Screencap from NY Daily News. Pete Souza/White House

For the 49th birthday of the President of the United States, you’d think it was the saddest day ever if you were the New York Daily News.

The Gotham tabloid started this piece about the President’s special day in true fashion: “It’s your party, Mr. President. You can cry if you want to.” It doesn’t hurt to run a file photo of the President staring at a plate of cupcakes like it was a handful of oil.

Back to the plate at hand: the photo (left) shares a strange similarity to when Helen Thomas celebrated her 89th birthday and received a plate of cupcakes from the President (and he’s smiling too!)

In fact, the photo is from last year while Obama “watches the flame on the candle as he walks to the Brady Briefing Room to present cupcakes to Hearst White House columnist Helen Thomas in honor of her birthday, Aug. 4, 2009.”

So if you thought the President was sad due to A-Rod’s 600th hit or his birth date still being debated, don’t fret. Even if he didn’t get to eat his cake from the AFL-CIO according to  Yahoo, we’re sure he’ll enjoy Wendy Williams’ Gift Bag and a birthday tweet (via Savannah Gutherie) from Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.

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Washington’s social reporters at Politico have proclaimed the first state dinner of Julianna Smoot’s Reign as White House Social Secretary a hit! Join all of Washington perusing the final guest list to figure out how they became the lucky few.

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Obama supporters received an email from the president’s top campaign leader, David Plouffe, thanking them for their participation in a survey about what they want to the President to do in 2010.

The email linked to a web video of Plouffe explaining the survey results and inviting supporters to watch a live strategy update and Q&A session with President Obama on February 4, at 5:45 PM ET, called “A Conversation with the President.”

Click HERE to watch Plouffe’s video message.

lrozett White House Staff David Plouffe, President Obama

400 Visitors Meet FLOTUS as White House Visitors Office Celebrates Successful Year

White House visitors enjoyed a special welcome yesterday – First Lady Michelle Obama and First Dog Bo in the Blue Room. It was the one-year anniversary of the Obama presidency, which began with President Obama promising “To open the White House to more visitors.”

Associated Press reports more than 614,000 guests visited the White House last year.

CLICK HERE for the AP story.

Check out the White House video of the event.

lrozett White House Staff Michelle Obama, President Obama

Visitors have commented on the lack of personal touches to the Oval Office and the absence of family photos. The spartan look was on dramatic display during NBC News’ unprecedented two-hour, behind-the-scenes special with President Obama in the White House.

Even President Obama’s Air Force One office has a noticeable lack of “stuff.”

But Obama has finally put his own touch on the Oval Office: fresh fruit has replaced cut flowers, family photos are now on display along with Native American pottery and some small technological devices from the mid-19th century on loan from the National Museum of American History’s patent collection.

He’s even added some tchotchkes, including a penholder that was a gift from Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Check out the photos and article by Erin Loechner of “Design for Mankind” on AOL’s ShelterPop blog by clicking here.

lrozett White House History, White House Staff Air Force One, Erinloechner, President Obama

Chefs Cristeta Comerford and Bobby Flay took a victory back to the White House last night as they battled it out with super chefs Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse.  The show started off in the White House garden with the chefs picking their own fresh vegetables and there was even a visit by the First Lady Michelle Obama.

The vegetables from the garden later became the focal point of the dishes cooked up by the masters of the kitchen.  Check out more of the action at the Food Network here.

gtruong White House Staff Bobby Flay, Cristeta Comerford, Emerile Lagasse, Food Network, Iron Chef, Mario Batali, Michelle Obama

The White House Correspondents Dinner gained some notoriety yesterday, when White House Budget Director Peter Orszag proposed to his girlfriend, ABC News correspondent Bianna Golodryga. The two met six months ago at the WHCD — Orszag was a guest at the ABC table.

The New York Times Caucus Blog reports that Orszag, who emailed 50 friends and family with the good news after popping the question over lunch at Sarabeth’s restaurant in New York City, said he was attracted to Golodryga because, “She’s a Russian Jew who gets up earlier than I do.”

lrozett Correspondents, White House Staff Bianna Golodryga, Peter Orszag

Harley jokes about Blitzer’s Situation Room

Foggy windows, phone tubes, and a Surge Room are just a few of the surprises in the video tour conducted by Jeff Harley, President Obama’s deputy director of the Situation Room. Harley gives a walking tour of the rooms that make up the super secret area of the West Wing, where presidents monitor the world’s bad guys. Harley also lets us see a few of his colleagues at work, who are “1/3 intelligence community, 1/3 homeland security, and the rest military,” before getting in a slight jab at Wolf Blitzer. Blitzer’s situation room is about a mile away, and is not “The White House Situation Room,” Harley says in closing.

lrozett White House Staff Jeff Harley, Wolf Blitzer

America’s favorite speech writer Jon Favreau finally comes forward to tell the world how he crafts President Obama‘s speeches.  He gives an inside look at wordsmithing at 30,000 feet.

Maybe now that David Plouffe is doing interviews, it’s ok for Favreau to step out of the shadows and video blog as well?

Video by Arun Chaudhary, the official White House videographer

gtruong White House Staff Jon Favreau, President Obama, Tokyo Japan

Except when it is.

President Barack Obama plays peek-a-boo with Maeve Beliveau, the daughter of Director of Advance Emmett Beliveau, in the Outer Oval Office, Oct. 30, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

lrozett White House Staff President Obama

“By the People,” the HBO documentary by Amy Rice and Alicia Sims, brought together top Obama campaign veterans and the press corps that followed them through the historic 2008 election for a backslapping, bear-hugging reunion at the newly renovated Motion Picture Association of America. HBO President Richard Plepler greeted top White House advisers Anita Dunn, Austan Goolsbee, Dan Pfeiffer, Sarah Feinberg, Bill Burton, Mike Blake, Dag Vega, and Washington’s newest Chicago import Susan Sher, the First Lady’s longtime friend and chief of staff.

The filmmakers’ Obama bus mates were well represented in the 80-plus crowd beginning with bestselling author Richard Wolffe, Obama “original” Juliana Goldman, Lynne Sweet, plus several campaign heavy hitters: Mike Allen, Mark Leibovitch, Jeff Zeleny, and David Jackson.

Representing the 2008 TV and pundit corps: Hilary Rosen, Jonathan Capehart, Betsy Fischer, and David Chalian.

The party went into overdrive when Reggie Love huddled with Richard Plepler; one line formed to take photos with Love and another to shake hands and schmooze with Plepler.

Washington’s elite came out to watch the HBO screening: Ben Bradlee, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, George and Liz Stevens, and Bob Barnett. And all eyes were on Barnett and the HBO chief, as they huddled over their upcoming projects.

Obama media man Jim Margolis and White House Communications Director Anita Dunn spoke after the screening, reminding the crowd that Rice and Sims joined the campaign in 2006.  And after an inspiring speech about the campaign, Margolis told how he meticulously prepared for commercial shoots at the critical campaign moment Rice and Sims were always present, whether it was around the campaign office or stepping in a the right moment to get the shot of the candidate who made history. Dunn said the film captured the special feeling of what it was like to work on the campaign and that “there will not be another campaign that was like the Obama 2008 campaign…people felt that they were a part of something much bigger than one individual.”

Reggie Love, who was always one step in front of or behind Obama in the film, attended the screening with two BlackBerry’s in hand, greeting many of those who spent hours covering the candidate or working on the campaign.  MSNBC’s Richard Wolffe, who made several appearances in the film, cheered and laughed along with his colleagues as the audience could see through the camera lens the sometimes quiet and sometimes frantic moments of the campaign.

For many it was a chance to relive the excitement of the campaign, for others it was to catch up with Obama people who are now running the country.

“By The People” premieres November 3rd at 9:00 p.m. ET on HBO.

thaddad Event Coverage, News Media, Uncategorized, Washington Events, White House Staff Alicia Sims, Amy Rice, Anita Dunn, Austan Goolsbee, Ben Bradlee, Betsy Fischer, Bill Burton, Bob Barnett, Dag Vega, Dan Pfeiffer, David Chalian, David Jackson, George Stevens, Hilary Rosen, Jeff Zeleny, Jim Margolis, Jonathan Capehart, Juliana Goldman, Liz Stevens, Lynne Sweet, Mark Leibovitch, Mike Allen, Mike Blake, Reggie Love, Richard Holbrooke, Richard Plepler, Richard Wolffe, Sarah Feinberg, Susan Sher

Valerie Jarrett, Desiree Rogers Offer Support

Capricia Marshall and family with Sec. Hillary Clinton

The Ben Franklin Room of the State Department was filled with stars and stargazers, as well as family and friends, as Secretary Hillary Clinton presided over the swearing-in ceremony for her longest-serving aide, Capricia Penivac Marshall, as chief of protocol.

Marshall, the former Clinton White House social secretary and campaign veteran, came to Washington with the Clintons in 1992. Secretary Clinton shared a hilarious Inauguration story about Marshall being stuck outside the White House gate.

It wasn’t just Clinton friends. Top Obama pals Valerie Jarrett, Desiree Rogers, and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chief of Staff Susan Sher, were there to pay tribute to the newest executive in charge of diplomatic activities for President Obama. Roger’s deputies Ebs Burnough and Joe Reinstein had a crowd of admirers lined up to say hello.

CLICK here to see Marshall’s official list of duties.

Marshall’s protocol team includes some Washington’s savviest veterans, including deputies Lee Satterfield and Dennis Cheng. Her team debuts on the world stage this month with one of the biggest diplomatic gatherings of the year: the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh.

Obama State Department Ambassadors Elizabeth Bagley (Global Partnerships) and Melanne Verveer (Global Women’s Issues) added their shine to the large crowd. Clinton family members, from mom Dorothy to daughter Chelsea, cheered for their close friend. Marshall’s 9-year old son Cole mugged and husband Rob Marshall looked shocked by Clinton’s shout out to him as “the best cardiologist in the world.”

Parents Frank and Mary Penavic beamed and assorted cousins from her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, watched the ceremony.

Former protocol ambassadors Lucky Roosevelt, Lloyd Hand, Lea Berman, Evan and Kit Dobelle joined former White House Social Secretary Ann Stock and veterans of other administrations in their own mini-reunion

Celebrity guests included: Greta Van Susteren and her husband John Coale, Mandy Grunwald, Janet Howard, Ann Orr, Claire Shipman, Michael Feldman, Melissa Moss and her husband Jonathan Silver.

Pam Stevens, once Condoleezza Rice’s press secretary and now press adviser to Ambassador Nancy Brinker and Race for the Cure, caught up with old friends as Betsy Fischer and other media types worked the room. New York’s fabulous event planner, and Marshall pal, Bronson Van Wyck drew his own crowd.

Terry McAuliffe had a double-barreled receiving line around him; no surprise there. He also hosted a Friday night gathering at his McLean home.

Check out the photo gallery:

thaddad Event Coverage, Washington Events, White House Staff Ann Orr, Ann Stock, Betsy Fischer, Bronson Van Wyck, Capricia Marshall, Claire Shipman, Dennis Cheng, Desiree Rogers, Ebs Burnough, Elizabeth Bagley, Evan Dobelle, Greta Van Susteren, Hillary Clinton, Janet Howard, Joe Reinstein, John Coale, Jonathan Silver, Kit Dobelle, Lea Berman, Lee Satterfield, Lloyd Hand, Lucky Roosevelt, Mandy Grunwald, Melanne Verveer, Melissa Moss, Michael Feldman, Pam Stevens, Susan Sher, Terry McAuliffe, Valerie Jarrett

The White House has long been known as “the People’s House” and President Barack Obama promised to make it an open, friendly and welcoming place. Over the last week, the hardest working staff at the White House hasn’t been the health care team … it’s been the Visitors Office. With only five staff members, they have ushered roughly 6,000 people a day through the White House gates with extended tour hours: 12-hour days instead of six. Every congressional office request was honored.

White House Correspondents Insider co-founder Tammy Haddad spoke with White House Visitors Office Director Ellie Schafer and her team for the inside scoop on what goes on behind the scenes at the only building in the world which is simultaneously the home of a head of state, the executive office of a head of state, and a museum open to the public.

The White House Visitors Office from whcinsider on Vimeo.

Schafer is testing out guided White House tours — which were dropped after 9/11. For the past eight years, visitors have walked through on their own, with Secret Service officers looking on. The Obama WH visitors team is getting kudos from White House veterans for allowing visitors into the always popular china room for the first time.

lrozett White House Staff Barack Obama, Ellie Schafer, Tammay Haddad

David Axelrod

President Obama will be the only non-family member to offer a eulogy at Senator Edward Kennedy’s funeral Mass on Saturday in Boston. Obama adviser David Axelrod told USA Today it would be “about Ted Kennedy the man … the president was so fond of him as a person.” Kennedy’s endorsement of Obama was a game changing moment in the campaign; “a passing of the torch of leadership,” Axelrod said.

Check out the USA Today article here.

And watch the video of Kennedy’s endorsement remarks in our previous post below.

lrozett News Media, White House Staff David Axelrod, President Obama, Senator Ted Kennedy

President Obama stressed bi-partisanship on health care legislation in his interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd yesterday, but also … perhaps … maybe hinted at a deadline for the Senate Finance Committee negotiations.

Not according to Robert Gibbs’ morning gaggle with reporters today. Politico reports “Gibbs said there’s no ‘firm’ date … and dodged a question on the public option.”

lrozett News Media, White House Staff Chuck Todd, President Obama, Robert Gibbs