Here’s the draft of the memo for feedback, both attached and below.

Earned Media/Next Steps

January 2015

Objective: As media attention increasingly turns to 2016 and Secretary Clinton continues to move towards a decision, we want to be proactive in shaping a public narrative that does three things:

1) Explains on our own terms who she’s meeting and talking with, both in terms of potential campaign hires and policy advisors. She's casting a wide net, looking for the best talent, and listening to people with bold ideas from across the party. Notably, she is specifically reaching out to progressive policy experts and to people in the Obama orbit, demonstrating that she is doing things differently this time. She will be positioned to run a thoughtful, successful, forward-looking and technological advanced campaign, should she decide to run.

2) Provides cover and context for recruiting the best people and appealing to those who are looking for signals about whether this is something that they want to be a part of.

3) Begins to build energy and enthusiasm among Democrats for a forward-looking potential candidacy that will offer a bold vision for the future.

Placing a Story

As discussed on our call, we are all in agreement that the time is right place a story with a friendly journalist in the coming days that positions us a little more transparently while achieving the above goals.

Who:
For something like this, especially in the absence of us teasing things out to others, we feel that it’s important to go with what is safe and what has worked in the past, and to a publication that will reach industry people for recruitment purposes.

We have has a very good relationship with Maggie Haberman of Politico over the last year. We have had her tee up stories for us before and have never been disappointed. While we should have a larger conversation in the near future about a broader strategy for reengaging the beat press that covers HRC, for this we think we can achieve our objective and do the most shaping by going to Maggie.

What:
Mechanically, the story will have three basic components. First, a list of names that we agree upon beforehand that we will give to a reporter on background, both policy people and campaign people. Second, some information provided on background that explains what is happening and why and third, a quote on-the-record that affirms all of this in an official capacity, making clear that this is a sanctioned story.

1) Names:

a. Policy*

i. Joe Stiglitz

ii. Paul Volcker

* More names available if and when it’s helpful. And we should revisit if and how to give people a heads up beforehand.

b. Campaign

i. John, Joel, and Robby are already out there

ii. Teddy Goff?

iii. Wendy Clark?

2) On Background as someone familiar with HRC’s thinking:

After the midterms, HRC turned in earnest to thinking through a decision, as she always said she would. She’s taking on the two big questions she posed at the end of her book: “What’s your vision for America?” and “Can you lead us there?” During the midterm campaign, you heard her lay out a lot of the challenges we face, particularly stagnant incomes and the middle class squeeze that is preventing a lot of Americans from feeling the recovery. So now she’s focusing on potential solutions. She’s casting a wide net, with a particular emphasis on new voices and new ideas. Talking to Joe Stiglitz about inequality. Talking to Paul Volker about financial reform. When you include outreach by her team, there have been discussions with more than 100 policy experts across the country. As for the second question -- can you lead us there? -- she’s also talking to people about what a successful, forward-looking and technological advanced campaign would look like, one that would allow her to have a conversation with the American public about these ideas and do so in innovative ways. And just like on the policy side, she’s especially interested in new voices and new talent. It’s no accident she’s talking to so many people from the Obama orbit. Joel Benenson, for example. If she runs, this is going to be a different kind of campaign, from top to bottom.

3) On the record:

She is thinking through a decision and doing so with a big-tent approach that allows her to hear from lots of people across the Democratic party. She wants to hear new voices and new ideas. She's using this time to look at bold new ideas for helping the middle class and what it would take to build an inclusive, thoughtful and technically advanced campaign, so that if she decides to run, she'll be ready.

When: Next week probably makes the most sense, but after we have an agreed-upon plan in place we should reconvene early next week by email or phone and make a decision.