| | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Tara Palmeri | Presented by Facebook | | | | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | It's one of the unspoken dynamics on Capitol Hill: Speaker NANCY PELOSI and progressive icon Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.) have a chilly relationship. They always have. A new book by USA Today Washington bureau chief SUSAN PAGE illustrates just how tense things got between Pelosi and the so-called Squad during the summer of 2019. In a chapter titled "Inside Nancy Pelosi's War with the Squad," Pelosi — pressed on how she feels about the quartet of newly elected progressives — appeared to mock them in a baby voice and swipe at their social media savvy. "Some people come here, as [former House Appropriations Chair] DAVE OBEY would have said, to pose for holy pictures," Pelosi said, according to an excerpt of the book published in POLITICO Magazine today. Then, she elevated her voice like she was mimicking a child and added, "See how perfect I am and how pure?" "OK, there's the group that's going to go pose for holy pictures," continued Pelosi. "Now let's legislate over here." Pelosi and AOC are among the most influential Democrats in the entire party, but they're more rivals than allies. Pelosi, while a onetime progressive activist herself, has spent much of her time as leader governing from the center to ensure Democrats hold onto power as long as possible. That's often meant sidelining ideas that the Squad champions, such as Medicare for All, free college or, as Pelosi once said, AOC's "green dream or whatever." At the time Page sat down with Pelosi for this book, the speaker and AOC had been locking horns over a series of comments Pelosi made belittling AOC's power. While the media was obsessed with the Washington newbie — it still is — Pelosi insisted each of the Squad members only has a single vote where it actually counts. AOC made headlines at the time by saying Pelosi's words were disrespectful and hurtful. Her chief of staff also stuck up for his boss, mocking Pelosi for claiming to be a "legislative mastermind" when voters, he said, couldn't name a single kitchen-table issue she'd passed. That — as well as that staffer's attacks on moderate members — was too much for Pelosi, who delivered what Page deemed a "not-so-veiled threat." "They'll understand when they have something they want to pass," Pelosi said, according to Page. "If you have something that you want to pass, you're better off not having your chief of staff send out a tweet in the manner in which that was sent out. Totally inappropriate." Notably, that chief of staff is gone now. Squad members didn't respond to requests for comment, though AOC's spokesperson sent a link to a video of her discussing her accomplishments. Pelosi's spokesperson DREW HAMMILL said the speaker has a "strong working relationship" with the Squad and wasn't referring to them specifically with her "holy pictures" quote. | | A message from Facebook: It's time to update internet regulations
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See how we're making progress on key issues and why we support updated regulations to set clear rules for addressing today's toughest challenges. | | | But if the protagonists were unwilling to relitigate the episode, AOC's former comms director CORBIN TRENT had no such compunction. "Baby talk says more about the person doing it than the person they're characterizing," he said, accusing Pelosi of being "jealous" of the young members. "I'm a 40-year-old and Pelosi's been doing a whole lot of shit that's been impacting my life in a negative way for a long time; I don't think she's got a whole lot to be too proud of, though she thinks she does," he said, arguing that the speaker has been too accommodating to moderates on things like health care. "I've watched … her pat herself on the back continuously for her 'master of negotiations' with right-wing presidents and the JOSH GOTTHEIMERS of the world." (Gottheimer is a lead centrist Democrat in the House.) He added: "I think it's a little disgusting to go in there and then say these freshman women of color of Congress are going in and posing for pictures." It's important to note that this exchange happened a long time ago. A House Democrat who likes both Pelosi and AOC told us that while other members of the Squad have better relationships with the speaker, with those two it can be "up and down." "It's not warm and friendly, but it's not as hostile as it was at different moments," the person said. When AOC tried and failed to land a spot on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this year, some lawmakers speculated about whether it was Pelosi's doing. (Pelosi's office says the speaker didn't weigh in.) AOC, meanwhile, has tried to show she's a team player as well as an outside firebrand. She recently gave $5,000 each to more than two dozen Democrats facing tough reelections. "She's trying," said this person. "I think it's a relationship in flux." Good Thursday morning, and thanks for reading Playbook. Are there other D.C. political rivalries we should be writing about? Hit us up anonymously here: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri. | | | |   | | | BIDEN'S THURSDAY — President JOE BIDEN and VP KAMALA HARRIS will receive the President's Daily Brief at 10:15 a.m. and have lunch together at 12:30 p.m. At 2 p.m., they'll meet with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Executive Committee in the Oval Office. — Press secretary JEN PSAKI will brief at 12:30 p.m. — NEXT WEEK: Harris will travel to Greensboro and High Point, N.C., on Monday, the White House announced. THE HOUSE will meet at noon, with votes predicted between 2:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. HHS Secretary XAVIER BECERRA, VA Secretary DENIS MCDONOUGH and Transportation Secretary PETE BUTTIGIEG will all testify before Appropriations subcommittees. The suite of national security officials who testified on their global threats assessment before the Senate on Wednesday will go before House Intelligence at 9 a.m. today. ANTHONY FAUCI and CDC Director ROCHELLE WALENSKY will testify before an Oversight subcommittee at 10:30 a.m. The Administration Committee will hold a hearing on the Capitol Police and Jan. 6 at 1 p.m., with IG MICHAEL BOLTON testifying. — Pelosi will hold her weekly presser at 10:45 a.m. House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY will hold his at 11:30 a.m. THE SENATE will meet at 10 a.m. to take up the motion to proceed to the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act. MICHAEL CARVAJAL, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, will testify before the Judiciary Committee at 10 a.m. The Foreign Relations Committee will mark up SAMANTHA POWER'S nomination for USAID administrator for a vote at 11 a.m. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TO JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION: Power is changing, in Washington and across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. Our twice-weekly newsletter "The Recast" breaks down how race and identity are shaping politics and policy in America and we are recasting how we report on it. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear from important new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | | 
PHOTO OF THE DAY: President Joe Biden pays his respects at Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery on Wednesday. | Andrew Harnik/AP Photo | INFRASTRUCTURE YEAR THE COUNTEROFFER — "A bloc of Senate Republicans prepare their own infrastructure plan as Biden tries to ramp up outreach," WaPo: "The Republican alternative is expected to be less than half the size of the White House's plan, according to party lawmakers, who in recent days have suggested its total price tag could ultimately cost between $600 billion and $800 billion. "Moderate GOP members of Congress also have pledged to narrow their focus to include only the elements they consider traditional infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, while jettisoning the corporate tax increases that Biden has endorsed in favor of other ways of financing the overall package." Biden is facing doubts that he really means it when he says he wants to negotiate with Republicans. How the White House responds to the expected counteroffer will be an early reveal. Yet some Democrats are already scoffing at the GOP effort. Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (I-Vt.) told the Post: "That is nowhere near what we need. Not to mention, we have to address the existential threat of climate change." THE WHITE HOUSE Our national security reporting team has an illuminating, behind-the-scenes peek at what led to Biden's Wednesday announcement on Afghanistan: "'The Pentagon is not making these decisions': How Biden's team overrode the brass on Afghanistan," by Lara Seligman, Andrew Desidero, Natasha Bertrand and Nahal Toosi: "As Biden weighed a full exit from the country this spring, top military leaders advocated for keeping a small U.S. presence on the ground made up primarily of special operations forces and paramilitary advisers, arguing that a force of a few thousand troops was needed to keep the Taliban in check and prevent Afghanistan from once again becoming a haven for terrorists, according to nine former and current U.S. officials familiar with the discussions. … "But in the end, Biden and his top national security deputies did what no previous president has done successfully — they overrode the brass. … [It] is Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan who are truly 'running the Pentagon,' according to two former officials familiar with the discussions." FROM THE VP/FORMER AG — "Vice President Kamala Harris weighs in on gun vs. taser debate in Daunte Wright shooting," theGrio: "In an exclusive interview with theGrio on Wednesday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris called for 'full accountability' in the Chauvin case and weighed in on a growing debate in the shooting of Wright, who was fatally shot by former Brooklyn Center officer Kim Potter, who fired her gun after reportedly mistaking her firearm for a taser. "'There is a big difference between the two,' Harris told theGrio. 'Among the issues is the issue of training and having law enforcement who carry both be very clear about the difference between the two, because as we have seen the consequence can be the loss of life and an unjustifiable loss of life.'" FOR YOUR RADAR — "Part of fencing perimeter comes down around White House," CNN CONGRESS ADVENTURES IN COURT PACKING — "Democratic Lawmakers to Present Plan to Expand Supreme Court," WSJ: "Democratic lawmakers plan to introduce legislation on Thursday that would add four seats to the Supreme Court, an initiative that has slim hopes of passage but reflects progressives' impatience with President Biden's cautious approach toward overhauling a court that turned to the right during the Trump administration. … "[T]here's little chance the bill will make headway. Republicans are united in opposition to a plan that would undo the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, and even many Democrats critical of the court are reluctant to prejudge the issue while Mr. Biden's commission is at work." And regarding two other long-shot efforts … — "House committee approves bill to study slavery reparations for first time," USA Today: "Legislation to create a commission to study slavery reparations for Black Americans cleared a House committee Wednesday in a historic vote — making its way to the full House for the first time more than three decades after it was initially introduced. "The bill would establish a 13-person commission to study the lasting impacts from slavery and ongoing racial discrimination throughout the country's history. The panel would submit its findings to Congress and recommend any necessary remedies, including compensation to Black Americans." — "House committee approves D.C. statehood, setting up likely passage in the full chamber," WaPo | | A message from Facebook: Facebook supports updated internet regulations
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See how we're taking action and why we support updated regulations to address today's challenges —protecting privacy, fighting misinformation, reforming Section 230, and more. | | | GAETZ-GATE FOLLOW THE VENMO MONEY — "Matt Gaetz's Wingman Paid Dozens of Young Women — and a 17-Year-Old," The Daily Beast: "As new details emerge about Rep. Matt Gaetz's role in an alleged sex ring, The Daily Beast has obtained several documents showing that the suspected ringleader of the group, Joel Greenberg, made more than 150 Venmo payments to dozens of young women, and to a girl who was 17 at the time. "The payment from Greenberg, an accused sex trafficker, to the 17-year-old took place in June 2017. It was for $300 and, according to the memo field, was for 'Food.'" PANDEMIC THE TRIBAL PANDEMIC — "Red states on U.S. electoral map lagging on vaccinations," AP: "With coronavirus shots now in the arms of nearly half of American adults, the parts of the U.S. that are excelling and those that are struggling with vaccinations are starting to look like the nation's political map: deeply divided between red and blue states. … "The emerging pattern: Americans in blue states that lean Democratic appear to be getting vaccinated at more robust rates, while those in red Republican states seem to be more hesitant." With a chart showing vaccination rates of different states THE J&J SETBACK — "CDC vaccine advisers seek more data on rare blood clots before deciding whether to resume Johnson & Johnson shots," WaPo RECOVERY LAB — The latest edition of POLITICO's Recovery Lab series is focused on how the pandemic has changed America's education system from top to bottom. — "Covid-19 changed education in America — permanently: It's been a school year like no other. Here's what we learned," by Marcella Bombardieri — "Policy Hackathon: How to get schoolkids back on track: Pretty much every student lost ground this year. POLITICO brought together a roundtable of education leaders from across the country to come up with smart strategies for catching them up," by Delece Smith-Barrow — "Online school. Poor technology. Declining enrollments: The pandemic wreaked havoc with the nation's schools and colleges. A glimpse at what changed, in four charts," by Annette Choi POLITICS CORNER 2022 WATCH — "Pennsylvania Senate race runs through Mar-a-Lago," by Holly Otterbein: "The likely GOP candidates in Pennsylvania's open Senate race come in three familiar flavors: anti-Trump, Trumpy and Trumpiest. "Though President Donald Trump lost Pennsylvania in 2020 and will have been out of office for nearly two years by the time voters cast their ballots in the Senate election, the Republican primary here is already revolving around him — creating a potential dilemma for the GOP in one of the nation's most important races next year." STANDING HER GROUND — "Liz Cheney says she won't support Trump if he runs in 2024," CNN RE: SCOTT STRINGER'S NYC MAYORAL RUN — "He Has Trained to Be Mayor for Decades. Will Voters Be Persuaded?" NYT VALLEY TALK HMMM … "MyPillow CEO's free speech social network will ban posts that take the Lord's name in vain," The Verge: "After a public break with Facebook and Twitter, MyPillow founder Mike Lindell is getting close to the launch of a new conservative-focused social network, giving more detail on the project in a video posted online this week. Called simply 'Frank,' the social network plans to open its doors to a limited set of users on April 16th. … "Lindell explained that the new network would still moderate against profanity and threats of violence — setting it apart from previous right-wing platforms like Parler and Gab, which prided themselves on their refusal to censor offensive speech. 'You don't get to use the four swear words: the c-word, the n-word, the f-word, or God's name in vain,' Lindell says." MEDIAWATCH SORRY, FOLKS — NYT'S MICHAEL @grynbaum: "No #nerdprom this year: the White House Correspondents' Dinner is canceled again due to the virus. WHCA says it'll be back in 2022." THE NEW AGE — "Former Condé Nast Editor Plans a Vanity Fair for the Substack Era," NYT: "A former editor at Vanity Fair has been working for more than a year to create a digital publication with a business twist: Its writers will share in subscription revenue. "Think of it as Vanity Fair meets Substack, the subscription newsletter platform that has attracted big-name authors. The new company behind the publication, Heat Media, hopes to unveil it in the coming months, four people with knowledge of the matter said. The start-up is partly the brainchild of Jon Kelly, a former editor at Vanity Fair who worked under its previous editor in chief, Graydon Carter." | | | | YOUR GUIDE TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION: As the Biden administration closes in on three months in office, what are the big takeaways? Will polls that show support for infrastructure initiatives and other agenda items translate into Republican votes or are they a mirage? What's the plan to deal with Sen. Joe Manchin? Add Transition Playbook to your daily reads for details you won't find anywhere else that reveal what's really happening inside the West Wing and across the executive branch. Track the people, policies and power centers of the Biden administration. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | MUST-WATCH FOX FIGHT: On Hannity on Wednesday night, Geraldo Rivera called Dan Bongino a "son of a bitch" during a heated exchange over protests in Minnesota. Watch the video and read Mediaite's account THE (IN)FAMOUS GATE 35X at DCA is closing — background here from WaPo — and the farewell ceremony is today. What are your worst/best memories of traveling through 35X? Who are the most exciting politicos you've spotted there? (Can anything top our Robert Mueller/Donald Trump Jr. combo from 2018?) Drop us a line at playbook@politico.com, and we'll likely publish some of the best ones Friday. SPOTTED: Nikki Haley seated in first class with her shoes off on a flight from Charleston, S.C., to DCA on Tuesday night. SPOTTED upstairs at Cafe Milano on Wednesday night, gathered with Jimmy Finkelstein in town: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Gayle Manchin, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Sofia Kinzinger, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), Johnny Taylor, Bret Baier, Rajiv Shah, Suzanne Clark, Greg Lebedev, Barbara Humpton, Charles Rivkin, Steve Clemons and Tammy Haddad. STAFFING UP — "White House names Erika Moritsugu to Asian American liaison position," CBS: "The White House committed to creating the new role amid pressure from Democratic Senators Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii over the lack of Asian American and Pacific Islander representation in the president's Cabinet and in senior roles in the administration." TRANSITIONS — Former Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa) is joining The Next 50 as a senior adviser. … Sali Osman is now chief security officer at the IMF. She most recently was principal security executive adviser at Amazon Web Services. … Elizabeth Gibson is now a director at Bullpen Strategy Group. She previously was a speechwriter for Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.). … … Sophie Crowell will lead Rep. Ashley Hinson's (R-Iowa) reelection campaign. She currently is a regional data director for the RNC, and is a North Carolina GOP alum. … William-Jose Velez is now research digital comms lead at Children's National Hospital. He previously was comms manager at the National Congress of American Indians and will remain editor-in-chief of Pasquines. … Rebekah Clark is now a consultant in the government and public services practice of Deloitte. She most recently was deputy W.H. liaison at the Education Department. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) … Pete Rouse … The Hill's Amie Parnes … Sarah Bloom Raskin … author Tom Rosenstiel of the American Press Institute … Ray Locker … Alex Miller Murphy … Pat Devney, COS to Rep. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) … Leslie Shedd of the House Foreign Affairs GOP … Jamie Geller … Irish Times' Suzanne Lynch … POLITICO's Anna Gronewold and Taylor Hawkins … Rishi Banerjee … Dana Gansman … FERC's Mary O'Driscoll … Max Neuberger … Heather Joy Thompson … Lisbeth Lyons of the Printing United Alliance … Nina Rees of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools … Bloomberg's John Harney … Jason Lamote … Kathryn Wellner … Laura Lee Lewis … Asher MacDonald … Newsha Ghaeli of Biobot … former Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), now at Covington (8-0) … Brandon Lynaugh … Alexandra Hudson … Kristin McCarthy … Phil Goldfeder … FTI Consulting's Cheyenne Hopkins … MSNBC's Brian Montopoli … Stan Melton Jr. … Robyn Swirling … Kate Bernard … Jaimey Sexton … Kathryn Garza … King Philippe of Belgium Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com. 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