1 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: On this episode of News World. I've known Dana Pruino 2 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: for years, going all the way back to when I 3 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: was speaker and she worked in the Congress, and of 4 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: course she was extraordinary effective for President Bush, and then 5 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:21,000 Speaker 1: I've interacted with her it Fox off and on. She 6 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: currently is both a co host of The Five, but 7 00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: she's also the co anchor of America's Newsroom, where she's 8 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: just doing a great job. She has a brand new 9 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: book out, Everything Will Be Okay, Life lessons for Young 10 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: Women from a former young woman. I love the title. 11 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: Chris and I we have two daughters and a granddaughter, 12 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 1: and so we're already relating to this. It's released in 13 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: March ninth. It's already reached number one on the Amazon 14 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: bestseller list and as an author, but I knew how 15 00:00:50,880 --> 00:01:06,679 Speaker 1: big a deal that is. Day now, thank you for 16 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:09,520 Speaker 1: taking time to join us. I'm honored. Any chance to 17 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: talk to you, mister Speaker is a great one for me. Well, 18 00:01:12,760 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: thank you. Now. I want to ask you, because you've 19 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: done a lot of interesting things. Now. I love the 20 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 1: way you've designed this as life lessons for young women 21 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: from a former young woman. Why did you decide to 22 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 1: do that? Well? Thank you again for having me on. 23 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:29,960 Speaker 1: I think about the first book I wrote, you know, 24 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:31,960 Speaker 1: I'd get ask question a lot, how did you become 25 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:34,559 Speaker 1: White House Press Secretary? It's actually a pretty interesting story 26 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: because I don't think anybody like sets out in their 27 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 1: life and plans to be exactly what they end up being. 28 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: Mine get ask how do you become Speaker of the House? 29 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: And what I would tell this young women that had 30 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: goals and ambitions, maybe even to be press secretary one day, 31 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: I would say, well, first you have to start as 32 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: a country music DJ, working overnights for minimum wage, and 33 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 1: then you can become White House Press secretary. And my 34 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: point to them was that every stage of career advancement 35 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 1: I've been able to get under my belt, I wasn't 36 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 1: planning for it. Now, that doesn't mean that I didn't 37 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: have a lot of planning and a lot of goal setting. 38 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,519 Speaker 1: And I'm a firstborn daughter, so all that comes with 39 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: that in terms of pressure and perfectionism. But when I 40 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: look back, I'm like, you know, I really had to 41 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: just trust that God had my best interests in mine 42 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,679 Speaker 1: and provided me those opportunities. So when I became White 43 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: I was press secretary. Gets lots of questions and advice 44 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: young women today. They're very talented, educated, ambitious, and they're 45 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:38,519 Speaker 1: in the driver's seat, but they're carrying around a lot 46 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: of anxiety. And what I wanted to do is to say, look, 47 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:45,640 Speaker 1: you were born in Americas. You already won life's great lottery, 48 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:51,440 Speaker 1: and everything will be okay if you do some important 49 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: and smart things, taking responsibility, making good decisions, applying yourself discipline, 50 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: and also finding a way to manage your anxieties. I 51 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: know that young women are going to worry. I'm not 52 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 1: going to tell them not to worry. But what I 53 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:07,640 Speaker 1: did in this book is say I worried away my 54 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: twenties and I don't want that for you. And here 55 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: are things that I have done to manage all of that, 56 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: to funnel that energy in a productive way so that 57 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,520 Speaker 1: I can have a great career and also have a 58 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,799 Speaker 1: pretty wonderful personal life as well. Well. You know, it's 59 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: interesting to mean, I actually did not know that you 60 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: had such close ties in Wyoming, and you give your grandfather, 61 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: Leopreno of Newcastle, Wyoming a lot of credit. I'm just 62 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: curious what did he teach you and how did that 63 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: experience shape you So, my grandfather was a ranter. He 64 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: had served in World War Two right before he went 65 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: to join the war effort when he was eighteen years old. 66 00:03:48,720 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: He had aspirations to go to medical school to become 67 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: a doctor, and he wanted to see the world. When 68 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: he finished with the war effort and he's coming back 69 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: to the States, he had decided he'd seen enough of 70 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: the world and he wanted to go home. And he 71 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: helped grow the ranch into a pretty big outfit that 72 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: is still in operation today. My uncle and my two 73 00:04:08,640 --> 00:04:11,760 Speaker 1: cousins run it there, and it's about eighty miles west 74 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: of Mount rushmore so in the Black Hills. They're a 75 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: really beautiful area. Well, I was a firstborn grandchild, and 76 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: I think that I don't know, there's a special bond 77 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: between your grandparents, and I think that for girls, in 78 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: a way, your grandfather is the man in your life 79 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,479 Speaker 1: who thinks you could do no wrong. I love to 80 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 1: watch him. He was a man of incredible character and integrity. 81 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: I would watch how people would come to him from 82 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,800 Speaker 1: around the county and ask him advice on ranching and farming. 83 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: He was also a county commissioner. Proud Republican. I used 84 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: to like watching him get ready for the county commissioner meetings, 85 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,479 Speaker 1: preparing but also getting ready, and he would wear his 86 00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:56,800 Speaker 1: dressy wranglers. They had a crease down the front and 87 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:01,159 Speaker 1: a bolo tie, and that was dressing up. And he 88 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: would also just read so much. We watched every news 89 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: program and actually, this is kind of an interesting thing. 90 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: When I was about eleven years old, so early eighties, 91 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: I remember sitting with him at the kitchen table and 92 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 1: he spelled a word for me, a beautiful penmanship. He said, 93 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: can you say this word. I can't remember the exact word, 94 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: but it was spine, a bunch of word and sopholitis 95 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: or something like that. Basically it was b se or 96 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,479 Speaker 1: mad cow disease. And he said, to me, keep this 97 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: word in mind. I am very concerned that there are 98 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: some ranchers doing some things that are not right and 99 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: it could end up hurting people. So he had this 100 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: foresight and he paid a lot of attention to national issues. 101 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:43,760 Speaker 1: And he was also a lot of fun. You know. 102 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,040 Speaker 1: He just loved on us so much. So I look 103 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: back and I think about the character and the values 104 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:50,120 Speaker 1: that I learned from him, and I've really wanted to 105 00:05:50,160 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: be like him. He knew that I've gotten to work 106 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: in Washington, DC, was very proud of that I've joined 107 00:05:55,839 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: a congressional office in August of nineteen ninety five, and 108 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:03,160 Speaker 1: then I come back to Washington right after nine to eleven. 109 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: And he never knew that I worked for the White 110 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 1: House because he passed away while he was moving cattle 111 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: from a massive heart attack on the day after Thanksgiving 112 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 1: in two thousand and one. But I still feel very 113 00:06:13,240 --> 00:06:16,240 Speaker 1: close to him and was grateful that I had that 114 00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: early influence in my life. It is interesting that I 115 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: think of my own life. For example, there are certain people, 116 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: and you can't predict in advance, but there are certain 117 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: people who come through your life and they shape you permanently. 118 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:37,159 Speaker 1: There are things about it, something about the relationship or whatever. Now, 119 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:41,279 Speaker 1: in your case, if I understand correctly, your dad would 120 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 1: actually have you read the Rocky Mountain News and Deadver 121 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:48,600 Speaker 1: Post every day before he got home from work, and 122 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:52,120 Speaker 1: then he would have you choose two articles to discuss 123 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:55,200 Speaker 1: with him before dinner. I mean, was that a chore 124 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: or an adventure or how did you deal with that? Well, 125 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: Miss Speaker, you know me on the five long enough 126 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,919 Speaker 1: to know that I loved school, and I loved assignments, 127 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:07,799 Speaker 1: and when I came home from school, I played school. 128 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: So I also loved that time with my dad. He 129 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: subscribed to every magazine. I remember US News and World Report, 130 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: newsweek Time Magazine, National Review, New Republic, and we got 131 00:07:22,520 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: both papers every day and one way for my dad, 132 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: who early on would always tell us as girls, as 133 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: I know most girl dads, do you know you can 134 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: do anything. He grew up on a ranch where girls 135 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: had different jobs and boys, but we were then living 136 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 1: in Denver, and he's like, hey, you can do anything. 137 00:07:38,680 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: And I loved the news. So even on Sunday nights, 138 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 1: I was so afraid to miss sixty minutes. I didn't 139 00:07:44,880 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 1: want to play outside. So he would set the alarm 140 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 1: on the avocado green oven in the kitchen that it 141 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: would go off, so I would hear it when I 142 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: was in the backyard and I knew that I had 143 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:57,120 Speaker 1: ten minutes to come in to get ready for sixty minutes. 144 00:07:57,600 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: What I think also about that time was it wasn't 145 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: just giving me an interest in the news, but it 146 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: gave me some critical thinking skills and also some early 147 00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:10,520 Speaker 1: chances to think about why did I pick that article, 148 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: what did I think about it? And then he would 149 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: gently play devil's advocate. I remember one time being on 150 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 1: Marine one and making my case to President Bush about 151 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: an issue, and in my mind's eye, I flashed back 152 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: to that kitchen table discussion with my dad, and I 153 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: realized how important it was from a young age to 154 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: be in a position of presenting yourself in a confident 155 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:40,080 Speaker 1: way in front of a dominant male figure. And that 156 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 1: early training, I think really helped me later on. When 157 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 1: you think about that, here you are in a sense 158 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:49,920 Speaker 1: of practicing, and you're practicing for a world where you 159 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 1: have to get information quickly, think about it critically, and 160 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: then reef somebody, which almost becomes the perfect training ground. 161 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: Eventually be presidential press secretary, where you're doing precisely those skills. 162 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: You wouldn't have known that necessarily when you're doing with 163 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: your dad. Did you ever find yourself when you're about 164 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: to brief President Bush and thinking, you know, this is 165 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: exactly what my dad trained me for. Yes? And also, 166 00:09:17,960 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: are you familiar with speech and debate team and the 167 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 1: extemporaneous event category so you would do that in high school? Yes? 168 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: And so basically what that was is you would study 169 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: burn events all week long, and then on Saturdays for 170 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: the tournaments. When you arrive for the event, you pick 171 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: three topics out of a hat and you choose which 172 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 1: one you want to talk about. A lot of my 173 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: stuff was the end of the Cold War, and then 174 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: you would have thirty minutes to write a five to 175 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: seven minute speech and then present it. And so there 176 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:51,400 Speaker 1: was a lot of things that led to the ability 177 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:54,680 Speaker 1: to communicate in this way. In addition, I learned along 178 00:09:54,679 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: the way something from my speech coach in college that 179 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,520 Speaker 1: I loved, and that was it being nervous is okay. 180 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: She said, It's all right to have butterflies in your 181 00:10:04,240 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: stomach as long as you make them fly in formation. 182 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:10,560 Speaker 1: And I would think about that when either briefing President 183 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: Bush or stepping to the podium or doing a live interview. 184 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,600 Speaker 1: And even today I have nerves when I'm about to 185 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: be on television, but I've learned to channel them in 186 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: a way to help me and be energetic rather than crippling. 187 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: It's fascinating and I think one of the real keys 188 00:10:28,080 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: to achievement. Although I have to admit, Dana that when 189 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,559 Speaker 1: I watch you on TV and we've done some speeches 190 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:38,280 Speaker 1: together in front of audiences of thousands. I don't get 191 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: any sense of nervousness. And you're somehow really effectively channeling 192 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:46,280 Speaker 1: that into enough adrenaline that you're really good. But you 193 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: sure don't give off any sense of nerves. I think 194 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:52,280 Speaker 1: that most people that they are going to do any 195 00:10:52,280 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: sort of public event or public speaking, you have a 196 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: little bit of that. In the book, I talk a 197 00:10:57,160 --> 00:11:01,280 Speaker 1: lot about how it's important for women to find their 198 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:04,000 Speaker 1: strong voice. One of the things that is I think 199 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,199 Speaker 1: debilitating for women or even young people. I sometimes they 200 00:11:07,200 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: hear young men do it as well. There's this style 201 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: of speaking I call it up talking, and it's where 202 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,319 Speaker 1: they talk like this at the end of every sentence, 203 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:18,120 Speaker 1: it goes up like that, and it sounds like they're 204 00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:22,679 Speaker 1: very unconfident, and I'm convinced that it is holding them 205 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: back from jobs and raises, promotions and opportunities. So I 206 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: always think like gently pulling aside somebody to say, you 207 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: have to find your strong voice. And actually one of 208 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: the people I worked for on Capitol Hill, her name 209 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: was Holly Propes. She was the chiefest staff to the 210 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: late Dan Shaefer. I remember she sent me to a 211 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: meeting in her place one day, and before I left 212 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:47,560 Speaker 1: for the meeting, she said, and don't forget, I'm not 213 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:49,719 Speaker 1: sending you there to be a potted plant or a 214 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:52,640 Speaker 1: little mouse. Here's my position. I need to make sure 215 00:11:52,679 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: that they understand it, basically telling me like, don't just 216 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: sit in there and not say anything. You're getting a 217 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: seat at the table for a reason. And it's always 218 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: scary the first time to raise your hand in a 219 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,880 Speaker 1: meeting and speak up. And I actually kind of had 220 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: a I would call it an educational inferiority complex, because 221 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:14,040 Speaker 1: I've gone to this University of Southern Colorado on a 222 00:12:14,040 --> 00:12:16,960 Speaker 1: speech team scholarship. I get to Washington and so many 223 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: people have gone to fancy your schools or bigger school 224 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 1: as the IVY League, and I felt like I really 225 00:12:21,760 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: couldn't hack it, that these people must be so much 226 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: smarter than me and so much more intelligent. And over 227 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: time I realized, oh, President Bush turns to me just 228 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: as often as he turns to anybody else for advice. 229 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,080 Speaker 1: So I write about that in this book too, that 230 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: you don't have to go to IVY League to succeed. 231 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 1: You went to college and the university, but then you 232 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:03,079 Speaker 1: went back home to sort of figure out your next strategy. 233 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 1: What was your thinking when you're just out of grad 234 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:09,640 Speaker 1: school and you're looking for a job. It's a great 235 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: example of having a plan and then it not working 236 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 1: out and having to figure out that next step and 237 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: not beat yourself up for it. I went to graduate 238 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:23,960 Speaker 1: school intending to follow a career path into local news 239 00:13:24,200 --> 00:13:28,240 Speaker 1: and to eventually do what I'm doing today. But I 240 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 1: was starting out and I liked the politics coverage, but 241 00:13:31,400 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: I didn't really love the other things. I was in 242 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:37,080 Speaker 1: Illinois and it was only a part time legislature. I 243 00:13:37,160 --> 00:13:38,880 Speaker 1: was out of sorts, and I also felt like there 244 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 1: was a lot of bias from the news director. But 245 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:43,960 Speaker 1: I didn't even know what bias was. I grew up 246 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: in Wyoming and Colorado, and at the time, everybody I 247 00:13:47,840 --> 00:13:50,840 Speaker 1: knew kind of thought the same. So then I was like, 248 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 1: why is everybody so mean to the Republicans here? And 249 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,440 Speaker 1: you know when that was mister Speaker, that was nineteen 250 00:13:56,559 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: ninety four and going into nine nine five, and you 251 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: think about those changes that were happening then, right, the 252 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:06,400 Speaker 1: Republicans has swept the country, and not just in the 253 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: congressional offices, but even in the state legislature. So I 254 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:12,839 Speaker 1: was going through lots of different things. I finally called 255 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: my dad one day and I said, it's kind of tearful. 256 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: I'm embarrassed. I think I've just paid for a graduate 257 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: school degree with student loans for something I don't want 258 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,960 Speaker 1: to do, and my horizons felt very limited. He said, 259 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 1: come home. You know you'll figure it out. So I 260 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: did what every good graduate student does. I went home, 261 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: and I lived in my parents' basement and I waited tables, 262 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: and I loved waiting tables. That was a great job. 263 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: I made a lot of money, but I knew I 264 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:42,080 Speaker 1: needed to move on. And I had interviewed Congressman Scott 265 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: mckinness quite a few times when I was in college 266 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: at the TV station there, and I reached out to 267 00:14:46,880 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 1: his office seeing if I could use his office as 268 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: a reference for a job in the state capitol in Colorado, 269 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: and his chief of staff said, well, of course you 270 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 1: could do that, but you know we're looking for a 271 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:00,960 Speaker 1: staff assistant. Why don't you come work for us. I 272 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,720 Speaker 1: thought they met in Pueblo, Colorado, but they met in Washington, 273 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: d C. And when I slept on that prayed about 274 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: it I woke up in the morning, thinking, Wow, this 275 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: is where I should do and I drove across the 276 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:16,760 Speaker 1: country as my mom and my aunt Pattie Sue, and 277 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,840 Speaker 1: I parked at Fifth and Seward Square, right there by 278 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: the Capitol, outside my new apartment or the room I 279 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: was renting in the apartment, and I didn't move my 280 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: car for five weeks. I was so terrified of the traffic. 281 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: But that's really was the turning point for my whole career, 282 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: was having a chance to go work on Capitol Hill, 283 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 1: which I recommend to every young person, even if you 284 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: don't want to work in politics or media or government. 285 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 1: It's great training. And I still to this day talk 286 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: to people every single day that I worked with back then. 287 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: I'm sure what really struck you those first couple of 288 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: months when you were in DC. I describe it as 289 00:15:52,920 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: imagine a raccoon in a room full of disco balls. 290 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: Everything's exciting. I loved everything, the brown bag lunches, Grover 291 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:04,920 Speaker 1: Norquis lunches. Dan Shaffer at the time was the co 292 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: sponsor of the balanced Budget Amendment back when we cared 293 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: about those things. He was also the subcommittee chairman on 294 00:16:11,200 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 1: Energy and Power. I loved the committee hearings. I wanted 295 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: to learn more about that. He had a retail sales 296 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: tax bill with Billy Teizanne of Louisiana, and that was 297 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: kind of my first taste of working across the aisle 298 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: and making friends with those blue Dog Democrats. And then 299 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: at night, you know, we would go to things like 300 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:35,240 Speaker 1: the Colorado Avalanche game when they were playing the Washington Capitals. 301 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,960 Speaker 1: I loved on the weekends, going for long walks up 302 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: and down the mall and looking at the monuments. I've 303 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: loved when people visited me and I showed them everything. 304 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: I made so many friends. We had no money. We 305 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: used to look around and see who's having receptions this 306 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 1: week and we could go to those, and eventually, you know, 307 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: I made friends with people that were in your office. 308 00:16:54,080 --> 00:16:59,000 Speaker 1: I think of Lauren Maddox, who was so wonderful and 309 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 1: a great mentor to all of us and becomes a 310 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,680 Speaker 1: good friend. Also. Over time, there was just wonderful camaraderie 311 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 1: on the hill, And to be honest, I don't know 312 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: if it's still there. The last time I visited with staffers, 313 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,600 Speaker 1: it just seemed like nobody was having any fun. I 314 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:19,400 Speaker 1: do think that the current tone is dramatically different from 315 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: when you were first one there. You mentioned hockey. As 316 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:26,159 Speaker 1: I understand it, you had an interesting conversation at a 317 00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 1: hockey game with the stander. So I had dismoved to Washington. 318 00:17:31,160 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: I was working for Scott McInnis and I was answering 319 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: phones as a staff assistant. That's how you usually start out. 320 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: I didn't really know anybody, and of course it didn't 321 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:41,920 Speaker 1: make much money. And this is right before the gifts ban. 322 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:46,520 Speaker 1: The Coors Brewing Company bought tickets for anybody from Colorado 323 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 1: to go to the first Colorado Avalanche game against the 324 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:52,359 Speaker 1: Capitols that year, and there was a bus that was going, 325 00:17:52,680 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 1: and so a bunch of people from the Colorado delegation 326 00:17:55,119 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: were headed there. And we were very good friends with 327 00:17:57,119 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 1: people from Hatfield's office, as I recall, and so they said, Dana, 328 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 1: come along. And I didn't have any friends really, so 329 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:08,640 Speaker 1: I was like, okay, I'll go. So we head out 330 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 1: there and we're watching the game. Now I don't know 331 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 1: anything about hockey or sports, but I pretend that I do, 332 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: or that you know, I like an event. Sitting next 333 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 1: to a guy named Tim Rutton who worked for Hatfield 334 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:20,439 Speaker 1: and he said, so, what would you like to do 335 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 1: in Washington. I said, well, I'd love to work my 336 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:26,040 Speaker 1: way up to be a House of Representatives press secretary 337 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: one day. That was my goal. And he said, oh, well, 338 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 1: Congressman Dan Schaefer from Colorado, he has an opening my 339 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: friends moving on to be the chiefest staff to Nathan Deal, 340 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:40,159 Speaker 1: and I think you should apply for the job. And 341 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: I said, oh, but I just took this other job 342 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:47,080 Speaker 1: with Congressman mckinnis. Wouldn't it look bad if I tried 343 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:51,080 Speaker 1: to move on? And I was very reluctant to raise 344 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:54,360 Speaker 1: my hand for a new job that soon. And he 345 00:18:54,400 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: looked at me and said, oh, you have no idea 346 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,920 Speaker 1: how this place works. And he had me meet with 347 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 1: Janelle Guerrero the next day on the fifth floor the 348 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:06,400 Speaker 1: Cannon House office building where we met up and she 349 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: gave me the seal of approval. And then I went 350 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:11,840 Speaker 1: to interview with Dan Shaefer and he could tell I 351 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:14,560 Speaker 1: was so nervous to tell Scott mckinnis that I was 352 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:16,440 Speaker 1: going to get a job to move on, and I'll 353 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 1: never forget that. He said, how about I call Scott 354 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,640 Speaker 1: and talk to him, and I will never forget mister 355 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:28,919 Speaker 1: speaker that Scott mckinnis, to his credit, said that's a 356 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:32,399 Speaker 1: perfect job for her. I'm so excited, and to this 357 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 1: day he remains one of my best champions. Anytime I 358 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 1: have a good show or a new opportunity, I obvious 359 00:19:40,119 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 1: will get a little note from him saying I knew 360 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: you were going to be something one day, and that 361 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,440 Speaker 1: just meant so much to me, you know. I think 362 00:19:47,440 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: it also as a reminder of how sometimes life is 363 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 1: a series of zigzags. You know, for a lot of 364 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 1: these people who want to know what's the straight line, 365 00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,560 Speaker 1: very often doesn't work that way. You know, you end 366 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:04,919 Speaker 1: up in places you never dreamed of. Mike Romi, I mean, 367 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:09,200 Speaker 1: Calisto was just through to be the ambassador of the Vatican, 368 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,360 Speaker 1: and she's a very devout Catholic and spent twenty years 369 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: singing at the Basilicator in Washington, and probably the best 370 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:20,480 Speaker 1: job she'll ever have. She's just emotionally and spiritually soul filled. 371 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: Having a chance to represent America to the Vatican, it's 372 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: a remarkable and I have to say I was when 373 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,360 Speaker 1: the stage moment caused the trailing spouse and I at 374 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: the time of my life and we had never planned 375 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:34,280 Speaker 1: mar It just came out of the blue and they said, 376 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: would you like to go do this? And she said, well, 377 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: goat now that you mentioned it. But I'm curious in 378 00:20:40,200 --> 00:20:44,439 Speaker 1: terms of the zigzags, because, as I understand it, you 379 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:47,920 Speaker 1: got momentum, you're doing fun things, and yet you reach 380 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: a point where you really feel like your life is 381 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: an ORKI after very much, then how did that happen? 382 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,639 Speaker 1: And how did you cope with it? So I didn't 383 00:20:57,640 --> 00:20:59,840 Speaker 1: know at the time. What I was going through is 384 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:02,800 Speaker 1: what's called a quarter life crisis. I find that many 385 00:21:02,840 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 1: young women go through this. After a few years of 386 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: working on the hill, I could pretty much do the 387 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:10,600 Speaker 1: job with my eyes closed. In a way, I didn't 388 00:21:10,680 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 1: feel like I was learning much more. I wanted to 389 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:16,439 Speaker 1: move up. And actually there was a position I was 390 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:20,239 Speaker 1: looking at, I believe in Dick Armey's office. And I 391 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 1: also was at a point where, you know, I was 392 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 1: thinking that I would meet somebody and find a way 393 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:29,359 Speaker 1: to marry somebody and move on with life that way. 394 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: And I just didn't have a date for years. So 395 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:36,879 Speaker 1: I was a member of the Lutheran Church of the 396 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 1: Reformation on Third Street, just there behind the Supreme Court, 397 00:21:41,440 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: and I went to a singles group every Wednesday night 398 00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:47,000 Speaker 1: as well as Sunday service, and we would just get 399 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:51,879 Speaker 1: together talk about things. And I was basically opening up 400 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: one night about how I was feeling, and there was 401 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 1: a woman there who was slightly older than the rest 402 00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: of us, who said, remember what God says. He said, 403 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:03,399 Speaker 1: fear not, and He's not going to forget you. You 404 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:06,800 Speaker 1: are written in the palm of his hand, and you 405 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:12,080 Speaker 1: can relax. Everything will be okay, basically, And I wouldn't 406 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: say that worked overnight. Within a month or so that spring, 407 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:18,280 Speaker 1: I started to feel a lot better. Then in August, 408 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,199 Speaker 1: just as I'm trying to think what am I going 409 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:22,199 Speaker 1: to do with my life. I even contemplated going in 410 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,480 Speaker 1: the Peace Corps because I wanted to travel and see 411 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 1: the world. I get on a flight to go from 412 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 1: Denver to Chicago to DC after having done some editorial 413 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 1: boards with Dan Schaefer back in the district at my 414 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: old stomp and Grounds, a Denver post in the Rocky 415 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,240 Speaker 1: Mountain News when it was in business, and I sit 416 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: next to a guy who's British. He's eighteen years older 417 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,800 Speaker 1: than me, lived in England at the time. Was reading 418 00:22:44,880 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 1: The Tailor of Panama by John Lacarey. I asked him 419 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:51,680 Speaker 1: about the book. He had this British accent, and I 420 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:54,919 Speaker 1: fell in love on a plane and then I had 421 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 1: to make a decision do I moved to England, which 422 00:22:58,040 --> 00:22:59,480 Speaker 1: was what my heart wanted to do, but I was 423 00:22:59,520 --> 00:23:05,199 Speaker 1: telling myself, well, what about your career? And eventually this 424 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,280 Speaker 1: woman in my family pulled me aside at a Christmas 425 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:11,159 Speaker 1: event and she said, do not give up on this 426 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: opportunity to be loved. He might be the only man 427 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: who ever truly loves you. And I realized I was 428 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: worried so much about what other people would think about 429 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:24,199 Speaker 1: my decision rather than just following my heart. And in 430 00:23:24,240 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: the book, I write about how choosing to be loved 431 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,000 Speaker 1: is not a career limiting decision, and I see this 432 00:23:30,040 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 1: with you in Callista as well. Obviously you have many 433 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:35,440 Speaker 1: irons in the fire and doing great things. But when 434 00:23:35,480 --> 00:23:38,560 Speaker 1: she got an opportunity to be the ambassador to the Vatican, 435 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 1: what did you say, Yes, let's go. And I watched 436 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,320 Speaker 1: you very supportive of her all the way through anything 437 00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:46,600 Speaker 1: that she was doing. And I'm sure there were days 438 00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 1: where she might call you and talk to you after 439 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 1: dinner and what do you think about this problem? And 440 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 1: talk it through. And Peter has been that person for me, 441 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:56,760 Speaker 1: including the time I got kicked out of the Oval Office, 442 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: which was not my fault. I didn't do anything wrong. 443 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 1: And I called him afterwards and I said, Peter, and 444 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:04,479 Speaker 1: I was tearful, and I said, you won't believe what happened. 445 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:07,920 Speaker 1: And he made it so much better because you said, well, 446 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 1: just think, for the rest of your life, you can 447 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:12,919 Speaker 1: say I've been kicked out of better places than this. 448 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: That's a great line. By the way, you explain in 449 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:19,679 Speaker 1: your book how you get kicked out of the Oval Office. 450 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:22,840 Speaker 1: You can hardly raise that and not have somebody ask 451 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: you about it. I had been with the administration since 452 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: right after nine to eleven, and I'd been at Justice 453 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: Department and a White House Council on Environmental Quality, and 454 00:24:31,840 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: then on inauguration day of two thousand and five, I 455 00:24:35,880 --> 00:24:39,480 Speaker 1: joined the White House Press Office as a deputy. Like 456 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 1: my second or third day on the job, Dan Bartlett, 457 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: the communications director, asked me if i'd be willing to 458 00:24:44,560 --> 00:24:46,880 Speaker 1: sit in on an interview the President needed to do 459 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: because he had to go to a different meeting, but 460 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,439 Speaker 1: that he would meet me in the Oval Office and 461 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:54,600 Speaker 1: do the pre brief for the President. And all I 462 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:57,639 Speaker 1: had to do was sit in on an interview, take notes, 463 00:24:57,680 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: and cut it off after half an hour. I thought, Okay, 464 00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: I can do that. So I meet him at the 465 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 1: Oval Office. I'm so nervous. It's so majestic. I don't 466 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:07,920 Speaker 1: even think the President knew my name at that time, 467 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: or maybe remembered me. Hey, anyway, So I go in 468 00:25:11,840 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: there and Bartlett's doing the pre brief and he says, 469 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:16,679 Speaker 1: you know, this calumnist is here to do an interview 470 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,239 Speaker 1: with you, and the President says, I'm not doing an 471 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:21,400 Speaker 1: interview with him. I said I would talk to him, 472 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 1: and Dan said, well, you said you would do an 473 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:26,280 Speaker 1: interview and say, no, I'm not doing an interview with him. 474 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 1: And actually the President had a very good reason. He said, 475 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:31,120 Speaker 1: if I do an interview with him, it will look 476 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 1: like I'm trying to negotiate through the newspaper, and I'm 477 00:25:34,000 --> 00:25:37,720 Speaker 1: not doing that, and therefore she doesn't need to be here. 478 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:42,160 Speaker 1: And he cocked his head towards the door with basically, 479 00:25:42,520 --> 00:25:46,399 Speaker 1: you can see yourself out kind of gesture. So I 480 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,080 Speaker 1: just laughed you know. I walked the thirty two paces 481 00:25:49,119 --> 00:25:52,159 Speaker 1: back to my office sort of miserable and worried and 482 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 1: told Peter, and of course he says, You've been kicked 483 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: out of better places than this. And about eight years later, 484 00:25:58,760 --> 00:26:00,679 Speaker 1: I was on a flight with President Bush during his 485 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 1: book tour for Decision Points, and I said, hey, mister President, 486 00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 1: do you remember when you kicked me out of the 487 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:09,439 Speaker 1: Oval Office? And he said, I never kicked you out 488 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: of the Oval Office. I said, yes, you did. Don't 489 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:16,119 Speaker 1: you remember. I can remember every detail like it was yesterday, 490 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 1: And he sustaining, I have no recollection of that, and 491 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,280 Speaker 1: I said, but he interrupted me, and he said, are 492 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: you still upset? And I said yes. Kind of the 493 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:28,119 Speaker 1: reason I write about this story in the book is 494 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:30,679 Speaker 1: I have a whole part in there about letting go 495 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:34,240 Speaker 1: of disappointments or mistakes and not beating yourself up on 496 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:37,280 Speaker 1: it or reliving them over and over again. Because one 497 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:40,159 Speaker 1: of the ways that you go from being a junior 498 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:43,679 Speaker 1: staffer to a senior staffer or a manager or a 499 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: leader is by showing that you can take a punch 500 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:49,840 Speaker 1: and get back up, that you can learn from a mistake, 501 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:52,800 Speaker 1: that you can get over something and move on. Is 502 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:57,280 Speaker 1: that resiliency that makes a difference between you and other employees? 503 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 1: I have to confess it large part to my career 504 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 1: have been triumphs of endurance rather than intelligence. I describe 505 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,360 Speaker 1: it as cheerful persistence. And of course your career many 506 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 1: ways has been very similar. We both knew and love 507 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:16,560 Speaker 1: Tony Snow, and you were the acting press secretary, well 508 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: he was undergoing treatment for colon cancer. What did you 509 00:27:19,840 --> 00:27:24,160 Speaker 1: learn from Tony in that period? Oh gosh, so much. 510 00:27:24,320 --> 00:27:26,480 Speaker 1: Tony Snow meant a lot to me, as he did 511 00:27:26,520 --> 00:27:28,439 Speaker 1: so many people for lots of different reasons. He was 512 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:31,560 Speaker 1: a wonderful press secretary. But before that he had such 513 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:33,680 Speaker 1: a storied career. I like to tell people that Tony 514 00:27:33,720 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: Snow is a philosophy major and a math minor at 515 00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:40,040 Speaker 1: Davidson College, and I think if you want to be 516 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:42,680 Speaker 1: a great writer and a great communicator, you don't have 517 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:45,880 Speaker 1: to study journalism. But learning how to think more critically 518 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:48,399 Speaker 1: and logically that was one of his strengths. But he 519 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 1: wrote beautifully and he had such a big heart point 520 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 1: a musician too, who played in a band, was married 521 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,640 Speaker 1: to Jill. Three lovely children who I'm happy to say 522 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:59,560 Speaker 1: everybody here who followed his life, his children are doing 523 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:03,600 Speaker 1: exceedingly well, all of them. Everybody's healthy, happy and successful. 524 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:06,880 Speaker 1: I would say one thing I learned from him, well, 525 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:09,160 Speaker 1: two things I write about in the book about how 526 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:11,680 Speaker 1: if you are the leader of the office or the 527 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 1: boss or the manager, I say, don't be a boss hog. 528 00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:18,200 Speaker 1: So he used to have me do a lot of 529 00:28:18,240 --> 00:28:20,919 Speaker 1: the briefing of President Bush and a lot of the travel. 530 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:25,240 Speaker 1: He was, of course dealing with his own cancer treatments, 531 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:28,679 Speaker 1: which require a lot of energy and rest. So he 532 00:28:28,680 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: would have me go on the weekends and holidays, and 533 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:33,760 Speaker 1: I did more of the management of the office and 534 00:28:33,800 --> 00:28:36,040 Speaker 1: of managing President Bush, and that really helped me learn 535 00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:38,120 Speaker 1: how to manage up. And then he would have me 536 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 1: brief for him quite often. And then there was a 537 00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: day when he had to have surgery cancer related and 538 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: I had to brief for three weeks. And I had 539 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: no desire to be in front of the camera. I 540 00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:54,960 Speaker 1: really was happy being behind the scenes. And I'll never 541 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 1: forget that. He made me stand up and he put 542 00:28:57,160 --> 00:28:59,280 Speaker 1: his hands on my shoulders and he shook me, and 543 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:02,000 Speaker 1: he said, you are better at this than you think 544 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: you are. And I didn't exactly know what he meant. 545 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: But a couple of weeks into my time as Press secretary, 546 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 1: I was rushing on a Friday, and I didn't take 547 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 1: all my notes with me to the briefing room, and 548 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:16,560 Speaker 1: I just had this one piece of paper or I 549 00:29:16,600 --> 00:29:19,640 Speaker 1: had made some scribbles, and it was the best briefing 550 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 1: I'd ever done up to that date. And later on 551 00:29:23,520 --> 00:29:27,400 Speaker 1: that day, I said, Oh, that's what Tony meant. I 552 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:29,800 Speaker 1: don't have to try to be just like him. I 553 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: can just be myself and that that was enough, and 554 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:35,640 Speaker 1: I'll always be grateful for that, and I try to 555 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: pass it on. Well, I'm curious, because I've always been 556 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:39,800 Speaker 1: on the other side of the table. What is it 557 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:45,600 Speaker 1: like to be up there with thirty forty fifty reporters, 558 00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 1: all of whom are trying to play gotcha? How do 559 00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,280 Speaker 1: you stay balanced in that environment. One of the things 560 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: I write about in the book in regards to work 561 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:57,160 Speaker 1: life balance is that I learned something later in life, 562 00:29:57,360 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 1: and actually after I left the White House, but it 563 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: was a great way think about work life balance, and 564 00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: that sometimes you'll have an opportunity like to work in 565 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 1: a white House and your work life balance might feel 566 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:10,840 Speaker 1: really out of whack, way more work than life. One. 567 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:13,520 Speaker 1: I think it's good to like what you do, because 568 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 1: then work and life kind of feel good all the 569 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:20,080 Speaker 1: time and then sync. But a young woman I met 570 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:23,120 Speaker 1: after our White House years said she started to think 571 00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 1: of work life balance over the course of your lifetime, 572 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 1: that there might be times when you are working eighteen 573 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:32,360 Speaker 1: hour days and you might miss events, weddings and birthdays, 574 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 1: but that that's okay because that's you know that it's 575 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:36,160 Speaker 1: for a limited amount of time, like you can give 576 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 1: it your all for four years. One of the things 577 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:42,760 Speaker 1: I did in order to manage the briefing room, and 578 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:45,440 Speaker 1: thankfully my dad set me up for this, is I 579 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:48,040 Speaker 1: always wanted to be the most well read person in 580 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 1: the room, and I wanted the reporters to know it. 581 00:30:51,560 --> 00:30:55,000 Speaker 1: So when I went in there, if I said X 582 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:57,400 Speaker 1: is why and why is X and they knew that, 583 00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:59,200 Speaker 1: I knew that they could take that to the bank. 584 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:01,920 Speaker 1: If I didn't know the answer to something, I would 585 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 1: be very clear to say, I'll get right back to 586 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:06,560 Speaker 1: you as soon as I can. I also spent a 587 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 1: lot of time managing the press briefing room outside of 588 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: the actual briefing, talking to reporters, reading what they were 589 00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:16,240 Speaker 1: interested in, finding out what was on their minds, and 590 00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: building relationships with them so that by the time I 591 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 1: got to the briefing room kind of knew what was coming. 592 00:31:22,640 --> 00:31:25,160 Speaker 1: And you know, sometimes people think that reporters turn in 593 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:28,000 Speaker 1: their questions to the White House before a press conference. 594 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 1: I actually don't think that has ever been true. I 595 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:33,880 Speaker 1: do think that a good White House Press office will 596 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:37,200 Speaker 1: be able to anticipate all the questions because they're paid to. 597 00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: That's your job is to figure that out. And I 598 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:44,520 Speaker 1: was really good at guessing the questions. I could almost 599 00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: even tell you exactly the tone that I could mimic 600 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 1: a few reporters. The President will kind of get a 601 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: kick out of that. One of the great compliments I 602 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 1: have from him is that he was never surprised by 603 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: a question in a press conference when I did the 604 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 1: pre brief But that meant that it was just a 605 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:15,680 Speaker 1: lot of work on the front end. You describe it 606 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 1: now so confidently, But I want our listeners to realize 607 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:23,000 Speaker 1: you were the first Republican woman to become presidential press secretary. 608 00:32:23,800 --> 00:32:25,480 Speaker 1: What did that feel like? When did you have some 609 00:32:25,600 --> 00:32:28,960 Speaker 1: sense that you were now part of history. I did. 610 00:32:29,400 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 1: In fact, I actually went in to Ed Gillespie's office 611 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:37,040 Speaker 1: that day intending to resign because there was another eighteen 612 00:32:37,080 --> 00:32:40,040 Speaker 1: months to go. They had suggested that if you didn't 613 00:32:40,040 --> 00:32:41,560 Speaker 1: feel like you could make it all the way to 614 00:32:41,600 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 1: the end, it would be better to try to move on. 615 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 1: And I was deputy for so long and I thought, 616 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: you know, that might be the right time. And Peter 617 00:32:47,600 --> 00:32:50,480 Speaker 1: and I discussed it at length, and I didn't really 618 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 1: want to leave the White House and I was going 619 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:55,040 Speaker 1: to miss them, but we had decided as a couple 620 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:57,760 Speaker 1: that that was what was best for us. So that 621 00:32:57,840 --> 00:33:01,160 Speaker 1: morning I went in. It was a monday. I see 622 00:33:01,320 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 1: Ed and I said, Hi, I need to chat with you. 623 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 1: Can I see you after the communications meeting? He says, yes, 624 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:10,080 Speaker 1: I need to talk to you too. Okay, fine, communications 625 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:13,959 Speaker 1: meeting takes place. At the end, he says, Dana, can 626 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:17,280 Speaker 1: you stay behind? I said sure, And I was so 627 00:33:17,400 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 1: nervous that I almost blurted out that I was going 628 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,600 Speaker 1: to resign, and before I could speak, and said, do 629 00:33:24,640 --> 00:33:27,240 Speaker 1: you mind if I go first? And I said, oh, sure, 630 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:29,800 Speaker 1: go ahead, And he said, the President would like to 631 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:34,360 Speaker 1: name you as Press secretary on Friday, and so many 632 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:37,200 Speaker 1: emotions went through me in one instant, but one of 633 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:41,520 Speaker 1: them was my life just changed dramatically and forever, and 634 00:33:41,600 --> 00:33:43,640 Speaker 1: this is an opportunity for me, and if I do 635 00:33:43,680 --> 00:33:47,040 Speaker 1: it well, there's a whole new world of opportunity that 636 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 1: awaits me. So I said, that's wonderful, and what do 637 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:54,680 Speaker 1: we need to do to get ready for this transition? 638 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 1: So one of my lessons is always let the other 639 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:01,040 Speaker 1: person go first. I never knew that story to your book, 640 00:34:01,440 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 1: but you actually ended up briefing President Putin and it 641 00:34:05,520 --> 00:34:10,280 Speaker 1: was an interesting comment on the difference between the Soviet 642 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:13,720 Speaker 1: junior of Russia as it now is and the American model. 643 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:17,520 Speaker 1: That must have been almost an eerie experience. Yes, So 644 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:20,240 Speaker 1: I was deputy press secretary, and one of my jobs 645 00:34:20,760 --> 00:34:22,839 Speaker 1: was to keep in touch with the reporters to find 646 00:34:22,840 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 1: out what was on their minds, and then right before 647 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,840 Speaker 1: the two leaders would go out for their press conference, 648 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:32,160 Speaker 1: I would come in and brief them on that. So 649 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:34,320 Speaker 1: I was doing all of that, but they also said, Dana, 650 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 1: make sure that you remind President Putin that our reporters 651 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:41,239 Speaker 1: are likely to ask him about press freedoms in Russia 652 00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:44,680 Speaker 1: because they always asked about that, and they didn't want 653 00:34:44,680 --> 00:34:50,080 Speaker 1: Putin to think that the Bush administration had sort of 654 00:34:50,239 --> 00:34:54,360 Speaker 1: pulled a fast one on him. So I go in. 655 00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 1: I'm so nervous, and Putin is so cold, right, the 656 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 1: steely blue eyes are a real thing. And also it's 657 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:05,200 Speaker 1: unclear how much English he understands. And I respect that 658 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:07,000 Speaker 1: he also knows that the best thing for him to 659 00:35:07,000 --> 00:35:08,879 Speaker 1: do is to speak in Russian because he doesn't feel 660 00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:14,120 Speaker 1: confident negotiating or communicating officially in English. So I come 661 00:35:14,160 --> 00:35:17,439 Speaker 1: in and the President says, what you got, I think? So, sir, okay, 662 00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:19,000 Speaker 1: you're gonna be asked about this and this and this, 663 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:21,640 Speaker 1: And then I said, and then I just made myself 664 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:25,000 Speaker 1: have eye contact with Vladimir Putin, and I said, and 665 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: mister President, our reporters are likely to ask you a 666 00:35:27,960 --> 00:35:31,160 Speaker 1: question about press freedoms in Russia. This is right around 667 00:35:31,200 --> 00:35:33,520 Speaker 1: the time all those journalists just happened to be falling 668 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:37,400 Speaker 1: from skyscrapers in Russia, jumping out of windows. It had 669 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 1: happened next three or four times. And he looks at 670 00:35:41,520 --> 00:35:44,120 Speaker 1: President Bush and says, why would I answer a question 671 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:48,399 Speaker 1: on that when you just fired that newsman. The President says, 672 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:50,880 Speaker 1: what are you talking about? So as you know, you 673 00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:55,759 Speaker 1: fired that newsman. When the president says, wait, Vladimir, are 674 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:59,439 Speaker 1: you talking about Dan? Rather, I did not fire him. 675 00:36:00,080 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 1: He is employed by a private company. The company fired him. 676 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:08,040 Speaker 1: I didn't fire him. And I'm telling you, as your friend, 677 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:10,120 Speaker 1: do not go out there and say that. You will 678 00:36:10,120 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: be embarrassed. And then we went to the press conference, 679 00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:18,080 Speaker 1: and sure enough, our reporters asked about press freedoms, and 680 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 1: Vladimir Putin said, why would I do that? When he 681 00:36:20,600 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 1: fired the news man, and I could see all of 682 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:25,160 Speaker 1: our reporters looking at each other quizzically, and then when 683 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:28,160 Speaker 1: they finally figured out what he was talking about, they 684 00:36:28,160 --> 00:36:31,960 Speaker 1: were confused, because press freedoms are serious. I had other 685 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:34,200 Speaker 1: times where I briefed Vladimir Puttin, but that was one 686 00:36:34,239 --> 00:36:37,040 Speaker 1: of the ones that I remember the most well. In 687 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:41,080 Speaker 1: that sense, you actually got to be with and meet 688 00:36:41,200 --> 00:36:44,640 Speaker 1: an amazing range of world figures just by being sort 689 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 1: of in the intersection that the White House is for us. 690 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:51,440 Speaker 1: But one of your experiences with a foreign journalists actually 691 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:57,399 Speaker 1: ended up with you getting injured. TV journalists Montadar houzaid 692 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:01,040 Speaker 1: through two shoes of President Bush during a good press conference. 693 00:37:01,080 --> 00:37:04,800 Speaker 1: Now Bush Dodge, but you apparently got hit by a mistep. 694 00:37:06,120 --> 00:37:09,640 Speaker 1: That might sound like a little bit of a scrum. Yeah. 695 00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 1: So we had been on the ground in Iraq for 696 00:37:12,800 --> 00:37:15,799 Speaker 1: about twelve hours. The longest you could be on the 697 00:37:15,840 --> 00:37:19,120 Speaker 1: ground was for fourteen hours before Secret Service was like 698 00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:21,320 Speaker 1: you've got to go. That was a range of safety. 699 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:25,439 Speaker 1: And we had just arrived and Edgillespie and I sat 700 00:37:25,480 --> 00:37:27,120 Speaker 1: off to the side and I was like, wow, look 701 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:29,759 Speaker 1: at all these journalists. They never thought they'd get a 702 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:33,840 Speaker 1: chance to actually ask their leader questions as a free press, 703 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:36,920 Speaker 1: let alone the leader of the free world. Tons of 704 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:40,160 Speaker 1: equipment in the room, and I was sitting right next 705 00:37:40,200 --> 00:37:43,160 Speaker 1: to the boom mic that was being news for translation, 706 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:47,160 Speaker 1: and just as the press conference gets started. You can 707 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:49,359 Speaker 1: look it up on YouTube, folks, if you haven't watched it, 708 00:37:49,640 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: or you want to hear the little scream the guy 709 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:56,480 Speaker 1: shoes at the president one two, and thankfully George Bush 710 00:37:56,600 --> 00:37:59,680 Speaker 1: was an athlete and had really good reflexes and ducks 711 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:02,160 Speaker 1: both them. And then he's just looking at the guy 712 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:06,360 Speaker 1: like who throws shoes? What in the world? And Malaki, 713 00:38:06,719 --> 00:38:10,760 Speaker 1: the Prime Minister, is so embarrassed, and he is wanting 714 00:38:10,760 --> 00:38:13,279 Speaker 1: to end the press conference. But what happened to me 715 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:17,120 Speaker 1: was the Secret Service Agent Don White rushed forward to 716 00:38:17,160 --> 00:38:20,800 Speaker 1: protect the president, and that steel arm of the boom 717 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:24,080 Speaker 1: mic swung around so fast and caught me right below 718 00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:26,640 Speaker 1: my eye on the bone, right there, very close to 719 00:38:26,680 --> 00:38:30,640 Speaker 1: breaking it. Thank god it didn't, and I was so sore, 720 00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:32,799 Speaker 1: and I actually thought for a second that the whole 721 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:35,080 Speaker 1: thing was a distraction for a bomb, because that was 722 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:39,279 Speaker 1: a very typical terrorist tactic to create a distraction and 723 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,520 Speaker 1: a diversion so that when your attention is elsewhere, something 724 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:45,160 Speaker 1: else happens. And there was so much equipment in that room, 725 00:38:45,880 --> 00:38:49,359 Speaker 1: but it wasn't, thankfully, and I thought we would leave, 726 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: but President Bush said, no, no terrorists is going to 727 00:38:54,080 --> 00:38:56,240 Speaker 1: kick us out of this room. We're gonna take the questions. 728 00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:58,759 Speaker 1: And he looked at this one young Iraqi reporter and 729 00:38:58,760 --> 00:39:01,520 Speaker 1: he says, what do you got what question? This guy 730 00:39:01,640 --> 00:39:05,400 Speaker 1: was just dumb struck, and Malachi was also just so 731 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:09,279 Speaker 1: nervous in the present, said ask your question and made 732 00:39:09,320 --> 00:39:12,319 Speaker 1: everyone focus, which I thought was the right thing to do. 733 00:39:12,840 --> 00:39:14,799 Speaker 1: In the meantime, this one marine, I wish I could 734 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:17,719 Speaker 1: find his name. He had the biggest hand and he 735 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:22,520 Speaker 1: grabbed my hand and lifted me up over the whole 736 00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:25,520 Speaker 1: scene onto the floor where we could walk to the door. 737 00:39:26,040 --> 00:39:29,080 Speaker 1: And I went to get medical attention, and nobody wanted 738 00:39:29,120 --> 00:39:30,759 Speaker 1: to let anyone leave the room because now it's a 739 00:39:30,800 --> 00:39:34,200 Speaker 1: crime scene. And he says, what do you need. I said, 740 00:39:34,239 --> 00:39:37,040 Speaker 1: I need my doctor, and he said, oh I am doctor. 741 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:40,880 Speaker 1: Oh no, I went the White House doctor please, And anyway, 742 00:39:40,880 --> 00:39:43,319 Speaker 1: I got a big black eye out of that for 743 00:39:43,360 --> 00:39:46,839 Speaker 1: six weeks. That's an amazing story. And let me ask 744 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:49,440 Speaker 1: you one last thing, because it's so relevant to your 745 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:52,880 Speaker 1: advice for young women, something which I believe in passionately, 746 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:54,959 Speaker 1: and I was thrilled to see that you did too, 747 00:39:55,320 --> 00:39:58,719 Speaker 1: talk about the impact of having a mentor and how 748 00:39:58,800 --> 00:40:02,279 Speaker 1: you all of those kind of relationships and those kind 749 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:06,120 Speaker 1: of experiences. I like to think of mentoring as something 750 00:40:06,320 --> 00:40:08,480 Speaker 1: that it doesn't have to be so formal. A lot 751 00:40:08,480 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 1: of companies now do have mentoring programs, and I think 752 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:13,279 Speaker 1: this can be very good, but they also feel a 753 00:40:13,280 --> 00:40:17,680 Speaker 1: little restrictive and limiting. My chiefest staff that I worked 754 00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:19,560 Speaker 1: with on Capitol Hill I think of as my first 755 00:40:19,640 --> 00:40:23,399 Speaker 1: really great mentor. She helped me learn how to brief 756 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:25,919 Speaker 1: a boss. She would always say, make sure you leave 757 00:40:25,920 --> 00:40:28,120 Speaker 1: on a high note when you go to see the boss. 758 00:40:28,280 --> 00:40:30,960 Speaker 1: Always leave them up with something positive to think about. 759 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:33,080 Speaker 1: So I learned that that's one of the reasons my 760 00:40:33,120 --> 00:40:35,799 Speaker 1: first book is called And the Good News is. She 761 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:39,040 Speaker 1: would also do things like blind copy me on emails 762 00:40:39,239 --> 00:40:41,879 Speaker 1: so that I could see how she communicated. She would 763 00:40:41,960 --> 00:40:44,120 Speaker 1: let me sit in on her interviews where she would 764 00:40:44,120 --> 00:40:45,879 Speaker 1: talk to the press so that I could hear how 765 00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:48,640 Speaker 1: she would do things. But also she gave me a 766 00:40:48,719 --> 00:40:53,360 Speaker 1: real appreciation for understanding policy, not just understanding how to 767 00:40:53,400 --> 00:40:56,399 Speaker 1: talk about it, but to actually understand the policy. We 768 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:59,560 Speaker 1: were talking about Poka and Purpa reform. I didn't even 769 00:40:59,560 --> 00:41:02,040 Speaker 1: know what those things were at the time. And even 770 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:04,279 Speaker 1: the fir. The fir was my first press call was 771 00:41:04,280 --> 00:41:06,160 Speaker 1: about the firk. I had to ask the reporter how 772 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:09,239 Speaker 1: to spell it, and she was so patient with me. 773 00:41:09,840 --> 00:41:11,879 Speaker 1: And I look back and I pay tribute to her 774 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:15,520 Speaker 1: in the book because she really helped do things that 775 00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:18,319 Speaker 1: I do with my own staff today in terms of 776 00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:21,360 Speaker 1: helping them along the way. I also think that you 777 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:24,880 Speaker 1: can have mentors all throughout your life. There's a woman 778 00:41:25,280 --> 00:41:28,200 Speaker 1: now in my life that I admire so much her 779 00:41:28,239 --> 00:41:31,680 Speaker 1: name is Dame Anne Glogue and she's a very successful 780 00:41:31,719 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 1: businesswoman but also an incredible philanthropist, which is how she 781 00:41:35,040 --> 00:41:37,239 Speaker 1: became a Dame knighted by the Queen a couple of 782 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:40,440 Speaker 1: years ago for all of her work, mostly in Africa. 783 00:41:41,640 --> 00:41:46,279 Speaker 1: It's just an incredible story of her tenacity, bravery. She 784 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:49,120 Speaker 1: refuses to pay bribes in Africa and she still is 785 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 1: able to get things done. And then more recently, I 786 00:41:52,200 --> 00:41:55,680 Speaker 1: met this young woman named Sadie Robertson. She has quite 787 00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:58,239 Speaker 1: a following. She's twenty seven years old. I don't know 788 00:41:58,239 --> 00:42:00,360 Speaker 1: if she would call herself a minister though she but 789 00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:03,960 Speaker 1: she does. I think minister two people. She's a wonderful podcast. 790 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:07,480 Speaker 1: She's so bright and fun and interesting and I realized, 791 00:42:07,880 --> 00:42:10,640 Speaker 1: oh my goodness, I am another role model and she's 792 00:42:10,640 --> 00:42:13,480 Speaker 1: only twenty seven. Well, listen, you've been very generous with 793 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:15,880 Speaker 1: your time. I just want to say to everybody that 794 00:42:16,440 --> 00:42:21,000 Speaker 1: Dana is a perfect example of somebody who has both 795 00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:25,000 Speaker 1: a private lesson for young ladies and a public life 796 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:29,440 Speaker 1: that they can learn from, and the combination is just amazing. 797 00:42:29,880 --> 00:42:34,520 Speaker 1: And I think that she really exemplifies the potential you 798 00:42:34,560 --> 00:42:39,080 Speaker 1: have if you believe in yourself, if you're willing to persevere, 799 00:42:39,719 --> 00:42:43,360 Speaker 1: you're willing to learn, you're willing to recognize it. Sometimes 800 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:45,920 Speaker 1: you're going to fall down, but you can get back up. 801 00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:47,920 Speaker 1: And I think in that sense the end of that 802 00:42:47,920 --> 00:42:51,959 Speaker 1: you've been just a remarkable role model. And I'm really 803 00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:54,600 Speaker 1: so glad that you put that into a form that 804 00:42:54,960 --> 00:42:58,239 Speaker 1: everybody can have access to, and we're certainly going to 805 00:42:58,600 --> 00:43:02,120 Speaker 1: make sure that it's prominent on our show page. Talk 806 00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:04,319 Speaker 1: about generous with your time, that would be you, Thank 807 00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:09,400 Speaker 1: you so much. You can read more about Dana Brenham 808 00:43:09,800 --> 00:43:12,920 Speaker 1: and get a link to buy her new book, Everything 809 00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:16,880 Speaker 1: Will Be Okay. Life Lessons for Young Women from a 810 00:43:16,960 --> 00:43:21,520 Speaker 1: former young woman on our show page at newtsworld dot com. 811 00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:25,840 Speaker 1: News World is produced by Gingerish three sixty and iHeartMedia. 812 00:43:26,040 --> 00:43:31,440 Speaker 1: Our executive producer is Debbie Myers, our producer is Garnsey Sloan, 813 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:35,920 Speaker 1: and our researcher is Rachel Peterson. The artwork for the 814 00:43:35,960 --> 00:43:40,080 Speaker 1: show was created by Steve Pentley. Special banks to the 815 00:43:40,120 --> 00:43:43,759 Speaker 1: team at Gingrish three sixty. If you've been to join Newtsworld, 816 00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:47,200 Speaker 1: I hope you'll go to Apple Podcast and both rate 817 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:50,360 Speaker 1: us with five stars and give us a review so 818 00:43:50,480 --> 00:43:55,480 Speaker 1: others can learn what it's all about. Right now, listeners 819 00:43:55,480 --> 00:43:59,320 Speaker 1: of Newtsworld can sign up from my three free weekly 820 00:43:59,360 --> 00:44:04,480 Speaker 1: columns at Jingwish three sixty dot com slash newsletter. I'm 821 00:44:04,560 --> 00:44:06,560 Speaker 1: new Gingwish. This is Newsworld