| | | | | |  | | By Marc Caputo | Presented by Facebook | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | Good morning from Atlanta, Gateway to the South and the pulsing center of Tuesday's two U.S. Senate runoffs that will determine partisan control of the upper chamber and the success of Joe Biden's first term as president. I've been covering the races from my home in neighboring Florida but will be here in Georgia as your Playbook guide through Wednesday. On Sunday, politics here switched from a national fascination to an international spectacle, courtesy of — surprise! — President Donald Trump, who was secretly recorded trying to pressure Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to throw out votes for an opponent and "find" votes for himself. Trump was strangely quiet about the call on Twitter on Sunday as the news exploded online, but expect the president to trash his new GOP bête noire by name at his rally tonight in Dalton. The story of the extraordinary call of a president pushing a top election official to rig the Georgia results was broken by the superb reporting of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Greg Bluestein and the Washington Post's Amy Gardner, but the backstory is almost as interesting. It started on Saturday when Trump and his team reached out to talk to Raffensperger, who, according to an adviser, felt he would be unethically pressured by the president. Raffensperger had been here before: In November he accused Trump ally and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham of improperly exhorting him to meddle in the election to help Trump win Georgia. Graham later denied it. So why not record the call with the president, Raffensperger's advisers thought, if nothing else for fact-checking purposes. "This is a man who has a history of reinventing history as it occurs," one of them told Playbook. "So if he's going to try to dispute anything on the call, it's nice to have something like this, hard evidence, to dispute whatever he's claiming about the secretary. Lindsey Graham asked us to throw out legally cast ballots. So yeah, after that call, we decided maybe we should do this." The call took place Saturday afternoon. "Mr. President," announced Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, at the top of the call, "everyone is on the line." Little did he know. Trump made his ask and did most of the talking for the next hour, trafficking in the same conspiracy theories about election fraud that no court or criminal investigator has found credible. At the end of the call, Trump complains, "What a schmuck I was." Raffensperger's team kept quiet about the call and the recording and waited. The president made the next move, claiming on Sunday morning via Twitter that Raffensperger was "unwilling, or unable, to answer" questions about his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud. "Respectfully, President Trump: What you're saying is not true," Raffensperger replied at 10:27 a.m. "The truth will come out." It wasn't an empty promise. This isn't the first time that a call or his recorded comments have threatened Trump (see: Access Hollywood, Ukraine president). "This phone call is bad," Georgia conservative commentator Erick Erickson said on Twitter. We asked him to expand on that, and here's what he added: "I think the general worry is that the GOP early vote actually came on strong [late] and there's a real worry that the president shows up tomorrow and messes it all up. The North Georgia GOP has to turn out on Election Day. They've lagged the whole state. The President goes to Dalton tomorrow to get them out and now people are worried he spends his time attacking the GA GOP … There is real nervousness." Erickson and other Republicans have been concerned since November that the president's voter fraud rhetoric will dampen turnout, a fear intensified by far-right activists who've suggested that Trump voters not go to the polls unless Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue fight harder to somehow cancel Biden's Georgia win. Trump's handling of a coronavirus relief package and his vetoing of a defense bill is another concern: Congress overrode the vote, but Perdue and Loeffler skipped out so they weren't crosswise with Trump. Loeffler on Sunday avoided answering how she would've voted on the defense bill. "Look, voters aren't paying attention to all this stuff, people like us are," one Georgia Republican strategist who's working to elect Loeffler and Perdue told Playbook. "But at a certain point, all these little things that don't look like they matter could matter. I still feel OK. But this doesn't help. The president needs to cut out the Leeroy Jenkins s---. Unfortunately, he won't." Full transcript of the call with audio | | | | A message from Facebook: It's time to update internet regulations
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Learn More | | | @MonicaLewinsky, FOR THE WIN: "i'm generally opposed to someone being surreptitiously taped on a phone call...but not this one, folks!" (Former anti-phone call recording advocate Anthony Scaramucci was also praising the Raffensperger tape.) DRUDGE HEADLINE: "COMMANDER IN THIEF?" CARL BERNSTEIN: "This was something far worse than Watergate." WAPO'S DAN BALZ: "There are but 16 days left in President Trump's term, but there is no doubt that he will use all of his remaining time in office to inflict as much damage as he can on democracy — with members of a now-divided Republican Party acting as enablers." THIS IS FINE MEME: Suffice to say it's a bit alarming that 10 former defense secretaries felt the need to get this on the record in the WaPo: "As senior Defense Department leaders have noted, 'there's no role for the U.S. military in determining the outcome of a U.S. election.' Efforts to involve the U.S. armed forces in resolving election disputes would take us into dangerous, unlawful and unconstitutional territory. Civilian and military officials who direct or carry out such measures would be accountable, including potentially facing criminal penalties, for the grave consequences of their actions on our republic." — William Perry tweeted: "The idea for this statement actually originated from Vice President Cheney." WaPo has more of the backstory. (Particularly notable given Rep. Liz Cheney's strong denouncement of the Electoral College objection.) COUNTDOWN TO JAN. 6 … PENCE PREPPING — VP Mike Pence was on the Hill apparently studying up for his role in Wednesday's Electoral College vote counting. Via CNN's @kaitlancollins: "Pence just left the Hill after a two-hour meeting in his office that included an appearance by the Senate parliamentarian, per our Hill team. Trump's been vocal privately that he expects the VP to play a role in the GOP disruption when Congress meets to certify Biden's win." Burgess Everett and Marianne Levine's Sunday stepback notes, "Democrats said they believed the debate on Jan. 6 would include Republicans rebutting their own colleagues." NATIONAL REVIEW: "The Folly of the Cruz Eleven" WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH TOM COTTON: Late Sunday, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas announced he would not join a dozen of his Republican colleagues and object to the certification of electoral votes on Wednesday. Statement FOX CORP. BOARD MEMBER PAUL RYAN: "Efforts to reject the votes of the Electoral College and sow doubt about Joe Biden's victory strike at the foundation of our republic. It is difficult to conceive of a more anti-democratic and anti-conservative act than a federal intervention to overturn the results of state-certified elections and disenfranchise millions of Americans. The fact that this effort will fail does not mean it will not do significant damage to American Democracy." WAPO'S DAVE WEIGEL SUMMARIZES THE GOP DIVIDES:
Cotton: National Review
Hawley: The Federalist
Cruz: Breitbart
Romney: The Bulwark
Toomey: The Dispatch
Sasse: Washington Examiner
Johnson: Gateway Pundit
Gohmert: 8kun SETTING THE STAGE — "The rules of Congress' Jan. 6 session governing the counting of Electoral College votes will remain identical to those used for decades, under a proposal set to be introduced Sunday by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. More from Kyle Cheney and Mel Zanona … The proposed rules LAUREN GETS HER GUN: After the rules posted, newly minted Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado, the Second Amendment stalwart who's made a crusade out of being allowed to pack heat in the halls of Congress, declared victory. BUT … While House Dems didn't explicitly ban firearms, they're still banned on the floors of the House and Senate and have to be kept in members' offices, per our House rules expert Kyle Cheney. THE NEW CONGRESS … AS SHE PREDICTED: "Pelosi reelected speaker despite narrow majority," by Heather Caygle, Sarah Ferris and Olivia Beavers BUT THIS IS HOW WORRIED PELOSI WAS: "Gwen Moore travels to Washington, D.C., six days after announcing she had COVID-19, saying her quarantine is over," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — THE BIG PICTURE: "Covid worries overshadow first day of new Congress," also from Sarah, Heather and Olivia TO ALL PARENTS WITH SMALL CHILDREN: This video of Cotton's rambunctious 4-year-old son taking center stage as his dad is sworn in by Pence is guaranteed to make you laugh and squirm. THE CORONAVIRUS CONTINUES TO RAGE … 20.6 million Americans have tested positive. … 352,000 have died. — NYT: "Although air travel is down markedly from years past, American airports had their busiest day of the pandemic on Saturday, with 1,192,881 passengers passing through security checkpoints, according to the Transportation Security Administration." THE VACCINE DISTRIBUTION — "Feds may cut Moderna vaccine doses in half so more people get shots, Warp Speed adviser says," by Brianna Ehley: "The federal government is in talks with Moderna about giving half the recommended dose of the company's Covid-19 shot to speed up immunization efforts, the head of the Trump administration's vaccine rollout said on Sunday. "Operation Warp Speed chief adviser Moncef Slaoui said there is evidence that two half doses in people between the ages of 18 and 55 gives "identical immune response" to the recommended one hundred micorogram dose, but said the final decision will rest with the FDA." POLITICO | | | |   | | | TRUMP'S MONDAY — The president will leave the White House at 6:10 p.m. for a rally in Dalton, Ga. Additionally, according to the official White House schedule sent to reporters, "President Trump will work from early in the morning until late in the evening. He will make many calls and have many meetings." Same. — PENCE will depart Washington at 9:05 a.m. He'll arrive in Macon, Ga., at 10:50 a.m. and deliver remarks at a faith community call to action in Milner, Ga., at 12:05 p.m. He'll then arrive back in Washington at 3:40 p.m. — BIDEN will travel to Atlanta to campaign for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock. VP-elect KAMALA HARRIS will receive the President's Daily Brief and meet with transition advisers. Programming note: You'll notice some guest writers as we prepare to officially relaunch Playbook on Jan. 19. In the meantime, we also want to hear from you: What do you love most about Playbook? How could we be more valuable to you? Let us know — we'll read every submission. | | | | 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. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO DU JOUR: Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) hugs daughter Tori in the Capitol on Sunday, the day of his swearing-in to Congress. | Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images | THE NEW COLD WAR — "With Concessions and Deals, China's Leader Tries to Box Out Biden," NYT: "China's leader, Xi Jinping, has in recent weeks made deals and pledges that he hopes will position his country as an indispensable global leader, even after its handling of the coronavirus and increased belligerence at home and abroad have damaged its international standing. "In doing so, he has underlined how difficult it will be for President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. to forge a united front with allies against China's authoritarian policies and trade practices, a central focus of the new administration's plan to compete with Beijing and check its rising power." NYT P-P-PROBLEMS — "Minority-owned companies waited months for loans, data shows," AP: "Thousands of minority-owned small businesses were at the end of the line in the government's coronavirus relief program as many struggled to find banks that would accept their applications or were disadvantaged by the terms of the program. "Data from the Paycheck Protection Program released Dec. 1 and analyzed by The Associated Press show that many minority owners desperate for a relief loan didn't receive one until the PPP's last few weeks while many more white business owners were able to get loans earlier in the program." | | | |   | | | TOP-ED — WAPO'S DANA MILBANK: "Meet [Russell Vought], the Trump saboteur in charge of undermining Biden — and America" NYT'S DAVID SANGER dissects Jake Sullivan's Sunday comments on Iran and Russia and notes the complications Biden will have in using carrots to woo both countries back into prior agreements that Trump killed or weakened while simultaneously brandishing sticks to halt Iranian missile programs and retaliate against Russian cyberattacks. REAL MONEY, VIRTUAL PERKS — WSJ on what Biden inaugural donors get: "if an individual gives $500,000 or bundles $1 million for the inauguration, the person would be invited to virtual events with Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris and their spouses … The person also would be granted 'preferred viewing' for the virtual inauguration, included in a virtual concert during inauguration week, invited to virtual briefings with Biden leadership, and given VIP tickets to a future in-person event." | | | | 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. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at politicoplaybook@politico.com. HOT ON PARLER: "President Trump on Monday is expected to give Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, according to someone familiar with the plans," WaPo reports. No word on whether Nunes threatened to sue if he didn't get it. MEDIAWATCH — Jacob Kornbluh is joining The Forward as a senior political correspondent. He previously was a national politics reporter at Jewish Insider. Announcement WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE — Chad Yelinski is now COS for Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.). He previously was special assistant to the president for domestic policy. TRANSITIONS — Sarah Hasse is now comms director for House Small Business ranking member Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.). She previously was assistant press secretary for the Trump campaign. … Dave Martinez will be a director in Targeted Victory's public affairs practice. He most recently was deputy research director at the NRCC during the 2020 cycle, and is an NRSC alum. … Kamal Patel is now a director at Ferox Strategies. He previously was deputy COS for Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas). ENGAGED — Ellison Barber, correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC, and Andy Tongren, songwriter, producer and the lead singer of Young Rising Sons, got engaged Saturday in Prospect Park. They met through his best friend, after Andy saw a man-on-the-street interview Ellison did with Alex Ovechkin when she happened upon him during the 2016 D.C. blizzard. (They're both Caps fans.) Instapics WEDDING — Jennifer Holdsworth, owner of JC Strategies and an adviser to incoming Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Stuart Karp, an intelligence analyst, got married Thursday at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia with immediate family in attendance. The two met in D.C. in 2017 and are planning a post-Covid reception. More from Insider NJ WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Madeline Vey, senior director of political and public affairs at Equinor, and Alek Vey, a project leader at Boston Consulting Group, welcomed Garrett James Vey on Dec. 22. BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Chip Kahn, president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals. What he's been reading: "For self-improvement, read James Nestor's 'Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art.' I learned we can all be healthier, and better off generally, if we train ourselves to breathe through our nose instead of our mouth." Playbook Q&A BIRTHDAYS: Doris Kearns Goodwin is 78 … Ben Mayer, executive producer of "The Mehdi Hasan Show" … Rob Gifford, VP of content strategy and managing editor at CBSN … Indiana GOP Chair Kyle Hupfer … Jeremy Funk is 42 … Jim Warren, executive editor of NewsGuard … POLITICO's David Kihara, Caitlin Emma and Adriel Bettelheim … Joshua Zeitz is 47… Samantha Slosberg … Alex Campau, principal and director of health policy at Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies … Nan Aron, founder and president of Alliance for Justice … Audrey Hickenlooper … Courtney Piron, VP and head of North America public affairs at Novartis … Eric Cortellessa … Joe McAndrew … Doug Campbell … Lisa Pittman … Erin Moffet … Patrick Purtill … Marie Sanderson, founding partner of GuidePost Strategies (h/t Zack Roday) … … Marc Brumer, SVP at the Herald Group … Megan Kaiser, developer at Blueprint Interactive, is 31 … Emily Samsel, national press secretary for the League of Conservation Voters, is 3-0 (h/t Kim McGuire) … Barbara Menard … Michele Remillard, EP of C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" … Anthony Terrell … Joe Hansen … AARP's Belén Mendoza … Nate Schwantes (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) … Gabby Birenbaum … Hilary Brandenburg … Sarah Andrews … Holly Kinser … Terry Lierman (h/t Jon Haber) … Deborah Matteliano is 32 … Daria Griffith … Qianwei Zhang … Peter Schorsch … Doug Centilli … Jen Flaherty … WJLA's Brian van de Graaff … Adam Goldman, SVP at Mercury Public Affairs, is 49 … Emily Tess Katz is 31 … Jennifer Sullivan … Georgia state Rep. 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