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Memorandum to the president-elect.

Article Excerpt
November 5, 2008

You mentioned that you would like some thoughts on how to bring a fresh approach to the traditionally adversarial relationship between the White House and the press corps that covers it. Here goes.

As you know, nothing can short-circuit a new presidency faster than misconnections between the press and the president's staff. Both Presidents Clinton and Bush (43) found their traditional honeymoons cut short even before they took office. Sometimes substance trips up the president-elect during the transition like the gays-in-the-military issue did Clinton. But more often, the disconnect begins because of the clashing cultures of an election staff suddenly turned to governance and a press corps returned to routine reporting after a long adrenalin rush on the campaign trail.

Both sides of this adversarial relationship are making critical adjustments in the aftermath of election day. You and your staff are hopefully identifying new talent and experience to add to the cadre that has spent almost two full years 24/7 working on the campaign. And the White House press corps is absorbing new stars who gained prominence on the campaign beat and who are learning the ropes from veterans now covering their fifth U.S. president.

On the press side of the relationship, longtime White House reporters like Mark Knoeller (CBS radio), Ann Compton (ABC News), Bill Plante (CBS News), Peter Maier (CBS radio), Helen Thomas, and Terry Hunt (Associated Press) are telling war stories to the newly arrived correspondents who built relationships during the campaign. There is a little ego-driven rivalry at work here--the newcomers on the beat will learn pretty quickly that their go-to sources during the campaign are not as well positioned as they used to be; the veterans on the beat will know pretty soon which advisors to the president-elect are worth courting and which ones they can pummel into submission.

This is a critical moment and new presidents often get this wrong. It is hard not to put trusted and valued campaign staffers into key roles in the communications function at the White House. They worked their hearts out for months and months and they know the president-elect's message and proposals better than anyone. But they are also worn out. Some of their relationships with the media are frayed from months of hand-to-hand combat. They deserve a break and some of them (who have not worked before in higher levels of government) need experience in policy making and governing before they are ready for prime time in the Oval Office.

You need to elevate the stature and importance of jobs outside the White House and let your talented (but exhausted) staffers know that there are four and probably eight long years ahead. They can be patient because a West Wing address is surely in their future. More important, key communications and press jobs at other federal agencies and departments are good places to learn the processes that make good policy and, as I will...

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