Merry Christmas From Hawaii

The House is Finally Quiet

Hoping You All Had a Wonderful Christmas!

Presents Fit for the King

To the Readers of DMF....

Have a Very Merry Christmas

"Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished."

A Politically Correct Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and Santa's a wreck...
How to live in a world that's politically correct?
His workers no longer would answer to "Elves".
"Vertically Challenged" they were calling themselves.
And labor conditions at the north pole
Were alleged by the union to stifle the soul.

Four reindeer had vanished, without much propriety,
Released to the wilds by the Humane Society.
And equal employment had made it quite clear
That Santa had better not use just reindeer.
So Dancer and Donner, Comet and Cupid,
Were replaced with 4 pigs, and you know that looked stupid!

The runners had been removed from his sleigh;
The ruts were termed dangerous by the E.P.A.
And people had started to call for the cops
When they heard sled noises on their roof-tops.
Second-hand smoke from his pipe had his workers quite frightened.
His fur trimmed red suit was called "Unenlightened."

And to Those Who Serve....

Merry Christmas Jackie......Keep Your head Down and Get Home Safe.

Former Team Obama Members Cashing in on The Big Bucks

We all remember the delightful Deputy Campaign Manager, Stephanie Cutter

No doubt, former Presidential Administration officials have left service to do well afterwards. From media, to consulting and lobbying, to University Presidents, the world opens up to them. But as members of a corrupt, non-transparent and poorly run administration, the Obama team seems to be cashing in extremely well.    

"The West Wing is more in flux than usual. John Podesta's in as the new Fixer. Phil Schiliro is back to mend fences with Congress. Longtime Obama consigliere Pete Rouse is leaving. Reports have other White House vets delaying their departures until the ship feels righted.

But those departures will come – and likely sooner rather than later. And if their predecessors are any indication, the next wave of aides to jump will be able to leverage their experience and contacts into lucrative way private sector gigs.

Here's a look at ex-Obama aides who have done well by their work with the president.

David Axelrod

Old gig: Political guru and West Wing counselor -

New gig: Taking his guru-ness to the next level by establishing the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago; advising clients in races as far-flung as Italy; living comfortably on the sale of his stake in two Chicago public affairs firms in 2009 for $3 million; working on his memoir due to be published in 2014 by Penguin Press; working as a paid political analyst for NBC News; a highly-paid member of the Washington Speakers Bureau.

 Stephanie Cutter

Old gig: Obama health-care strategist; deputy 2012 campaign manger - 

New gig: Yelling at Newt Gingrich daily on CNN's Crossfire; recently formed Precision Strategies with ex-Obama aides Jen O'Malley Dillon and Teddy Goff. "We built and managed a $1.2 billion start-up called the Obama campaign," their site says.

Mike Donilon

Old gig: Senior adviser to Vice President Joe Biden - 

New gig: This summer joined AKPD Message and Media—which just happens to be Axelrod's old firm and which was retained by Bill de Blasio's successful New York mayoral bid. His campaign paid the firm more than $7 million."

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