News: New reminders that this is not normal

Wednesday, November 10, 2021

New reminders that this is not normal

Nov 10, 2021

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By Ryan Lizza, Eugene Daniels, Tara Palmeri and Rachael Bade

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DRIVING THE DAY

BREAKING TUESDAY NIGHT — "Trump cannot shield White House records from Jan. 6 committee, judge rules," by Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein … Judge TANYA CHUTKAN: "Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President."

Related: "At the Willard and the White House, the Jan. 6 Panel Widens Its Net," by NYT's Luke Broadwater and Mark Mazzetti

THE DANGERS LURKING BENEATH — We spend a lot of time in the weeds of congressional negotiations on the major legislation President JOE BIDEN, with some bipartisan help, is slowly moving through the system. At times it has all seemed pretty normal: 69 votes for an infrastructure package in the Senate that was hailed by Minority Leader MITCH MCCONNELL, a less tidy but still pretty typical process of wrangling Democrats together for the much more partisan climate and social welfare reconciliation bill. Even Tuesday's results in the off-year election in Virginia, which sent a message to the new president about overreach, were perfectly in line with recent history.

But there were two stories Tuesday that reminded us of how, outside of the (relatively) routine sausage-making on Capitol Hill, some enormously worrisome undercurrents remain in American politics:

1) Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.), speaking in New Hampshire, issued this warning about DONALD TRUMP:

"At this moment, when it matters most, we are also confronting a domestic threat that we've never faced before: a former president who's attempting to unravel the foundations of our constitutional republic, aided by political leaders who have made themselves willing hostages to this dangerous and irrational man.

"Just last night, former President Trump was invited by House Republican leaders to be the keynote speaker at our annual large fundraising dinner. At the dinner, he reportedly said once again that the 'insurrection was on Nov. 3,' and that the events of Jan. 6, when a violent mob invaded the Capitol in an effort to overturn the will of the American people and stop the constitutional process of accounting of electoral votes — that those events were a 'protest,' that they were justified.

"Political leaders who sit silent in the face of these false and dangerous claims are aiding a former president who is at war with the rule of law and the Constitution."

2) Speaker NANCY PELOSI took to Twitter to ask House Minority Leader KEVIN MCCARTHY to join her "in condemning" a "horrific video" circulated by Rep. PAUL GOSAR (R-Ariz.) that shows him killing Rep. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-N.Y.). The speaker called "on the Ethics Committee and law enforcement to investigate."

Like others, we reached out to McCarthy's office for comment about this but did not hear back.

PEW PEW — The Pew Research Center's latest political typology report doesn't answer all the questions about what underlies this ugliness. But it does reveal why Democratic leaders have had so much trouble uniting to pass the reconciliation bill and why Republican leaders can't quit Trump.

Here's how Pew breaks down the Republican and Democratic Party coalitions — and some big-picture takeaways about what keeps them united vs. what divides them …

The Republicans:

Faith and Flag Conservatives: 23% (staunchly conservative, older, very active politically, overwhelmingly Christian, love Trump)

Committed Conservatives: 15% (educated, voted for Trump but not sure they want him back, RONALD REAGAN is their touchstone)

Populist Right: 23% (anti-immigration, pro-taxing the rich, rural, less educated, love Trump)

Ambivalent Right: 18% (younger, less religious, more moderate, don't want Trump back)

Stressed Sideliners: 15% (mixed ideological views, financially stressed, not very politically engaged)

— "Areas of agreement within the GOP coalition: Support for limited government, belief in an individual's ability to succeed and rejection of White privilege"

— "Issues that divide the GOP coalition: Corporate profits, same-sex marriage, compromise with U.S. allies, expanding the production of oil, coal and natural gas"

— Most ominous finding in the report: "Six-in-ten Populist Right and a nearly identical share of Faith and Flag Conservatives (59%) say they like political leaders who assert that Trump is the legitimate winner of the 2020 election, despite official counts showing that Biden was the legitimate winner."

The Democrats:

Progressive Left: 12% (BERNIE SANDERS and ELIZABETH WARREN fans with very liberal views, mostly white, young, highly educated)

Establishment Liberals: 23% (solidly liberal, highly educated, racially and ethnically diverse, favor compromise)

Democratic Mainstays: 28% (self-identify as moderate, biggest group in the Dem coalition, older, very diverse racially and ethnically)

Outsider Left: 16% (young and very liberal but don't really like either party)

Stressed Sideliners: 13% (mixed ideological views, financially stressed, not very politically engaged)

— "Areas of agreement within the Democratic coalition: Support for strong government safety net, higher taxes on corporations, greater progress toward racial equality"

— "Democratic typology groups differ on government performance, policies to address racial equality, the environment and police funding" … Read the whole thing

Good Wednesday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri.

A message from Altria:

Moving beyond smoking. Altria's companies are leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes – by taking action to transition millions toward less harmful choices. We are investing in a diverse mix of businesses to broaden options beyond traditional, combustible cigarettes. See how we're moving.

SUPPORT FOR VACCINE MANDATES SOFTENS — Our latest POLITICO-Morning Consult poll, out this morning, finds that voter sentiment for Biden's vaccine mandates has dropped a bit but still has majority backing:

— 55% support requiring all employers with 100 or more employees to mandate Covid-19 vaccinations or weekly testing (down 3 percentage points since September).

— 54% support requiring most U.S. health care workers to get vaccinated without an option to opt out through regular testing (down 6 points since September).

— 51% support requiring federal workers and contractors to get vaccinated without an option to opt out through regular testing (down 6 points since September)

— Independents becoming more libertarian: When asked if government mandates to receive a Covid-19 vaccine violate or protect the rights of Americans, 44% thought they violate rights (+3 points since September) while 45% thought they protect the rights of Americans (-1 point since September).

These views held relatively steady for Democrats and Republicans, but there was a 10-point jump since September in independent voters feeling these mandates violated rights.

— Biden's vaccine mandate for large companies was blocked by a federal appeals court in Louisiana on Saturday, and the issue may end up at the Supreme Court before it's scheduled to kick in Jan. 4. Toplines … Crosstabs

WaPo's Ann Marimow and Eli Rosenberg note, "The legal battle over the Biden administration's coronavirus vaccination or testing requirements for private businesses is falling along the country's sharp political fault lines, with Republican-led states, conservative legal groups and sympathetic employers lining up most forcefully to try to block the rules."

A message from Altria:

Altria's companies are leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes toward less harmful choices. See how we're moving.

BIDEN'S WEDNESDAY:

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

— 10 a.m.: Biden will meet with European Commission President URSULA VON DER LEYEN in the Oval Office.

— 11:40 a.m.: Biden will leave for Milford, Del., arriving at 12:25 p.m.

— 1 p.m.: Biden will attend the funeral of former Delaware Gov. RUTH ANN MINNER.

— 2:20 p.m.: Biden will leave Milford for Baltimore, arriving at 3:15 p.m.

— 3:40 p.m.: Biden will get a briefing on the Port of Baltimore.

— 4:10 p.m.: Biden will speak to tout the bipartisan infrastructure deal.

— 5:40 p.m.: Biden will leave Baltimore for D.C., arriving back at the White House at 6 p.m.

VP KAMALA HARRIS' WEDNESDAY (Eastern times):

— 7:40 a.m.: The VP and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial.

— 12:20 p.m.: Harris will hold a bilateral meeting with French President EMMANUEL MACRON.

— Overnight: Harris and Emhoff will stay in Paris.

The White House Covid-19 response team and public health officials will brief at 11 a.m.

THE SENATE and THE HOUSE are out.

DON'T MISS CONGRESS MINUTES: Need to follow the action on Capitol Hill blow-by-blow? Check out Minutes, POLITICO's new platform that delivers the latest exclusives, twists and much more in real time. Get it on your desktop or download the POLITICO mobile app for iOS or Android. CHECK OUT CONGRESS MINUTES HERE.

PLAYBOOK READS

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is pictured. | Getty Images

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) poses for a picture at the COP26 climate summit on Tuesday, Nov. 9 in Glasgow, Scotland. | Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

(IR)RECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES

STRAIGHT FROM THE CBO — The Congressional Budget Office released a statement Tuesday saying that some cost estimates for the Build Back Better legislation "will be released this week. Other estimates will take longer, particularly for provisions in some titles that interact with those in other titles. When we determine a release date for the cost estimate for the entire bill, we will provide advance notice." The statement

THE WHITE HOUSE

SUPPLY AND DEMAND — The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled a plan "expanding the capacity of U.S. ports and inland waterways, as persistent supply chain congestion slows goods deliveries and fuels rising prices," WaPo's David Lynch writes . The plan would "award $243 million in new port and marine infrastructure grants" in the next 45 days.

— Biden talked supply chain with several top executives Tuesday: Walmart's DOUG MCMILLON, UPS' CAROL TOME, FedEx's FRED SMITH and Target's BRIAN CORNELL. Per the White House, "The executives told the president that store shelves will be well stocked for the holiday season," reports Bloomberg's Josh Wingrove.

ALL POLITICS

THE PRICE OF BIPARTISANSHIP — Michigan Rep. FRED UPTON, one of a handful of House Republicans who voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill, has gotten multiple death threats and more than 1,000 calls over his vote, reports The Detroit News' Melissa Nann Burke . "It's just a polarized, toxic environment. Worse than I've ever seen before," said Upton, who added that the calls began after Rep. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-Ga.) called him and the other Republicans who voted yes "traitors" and posted their names and phone numbers.

SUNUNU SIDE-EYED — Republican New Hampshire Gov. CHRIS SUNUNU surprised members of the party with his Tuesday announcement that he will not run against Sen. MAGGIE HASSAN in 2022, a blow to GOP hopes of taking over the chamber. But on top of snubbing the party's Senate takeover plans, Natalie Allison writes that he used the announcement "to tease a potential presidential run."

Key blind quote from the story: "The takeaway was this was handled so poorly," said one Republican operative familiar with how Sununu's announcement was received by McConnell's team. "He publicly flirted with it. He hyped it up as this big announcement to the national press, and then bailed in a way that hurts the party's momentum after a big week in Virginia last week."

FIGHTING THAT EARLY SUNSET — There is a very bitter feud raging over time. On one side: JAY PEA, who wants to keep standard time. On the other: SCOTT YATES, who is pushing for daylight saving time to become permanent. "That these two men could be at such bitter odds is both a microcosm of the current bare-knuckled nature of politics and an illustration of how even the debate over switching the time on the clock has become more mainstreamed and polarizing in recent years," Hailey Fuchs writes.

A message from Altria:

Altria's companies are leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes. See how we're moving.

BEYOND THE BELTWAY

GAVIN FINALLY SURFACES — California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM made his first public appearance since Oct. 27 on Tuesday and explained why he canceled his appearance at the COP26 climate conference in Scotland. He said he stayed to spend Halloween with his kids: "Mom and dad missing Halloween, for them it's worse than missing Christmas. And I woke up that next morning with something that's probably familiar to a lot of parents, that knot in your stomach. I had no damn choice: I had to cancel that trip." More from Jeremy White

JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH

MORE SUBPOENAS — The House select committee investigating Jan. 6 issued 10 more subpoenas to former Trump officials Tuesday, including adviser STEPHEN MILLER, personnel director JOHN MCENTEE, press secretary KAYLEIGH MCENANY, deputy assistant to the president BEN WILLIAMSON, personal assistant NICHOLAS LUNA and Oval Office operations coordinator MOLLY MICHAEL. "Investigators are accelerating their efforts to compel testimony from key Trump aides who had visibility into the chaotic final weeks of his presidency, as he worked feverishly to overturn the results of the election," Betsy Woodruff Swan and Kyle report.

TRUMP CARDS

TRUMP'S LATEST NOD — Trump endorsed Idaho Republican Lt. Gov. JANICE MCGEACHIN in her primary campaign against incumbent Gov. BRAD LITTLE, Zach Montellaro reports . The former president did "not mention or even allude to Little, who first won the office in 2018. Instead, Trump praises [McGeachin] as 'a true supporter of MAGA since the very beginning' who has his 'Complete and Total Endorsement.'"

VALLEY TALK

A WARNING FOR POLITICAL ADMAKERS — Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, is planning to "place further limits on ad targeting on its platform, eliminating the ability to target based on users' interactions with content related to health, race and ethnicity, political affiliation, religion and sexual orientation," Elena Schneider reports. The new restrictions are set to go into effect Jan. 19.

MEDIAWATCH

MSNBC and former "NBC Nightly News" anchor BRIAN WILLIAMS announced he's leaving the company after 28 years. He wrote in a note to staff that his departure by year's end "is the end of a chapter and the beginning of another … There are many things I want to do, and I'll pop up again somewhere. For the next few months, I'll be with my family, the people I love most and the people who enabled my career to happen. I will reflect on the kindness people have shown me, and I will pay it forward." Variety's Brian Steinberg has more

Related: CNN's Brian Stelter writes about the "talent problem" he says MSNBC is facing.

BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we've got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don't miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.

PLAYBOOKERS

Dr. Oz "is preparing to jump into the Pennsylvania Senate race on the Republican side," per The Free Beacon's Eliana Johnson.

CPAC announced its next conference will be in Orlando, Fla., from Feb. 24-27.

Jennifer Gosar thinks her brother, Paul Gosar, is a sociopath.

Matthew McConaughey, speaking at NYT's DealBook Online Summit, "said he believes that politics can be art — and he happens to be an artist." At the same event, Meghan Markle talked up the benefits of family leave.

Jeff Bezos and Leonardo DiCaprio are pals, Page Six clarifies.

Twitter rolled out its new subscription service for power users, dubbed "Blue."

Prince Harry said he warned Twitter chief Jack Dorsey that the platform was being used to plot the Jan. 6 attack.

Malala Yousafzai got married.

Adam Schiff had an unfortunate slip of the tongue.

OUT AND ABOUT — The National Academy of Social Insurance held its annual Robert M. Ball award event at the Reach at Kennedy Center, where Robert Greenstein and acting Social Security Administration Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi were honored. Also SPOTTED: William Arnone, Wendell Primus, Gene Sperling, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, Chris Jennings, Deb Whitman, Bob Blancato, Earl Pomeroy and Ramsey Alwin.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Antonio García Martínez is joining the Lincoln Network as a senior fellow on its policy team. He currently writes a newsletter on Substack called "The Pull Request," and is a Facebook, Wired, Twitter, Goldman Sachs and Apple alum.

— Rhonda Bentz is joining the Consumer Brands Association as EVP of public affairs. She most recently was VP of paid media and strategic initiatives at the American Petroleum Institute.

— Marisol Garibay, a comms strategist, is joining Invariant to advise financial services clients. She most recently was VP of comms and media relations at the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions, and is a CFPB, OMB, Treasury and Hill alum.

WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE — Michael Czin has taken a leave of absence from SKDKnickerbocker to serve as senior adviser to the White House Counsel's Office.

TRANSITIONS — Analilia Mejia and DaMareo Cooper are joining the Center for Popular Democracy as co-executive directors. Mejia most recently was deputy director of the Labor Department's Women's Bureau and is a Bernie Sanders 2020 alum. Cooper previously was national organizing director of BlackPAC. More from Holly Otterbein … Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has been appointed chair of the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics' Senior Advisory Committee. … Saron Olkaba is now SVP of digital advertising at Do Big Things. She previously was a partner at Break Something. …

… Michael Zetts will be a director of strategic comms at Bully Pulpit Interactive. He previously was comms director and senior adviser for Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio). … Prashanth Rajan has joined Mastercard as a director of public policy. He was previously a director of public affairs at APCO Worldwide.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Ryan Guthrie, head of government relations at Chipotle Mexican Grill and a Baron Hill alum, and Alisa La, multicultural stakeholder engagement officer at McDonald's and a Nancy Pelosi and Hillary for America alum, welcomed Jones Wiley Guthrie on Tuesday morning. Pic

— Justin Melvin, chief of staff to Rep. David Kustoff (R-Tenn.), and Lindsay Melvin welcomed Lyla Kennedy Melvin on Friday. She was born at Sibley Memorial Hospital and came in at 6 lbs, 11 oz. Pic … Another pic

— Fara Sonderling, manager for government affairs at the American Forest & Paper Association, and Keith Sonderling, commissioner at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, welcomed Baron Parker Sonderling on Monday. He came in at 7 lbs, 11 oz and 20.5 inches. Pic

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) … Washington Examiner's Tiana Lowe … NPR's Sue Davis … Jim Kuhnhenn of WaVe Communications … WaPo's Mary Jordan … Amanda Ashley Keating of Finsbury Glover Hering … Geoff Brewer of Gallup … Elizabeth Greener of the American Forest Foundation … Kate Gould of Rep. Ro Khanna's (D-Calif.) office … LaRonda Peterson … Florida International University's Carlos Becerra … POLITICO's Ben Pauker, Brianna Crummy and Jeff Daker … CBS' Alan He … Jennifer Curley of Curley Company … ABC's Josh Margolin … Harry Giannoulis of the Parkside Group … Misty Marshall of Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) office … Ellen Bredenkoetter … Brian Romick … Andy Diaz … Robyn Patterson … Andy Blomme of NeighborWorks America … Nate Treffeisen … Christina Brown … Andrew Mims … Blake Deeley … Miranda Lilla … Zachary Enos … Tom Cosgrove … Howard Marks (77) … former Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) … Howard L. Rosenberg … former Reps. Brad Ashford (D-Neb.) and Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas)

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A message from Altria:

Moving beyond smoking. Altria's companies are leading the way in moving adult smokers away from cigarettes. Today, we are taking action to transition millions toward less harmful choices.

From cigarettes to innovative alternatives. By investing in a diverse mix of businesses, Altria is working to further broaden options. Our companies are encouraging adult smokers to transition to a range of choices that go beyond traditional, combustible cigarettes.

From tobacco company to tobacco harm reduction company. And while Altria is moving forward to reduce harm, we are not moving alone. We are working closely with FDA and other regulatory bodies and will work strictly under their framework.

See how we're moving.