Current Affairs Of Pakistan & World: POLITICO Playbook: An episode that shows how Republicans and Democrats are different

POLITICO Playbook: An episode that shows how Republicans and Democrats are different

May 13, 2020

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By Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman

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DRIVING THE DAY

HOUSE DEMOCRATS RELEASED an 1,800-page, $3 TRILLION stimulus bill Tuesday, and they say they will vote on it Friday despite some gripes from the left. Yes, that's a vote on a massive bill after lawmakers get just a few days to review it. This legislation is a messaging bill that will never become law -- a way for the party to make the point that, in their view, they're working on coronavirus relief, and Senate Republicans are not.

-- PROGESSIVE REPS. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-Wash.) and MARK POCAN (D-Wis.) are pushing to delay the vote until next week, saying they need more time to pore over the legislation. A delay would also be helpful for JAYAPAL, who was pushing her own plan to have the government pay for a huge chunk of workers' wages -- something Speaker NANCY PELOSI has resisted. Read Heather Caygle, Sarah Ferris and John Bresnahan

THERE IS A CROSS-SECTION of Democrats -- a range of lawmakers from progressives to centrists -- who want more time to read the bill. But the leadership seems to have a potential revolt under control, at the moment, and is pushing toward a Friday vote.

-- HERE'S WHERE THE TWO PARTIES ARE DIFFERENT: IF THIS WERE THE GOP, the FREEDOM CAUCUS wouldn't be asking the leadership to delay the bill. They'd be saying that if the leadership didn't delay the bill, they'd make sure it failed. Progressive DEMOCRATS don't do that -- yet. In the Capitol, power is in numbers. The only way to have sway is if you can get to 218 -- the threshold for passage -- on your own, or prevent someone else from getting there. Progressives won't win these battles against their leadership until they can do one of the two.

HOT DOC … THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN sent a polling memo to surrogates Tuesday night with the subject line "RECAP ON SURROGATES CALL: CONFIDENTIAL INTERNAL DATA - PLEASE DO NOT FORWARD."

-- MOST INTERESTINGLY, THE MEMO said President DONALD TRUMP made up 9 points against JOE BIDEN over the last three weeks to pull to even in a head-to-head matchup, 48-48. Nine points is a lot to make up in three weeks during the biggest public health crisis in a century. (NYT's MAGGIE HABERMAN reported some of this on Twitter.)

-- A COMING ATTRACTION? THE POLLING MEMO also notes: "55 percent favor sanctioning China for its handling—or lack thereof—of the coronavirus." This data -- and the fact that the campaign highlighted it -- is instructive in thinking about what could be coming next for the U.S.-China relationship. The full poll memo

REMEMBER IMPEACHMENT? It seems like a million years ago. We were allowed to go outside and get on airplanes, there was an in-person primary contest, and TRUMP held rallies that stretched for hours.

IF YOUR MIND CAN REACH BACK THAT FAR, you might remember that the impeachment hearings were must-watch TV. There was wire-to-wire cable coverage.

WELL, ON TUESDAY, we saw that the coronavirus hearings are going to be just as high-profile. Cable networks covered them from beginning to end. The difference is impeachment viewing was political tourism. These hearings are far more grave. People are home, and many are looking for information on what's a life-or-death situation for every American, so you can reasonably expect a good number to tune in.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, there's real risk for the TRUMP administration going forward. If they refuse to allow witnesses to testify in the Democratic House, these hearings could become akin to infomercials for opponents of the president to air gripes about mishaps in providing PPE and ramping up testing capacity.

A CIVICS LESSON … WHITE HOUSE AIDE JARED KUSHNER on whether Election Day will be postponed, to TIME MAGAZINE: "'I'm not sure I can commit one way or the other, but right now that's the plan,' he said."

-- ARTICLE II OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION: "The Congress may determine the time of choosing the electors, and the day on which they shall give their votes; which day shall be the same throughout the United States."

-- 3 U.S.C. SECTION 1: "The electors of President and Vice President shall be appointed, in each State, on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in November, in every fourth year succeeding every election of a President and Vice President."

Good Wednesday morning.

THE MARKET TODAY -- "Global Stocks Wobble in Wake of Wall Street Selloff," by WSJ's Frances Yoon and Joe Wallace: "International stocks wavered Wednesday as investors remained cautious about the potential for a resurgence in coronavirus cases and the speed of economic recoveries.

"Futures tied to the S&P 500 ticked up 0.3%, suggesting the blue-chip index will stabilize after dropping on Tuesday. The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 1.2%, led lower by shares in banks, basic-resources companies and makers of cars and auto parts."

BEN WHITE: "A short recession or a deep depression? America's reopening presents extreme scenarios"

A message from UnitedHealth Group:

The United Health Foundation is collaborating with the AARP Foundation to provide meals and social connection support to more than one million seniors impacted by COVID-19. Learn more.

NYT, A22, POLITICAL MEMO … MAGGIE HABERMAN and ANNIE KARNI: "Trump Is Courting Black Voters. His Failures on the Virus Are a Problem": "[The Trump campaign's] efforts to gain more black support, if only marginally, have now run into one of the grimmest realities of the coronavirus: It is killing African-Americans at disproportionately high rates, and depriving them of jobs in high numbers as well.

"Mr. Trump has only fleetingly addressed the virus's outsize impact on black Americans, and made no apparent effort to aggressively tackle the racial disparities, even as he continues his online appeals to black voters. Taken together, his lack of response, combined with political overtures, have cast into sharper relief his insensitivity about the unique concerns facing black Americans."

WAPO'S TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA: "As coronavirus roils the nation, Trump reverts to tactic of accusing foes of felonies": "Since writing 'HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY' at 8:10 a.m. on Sunday, Trump has used his Twitter account to make or elevate allegations of criminal conduct against no less than 20 individuals and organizations. Since Sunday, he has tweeted more often about alleged crimes by his perceived opponents than he has about the pandemic ravaging the country with mass death and unemployment.

"The list of purported culprits Trump has charged include two television news hosts, a comedian, at least five former officials from the FBI and Justice Department, the state of California, a broadcast television station and at least five top national security officials from President Barack Obama's administration."

-- TINA NGUYEN: "With Obamagate, Trump returns to a favorite distraction tactic": "The blunderbuss trumpeting of an anti-Obama narrative is a tactic Trump has employed throughout his political career. Over the years, Trump's attacks on Obama have veered from the baseless — the president is not an American citizen, Obama tapped my phones — to exaggerations and falsehoods about his predecessor's record — Obama shipped plane loads of cash to Iran, Obama left the strategic national stockpile empty.

"In each case, the real estate developer-turned president has used these stories to distract from unwelcome stories while elevating himself and exciting his base. The questionable details are rarely important."

NEW … KNOWING RICK BRIGHT … DAN DIAMOND: "Colleagues paint a mixed picture of ousted vaccine chief": "Some parts of an explosive whistleblower complaint against the Health and Human Services department are beyond dispute.

"Rick Bright, the department's ousted vaccine expert, has assembled a 63-page complaint filled with damning allegations: that Trump appointees pressured health officials to rush unproven malaria drugs; that his warnings about mask shortages were ignored; and that senior leaders repeatedly missed opportunities to grapple with threats posed by Covid-19. Those claims are backed up by emails released by Bright, interviews conducted by POLITICO and, in some cases, President Donald Trump's own public statements.

"But some colleagues say Bright's complaint leaves out the full context for the pivotal malaria drug episode, which two current and two former officials say paints a murkier picture of Bright's claims. Some of his allegations about department decisions on Covid-19 don't match officials' statements or the public record.

"And Bright's central claim that he was ousted for battling Trump appointees over science is less than certain given that some of his own staff spent months raising concerns about his leadership, including a complaint filed by a person in Bright's office last summer." POLITICO

THE REOPENING -- "AP Exclusive: CDC docs stress plans for more virus flareups," by Jason Dearen and Mike Stobbe in Gainesville, Fla.: "Advice from the nation's top disease control experts on how to safely reopen businesses and institutions in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic included detailed instructive guidance and some more restrictive measures than the plan released by the White House last month. The guidance, which was shelved by Trump administration officials, also offered recommendations to help communities decide when to shut facilities down again during future flareups of COVID-19.

"The Associated Press obtained a 63-page document that is more detailed than other, previously reported segments of the shelved guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It shows how the thinking of the CDC infection control experts differs from those in the White House managing the pandemic response.

"The White House's 'Opening Up America Again' plan that was released April 17 included some of the CDC's approach, but made clear that the onus for reopening decisions was solely on state governors and local officials.

"By contrast, the organizational tool created by the CDC advocates for a coordinated national response to give community leaders step-by-step instructions to "help Americans re-enter civic life," with the idea that there would be resurgences of the virus and lots of customization needed. The White House said last week that the document was a draft and not ready for release." AP

-- TEXAS TRIBUNE: "Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warns Austin, San Antonio, Dallas to loosen coronavirus restrictions," by Emma Platoff

-- NEW POLITICO/MORNING CONSULT POLL: "Republican voters give Trump and GOP governors cover to reopen," by Steven Shepard: "Republican voters have undergone a significant shift on the coronavirus in a few short weeks.

"A month ago, half of GOP voters said they were more worried about public health than the economy. Now, fewer than 2 in 5 say their concerns about the physical dangers of the virus outweigh their fears of a free-falling economy — a 13 percent drop. And the percentage of Republicans who said it was more important for the government to address the spread of the virus than the economy fell 22 points, from 65 percent to 43 percent, versus a 15-point drop overall.

"The changes, documented by weekly POLITICO/Morning Consult polls, shows that the party base has moved largely in sync with President Donald Trump and Republican governors as they press to reopen the economy sooner rather than later. It hints at a self-reinforcing dynamic in which Republican voters take cues from Trump and GOP politicians, who in turn use that support to justify reopening faster despite warnings from public health officials." POLITICO

BURGESS EVERETT, ANDREW DESIDERIO and MARIANNE LEVINE: "Fauci fatigue sets in among some Republicans"

SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO is in Jerusalem … AP/JERUSALEM: "U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday for talks that were expected to address Israel's plans to annex parts of the West Bank, as a Palestinian teen was killed by Israeli troops in a clash in the occupied territory. …

"Pompeo landed in Tel Aviv early in the morning, donning a red, white and blue face mask, and proceeded directly to Jerusalem, receiving an exemption from Israel's mandatory two-week quarantine for arrivals due to the coronavirus outbreak. His visit is the first to Israel by any foreign official since January, before the country largely shut its borders to halt the spread of the pandemic."

DAVID FRIEDMAN, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, had upper-respiratory symptoms and was kept away from POMPEO, per NYT Jerusalem bureau chief DAVID HALBFINGER. FRIEDMAN tested negative for Covid-19.

-- PHOTO OF POMPEO in the red, white and blue mask: State Department Flickr photo

SIREN … LAT: "Republican Mike Garcia leads in race to fill Democrat Katie Hill's seat," by Arit John: "Republican Mike Garcia jumped to an early lead Tuesday over Democrat Christy Smith in the runoff for a House seat in the Los Angeles suburbs, raising GOP hopes of flipping a blue California Congressional District for the first time since 1998.

"Early results in the election to fill the remainder of Rep. Katie Hill's first term showed Garcia, a defense industry executive, ahead of Democratic state Assemblywoman Smith of Santa Clarita by 12 percentage points, with 76% of precincts reporting.

"The final tally in the nearly all mail-in ballot contest won't be available for several days -- ballots postmarked by Tuesday and received by end of day Friday will be counted. But Garcia's lead suggests the 25th Congressional District, which includes Palmdale, Porter Ranch, Santa Clarita, Simi Valley and part of Lancaster, is within his party's reach." The live results

-- SPENDING: DCCC: $2.1 million … NRCC: $1.4 million … CLF: $642,382.

-- NOT SURPRISING … MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL: "7th Congressional District: Republican Tom Tiffany wins seat held by former Rep. Sean Duffy, beating out Tricia Zunker"

A message from UnitedHealth Group:

The United Health Foundation and AARP Foundation are collaborating to help address food insecurity and social isolation among seniors impacted by COVID-19. Learn more.

THE JUICE … FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- Climate Power 2020, a group focused on changing the politics of climate in 2020, is launching today. The entity, which has raised $5 million so far, is focused on voting blocs in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

THE TEAM INCLUDES: Executive Director Lori Lodes, most recently with Apple; Senior Campaigns Director Sarah Baron, formerly with Elizabeth Warren's campaign; Senior Comms Director Lauran French, who most recently served as deputy campaign manager for Rep. Ben Ray Luján's Senate campaign, among others.

THE PRESIDENT'S WEDNESDAY -- TRUMP will meet with the governors of Colorado and North Dakota at 4 p.m. This will be open press and in the Rose Garden.

JOIN TOMORROW - WHY IS THE INCARCERATION RATE OF WOMEN RISING? Women are the fastest-growing segment of the incarcerated population in the United States, increasing at a rate nearly double that of men over the past 35 years. Join Women Rule Editorial Director Anna Palmer tomorrow at 3 p.m. EDT for a virtual conversation with April Grayson, campaign surrogate and statewide coordinator for the Young Women's Freedom Center; Scott Budnick, founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC); and Emily Ratajkowski, model, actress and activist. Learn about the challenges women face behind bars and how they fit into the criminal-justice reform movement. Have questions? Submit yours by tweeting it to @POLITICOLive using #AskPOLITICO. REGISTER HERE.

PLAYBOOK READS

Voters in a special House election in Southern California are pictured. | Getty Images

PHOTO DU JOUR: Voters line up Tuesday to vote in a special House election in California's 25th Congressional District. | David McNew/Getty Images

MUCK READ -- "A contractor promised FEMA 10 million masks for $55 million. It did not deliver," by WaPo's Isaac Stanley-Becker

KYLE CHENEY and JOSH GERSTEIN: "Judge slows down effort to drop Flynn case": "The judge presiding over the tumultuous case of Michael Flynn pumped the brakes Tuesday on an effort by the Justice Department to drop the case against the former national security adviser and ally of President Donald Trump.

"Minutes after lawyers for Flynn urged Judge Emmet Sullivan to 'immediately' toss the matter, Sullivan indicated he wasn't ready to act just yet, instead signaling he'll set a schedule to accept briefs from outside parties who might have an interest in the case.

"'[A]t the appropriate time, the Court will enter a Scheduling Order governing the submission of any amicus curiae briefs,' Sullivan wrote in an order posted Tuesday afternoon. He said that 'given the posture of the case' he anticipates that many outside parties will have an interest in weighing in."

DEEP DIVE -- "On the Ground in Wuhan, Signs of China Stalling Probe of Coronavirus Origins," by the WSJ's Jeremy Page and Natasha Khan: "Beijing now appears to be stalling international efforts to find the source of the virus amid an escalating U.S. push to blame China for the pandemic, according to interviews with dozens of health experts and officials.

"The lack of transparency and international involvement in the search has left room for speculation and blame. It also troubles health experts and officials who say finding the source is key to preventing the same virus from jumping again from animal to human—potentially unleashing another wave of disease." WSJ

THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE -- "Here Are The Navy Pilot Reports From Encounters With Mysterious Aircraft Off The East Coast," by The Drive's Tyler Rogoway and Joseph Trevithick

A message from UnitedHealth Group:

The United Health Foundation and AARP Foundation plan to serve more than one million seniors. Learn more.

HAPPENING TODAY -- "Senate braces for fight over renewing lapsed surveillance powers," by Andrew Desiderio and Martin Matishak: "Senate leaders are preparing for what could be a protracted brawl over government surveillance powers during a rare public debate Wednesday over how to reauthorize key national security tools that lapsed two months ago.

"The two-day floor debate threatens to start a domino effect across the Capitol and down Pennsylvania Avenue — and the Senate's civil libertarians are girding for a fight that Republican leaders acknowledge could get ugly. 'At this point it's sort of a Wild West, I would say,' predicted Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), who, like other GOP leaders, is hoping for swift passage of a House-passed bill that makes modest reforms to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

"Libertarian-leaning senators such as Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) are on the opposing side. The small but powerful group of privacy hawks secured a package of votes on three amendments to the House bill that aim to place even stricter limitations on federal surveillance power." POLITICO

MEDIAWATCH -- "From PepsiCo to GM, Big Advertisers Set to Cancel Commitments to TV Networks," by WSJ's Suzanne Vranica: "Big advertisers from General Motors Co. to PepsiCo Inc. to General Mills Inc. are seeking to walk back spending commitments they made to broadcast and cable networks, a dynamic that is testing the industry's five-decade-old way of doing business.

"TV ad spending fell in the initial weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, but was insulated from an even bigger drop. That is because the majority of the roughly $42 billion spent on national TV ads in the U.S. is bound by contractual commitments that are made well in advance of a new TV season, which starts each September.

"Under those 'upfront' deals, the first real opportunity since the pandemic struck for advertisers to cut back future spending commitments began May 1. Companies now have the option to cancel up to 50% of their third-quarter ad spending.

"Many companies are seeking to take advantage of that option to varying degrees, including General Motors, PepsiCo, Cracker Barrel Old Country Stores Inc., General Mills, Domino's Pizza Inc. and pharmaceutical giant Sanofi SA, according to people familiar with the discussions." WSJ

A WEEKLY WORLD UPDATE: Our Global Translations newsletter, presented by Bank of America, unpacks essential global news, trends, and decisions — and layers them with critical contextual analysis and insights from the sharpest minds around the world. From the different approaches that countries are taking to reopen, to long-term global issues including inequality, technology, trade and climate change, Global Translations offers a unique perspective that cannot be found anywhere else. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.

PLAYBOOKERS

Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com.

OMB DEPARTURE LOUNGE -- Vance Ginn is returning to the Texas Public Policy Foundation as chief economist. He previously was associate director for economic policy at OMB.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Laura Dillon, senior manager at Washington Council Ernst & Young, and Eoin Dillon, director of state policy at the Council for a Strong America, welcomed Emmett Dillon on Friday.

-- Andrew Thorne, a security operations specialist at Fiserv and POLITICO alum, and Amanda Thorne, director of teaching and learning at the KID Museum in Bethesda, welcomed James Eric Thorne on Sunday. He came in at 9 lbs, 3 oz. Pic … Another pic

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Ken Dilanian, NBC News national security and intelligence correspondent. A fun fact about him: "Playing defensive end, I recovered a fumble to secure a victory and the first-ever perfect season for Williams College football." Playbook Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) is 43 … John Kasich is 68 … Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) is 36 … Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas) is 45 … Stephen Colbert is 56 … Del. Stacey Plaskett (D-U.S. Virgin Islands) is 54 … David Ray (h/t Tim Griffin) … former Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) is 9-0 … Amy Grappone, comms director for Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) … Amy Bos … Australian PM Scott Morrison is 52 … Sarah Gunion … CNN's Brian Fung … AEI's Dan Cox … Toby Taylor, senior talent producer for CNBC's "Squawk Box" … Shaila Manyam, SVP at BCW Global … Leela Baggett … Charlyn Stanberry … former Rep. Chris Gibson (R-N.Y.) is 56 … Phil Musser, VP of government affairs at NextEra Energy Resources … Laura Cox Kaplan is 51 … Mike Lux is 6-0 …

… Marcia Lee Kelly, president and CEO of the Republican National Convention (h/ts Blair Ellis and Tatum Gibson) … Jon Soltz, chair of VoteVets … former FDA Commissioner David Kessler is 69 … Jason Rahlan of Chobani … Arjun Pai is 3-0 … Matt Gorton is 41 … Nate Freiberg … Michael Rosenbluth ... Sarah Berlenbach ... Alexandra O. Zeitz … Raquel Saxe … Edelman's Mike Schaffer and Jonathan Temerlies ... Hemal Jhaveri … Yael Patir ... Justin Rosenstein is 37 ... Melissa Fitzgerald ... Adam Weinstein ... Eric Opiela ... Marie Aberger Nesi … Jeff DuFour is 46 ... Jan Angilella ... Tara Bradshaw ... Delia Garcia ... Robert Aho, partner at BrabenderCox ... Tim Shipman of the Sunday Times ... Chuck Brooks is 63 ... Erica Farage ... Tim Devaney ... Andrew Block

A message from UnitedHealth Group:

The United Health Foundation is collaborating with the AARP Foundation to support older Americans impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Research shows that seniors — particularly those with low incomes — are affected by social isolation and food insecurity, and the COVID-19 crisis has placed additional burdens on seniors. Through a $5 million collaboration, the United Health Foundation and AARP Foundation will serve more than one million seniors by delivering meals and providing tools to increase social connection. Learn more about our work to help fight COVID-19 and support America's seniors.