My gift for Karine Jean-Pierre

Karine Jean-Pierre, Joe Biden’s press secretary for the final two years and eight months of his presidency, announced yesterday that she is writing a tell-all book. She said she is leaving the Democratic party because it is important for Americans to be “clear-eyed and questioning, rather than blindly loyal and obedient.”

In journalism school, I learned the importance of starting a news story or book with a great lede, an opening sentence that sets the stage for what readers are about to learn. If Ms Jean-Pierre is having writer’s block as she starts her book, here is my gift to her — five ledes from which she can choose:

• Although I had never met her husband (and, in fact, still haven’t ), I was thrilled when Dr.Jill Biden called to offer me the job of press secretary.

• The tenth or eleventh time President Biden called me “Peppermint Patty,” his nickname for my predecessor, Jen Psaki, I started to wonder.

• I am out of a job and all of those so-called “reporters,” the people who are supposed to actually dig for news instead of sitting on their butts being spoon-fed sound bites, shouldn’t have theirs either, but, as President Kennedy famously said, “Life is unfair.” 

• The morning after the debate, I was ordered to say the President was suffering from a cold, jet lag and exhaustion after running the Boston Marathon, but someone pointed out the marathon had taken place two months earlier so we agreed that the first two reasons sounded more plausible. 

• It is perhaps the ultimate irony that after two years and eight months of dedicated service, the promise that I would get my own show on CNN turned out to be fake news.

Can’t wait for the book. Bet you can’t either.