Current Affairs Of Pakistan & World: POLITICO Playbook: Faint glimmers of movement on police reform

POLITICO Playbook: Faint glimmers of movement on police reform

Jun 09, 2020

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By Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman

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DRIVING THE DAY

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP and the White House seem to have decided the sidelines are the safest place for them in the debate over refashioning the nation's police laws.

BUT REPUBLICANS ON CAPITOL HILL are beginning to fill the void, raising the prospect that Congress could defy election-year predictions and pass a package in the coming months.

IN THE LAST 24 HOURS, Sen. MITT ROMNEY (R-Utah) said he's working with Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) to "see if we can fashion a piece of legislation which can receive bipartisan support to make some changes to the way we do our policing."

AFTER SPEAKING WITH George Floyd's family, Sen. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas) tweeted that he is "dedicated to rooting out racial injustices so no other family has to experience what George Floyd's family has. It will require bipartisan commitment across the country & listening to the voices of those who have been most affected is the first step – we must not fail to act."

AND HOUSE REPUBLICANS will hold a conference call today at 4:30 p.m. where they are expected to discuss, in part, what they might be able to support.

IT'S A FLURRY OF ACTIVITY that, when put together, seems to recognize the fragile state the country is in. The White House will need to engage soon, or the debate on the Hill could leave it behind.

OF COURSE, odds are always long for meaningful legislating in today's Washington. But even among conservative House Republicans, there's a surprising recognition that policing needs reexamination.

"THIS INCIDENT WOKE EVERYBODY UP," one conservative House Republican said, granted anonymity to discuss the issue before his party fashioned a way forward. "We have a historic opportunity to get something real, meaningful and bipartisan."

THERE ARE A FEW AREAS OF POTENTIAL AGREEMENT, several GOP lawmakers said late Monday. The low-hanging fruit for Republicans includes a ban on chokeholds, declaring lynching a federal crime, creating a national reporting mechanism for police officers who get in trouble and beefed-up training programs for law enforcement. Republicans are even holding open the possibility that they could rework liability protections for police officers.

CONGRESS is still at square one, at the moment. House Democrats have released their bill, which will serve as a marker for the majority. Some Republicans are wary of that package, and hope this does not become a partisan exercise that falls flat. Democrats are, likewise, making abundantly clear that they do not support defunding police departments, which could provide the political space for a deal to get done.

AS FOR THE PRESIDENT, White House press secretary KAYLEIGH MCENANY had this to say Monday: "The president is looking at what's a state issue, what's a federal issue right now. He's currently reviewing proposals, actually, on this very topic about police reform. So I'll leave it to him and not get ahead of him on that."

Good Tuesday morning.

POLICE REFORM NATIONWIDE ...

-- WSJ EDITORIAL BOARD: "There's a case for police reforms, in particular more public transparency about offenses by individual officers. Union rules negotiated under collective bargaining make it hard to punish offending officers, much as unions do for bad public school teachers. By all means let's debate other policies and accountability in using force."

-- "LAPD to halt use of carotid restraints; L.A. County Sheriff's Department pledges to restrict use," by the L.A. Times' Matthew Ormseth and Elene Tchekmedyian: "The Los Angeles Police Department on Monday instructed officers not to use carotid restraints, chokeholds that restrict or block blood flow to the brain, pending a review by the city's Police Commission.

"The restraint can render people unconscious or, as in the case of George Floyd, who was pinned to the ground by his neck for nearly nine minutes, it can prove fatal."

-- TEXAS TRIBUNE: "Gov. Greg Abbott raises idea of 'George Floyd Act' at Houston visitation," by Cassandra Pollock: "'George Floyd has not died in vain,' Abbott said. 'His life will be a living legacy about the way that America and Texas responds to this tragedy. I'm here to tell you today that I am committed to working with the family of George Floyd to ensure we never have anything like this ever occur in the state of Texas.'

"Abbott said that 'discussions about the pathway forward' would not be taken over by lawmakers, but would be spearheaded by family members, victims and others 'who have suffered because of racism for far too long.'

"'Several things are already beginning to change,' Abbott said in response to a reporter's question. 'When we get to the Texas Legislature, discussions have already begun. Remember this: Texas has a legacy of success, whether it be the Timothy Cole Act, the Sandra Bland Act and now maybe the George Floyd Act, to make sure that we prevent police brutality like this from happening in the future in Texas.'"

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BUT, BUT, BUT … NYT'S PETER BAKER and MAGGIE HABERMAN: "Trump Rebuffs Protests Over Systemic Racism and Calls Police 'Great People'": "President Trump on Monday flatly denied that systemic problems existed in American police departments, declaring that as many as 99.9 percent of the nation's officers are 'great, great people' as he rebuffed mass street protests denouncing racist behavior in law enforcement. …

"While aides said on Monday that Mr. Trump was studying possible proposals for changes to law enforcement, the president himself made little effort to suggest as much during his appearance with law enforcement officials. …

"In private, Mr. Trump has been musing about race in America since Mr. Floyd's death and his own response. In a meeting last week with roughly two dozen White House aides, campaign officials and surrogates, Mr. Trump expressed unhappiness about Mr. Floyd's killing but immediately said the country needed law and order, according to people who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe his private comments. He said nothing more broadly about police treatment of black people in the United States.

"Instead, he meandered as he talked, saying that he had signed legislation overhauling criminal justice in 2018 not because it was an issue that he was passionate about, but because Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and senior adviser, had wanted him to, according to one of the people familiar with what was said."

-- WAPO'S DAVID NAKAMURA and ASHLEY PARKER: "GOP struggles with message amid national debate over police and racial justice": "Amid a public backlash over the militarized federal response to mass protests, President Trump is seeking to turn the national movement for racial justice into a debate over law and order, presenting Democrats as inflaming chaos in American cities.

"But as the White House and the president's reelection campaign begin that messaging, they are already facing difficulty navigating the line between exhibiting toughness and straying into the kind of offensive rhetoric and race-baiting that have often defined Trump's tenure."

JOE BIDEN to NORAH O'DONNELL on THE "CBS EVENING NEWS": "No, I don't support defunding the police. I support conditioning federal aid to police, based on whether or not they meet certain basic standards of decency and honorableness. And, in fact, are able to demonstrate that they can protect the community and everybody in the community."

-- "Trump's latest attempt to tag Biden as a radical flops," by Natasha Korecki and Holly Otterbein

FOR THE RECORD -- "The crackdown before Trump's photo op: What video and other records show about the clearing of protesters outside the White House," by WaPo's Dalton Bennett, Sarah Cahlan, Aaron Davis and Joyce Lee

NEW: ADRIENNE ELROD is joining Biden's campaign as director of surrogate strategy and operations. She was director of strategic comms for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign. Other additions to the surrogate team: PAIGE HILL, current Southern regional comms director, will be national surrogates comms director; ISABEL ALDUNATE will serve as deputy surrogate comms director; and MELISSA PICCOLI will also be on the team.

-- THE TRUMP CAMPAIGN is adding COURTNEY PARELLA as deputy press secretary and BORIS EPSHTEYN as strategic adviser for coalitions. Parella previously was comms director for the House Administration Committee Republicans. Epshteyn is a Trump 2016 and Sinclair alum.

WSJ: "Some Global Markets Pull Back After U.S. Stock Rally," by Chong Koh Ping and Anna Hirtenstein

LARA SELIGMAN: "Army reverses course, will consider renaming bases named for Confederate leaders": "Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy is now 'open' to renaming the service's 10 bases and facilities that are named after Confederate leaders, an Army official told POLITICO, in a reversal of his previous position. 'The Secretary of the Army is open to a bipartisan discussion on the topic,' said Army spokesperson Col. Sunset Belinsky Monday.

"As recently as February, the Army said the service had no plans to rename the facilities, following the Marine Corps' announcement that it planned on banning images of Confederate flags from its installations." POLITICO

THE NEXT RELIEF PACKAGE … BURGESS EVERETT and MARIANNE LEVINE: "Republicans' big bet on the economy": "The United States officially is in a recession. But Senate Republicans are still in no rush to dole out more coronavirus relief.

"Buoyed by a surprisingly strong jobs report last week and the knowledge that some of Congress' $2 trillion March spending package still hasn't been spent, the Senate GOP remains noncommittal on both the timing and substance of the next piece of legislation. Bipartisan talks still haven't begun in earnest, according to senators and aides, and the White House and senior Republican senators say they won't start until July.

"The economy has 'bottomed out' said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in a floor speech as he touted improving jobs numbers. He declined to answer a reporter's question about timing for new aid. But if the Senate waits until next month to act, the window gets narrower. After July 3, the Senate is scheduled to go on a two-week recess, return for three weeks and then depart again until September." POLITICO

BEYOND THE BELTWAY … DANIELLE MUOIO in New York: "New Yorkers gradually return to mass transit as city reopens"

SAM SUTTON in New Jersey: "Murphy walking tightrope between encouraging activists, maintaining public health": "New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has spent three months warning residents to avoid large gatherings at all cost. No more. The gravity of the country's most recent reckoning with 400 years of systemic racism has made it impossible for tens of thousands of New Jerseyans to adhere to his stay-at-home orders, Murphy said Monday.

"'I can't imagine what it would look like if we said to people, "Actually, you have to stay in. You have to ignore systemic racism — I'm sorry, just ignore it. Stay in,"' the governor said during his daily coronavirus briefing, a day after attending large protests in Hillside and Westfield. 'I can't imagine what that looks like as it relates to public safety.'

"The reaction in New Jersey and across the country to video footage of George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police has forced Murphy to reassess his priorities, simultaneously granting his full-throated endorsement of large-scale protests while taking incremental steps to allow churches and barbershops to reopen.

"Murphy's appearances at anti-racism demonstrations over the weekend effectively created a double standard in New Jersey's enforcement of his May 22 executive order, which bars 'super-spreading events and large community gatherings' with more than 25 participants, multiple GOP leaders said Monday." POLITICO

-- REMINDER: We'll be sitting down with MURPHY at 11 a.m. for a Playbook Interview to talk about the recovery. Watch

ALEX ISENSTADT: "Trump to restart MAGA rallies this month despite coronavirus": "Donald Trump is planning to restart rallies in the next two weeks in a major turning point for the president since the coronavirus shut down traditional campaigning.

"Trump's advisers are still determining where the rallies will take place and what safety measures will be implemented, depending on the type of venue chosen. Campaign manager Brad Parscale is expected to present Trump with possibilities within the next few days."

-- NYT'S SHANE GOLDMACHER: "Biden Pours Millions Into Facebook Ads, Blowing Past Trump's Record": "Joseph R. Biden Jr.'s campaign has moved to capitalize on the enormous energy reflected in the nationwide protests against racism and police brutality with the biggest online spending of his candidacy, pouring nearly $5 million into Facebook ads alone in recent days.

"Mr. Biden spent about the same amount on Facebook over just a few days last week as he had in the first 10 months of his candidacy. On Thursday alone, he spent $1.6 million on the platform, more than triple President Trump's single-day record, according to company data. The staggering sums are a sure sign, according to digital strategists, that people are responding to Mr. Biden's ads -- and donating, too."

-- ELENA SCHNEIDER: "Priorities USA expands TV ads in Arizona": "Priorities USA Action, a major Democratic super PAC, is out in Arizona and other states with new TV and digital ads attacking President Donald Trump — totaling $4 million in spending.

"The ads — slamming Trump for his response to the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing protests over the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police — will also air in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan, part of an existing buy in those states. But the month-long expansion into Arizona — after the super PAC briefly aired TV ads there in March — reflects a shift in recent public polling, which has showed the state increasingly competitive." POLITICO

NYT'S ASTEAD HERNDON in Atlanta: "'The Future Is Blue, Not Purple': Is This the Year Georgia Flips?"

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2024 WATCH … WAPO'S SEUNG MIN KIM: "Sen. Cotton rallies conservatives and raises national profile as op-ed on military intervention causes uproar": "In interviews and through his Twitter account, Cotton has made it clear that he is enjoying the fallout from his Times piece. His campaign coffers have also benefited, with his raising roughly $200,000 since the op-ed controversy for a reelection race this fall in which he has no Democratic challenger.

"His campaign arm will use the money in part to run ads against former vice president Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, in battleground states."

TRUMP'S TUESDAY -- The president will meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the Oval Office at 2:15 p.m.

HAPPENING TODAY AT 11 a.m. EDT – "INSIDE THE RECOVERY" PART III: PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH NEW JERSEY GOV. PHIL MURPHY: How is the governor from one of the states hit hardest by the pandemic handling concurrent health, economic and social crises? Join POLITICO Playbook co-authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman for a virtual interview with Governor Phil Murphy (D-NJ) to discuss his state's reopening, how the Garden State is handling protests and unrest, and what New Jersey is looking for from the Trump Administration in the weeks and months ahead. REGISTER HERE.

PLAYBOOK READS

A mural honoring George Floyd is pictured. | Getty Images

PHOTO DU JOUR: A memorial and mural honor George Floyd in the Houston neighborhood where he grew up. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images

KNOWING MURIEL BOWSER -- "From bland bureaucrat to anti-Trump fame: Mayor Bowser's transformation," by WaPo's Paul Schwartzman and Fenit Nirappil

THE ATLANTIC'S ALEXIS MADRIGAL and ROBINSON MEYER: "America Is Giving Up on the Pandemic": "Americans may wish the virus to be gone, but it is not. While the outbreak has eased in the Northeast, driving down the overall national numbers, cases have only plateaued in the rest of the country, and they appear to be on the rise in recent days in COVID Tracking Project data. Twenty-two states reported 400 or more new cases Friday, and 14 other states and Puerto Rico reported cases in the triple digits. Several states—including Arizona, North Carolina, and California—are now seeing their highest numbers of known cases.

"These numbers all reflect infections that likely began before this week of protest. An even larger spike now seems likely. Put another way: If the country doesn't see a substantial increase in new COVID-19 cases after this week, it should prompt a rethinking of what epidemiologists believe about how the virus spreads." Atlantic

ACROSS THE POND … EMILIO CASALICCHIO: "How a slave trade statue highlights divided Britain": "Thousands took to the streets in Britain at the weekend to join anti-racism demonstrations after George Floyd died in Minneapolis during a forceful police arrest.

"Almost four years after the referendum on EU membership created a new fault-line in British politics, the response to a small number of violent and destructive incidents amid largely peaceful protests exposed deep cultural divides that extend well beyond Brexit.

"One moment in particular — the toppling of a statue of 17th century slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol — quickly became the centerpiece of the debate. The memorial was dragged off its plinth with ropes and tossed into the harbor." POLITICO

MEDIAWATCH … CNN'S BRIAN STELTER: "BLM Reshapes Media": "The media industry is at another inflection point. In the way the Me Too movement reshaped newsrooms, sparked debate, and purged bad actors from positions of authority, the Black Lives Matter movement is bringing about a similar upheaval by putting questions about race and reporting on the center stage.

"Four top editors have resigned their positions in the last few days — two on Monday — and it feels like this could just be the beginning of an extended reckoning within the business."

-- "Axios Allows Its Reporters to Join Protests," by NYT's Edmund Lee and Ben Smith

-- "Editors Barred A Black Reporter From Covering Protests. Then Her Newsroom Rebelled," by NPR's David Folkenflik

HAPPENING TODAY AT 9 a.m. EDT - LIVE INTERVIEW WITH REP. PAUL TONKO ON SUSTAINABILITY: Join Nick Juliano, editor of POLITICO Pro's newly launched Sustainability coverage, and sustainability reporter Catherine Boudreau for a conversation with Rep. Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change. Hear from them about economic inequality, sustainability, how a "green recovery" fits into efforts to reopen the U.S. economy and how the private sector is rethinking supply chains to deal with the disruptions from the pandemic and future crises. REGISTER HERE.

PLAYBOOKERS

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

TRANSITIONS -- Austin Cantrell is leaving the White House and going back to Florida to launch his own firm. … Sarah Matthews has joined the White House comms shop as deputy press secretary. She was previously with the Trump campaign.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD -- Peter Gordon, director of federal affairs at Americans for the Arts, and Corey Gordon, a principal at DeliverEd, welcomed Taylor Michael Gordon on Monday. He came in at 7 lbs, 13 oz. Pic

-- Christopher Malagisi, executive director of outreach for Hillsdale College, and Anna Koval Malagisi welcomed Addison Malagisi on May 2. She joins big brother Athan, who turned 2 on Saturday. Pic

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Charisma Troiano, comms director for Democracy Forward. What she's been reading: "In a book club of two, my sister and I just finished Philip K. Dick's 'Ubik.' When madness is around you, true escapism can be found in the world of science fiction." Playbook Q&A

BIRTHDAYS: Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) is 87 … Rep. Kendra Horn (D-Okla.) is 44 … Margaret Talev, Axios politics and White House editor and a CNN political analyst (h/t Ben Chang) … Liz Mair is 42 … Marvin Kalb is 9-0 … Ray Salazar, deputy floor director for House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (h/t Mitchell Rivard) … Zac Petkanas, president and founder of Petkanas Strategies, is 35 … Stephen Spector … Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power 2020 … Joe Curl … Candi Wolff, Citi's EVP of global government affairs … James Mackler, candidate for U.S. Senate in Tennessee and an Iraq War veteran, is 48 (h/t Sarah McCarthy) … POLITICO's Susannah Luthi and Ramsen Shamon … Dante Atkins … Betsy Mullins … Anne Venzor … Haley Cohen Gilliland … Aaron Sorkin is 59 …

… Jess O'Connell, co-founder and partner at NEWCO Strategies (h/t Jon Haber) … Jeff Solnet, principal at Precision Strategies … Vicki Shabo ... Robyn Mills (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Miles O'Brien … Michael Shapiro … Ashley Bahnken … Raj Goyle … Ken Adelman is 74 ... Arkansas A.G. Leslie Rutledge is 44 (h/t Amanda Priest) ... Jeff Berkowitz, founder and CEO of Delve … Letty Cottin Pogrebin is 81 ... Deloitte's Alyson Chwatek … Kelsey Glover ... Matt Martini ... Ashley Lowerre of Opn Sesame … Brad Gallant ... Google's Ria Bailey-Galvis ... Matthew Schrier ... Robert Heath Townsend Jr. is 32 ... LinkedIn's Devin Banerjee … Laura Matthews … Frank Chi … Natasha Metzler … Benj Pasek is 35 … Alexandra Toma, executive director at Peace and Security Funders Group ... Andrew Mills

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