Why one ex-envoy thinks we're getting China wrong

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Feb 10, 2023 View in browser
 
POLITICO Playbook

By Ryan Lizza, Eugene Daniels and Rachael Bade

Presented by

Airlines for America

With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross

Then-U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus speaks before first lady Michelle Obama delivers a speech.

Then-U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus speaks before first lady Michelle Obama delivers a speech on March 22, 2014 in Beijing, China. | Feng Li/Getty Images

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DRIVING THE DAY

WHITE HOUSE JARGON WATCH — We heard a new term this week used inside the West Wing to describe President JOE BIDEN’s top five aides: “the quint.” The term refers to MIKE DONILON, STEVE RICCHETTI, ANITA DUNN, BRUCE REED and JEN O’MALLEY DILLON. Example of its usage: “We don’t know when POTUS is going to announce the reelect because the quint hasn’t decided yet.” Throw it around at your next D.C. dinner party to sound in the know!

DAILY SANTOS — “Santos was charged with theft in 2017 case tied to Amish dog breeders,” by Jacqueline Sweet

McCONNELL VS. SCOTT, PART LVII — Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL on Florida Republican Sen. RICK SCOTT’s “Rescue America” plan, which states, “All federal legislation sunsets in 5 years,” with no exceptions for Social Security and Medicare: “This is a bad idea. I think it will be a challenge for him to deal with this in his own reelection in Florida, a state with more elderly people than any other state in America.”

More McConnell: “Speaker [KEVIN] McCARTHY said Social Security and Medicare are not to be touched, and I’ve said the same. And I think we’re in a more authoritative position to state what the position of the party is than any single senator.” (h/t AP’s Seung Min Kim)

Scott world’s response, via longtime Scott spokesman CHRIS HARTLINE: “Lol. Rick Scott knows how to win Florida a hell of a lot better than Mitch McConnell does. Some DC Republicans can keep parroting Democrat lies, but that won’t stop Rick Scott from fighting for conservative principles instead of caving to Biden every day.”

Reminder: After Biden called out “some Republicans” Tuesday for wanting to sunset Social Security and Medicare, Scott called the suggestion “a lie” but has not changed the wording of his plan.

THE PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW: MAX BAUCUS — In Washington, there is now a bipartisan consensus around being tough on China.

This was happening even before the Chinese sent a spy balloon drifting across the U.S. Last month, by a vote of 365 to 65, the House created a new “Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.”

But the balloon incident has really brought Democrats and Republicans together in outrage about China. Yesterday, the House voted 419 to zero for a resolution condemning China for its “brazen violation of United States sovereignty.” In the Senate, Democrats and Republicans took turns scolding defense officials who came to Capitol Hill for a hearing on what the administration knew about the balloon and when they knew it.

With China hawks now dominating the thinking of both parties when it comes to Sino-American relations, we decided to check in with MAX BAUCUS, one of the leading voices warning that the hawks have things dangerously wrong.

Baucus watched the balloon incident unfold from a unique perspective. He’s a former Democratic senator from Montana and was in the state as the balloon drifted overhead and ranchers traded notes about what kinds of guns might be able to take it out. But more importantly, Baucus was the U.S. ambassador to China from 2014 to 2017.

He now runs a public policy institute in his home state and, since leaving office, has been a paid adviser to American and Chinese corporations. You can listen to the full conversation with Baucus on this week’s episode of Playbook Deep Dive.

 

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Some key excerpts:

— On how the Chinese see Biden and DONALD TRUMP:

“I had some very good Chinese friends — high up in the government — and I talked to them before the [2020] election, and they said they hoped Biden would win the election and not Trump. Why? Because they said, ‘We could deal with Biden.’ They thought because he’s steeped in foreign policy and he was chairman of that Foreign Relations Committee, he’s reasonable, whereas … you never know where Trump is going to go. But they changed their mind afterwards because Biden’s rhetoric isn’t as anti-China as Trump’s, but his policies are more anti-China than Trump’s.”

— On Biden saying the U.S. would defend Taiwan if China invaded:

“I was a bit surprised. … He did overstate it, there’s no question. His staff had to walk it back two or three times. I think the wiser approach for him is to not have made those statements and maintained strategic ambiguity, because that has served us pretty well. There are some who think we should scrap that and … define red lines with Taiwan. I think that causes more problems than it solves. We should … let Taiwan be Taiwan.

“Don’t crank things up on the U.S. side, because then the Chinese won’t get too cranked up either. … China does not want war, but the more we provoke them … we’re getting closer to something like that.”

— On then-Speaker NANCY PELOSI’s trip to Taiwan:

“[W]hen I heard that Speaker Pelosi [was] thinking about going over, I said, ‘Uh oh, this is not a good idea. This is going to stir things up unnecessarily.’ … It couldn’t have been done to show our support for Taiwan. I think she went basically for herself — that she just wanted to go. And the fallout is what I expected. … China stopped talking to [Special Presidential Envoy for Climate] JOHN KERRY about climate change. … The hotline between China and the U.S. military was cut off, basically. …

“Now, Speaker McCarthy is in a box. He has to go because Speaker Pelosi went and because Republicans in the House will be outraged if he doesn’t. … I hope that President Biden figures out a way to kind of manage all this in a way so that McCarthy’s visit doesn’t just cause even more problems.”

— On why the House select committee on China concerns him:

“First, it has no legislative jurisdiction. … When you have legislative jurisdiction, it helps you be responsible because you’ve got to work on passing legislation — and to pass bills, you’ve got to have votes and a majority, and that kind of thing. … If Joe Biden runs again for reelection, House Republicans on that committee are going to look for ways to try to embarrass Joe Biden on China.”

— On whether war with China is inevitable:

“I think it’s highly unlikely there’ll be military confrontation with China. Highly unlikely. And I cringe a little bit when I see a lot of American generals say, ‘Oh, war is inevitable.’ That just makes things worse, because in my judgment, it’s not inevitable. But the more generals talk about war, the more it’s going to maybe become more likely.”

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Happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line with your favorite bits of inscrutable West Wing jargon: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.

TALKER — Michael Schaffer’s new column: “Doug Emhoff Gets to Sit at D.C.’s Cool Kids’ Table”

NO SUPER BOWL SITDOWN FOR FOX? — Since 2009, the president has almost always sat down for an interview with the network broadcasting the Super Bowl. But ahead of Sunday’s big game, Fox News is worried Biden is freezing them out, Variety’s Brian Steinberg scooped. Though Fox didn’t demand any conditions for the interview, the White House hasn’t committed, and “executives at Fox News are proceeding as if it will not” happen.

YIKES — POLITICO’s Tanya Snyder caught an awkward moment yesterday in Nevada, where Energy Secretary JENNIFER GRANHOLM received a pretty-little-lady’s welcome after announcing a $2 billion loan to a battery recycling company— and speaking in technical terms about the minerals in anodes and cathodes and what it takes to recycle them.

When Nevada Gov. JOE LOMBARDO followed her at the podium, he asked: “Do you actually understand that science, or did you just memorize that?” The crowd was silent.

But Granholm, a Harvard Law graduate, later tweeted: “Big words can be intimidating, I understand. All the Governor needs to know is that $2 BILLION and thousands of good-paying jobs are coming to Nevada thanks to @POTUS.”

BIDEN’S FRIDAY: 

9 a.m.: The president will receive the President’s Daily Brief.

11:15 a.m.: Biden and VP KAMALA HARRIS will welcome the nation’s governors to the White House.

3:30 p.m.: The Bidens will welcome Brazilian President LUIZ INÁCIO LULA DA SILVA and his wife to the White House, followed by a bilateral meeting with Lula at 3:50 p.m. One to watch: McConnell’s office yesterday blasted Lula for his comments partially blaming Ukraine for the war, asking whether Biden will call out Lula’s moral equivalency.

Press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE will brief at 1:30 p.m.

THE HOUSE and THE SENATE are out.

 

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

 
 

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Former Nicaragua presidential candidate Felix Maradiaga hugs his daughter after arriving from Nicaragua at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Former Nicaraguan presidential candidate Felix Maradiaga hugs his daughter after arriving from Nicaragua at Washington Dulles International Airport on Thursday, Feb. 9, after inmates considered to be political prisoners of the Nicaraguan government arrived in Washington following an apparently negotiated release. | Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo

PLAYBOOK READS

ALL POLITICS

THE ENTITLEMENT DEBATE — CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski and Em Steck dug up comments from Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS’ 2012 congressional campaign in which he supported privatizing Medicare and Social Security.

Biden discussed the issue yesterday at a stop in Tampa: “I know that a lot of Republicans, their dream is to cut Social Security and Medicare,” Biden said. “Well, let me say this: If that’s your dream, I’m your nightmare.” Biden’s staff distributed pamphlets with a version of Scott’s policy plan at the event, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Emily Mahoney.

VEEPSTAKES — Sen. JONI ERNST (R-Iowa) told CBS’ Catherine Herridge that she does not want to be a VP nominee next year, but thinks Arkansas Gov. SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS could be a good pick.

HEADLINE OF THE DAY — “Who Is @Catturd2, the Sh-tposting King of MAGA Twitter?” by Rolling Stone’s Miles Klee: “He’s in his late 50s, has multiple ex-wives but no children, and apparently lives alone except for his pets. From a rural [Florida] home, and behind the signature profile image of a smug-looking cat in glasses, he holds sway over the faction of the Republican base that idolizes Trump and DeSantis.”

2024 WATCH — New Hampshire’s CHRIS SUNUNU jabbed fellow Republican governors during a POLITICO event yesterday, criticizing DeSantis for being less fiscally conservative than him, and calling Sanders’s SOTU response “very politically driven” and “unhelpful” in its suggestion that “all Democrats are crazy.” (“That isn’t what she said,” says ALEXA HENNING, Sanders’ comms director, “so it’s actually Chris that assumes half the country is crazy.”)

NOT STICKING TO THEIR GUNS — “The NRA Has Lost Over a Million Members Since Corruption Allegations Surfaced,” by The Reload’s Stephen Gutowski

THE WHITE HOUSE

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM — As Atlanta, Chicago and NYC jockey for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, Chicago advocates are telling Biden that organized labor won’t be happy if he sites the convention in the right-to-work state of Georgia, Axios’ Alexi McCammond reports.

BIDEN’S BIG CHALLENGE — “What climate law? Voters clueless about Biden’s top achievement,” by Zack Colman

CONGRESS

JUST POSTED — Some friends and family of freshman Rep. ANNA PAULINA LUNA (R-Fla.) are surprised by her conservative shift, stories of an impoverished childhood and “embrace of her Hispanic heritage,” WaPo’s Jacqueline Alemany and Alice Crites report. “A cousin who grew up with Luna said she was regularly included in family gatherings. Her roommate in Missouri had no recollection of the ‘home invasion’ Luna detailed. ... And three years before her first congressional bid as a conservative, Luna registered to vote as a Democrat in Washington state, voting records show.”

NIGHT OF THE HUNTER — Here comes ABBE LOWELL: HUNTER BIDEN’s attorney told the House Oversight GOP yesterday that he wouldn’t provide the records their investigation seeks, and “questioned the legitimacy of the Republican-led inquiry into the president and his family, arguing that the investigation lacked a valid legislative purpose,” WSJ’s C. Ryan Barber reports.

FOLLOWING THE MONEY — “Ilhan Omar’s campaign cash to consultants dipped by millions after halting payments to husband’s firm,” by Fox News’ Joe Schoffstall

TRUMP CARDS

BIG MOVES FROM JACK SMITH — The special counsel in charge of the Justice Department’s Trump investigations subpoenaed former VP MIKE PENCE, ABC’s Katherine Faulders and John Santucci scooped, and former national security adviser ROBERT O’BRIEN, CNN’s Zachary Cohen and Paula Reid scooped. The moves signal a more aggressive and advanced phase of the probes.

In Pence’s case, Smith’s demand for testimony and docs comes after months of back-and-forth negotiations. “It’s not immediately clear to what extent the former vice president might seek to invoke claims of executive privilege,” per ABC. O’Brien has already claimed executive privilege, per CNN.

GETTING THE GANG BACK TOGETHER — On the Trump 2024 campaign, meanwhile, it’s starting to feel like 2020 again: JASON MILLER leaving GETTR, the conservative Twitter competitor, and returning to the fold as senior adviser, Meridith McGraw reports.

MOVE FAST AND BREAK THINGS — Trump officially regained access to his Facebook and Instagram accounts yesterday as Meta lifted his yearslong suspension, the company said. More from Reuters

POLICY CORNER

IMMIGRATION FILES — The Biden administration is working on major legislation to overhaul the country’s asylum system, Reuters’ Ted Hesson scooped. Though still in its early phases, the bill would create big centers at the southern border to hasten the processing of asylum claims. Migrants would be placed in different types of housing or detention, as the system aims to speed up deportations for asylum-seekers who lose their cases.

 

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WAR IN UKRAINE

MORE STRIKES OVERNIGHT — “Russia fires missiles and drones in waves to evade air defense systems,” by NYT’s Marc Santora

HOW THE WAR IS WAGED — From Kyiv, WaPo’s Isabelle Khurshudyan, Dan Lamothe, Shane Harris and Paul Sonne scoop a deeper U.S. military involvement in the war than was previously known: The Pentagon provides Ukraine coordinates for almost all of its rocket strikes.

AMERICA AND THE WORLD

SCHUMER EYES AUMF REPEAL — Senate Majority Leader CHUCK SCHUMER said yesterday that he would schedule a vote on repealing the 2002 authorization for the use of military force that paved the way for the Iraq War, per AP’s Mary Clare Jalonick.

SHOCK DEVELOPMENT — “Nicaragua frees 222 political prisoners, sends them to U.S.,” by the L.A. Times’ Kate Linthicum, Tracy Wilkinson, Patrick McDonnell and Leila Miller

JUST POSTED — “‘It just rang’: In crises, US-China hotline goes unanswered,” by AP’s Ellen Knickmeyer

BEYOND THE BELTWAY

THE CULTURE WAR’S GENERAL — “GOP lawmakers follow Florida’s lead with DeSantis copycat bills,” by WaPo’s Tim Craig

MEDIAWATCH 

POINT OF SALE — “Forbes, Russia hawks, and an $800 million deal in peril,” by Semafor’s Liz Hoffman and Ben Smith

KNOWING SHARI REDSTONE — “‘She Won’t Be Manageable,’ They Said. Now She’s in Charge,” by NYT’s James Stewart and Rachel Abrams

VALLEY TALK

MUSK READ — “Elon Musk fires a top Twitter engineer over his declining view count,” by Platformer’s Zoë Schiffer and Casey Newton: “One of the company’s two remaining principal engineers offered a possible explanation for [ELON] MUSK’s declining reach: just under a year after the Tesla CEO made his surprise offer to buy Twitter for $44 billion, public interest in his antics is waning. … Musk did not take the news well.”

TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week”: Peter Baker, Nikole Killion, Leigh Ann Caldwell and Errin Haines.

SUNDAY SO FAR … 

ABC “This Week”: Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) … Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.). Panel: Chris Christie, Donna Brazile, Julie Pace and Susan Page.

NBC “Meet the Press”: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox … New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy … Mark Pomerantz. Panel: Leigh Ann Caldwell, Jonah Goldberg, Garrett Haake and Symone Sanders-Townsend.

CBS “Face the Nation”: Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) … Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). Panel: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs … Myron Rolle. Panel: Bill Hemmer and Clay Travis. Panel: Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long and Michael Strahan.

 

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PLAYBOOKERS

Angie Craig defended herself during her assault by tossing hot coffee at her attacker. Suspect Kendrick Hamlin was arrested last night.

John Fetterman did not have another stroke, though he’s still in the hospital.

Gisele Barreto Fetterman said their son got concerned about her morning latte.

Joe Biden’s Super Bowl plan includes guacamole and chocolate chip ice cream (separately, we hope).

Kamala Harris got excited about a bus again.

Rob Menendez picked a bagel fight with Dan Goldman.

David Axelrod learned what a “Karen” is.

IN MEMORIAM — Greg Means, a founding principal of the Alpine Group and a Hill alum, died Sunday, the firm announced: “One of his favorite statements was that a guy from the small town of Hampton, Arkansas, who had a tattoo of his home zip code on his ankle to remind him to never forget his roots, had created one of the Top 20 government relations firms in the Nation’s Capital.”

“Bob Orben, comedy writer who crafted Gerald Ford’s speeches, dies at 95,” by WaPo’s Brian Murphy

HAPPENING TODAY — Georgetown University’s Institute for Women, Peace and Security is hosting an event, open virtually to the public, aimed at uniting the often fractious Iranian diaspora following the recent historic anti-regime protests. It brings together several prominent Iranian activists, from actress Golshifteh Farahani to former crown prince Reza Pahlavi to Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi — some of whom have never shared a stage before.

“It’s time to put our differences aside and come together for the sake of Iranian people,” participant Masih Alinejad, the target of an alleged Iranian assassination plot, told Nahal Toosi. “I’m in touch with many activists and opposition leaders inside Iran, and this is what they want: unity.”

TALKING TRASH — Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly exchanged some friendly pre-Super Bowl fire at a D.C. presser yesterday, per Shia Kapos. “I’m supporting the Eagles,” Shapiro said. “And I wanted to just begin by offering my condolences on what I know is about to happen on Sunday,” he said, turning to Kelly, who responded, “You’ll eat those words.” Pic

OUT AND ABOUT — The Canadian Embassy held a welcome party for the new Congress on Wednesday night, featuring a traditional Canadian sugar shack prepared by Le Mont Royal, an ice wine luge on the embassy roof, pan-Canadian food and drink, and maple leaf mittens as swag. SPOTTED: Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Reps. Bill Huizenga (R-Mich.) and Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.), Canadian Minister of Defense Anita Anand, Canadian Minister of Industry François-Philippe Champagne, James Rajotte, JF Hould and Scotty Greenwood.

— SPOTTED at the Edison Electric Institute’s welcome back reception for Congress Wednesday night at Hawk ’n’ Dove: Reps. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Rick Allen (R-Ga.), Ron Estes (R-Kan.), Troy Balderson (R-Ohio), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), Eric Sorensen (D-Ill.), Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.), William Timmons (R-S.C.) and Darren Soto (D-Fla.).

TROUBLE AT THE CHC — Jacky Usyk, executive director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, was fired by Chair Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Calif.) yesterday after just a month in the job, leaving the group with “no political staffers on the active payroll” and “a worst-case scenario for Barragán,” per The Hill.

WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE — Zach Butterworth is leaving his role as White House liaison to the private-sector business community today, Axios’ Sophia Cai reports.

TRANSITIONS — Dan Cox, who ran unsuccessfully for Maryland governor last year, is now chief of staff for Doug Mastriano, who ran unsuccessfully for Pennsylvania governor last year, Holly Otterbein scooped. … Jason Houser, the chief of staff at ICE, is preparing to depart the agency after a period of leave for family-related matters. He was the highest-ranking political appointee at the agency in the absence of a Senate-confirmed director. He’s still figuring out his next steps. … Barbara Slavin is now a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center’s Middle East & North Africa program, leading the Middle East Voices forum. She previously was with the Atlantic Council and founded and directed its Future of Iran Initiative. …

… Tyler Moran is now managing director of policy and government affairs at Emerson Collective. She left the White House last year as deputy assistant to the president and senior adviser for migration, and is a Harry Reid and Obama White House alum. … Gordon Holzberg is now legislative director for Rep. Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio). He previously was acting legislative director for Rep. Alma Adams (D-N.C.). … Aaron Cohen is now VP of government affairs at Neurocrine Biosciences. He previously was a partner at Capitol Counsel, and is a John Ensign alum.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.) and Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) … George StephanopoulosGlenn Beck … POLITICO’s Greg Mott, Melissa Rosales, Kaitlyn Tibbetts and Selby Schnobrich … The Atlantic’s Margy Slattery … Reuters’ Aram RostonEmily HorneIzzy Klein Mindy Finn Curt Levey of the Committee for Justice … Susan Crabtree John YangKyle Trygstad Cathy Gillespie … CNN’s Mallory Thompson … WSJ’s Michael Gordon … WaPo’s Marisa Kashino … Merck’s John Cummins … L.A. Times’ Erin Logan Cavan Jones of the American Society of Anesthesiologists … Alex Davidson of the Beer Institute (3-0) … Jo-Marie St. MartinJake Silverman of Rep. Nikema Williams’ (D-Ga.) office … Joanna BelangerNatalie Knight of House Judiciary … Eric StoreyTim GrahamMatt HoltSteve BeynonKylie ToscanoJessica Meyers Jim Cramer Bob Iger … Crooked Media’s Tanya Somanader Jeff Jacoby Scott Sendek Bruce Gates John SturmMaddilyn HarrisJim Pfaff Franco Ripple of Direct Impact (4-0)

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Correction: Yesterday’s Playbook misspelled the name of German Ambassador Emily Haber.

 

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N.Y. Today: Republican takes up fight for judicial pick

What you need to know for Friday.

Good morning. It's Friday. We'll look at a lawsuit about a disputed judicial nomination with a surprise twist: the plaintiff. We'll also find out about new programs for students with dyslexia.

Hans Pennink/Associated Press

In the case of Case No. 603276/2023, the surprise was who filed it. It wasn't Gov. Kathy Hochul.

The lawsuit, filed in State Supreme Court in Suffolk County, named the entire New York State Senate and 11 Democrats as defendants — Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the Democratic majority leader in the State Senate, and 10 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who voted against the nomination of Justice Hector LaSalle, above, to be the state's top judge.

In the weeks since the committee blocked LaSalle's nomination last month, Hochul had been considering suing her fellow Democrats to compel the full Senate to vote on LaSalle's nomination. But Case No. 603275/2023 was filed by the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, State Senator Anthony Palumbo.

He argued that the State Constitution requires a floor vote. "A vote of a mere committee of the Senate" is not enough, the lawsuit said.

It was clear after the Judiciary Committee voted 10 to 9 against sending LaSalle's nomination to the full Senate that Hochul had not given up. The rejection was unprecedented, at least in the decades that New York has followed the current process for putting top judges on the bench — "regardless of whether the Senate was controlled by the same party to which the governor belonged," Palumbo's lawsuit noted.

A spokeswoman for Hochul declined to comment on the litigation on Thursday or say whether the governor might join the lawsuit. Palumbo told my colleague Luis Ferré-Sadurni that he had not spoken with the governor about LaSalle's nomination or the suit.

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The legal wrangling could deepen an already bitter face-off between Hochul and progressive Democrats in the State Senate who adamantly opposed LaSalle, saying he was too conservative. He had faced an uphill battle after his nomination drew fire from several unions, reproductive rights groups and community organizations that cited cases he had handled as anti-union and anti-abortion.

LaSalle, a state appellate judge on Long Island, denied that, saying that the rulings his opponents had singled out turned on procedural questions and did not necessarily reflect his views on issues.

Palumbo's lawsuit, depending on how far it progresses, could set off a constitutional clash on the question of the Legislature's role in approving the governor's judicial nominations. At issue is whether Senate Democrats violated the State Constitution by failing to take up Justice LaSalle's nomination in the full Senate, where all other nominations have been voted on — and approved.

"We're in uncharted waters," Richard Briffault, a Columbia University professor who is an expert on state constitutional law, said last month.

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The State Constitution says only that a governor must make judicial appointments with the "advice and consent of the Senate." Hochul — along with some legal experts, including Jonathan Lippman, a former chief judge — maintains that all 63 state senators must have a chance to vote on a nomination.

Senate Democrats have countered that as members of a coequal branch of government, they can follow their own rules and procedures.

But even if Palumbo's lawsuit is successful and LaSalle's nomination goes before the Senate, it is not clear that he would be confirmed. A significant number of the Senate's 42 Democrats have said, publicly or privately, that they were against him. Hochul would probably have to secure yes votes from most if not all of the 21 Senate Republicans, along with roughly a dozen Democrats.

WEATHER

Expect wind gusts on a mostly sunny day in the mid-50s. At night, it's mostly cloudy, with temps dropping to the mid-30s.

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Helping children like Anthony learn to read

Thalia Juarez for The New York Times

Two new specialized dyslexia programs will open soon in Brooklyn public schools, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Thursday, as New York City moves to do more for children with the learning disability. It's a deeply personal matter for the mayor, whose own dyslexia went undiagnosed until he was in college.

The two new programs will be in Brooklyn's District 15, which includes Park Slope and Sunset Park, and will join two others that Adams announced in May. He has said that efforts to begin new reading initiatives in schools are essential to leveling out inequities that contribute to literacy gaps for Black and Latino children. As many as 20 percent of students in the city could have dyslexia.

Beyond the new dyslexia programs, the schools chancellor, David Banks, has pressed schools to pull away from a "balanced literacy" approach, teaching reading by exposing children to books, with less attention to sounding out words through phonics-based instruction. Research has shown that phonics can be important for beginning readers but that some strategies used in balanced literacy learning, including guessing words and letting students choose many of the books they read, may not suit students who are struggling.

Balanced literacy made a comeback in New York City public schools when Carmen Fariña was the chancellor, from 2014 to 2018. But Banks has said that the approach failed many Black and Latino children. Just under half of New York City students passed state reading tests last spring.

Elementary principals will soon begin a training course in the science of reading that is used by many school systems nationwide. Susan Neuman, an early literacy development expert at New York University, said she was concerned about resistance to changes.

"Every time there's been some attempt to create a consistent curriculum, there's been pushback — and the effort collapses," she said. "I worry we're going to fail again."

The programs that Adams announced in May began with the new academic year in September, and other schools have changed the way students with dyslexia are taught, among them P.S. 11 in the Highbridge section of the Bronx. There, Anthony Cruz is sounding confident for the first time. It's a happy contrast to when Anthony, 8, complained about going to school and brought home failing grades on reading assignments.

He now spends about half of his morning reading class in a special literacy session with one other student. In a large classroom, teachers might not have noticed that he was puzzled when told to drop a letter from "rust" to form "rut" or to change a letter in "rut" to form "run." But the reading specialist said, "Listen. Look at my mouth," and told Anthony to break down the words, sound by sound. That strategy is at the heart of the at the heart of something called the Orton-Gilligham approach, developed in the 1930s for children with "word-blindness," which later came to be called dyslexia.

Getting his literacy skills to his grade level will be a long-term effort. But when Anthony learned that the mayor shared his learning disability, he grinned.

"I feel like I'm the only one who has dyslexia," he said, "so I was really happy."

METROPOLITAN DIARY

Off to Paris

Dear Diary:

It was 1995, and I was about to leave the city to move to Paris and get married. I loved Paris, but I knew I would miss New York terribly.

I decided to have one last coffee at a cafe in the East Village. As I did, a very large man who was wearing a poodle skirt and pink kitten heels and holding a small blue suitcase walked by.

I'm leaving this town, he said petulantly.

Me too, I thought sadly. Me too.

— Kimberly Butler

Glad we could get together here. See you on Monday. — J.B.

Melissa Guerrero and Ed Shanahan contributed to New York Today. You can reach the team at nytoday@nytimes.com.

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