Drew, Elizabeth

Drew, Eliza THE WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON TO: Leon Panetta, George Stephanopoulos, Mark Gearan, Pat Griffin, Harold Ickes, John Podesta, Marcia Hale, Gene Sperling FR: Mike McCurry MMᶜ DT March 7, 1995 RE: Elizabeth Drew Having been deputized to vet book requests, I wanted to give you an update on Elizabeth Drew's new project. Although it sounds like a book focusing primarily on the new Republican congress, the White House will figure prominently. I think that we can positively affect Drew's reporting if we deal with her in a direct and disciplined way and coordinate our remarks. I recommend that you each sit for interviews on specific aspects of her book for defined periods. Here are topics she would propose to cover in her initial meetings: How is the White House dealing generally with the 104th Congress? How did our strategy for dealing with Congress evolve? How did White House pick and choose places to engage with Congress and draw distinctions (e.g. why 100,000 cops as first veto threat). Framing of issues for press appearances like State of the Union? I recommend we take 5 minutes at a senior staff meeting to go over this subject. Drew will start calling each of you soon to schedule appointments, if she hasn't already.