Stuffing — or mac and cheese?

Nov 22, 2023

By Lauren Egan, Myah Ward and Benjamin Johansen

Presented by

The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports

Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from producer Raymond Rapada.

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PROGRAMMING NOTE: We’ll be off Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday but back to our normal schedule on Monday, Nov. 27.

It’s almost Turkey day. And in that spirit, West Wing Playbook asked top officials in JOE BIDEN’s White House the two most important questions for this time of year: What are you thankful for and what is your favorite Thanksgiving side dish?

You’re welcome.

JEFF ZIENTS, chief of staff

What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving? My family and my White House team. We have each other’s backs every day.

What is your favorite side dish at Thanksgiving dinner? My all-time favorite is my son Jonny’s special stuffing. Turkey sausage, dried apricots, a mix of herbs like rosemary and sage — and made extra crispy in the oven. (Genuinely surprised he didn’t say, Call Your Mother.)

ANITA DUNN, senior adviser to the president

What are you grateful for? My family, particularly my grandchildren who keep me grounded and focused on the truly important things like “Bluey,” “Encanto” and the NFL.

Favorite side dish? Is everything an acceptable answer? (We’ll allow it.)

STEVE RICCHETTI, counselor to the president

What are you grateful for? Our first grandbaby born just last week!

Favorite side dish? Mashed potatoes and gravy. (A classic and very on brand in a way.)

TOM PEREZ, senior adviser to the president

What are you grateful for? I am grateful for the unwavering love and support I receive from my wife and three wonderful children.

Favorite side dish? Arroz con frijoles. (Love!)

ALI ZAIDI, national climate adviser to the president

What are you grateful for? My faith and family, community and colleagues, and the wonderful Climate Policy Office team that keeps me hopeful and inspired.

Favorite side dish? Okra seasoned with cumin — stewed, sautéed, or even baked. (Too healthy for us newsletter types.)

SHUWANZA GOFF, director of the Office of Legislative Affairs

What are you grateful for? Grateful to be back at the White House, working with the members of Congress who help to ensure that I’m always kept busy and entertained in my new role.

Favorite side dish? I love pasta and I love cheese, so macaroni and cheese. (Unimpeachable.)

STEVE BENJAMIN, director of the Office of Public Engagement

What are you grateful for? I’m always grateful for my family, friends, health and strength. This Thanksgiving, in particular, I’m grateful for my Office of Public Engagement family who works tirelessly on behalf of the president to ensure the White House is inclusive and accessible to the American people.

Favorite side dish? Macaroni and cheese is my favorite side dish. Dressing is a close second. (For the uninitiated, it’s basically stuffing.)

NATALIE QUILLIAN, deputy chief of staff

What are you grateful for? My family — I could not be more grateful for them on Thanksgiving and every day.

Favorite side dish? Sides are the best part of the meal, so picking two. #1: Mashed potatoes (with butter!); #2: Brussels sprouts gratin (my kids give it a thumbs down, which just means more leftovers). (Your kids are dead wrong. Wise choice.)

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, White House press secretary

What are you grateful for? I am grateful for my family, friends and my amazing network of mentors and allies who support me every day.

Favorite side dish? As a vegetarian, I am not a turkey person. But who doesn’t love a good pie? (Sorry. Can’t allow this. Pie is NOT a side, as much as we love it.)

ERIKA MORITSUGU, deputy assistant to the president and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander senior liaison, Office of the Chief of Staff

What are you grateful for? All of my adult life on the continent has been spent far away from my own family, so spending time with friends and reaching out to those who may be spending the time alone, including those who are deployed, is the most special part of this holiday for me. And now a new tradition of volunteering for community food prep and distribution with my teenage kids.

Favorite side dish? *ALL* the savory sides — especially with the indulgence of mostly processed, frozen, and shelf-stable ingredients. (What can we say? The sweet tooth wins out, always.)

MESSAGE US — Are you one of the pardoned turkeys, LIBERTY or BELL? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com.

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A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports:

DCA is at capacity – the airport has one of the highest cancellation rates among the 30 largest U.S. airports, and the Federal Aviation Administration has confirmed that DCA is prone to delays. Efforts to bring more flights to DCA as part of the FAA Reauthorization bill threaten to exacerbate these delays and cancellations and promise to make travel worse. Listen to the FAA – say NO to more flights at DCA.

POTUS PUZZLER

Thanks to the White House Historical Association for this question!

Which president was gifted a racoon to initially be eaten on Thanksgiving but opted to keep the creature as a pet instead? 

(Answer at bottom.)

The Oval

POST-THANKSGIVING SPRINT: President Biden’s window for delivering aid to Ukraine is rapidly closing, our JENNIFER HABERKORN and JONATHAN LEMIRE report. The White House remains skeptical over House Speaker MIKE JOHNSON’s willingness to put forward a vote on the aid, as the group of far-right conservatives that ousted former Speaker KEVIN MCCARTHY holds the same power over his successor.

Ukraine advocates in the Senate are gearing up for a standalone vote on the funding after the holiday, in what they see as their best remaining hope for getting Biden’s request across the finish line. “I don’t know that Ukraine can survive until February of 2024,” Sen. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.) said. “My sense is they start to run short on ammunition in the next several weeks.”

But, as our colleagues note, a Senate vote will do little to alleviate the main obstacle facing the White House: What to do about Republican opposition in the House?

MEANWHILE… Nearly half of all Americans think the United States is spending too much on Ukrainian aid, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press/NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, AP’s SEUNG MIN KIM and LINLEY SANDERS report.

PROOF OF PROGRESS: After a hostage exchange deal was officially announced late Tuesday night between Israel and Hamas, Biden said he looked forward to speaking “with each of these leaders and staying in close contact as we work to ensure this deal is carried through in its entirety.” The exchange means freedom for three more Americans, but Biden said, “I will not stop until they are all released.”

Some Biden officials view the agreement as the clearest signal yet the administration’s strategy toward the war is working. But the deal hasn’t convinced progressive lawmakers to back off from calling for an indefinite cease-fire, our JOE GOULD, ALEX WARD and CONNOR O’BRIEN report. Rep. RASHIDA TLAIB (D-Mich.), one of Biden’s most strident critics on the issue, said a temporary pause is not enough: “We must move with urgency to save as many lives as possible and achieve a permanent cease-fire agreement.”

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO WATCH: This interview on CNBC with senior adviser for energy and investment AMOS HOCHSTEIN, who touts falling gas prices throughout the country. Hochstein says they are at the lowest price since Thanksgiving 2020, just a few months before the war in Ukraine inflated prices. “Most common gasoline price that Americans will see is below $3,” he says. Deputy communications director HERBIE ZISKEND shared the piece on X, and communications director BEN LABOLT responded to the post with a “Happy Thanksgiving.”

WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This piece from Axios’ MONICA ENG, STEPH SOLIS and EMMA HURT, who report that several cities across the U.S. have reached their capacity to shelter migrants. It’s forced state and local leaders to make challenging calls about resources as they continue to plead for more federal funding. “I tell people all the time when they stop me on the subway system, ‘Don’t yell at me, yell at D.C.,’” New York City Mayor ERIC ADAMS said at a recent town hall, per our JASON BEEFERMAN.

SUBSCRIBE TO CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes.

THE BUREAUCRATS

PERSONNEL MOVES: RACHEL LEVITAN is now senior adviser to the CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. She most recently was senior adviser to Education Secretary MIGUEL CARDONA and is an alum of Sen. TOM CARPER (D-Del.), Senate EPW and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

— MATT PASTORE has been promoted to deputy associate director for legislative affairs at OMB, DANIEL LIPPMAN has learned. He most recently was legislative analyst for OMB legislative affairs.

— ZORIANA MOULTON is now confidential assistant to OMB director SHALANDA YOUNG. She most recently was confidential assistant to OMB's chief of staff.

A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports:

Agenda Setting

NOT PLAYING AROUND: On Wednesday, the Federal Highway Administration released a new rule requiring states and urban areas to set goals for limiting carbon emissions from cars and trucks, WaPo’s IAN DUNCAN reports.

Under the rule, state transportation departments will be required to calculate vehicle emissions using a formula based on gasoline and diesel sales data, according to Duncan. These departments will also be required to set a target for reducing carbon emissions, with progress being measured every two years. If emissions increase, the states will be fined.

BUZZ KILLED: The Department of Agriculture is revoking hemp licenses for some farmers who also are growing marijuana in states where it is legal, our MARCIA BROWN and NATALIE FERTIG report for Pro subscribers. Inconsistencies between federal and state interpretation of the laws are hurting many farmers who have licenses to grow both hemp and marijuana, our colleagues note.

Farmers interviewed for the story said the USDA told them that if they were to enroll in their state’s marijuana industry, their hemp licenses would be revoked.

AD BLITZ: The Biden campaign will release a series of ads Thursday amid one of America’s most beloved events: Thanksgiving football. During the Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers game, the first of the day’s triple header (go Lions!), the campaign will tout the administration’s economic record in ads airing in the key battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin, CNN’s ARLETTE SAENZ and BETSY KLEIN report.

The ads are a central part of the campaign’s $25 million TV and digital ad blitz announced in August. “The campaign has sought to use these highly watched television events to push their campaign message to a politically diverse audience,” they write.

What We're Reading

The Rescuers (NYT’s Thomas Friedman)

Nikki Haley is consolidating the ‘Never Trump’ vote (POLITICO’s Sally Goldenberg, Natalie Allison and Meridith McGraw)

What It Takes for Snoopy and Friends to Soar in the Macy’s Parade (NYT’s Winnie Hu)

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POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER

President CALVIN COOLIDGE was gifted a raccoon in 1926 by a supporter from Mississippi who suggested they serve her up for dinner! The Coolidge family, however, fell in love with the raccoon and instead adopted her as a pet, naming her Rebecca and giving her an embroidered collar, according to the White House Historical Association.  

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.

A message from The Coalition to Protect America's Regional Airports:

The Federal Aviation Administration, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and other experts agree – DCA is at capacity and cannot safely accommodate more flights. Listen to the experts – say NO to more flights at DCA.

DCA is at capacity and the experts have repeatedly stated that bringing more flights to the airport will worsen delays, cancellations, and congestion for all. Say YES to passenger convenience and safety and NO to more flights at DCA.