| | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by Facebook | CONSIDER THIS A THREAT — "How can you certify an election when the numbers being certified are verifiably WRONG," President DONALD TRUMP tweeted at Sen. TOM COTTON (R-Ark.) this morning. "You will see the real numbers tonight during my speech, but especially on JANUARY 6th. @SenTomCotton Republicans have pluses & minuses, but one thing is sure, THEY NEVER FORGET!" ELECTION DAY in Georgia is tomorrow, but Trump and his congressional allies are ensuring that the final hours of campaigning are focused on … the last Election Day. THE RADICAL ATTEMPT to subvert the results of November's presidential election, which will culminate with a last stand on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, is splitting the GOP apart, with erstwhile allies turning against each other and party luminaries denouncing their mentees. NO DETAIL better encapsulates the Republicans' paradox than this nugget from the AP on Trump nearly torpedoing what could be a crucial turnout boost for Sens. DAVID PERDUE and KELLY LOEFFLER — his rally in Dalton tonight. AP: "In a rage after the Raffensperger call, Trump floated the idea of pulling out of the rally, which would have potentially devastated the GOP chances in what is expected to be a pair of razor-thin races. But Trump was persuaded to go ahead with the rally as a stage from which to reiterate his claims of election fraud and to present, as he tweeted Monday, the 'real numbers' from the race." THE BIG QUESTION for Tuesday is whether the turmoil will imperil the GOP's chances of preventing a Democratic trifecta in Washington — or whether massive Republican Election Day turnout, like we saw two months ago, will buoy the incumbents. Conventional wisdom holds these seats are still tough gets for Democrats, but both JON OSSOFF and RAPHAEL WARNOCK have opened up slightly larger polling leads in the past few days. (Of course, many pollsters are steering clear after November.) PRE-RUNOFF READING … PACE YOURSELF — "Here we go again: What to expect as Georgia counts votes," AP/Atlanta: "Just like in November, it's very possible Americans will go to bed without knowing who won. … In a close contest, look for the Republican candidate to jump out to an early lead. That due to two factors: First, Republican areas of the state usually report their results first. Second, Republican voters have been more likely to vote in person, either on Election Day or during the early voting period. Many counties release those in-person results first. "Meanwhile, heavily Democratic counties, including Fulton, DeKalb and Chatham counties, historically take longer to count votes. Democratic candidates could also make late surges because of late-counted mail ballots." THE LAST PANDEMIC CAMPAIGN? — "Phone Calls, Texts and Tinder — Georgia Campaigns Court Young Voters," NYT/Atlanta BEHIND THE SCENES — "The other Georgia slugfest: a Brian Kemp-Stacey Abrams rematch," by Andrew Desiderio in Savannah, Ga.: "It's the worst-kept secret in Georgia that Abrams is gearing up for a rematch against Kemp in 2022 … The Senate runoffs are shaping up as the first salvo in a Kemp-Abrams rematch — a test of whether Abrams' yearslong mobilization efforts can solidify Georgia's status as a purple or even blue state, or if Biden's victory over President Donald Trump was an aberration." | | | | A message from Facebook: It's time to update internet regulations
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Learn More | | | THE BIG PICTURE IN GEORGIA — "Georgia Is Getting More Blue. The Senate Races Will Tell How Much," NYT MEANWHILE, Georgia Secretary of State BRAD RAFFENSPERGER announced he'll hold a press conference at 3 p.m. MORE ON THE TRUMP/RAFFENSPERGER CALL — "There were 18 attempted calls from the White House to GA secretary of state's office, sources say," CNN THE FALLOUT — "Raffensperger: Trump could face investigation over election call," by Quint Forgey: "Raffensperger said Monday that it was unlikely his office would open an investigation into his weekend phone call with President Donald Trump, but suggested a criminal probe could still be launched by an Atlanta-area district attorney. … 'I understand that the Fulton County District Attorney wants to look at it. Maybe that's the appropriate venue for it to go.'" … NBC on Dem lawmakers asking for an FBI probe — "Sen. Perdue says he's 'shocked' over leaked Trump audio, calls act by fellow GOP 'disgusting,'" Fox News — WaPo's @ericawerner: "'We're not looking backwards we're looking forward' [New York Rep. Hakeem] Jeffries says when asked whether the House should impeach Trump over Ga phone call." 2022 WATCH — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Craig Gilbert (@WisVoter): "if you were wondering whether WI Dem Mark Pocan might run for Ron Johnson's US Senate seat in 2022, he's not, per announcement today." With the statement 2021 LANDS WITH A THUD … "Wall Street sell-off to begin 2021 gains steam, with the Dow dropping more than 600 points," CNBC NOT SO FAST — "D.C. Police to contact GOP Rep. Boebert about plans to bring Glock to work," by Kyle Cheney COMING ATTRACTIONS — "MAGA marchers plot final D.C. stand on Jan. 6," by Tina Nguyen: "According to disinformation and extremist researchers, the Jan. 6 gathering will look similar to November's Million MAGA March — a mashup of garden-variety Trump supporters and more extreme members of the far right, with no apparent central organizing apparatus. … "There's one key difference with this march, however. After weeks of failed lawsuits, flailing investigations and Republicans unhitching themselves from Trump's quest to keep the presidency, the Wednesday rally might be the last one while there's still a plan — even if it's an ill-fated one — to subvert the election." PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION, via WaPo's Julie Zauzmer: "Mayor Bowser has called up the National Guard to help police manage the pro-Trump demonstrations Tuesday and Wednesday." | | | | GET THE BIG PRE-INAUGURATION SCOOPS IN TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: Inauguration Day is quickly approaching. Is the Biden administration ready? Transition Playbook brings you inside the transition and newly forming administration, tracking the latest from Biden world and the transition of power. Written for political insiders, this scoop-filled newsletter breaks big news and analyzes the appointments, people and emerging power centers of the new administration. Track the transition and the first 100 days of the incoming Biden administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | SCOOP — "Trump keeps carrier in Middle East, overruling his Pentagon chief," by Lara Seligman: "President Donald Trump was behind the abrupt decision announced on Sunday night to reverse course and keep the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz in the Middle East due to Iranian threats against top U.S. officials, according to two people familiar with conversations." ACROSS THE POND — "U.K. judge refuses extradition of WikiLeaks founder Assange," AP/London: "A British judge on Monday rejected the United States' request to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges over the publication of secret U.S. documents a decade ago, saying he was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions. "In a mixed ruling for Assange and his supporters, District Judge Vanessa Baraitser rejected defense arguments that the 49-year-old Australian faces a politically motivated American prosecution that rides roughshod over free-speech protections. But she said Assange's precarious mental health would likely deteriorate further under the conditions of 'near total isolation' he would face in a U.S. prison." FOR YOUR RADAR, via NBC Washington's Scott MacFarlane: "NEW: US Capitol Police have arrested man for throwing ignited lighter at officer, spitting on him and making stabbing threat -- outside DIRKSEN Senate Office Building on Tuesday." YOU GET A MEDAL! AND YOU GET A MEDAL! — "President Trump to give Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan a Presidential Medal of Freedom," Cleveland Plain Dealer BEYOND THE BELTWAY — "Months later, more than 1 million Americans are still waiting for unemployment aid," WaPo: "The Post's calculation reflects 703,000 pending appeals across the country and 529,000 people waiting on a benefits decision in the states that publicly share that information or who responded to a request for comment. "People's claims have been held up for months at times for something as simple as a typo or uploading a scan of a driver's license instead of a photo. Most delays are the result of three key factors: extensive fraud prevention checks, antiquated computer systems and applications getting flagged for extra scrutiny." AS THE U.S. FLOUNDERS … WaPo: "Israel is vaccinating so fast it's running out of vaccine" … "Outpacing Trump's Operation Warp Speed, China to give coronavirus vaccine to 50 million in a month" CLIMATE FILES — "How the Department of Defense could help win the war on climate change," by Eric Wolff: "[I]ts $700 billion budget may offer an opportunity for the Biden administration to help scale-up industries such as those producing electric vehicles and advanced batteries. … "Biden is likely to lean on his incoming Defense secretary, former Gen. Lloyd Austin, to ramp up the use of renewable energy sources while hardening the nation's military bases to the dangers from climate change." | | | | A NEW YEAR MEANS A NEW HUDDLE IS HERE: Huddle, our daily congressional must-read, has a new author! Olivia Beavers took the reins this week, and she has the latest news and whispers from the Speakers' Lobby. Don't miss out, subscribe to our Huddle newsletter, the essential guide to all things Capitol Hill. Subscribe today. | | | | | THE MCAULIFFE MONEY TRAIN — "Terry McAuliffe raises a record $6.1 million in bid to reclaim Executive Mansion," WaPo/Richmond: "It was not immediately clear how McAuliffe's fundraising compares with that of his Democratic and Republican rivals, with the filing deadline for campaign finance reports about two weeks away. But in earlier contests for the Executive Mansion, no one has ever raised so much so early — five months from the June 8 Democratic primary and 10 months from [the] Nov. 2 election." COMING TO THE SQUAD'S COFFEE TABLE — The Nation has a new special issue out focusing on Biden's first 100 days in office, with contributors including Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Varshini Prakash, Waleed Shahid and Zephyr Teachout. The cover and stories STAFFING UP — "'Break up the groupthink': Democrats press Biden to diversify his tech picks," by Cristiano Lima: "Lawmakers from across Congress' top diversity caucuses said in interviews that key to addressing so-called digital equity — the concept that everyone should have access to technology and the opportunities it offers — is making diversity a priority for executive branch roles in science, technology and telecommunications." AFTERNOON READ — "The Lab-Leak Hypothesis," New York magazine: "For decades, scientists have been hot-wiring viruses in hopes of preventing a pandemic, not causing one. But what if …?" TOP-ED — TEVI TROY in the WSJ: "How Joe Biden Should Handle White House Infighting" MEDIAWATCH — Katie Glueck, who's been the NYT's lead Biden reporter, is now its chief metro political correspondent, focusing on the New York City mayoral race. Announcement — Steven Overly is now a trade reporter for POLITICO. He previously covered tech. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Melissa Brown is now comms director for Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.). She most recently was digital director at DHS, and is an Interior and Ted Budd alum. TRANSITIONS — John Snook will be director of government relations and strategic initiatives at the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare. He currently is executive director of the Treatment Advocacy Center, where Lisa Dailey will replace him. … Hannah Anderson is now scheduler for Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-Fla.). She previously was a war room analyst for the Trump campaign. … Daniel Stipano is joining Davis Polk's financial institutions and regulation group. He previously was a partner at Buckley LLP. WEDDING — Lily Bhandari (née Mihalik), managing editor of design and data at POLITICO, and Siddharth Bhandari, associate director of marketing at AstraZeneca, got married Dec. 29 in her grandmother's backyard in Larkfield, Calif. Their families joined via Zoom from New Delhi, Georgia, California and Arizona. The couple's first date and engagement happened over slices of 2 Amy's pizza near the National Cathedral. Pic … Another pic | | | |   | | | | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
