| | | | |  | | By Lauren Egan, Eli Stokols and Ben Johansen | | | Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Eli | Email Lauren At the end of January, a reader passed us a tip that, while maybe not a Watergate-style scoop, was — quite literally — delicious in nature. Ike’s, the all-day cafe in the basement of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, "has the most disgusting food in the DMV with one exception — the omelets,” the informant told us. “They’re enormous (the calorie claim on the menu is bullshit), more flavorful than almost any omelet you’ll find at a trendy D.C. brunch restaurant (a little hot sauce still helps), and cooked to absolute perfection every single time,” the person continued. “There’s a zealous fan club of people… I can’t imagine a topic where you’ll find such passionate agreement among a bunch of assholes who love to argue.” Naturally, we had to chase this down. So, we worked our contacts to find a White House official willing to sneak us into Ike’s. And though this person agreed to do so under the condition of anonymity, we thank them for their dedication to our journalistic pursuits. On a rainy Wednesday morning last week, West Wing Playbook walked down the marbled halls of the EEOB to Ike’s Eatery. Visually, the place leaves a lot to be desired. The ornate Greek-style columns feel wildly mismatched with the fluorescent overhead lights, the bright yellow painted walls and the crusty mustard and ketchup dispensers on the counter. We could instantly see why those with access to the White House mess don’t come here often. But we shook off our initial reservations. And dear reader, we were glad we did. To get the full culinary experience, we ordered two different omelets: One veggie and the other, sausage and cheese.
|  | | Now, true omelet fans have very specific styles of cooking. So Ike’s offerings may not be the one for you. But regardless of the process, both were delicious. The cook first dunked a ladle into a big vat of pre-cracked eggs and spread the whisked yolk onto a piping hot griddle like a crepe. The veggies were plentiful — mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, a variety of bell peppers and onions — and perfectly sautéed. Each particular bite had some combination in it, creating the type of balance that can be elusive when the ingredients are all mushed into the middle. The sausage and cheese omelet was even more of a standout. The sausage was nothing fancy — it looked like any breakfast patty you might find in the frozen section of your local Safeway. But the cook diced it on the griddle into perfect bite-sized chunks, grilling the meat to a proper crisp before quickly folding in the egg layers. The result was a big pillowy, silky omelet with the perfect cheese-to-meat-to-egg ratio. Not overcooked, not too runny. The cheese was melted and gooey, but not overpowering. Although we had hot sauce on hand, it wasn’t needed. A true culinary masterpiece. For an office filled with people arriving early and craving a meal to power them through a long day, we could understand the allure. Honestly, we would not be surprised if there was the equivalent of 4 eggs in one omelet. This was a cholesterol bomb. But beyond that, the prep time was fitting for a fast-paced work culture. We estimated that it was a two-minute wait time. The prices are also just about the best you can find in D.C. Cheese and meat omelets cost a mere $4.62 and the veggie one is just $3.83 (no wonder these people downplay inflation). Now, at the risk of inducing early heart failure, we felt it was important to compare Ike’s omelets not just to each other, but to what else D.C. has to offer. According to Eater, Le Diplomate has one of the best omelets in the city. So we ventured over to the 14th Street spot to try its objectively much fancier Saunders Farm egg omelet with gruyère and herbs. But if we’re being completely honest with you, Ike’s was better. Actually, it was a lot better. Yes, the Le Dip omelet is served with a lovely side salad. There’s no plastic silverware anywhere in sight. The ambiance is fake Paris hard to beat. But the gruyère was too muted. The omelet needed salt. The eggs were too thin and runny — not nearly as fluffy as Ike’s. Take that, ROB FLAHERTY. “I’m going to regret giving you this tip if I have to stand in line for two hours for an omelette tomorrow morning,” our source messaged us on Monday, before adding that still wouldn’t deter them from waiting.
|  | MESSAGE US — Are you THE GRILL COOK AT IKE'S? We want to hear from you (and get you the James Beard award you so deserve). And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | | | Who was the only sitting U.S. president of her 70-year reign that QUEEN ELIZABETH II did not meet? (Answer at bottom.)
| | THE TL;DR ON THAT OSNOS PIECE: President JOE BIDEN “betrays no doubts” about his ability to secure a second term — a certainty shared by almost no one else in his party and based mostly on the fact that he beat DONALD TRUMP last time. “If you thought you were best positioned to beat someone who, if they won, would change the nature of America, what would you do?” Biden said. While that rationale is based mostly on 2020, top Biden adviser MIKE DONILON told The New Yorker’s EVAN OSNOS that he’s driven by 2004 and the JOHN KERRY campaign’s indecision about its primary message. Biden told Osnos “protecting democracy” was “the central cause of my presidency,” complaining that the press “has become numb” to Trump’s transgressions. That may be true to a degree. And, yes, the 2022 midterms showed that that can be a potent argument — but Trump was not on the ballot, making that electorate different from the one expected to turn out this November. Also, Evan, you mentioned that Biden privately has called Trump a “sick fuck” but you did not credit our JONATHAN LEMIRE and West Wing Playbook for that scoop. Not that we care about that type of stuff. We’re totally indifferent to it. Seriously, it’s so minor. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: The Osnos piece, duh! Seemingly everyone in Biden World posted the piece on X: BEN LABOLT, ANDREW BATES, JOHN HARWOOD… Besides that? This piece by NYT’s REBECCA DAVIS O’BRIEN and KATIE GLUECK about Biden “superfans” (quite the novel concept) who think the rest of America has “lost their mind.” These dedicated fans point to Biden’s personal traits, describing his devotion to his family, regular church attendance and “down-to-earth, workingman vibes” as commendable. They also, of course, think he deserves more credit for his first-term record. White House spokesperson IAN SAMS shared the piece on X: “Finally, some coverage of these voices." WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This Associated Press/NORC Center poll that found that a significant share of U.S. adults doubt the mental capabilities of Biden, with 63 percent responding they are “not very or not at all confident” in his ability to serve effectively. Although 57 percent of respondents felt similarly when asked the same question about Donald Trump, independents, at 80 percent, were much more likely to say they lack confidence in Biden’s mental capabilities. The survey comes as the president faced a flurry of rough polls over the weekend showing deep dissatisfaction with the incumbent. BU BU BU BENNY AND THE VEEP: Vice President KAMALA HARRIS on Monday hosted BENNY GANTZ, a member of Israel’s War Cabinet and chief political rival to BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, a day after calling for an “immediate cease-fire” in the Israel-Hamas war. During Gantz’s trip to Washington, he also plans to meet with Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN on Tuesday. Harris told reporters that her meeting was focused on how to lock in a temporary cease-fire and secure the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas, which has yet to sign off on the deal’s framework. Harris also denied that there is any daylight between her and the president on the matter, saying she and Biden have “been aligned and consistent from the very beginning.” CUBAN BACKS BIDEN: Dallas Mavericks owner MARK CUBAN voted for NIKKI HALEY in the Texas GOP primary but would back Biden over Trump in the general election, Bloomberg’s JOSH WINGROVE reports. Cuban, who visited the White House on Monday for a roundtable on drug prices led by National Economic Council chair LAEL BRAINARD and domestic policy adviser NEERA TANDEN, downplayed — sort of? — concerns about Biden’s age. “If they were having his last wake, and it was him versus Trump, and he was being given last rites, I would still vote for Joe Biden,” Cuban said. He also posed for photos in Lower Press, including with assistant press secretary and Mavs fan ROBYN PATTERSON. THEY SAID THIS DAY WOULD NEVER COME: The White House will no longer require the journalists traveling with the president or vice president to take Covid tests before joining the travel pool. White House Correspondents' Association president KELLY O’DONNELL shared the news with members after being briefed Monday and thanked all involved in making sure pool coverage could continue to safely accompany the president even amid the pandemic.
| | | | A message from American Chemistry Council – Chemistry Creates America Competes: President Biden: American chemistry is the backbone of innovation. It's time to address the regulatory overload stifling American chemistry. Chemistry powers our semiconductors, medical devices, and clean energy initiatives. But your administration’s avalanche of regulations is hampering America’s progress and competitiveness. American chemistry is more than an industry; it's our future. The Biden Administration must commit to smarter, growth-oriented regulations before it’s too late - because when chemistry is enabled to create, America competes. | | | | | OFF THE SCRIPT: On Monday, Vice President Harris made an unscheduled appearance at the International Association of Fire Fighters conference in Washington. IAFF, an influential firefighters and paramedics union, was an early backer of the Biden campaign in 2020 but has yet to endorse for 2024. ROUNDING OUT DIGITAL: The Biden campaign is filling out its digital team, making four key hires over the weekend, Wired’s MAKENA KELLY reports. RYAN THOMPSON will serve as chief mobilization officer after a role as the chief digital officer at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. — KATE CONWAY will join the campaign as its creative director, also coming from the DCCC, where she held the same role. — CAT STERN was named director of digital persuasion and was formerly vice president of paid media at the Democratic marketing firm Authentic. — CLARKE HUMPHREY will join the campaign as senior adviser for digital persuasion, coming from the White House as digital director for the administration’s COVID-19 response team.
| | FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: NATALIE MONTELONGO has left the White House, where she was a special assistant to the president and director of strategic outreach, our DANIEL LIPPMAN has learned. — MITCHEL HERCKIS is starting as global head of government affairs with cloud security company Wiz, Lippman has also learned. He most recently was branch director for federal cybersecurity in the Office of the Federal CIO at the Office of Management and Budget. MORE PERSONNEL MOVES: ARIEL S. GOLD is now director of IRS modernization for Inflation Reduction Act Implementation at the Department of the Treasury. She most recently was senior policy analyst in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Policy at the Transportation Department.
| | | | A message from American Chemistry Council – Chemistry Creates America Competes:   | | | | | NEW TASK FORCE ALERT: The White House is planning on unveiling a new federal task force aimed at easing health care costs, our JOSH SISCO, ADAM CANCRYN and MEGAN R. WILSON report. Officials from the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission and Department of Health and Human Services will make up the group, which will focus on drug pricing and health provider costs. The task force is expected to be announced as soon as Tuesday. A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE: The Department of Health and Human Services is gearing up to give a pay bump to early childhood educators, but as our MACKENZIE WILKES reports, that could threaten deep cuts to the amount of classroom seats available to students by thousands. The agency is going ahead with a proposal to increase the annual salaries of Head Start educators by more than $10,000 on average. The pay increase is aimed at paying Head Start educators the same as public elementary school teachers, but the move would mean cutting more than 110,000 slots for students over the next seven years. BIG WIN FOR PEOPLE WITH SHORT LEGS: On Monday, JetBlue Airways called off its proposed merger with Spirit Airlines, citing major legal and regulatory challenges, our ORIANA PAWLYK reports. It’s a decisive victory for the Biden administration, which has taken an aggressive stance against the merger after the Justice Department blocked the plan earlier this year.
| | | John Kerry heads for the exit (E&E News’ Sara Schonhardt) Other Presidents Have Retired in March of Their Reelection Year (Tim Naftali for The Atlantic) Is No Labels about to face plant? (POLITICO's Daniel Lippman and Shia Kapos)
| | | | A message from American Chemistry Council – Chemistry Creates America Competes: President Biden, as you approach this week’s State of the Union address, remember that America’s priorities depend on chemistry.
American chemistry is the foundation of semiconductors, medical devices, infrastructure, defense, clean energy and more. But there's a looming threat – ballooning regulatory overload.
Over the past two decades, regulations on chemical manufacturing have doubled. This isn't just numbers, it's a reality that hampers policies like the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Chips and Science Act.
Your administration’s current approach is a direct hit to America's innovation and global standing. We need to wake up to the reality that over-regulation stifles growth and production. It's time to promote smarter, growth-oriented regulations.
American chemistry isn't just an industry -- it's our nation’s future. When Chemistry Creates, America Competes. | | | | | LYNDON JOHNSON. The queen was too pregnant to travel to JOHN F. KENNEDY’s funeral in 1963 and Johnson was too ill to travel to London for WINSTON CHURCHILL’s funeral in 1965, both occasions when they would have met. Thanks to DAVID CHARTER for the question! His book, “Royal Audience,” a deep dive into the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and US presidents is out March 5! 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.
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