DAY THREE - The White House

Representative Lindsey Graham

Party Politics

The first stop was to see Jim Dyke, Communications Director at the RNC. Among the topics discussed were the difference in the committee's role in the election campaign of an incumbent versus a challenger for the Presidency, and the possible impacts of the campaign finance reform legislation currently working its way through the courts. Mr. Dyke explained some of the contingency planning done at his level trying to anticipate the various permutations of the law that could come back from the courts. Overall, Mr. Dyke was an affable and articulate host who tried hard to make his answers relevant to the types of studies being pursued by the students in the group.

We happened to catch Mr. Terry McAuliffe, the Chairman of the DNC, on his way out of the office. He chatted with the group about the importance of the Democratic primary in South Carolina, and how the race was shaping up with the nine candidates. When asked if he thought General (Retired) Wesley Clark would make ten, Mr. McAuliffe seemed to think he wouldn't, but admitted it remained a possibility. He also articulated his desire to have a candidate in place by the Spring, so the Summer is not wasted campaigning against each other, but against the President. Mr. McAuliffe excused himself for a meeting, and we began a lively conversation with Mr. Gil Meneses, the Communications Director of the DNC.

Mr. Meneses spoke at some length of the need for the Democratic Party to better spread their message among their core constituents – specifically, Black and Hispanic voters – and rallying them to the cause at the ballot box. Mr. Meneses specifically mentioned the phrase "ensure we say positive things about our party," and it was exactly this phrase which drew the ire of several of the class. Lindsey Breslow, a senior studying Public Relations, pointed out to Mr. Meneses that for twenty minutes we had listened to him rail about the evils of the Republican administration, and that he had yet to 'say positive things about [the] party.' Other students gave him a chance to speak to what the Democrats want to do and not just want they want to do away with. I even specifically mentioned the criticisms of the 2002 campaign and that many people thought the Democrats had no unifying message and asked him to lay out that message for us. We lobbed him softballs. We set the ball on a tee and asked him to swing away. Mr. Meneses didn't strike out; he never stepped up to the plate. What started as an opportunity to explain their plan to recover from a devastating election resulted in frustration on several fronts, no doubt for him as much as the class.

Senator Lindsey Graham

Senator Lindsey Graham was, to date, the hands-down best stop on the trip for discussing the subject matter of the class. 

Senator Graham emphasized how much his office is conscious of the media in everything they do.  "If you don't think about your agenda in terms of the media, you're stupid," he said, adding later, "If you see them as the enemy, you've made a serious mistake."  Never one to shy away from the media, Senator Graham admitted there were times when he turned down opportunities to appear in the media because he wanted to defer to someone else in his party with better expertise.  However, he also emphasized that it is important not to "wait for people to give you permission to pursue your dreams and agendas."

Senator Graham was honest with his characterization of his relationship with the media in South Carolina.  He praised the coverage statewide as balanced, and almost always fair, especially the newspapers.  He noted with regret that it is unfortunate that TV is so sound-bite oriented.  The best piece of advice - perhaps on the entire trip - was Senator Graham's succinct statement to aspiring journalists and media practitioners that "The unwritten part of the First Amendment is responsibility."

The White House

Secretary Andrew Card

...we were led into the Roosevelt Room, where we awaited fellow Gamecock Andrew Card, the Chief of Staff of the White House.

Dean Charles Bierbauer related to us one of his memories of the Roosevelt Room.  He was in the room, awaiting President Reagan's Chief of Staff when word came down that the Challenger had exploded.  Don Regan, then the Chief of Staff, came in to make a terse statement that sent the assembled journalists scrambling for phone and televisions before order was restored to the room.  Interestingly, both Tucker Eskew, who works in the White House Office of Global Information, and Andrew Card each had vivid memories of particular events that happened in the Roosevelt Room, from their first White House staff meeting to a story of Iraqi dissidents.

South Carolina's own Tucker Eskew joined the class for a half-hour discussion while we waited for Secretary Card (Andrew Card had served as the Secretary of Transportation is still entitled to the honorific).  Mr. Eskew's primary responsibilities are what he described as "media affairs," or "everything outside the beltway."  He spoke of the Coalition Information Centers (set up during the Afghanistan missions) that helped to counter disinformation that was appearing in the Arab press.

The Chief of Staff was entertaining and engaging.  He spoke honestly about his role and how he had learned valuable lessons by observing other Chiefs of Staff throughout his time working for different Presidents.  He also spoke of the need for the Chief of Staff to have not only the confidence of the President, but also the First Lady.  The toughest part of his job?  He wasted no time in answering "scheduling."

Time was a recurring theme in his talk.  He was especially emphatic about who gets to see the President.  Secretary Card was very clear about the difference between 'want' and 'need.'  He makes sure that people who 'need' to see the President do, and that those who 'want' to see the President don't.  The complicating factor in this process is time.  "The worst thing for a leader is when time makes the decision for him," said the Secretary.  Therefore, he has to not only separate the 'need' from the 'want,' but also prioritize them based on when the information is needed to make timely decisions.

As Chief of Staff, Secretary Card prefers to keep a low media profile.  He likes to be "visible enough that [he's] not ignored, but not a lightning rod."  In short, he never wants to be the subject of the story, but is not afraid to be a part of it.  In dealing with the press, he remarked that while managing the press is impossible, "what you can manage is your own message."

September 11, 2001

The most poignant story he told was that of September 11, 2001.  The Chief of Staff was the one who informed President Bush of the attack on the World Trade Center while the President was reading to elementary school children in Florida.  The irony of that day is that Secretary Card specifically remembered telling the President that the day would be "a softie."  Recalling the events of the day, the Chief of Staff wove a well-told tale of how September 11 played out at the top of our government.  It was a story that you just couldn't buy, and the class was enthralled by the tale.  The Secretary graciously posed for photos with the class, and had to excuse himself to return to his duties.

Lessons Learned

Communications Directors and Press Secretaries have to be careful with their words and how they articulate their positions.  Words are the tools of their trade, and they cannot afford to be inaccurate, misleading, or ambiguous.  They also need to answer the questions put to them, or state outright they will not answer them.  Tap-dancing and pretending its an answer is not acceptable.