| | | | | |  | | By Tara Palmeri | Presented by |  | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | President JOE BIDEN just signed the first BFD of his administration — a massive Covid relief bill to boost the fortunes of everyday Americans. But you barely heard a peep about it from his own administration on the Sunday shows. Yes, Biden is hitting the road this week to sell the package. But on his way out the door, he skipped a major audience on Sunday — a day many people will actually sit back and watch something of substance, hence the gangbuster ratings for CBS' "60 Minutes." Just one senior administration official was booked on the five major Sunday shows: Treasury Secretary JANET YELLEN on ABC's "This Week." She fended off questions on whether $1.9 trillion in new spending would drive inflation and balloon the debt. Sunday show producers tell me the White House only offered medical staff like ANTHONY FAUCI, who appeared on CNN, NBC and FOX, and MARCELLA NUNEZ-SMITH, who went on CBS' "Face the Nation." This was despite requests for chief of staff RON KLAIN, VP KAMALA HARRIS and Biden himself. Senior communications staffers like JEN PSAKI, KATE BEDINGFIELD and SYMONE SANDERS were not even offered to explain the bill. "They're leaving a vacuum on the Sunday shows," said one senior producer, who called the whole thing "baffling." A senior administration official downplayed the light presence on the Sunday programs, saying that Biden and Harris "look forward to hitting the road this week and engaging directly with the American people through events and interviews." The official noted that the administration has done and will continue to do plenty of other press — national and local — on the Covid bill. But the Sunday shows combined reach an audience of about 10 to 15 million each weekend and help drive newspaper coverage on Monday. Biden himself has said BARACK OBAMA erred in not selling the 2009 economic rescue package to the public aggressively enough, and they paid a price for it in the 2010 midterms. Biden, who hasn't held a news conference since he took office, is expected to interview with local media during his roadshow. And, as the administration official alluded to, he will sit down this week with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on "Good Morning America," while Harris will be interviewed by CBS' Gayle King on "This Morning," sources tell Playbook. Both shows have a more general interest audience than the inside-politics Sunday fare. So maybe this is just another blow to the Sunday shows, a wounded D.C. institution. | | A message from the American Beverage Association: At America's beverage companies our plastic bottles are made to be remade. We're carefully designing them to be 100% recyclable, including the caps—so every bottle can become a new one. That means less plastic waste in our environment. Please help us get Every Bottle Back. EveryBottleBack.org | | | OUR TOP THREE SUNDAY READS … 1) The NYT's Jim Tankersley and Jason DeParle write about the 25-year evolution of the Democratic Party on the politics of helping the poor, from BILL CLINTON'S vow to "end welfare as we know it" to JOE BIDEN'S American Rescue Plan. Among the factors: Rising inequality and low wages across all races and regions; research on the damage poverty has exacted on children; an invigorated progressive movement; and the end of concern about deficit spending — a defining fight of the Clinton years — during the Trump presidency. DeParle has covered welfare and poverty since Clinton's march in the opposite direction and twice was a Pulitzer finalist for his work. 2) WaPo's Ashley Parker and Matt Viser look at the more immediate politics of the Covid relief bill, homing in on the risks it and other lefty priorities might pose in the midterms next year. The lead quote is from Rep. PRAMILA JAYAPAL (D-Wash.), chair of the House Progressive Caucus, who applauds Biden for a "bold and transformative and progressive" agenda while noting: "Where candidate Joe Biden started is different from where President Joe Biden started." Cue NRSC spox MICHAEL MCADAMS, who essentially welcomes that critique while invoking the S word: "We've been touting the socialist agenda now for more than two years, and everything we warned voters about is coming to fruition," he said. "That all makes taking back the House within our reach." 3) And our own Gabby Orr and Meridith McGraw offer an unsparing take on DONALD TRUMP'S Palm Beach political operation, which is very … Trumpy. But what worked for him during the 2016 campaign and in the White House appears less formidable as an ex-president, they write . Trump "finds himself adrift while in political exile. And Republicans, and even some allies, say he is disorganized, torn between playing the role of antagonist and party leader. 'There is no apparatus, no structure and part of that is due to a lack of political understanding on Trump's behalf,' said a person close to the former president, noting that Trump has struggled to learn the ropes of post-presidential politicking.'" | | | | A message from the American Beverage Association:   Every Bottle Back is one way we're driving solutions together. Starting another 100 years with a new look, American Beverage will continue with our shared leadership. Ameribev.org | | | Happy Daylight Savings Sunday. Don't forget to set your clocks forward an hour. Got a news tip? A document to share? Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri. BIDEN'S SUNDAY — Biden and Harris have nothing on their public schedules. | | | | JOIN THE CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST": Power dynamics are shifting in Washington, and more people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. "The Recast" is a new twice-weekly newsletter that breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics, policy and power in America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country, and hear from new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out on this new newsletter, SUBSCRIBE NOW. Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO OF THE DAY: A portrait of Breonna Taylor is seen during a protest memorial for her in Jefferson Square Park in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday, March 13, the one-year anniversary of Taylor's death. | Jon Cherry/Getty Images | THE WHITE HOUSE THE KAHL NOMINATION — As with just about every contentious matter in the Senate these days, JOE MANCHIN is shaping up as a decisive vote on COLIN KAHL's teetering nomination to be undersecretary of Defense. Kahl's past partisan tweets knocking Republicans have come back to bite him. More substantively, pro-Israel hawks have seized on his advocacy for the Iran nuclear deal, among other stances. Manchin, one of a few Democrats who opposed that pact, is undecided on the nomination. Now, 70 Republican members of the West Virginia legislature are leaning on him to oppose Kahl. "Colin Kahl is a political failure who has helped lead the effort to delegitmize our strongest ally in the Middle East," they write in a letter to Manchin. The letter was pushed by Christians United for Israel, according to a source familiar. WILMINGTON WEEKENDS — "Joe Biden just can't quit Delaware -- even as president," CNN: "Biden brings with him only a minimal number of staffers, which past weekends have included senior advisers Bruce Reed and Steve Ricchetti; National Security Council chief of staff Yohannes Abraham; personal aide Stephen Goepfert; and photographer Adam Schultz. His home has been equipped with secure communications equipment and facilities … "He still has errands to run in town, like having his foot examined by his orthopedist. Some of his grandchildren live nearby. His church, St. Joseph on the Brandywine, is five minutes away." CLICKER — "How one photographer shapes the way the world sees Joe Biden," CNN: "[Adam] Schultz is not only documenting the Biden White House for history but also helping to shape its narrative in real time. While news photographers may capture and publish an awkward moment or expose private notes accidentally left visible, the White House communications team uses Schultz's photos as part of their messaging. … "Schultz, 37, is from Atlanta and worked as a car mechanic while attending Georgia State University. After college he landed a job at the Clinton Foundation in New York City and worked as an event photographer at the Clinton Global Initiative — a job that took him all over the world and introduced him to key mentors. He would go on to work with the lead photographer on Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, and later be the main photographer on Biden's 2020 campaign. … While Biden has shown an interest in his official photographs, he is not as deeply involved in the process as President Donald Trump was." PRE-INFRASTRUCTURE DEBATE READING — "In the shadow of its exceptionalism, America fails to invest in the basics," WaPo: "Stunning advances in medicine and technology have come alongside systemic breakdowns in infrastructure and health." COVID RELIEF REVERBERATIONS THE STATE AND LOCAL PIECE — "Stimulus Bill Transforms Options For State and Local Governments," NYT: "Items that had long seemed totally unaffordable are now well within reach. … Dan White, director of fiscal policy research at Moody's Analytics … said the total was more than quadruple what is needed to plug state and local budget holes through next summer. … Some mayors were still in shock." MAKE IT LAST — "Beyond Covid relief: Biden invokes LBJ as Democrats aim to expand welfare state," by Megan Cassella: "Nearly $2 trillion in fresh relief benefits are expected to start flowing into Americans' bank accounts within days. Now, Democrats are already looking to make some of them permanent. "With President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan signed into law, Democratic lawmakers are exploring ways to ensure that generous tax credits and other key aspects of the legislation will last well beyond the pandemic itself, either through additional rounds of extensions or more permanent measures. Democratic leaders are banking on some of the aid provisions being so popular that letting them expire would be a political nightmare, painful enough for Americans that even Republicans couldn't stand in the way." STRANGE BEDFELLOWS — "Schumer and a Teachers' Union Leader Secure Billions for Private Schools," NYT: "Tucked into the $1.9 trillion pandemic rescue law is something of a surprise coming from a Democratic Congress and a president long seen as a champion of public education … "The deal, which came after Mr. Schumer was lobbied by the powerful Orthodox Jewish community in New York City, riled other Democratic leaders and public school advocates … Integral to swaying Democrats to go along, particularly [Speaker Nancy] Pelosi, was [Randi] Weingarten … Ms. Weingarten reiterated to the speaker's office what she expressed to Mr. Schumer's when he made his decision: Not only would she not fight the provision, but it was also the right thing to do." HOW WE GOT HERE — "How Trump's team amassed a $1 trillion war chest for Biden to deploy," by Victoria Guida: "The advance moves by the Trump team are proving to be key to limiting turbulence in government debt markets from such massive spending. Bond yields have already been inching up in recent months due to brighter prospects for the economy, raising the cost of new borrowing — a dynamic that's rippling through markets and is expected to be a central focus as Federal Reserve policy makers meet in the coming week. "The planning by Mnuchin also demonstrates that, even as Republicans now balk at the price tag of Biden's rescue package, the Trump administration itself was prepared for the possibility that the economy would need another big infusion of cash to fully emerge from the pandemic." | | | | A message from the American Beverage Association:   Our plastic bottles are made to be remade. Help us get Every Bottle Back. EveryBottleBack.org | | | POLICY CORNER AT THE BORDER — "FEMA ordered to help with influx of migrant children at U.S.-Mexico border," NBC: "Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said FEMA would help children found at the border avoid being treated as detainees of Customs and Border Protection and move them more quickly into the care of the Department of Health and Human Services." — "U.S. flies newly arrived migrants across Texas only to immediately expel them in El Paso," Dallas Morning News: "The expulsions include children with their families. The migrants, most who are legally seeking asylum, are flown to other cities after crossing the border in the Rio Grande Valley. Federal officials say the migrants need to be moved to ease overcrowding at processing facilities. "El Paso County officials and migrant advocates said Saturday they had been told they would receive as many as 270 migrants per day in two separate flights from the Rio Grande Valley. But instead, many migrants are being sent back across the border to Ciudad Juarez under Title 42, a public health order put in use during the Trump era that allows the government to immediately expel migrants at the border because of the coronavirus pandemic." BEYOND THE BELTWAY 'HE'S NOT A NICE PERSON AND HE DOESN'T HAVE ANY REAL FRIENDS' — "The Imperious Rise and Accelerating Fall of Andrew Cuomo," NYT: "Last spring, when the coronavirus outbreak was surging in New York, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's daily briefings became appointment television for many, as he authoritatively ticked through the latest statistics on infections, hospital beds and deaths. Behind the scenes, Mr. Cuomo was often obsessed with another set of numbers: his ratings. … "Mr. Cuomo alienated allies and enemies alike on his way up in politics, and now finds himself sliding from hero-level worship to pariah-like status with the kind of astonishing speed that only the friendless suffer. It is a downfall foretold in a decade-long reign of ruthlessness and governance by brute force … 'The problem with Cuomo is no one has ever liked him,' said Richard Ravitch, a former Democratic lieutenant governor. 'He's not a nice person and he doesn't have any real friends.'" GEORGIA ON MY MIND — "A Political Hurricane Blew Through Georgia. Now It's Bracing for More," by NYT's Mark Leibovich in Atlanta: "In 2022, the Peach State's race for governor is likely to include perhaps the Democratic Party's leading champion of voting rights, Stacey Abrams, in a replay of the 2018 grudge match between her and Gov. Brian Kemp, the Republican incumbent. One of the two Democrats who won their races in January, Senator Raphael Warnock, will also have to turn around and defend his seat next year in a race that Republicans are already eyeing as they seek to reclaim the chamber. "Several local and national Republicans — including Mr. Trump — have tried to recruit the former University of Georgia football legend Herschel Walker to run for the seat, which could lend another wrinkle to the state's political story, as if it needed one. Adding to the chaos, Mr. Kemp has become the target of a vendetta by Mr. Trump, who has condemned him for not doing more to deliver (or poach) victory for him in Georgia in November." SURVEY SAYS — "Iowa Poll: A majority of Iowans want U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley to decide not to run in 2022; 28% hope he will," Des Moines Register: "The 87-year-old Republican has served in elected office continuously since 1959, when he joined the state Legislature, and he is mulling an eighth run for the U.S. Senate in the coming midterms. He would be 95 at the end of another six-year term. According to the poll, just 28% of Iowans hope Grassley decides to run again, and 55% say they hope he does not. Another 17% are unsure." AMERICA AND THE WORLD LITTLE ROCKET MAN — "Exclusive: North Korea unresponsive to behind-the-scenes Biden administration outreach - U.S. official," Reuters: "North Korea has not responded to behind-the-scenes diplomatic outreach since mid-February by President Joe Biden's administration, including to Pyongyang's mission to the United Nations." KNOWING ROGER CARSTENS — "He helped Trump bring American hostages home. Now he's working for Biden," Yahoo: "He's given wide latitude to travel and talk to people often off-limits to diplomats, including senior Syrian officials in Bashar Assad's government, despite a lack of diplomatic relations with the regime in Damascus. As one of the few political appointees from the Trump era that President Biden has chosen to keep in place, Carstens appears to enjoy the trust of senior officials in the current administration. "Friends, colleagues and the families of hostages held overseas who spoke to Yahoo News about Carstens and his work say the former special operations officer from Spokane, Wash., has been a relentless advocate for hostages and their families. Yet hostage recovery is also one of the most polarizing parts of American diplomacy." FOREVER WAR AND PEACE — "Afghan Government Accepts U.S. Invitation to Peace Conference With Taliban," WSJ: "Afghan national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib told reporters Saturday that the government intended to participate in the conference in Istanbul [in April], as well as another peace conference in Russia next week." — "U.S. push for peace in Afghanistan has new 'urgency.' Some Afghans fear it could backfire," WaPo: "The approach — nicknamed 'moonshot' by some U.S. officials referring to its lofty ambitions — is an attempt to reach a peace deal within weeks by applying unprecedented pressure … But Afghan officials fear the tight timeline and the threat of withdrawing all U.S. troops without a political settlement risks repeating the mistakes of the 1990s." TOP-ED — QUITE THE BYLINE: "Our four nations are committed to a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," by Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Scott Morrison and Yoshihide Suga in WaPo | | | | TUNE IN TO GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe and start listening today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | SPOTTED: Rob Malley, special U.S. envoy for Iran, at the annual Norooz Market at the D.C. Arts Walk on Saturday, chatting with local artists and other Iranian Americans, including WaPo's Jason Rezaian and his wife, Yegi, of the Committee to Protect Journalists. WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Former VP Mike Pence and Karen Pence are now grandparents for the first time. Karen Pence announced that their son Michael and daughter-in-law Sarah welcomed Avery Grace Pence last week. Instapics HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) (37) … Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (64) … Rory Brosius, executive director of Joining Forces at the White House … Bill McGinley, principal at the Vogel Group … Faith McPherson, associate director at National Public Affairs … WaPo's Christine Emba … Lauren Mullins, senior director of comms for Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy … Craig T. Smith … Andrea Bozek, SVP at Mercury … Kevin Kosar, resident scholar at AEI (51) … Deb Jospin … Susan Swecker, chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia … Jason Johnson … T.A. Hawks of Monument Advocacy … Lily Adams … POLITICO's Catherine Wilson and Campbell Rawlins … Airbnb's Kristen Jarvis West … Fox News' John L. Wallace III … Eric Reath, press secretary for Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) … John Lepore, SVP of government engagement for Moderna … Jimmy Loomis, defense and foreign policy adviser to Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-Fla.) (26) … former Rep. Bill Jefferson (D-La.) (74) … N.Y. Post's Carl Campanile … Alicia Pardo … Anna Fifield … Matt David, chief comms officer at Juul Labs … Chris Edwards … Allen Gannett … Coleman Lapointe … Virginia state Del. Jay Jones (32) … Jennie LaCourt … Josh Walker, president and CEO of the Japan Society … Alexander Niejelow, SVP for cybersecurity coordination and advocacy at Mastercard … Peter Rose, vice chair of Sard Verbinnen & Co. … Kei Helm Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Mike Zapler and producers Allie Bice, Eli Okun and Garrett Ross. | | A message from the American Beverage Association: America's leading beverage companies, The Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr Pepper and PepsiCo, are working together to reduce our industry's plastic footprint through our new Every Bottle Back initiative. We're investing in efforts to get our bottles back so we can remake them into new bottles and use less new plastic.
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