Elisabeth Bumiller: Pooling For Dollars
Our very favoriteNYTreporter and misguided etiquette mistress of D.C. , Elisabeth Bumiller , files a pool report on White House staff changes, with lots of names and facts—many of which she got right.
The new White House counsel's name is spelled Harriet Miers, not Myers.
Elisabeth Bumiller
NYT
cell 202-XXX-XXXX
*****
Scott called to say that Karl Rove is not "in charge of" the 4 WH councils per my earlier pool report. Karl will coordinate policy among those councils.
Elisabeth Bumiller
NYT
cell 202-XXX-XXXX
Yow. Also: Karl Rove to take over world! Full report follows.—C.S.
ANDREWS TO DETROIT
Scott gaggled on the president's speech and a bunch of WH staff
changes/elevations. All this will be in the transcript, but here are
highlights, WH staff first: :
Karl Rove becomes deputy chief of staff in addition to retaining his
title
as senior adviser to the president. This is the deputy chief of staff
position previously held by Josh Bolten and Harriet Myers. Rove will
continue to oversee politics but also be in charge of the 4 WH
councils
-- the national security council, the national economic counsel, etc.
Joe Hagin remains as deputy chief of staff but in addition to his
administration and logistics duties expands his portfolio to include
intelligence, counter-terrorism and proliferation.
Sarah Taylor takes over Matt Schlapp's job in charge of the WH
political
office, but please check Scott's wording on that.
Kristen Silverberg, a deputy assistant to the president for domestic
policy, becomes deputy assistant to the president for policy.
Claire Buchan of the press office becomes chief of staff to the
Commerce
secretary. Claire's last day is Friday.
Dana Perino moves into Claire's job; she was previously at Justice
and
EPA.
On Harry Reid, the RNC and the White House: Scott dodged all
questions
on
whether the president supported the RNC's letter against Reid and
said
only
that the president wanted to work together and that they had a good
dinner
at the WH last night. The transcript goes on and on on this
subject but
Scott didn't budge.
On the speech in Detroit, the president will set forth these three
"pillars: '' 1. govt. must exercise spending restraint 2. he is
building
upon is pro-growth economic policies 3. he is modernizing important
institutions like social security
Scott also had comment commending leaders in Middle East on
cease-fire.
Nothing else out of the routine...president boarded A1 without
incident
and
on schedule in Washington, and same for Detroit, where he
disembarked in
cold, clammy Michigan weather. Hagin and Bartlett accompanying him.
We're
now lurching toward COBO Hall in the motorcade.
Elisabeth Bumiller
NYT
cell 202-XXX-XXXX