Tammy Haddad spoke with Chuck Todd, chief White House correspondent for NBC News, for the Jan. 9 edition of "National Journal On Air." This is an edited transcript of their discussion.

NJ: Chuck Todd is chief White House correspondent, the new chief White House correspondent for NBC News. You know him from the Today Show, Nightly News, MSNBC -- you name it, you've done it, Chuck. Last year or two years ago you were in print. Now you're one of the biggest TV stars. Let's start there before we get to the book. What's it like to be a big TV star talking about politics?

Todd: Well, I'll tell you. Only this week have I really realized, "Oh, now I'm a TV journalist," because the hard work that it really is. It's one thing to go on television and blather on as an analyst, and trust me, that I've been doing a long time thanks to you, Tammy, for years and years, and even when I came on NBC I was still in an analyst's role, responsive, live, on-camera stuff, shooting from the hip. These -- this whole making TV stuff, packages, producing, that's hard work. And this has been an eye-opener. It's exhilarating. It's an honor, to, you know, hold the title that Tom Brokaw had, Brian Williams had, David Gregory had, you know, not small potatoes. And -- but wow. It has been quite the introduction. It's hard work.

NJ: Which part is hardest? Is it hardest to write the spot? Is it hardest to do the introduction to the spot or to do it all quickly?

Todd: It's -- to do it all quickly in this respect: It's doing -- it's making it so that you don't -- you got to be quick because you want to keep the attention of the viewer. And at the same time you also don't -- you want to be true to yourself, and I certainly do, always want to add the extra piece of information that you think they didn't know. But getting it in there so that it's digestible and quick, because you do have to realize folks are either eating their breakfast while they're listening to you or preparing their dinner and putting their kids to bed while they're listening to you. So it's -- you know, as much as you think you're the -- you're -- got the undivided attention of folks, you don't necessarily have that, so you have to strike that balance. And I -- and it's -- for a print guy who has all this information, he thinks, in his head, dumping -- wanting to dump it all in one minute-and-fifty package, it's quite the eye-opener.

NJ: So you think that's harder than asking a president a question, which you just did?

Todd: Well, I -- you know, it's funny. I do. I think asking the questions, this is going to be the easy part of the job. The hard part of the job is getting good answers out of this guy and out of any administration, but I think this one is going to be as tough as the Bush administration. You know, you talk to members of the media and they say, "Jeez, these people" -- Bushies, you know -- "you never could get anything out of 'em." You know what? The Obama White House is going to be the same way, and it's going to be even more irritating because there's the assumption -- the press is going to be shocked at how hard it is when it first happens. These folks are very disciplined people. It was difficult during the campaign to get information out of them, and I think it's going to be very difficult to get stuff out of them in this White House because I think leakers get punished in Obamaworld. Leakers never got punished in Clintonland. They get punished in Obamaland.

NJ: Like who?

Todd: Well, I -- we haven't -- the leakers don't get jobs. I mean, that's what it's been so far during this transition. Leakers haven't gotten jobs and --

NJ: What about Leon Panetta? But I guess --

Todd: Well that's -- that's interesting, the Leon Panetta choice -- and that shows you that they are down to their third and fourth choices on CIA, no offense against Leon Panetta. But here's a guy who has been a good source for people over the years, when he was in the Clinton White House, and now he's in charge of secrets. That's kind of an interesting decision. They needed a -- here's the thing, what we all forget. The head of the CIA isn't an intelligence gatherer. The head of the CIA is a politician. And if you don't acknowledge that your head of the CIA is a politician, you're naïve. So that's why he needed Panetta.

NJ: OK, but wait a minute, but wait a minute, Chuck. All the criticism of George [Tenet], right?

Todd: Yeah.

NJ: All the criticism was the fact that he was a politician.

Todd: But they -- he didn't -- he -- there's -- was for Tenet at least, he didn't know how to play politics on the Hill and he didn't know how to play politics in this town, and that's the difference. And I think Panetta will know how to do that just like George H.W. Bush knew how to do that. You need to know how to play both sides on this one. You need to know how to be a consiglieri type as head of the CIA, but you also need to know how to play the game here. And, you know, look, Obama's gotten quite the eye-opener this week. You know, welcome to Washington, you know. Just because he's the head Democrat doesn't mean everybody -- every Democrat listens to him. He's learning that the hard way. And, you know, it's a two-party system in this town: the White House and Congress.

NJ: [Laughter] What about -- what do you make of Harry Reid saying, "I work with him, I don't work for him."

Todd: And that's exactly right. That tells you right there -- there's always an adversarial relationship between the White House and Congress. They don't work together. They never have worked together, whether the one -- same party controls both or not. You know, Bush had just as many problems dealing with Trent Lott and Tom DeLay. When those guys were running things, he couldn't get anything through. He tried to get Trent Lott out of there, thinking that would help, you know, put his own guy in -- made it worse. So it is an adversarial -- it is set up to adversarial.

NJ: Right. But this new president, you said they don't abide by leakers. What are they going to do with people like Harry Reid? Take him to the woodshed?

Todd: And that's -- I think the issues they have -- you know, you hear all sorts of bloviating by some Obama folks saying, "You know what? Reid's days are numbered. He won't be Senate majority leader beyond these next two years." But you know what? It's hard to pick your own person on the Hill. Again, I go back to, you know, Bush tried to pick his own person and Bill Frist was as big of a disaster as any Senate majority leader.

NJ: Wow. Well, let's talk -- tell people about your new book.

Todd: Absolutely.

NJ: How Barack Obama Won: A State-by-State Guide to the Historic 2008 Presidential Election with our friend Sheldon Gawiser from NBC News. You guys know everything. What's -- what else could be said about this election, Chuck?

Todd: It's a total data dump. This is sort of -- I call it a utilitarian guide, and you know, there's a nice introduction put together, sort of the story of the campaign, how did it happen, but also a state-by-state guide. I mean, this was -- there was an enormous amount of interest this year in the mechanics of elections, right? Part of it was driven by just the importance of this election. There were so many new people taking an interest of it. But part of it was driven by the fact that there was the first woman -- realistic woman running for president, the first realistic African American who could become president. And so understanding the data, the demographics, which state was going to go where, that was -- it was as big as ever and you know, I'll be honest, the response to the book so far and the fact that, you know, it was a major publisher who came to us and said, "Hey, can you put this together, and put it together fast because we think there's interest in it." And, you know, for a numbers geek like me to know that a Random House says, "Hey, we want this" rather than, you know, an inside Washington place, it's kind of neat. And I think it does show you the bigger interest in politics that there was this year. The audience has grown exponentially as, you know, listeners right now --

NJ: Well, wait a minute, Chuck, though, wait, wait, wait, wait. This is not just about the data, darlin'. With all due respect to you and Sheldon, what this is about is Chuckie T., the cutest guy, you're the new guy on the block, let's be honest, you're the hot guy -- by the way, I didn't ask you, with this new job of chief White House correspondent -- Chief, I have to call you Chief, you told me that before we came on --

Todd: That's right. You know I don't respond to anything that's not "Chief."

NJ: OK, Chief, did you get any, you know, gifts from people, any suggestions of how to do things, anything?

Todd: Well, let's see here. My favorite -- and, you know, I've been on -- doing this TV gig, you know, particularly in sort of a higher-profile way, you know, in the last six months, and the -- probably most bizarre, random gift I got was a shaving kit. And not just any shaving kit, a really nice shaving kit. I mean, you know, complete with the old-school brush, you know, like you're sitting in the old guy barber chair and they get that nice hot water and lather you up, and it's beautiful. I mean, it probably cost this person, you know, 50-60 dollars, I don't know. Nice. I assume, I think it was an older woman who said to me, just a random viewer who said, you know, "I think you're, you know, one of the greatest things I hear every day," blah, blah, blah. "But you gotta shave. You gotta get rid of the beard. Get rid of the beard." And I also there -- let's just say there's some high-profile folks -- and I won't mention their names publicly because I don't want them going public about their push for me -- but let's just say very, very well-connected people here at NBC who are making the push to get me to shave and, you know, I'm going to stay stubborn. My boss, Steve Capus, he loves this, he's got his own beard, and I think as long as, you know, you -- hey, if the NBC News -- if a beard is good enough for the president of NBC News, I say it's good enough for the chief White House correspondent.

NJ: Really! Are you the first chief White House correspondent that had facial hair?

Todd: I don't know.

NJ: Where's the research team?

Todd: I think it could be.

NJ: So who sent you the shaving kit?

Todd: I don't know. It's just a random...

NJ: They didn't send a note?

Todd: They sent a note but it was just like she -- I think she signed her name "Phyllis."

NJ: You didn't send a note back?

Todd: No, I sent a thank-you note.

NJ: One name?

Todd: I sent a thank-you note. It's been a while. I can't remember her last name. C'mon, Tammy.

NJ: Oh, wow, did you get new clothes for this new gig?

Todd: I haven't. I'm getting a lot of advice on what I should be wearing.

NJ: Oh, yes.

Todd: You know, dark suits and old scarves, and of course someone said, you know, if you really need advice, go to David Gregory.

NJ: Oh my God. Nobody looks better than David.

Todd: It's true, it's true.

NJ: Isn't he? He's, like, a handsome devil and his clothing is divine.

Todd: Nobody manscapes like David.

NJ: He is the supermodel of Washington, don't you think?

Todd: Absolutely. He was -- he's Washington's number one manscaper.

NJ: So what advice did he give you?

Todd: Well, actually he has been terrific. He's really been helpful on the writing and on tracking. You know, nobody has one of the better broadcast voices than David. And -- my favorite thing was listening to David, he can do different impersonations even in tracking of different correspondents. Not just Brokaw, which we all know he does. It's a drop -- I mean literally you -- you know -- he's better at doing Brokaw than Brokaw at this point. I'd -- you know, I'd rather hear Gregory's version of it. Then you have -- he does an Ed Bradley. Who knew you could do an Ed Bradley, and then when he does it you go, oh my God, Ed Bradley! Of course, the late correspondent for 60 Minutes, but when you hear him you're like, Wow! That is really good. The guy is just unbelievable with his ability to mimic.

NJ: And I love the way he dances.

Todd: Well, I'm not commenting on his dancing. I don't want him commenting on my beard, I'm not commenting on the dancing.

NJ: [Laughter] Well, that's safe. And he's been doing a great job. And you've been on now -- are you going to be on "Meet the Press" weekly?

Todd: Not weekly, no, but a contributing editor, which is as high of an honor as I ever expected, so it's a very cool gig to be working with that team, with Betsy Fischer, the executive producer, and David Gregory. I mean it's -- we're feeling pretty good here in the Washington bureau. I'll be honest, all of us here, Andrea Mitchell, Pete Williams, you name it, we feel pretty good. We feel like -- compared to, you know, the rest of the media landscape that we do have the support to do a little bit more, you know, to live up to the reputation that, you know, that the Washington bureau has had over the years.

NJ: Wow. You mentioned our friend, our mutual friend, Betsy Fischer, and it was only a year ago that you, Betsy Fischer, Tim Russert, and I --

Todd: Oh my God.

NJ: Well, Tim Russert brought you into NBC. I have to ask you about him.

Todd: We were doing some crazy -- we were driving through the snow. The best part of this story, listeners, is don't get in between Tim Russert, Tammy Haddad, and one of those Hertz NeverLosts.

NJ: True! [Laughter]

Todd: It is --

NJ: You guys set me up! You put me in the front!

Todd: We absolutely did.

NJ: Tell people what it is. They don't know what it is.

Todd: This NeverLost system, one of those, you know, GPS guidance systems and it's, you know, supposed to be really GPS for Dummies. And we're trying to --

NJ: And it was a dummy working on it.

Todd: God love Tim, the ultimate control freak, he always has to drive. Wouldn't let me drive all through Iowa. I've been -- I've, like, lived in Iowa for years, wouldn't let me drive. He has to drive. Fine. But he wants somebody to navigate, and if you sit in that front passenger seat you're programming the NeverLost. Well, I think Betsy and I thought it would be very funny, let's put Tammy up front with Tim, see how that works out. Well, lo and behold I think Betsy at some point had to reach up front and just had to program it because it was getting ugly. Tim was getting impatient. I think at some point we thought Tammy was going to get left on the side of the road somewhere.

NJ: I couldn't see it!

Todd: Somewhere in Des Moines, Iowa.

NJ: I couldn't see it. You guys set me up. I almost -- and then we picked up Andrea along the way, remember?

Todd: That's right, where we thought she was going to slip and fall on the ice. It was a crazy night, but what -- it was -- remember that John McCain event? His lone event in Iowa? But we smelled the comeback coming.

NJ: It was Iowa caucus eve, and the thing that struck me about that McCain event -- and I have video of it which I haven't published on Newsweek, which I should -- was that Tim, unlike some other folks covering it, media folks covering it, went right into the center of the room, which was -- it was 20 degrees below zero outside and it was 100 degrees inside, and he stood there with everyone, and people came to him and talked to him, and he -- there wasn't one person he didn't talk to, wasn't one autograph he didn't sign. He was such a man of the people. We have to talk about him, Chuck.

Todd: Absolutely. I mean, it's --

NJ: I mean, you sat next to him for almost an entire year. I just still can't believe he's here. Can you believe he's not here?

Todd: Well, I can't, and you should know that we -- that Sheldon and I dedicated our book, How Barack Obama Won, to Tim. Sheldon, believe it or not, has known Tim -- knew Tim the longest of anybody in NBC News, even before Tim ever got to NBC News, because Tim was a student of Sheldon's in college. And so it is -- it was -- we both put in some nice remembrances, so it's -- you know, in many ways, Sheldon and I were forced to work with each other after the passing of Tim. Tim threw us together. And then we put this book together, which ultimately is just -- Tim always needed those exit polls, always was demanding the numbers from Sheldon. Sheldon, you know, couldn't get them to him on Election Night, so maybe this book will help Tim.

NJ: Well, I think that's terrific. On Inauguration Day, where will we find you?

Todd: Well, I -- it's a great question. I assume on the White House North Lawn. Maybe along the parade route. But it's a -- apparently I'm going to be outdoors, which is a -- I've already gotten lots of advice on that, you know, get those little heater things, those little self -- plastic -- Tammy, the most interesting part of getting appointed to this job is just what you said when you said, is it -- how much advice is out there? There's a ton of it in every setting, an opinion, whether it's what you wear, what color tie you should have, don't wear blue shirts in the rain, don't -- you know, don't wear light-colored suits against the White House backdrop, hey, your long coat is too black, careful of -- it is amazing how much advice have for my stand-ups these days.

NJ: But I have one question for you.

Todd: Yes.

NJ: Has anyone given you any advice about what to say?

Todd: No. And that's, you know--

NJ: And that's the tribute.

Todd: No, but that's the ultimate thing about NBC News, is that they didn't -- they don't expect people to be cookie-cutter, you know, and they're, you know, trust me. I'm not a cookie cutter.

NJ: But they also, Chuck, they also know, and outside people -- I'm asking about outside people now -- no one's ever given you advice on what to say, it's just on how to stand and what to do, right?

Todd: Yeah, you know, smile a little bit more, you know, the beard can make you scowl, you know, it is -- that's my favorite part. You know what? It's fun. It is TV and one thing I do hope I convey is that politics, government, as you and I have talked about for years, and -- it's fun and important. And we hope people get -- understand that the two actually go hand in hand.

NJ: Well, we're all so proud of you, Chuck, and it's been great to watch your rise and your triumph here. I only wish Tim were here today, too.

Todd: Well, it's -- Tammy Haddad has a lot to do with this. You know, unfortunately for so many people now stuck watching me on TV. Tammy put me on television when other people wouldn't. In fact, I ran into -- ready for this? I'll do a blast from the past for you. So here I am now in the front row, you know, asking questions of the president-elect, who is in the row behind me. Peter Barnes. And I go to Peter, Peter Barnes at the Fox Business Network, I go to Peter Barnes and I said, "Hey, have you ever gotten paid by America's Voice yet?"

[Laughter]

Todd: Because -- and for -- and if we have to sit here and explain what America's Voice is, God help us.

NJ: There's only one thing they need to know. They fired Billy Bush and kept us.

Todd: Unbelievable. How about this team? Billy Bush, Peter Barnes, Tammy Haddad -- that's quite the crew -- Mary Matalin. God only knows how all that came together.

NJ: Oh, that's right, Mary, too. Oh my goodness.

Todd: Mary had a show.

NJ: Yeah, unbelievable.

Todd: And yet these people went under thanks to some crazy old lady who loved conservative politics in North Carolina.

NJ: Yeah, God bless her. Thank you for being with us, Chuck Todd, chief White House correspondent for NBC News. Call him Chief, right?

Todd: There you go, apparently.

NJ: And he is the author of the book How Barack Obama Won: A State-By-State Guide To The Historic 2008 Presidential Election, dedicated to our friend Tim Russert.

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