News : Exclusive: The words Luttig wants to be remembered

Saturday, June 18, 2022

Exclusive: The words Luttig wants to be remembered

Jun 18, 2022

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By Ryan Lizza and Eugene Daniels

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With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross

Michael Luttig, a retired federal judge who was an adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence, testifies as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, June 16, 2022.(AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

"January 6 was a war for America's democracy," Michael Luttig wrote. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo

DRIVING THE DAY

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: LUTTIG'S CODA — Judge MICHAEL LUTTIG's testimony Thursday may be the most memorable of any witness to speak before the Jan. 6 committee so far. The former federal judge who was passed over for a spot on the Supreme Court by GEORGE W. BUSH because he was too conservative issued a jarring warning:

"DONALD TRUMP and his allies and supporters are a clear and present danger to American democracy."

Luttig reached out to Playbook on Friday and offered two additional perspectives on his testimony. The first was to explain why he spoke so slowly, especially in the early portions of the hearing, which was widely commented upon and in some cases mocked on social media. Luttig explained that he was reciting memorized portions of prepared remarks and that he wanted to get … every … single … word … exactly … right.

Second, he told us that he had one final thing he wanted to share with the public. In February, when he was reflecting on the anniversary of Jan. 6, he wrote an essay, "The Heroes of January 6, 2021," that pays tribute to then-VP MIKE PENCE, the Capitol Police and others who "saved our democracy."

Luttig asked us to tell readers that "these are the most important words to him that he has ever written" and "the words that he wants to be remembered." The full piece is now posted exclusively for Playbook readers, but here's an excerpt:

"January 6 was a war for America's democracy. It was an immoral war instigated and prosecuted by Donald Trump and his political party allies and supporters.

"There were many cowards on the battlefield of the United States Capitol that day, and we have heard much about their failed efforts to undermine our democracy. We have heard comparatively little about the patriotic bravery of the heroes who defended our democracy against those who sought to undermine our democracy that fateful day.

"There comes a time in every single life — whether personal or public — when one is summoned to stand, bear witness, and affirm what he or she believes and does not believe. That is our moment of calling. Their witness, whether they be parent, relative, friend, loved one, or military or law enforcement defender, almost always comes at great personal sacrifice and cost.

"I was asked, not subpoenaed, to testify Thursday before the House Select Committee investigating the Capitol riot about my role advising Vice President Mike Pence in the events leading up to January 6. I bore witness Thursday to what I believed then and what I believe now, though my testimony did not come at any personal sacrifice or cost whatsoever. Unlike for the many who were called to bear witness to what they believed that fateful day in January, there was no courage required or personal sacrifice entailed for me that day a year and a half ago. Nor was there any sacrifice or personal cost for me in testifying yesterday.

"I was no less honored to give testimony for my country, and I am supremely honored to have given testimony in support and on behalf of the heroes of January 6. …"

Good Saturday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line with the words that you want remembered: Rachael Bade , Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.

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JAN. 6 COMMITTEE LATEST — The committee's next hearing Tuesday will feature testimony from Georgia Secretary of State BRAD RAFFENSPERGER and his deputy GABRIEL STERLING, who survived a pressure campaign to overturn the 2020 election, per Georgia Public Broadcasting. Meanwhile, amid a dispute between the committee and Justice Department investigators, the panel could start sharing interview transcripts with prosecutors as early as July, NYT's Glenn Thrush and Luke Broadwater report.

How it's playing: Can the committee break through to Americans who believe the lies about the 2020 election and the Capitol insurrection? Probably not, a pair of stories Friday suggested.

— AP's David Klepper reports that the committee's debunking of various conspiracy theories (especially via former A.G. BILL BARR's testimony) has merely prompted other ones to go viral on social media. One popular theory out there now is that IVANKA TRUMP, whose testimony has been damaging to her father, may have been a CGI avatar. Alternatively, one prominent QAnon proponent says that Ivanka's and Barr's testimony is — of course — "part of an elaborate scheme to defeat Trump's enemies by confusing Congress and the American public."

— And in Reno, Nev., NBC's Natasha Korecki and Adam Edelman find that swing-state Republicans loathe the hearings, which have "hardened partisan views, spawned more conspiracies or deepened fealty toward Trump."

More: The committee may ask VIRGINIA THOMAS about a Facebook group she apparently runs that started in August 2020 but went dark after CNBC's Brian Schwartz started asking questions.

THE NEW GOP: Leading up to Jan. 6, the Kentucky Republican delegation in the House banded together to decide that they'd all vote to certify the 2020 election results — strength in numbers in the face of a move that might prove unpopular with the Trumpist base. But the plan veered off course when Rep. HAL ROGERS objected, Olivia Beavers and Sarah Ferris report for the first time in a broader look at how punishing the Republican Party is becoming for those who don't toe the party line. Now, "only an isolated few can avoid career-ending consequences for moving toward the political center."

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PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'S SATURDAY — The president has nothing on his public schedule.

VP KAMALA HARRIS' SUNDAY — The VP and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF will host a reception celebrating Juneteenth at their residence at 2:30 p.m., with Harris delivering remarks.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

VP Kamala Harris counts down to a paper airplane launch at a NASA STEM-focused event for kids Friday, which also included a screening of "Lightyear" at the Naval Observatory. | Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images

PLAYBOOK READS

9 THINGS THAT STUCK WITH US

1. TRUMP AND PENCE REACT TO JAN. 6 HEARINGS: At the Faith and Freedom Coalition's big annual conference for evangelical Christians in Nashville, Trump lashed out at Pence for refusing to overturn the 2020 election, per the Nashville Tennessean's Melissa Brown and Logan Washburn. Trump was well received at the conference, where many said they'd back him in 2024, but plenty of attendees remained open to other contenders too, report Natalie Allison and Meridith McGraw:

"On Friday, Trump talked extensively about Pence, attacking him in front of the Republicans who are most sympathetic to him: evangelical Christians.

"'Mike Pence had a chance to be great,' Trump said. 'He had a chance, quite frankly, to be historic. Mike did not have the courage to act.'

"After an awkward pause, the audience responded with light applause."

Meanwhile, Pence told WSJ's Alex Leary and John McCormick , "I believe that most Americans understand that we did our duty that day under the Constitution and the laws of this country." But with an eye toward 2024, Pence is trying to focus less on Jan. 6 and more on traveling the country with conservative talking points.

2. 2024 WATCH: Biden is full steam ahead on running for reelection, with his team weighing an announcement next spring and the DNC opting against setting up a 2024 debate schedule, WaPo's Tyler Pager and Michael Scherer report. They're aiming to foreclose persistent rumors about someone else assuming the Democratic Party mantle — and Biden is particularly set on running if his opponent will be Trump again.

On the GOP side: The trips to Iowa are ramping up this summer as a bevy of possible contenders kiss the first-caucus ring, AP's Thomas Beaumont reports . Among those arriving in the next few months: Sens. TIM SCOTT (S.C.) and TOM COTTON (Ark.), NIKKI HALEY, MIKE POMPEO and Pence. (No plans yet from Trump or Florida Gov. RON DESANTIS.)

3. GUN NEGOTIATIONS LATEST: Sen. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas), one of the main Senate negotiators, told The Texas Tribune's Abby Livingston that the group is "getting very close" to a deal, with plans to have the bill on the floor next week. But, but, but: There's not much time, and the so-called boyfriend loophole remained a major snag Friday, as Republicans resisted Democratic efforts to include partners who don't live together or share a child. Meanwhile, Texas Republicans lustily booed Cornyn on Friday for his gun reform work.

4. INFRASTRUCTURE YEAR: One of Biden's biggest domestic challenges is taking a bite out of one of his biggest accomplishments: Inflation is hampering many infrastructure projects across the country, as the value of federal funding falls and costs rise, Tanya Snyder reports. That's handing Republicans a new attack line and diminishing one of Democrats' biggest talking points. "In North Carolina, for instance, despite the gusher of cash coming out of the federal government, state officials will add new projects to their long-term infrastructure plans only if they replace existing ones."

5. VAX POPULI: Little kids are very close to getting shots in arms: The FDA on Friday officially authorized Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines for kids ages 6 months to 4 or 5. Next up, a CDC committee meets today before Director ROCHELLE WALENSKY would sign off on the jabs. If she does, little kids could start getting vaccinated by Tuesday. More from CNBC

6. PREPARING FOR A POST-ROE WORLD: The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday ended the fundamental right to abortion in the state, overturning a 2018 ruling. (The composition of the court has shifted right since then.) More from the Des Moines Register … Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin is no longer scheduling abortions past next week, expecting the Supreme Court ruling. More from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

7. HERE COMES GAVIN: California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM is embracing a more aggressive national role as a Democratic defender of abortion rights, The Atlantic's Ronald Brownstein reports . "I used to sort of feel like: 'I am in my lane. I am just mayor of San Francisco. I am just lieutenant governor. I am just the governor,'" Newsom tells him. "I feel right now so frustrated that I feel like we need to amplify and express ourselves."

8. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Time is a blur … when you're fighting to end gun violence in America," Rep. MONDAIRE JONES (D-N.Y.) told NYT's Dana Rubinstein and Nick Fandos in an all-time dodge when asked how recently he had moved into the congressional district he's running in. (Actual answer: last week.) Their story is a wild rundown of a wild race, with half a dozen or more prominent Dems running for an open seat in a newly created Manhattan/Brooklyn district. Jones, BILL DE BLASIO, DAN GOLDMAN, YUH-LINE NIOU, ELIZABETH HOLTZMAN, and that's not even half of it. Rep. NYDIA VELÁZQUEZ, who currently represents much of the district, on Friday endorsed CARLINA RIVERA.

"The result is not so much a contest of ideas," they write, "as of brute force, blunt ambition and identity politics."

9. STILL COUNTING IN CALIFORNIA: It might be time to revise your election night takes about the Los Angeles mayoral primary: As votes continue to be counted, Rep. KAREN BASS (D-Calif.) has extended her lead over developer RICK CARUSO to 6 points, per the latest from the L.A. Times' Dakota Smith. Of course, they're both headed to a runoff, which will be the true test of the city's future direction.

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CLICKER — "The nation's cartoonists on the week in politics," edited by Matt Wuerker — 15 funnies

GREAT WEEKEND READS , curated by Ryan Lizza:

— "They Bent to Their Knees and Kissed the Sand," by The Atlantic's Cullen Murphy: "Half a century ago, the British government forcibly removed 2,000 people from a remote string of islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean. They've never stopped struggling to return."

— "White Parents Rallied to Chase a Black Educator Out of Town. Then, They Followed Her to the Next One," by ProPublica's Nicole Carr: "Cecelia Lewis was asked to apply for a Georgia school district's first-ever administrator job devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion. A group of parents — coached by local and national anti-CRT groups — had other plans."

— "The Battle Over Gender Therapy," by NYT Magazine's Emily Bazelon: "More teenagers than ever are seeking transitions, but the medical community that treats them is deeply divided about why — and what to do to help them."

— "Hell Is a Cruise Ship at the Beginning of the Pandemic," by Michael Smith and Jonathan Franklin in Bloomberg Businessweek: "The new book Cabin Fever describes the panic and despair aboard Holland America's MS Zaandam as Covid ripped through passengers and crew."

— "How World War II Led to Washington's First Outing," by James Kirchick in WaPo Magazine, adapted from his new book, "Secret City": "A wild tale of Nazi spies, a Brooklyn brothel and the private life of a senator."

— "Elephant in the Zoom," by The Intercept's Ryan Grim: "Meltdowns Have Brought Progressive Advocacy Groups to a Standstill at a Critical Moment in World History."

PLAYBOOKERS

Hillary Clinton warned that "we are standing on the precipice of losing our democracy."

Willow Biden, the White House cat, enjoys "taking leisurely naps on the desk of the press secretary, chasing her toys in and out of offices and generally being open to scratches," per a new profile from CNN's Kate Bennett.

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog and several staffers for Stephen Colbert's CBS late-night show were arrested by Capitol Police for allegedly roaming around the Capitol unauthorized, Fox News' Adam Sabes and Chad Pergram scooped.

Mitch Daniels is considering another run for Indiana governor, per Adam Wren.

Joe Biden fell off his bike in Rehoboth today, but is doing OK.

MEDIA MOVE — Nikki McCann Ramírez is joining Rolling Stone as a political news reporter. She previously was an associate research director at Media Matters for America.

TRANSITIONS — Arthur Sidney is now an SVP on Forbes Tate Partners' government affairs team. He most recently was VP of public policy at the Computer & Communications Industry Association, and is a Hank Johnson and Sheila Jackson Lee alum. … Hella Sisca is now deputy press secretary for Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa). She most recently was press assistant for Rep. David Schweikert (R-Ariz.).

WEDDINGS — Emily Mayer and Waleed Shahid, via NYT: "Ms. Mayer, 30 … now works as the director of the Progressive Caucus of the New York City Council. Mr. Shahid, 31, is a Democratic strategist and the spokesman for Justice Democrats … On May 14, the two were married at Gather Greene, an events space and retreat center in Coxsackie, N.Y."

— Lara Sisselman, VP of comms for C-Strategies and a DSCC and Ohio Democratic Party alum, and Jordon Cooper, a VP at the Edgewater Funds, got married June 11 in Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. They met as students at Tulane University.Pic

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: CNN's DJ Judd … Reps. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) … Robert O'Brien … Axios' Nick Johnston … White House's John McCarthy … Niall Stanage of The Hill … David Drucker … Jim Stinson … MPA's Rachel Alben … the House's Kate Knudson … Devan Cole … Clare Bresnahan English … Will Kinzel of Molson Coors … BuzzFeed's Mary Ann Georgantopoulos … Bert Gómez … Tom Readmond … Narric Rome … Dina Powell McCormick … former Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) … Daniel Epstein … POLITICO's Maya Swann … Fred Barbash … Debbie Shore of Share Our Strength … Derrick Honeyman of Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers' reelect … Joanne Lipman

THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here):

ABC "This Week": Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen … Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) … Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. Panel: Chris Christie, Heidi Heitkamp, Jonathan Karl and Averi Harper.

CNN "State of the Union": Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) … Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) … Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm … Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas). Panel: Scott Brown, Nina Turner, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Kirsten Powers.

FOX "Fox News Sunday," guest-anchored by Shannon Bream: NEC Director Brian Deese … Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). Panel: Ben Domenech, Catherine Lucey, Howard Kurtz and Harold Ford Jr.

CBS "Face the Nation": NEC Director Brian Deese … Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) … Scott Gottlieb … Loretta Mester … Ibram X. Kendi.

NBC "Meet the Press": Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) … Larry Summers. Panel: Peter Alexander, Brendan Buck, María Teresa Kumar and Betsy Woodruff Swan.

MSNBC "The Sunday Show": James Kirchick … Gloria Avent-Kindred … Matthew Dowd … Michigan state Sen. Jeremy Moss … Karen Dixon-Rexroth … Sophia Nelson.

CNN "Inside Politics": Panel: Jonathan Martin, Audie Cornish, Melanie Zanona, Tarini Parti, Carrie Cordero and Maria Cardona.

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