| | | | | |  | | By Ryan Lizza | Presented by |  | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | BREAKING: "Impeachment trial to keep National Guard troops at Capitol," by ANDREW DESIDERIO, LARA SELIGMAN and NATASHA BERTRAND: "Former President Donald Trump's upcoming Senate impeachment trial poses a security concern that federal law enforcement officials told lawmakers last week requires as many as 5,000 National Guard troops to remain in Washington through mid-March, according to four people familiar with the matter." WHAT IS BIDENISM? It's only the fifth day, but the Biden White House has pushed enough policy out the door for some initial takes. There are a few solid attempts this morning to mine the dozens of early Biden actions for some larger meaning of what the new President believes. WaPo's Annie Linskey and Ashley Parker see the changes mostly in terms of best-and-brightest style process that augurs a "return of the technocrats" and a new "'normal' after four years of tumult." Jim Tankersley and Michael Shear see the change in more ideological terms and argue it's all about an emphasis on "equity," a concept that infuses many of Biden's early executive actions. The duo notes that Biden's policies so far are more self-consciously wrapped in the language of racial justice and gender equality than any Democrat since LBJ. They note that there is already a backlash against this language, with critics--and not all on the right--arguing that some policies complicate if not contradict Biden's talk of unity. Nicole Hemmer, a Columbia University historian working on an Obama oral History project: "You got less of that overt racial equity language from Barack Obama than you get from Joe Biden. The challenge to Biden is how he makes clear the universal benefits of focusing on racial and gender equity. He is going to face real pushback on this." NYT James Pilch explores this issue from 30,000 feet in POLITICO Magazine, noting, "If Americans prize 'freedom" more than 'equality,' Democrats need to find the right words to convince people to support equality-furthering policies." Ross Douthat, meanwhile, sees Biden's religion as the key to understanding the new administration's world view: "Many emergent forces are changing liberalism's relationship to religion — wokeness, secularization, even paganism. But the new president personally embodies none of them. Instead he has elevated his own liberal Catholicism to the center of our national life." SPEAKING OF MICHAEL SHEAR: This clip of Shear asking the following question at the White House briefing on Thursday is hot on the right (Kevin McCarthy's office blasted it to reporters): "If there's this call for unity that the President made in his speech yesterday, but there has so far been almost no fig leaf [editor's note: yeah, he probably meant olive branch] even to the Republican Party. You don't have a Republican cabinet member like President Obama and I think President Clinton had. The executive orders that he's come out of the gate have been largely designed at erasing as much of the Trump legacy as you can with executive orders, much of which the Republican Party likes and agrees with. You've put forth an immigration bill that has a path to citizenship but doesn't do much of a nod towards the border security. And you've got a $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill that folks have said already drawn all sorts of criticism. Where is the actual action behind this idea of bipartisanship?" FILIBUSTER DEATH WATCH: HARRY REID tells the NYT Biden should go nuclear but doubts that he will: "Knowing Joe Biden the way I do, he will be very patient and try to continue how the Senate used to be. I am not particularly optimistic." … The early signs are that Reid is correct WaPo … Though polls continue to show strong support for Biden, who is much more popular than top Republicans in Congress … The political world will await reports from today's 3 p.m. meeting with BRIAN DEESE and 16 centrist senators for more signals about whether the Biden Covid plan is DOA or not. | | A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies have committed more than $7 billion to help the nation address the COVID-19 outbreak, by providing premium relief, eliminating patient treatment costs, and enhancing access to telehealth. Learn more. | | | GOP CIVIL WAR: On the right, the dominant post-Jan. 6 story continues to be the purge of Republicans who have been insufficiently supportive of Trump. In Arizona, a key battleground in the party's Trump-era factional fights, KELLI WARD won a new term as head of the state party after playing a recorded endorsement from Trump, one of the first time's been heard from since decamping to Mar-a-Lago. Ward's first order of business? Censure resolutions against Jeff Flake (he should join the Democrats), Doug Ducey (his covid response "restrict[ed] personal liberties and force[d] compliance to unconstitutional edicts"), and Cindy McCain ("has supported globalist policies and candidates"). All three measures passed. CINDY MCCAIN: "I'll wear this as a badge of honor." Arizona Republic MEANWHILE IN PALM BEACH: WaPo's Josh Dawsey and Michael Scherer round up Trump's plotting from Florida: the continuing threat of creating a new Patriot Party, his flaunting of $75 million in political cash to fund primary challenges, his obsession with enacting revenge against "lawmakers who crossed him in the final weeks in office, including Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.), Georgia Gov. BRIAN KEMP (R), Sen. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-Alaska) and Rep. TOM RICE (R-S.C.)." One notable detail: a growing divide between Trump's burn-it-all-down approach and Trump allies like LINDSEY GRAHAM AND RONNA MCDANIEL. McDaniel: "The only way we win in 2022 is if we start getting rid of this purism and cancel culture in our own party." WaPo IT'S HAPPENING -- NYT: "The 10 House Republicans who voted for impeachment are already facing a fleet of primary challengers, censures and other rebukes from their hometown Republican Party organizations, an indication that the battle over Mr. Trump will play a defining role in shaping the direction of the party during the next two years." GOP HISPANIC STRATEGY: POLITICO's Ally Mutnick reports that the 2022 House midterms may hinge on whether Republicans can build on their 2020 gains among Hispanics in Texas, especially along the Rio Grande Valley. If the GOP's future is indeed as a more poplist working class party, then we would expect this Trump-era trend to continue. Nobody really knows yet the GOP's surge in support along the Texas border was Trump-only phenomenon or something deeper. There remains a lot of denialism in the Democratic Party about what happened within this demographic. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, whose margin of victory went from 60% in 2018 to 51% in 2020: "This wasn't about the Republican party or any Republican candidate. This was about Donald Trump. He was the rock star — I say in Spanish: lucha libre candidate, if you will — that Latinos love." POLITICO "A SHOT AT WINNING" : In addition to the purges, the primary challenges, and the Hispanic outreach, one other big post-election effort in the GOP is enactment of new voting restrictions, as POLITICO's superb Zach Montellaro reports. Note this epic Kinsley gaffe from Alice O'Lenick, a Republican on the Gwinnett County, Ga., board of elections in suburban Atlanta: "They don't have to change all of them, but they've got to change the major parts of them so that we at least have a shot at winning." POLITICO KNOWING THE INSURRECTIONISTS: As we continue to get a clearer understanding of the pro-Trump rioters, two things stand out: many had deadly intentions and many were incredibly stupid. Take Garret Miller (please!). According to federal prosecutors, Miller "threatened on social media to assassinate" AOC and "threatened the Capitol Police officer who fatally shot a woman as she tried to enter the Speaker's Lobby." Pretty bad!. On the other hand, he was no criminal mastermind. Prosecutors said that after Miller posted a picture of himself inside the building, another Facebook user commented, "bro you got in?! Nice!" Miller responded, "just wanted to incriminate myself a little lol." Miller's lawyer: His client's posts were "very ill-considered political hyperbole in very divided times," and his storming of the Capitol was "a misguided effort to show his support for former President Trump." NYT Dan Balz notes that Biden called the Trump vaccine rollout "a dismal failure" and wonders "[h]ow much that reflects real conditions or is an effort to lower expectations and buy time." Elizabeth Drew, who knows a thing or two about 37, wonders, "Nixon rehabilitated his image. Could Trump?" Her astute analysis suggests that he can't if he continues to be a force of chaos and insurgency inside the GOP rather than an above-it-all figure. (As we will regularly remind readers in this space, the answer to almost any headline that is posed as a yes or no question is no.) TRUMP'S TOXIC STAFFERS: Controversial former Trump officials are colliding with American college cancel culture with predictable results. WaPo Robert Shibley of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education: "I think it's likely to lead for a tit-for-tat campaign that's going to lead campuses basically scrambling to find somebody, anybody, who can talk interestingly about an issue without being subject to a de-platform campaign." MORE JAN. 6 FALLOUT -- WaPo: "Capitol attack will spur broad crackdown on domestic extremists" … WSJ: "Trump Pressed Justice Department to Go Directly to Supreme Court to Overturn Election Results" … The NYT story about a relatively unknown GOP congressman who essentially tried to instigate a DOJ-led coup lit up Twitter last night, and had everyone scrambling to understand who the guy is. RACHAEL BADE emails with some answers ... WHO IS SCOTT PERRY? An obscure conservative congressman from Pennsylvania who's emerged as a central player in the failed plot to get the Justice Department to overturn the election results. According to a New York Times follow-up on the blockbuster report about a bid to oust acting attorney general JEFFREY A. ROSEN for standing by the election, it was Perry who introduced Trump to JEFFREY CLARK, the acting chief of the civil division who believed Trump actually won the election. Perry, in case you were wondering, is about as true a believer as you can get — a member of the House Freedom Caucus who also objected to slates of electors on January 6. | | | | A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association:   Taking action to fight the pandemic. See how we're meeting the challenge. | | | SUNDAY BEST … Two key moments from the Sunday shows today: MITT ROMNEY continues to be both extremely anti-Trump and very skeptical of the Biden agenda. There are few signs that the former will translate into support for the latter, as some White House officials had hoped. Second, BERNIE SANDERS, who is technically open to ending the filibuster but generally skittish about the idea, continues to push reconciliation as the key for the Biden economic plan. Romney on "FOX NEWS SUNDAY": "There's no question but that the article of impeachment that was sent over by the House suggests impeachable conduct, but we have not yet heard either from the prosecution or from the defense." He said the preponderance of legal opinion suggests it is constitutional to try a president after he's left office. — ON BIDEN'S STIMULUS: "The total figure is pretty shocking , if you will, and the idea that we need a stimulus is a little hard to understand." — ON CNN'S "STATE OF THE UNION" … DANA BASH: "Do you consider your colleagues TED CRUZ and JOSH HAWLEY to be, in your words, complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy, and should they face censure or some other punishment?" ROMNEY: "Well, I think history will provide a measure of judgment with regards to those that continued to spread the lie that the president began with, as well as the voters in our respective communities. I don't think the Senate needs to take action." SANDERS on stimulus on "State of the Union": "What we cannot do is wait weeks and weeks and months and months to go forward. … We're going to use reconciliation — that is 50 votes in the Senate plus the vice president — to pass legislation desperately needed by working families in this country right now. [The GOP] did it. We're going to do it. But we're going to do it to protect ordinary people, not just the rich and the powerful." BASH: "And what's your timeline on that?" SANDERS: "As soon as we possibly can." SURGEON GENERAL NOMINEE VIVEK MURTHY on ABC'S "THIS WEEK" … GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "Can we get to herd immunity before the next school year begins in September?" MURTHY: "Well, I think that's an ambitious goal. I think we can see improvement." BIDEN'S SUNDAY — The president and VP KAMALA HARRIS have nothing on their public schedules. | | | | TRACK THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: A new president occupies the White House and he is already making changes. What are some of the key moments from Biden's first week in office? Find out in Transition Playbook, our scoop-filled newsletter tracking the appointments, people, and emerging power centers of the first 100 days of the new administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO OF THE DAY: National Guard members get a tour of the Capitol on Saturday after having helped protect it the past couple of weeks. | Brandon Bell/Getty Images | CORONAVIRUS TRACKER: The U.S. reported 3,577 new Covid-19 deaths and 174,000 new coronavirus cases Saturday. STANDING BY: " Young L.A. 'vaccine chasers' crowd unofficial standby lines in hopes of a shot," LA Times. "There is, officially speaking, no such thing as a standby line for COVID-19 vaccinations in Los Angeles County. But some clinics have soon-to-expire doses left over at the end of the day or during an early-afternoon lull, and word has spread quickly about this potential back door to vaccine access. Some who flock to the sites spend hours waiting in the hope of catching a lucky break." WHO PAYS:"If Poor Countries Go Unvaccinated, a Study Says, Rich Ones Will Pay," NYT: "In monopolizing the supply of vaccines against Covid-19, wealthy nations are threatening more than a humanitarian catastrophe: The resulting economic devastation will hit affluent countries nearly as hard as those in the developing world. … "This is the crucial takeaway from an academic study to be released on Monday. In the most extreme scenario — with wealthy nations fully vaccinated by the middle of this year, and poor countries largely shut out — the study concludes that the global economy would suffer losses exceeding $9 trillion, a sum greater than the annual output of Japan and Germany combined." ANOTHER MILESTONE: "United States tops 25 million cases of Covid-19," NBC. "WHAT RESEARCH DID YOU DO?": On her new weekend CNN show, Pamela Brown conducts a master class in how to do a live interview with a politician--in this case Madison Cawthorn--who is used to saying crazy stuff without being fact-checked. And don't miss OLIVIA NUZZI's New York mag piece on Cawthorn. TRUMP IMPEACHMENT … BIDEN NOT EXACTLY PSYCHED ABOUT IT: "'Congress is going to do what Congress does': Biden administration confirms hands-off impeachment stance," by BEN LEONARD. WORDS MATTER: "Supporters' words may haunt Trump at impeachment trial," AP: "At least five supporters facing federal charges have suggested they were taking orders from the then-president when they marched on Capitol Hill on Jan. 6 to challenge the certification of Joe Biden's election win. But now those comments, captured in interviews with reporters and federal agents, are likely to take center stage as Democrats lay out their case." NO CHARGES?: " Justice Department, FBI debate not charging some of the Capitol rioters," WaPo: "Federal law enforcement officials are privately debating whether they should decline to charge some of the individuals who stormed the U.S. Capitol this month — a politically loaded proposition but one alert to the practical concern that hundreds of such cases could swamp the local courthouse." WHO COULD HAVE PREDICTED?: "Numerous Capitol Police officers who responded to riot test positive for coronavirus," WaPo: "Since the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, 38 U.S. Capitol Police employees have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the head of the officers' union said Saturday. Cases are also climbing among members of the D.C. National Guard stationed around the Capitol." — HOW IT HAPPENED: "Inside the Deadly Capitol Shooting," NYT: "At least three investigations into the security response on Jan. 6 are underway, and officials have not provided the full details of [Ashley] Babbitt's death. But videos taken of the episode, legal documents and witness accounts point to a dire set of circumstances and an officer left to confront a mob." | | | |   | | | ABROAD … RUSSIA PROTESTS: "U.S. demands release of Navalny after Russia cracks down on protests," FT: "In a lengthy statement on Saturday night that signalled a more confrontational stance towards Moscow from Washington under the Biden administration, the state department condemned the 'harsh tactics' used by Russian authorities against protesters and journalists at the weekend." BIBI TRIES TO MAKE AMENDS: "With a conflict over Iran looming, Israel sends a new envoy for the post-Trump era," WaPo: "Israel's new ambassador to the United States began work this past week as his country braced for conflict with its most important ally. … "President Biden has vowed to rejoin the international nuclear deal with Iran that was signed in 2015, when he was vice president. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bitterly opposes the agreement and former president Donald Trump built his pro-Israel bona fides by renouncing it. But Gilad Erdan, the new ambassador, does not appear rattled. 'Not every disagreement should lead to a crisis,' Erdan said in an interview with The Washington Post." CHATTING WITH BORIS: "Biden and Boris Johnson talk alliance, climate, Covid," by our BEN LEONARD: "President Joe Biden spoke with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday, with NATO, trade, climate and Covid discussed among other topline issues. … "Biden 'conveyed his intention to strengthen the special relationship between our countries and revitalize transatlantic ties, underscoring the critical role of NATO to our collective defense and shared values,' according to a White House readout of the call. The two leaders also discussed 'shared foreign policy priorities' including China, Iran and Russia, the statement said, while noting the importance of multilateral organizations." BIDEN'S FIRST TEST WITH CHINA: "U.S. reaffirms Taiwan support after China sends warplanes" The U.S. has reaffirmed support for Taiwan following China's dispatch of warplanes near the island in an apparent attempt to intimidate its democratic government and test American resolve. "The State Department on Saturday said it 'notes with concern the pattern of ongoing (China's) attempts to intimidate its neighbors, including Taiwan.' 'We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan's democratically elected representatives,' spokesperson Ned Price said in the statement. | | | | GET THE SCOOP ON CONGRESS IN 2021 : Get the inside scoop on the Schumer/McConnell dynamic, the new Senate Bipartisan Group, and what is really happening inside the House Democratic Caucus and Republican Conference. From Schumer to Pelosi, McConnell to McCarthy and everyone in between, our new Huddle author Olivia Beavers brings the latest from Capitol Hill with assists from POLITICO's deeply sourced Congress team. Subscribe to Huddle, the indispensable guide to Congress. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Don't miss Douglas Brinkley's final interview with Hank Aaron. OMB MOVES — Michael Linden is now senior adviser to the director and Bobby Kogan is adviser to the director at OMB. Linden previously was executive director of the Groundwork Collaborative, and Kogan previously was a professional staff member for the Senate Budget Dems. TRANSITION — Rebecca Cokley is joining the Ford Foundation as the first program officer for disability rights in the office of the president. She previously was co-founder and director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Obama adviser Eric Schultz … Reps. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), John Garamendi (D-Calif.), Tom O'Halleran (D-Ariz.) and Lou Correa (D-Calif.) … Elliott Abrams … Shaun Donovan … ABC's Dax Tejera … POLITICO's Jenny Ament and Maria Harrigan … South Korean President Moon Jae-in … Ed Helms Got a document to share? A birthday coming up? Did you record the meeting today with Brian Deese? Drop us a line at politicoplaybook@politico.com or individually: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Mike Zapler and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross. | | A message from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association: 90% of Americans have coverage through their jobs, Medicare, Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. See how we can build on what we have to cover everyone and lower costs. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | 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 political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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