White House chief of staff Jeff Zients invited all the former occupants of his office — Democrats and Republicans — to the White House this month for a wide-ranging conversation on the presidency, followed by a casual dinner at his D.C. home, according to participants.
- In all, 12 former chiefs attended: Jack Watson (Carter), Mack McLarty (Clinton), Erskine Bowles (Clinton), John Podesta (Clinton), Andy Card (Bush 43), Josh Bolten (Bush 43), Japan Ambassador Rahm Emanuel (Obama), Bill Daley (Obama), Jack Lew (Obama), Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough (Obama), Mick Mulvaney (Trump) and Ron Klain (Biden).
Zoom in: Zients asked Emanuel at dinner to describe the pros and cons of his old corner office. On one end, there’s a beautiful fireplace, which is warm and welcoming in the winter, Emanuel said.
- On the other end, there’s a patio with a pergola — lovely in the spring and summer.
- The punchline: “Everything in between sucks.”
Between the lines: The job is notorious for its long nights and early mornings. Zients, for example, wakes up at 4:30 to meditate.
- Card won the contest for the earliest wake-up routine. He still gets up every morning at 4:08, in honor of Philippians 4:8. The biblical reference sent some guests to their phones for a Google search.
The big picture: The bipartisan gatherings were started by Bolten, George W. Bush’s last chief of staff.
What we’re hearing: Amid the reminiscing and war stories, there was time for serious advice.