Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice.
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There are plenty of romanticized depictions of the presidency on film, TV and written form.
And then there is CODY KEENAN’s new book, “Grace.”
The former BARACK OBAMA speechwriter has offered a tome that, on its surface, is about how the White House can do big, dramatic things. The subtitle is “President Obama and ten days in the battle for America.”
But the heart of the book puts political realism to literature — a showcase about how the goal of a White House is often to fend off bad things, claw for incremental progress and, above all else, fight off cynicism. How inspiration doesn’t come via rah-rah speeches from the chief of staff, but from 2 a.m. smoke breaks or visceral…
