. The White House called a "lid" for the day, which means that Biden won't have any additional press availability or be leaving the premises, at 11:25 a.m. — 35 minutes before call time. Press Secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE also opted not to hold a briefing Tuesday. Biden did, however, thank staff and volunteers during a virtual DNC phone bank Tuesday, according to a pool report. He spoke by phone with Democratic Governors Association Chair ROY COOPER, DCCC Chair SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, DSCC Chair GARY PETERS, and DNC Senior Advisor CEDRIC RICHMOND. On top of that, he also spoke jointly with DNC Chair JAIME HARRISON and House Speaker NANCY PELOSI . WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by CNN's KEVIN LIPTAK, MJ LEE and PHIL MATTINGLY about the optimistic spin within the White House about Tuesday's elections : "White House officials have begun pointing out their losses aren't likely to be nearly as bad as previous midterm wipeouts, including in 2010, and say the fact Democrats have a fighting chance at all is a positive sign for Biden." WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO READ: This WaPo opinion piece by JENNIFER RUBIN regarding Biden's potential 2024 reelection bid. "While Biden appears to be planning for a 2024 run, Trump's declining fortunes should prompt him to rethink a second term (which would begin when Biden is 81 years old)," Rubin writes. "Biden has suggested he thinks he would be the only Democrat certain to beat Trump if Trump is the nominee. That's questionable; just about any functioning Democrat could beat him. But if Trump isn't the nominee, then Biden certainly is not essential in a 2024 campaign, when he would have to defend his fitness and record." Rubin has/had been one of Klain's most cited columnists. SPEAKING OF 2024… Republicans and Democrats headed into Tuesday's midterm elections associated with 2024 presidential front runners who they dread will be their nominees — Biden and former President DONALD TRUMP, JONATHAN MARTIN reports for POLITICO Magazine. Party leaders aren't expressing their reservations publicly yet, but behind the scenes there has been talk of other options. Read Martin's full piece here , but this part also stood out: "DOUG EMHOFF, the Second Gentleman, has told Democrats the party must rally around Harris should Biden not run. Such talk, however, causes eye-rolling in the West Wing, where officials believe Harris is on stronger footing now than she was in her first year but remain skeptical about her viability in 2024." Then again, if Emhoff were not touting his wife's political future to fellow Democrats that could cause marital, in addition to political, fallout. RELATED READ: "Biden allies insist midterms won't influence re-election decision," NBC News' MIKE MEMOLI   NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS  – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID .     THE BUREAUCRATS FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: VICTORIA VINALL started on Monday as press secretary at the Council on Environmental Quality at the White House, DANIEL LIPPMAN has learned. She most recently was deputy press secretary at the Department of Energy and is a Biden campaign alum.   A message from Walmart:   What We're Reading Voters Cast Ballots as Inflation and Social Issues Weigh on Americans (WSJ's John McCormick) POLITICO's final Election Forecast: Senate up for grabs, GOP on brink of House majority (POLITICO's Steve Shepard) The World's Democracies Ask: Why Can't America Fix Itself? (NYT's Damien Cave)   DON'T MISS POLITICO'S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, "At a Crossroads: America's Defense Strategy" on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America's national security. REGISTER HERE .     What We're Watching There is an election today. The results are coming in tonight. What the hell are you watching? POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER The U.S. ratified the 26th amendment to the constitution on July 1, 1971, officially lowering the voting age to 18. The 50-year anniversary of its ratification was just last year, and in a statement from the White House , Biden attributed his early political success to young voters: "My first race for the Senate was one of the first elections in which 18-year-olds could vote, and the energy and passion of Delaware's young people helped propel me to an unlikely victory." A CALL OUT — Do you think 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 Walmart: "Lives are getting better because we are in business with Walmart." - Haith Johnson, CEO of Le'Host Hair & Wigs Small business owners, Haith & Henry Johnson, went through more challenges than most, but they never stopped giving back to their community. Walmart is committed to small businesses, like Le'Host. This is why the company is building on their initial $250 billion investment in products made, grown or assembled in America. Over the next ten years, Walmart is committing an additional $350 billion to U.S. manufacturing. This investment is estimated to support the creation of over 750,000 jobs, based on estimates from Boston Consulting Group. In 2021 alone, the company sourced over $13.3 billion in goods from roughly 2,600 diverse small businesses. Learn more about Walmart's commitment to products made, grown or assembled in America.     Follow us on Twitter Alex Thompson @AlexThomp Eli Stokols @EliStokols Allie Bice @alliebice   Follow us

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