News: Newsom’s D.C. tryout

Monday, July 18, 2022

Newsom’s D.C. tryout

Jul 18, 2022

By Jeremy B. White, Lara Korte and Sakura Cannestra

Presented by Charge Ahead California Coalition

THE BUZZ: Whatever his innermost motives, Gov. Gavin Newsom sure seemed comfortable in D.C.

"Is he running?" has become the inescapable question hovering over California politics these days. Newsom's consistent insistence that he isn't notwithstanding ("I've tried to say 'no, no way,' in every way I possibly can," he lamented), the answer depends on interlocking contingencies — principally what President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris do — that mean the truth is closer to "unlikely, not impossible, let's see." Nevertheless, the "he's running" assertions proliferated last week as Newsom made the rounds on Capitol Hill, chatted with national reporters, and continued excoriating red states. Images of Newsom strolling around the White House read to some people like a tryout. A fellow San Francisco pol tested his name (and very unscientifically found Newsom leading Harris and Biden).

Whether Newsom is cracking the presidential door or promoting California progressivism is almost beside the point. The fundamentals are the same. Newsom has long sought to extoll California's agenda — and his — by contrasting it with that of populous red states. He pummeled the point during the pandemic. He has stepped it up as a series of conservative Supreme Court decisions and Republican state laws have deepened the distinctions and disillusioned Democrats. That could lay the foundation for a White House bid. Either way, it elevates Newsom's profile and helps him influence the national conversation. Some highlights, with a big hat-tip to Fox L.A.'s Elex Michaelson, who trailed the governor:

TEAM BLUE: Proclamations of loyalty abounded — often packaged with some California-boosting. Newsom dutifully deflected criticisms that Biden was failing on inflation ("they're doing everything they possibly can") and questions on a potential federal abortion emergency. He then touted California's work on inflation relief and abortion. Newsom's message for the White House, via Michaelson : "We have your back. We're on the front lines. We're out there — use us. Let us support you." Newsom wrapped up his trip by lunching with Harris, after which the governor's office made sure to note they had discussed Newsom's "unwavering support" for the Biden administration.

FEDERAL FOCUS: The governor didn't meet the president himself, but he did discuss issues like homelessness and wildfires with White House chief of staff Ron Klain, domestic policy adviser Susan Rice, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, First Lady Jill Biden, and other federal officials. Newsom also made time to expand beyond the California delegation and delve into major issues like guns and abortion with Senators Chris Murphy (to whom he talked up California's firearms bounties bill), Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, and went on record as being " deeply disappointed" that Sen. Joe Manchin torpedoed climate legislation.

RED RAGE: Newsom used his education award acceptance speech to take seething shots at Texas and Florida, favorably contrasting both with California. There was some overlap with Harris here. The Veep was in Orlando the following day, where she repeatedly assailed "so-called leaders" who are restricting abortion rights, as Newsom was racking up attention for calling Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a bully.

Republicans remain unimpressed. The California Republican Party mocked Newsom for "measuring the drapes in the West Wing and accepting an award for state innovation in education" even as California lags other states in a variety of scholastic indicators. The more Newsom elbows into the national scene, the more you can expect to hear about that — along with homelessness, cost of living, a shrinking population and other California problems — even as Newsom promotes the positive.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. Unlike lawmakers, we're back from a short break! ICYMI, Newsom's eastern edition wasn't the only California-related development in Washington last week: if you'd bet us in 2020 that Republican 2010 gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman would join the Biden administration before Democratic L.A. Mayor and top Biden surrogate Eric Garcetti, you'd have won some money. Whitman was confirmed as ambassador to Kenya while Garcetti's India appointment languishes.

Got a tip or story idea for California Playbook? Hit us up: jwhite@politico.com and lkorte@politico.com or follow us on Twitter @JeremyBWhite and @Lara_Korte.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "One of the mistakes that Chesa made that I learned from it — and he'll readily recognize this — he was trying to talk to people about data. People don't care about data. This is about emotions. This is about how you perceive and feel. And you cannot use data to deal with feelings. And I think that was a failure. And by the time he kind of woke up to that, it was too late for him." L.A. District Attorney George Gascón on the recall of his ally and successor, former SFDA Chesa Boudin, via POLITICO Deep Dive.

TWEET OF THE DAY: California Democrat @RepAdamSchiff rebukes President Biden for his Saudi outreach: "If we ever needed a visual reminder of the continuing grip oil-rich autocrats have on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, we got it today. One fist bump is worth a thousand words."

WHERE'S GAVIN? Back from DC and ready to sign a gun lawsuits bill modeled on Texas's abortion law.

A message from Charge Ahead California Coalition:

LEGISLATORS AND GOVERNOR NEWSOM - GET US OFF GAS NOW! Millions of dollars are at stake for Californians still suffering from high gas prices. We can't afford to chip away at the more than $10 billion dollars that have been promised to our clean, electric car programs. We need our leaders to protect these investments. It's time to break free from volatile prices at the pump and clean up our air! Learn more: www.InvestInCleanAir.com.

TOP TALKERS

ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK — "S.F. D.A. Brooke Jenkins names top staffers for management team as firings begin," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Megan Cassidy: "The shake-up comes a week after Jenkins was sworn in as the city's top prosecutor — the culmination of an historic recall of her former boss, Chesa Boudin, in which she played a major role."

WHAT GOOGLE KNOWS — 'A uniquely dangerous tool': How Google's data can help states track abortions, by POLITICO's Alfred Ng: It wouldn't be hard to do, because states across the country are already using this kind of data for other investigations. And a POLITICO analysis found that many of the states that have criminalized abortion have relied increasingly on location data in recent years to probe crimes including robbery and sexual assault.

— " Commentary: Why are lawmakers luring tech lobbyists to wine country before social media, crypto votes?" opines the Los Angeles Time's Laurel Rosenhall: "It's fabulous timing for tech execs to get one-on-one access to California lawmakers (perhaps over a nice Cabernet). For months the tech industry has been trying to kill legislation to regulate social media and cryptocurrency."

— "Why did Stanislaus County taxpayers get letters stamped 'Lets Go Brandon'?" by the Modesto Bee's Ken Carlson.

CAMPAIGN MODE

GASCÓN SPEAKS — LA wants to recall its most progressive prosecutor. Inside the DA's hostile office. By POLITICO's Ryan Lizza : When certain types of crime spiked in Los Angeles, Gascón got the blame. In Beverly Hills the city council passed a vote-of-no-confidence resolution against him.

— Campaign to raise California minimum wage sues to make November ballot, by POLITICO's Jeremy B. White: While the campaign collected hundreds of thousands of signatures more than the minimum — helped by nearly $11 million from Sanberg — it launched relatively late and turned in those tallies weeks after the April cutoff recommended by the secretary of state's office.

— "Karen Bass drops support of Faisal Gill for city attorney as Rick Caruso slams Gill and Bass ," by the Los Angeles Daily News' Elizabeth Chou: "Gill has said he wants to reduce prosecution of crimes including drug possession, public intoxication, minor driving offenses, loitering, failure to pay a parking ticket, failure to appear in court and resisting arrest."

FIN — California Secretary of State Shirley Weber has certified the final primary election results. 7,285,230 Californians voted in the primary, good for a 33% turnout rate. You can check out the ultimate tallies here.

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ROE BEING OVERTURNED? JOIN WOMEN RULE ON 7/21: Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade , abortion policy is in the hands of the states and, ultimately, voters. Join POLITICO national political correspondent Elena Schneider for a Women Rule "ask me anything" conversation featuring a panel of reporters from our politics and health care teams who will answer your questions about how the court's decision could play out in different states, its impact on the midterms and what it means for reproductive rights in the U.S. going forward. SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS AND REGISTER HERE.

CALIFORNIA AND THE CAPITOL CORRIDOR

— "Gascón appeals order that knocked down prior strikes directive to California Supreme Court," by the Los Angeles Times' Matthew Ormseth: "After being elected in 2020 on a pledge to radically change how the country's largest prosecutorial office addresses crime, Gascón issued a "special directive" forbidding his deputies from using a defendant's prior convictions for serious or violent felonies to obtain longer prison sentences."

— "Some schools build affordable housing to retain teachers ," by AP's Janie Har: "The Jefferson Union High School District in San Mateo County's Daly City is among just a handful of places in the country with educator housing. But with a national teacher shortage and rapidly rising rents, the working-class district could serve as a harbinger as schools across the U.S. seek to attract and retain educators."

— " 25 million kids missed routine vaccinations because of COVID," by the Associated Press: "In a new report published Friday, the World Health Organization and UNICEF said their figures show 25 million children last year failed to get vaccinated against diptheria, tetanus and pertussis, a marker for childhood immunization coverage, continuing a downward trend that began in 2019."

BEST OF THE BREAK — Some stories that landed during our hiatus and, if you missed them, are worth your time:

— "Hollywood's Finest ," by a stellar LATimes team: "In 2018, three Times journalists set off to tell the stories of three women in the world of the unhoused above the Hollywood Freeway."

— "From violence to homelessness: Colombian migrants' journey to Silicon Valley ," by the San Jose Spotlight's Tran Nguyen: "There's been an unexpected surge of Colombian migrants in the area, county officials said, and their hands are tied — there is little they can do to support them."

— "'Are the police capable of changing?' : Data on racial profiling in California shows the problem is only getting worse," by the SF Chronicle's Dustin Gardiner: "For close to a decade, California has pushed local police agencies to combat a long-standing pattern of racial profiling with new training and policies designed to confront the unconscious bias of officers.But these efforts have done little to root out vast racial disparities in traffic and pedestrian stops, according to a Chronicle analysis drawing from data the agencies are now required to collect."

SHOT — "California Air Regulators Try to Salvage Faulty System That Permitted 'Extreme' Pollution," by Capital and Main's Aaron Cantu: "After a state regulator found major issues with San Joaquin Valley's emissions reductions credits system two years ago, including poor bookkeeping and overcounted emissions reductions, advocates based in the area are raising concerns about high levels of pollution that may have been greenlit by regulators, and expressing doubts about regulators' proposals to improve the system."

CHASER — " Three resign in protest from San Joaquin Valley Air District group, calling it a 'sham'," by the Fresno Bee's Melissa Montalvo.

A message from Charge Ahead California Coalition:

BIDEN, HARRIS AND THE HILL

EXIT STAGE LEFT — Kamala Harris' chief speechwriter is departing, by POLITICO's Alex Thompson: Her departure comes amid a continuing staff makeover for the vice president's office.

EXIT STAGE LEFT — "After staff exodus, Vice President Harris to lose long-serving aide," by the Washington Post's David Nakamura: "Her decision to leave comes amid concerns among some Democrats about high turnover on the vice president's team and Harris's political viability at a time when President Biden is saddled with low approval ratings."

SILICON VALLEYLAND

— "71 Cities and Towns Are Paying Tech Workers to Abandon Silicon Valley. It's Working." By the Wall Street Journal's Christopher Mims: "Because these programs specifically target remote workers who have high wages, a disproportionate share of those who are taking advantage of them work in tech—and especially for big tech companies."

— "DoorDash and Grubhub could drop delivery fee cap lawsuit against S.F. in potential deal ," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Elena Kadvany: "Local officials and restaurant representatives said they hope the new legislation will offer a collaborative model for regulation of third-party delivery companies."

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MIXTAPE

— "Crypto, Tech Stocks and Expensive Homes: What SF's Elected Officials Own," by the SF Standard's Josh Koehn.

— "Endangered salmon will swim in California river for first time in 80 years," by the Los Angeles Times' Ian James.

— " Dodger Stadium concession workers have agreed not to strike during All Star Game events," by the City News Service wire.

— "Speaker Anthony Rendon is California's Assembly foodie ," opines the Los Angeles Times' Gustavo Arellano.

— "151-year-old S.F. Art Institute will shut down after USF backs out of acquisition deal," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Sam Whiting.

— "Aquarium of the Pacific announces Betty the sea otter, named after Betty White, has died," by the Orange County Register's Chris Haire.

TRANSITIONS

— Former Health and Human Services CIO Jose Arrieta has been named chief strategy officer and president of Dalrada Technologies based in San Diego.

BIRTHDAYS

MONDAY: former Rep. T.J. Cox … Varun Anand … Christina Ives of Sena Kozar Strategies …

SUNDAY: Dan Comstock … Charley Steiner …

SATURDAY: Rep. Barbara Lee … Sheel Tyle … Andy Bromberg … Tim Krause

A message from Charge Ahead California Coalition:

California's record budget surplus was an opportunity to provide us relief from the soaring costs of owning a car. The investments promised to our clean car programs are at risk! Our legislators have a responsibility to protect promised investments that support equitable clean, electric car programs that will get us off the gas price rollercoaster.

Low-income communities and communities of color bear an unfair burden of fuel costs and harmful pollution, having suffered generations of systematic marginalization. Critical equity programs that make pollution-free travel an option for all Californians are chronically underfunded. As we finalize our state's budget, we cannot give in to the pressure to chip away at the investments in these critical clean, electric car programs!

Learn more at www.InvestInCleanAir.com.

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