Doug Heye, a Republican strategist, told Insider that some political maneuvering is more tactical.
Emanuel, now the US's ambassador to Japan, didn't refute that the exchange took place but told Insider he didn't remember it.
It serves the institution," the former GOP aide told Insider, adding that seasoned dealmakers are preferable to partisan bomb-throwers "with some agenda that they're driving."
Paul Morigi/Getty ImagesWhite, now the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, told Insider his boss always had the final word.
'Preserving their dignity'Convincing career lawmakers to hang it up before they tarnish their respective legacies is tricky business, a veteran GOP leadership aide told Insider.