Alyssa Mastromonaco

When I tinker with the outline, I tinker with the outline.

When I tinker with the outline, I tinker with the outline.

So I actually, I was on the transition. The transition for us was split between Chicago and Washington, D.C. And so Barack Obama, then President-elect Obama, and Michelle and the girls, they were staying in Chicago until the holidays because girls were still in school. So I was split between Chicago and D.C.

So I actually, I was on the transition. The transition for us was split between Chicago and Washington, D.C. And so Barack Obama, then President-elect Obama, and Michelle and the girls, they were staying in Chicago until the holidays because girls were still in school. So I was split between Chicago and D.C.

and I, with Pfeiffer, worked on this is actually here's one of our funniest transition stories. So like Pfeiffer said, we did a lot of the we did a lot of the coordination around the cabinet secretary rollouts. They did not happen on Twitter as they do this time around.

and I, with Pfeiffer, worked on this is actually here's one of our funniest transition stories. So like Pfeiffer said, we did a lot of the we did a lot of the coordination around the cabinet secretary rollouts. They did not happen on Twitter as they do this time around.

We actually had events where everyone would fly in and stand with the president for the most part and and be announced and he would have met with them and he'd come out and be like, I just met with my economic team and here's who they are.

We actually had events where everyone would fly in and stand with the president for the most part and and be announced and he would have met with them and he'd come out and be like, I just met with my economic team and here's who they are.

But one time things moved so fast and furious on the transition that one of my deputies, Lizzie, called Stephen Chu, who was going to be secretary of energy, to coordinate his travel. And when she called him, he goes, I guess I got the job. So. We had it is it is fast and furious. But yes, so I oversaw everything that the president elect was doing both in D.C., Chicago when he traveled.

But one time things moved so fast and furious on the transition that one of my deputies, Lizzie, called Stephen Chu, who was going to be secretary of energy, to coordinate his travel. And when she called him, he goes, I guess I got the job. So. We had it is it is fast and furious. But yes, so I oversaw everything that the president elect was doing both in D.C., Chicago when he traveled.

And then also Pfeiffer and I were both even though they're separate entities, there was the inaugural committee. And we both had a lot of visibility into that, too, because you can't have an inauguration that's off message or poorly organized. I mean, I feel like you can't now.

And then also Pfeiffer and I were both even though they're separate entities, there was the inaugural committee. And we both had a lot of visibility into that, too, because you can't have an inauguration that's off message or poorly organized. I mean, I feel like you can't now.

We held ourselves to a high standard, you know?

We held ourselves to a high standard, you know?

I mean, people really don't understand how few resources there are on a transition committee. Like, Pfeiffer was in D.C., so I'm not sure if he saw the same level of it. But where I was, because President Obama was there most of the time, we had... Secretary Clinton, then Senator Clinton, was coming to see President Obama. And he's like, can we get her some juice or something?

I mean, people really don't understand how few resources there are on a transition committee. Like, Pfeiffer was in D.C., so I'm not sure if he saw the same level of it. But where I was, because President Obama was there most of the time, we had... Secretary Clinton, then Senator Clinton, was coming to see President Obama. And he's like, can we get her some juice or something?

And it required going to Bed Bath & Beyond to buy a pitcher and then go to the Whole Foods to buy the apple juice. And then one of us had to take the pitcher home at night and wash it. And when he heard it was Peter Orszag's birthday, who was going to be our director of OMB, he's like, we should make him a cake, which meant one of us made him a cake.

And it required going to Bed Bath & Beyond to buy a pitcher and then go to the Whole Foods to buy the apple juice. And then one of us had to take the pitcher home at night and wash it. And when he heard it was Peter Orszag's birthday, who was going to be our director of OMB, he's like, we should make him a cake, which meant one of us made him a cake.

OK, so those were very different times when John McCain was coming to see President Obama after the election. He flew out to Chicago. There was no car service to pick him up. There was a nice guy named Ted Chiodo who picked him up McDonald's on the way so he could eat. That is it's it's rough and tumble. It is not a fancy.

OK, so those were very different times when John McCain was coming to see President Obama after the election. He flew out to Chicago. There was no car service to pick him up. There was a nice guy named Ted Chiodo who picked him up McDonald's on the way so he could eat. That is it's it's rough and tumble. It is not a fancy.