Quickie: Assessing the first 6 months

By GottaLaff

Today's Quickie:

Mark Knoller via Twitter: WH says Pres. Obama will be hosting a Cabinet and White House staff summit this weekend to assess Administration's first six months.

[Laffy Note: His approval ratings are gradually dropping].

That was today's Quickie. Will you still respect me in the morning?

Sarah Palin's prayer remark angers former staffers

By GottaLaff

The Praying Can'tis (original video/post here) is getting some mighty negative feedback. That's what happens when you diss your former (running mate's) staff who knocked their brains out for you, don'tcha know also too:

Some of Sarah Palin's former campaign aides are frustrated with the Alaska governor for remarking in a lengthy, freewheeling speech that she had refused to pray with them before last October's vice presidential debate. [...]

A handful of the McCain campaign staffers who traveled with the former vice presidential nominee nearly every day for two months caught wind of Palin's remarks on Thursday morning — and they aren't thrilled with her quip.

"We all talked this A.M.," said one former Palin aide in an e-mail. "This set off a nerve for sure with a lot of people."

What?! The Praying Can'tis abrasive? Insensitive? Tin-eared? Offensive? Reeee-dicklus!

Just kidding.

If only someone would speak candidly:

"It's yet another example of the few staff still loyal to Palin questioning their loyalty and ardent defense of her over the several months since the campaign," said the aide, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly about campaign colleagues.

Since election day, Palin has publicly griped about the way she was handled by the McCain team and pushed back against some of the campaign advisers who attacked her anonymously in the press.

But another former staffer said that in doing so, Palin is failing to distinguish between the strategists at McCain headquarters and the people who were at her side every day from late August through election day.

She's not too bright, is she? Not too aware. Not too wise. Everyone who already knew that, raise your hand. ... Wow! I can't see the sky any more! Hands down!

"It's about us people who were on the plane, who showed extreme loyalty to Palin, continually getting thrown under the bus or slapped in the face by her comments, whether she means it or not," the staffer said, adding that Palin's remarks "cause you to question not only your loyalty but her judgment as a leader."

Isn't that cute, how Praying Can'tis is digging herself into a hole all by herself with no help from anyone? Isn't she just precious? What a big girl is she!

The former aides said they place part of the blame for Palin's post-campaign candor on the governor's staff in Alaska. Several have reached out individually to offer advice or assistance to the governor, but "have gotten only pleasantries in response," said one aide.

And who hired that staff, if you don't mind my asking?

"Who is the one making the decision that she needs to be out there saying these things?," the second staffer asked. "Someone needs to be telling her, 'Listen, let's not talk the campaign any more.' We need to talk about what's relevant and thinking about her influence as a voice in the Republican Party."

"The people that she has, either working at her PAC or advisers in Alaska, aren't exactly making the best decisions for her," the staffer said.

Palin's office in Alaska did not respond to a request for comment.

Apparently the staff (that she hired) that make all those decisions (which she approves) didn't want her to get in more hot water with a comment (that she would okay).

BuzzFlash has a little something to add.

McCain and Obama Camps Coordinated Staff Rosters for Next Government

By GottaLaff

Steve Clemons has a scoop:

A senior Obama campaign official shared with The Washington Note and Huffington Post that in July 2008, the McCain and Obama camps began to work secretly behind the scenes to assemble large rosters of potential personnel for the administration that only one of the candidates would lead.

Lists comprised of Democrats and Republicans were assembled, sorted into areas of policy expertise, so that the roster could be called on after the election by either the Obama or McCain transition teams.

So, either they wanted the appearance of cooperation (or at least a leak indicating as much), or they were actually planning to reach out to the other side, per Clemons. Either way, that was some tightly held info.

I guess as of last summer, Gramm-pa forced himself to look "That One" in the eye at least once, and address him directly. Now that's cooperation.

Plouffe Will Not Join Administration

By GottaLaff

Poof goes Plouffe!

According to The Fix, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe "dismissed the talk of a move from staffer to politician" -- insisting he is not thinking of seeking Vice President-elect Joe Biden's soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat.

In addition, Plouffe "said he has 'no set plans yet' but that he will not be going into the White House -- choosing rather to help the president-elect from the outside in 'any way I can.'"

He did a great job. I hope he continues to have an active role in some way, somehow.

Obama's Vice Presidential Pick Is Already Staffed

By GottaLaff

Barack Obama is living by the Boy Scout motto: Be prepared.

[David]Wade, a longtime aide to Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), was hired last month to be the traveling press secretary for the eventual vice presidential running mate. [Chris] Mather, who most recently served as political director of the labor union coalition Change to Win, will assume the same position for the spouse of Obama's mysterious No. 2. (Mather, it should be noted, is also president of Steak Club, which boasts a roster of nerdy Washington insiders.)

Wade and Mather and others were hired by Patti Solis Doyle, who was ousted as campaign manager of Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign and later joined the Obama team to head up the presumptive nominee's vice presidential effort. Others who have been hired to work for the as-yet unnamed Democratic running mate include:

- Ricki Seidman, a battle-tested veteran who ran Bill Clinton's 1992 War Room and worked in the Clinton White House; She'll be the communications director for the veep pick.

- Kathleen McGlynn, who was chief of staff to former senator John Edwards (D-N.C.) during his 2008 presidential run; She will be the No. 2's deputy chief of staff. (McGlynn's father is mayor of Medford, Mass.)

- Leslie Miller, who was the Obama campaign's spokeswoman in New Hampshire; She'll be communications director for the vice presidential nominee's spouse.

Now all they need is a boss.

Their hiring - before Obama has even chosen his running mate - underscores the Obama campaign's highly disciplined, tightly controlled approach to message. (And this way, the Obama campaign hopes to stave off the kind of tension that developed between the Kerry and Edwards staffs in 2004, when Edwards brought most of his key aides with him to the campaign.)

And it sounds as if the Mystery No. 2's staff-in-waiting really has no clue yet who they'll be working for. [...]

Wade tells the Sleuth this cart-before-the-horse arrangement really isn't as weird as it may seem. "For eight years we've had a vice president who stayed in undisclosed locations. Trust me, it's already change we can believe in -- it's just the next vice president's identity that's undisclosed."

Snicker. I love ending on a joke.

Crossing over: Hillary supporters join Obama team

By GottaLaff

Sunday's New York Times has an encouraging story about Hillary's former staff members' migration to the Obama campaign. For all the talk of rancor and bitterness on the Television Machine, you'd think they all hate each other, wouldn't you? Wrong. They realize they're all fighting for the same thing.

Here are a few excerpts:

• “The mementos stay at home,” said Mr. Baker, now the Ohio communications director for Mr. Obama. “I am on board with Senator Obama’s campaign, and I am proud to be working here.”
• “It’s never easy to lose, especially when you poured so much of your time and effort into a campaign like that,” Mr. Baker said, speaking from his office in the Obama campaign’s state headquarters in Columbus, a big bullpen of a room in a converted basement gymnasium. “But once we had a nominee, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to go work for Barack Obama, because the issues at stake in this election are too big.”
• “I don’t feel disloyalty to Hillary by doing this,” [Patti Solis Doyle] said in a telephone interview. “The best way to fight for what Hillary wants and what I want for my children is to work tirelessly for Barack Obama.”
• “Especially if you’re young, this is your first presidential, and you’re reading stories about supposed lists and the godfather rigmarole about the price of disloyalty in this business, you’re going to wonder if that will affect you,” Mr. Reines said. “And my answer is always, ‘Of course it’s O.K. to work for him. It’s more than O.K. She wants him to win and wants everyone to help.’ ”
• Jonathan Swain, who was Mrs. Clinton’s communications director in Indiana and is now doing the same job for the Obama campaign, said that “especially during the primary here, it was about making the case for her as a candidate. It was never, in my mind, about being against Barack Obama.”
• Sarah Hurwitz, Mrs. Clinton’s chief speechwriter, said she had received an e-mail message from Mr. Obama’s head speechwriter two hours after Mrs. Clinton’s concession, complimenting her on a good speech and adding, “I’m going to call you.” “It was clear he wanted to get the ball rolling as soon as possible, but he also knew he should give me a few days,” she said. When he called her three days later, it was to ask if she would consider joining his writing shop. She is now a senior speechwriter for the Obama campaign. “Senator Obama called me himself just to welcome me,” she said.
• “It’s a gradual process,” she said. “We’re all Democrats at heart.”

Take that, talking heads.

Obama hires Hillary's director of women's outreach

By GottaLaff

Barack Obama does a lot of things right. (J Sid on the other hand...)

The Obama campaign is taking on three more Clinton staffers…..the latest hires are Sara Hurwitz, from the Clinton speechwriting shop….Isaac Baker, communications chief for Clinton in Ohio, who will handle similar duties for Obama in the general election contest….and a very strategic hire to smooth over relationships with angry die hard Clinton female supporters……Dana Singiser…director of womens outreach for Clinton, who will work on womens outreach for Obama.

This crew is in addition to previous hiring of Patti Solis Doyle, Clinton’s former campaign manager who was jettisoned during the primary who will be chief of staff for Obama’s running mate and Clinton policy chief Neera Tanden, who is advising Obama.

Smoothing things over wouldn't be a bad idea right about now.

Obama hires former Clinton and Kennedy advisors

By GottaLaff

Copy and paste time:

As Obama, Clinton wrap up unity event, Obama campaign announces hiring of Clinton policy director

WASHINGTON--The Obama campaign just reached into the Clinton and Ted Kennedy camps for two top staffing positions...Neera Tanden was Policy Director for the Hillary Clinton campaign.....Melody Barnes was chief counsel to Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary committee...Tanden becomes Obama domestic policy advisor, putting her in a perch to advance a Clinton style universal health care plan over the Obama proposal...Barnes becomes a senior policy advisor....Heather Higginbottom, with the Obama campaign from the start remains the policy director.....

Again, sorry for the copy/pastes and lighter posting. Every time I try to type, I make a million errors... dilated eyes until about 4 PDT.

Top Clinton aide joins Obama team

By GottaLaff

(photo credit)

Unity?

Former Clinton campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle will join Sen. Barack Obama's campaign "as the chief of staff to the vice presidential candidate -- whoever he (or she) will be," according to the New York Times.

"Ms. Doyle will take the position before Mr. Obama announces his choice for a running-mate -- he has not said when that will be. Mrs. Clinton and Ms. Doyle have a long friendship, and Ms. Doyle has long been one of her closest aides, until she was forced out.

Now the talking heads will be all newly a-buzz about a possible veep slot for Hillary:

Ben Smith: "Though this will stir speculation that she's paving the way for Hillary, but it actually makes me think the opposite. Clinton fired her in February ,and many of her backers view Solis Doyle as a bit of a traitor for having signaled that she'd move to Obama before the primary was over."

Time has a list of other Obama staff appointments made today.

Why, here's the list now! (See how I take care of you, saving you all that hard work of having to click on a link?)

Constituency Director: Brian Bond – formerly LGBT Outreach Director at the DNC
National Field Director: Jon Carson – formerly Obama for America Voter Contact Director
Senior Advisor to the Campaign and Chief of Staff to Michelle Obama: Stephanie Cutter
[UPDATE: Cutter is a longtime top aide to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and served as communications director to Sen. John Kerry during his 2004 presidential campaign. She also has worked as a staffer and consultant to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.).

Cutter's new Obama role underscores a growing concern within the campaign and among outside allies that Michelle Obama is becoming a lightening rod for the opposition.]
Industrial States Regional Director: Paul Diogardi – formerly Political Director for the Democratic Governor’s Association.
Battleground States Director: Jen O’Malley Dillon – formerly Iowa State Director for John Edwards for President
Chief of Staff to the Vice Presidential Nominee: Patti Solis Doyle
Latino Vote Director: Temo Figueroa – formerly Obama for America National Field Director
First Americans Vote Director: Wizipan Garriott
Northeast Regtional Director: Eureka Gilkey – formerly Obama for America Deputy Political Director
50-State Voter Registration Director: Jason Green – formerly Obama for America political and field staff
Campaign Chief of Staff: Jim Messina – formerly Chief of Staff to Senator Max Baucus
LGBT Vote Director: Dave Noble – formerly of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
West Regional Director: Matt Rodriguez –formerly Obama for America New Hampshire State Director
Senior Advisor: Michael Strautmanis
African American Vote Director: Rick Wade

Personally, I like seeing him reach out to the gay community as much as possible. I'm not sure if he's doing more than most have, but from what I've posted about in the past, at least he's making an effort.