White House brings in Clinton aides for strategy session, amid stormy week

After a brutal week for the White House communications team as President Obama took heat for fundraising amid a series of foreign policy crises, Press Secretary Josh Earnest hosted three of his predecessors from the Clinton administration for a strategy session on Thursday.

Earnest and White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri hosted a lunch to chat with former White House press secretaries Mike McCurry, Joe Lockhart, and Jake Siewert. All three had bumpy days at the White House podium during the Clinton impeachment drama and its aftermath.

Palmieri, who also served in the Clinton White House, told Fox News "all three are really smart guys" who are helpful to the current administration's messaging.

"They had good advice," added Palmieri, without divulging any specifics.

The session comes as the Obama White House faces criticism for the president's three-day fundraising swing on the West Coast, and accusations that he is disengaged from crises in Ukraine, the Middle East and beyond.

Palmieri said the lunch was the brainchild of Earnest, who recently succeeded Jay Carney and might be seeking tips from predecessors who manned the White House podium during politically stormy times.