Pod share your fears

Presented by American Clean Power: The power players, latest policy developments, and intriguing whispers percolating inside the West Wing.

Feb 23, 2024 View in browser   By Lauren Egan, Eli Stokols and Adam Cancryn Presented by American Clean Power 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 Tension between the Obama and Biden teams has been simmering since the start of JOE BIDEN’s presidency. Aides to both presidents have been defensive of their respective bosses’ legacies, especially as each is compared against the other. And although the two men are friends, the private competition they’ve felt has been well-documented in books about their presidencies. But in the past few weeks, that friction has spilled out more publicly — and no, it’s not just coming from DAVID AXELROD this time. The crew of Obama alums at “Pod Save America” has been hitting Biden and his advisers in recent social media posts and on their popular political podcast. They’ve been especially critical of the strategy to address voter concern around the president’s age, which for the last few months has largely centered around bashing the media. “Angrily dismissing the concern will not make the concern go away,” former Obama speechwriter JON LOVETT said in a podcast discussion of Biden’s age following special counsel ROBERT HUR’s report. In the same episode, the hosts talked about how Biden “sounds frail” and “shuffles more because of the arthritis in his back.” In a recent X thread about EZRA KLEIN’s New York Times essay arguing that Biden should not run again, JON FAVREAU, another former speechwriter for President BARACK OBAMA, said Biden needed to “take concerns about his age seriously, acknowledge that fears about his performance aren’t media creations or Democratic bedwetting, and focus single-mindedly on crisp, strong, energetic appearances.” Lovett has expressed similar concerns. Although Biden often takes informal questions from reporters, he’s only participated in one interview with a print reporter since taking office — a dearth of public appearances that, he argued, worsened the problem. “If you don’t view Biden being out there more as a net-positive, then the argument that he shouldn’t be running is right,” Lovett said on his podcast. The criticisms haven’t just been centered on Biden’s age. Former Obama spokesperson TOMMY VIETOR has made clear that he thinks Biden also is mishandling the Israel-Hamas conflict. “I’ve thought [the hug Bibi] approach was a mistake from the beginning,” he said in a recent podcast episode. The critiques from the Obama alums are — quite obviously — shared by a wide swath of Democrats. And the alums themselves have made clear that they support Biden, are skeptical of efforts to replace him as the nominee and view DONALD TRUMP as an existential threat. They’ve also touted Biden’s policy successes on social media and have amplified counter-arguments to Klein’s piece, such as this MSNBC op-ed by former Obama communications director JENNIFER PALMIERI. Still, the commentary hasn’t always landed well with some Democrats close to the White House who view the back-seat driving as unhelpful and a self-serving attempt to appeal to a younger, more liberal podcast audience. And they’ve said it’s a part of a pattern of what they see as petty, bordering on belittling, behavior some members of the Obama team displayed toward Biden dating back to when he was vice president. “It’s just a continuation of what we saw during the Obama administration,” a Democrat close to the Biden team told West Wing Playbook. “But what’s interesting is that a number of the players in Biden’s White House were Obama people. … When they criticize the strategy, it’s like, OK? But those are your people.” Favreau told West Wing Playbook that his message is more aimed at the “very activist Democrats than it is to the Biden White House or the Biden campaign because I know those people and they’re really smart and I know they have a plan for this.” “I offer advice when it’s constructive and I try to avoid just shitting on people,” he said. Other Democrats close to the Biden operation have downplayed the comments. Many members of the party, they say, recognize that Biden’s age is an issue that matters to voters, including the White House. While media pushback will always be part of the equation, there’s been some signs that the Biden team is adjusting their strategy by working in more visits to local restaurants and small businesses where the president can interact with voters in an unscripted and casual setting. “I don’t think I’ve talked to any Democrat — inside Biden world or outside Biden world — who thinks that the age thing isn’t a problem,” said a Democratic strategist. “There’s a lot of competing views on the best way to counter it.” MESSAGE US — Are you BARACK OBAMA? 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 American Clean Power: America Can’t Afford a False Start on Green Hydrogen: Green hydrogen is key to winning the race for clean and secure energy. The Biden Administration must provide greater flexibility for the first wave of new, green hydrogen facilities or the U.S. will be left in the starting blocks. Learn more.     POTUS PUZZLER Who was the only president for whom English was his second language? (Answer at bottom.) Photo of the Week President Joe Biden takes a selfie as he visits CJ's Cafe in Los Angeles on Feb. 21, 2024. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP The Oval A STRONGLY WORDED LETTER. BUT ACTUALLY: After President Biden finished his prepared remarks to governors Friday and the press pool was escorted out of the East Room, he took two planned questions from the chairs of the National Governors Association. Then, according to two people in the room, he opened it up for others. After an awkward 30-seconds of silence, Gov. GREG GIANFORTE of Montana stood up and said he wanted to deliver a letter from several fellow Republican governors asking for stronger border security. Biden, the people said, walked over to Gianforte, accepted the manila envelope containing the letter and started to read it. He quickly responded to Gianforte that the concerns outlined in the letter were exactly why it was so important that House Republicans reconsider the border security compromise legislation that stalled in the Senate after Speaker MIKE JOHNSON vowed that he wouldn’t bring it to the floor. Biden, we’re told, also stuck around for about 20 minutes after the session ended to pose for photos and chat with a number of governors. GOVERNORS GALORE: All the governors were invited to a breakfast Friday with White House officials, including TOM PEREZ, JOHN PODESTA, GENE SPERLING, NEERA TANDEN, LAEL BRAINARD, and Cabinet secretaries MARCIA FUDGE, XAVIER BECERRA and ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS. Chief of staff JEFF ZIENTS, who also attended, met privately in his West Wing office with at least a half dozen Democratic governors, including GAVIN NEWSOM of California, JB PRITZKER of Illinois, PHIL MURPHY of New Jersey, JARED POLIS of Colorado, KATHY HOCHUL of New York and NED LAMONT of Connecticut. GIORGIA ON MY MIND: Italian Prime Minister GIORGIA MELONI will meet with Biden at the White House next Friday, press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE announced Friday. TMI, GUYS: The Daily Mail headline on its excerpt of KATIE ROGERS’ new book — so we’re all getting them, huh? — is exactly what you’d expect from the website. But given all the coverage of the president’s age, his campaign probably appreciates that people will see this in big bold type: “Biden, 81, says the key to his marriage is 'good sex': How Joe infuriates Jill, his wife of 47 years, with VERY risqué joke to staff about their private life (even though they aren't shy about PDA).” Dear White House press, there is no need for follow up questions. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO WATCH: Any clip of Biden putting House Republicans on blast for going home without taking action to move Ukraine aid to his desk. That subject was the focus of the president’s remarks to the nation’s governors at the White House Friday morning. “Russia is taking Ukraine territory for the first time in many months but here in America, the Speaker gave the House a two-week vacation,” Biden said. “They have to come back. They have to get this done.” White House communications director BEN LABOLT, deputy press secretary ANDREW BATES and countless others tweeted out the clip. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This exclusive by our MYAH WARD about a letter roughly 150 progressive groups delivered Friday to Biden urging him not to move forward with executive actions aimed at curbing migration at the southern border. The signees wrote that the policies being considered, including an asylum ban between U.S. ports of entry, “emulate” the approach taken by President DONALD TRUMP. “This tired approach failed under the past administration, will fail and cause great harm again, and will tarnish your administration irreparably,” the groups said in the letter organized by the National Immigrant Justice Center and Human Rights First.   A message from American Clean Power:   THE BUREAUCRATS THE NEXT GABE AMO HAS ARRIVED: Another Biden administration alum is running for office. NICK SIMMONS, a senior adviser to Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA who departed last year to serve as Connecticut Gov. NED LAMONT’s deputy chief of staff, will seek a swingy state Senate seat representing his hometown of Stamford. That’s where his big sister, CAROLINE SIMMONS, also happens to be the mayor (you may recall her 2021 race against former Mets skipper BOBBY VALENTINE). Smith’s announcement got pretty extensive coverage from Greenwich Time’s ANDY BLYE. A POSSIBLE SHUFFLE AT TREASURY: CFTC Commissioner KRISTIN JOHNSON has emerged as a contender to join the Treasury Department in a role focused on banking and insurance, our DANIEL LIPPMAN and DECLAN HARTY scooped for Pros. Fellow CFTC Commissioner CHRISTY GOLDSMITH ROMERO and OMB official JULIE SIEGEL have also been under consideration for the role, assistant secretary for financial institutions, POLITICO reported in December. PERSONNEL MOVES: MITCHELL SCOTT ROSENBERG is now chief of staff of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Lippman has learned. He most recently was special adviser and personal aide to the second gentleman. — LESLEY WARNER is now deputy assistant to the administrator of USAID’s newly-established Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance, Lippman also has learned. She most recently was senior policy adviser at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. FILIP JOTEVSKI has been promoted to be special adviser and assistant in the DRG bureau. He most recently was special assistant in the Europe and Eurasia Bureau. —  RADHA ADHAR, special assistant to the president and Senate legislative affairs liaison, is leaving the White House for a position at the Bezos Earth Fund as a federal policy and community engagement strategist. YOU STAY CLASSY: We’ve teased him a bit in this newsletter, but wanted to acknowledge our pal PHIL MATTINGLY, who along with co-anchor POPPY HARLOW signed off for the last time Friday morning as the current iteration of “CNN This Morning” wrapped up its final broadcast. Both anchors used the moment to recognize the dozens of crew members who work on the show behind the scenes. It made clear what a lot of folks around the White House know: Phil, aside from his immaculate jaw line and unfortunate Ohio State fandom, is one of the classiest people in our profession. Agenda Setting A SHOT ACROSS THE BIBI: Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN on Friday declared that Israel's expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank is inconsistent with international law. During a news conference in Buenos Aires, Blinken said he was "disappointed" by reports that Israel planned to build new housing in the territory. “Our administration maintains a firm opposition to settlement expansion. And in our judgment this only weakens — it doesn’t strengthen — Israel’s security,” he said. The comments marked an official reversal of U.S. policy set during the Trump years. Blinken described it as a return to what he called a “longstanding” American policy under Republican and Democratic administrations viewing settlements as “counterproductive” to the prospects for peace. A BIG, ROUND NUMBER: President Biden on Friday followed through on his promise to drop a new package of economic sanctions on Russia – more than 500 of them, to be precise. As our JONATHAN LEMIRE and MATT BERG report, most of the sanctions were prepared to mark the second anniversary Saturday of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A few, however, were added this week to target those involved in the recent death of Russian opposition leader ALEXEI NAVALNY at an Arctic penal colony. In a statement announcing the package, Biden framed the latest tranche of penalties as a response to Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN’s “death and destruction,” asserting that if he does not pay a price “he will keep going. And the costs to the United States — along with our NATO Allies and partners in Europe and around the world — will rise.” What We're Reading Biden impeachment effort on the brink of collapse (POLITICO’s Jordain Carney) The U.S. military depends on a unique aircraft called the Osprey. Why are so many of them crashing? (NBC’s Laura Stricker and Courtney Kube) The Americans Who Need Chaos (The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson) New Records Show Supreme Court's Sonia Sotomayor Took Unusual Step Of Traveling With A Medic (HuffPo’s Molly Redden) POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER MARTIN VAN BUREN was the first president born an American citizen — and he also was the only president for whom English was a second language. His first language was Dutch. Thanks to reader ADAM LEVINE for submitting this question! 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 American Clean Power: America Can’t Afford a False Start on Green Hydrogen: Green hydrogen is key to winning the race for clean and secure energy. The path toward a clean energy economy is to electrify everything we can while eliminating emissions from electricity production. However, there are key parts of the economy like steel and cement production that can only be decarbonized with clean hydrogen. To encourage U.S. companies to commit resources to the nascent American green hydrogen industry, the federal government is considering tax credits for early entrants. Unfortunately, by applying the most stringent time-matching rules right out of the gate, the Biden Administration is setting up America’s green hydrogen industry to fail.  To realize green hydrogen’s environmental and job-creating economic promise, the Biden Administration should provide greater flexibility for the first wave of new, green hydrogen facilities or the U.S. will be left in the starting blocks. Learn more.     Follow us on Twitter Eli Stokols @EliStokols Lauren Egan @Lauren_V_Egan Ben Johansen @BenJohansen3   Follow us

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