Mourning in America

Presented by Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids: The power players, latest policy developments, and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing.

Dec 19, 2023 View in browser   By Myah Ward, Lauren Egan and Benjamin Johansen Presented by Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from producer Raymond Rapada. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’ll be off next week for the holidays but back to our normal schedule on Tuesday, Jan. 2. We hope absence makes the heart grow fonder. President JOE BIDEN said goodbye today to the late Justice SANDRA DAY O’CONNOR in a speech that was a remembrance of a historic life but, at its core, an ode to an era of politics that no longer exists. “To her, the Supreme Court was the bedrock — the bedrock of America. It was the vital line of defense for the values and the vision of our republic. Devoted not to the pursuit of power for power’s sake but to make real the promise of America,” the president said at the service held in the Washington National Cathedral. The eulogy was one of many Biden has delivered during his presidency: at least eight in total at memorial services. He’s given so many that we first wrote about this phenomenon nearly two years ago. Part of it has to do, quite obviously, with age. While in office, Biden has watched several of his peers die and has attended many funerals where he hasn’t spoken. But eulogies have also become part of the president’s political salesmanship. He is not just paying tribute to these figures but evoking an image of governance he has tried to revitalize. He did it at HARRY REID’s service, when he spoke about the late Democratic senator’s loyalty. “He didn’t do what the modern-day rationale is: ‘When I told you I would do that, I didn’t realize that this would happen.’ No matter what happened, if he gave you his word, he kept it. You could bank on it.” And again, after the passing of Republican Sen. BOB DOLE: “Bob was a man who always did his duty, who lived by a code of honor.” He’s eulogized ASH CARTER, WALTER MONDALE, JOHN WARNER, RUTH ANN MINNER and MADELEINE ALBRIGHT, too. During Biden’s eulogy at O’Connor’s memorial, the political backdrop and transformation of the Supreme Court since her retirement was unmistakable. O’Connor was seen as the most powerful woman in the country during a crucial time in American law. Appointed by RONALD REAGAN, she was viewed as a centrist as she weighed in on decisions that shaped key issues like abortion, affirmative action, sex discrimination and voting rights. Under his presidency, Biden has watched the crumbling of many of the judicial pillars she helped erect. And he hasn’t been quiet about his feelings: “This is not a normal court,” Biden said immediately following the ruling to overturn affirmative action. He’s also called the court “extreme” and “out of control.” On Tuesday, the rhetoric may have been less charged, but the message reflected the same vein. “For America to thrive, Americans must see themselves not as enemies, but as partners in the great work of deciding our collective destiny,” Biden said. “That’s the essence of our national experience. The sacred cause of democracy she devoted her life to — one that we must continue.” Few, if any, presidents have been as closely associated with the concept of mourning as Biden. It is the mourning of a bygone era, the one he discussed Tuesday, that is central to much of his political appeal — the idea that something fundamental in our politics has been lost but can be refound. But it is the personal mourning — and matters of sadness and grief — that play a prominent role in his biography and persona. It is why he exhibits such a level of calm and comfort in speeches that others find impossible to deliver. On Monday, one day before Biden eulogized O’Connor, he visited the gravesite where his first wife and daughter are buried following their fatal accident 51 years ago. “I know the anniversaries and the birthdays, the moments big and small, will be hard without them,” Biden said Tuesday, “but as the saying goes, memory has the power to gather roses in winter.” MESSAGE US — Are you GIANNA JUAREZ, associate director for leadership development and appointee engagement? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!    A message from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: For decades, Big Tobacco has targeted Black communities and kids with menthol cigarettes. Smoking kills 45,000 Black Americans each year – the #1 cause of preventable death. Tobacco companies are lying about the impact of eliminating menthols so they can keep profiting off Black lives. President Biden, reject Big Tobacco’s lies and issue the menthol rule this year. Stand with Black doctors, nurses, civil rights groups, faith leaders and more. Delays cost lives. Learn More.   POTUS PUZZLER Which president was known for repeatedly pranking his Secret Service agents? (Answer at bottom.) The Oval IF YOU’RE GONNA COVER THE TURDS… On Tuesday, The New York Times and Siena College released a new poll that found former President DONALD TRUMP leading Biden among registered voters by two points — 46 percent to 44 percent. But among likely voters, Biden leads 47 percent to Trump’s 45 percent. None of these numbers were the lead of the NYT’s writeup of the survey, which was headlined: “Poll Finds Wide Disapproval of Biden on Gaza, and Little Room to Shift Gears.” Biden allies were quick to call out what they view as unfair coverage by a press corps that obsesses over the president’s negatives while glossing over the positives. In particular, White House and campaign aides grumbled that more attention should have been given to the poll’s finding that Biden leads among likely voters. Communications director BEN LABOLT shared the crosstab on X, adding that “the press corps is silent.” Democratic operative SIMON ROSENBERG also voiced his frustration at the Times: “Seriously, WTF guys? It’s clearly newsy, and could have easily been the lead.” WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This piece by NBC’s LUCAS THOMPSON about how the Biden administration has taken a step in advancing the American Climate corps initiative, unlocking funds Tuesday to launch the program. The administration expects the program — which aims to expose young people to clean energy sectors — to begin next summer. According to the White House, 50,000 young people have signed up for various listening sessions in the new year. Chief of staff JEFF ZIENTS and deputy communications director HERBIE ZISKEND shared the piece on X. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece by NPR’s ASMA KHALID about how a central component of the Biden administration’s plan to revitalize American manufacturing — the semiconductor industry — is facing a bump in the road. As Khalid reports, Biden rolled out the CHIPS and Science Act last year, pumping $52.7 billion into semiconductor plants. But currently, there are not enough people to fill the jobs at these plants. “As these big investments come, we need the people,” said one executive interviewed. “If we don't have the people, that's going to be a huge problem, that's the fear.” SHE LOVES TOURS: Vice President KAMALA HARRIS will launch a “nationwide reproductive freedoms tour” in the new year, her office announced Tuesday. The tour will start in Wisconsin on Jan. 22 to mark the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, with additional dates and locations to be announced later. THE BUREAUCRATS PERSONNEL MOVES: ELIZABETH LEWIS is now senior vice president for communications at the Export-Import Bank of the United States. She most recently was communications director for former mayor of Austin, Texas, STEVE ADLER, and is a BARACK OBAMA 2012 campaign alum. — BRAD BELZAK has also joined the Export-Import Bank as senior vice president and chief of staff. Belzak previously was director of homeland defense integration at the Department of Defense. — YUSUF NEKZAD is now legislative director for Rep. NIKKI BUDZINSKI (D-Ill.). He most recently was legislative affairs coordinator in the office of the under secretary for infrastructure at the Department of Energy. — VIRAJ PARIKH has left the vice president’s office, where he was detailed to advise on domestic economic policy. He previously worked for the Treasury Department. He plans to start his own consulting and advisory business called VP Ventures, LLC.   A message from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:   Agenda Setting A MASSIVE PLAY FOR VOTERS WHO LOVE GIANT SEQUOIAS: The Biden administration on Tuesday announced proposed policy changes to protect old-growth trees across the National Forest System and add new safeguards against logging. AP’s MATTHEW BROWN reports the move follows “longstanding calls from environmentalists to preserve older forests that offer crucial wildlife habitat and other environmental benefits” even as the timber industry fights against logging restrictions. “There’s wide consensus on the importance of preserving the oldest and largest trees — both symbolically as marvels of nature, and more practically because their trunks and branches store large amounts of carbon that can be released when forests burn, adding to climate change,” Brown writes. RACKING UP ON JUDGES: Biden announced the nomination of five individuals to federal district courts and one to the Court of Federal Claims, Bloomberg’s TIANA HEADLEY reports. The nominees would fill vacancies in Texas, Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah, and are intended to appeal to Senate Republicans, since they have backgrounds as judges, prosecutors and military service members. “These choices also continue to fulfill the President’s promise to ensure that the nation’s courts reflect the diversity that is one of our greatest assets as a country — both in terms of personal and professional backgrounds,” the White House said in a statement. FRIENDLY HOLIDAY REMINDER: The Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday released data on the loneliest cities in America for 2024. Coming in at the No. 1 spot? Our nation’s capital. Shocking, considering the incredible combination of self-loathing and egotism that the professional class combines here (Sam, top among them). According to the data, nearly half of all households in D.C. have only a single resident. But living in a one-bedroom does NOT make a person lonely … necessarily. We are extremely tight with our DoorDash delivery guys! To all our lonely Washingtonians, we hope you know that you’ve got a friend in West Wing Playbook. What We're Reading Why Biden’s campaign keeps linking Trump to Hitler (POLITICO’s Holly Otterbein, Elena Schneider and Jonathan Lemire) Courts Are Choosing TikTok Over Children (Tim Wu for The Atlantic) The nation’s capital, built on water, struggles to keep from drowning (WaPo’s Dana Priest and John Muyskens) The Oppo Book JOHN CHILTON MCAULIFF has his hands full as a senior policy adviser in the Office of Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. But he’s also the founder and owner of a bed-and-breakfast in Warrenton, Va., about an hour’s commute from the White House. But this is not your average mom and pop B&B. The Chilton House is a historic staple in Warrenton, dating back to the 19th century. McAuliff’s family has called it home for five generations, since 1891. Multiple notable families have been connected to the house, including WILLIAM RANDOLPH HEARST JR., who married AUSTINE CHILTON MCDONNELL in 1948. The Chilton House was restored by the family in 2017, and was rated the best of Fauquier County in hotel/lodging in 2020 and 2022 by Lifestyle Magazine. “I believe our authenticity and location separates us from other regional B&Bs,” McAuliff said in a 2018 interview. “We are not the most grand or expansive one in the area, but Chilton House was a home first, and a B&B second.” POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER CALVIN COOLIDGE. According to a 1929 Time magazine article, Coolidge would hit a bell that summoned the Secret Service — and then scurry away, leaving agents quite panicked about the president’s location. “Pleased, the President several times repeated his little prank,” Time writes. “Eventually the Secret Service detail discovered the source of the false alarms, put in another bell in a spot unknown to the President.” A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it! Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein.   A message from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids: For decades, Big Tobacco has targeted Black communities and kids with menthol cigarettes. Smoking kills 45,000 Black Americans each year – the #1 cause of preventable death. Tobacco companies are lying about the impact of eliminating menthols so they can keep profiting off Black lives. President Biden, reject Big Tobacco’s lies and issue the menthol rule this year. Stand with Black doctors, nurses, civil rights groups, faith leaders and more. Delays cost lives. Learn More.     Follow us on Twitter Lauren Egan @Lauren_V_Egan Myah Ward @MyahWard Ben Johansen @BenJohansen3   Follow us

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