MERRY CHRISTMAS! Wherever you are, we hope you’re with family and loved ones, getting rested for the year ahead. Daniel is with his family in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Jake is in Paris, with Irene -- a birthday girl today. And Anna is in D.C., heading to Martinique with friends Monday morning. We’ll get right to it so you can go back to opening up presents if you’re celebrating Christmas.
PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP AND MELANIA TRUMP, the next first lady, went to church last night at The Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, where they got married in 2005, per pooler Peter Nicholas of the WSJ.
PETER’S POOL REPORT, which landed in our inbox at 12:52 a.m.: “Sources inside the church tell us that Mr. Trump and his wife took communion. About midway through the service, Rev. James Harlan, the church rector, gave a sermon which included this message: ‘All of us have some hurts, some resentments, some fears, some ways that someone has hurt us or offended us in the past that we won’t let go of. We kind of actually like it. I have those … We won’t let go of those things and I can tell you over time those little hurts, those little slights, those little things, consume us and they will push out that space for God’s love all too easily.’”
CLICKER -- “10 things we love about the holiday season in the Washington area,” by The Washington Post staff: “The ‘Season’s Greenings’ exhibition at the U.S. Botanic Garden … ZooLights … Rodman’s … ice skating at the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden … caroling at a senior center … Feast of the Seven Fishes … Garden of Lights at Brookside Gardens … Chinese food … cozy bars … falafel frenzy.” http://wapo.st/2he5C6i
BREAKING OVERNIGHT -- A.P. at 4:38 a.m. -- “Russian plane with 92 aboard crashes into the Black Sea,” by Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow: “A Russian plane headed to an air base in Syria with 92 people aboard, including members of the world-famous Russian army choir, crashed into the Black Sea on Sunday minutes after taking off from the city of Sochi, Russia’s Defense Ministry said. There appeared to be no survivors. ... By Sunday afternoon, rescue teams had already recovered several bodies from the site of the crash of the Tu-154, which belonged to the Defense Ministry and was taking the Alexandrov Ensemble to a New Year’s concert at the Hemeimeem air base in Syria's coastal province of Latakia. Ships, helicopters, drones and divers searched the area for more victims. A total of 84 passengers and eight crew members were on the plane when it disappeared from radars two minutes after taking off in good weather. Emergency crews found fragments about 1.5 kilometers (less than one mile) from shore. There was no immediate word on the cause.
“Viktor Ozerov, head of the defense affairs committee at the upper house of Russian parliament, said the crash could have been caused by a technical malfunction or a crew error, but he believes it could not have been terrorism because the plane was operated by the military. ‘I totally exclude’ the idea of an attack bringing down the plane, he said in remarks carried by state RIA Novosti news agency.” http://apne.ws/2itspMp
HEADING FOR THE EXITS -- “Jason Miller backs out of Trump White House job,” by Alex Isenstadt: “Jason Miller, who was tapped [on Thursday] to be White House communications director, announced Saturday that he will not join Donald Trump’s administration. In a statement to POLITICO, Miller said the decision to back out of the job stemmed from a need to spend more time with his family. He noted that he and his wife are expecting their second child next month. ‘After spending this past week with my family, the most amount of time I have been able to spend with them since March 2015, it is clear they need to be my top priority right now and this is not the right time to start a new job as demanding as White House communications director,’ Miller said. ‘My wife and I are also excited about the arrival of our second daughter in January, and I need to put them in front of my career.’ … Sean Spicer, who was named to be White House press secretary earlier this week, will take over Miller’s responsibilities as communications director.” http://politi.co/2hkzdhH
-- Asked by Playbook yesterday if he plans to go back to his old firm Jamestown Associates after the transition, Miller replied: “Technically I never left. Still own part of the firm. Not sure what’s next.”
-- JUST SAYING: This makes Sean Spicer an even more powerful figure in the communications operation.
THE MOST IMPORTANT STORY OF THE DAY -- “Denying Conflict, Trump Family Tries to Resolve Potential Problems,” by NYT’s Eric Lipton and Maggie Haberman: “Realizing that his presidency could face potentially crippling questions over conflicts of interest, Donald J. Trump and his family are rushing to resolve potential controversies — like shuttering foundations and terminating development deals — even as the president-elect publicly maintains that no legal conflicts exist. … The list of actions contemplated — with some already executed — is long, but the planned dissolution of the Donald J. Trump Foundation might be the most resonant, given the enormous controversies surrounding the nonprofit, which is under investigation by the New York attorney general. The Trumps must work out the terms of the foundation’s closing. A spokeswoman for the New York attorney general’s office said Saturday that any move to close the foundation required state approval, given the investigation into how it spends its money and courts donations, and the state’s order that it stop fund-raising. ‘The Trump Foundation is still under investigation by this office and cannot legally dissolve until that investigation is complete,’ Amy Spitalnick, the press secretary, said. ...
“Ivanka Trump is looking at donating proceeds from a soon-to-be-published book, ‘Women Who Work: Rewriting the Rules for Success,’ to charity. A labor dispute with hundreds of workers at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas … was suddenly settled on Wednesday, with the hotel agreeing to provide pensions, health insurance, annual wage increases and other benefits that it previously refused to offer. Another agreement with employees at the just-opened Trump International Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington will allow them to organize a union. The Trump Organization has shelved a planned 15-foot-tall sea wall at its oceanfront golf course in Ireland after the proposal provoked angry protests from environmentalists both in Ireland and in the United States. Eric Trump said he no longer intended to participate in any meetings — business or policy-focused — organized by his father, as the president-elect prepared to move to the White House, and would not interact with him or anyone in his administration on government matters once he was in office.” http://nyti.ms/2he35cw … Leave the blue plastic bag outside -- here’s the A1 PDF, with Maggie and Eric’s story on the upper left-hand side http://nyti.ms/2i73YIm
TRUMP’S CABINET -- “Trump’s pick for attorney general is shadowed by race and history,” by WaPo’s Ellen Nakashima and Sari Horwitz: “After coming of age in the Deep South during the darkest days of the civil rights movement, Sessions has struggled to reconcile the racial politics of his region with the changing national discourse that lifted long-standing legal barriers for minorities. Sessions’ long record in public life reveals a man who has hired African Americans for senior positions who speak highly of him, but who has been sharply criticized by civil rights groups for his positions on voting rights, same-sex marriage and gender equality. …
“In 1986, for instance, when he testified before Congress, he called the Voting Rights Act ‘intrusive’ but ‘necessary.’ Then in 2006, as a U.S. senator, he voted to renew the Voting Rights Act for 25 years. But seven years later, he said it was ‘good news ... for the South’ when the Supreme Court struck down a key provision of the law, which made it more difficult for the federal government to protect people from racial discrimination in voting. In Sessions, Trump found a man who holds deeply conservative views. He positions himself as a champion of the working class and expounds the same populist message that has come to dominate the Republican Party: a belief that the world is divided between working people and elitist ‘masters of the universe,’ and that illegal immigration poses an existential threat to the country.” http://wapo.st/2hkwaGg
-- WORTH NOTING: Trump’s team is fully aware of Sessions’ history with race relations and decided to nominate him anyway. Allies of the Alabama Republican have launched a full-on campaign to try and tamp down any potential landmines during his confirmation battle.
BEHIND THE SCENES -- “A Frantic Path to U.N. Vote on Israeli Settlements: Israeli officials became convinced Obama might take action after Trump’s election; Palestinians believed new administration would never endorse a vote critical of Israel,” by WSJ’s Jay Solomon, Carol Lee and Farnaz Fassihi: “Israeli officials said they were spooked by a Dec. 4 speech Secretary of State John Kerry gave in Washington in which he sharply criticized Mr. Netanyahu’s settlement policy. Mr. Kerry then held meetings with the Palestinians’ lead negotiator, Saeb Erekat, on Dec. 12 at the State Department to discuss the peace process. A senior Israeli official said its government got wind that Mr. Kerry conveyed to the Palestinian diplomat at that meeting that the U.S. was likely to abstain on the U.N. resolution. ‘Kerry was colluding with the Palestinians to put the resolution in motion,’ said the Israeli official. Obama administration officials denied ‘previewing’ the U.S. vote to anyone. …
“The Egyptians, partnering with the Palestinians, began circulating an early draft of the resolution earlier this week. The Egyptian draft was ‘put in blue’—U. N. terminology for formally submitted for a vote—on Wednesday evening. Mr. Obama convened a late-night phone call with senior members of his national security team, including Vice President Joe Biden, Mr. Kerry and Samantha Power, the U.S. ambassador at the U.N. The message was clear: The president was open to abstaining on the U.N. vote. But he still wanted confirmation of any changes to a final text.
“Word of a U.S. abstention created panic in Israel. Mr. Netanyahu held emergency meetings among his senior aides. He talked with Mr. Kerry on Thursday morning. Israeli officials said they warned the U.S. that they would seek Mr. Trump’s support in blocking the resolution if the Obama administration didn’t act. When no guarantee was offered, the Israelis began reaching out to senior leaders in the Trump transition team. Among those involved were Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his top political strategist, Stephen Bannon, according to people briefed on the exchanges.” http://on.wsj.com/2irezy6
-- @tedcruz: “Spoke w/ Israeli PM @netanyahu tonight to wish him Happy Chanukah & assure him of strong support in Congress. No US $ for UN until reversed.” ... NOTE: Cruz’s position is pretty close to where most members of Congress are.
-- “Israel summons ambassadors for rebuke over UN vote on settlements: Netanyahu accuses Obama of ‘disgraceful’ behaviour over resolution on settlements,” by FT’s John Reed in Jerusalem: “Israel on Sunday summoned ambassadors of countries that belong to the U.N. Security Council for a Christmas Day reprimand for their support of a resolution condemning Israel’s illegal settlements on Palestinian lands. The UK was among the countries which saw its diplomats called into Israel’s ministry of foreign affairs on Sunday. David Quarrey, Britain’s ambassador to Israel, told the Financial Times. While Mr Quarrey was in the UK; British diplomat Tony Kay was summoned in his place. ...
“The Israeli leader vowed to work with incoming US President Donald Trump and members of Congress to fight ‘all-out war against this resolution’, in his sharpest public attack ever on Mr Obama. ‘The resolution that was passed at the UN yesterday is part of the swan song of the old world that is biased against Israel but, my friends, we are entering a new era,’ Mr Netanyahu said at a Hanukkah candle-lighting ceremony. ‘And just as President-elect Trump said [Friday], it will happen much sooner than you think.’” http://on.ft.com/2i55wAd
--@peterbakernyt: “Netanyahu government summons US @AmbShapiro to explain abstention over UN resolution criticizing Israel, @BarakRavid reports.”
MAUREEN DOWD goes long on ANDRE LEON TALLEY, in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, “Monsieur Vogue Is Leaving Trumpland”: “André Leon Talley is eating a biscuit. … I’m pressing him on a sore subject he is reluctant to discuss: Melania Trump. The 68-year-old, 6-foot-6 Monsieur Vogue, as he is known, cloaks his voluminous red puffer coat over his mountainous form, so that only his big brown eyes and navy Filson knit cap are showing. … ‘You make the choice to be in Trumpland or you make the choice to eject yourself from the horror of Trumpland. I’ve made my choice not to be part of Trumpland.’ ...
“I have flown here to see if André can shed some light on Melania, the sultry enigma of Trumpworld, the only reserved member of what is shaping up to be the most bellicose takeover in modern times. … André has particular insight into Melania’s style since, while on Vogue assignment, he went to couture shows with her in Paris and helped her choose her Dior wedding gown, and later flew with her in white-leather splendor on the Trump plane as Donald scarfed down Oreos and talked about how Jude Law was no Cary Grant. As André told me in the fall when I interviewed him, he came away impressed with the Trump women. He called Melania charming and private, ‘soignée and polished’ with ‘impeccable’ manners and legs that are ‘a long drink of water,’ and said she had a gift for standing on four-and-a-half-inch stiletto heels. ‘She’s very much like a high, super, superglamorous Stepford Wife,’ he told me.” http://nyti.ms/2hkCDB0
DEEP DIVE -- “Inside the Trump Organization, the Company That Has Run Trump’s Big World,” by NYT’s Megan Twohey, Russ Buettner and Steve Eder: “Some government-ethics lawyers have warned that unless Mr. Trump fully divests himself from the company and places someone independent of his family in charge, he risks entering the White House in violation of a constitutional clause that forbids him from taking payments or gifts from a foreign government entity. ... When Mr. Trump wants to talk to someone, he calls out to his assistant, Rhona Graff, a Queens native whose office is right outside his door. She has been his gatekeeper for decades. Anyone seeking access to him over the phone has to go through Ms. Graff, sometimes with a secret code. Mr. Trump often boasts of the size of the Trump Organization. ... A spokeswoman said the business employed ‘tens of thousands.’ But industry experts estimate that no more than 4,000 people work for the Trump Organization worldwide. And executives say that the three floors that make up the headquarters appear to have no more than 150 employees.” http://nyti.ms/2i53BLZ
PICKING UP THE PIECES – “Democrats Need to Reach Out to the Heartland,” by Charlie Cook: “Simply put, Democrats need to expand their sensitivity training courses to include people who live in small-town and rural America—middle-class white voters, people who live paycheck to paycheck, and whites who attend church at least once a week. Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal coalition of voters is now officially dead. Democrats were losing these voters before Donald Trump came along and will continue to do so beyond his presidency unless they show genuine concern for these constituencies. To be sure, the country is changing and becoming more diverse, but it is not doing so at the same pace everywhere. Democrats are running up the score in places that do not help them win majorities in the House, Senate, and Electoral College.” http://bit.ly/2hW4AA1
--“How the Obama Coalition Crumbled, Leaving an Opening for Trump,” by The Upshot’s Nate Cohn: “The Upshot estimates suggest that Mrs. Clinton really might have become the first Democrat to win white voters with a college degree (although it is very possible that Mr. Obama did so in 2008 as well). … She gained 17 points among white postgraduates, according to Upshot estimates, but just four points among whites with a bachelor’s degree.” http://nyti.ms/2irMYwZ
WEST COAST WATCH -- “After 24 years working together, Feinstein and Boxer say goodbye to their ‘Thelma and Louise’ partnership,” by L.A. Times’ Sarah Wire: “In 1992, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer pitched themselves to California voters as the dynamic duo, as ‘Thelma and Louise,’ as ‘Cagney and Lacey.’ They were trying to convince voters to do something no state had ever done: Elect two women to represent them in the U.S. Senate. When they got to Washington, reporters followed the pair, looking for signs of discord. Boxer and Feinstein derided the attention as bizarre and sexist, but they remained conscious of the intense interest in how the nation’s first female pair of senators would work together. ‘It was ridiculous,’ Boxer said. ‘We knew there were people who were ready to say two women can’t get along. We knew we had that responsibility.’ ...
“Feinstein, a former mayor of San Francisco, was a consensus builder willing to buck her own party at times to reach a compromise. Boxer, who served 10 years in the House before coming to the Senate, was a bit of a flamethrower, more rigidly ideological and staunchly devoted to the environment and women’s healthcare. … The 76-year-old Boxer is retiring in January, leaving behind a 24-year working relationship with Feinstein that was by all appearances in sync until its last days, when an argument over water policy played out in public. Starting Jan. 3, Feinstein will have a new partner in Kamala Harris, who has a blend of Boxer’s progressive ideology and Feinstein’s pragmatism.” http://lat.ms/2ird4jL
MEDIAWATCH -- HOLLYWOOD REPORTER: “A&E Cancels KKK Docuseries Following Criticism”: “A&E has pulled the plug on its upcoming docuseries centered on the KKK. The network announced their plans to scrap the project, which was intended to serve as a close look at anti-hate extractors focused on helping people leave the Ku Klux Klan, in a statement released Saturday. ‘Our goal with this series has always been to expose and combat racism and hatred in all its forms,’ the network said in a statement. ‘However, A&E learned last night from the third-party producers who made the documentary that cash payments — which we currently understand to be nominal — were made in the field to some participants in order to facilitate access. While we stand behind the intent of the series and the seriousness of the content, these payments are a direct violation of A&E’s policies and practices for a documentary. We had previously provided assurances to the public and to our core partners — including the Anti-Defamation League and Color of Change — that no payment was made to hate group members, and we believed that to be the case at the time. We have now decided not to move forward with airing this project.’” http://bit.ly/2hkFhag
CORRECTION: Because of a production error, Playbook yesterday omitted the name of the author and full title of a FLASHBACK item. On March 1, Ron Rosenbaum wrote in Slate, “Trump’s Nuclear Experience: In 1987, he set out to solve the world’s biggest problem”. http://slate.me/2icQW9j
WORTH THE CLICK – “Aleppo Before the War,” edited by The Atlantic’s Alan Taylor – 25 pix http://theatln.tc/2i2EE3T
BONUS GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman, filing from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (where he spotted toy drones for sale yesterday at the local supermarket -- pic: http://bit.ly/2irTzHD):
--“The Four-Letter Code to Selling Just About Anything: What makes things cool?” by Derek Thompson in the Jan./Feb. issue of The Atlantic: Raymond Loewy, the father of industrial design, “would do more than almost any person in the 20th century to shape the aesthetic of American culture. His firm designed mid-century icons like the Exxon logo, the Lucky Strike pack, and the Greyhound bus.” http://theatln.tc/2iqcXR9
--“The Man Who Saved 200 Syrian Refugees,” by Mark Mann in Toronto Life: “Jim Estill put up $1.5 million to bring 58 families to Canada. He found them homes, gave them jobs and even bought one man a dollar store. How the mild-mannered CEO of an appliance company became the Oskar Schindler of Guelph.” http://bit.ly/2iom8S7
--“20 Lessons from the 20th Century on How to Survive in Trump’s America,” by Timothy Snyder in In These Times: “A history professor looks to the past to remind us to do what we can in the face of the unthinkable.” http://bit.ly/2hbHwcE
--“Liberalism’s Minsky Moment: How Decades of Peace, Justice and Prosperity Sowed the Seeds for Populist Revolt,” by Thomas Wells on 3 Quarks Daily: “Liberalism has been an enormous moral, political, and economic success. But it has not achieved what seemed easiest of all: convincing those who grow up under it of its moral legitimacy and practical effectiveness in comparison to alternatives.” http://bit.ly/2hl7xuS (h/t TheBrowser.com)
--“Three minutes with Hans Rosling will change your mind about the world,” by Amy Maxmen in Nature: “He has influenced leaders from Melinda Gates to Fidel Castro. Now, he is on a mission to save people from their preconceived ideas.” http://go.nature.com/2i1kqr8
--“City Portrait: Mexico City,” by Logan Ward in the Dec./Jan. issue of Garden and Gun: “This Mesoamerican capital’s old-world charm, incredible architecture, and buzzing food scene are just a quick flight away.” http://bit.ly/2hzi819 ... Sidebar http://bit.ly/2ilnMrZ
--“Argentina On Two Steaks A Day” – Idlewords.com: “The classic beginner’s mistake in Argentina is to neglect the first steak of the day. ... That first steak has to get you through the afternoon and half the night, until the restaurants begin to open at ten.” http://bit.ly/2imcqE7
--“Campus Identity Politics Is Dooming Liberal Causes, a Professor [Mark Lilla] Charges,” by Evan R. Goldstein in the Chronicle of Higher Education: “‘There has been a radicalization of student demands and also a loss of a sense of proportion. Our campuses are not Aleppo.’” http://bit.ly/2hbH26c (h/t ALDaily.com)
--“The queen does not rule,” by Deborah M. Gordon in Aeon Magazine: “The ant colony has often served as a metaphor for human order and hierarchy. But real ant society is radical to its core.” http://bit.ly/2ibklAS
--“Meet Henry Orenstein, the Man Who Changed How the World Plays,” by Newsweek’s Abigail Jones: “He bluffed and cajoled to survive the Holocaust, and just a few years later, armed with unrelenting drive and rare creativity, he tinkered and hustled his way to the top of America’s toy industry, helping to put dolls, race cars and one of the most successful action figures in history into the hands of generations of children. Then he transformed poker from a game played in dimly lit rooms to a billion-dollar business.” http://bit.ly/2hiwxkZ (h/t Jewish Insider)
--“One-on-one with Trump’s doctor: Hecklers, house calls, and why Obamacare must be shut down,” by STAT’s Ike Swetlitz: “[F]ive days after STAT’s visit to his office, in phone calls and text messages, [Dr. Harold] Bornstein said he was angry and did not want the article or any photographs of him to be published. ‘I happen to have known the Sulzbergers for 50 years,’ Bornstein said in the second conversation, referring to the family that helms the New York Times. ‘I’m going to make sure you don’t ever work again if you do this.’” http://bit.ly/2irB5af
--“How to Become a Famous Media Scholar: The Case of Marshall McLuhan,” by Jefferson Pooley in the LA Review of Books: “Like most celebrity ascensions, McLuhan’s was the product of a conscious publicity campaign. Handlers, press agents, and impresarios worked together to make ‘McLuhan’ a household name. He was packaged and promoted like a promising starlet, with multimedia gusto.” http://bit.ly/2hbHi5i
--“How Israel Took a Toy and Made It a High-Tech Weapon,” by Yaakov Katz and Amir Rohbot in Commentary Magazine in an excerpt from their upcoming book, “The Weapon Wizards: How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower” (out Jan. 31): “Drones can hover over targets while their engines’ humming noise blends into city traffic. It makes them the perfect weapons to hunt and eliminate moving targets, such as terrorists.” http://bit.ly/2hSThbJ ... Pre-order -- $20.75 on Amazon http://amzn.to/2iln1yY
--“The 21st Century Gold Rush,” by Malia Politzer and Emily Kassie in HuffPost: “How the refugee crisis has made a lot of people very, very rich,” per Longform’s description: http://huff.to/2hiq5dy
--“Moving Stars,” by Kim McLarin in The Morning News: “Of all the accomplishments of Michelle and Barack Obama, individually and together, this may be their greatest: They leave the White House not only strong, but actually stronger than when they entered. All visible evidence points to two people utterly centered, at perfect peace with themselves, each other and their place in history.” http://bit.ly/2i4Eewc (h/t Longreads.com)
SPORTS BLINK -- “Five interceptions help keep Redskins’ playoff hopes alive in 41-21 win over Bears,” by WaPo’s Liz Clarke in Chicago: “All season, the Washington Redskins have defied easy description, looking like NFL playoff contenders one week and pretenders the next. On the brink of elimination from the postseason, they chose an overcast Christmas Eve at Soldier Field to stage one of their more dominant, balanced and complete performances of the year, routing the Chicago Bears, 41-21, to keep alive their bid for the final wild-card spot. The victory lifted the Redskins to 8-6-1, ensuring the once-feared franchise’s first back-to-back winning seasons since 1996-97.
“But with Green Bay routing Minnesota to improve to 9-6 in an NFC North showdown that wrapped up at the same time, the Redskins didn’t improve their standing much in the scramble for the sixth and final playoff spot. With the Jan. 1 regular season finale against the New York Giants (10-5) remaining, the Redskins are still a half-game in arrears.” http://wapo.st/2i500gH
--ONLINE HEADLINE in the Chicago Tribune: “Ugly Christmas picture: Bears routed at empty Soldier Field” http://trib.in/2hkEJkl
SPOTTED -- Newt and Callista Gingrich at midnight mass at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Callista was in the choir.
TRANSITIONS -- George Kivork has been named by LA Mayor Eric Garcetti to serve as press secretary for his administration, replacing outgoing spokesperson Connie Llanos. “Kivork has served for the past three years as the Mayor’s chief advocate in Washington, D.C., where he managed federal affairs for the City of Los Angeles.”
ENGAGED – Lauren Hammond, press secretary and digital director for the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, got engaged on Friday to John Huston, senior policy advisor for the House Republican Policy Committee. They met through mutual friends at a housewarming party in May 2015, then became good friends before dating. John, a native of Indiana, proposed at the Jewel Box, a conservatory on the National Register of Historic Places in Lauren’s hometown of St. Louis. After the proposal, John surprised Lauren by gathering both of their families for a celebratory champagne toast and dinner. Pics http://politi.co/2ifSZcD ... http://politi.co/2i779zy ... http://politi.co/2i50Lqo
WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Diana Birkitt Rakow, Baucus alum and EVP of marketing and public affairs at Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, and husband Jeff Rakow, on Wednesday welcomed Eleanor. Big brother Gus, Jeff and Diana are all doing well. Pic http://politi.co/2iroqEm
BIRTHDAYS: Jesus (manger tip: Luke) … Irene Jefferson Sherman (hubby tip: Jake) … Meredith Brokaw ... Tim Miller, @TimODC, partner at Definers Public Affairs and the pride of Denver, is 35 (antler tip: Katie Packer) … Karl Rove is 66 ... High 10 Media CEO Lisa Dallos ... Hilary Krieger, enterprise editor at CNN Politics digital ... Christina Romer, former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers now at Berkeley, is 58 ... Bill Bailey, VP of gov’t relations at Walt Disney Co. (stocking stuffer: Stewart Verdery) ... Michelle Altman, Sen. Lankford’s LD (reindeer games: D.J. Jordan) ... Bob Mitchell ... Gracey Jide … Stephanie O’Keefe, CEO of International Women’s Forum and a CTIA alum ... Sophia Lalani, foreign policy and defense adviser to Sen. Cory Booker (holly boughs: Jon Haber) ... Visa’s Grace Maumbe ... Scott Paul, president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, is 5-0 ... N.Y. Assembly member Michael A. Blake, a former W.H. aide to Obama, now running for DNC vice chair … Andrew Mulvey, the pride of De Pere, Wisconsin, is 26 ... Kristen Glover (tinsel tips: sisters Juleanna, Elizabeth and Becca) ...
… Rachael Slobodien, comms director for Sen. Cruz and a Heritage alum … Piper Adams ... Shengxiao “Sunshine” Yu, director of partnerships at GlobeMed … Miranda Margowsky, press secretary for Sen. Stabenow and a Harvard grad ... Hans Morris, managing partner at VC and advisory firm Nyca Partners, part-owner of The Berkshire Eagle and former president of Visa ... Steven Luckett … Jan Correa, a social entrepreneur and management consultant (h/t boyfriend David Case) ... writer Chris Beam is 32 ... Peter Kauffmann, a Hillary alum … Cat Cohen, a student at Columbia Law School ... Lynda Youngman … Bush W.H. alum Jonathan Block ... Elisabeth Hire ... PR strategist Zachary Hastings Hooper ... Anne Wall, VP of the Duberstein Group and Treasury, Obama W.H. and Dick Durbin alum … Sarah Levin ... Madhu Chugh … Cassie Goodwin … Elisabeth Hire (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... GOP consultant Scott Cottington, partner at the Voyageur Company … Robert Jameson, a Scott DesJarlais alum now a JAG in the U.S. Navy ... Michael Roston, senior staff editor for science at the NYT, is 39 ... Rebecca Pilar Buckwalter-Poza ... AP alum Christopher Connell ... Daniel LeDuc is 56 ... Carol Preston ... Cheryl Moore of Rep. Bill Posey’s office ... Kristen Shatynski of Rep. Walden’s office ... Murphie Barrett Koonce of House T&I ... James Fitzella of House Rules ... Christina Cornell of Rep. John Katko’s office ... Dominic Gabello, COS for Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham ... Garrett Bess of Rep. Webster’s office ... John Tanner of Rep. Gohmert’s office (h/ts Legistorm) … Jimmy Buffett is 7-0 ... Sissy Spacek is 67 ... Annie Lennox is 62 (h/ts AP)
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