Subject: Re: Barrish interview/story
From: <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Cc: "Jim" <[email-masked]>, "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2014 15:05:53 -0500

We've also previously cited many of these events to Randall Chase as things he's gone to because he's AG, not as after-hours type events.

Molly Magarik
302-377-2625 (m) 

> On Feb 17, 2014, at 2:03 PM, [email-masked] wrote:
> 
> Just a thought - 
> 
> rather than sampling I would say  -.. besides being in the office doing his job 
> here are just a few of the events after normal working hours he attended ...
> From: "Molly Magarik" <[email-masked]>
> To: "Kaufman Ted" <[email-masked]>
> Cc: "Jim" <[email-masked]>, "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
> Sent: Monday, February 17, 2014 1:42:40 PM
> Subject: Re: Barrish interview/story
> 
> Cris called Jason to let him know that the story is running tomorrow, and he asked for additional information about the schedule and what public events Beau has done since he returned to the office in September. 
> 
> We can ignore the request, but if we respond and provide examples, it will chew up column space in the story that could otherwise be devoted solely to Cris' narrative. I don't think we need to provide every single instance and date since September, but providing a sampling shows that Beau is on the job, beyond his day-to-day work at the office. 
> 
> This is what we were thinking Jason could send back to Cris' email:
> 
> 
> Cris, 
> 
> Below is a sampling of events that the Attorney General has attended since September, beyond the time he spends in the office since he returned on September 4th--
> 
> Sen. McBride’s annual community leaders night
> 
> 14th Annual Scott Mackler 5K 
> 
> Normal Oliver’s annual turkey drive 
> 
> Housing workshop at the Modern Maturity Center in Dover 
> 
> Department of Justice’s annual hearing with the state Office of Management and Budget
> 
> The Ipha Phi Alpha – Zeta Rho Lamda Chapter’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Prayer Breakfast
> 
> Police chiefs' meeting in Dover
> 
> Multiple and ongoing visits to the Hicks Anderson Community Center, a visit to the Kingswood Community Center and Westend Neighborhood House. 
> 
> Additionally, the Attorney General is out in public in many ways that do not involve pre-planned events, such such as walking Market Street and other parts of Wilmington to get a first-hand view of the challenges residents face as well, as days he has spent on National Guard duty. 
> 
> 
> Thoughts?
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On Fri, Feb 14, 2014 at 1:18 PM, <[email-masked]> wrote:
>> Just checked with Beau - go with statement.
>> 
>> From: [email-masked]
>> To: "Hunter Biden" <[email-masked]>
>> Cc: "Kaufman Ted" <[email-masked]>, "Jim" <[email-masked]>
>> Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 12:31:34 PM
>> Subject: Re: Barrish interview/story
>> 
>> 
>> Cris called Jason again and indicated the article could run this Sunday instead of next. He said his editors are pushing him to move it along.
>> 
>> Do we want Jason to offer up a statement to solidify our view that there's no news in this story? Something along the lines of this:
>> 
>> "As the Attorney General has publicly  stated, he has received a clean bill of health from his doctor, is feeling well, and is back at work. Nothing has changed." 
>> 
>> He could also remind cris of the public events beau has done over the last month. 
>> 
>> I think it would be helpful to have something on the record beyond, "despite repeated requests, Beau refused to comment for this story."
>> 
>> 
>> Molly Magarik
>> 302-377-2625 (m) 
>> 
>> 
>> On Feb 13, 2014, at 6:23 PM, Hunter Biden <[email-masked]> wrote:
>> 
>> My opinion is that nothing Beau says (or feels comfortable saying now) is going to change a story Barish clearly has already written. Second, nothing Barish writes now makes a bit of difference to whether Beau can run and win for whatever office he chooses. It also doesn't effect his ability to do his job effectively now.  If it were my decision I wouldn't do anything. Speculation is just that and any false presumption is only disproved by the reality of Beau's actions- he is working, attending events, raising money etc... The fact that he won't talk to Barish about what is a personal matter is neither new nor newsworthy.
>> 
>> RHB
>> 202.333.1880
>> 
>> On Feb 13, 2014, at 6:00 PM, Molly Magarik <[email-masked]> wrote:
>> 
>> I spoke to Margaret at length, and she thinks that Cris will definitely write the article regardless of whether Beau speaks to him, and that he clearly already has his premise, i.e. Beau's still not well and isn't really back at work. 
>> 
>> In her mind the decision to be made is whether there's more long-term damage from an article where Beau talks to him, but is cagey and unable to fully articulate his plans for the future, or an article that's full of speculation about his health and challenges his ability to do his job or any future job.
>> 
>> She thinks the latter is more detrimental, and since Beau is back at work and healthy again, she recommends a 15-20 meeting with Cris in a controlled, but casual setting along with Hunter or someone else who can help steer the conversation.  If a meeting is out of the question because Beau might deck him, then she thinks a phone call would be better than no comment/couldn't be reached for the story. 
>> 
>> She said that regarding the inevitable health questions, we should have a prepared statement to give him from Beau's doc saying that he's been given a clean bill of health, has all his faculties, and there's no reason he shouldn't be back at work. Beyond that he shouldn't offer any other details, and when asked why he won't, on background he should play the parent card. She believes that Cris will understand Beau exercising his right as a parent to stick by the doc's statement and nothing more for the sake of his kids. It doesn't mean the story won't still take shots at him, but that they won't be as biting. 
>> 
>> She's happy to jump on a call with everyone to discuss further, or you all can feel free to call her individually. 
>> 
>> Just to throw another option out there, I know we discussed an announcement in April/May. However, if there's a possibility it's in March, we could try to push Cris off the story now, with the promise of a forthcoming campaign announcement and interview.  To be clear, I do not believe that we should time our announcement around Cris or this story, so if April/May is firm, then this idea is a non-starter.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Thu, Feb 13, 2014 at 3:37 PM, Hunter Biden <[email-masked]> wrote:
>>> Has someone reached out to Margaret- does she know what to say?
>>> 
>>> RHB
>>> 202.333.1880
>>> 
>>> On Feb 13, 2014, at 3:35 PM, Molly Magarik <[email-masked]> wrote:
>>> 
>>> And Cris just left me a message saying he wants to talk to me about his upcoming story. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Thu, Feb 13, 2014 at 9:10 AM, <[email-masked]> wrote:
>>>> We should get Margaret Aitkin involved in this. 
>>>> 
>>>> Sent from Xfinity Connect Mobile App
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: [email-masked]
>>>> To: [email-masked],[email-masked],[email-masked]
>>>> Sent:Thu Feb 13 01:17:19 UTC 2014
>>>> Subject: Fwd: Barrish interview/story
>>>> 
>>>> See below from Jason about the News Journal story Cris Barrish is supposedly working on for either next Sunday or the Sunday after. 
>>>> 
>>>> Happy to set up a call if we want to discuss further what Jason should say, beyond what he already has. 
>>>> 
>>>> Definitely helpful that Paul Calistro was so forceful at pushing back against Cris and his leading questions about Beau's health. It's also good that Jason and Joe continue to post what Beau is doing on Facebook/Twitter, so Cris can see that he's out beyond the office, and he has people to call who can verify that he's fine and on the job. 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Begin forwarded message:
>>>> 
>>>> From: Jason Miller <[email-masked]>
>>>> Date: February 12, 2014 at 5:17:02 PM EST
>>>> To: Molly Magarik <[email-masked]>, Joe Rogalsky <[email-masked]>
>>>> Subject: Barrish interview/story
>>>> 
>>>> Molly - Quick recap of Cris's story:
>>>>  
>>>> - It's set to run a week from Sunday
>>>>  
>>>> - Cris has sought a sit-down interview with Beau since his procedure last fall. Initially the story would have been a "how's Beau's health" story.  More recently, noting that this is an election year, Cris has argued the sit-down would be for a "state of Beau Biden" story on his election plans, what he has in mind for DOJ in a next term, how's his health, etc.
>>>>  
>>>> - Cris has indicated that he's writing a story about Beau either way - if he gets a sit-down interview it'll be written as a profile piece.  If he doesn't get an interview it'll be a "where's AG Biden" piece, with a focus being that he hasn't given interviews or held press events or had speaking engagements since he fell ill.
>>>>  
>>>> - I have reiterated to Cris that Beau is in the office nearly every day, that he looks great, and that's he out in he community a lot.  Cris knows that Beau attended State of the State and led our budget hearing in Leg Hall last Fall.
>>>>  
>>>> - Cris follows our social media postings.  He saw our posts of Beau's visit to West End Neighborhood House yesterday, and today he contacted Paul Calistro to press him on how Beau looked (did he look healthy, did he look angry?).  Paul replied that Beau was very energetic and looked great.
>>>>  
>>>> - I have explained to Cris numerous times that Beau is not going to do an interview about his political future and his health - that Beau has said repeatedly and publicly that he does not look too far ahead, and that he talked with media at Leg Hall about his health.
>>>>  
>>>> - We need to decide whether Beau or anyone is going to talk with Cris for this story, and whether/what a statement from our office says.  We also need to decide whether there are any individuals we want to direct Cris to - individuals who have spent time with Beau and can comment from personal experience on how Beau's doing just fine.
>>>>  
>>>> Jason
> 
>=2