| | | | |  | | By Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Rachael Bade | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
| 
With all 19 defendants in the Georgia election interference case turning themselves in, the infighting has begun over the facts of the case, the timing of it and where it should be tried. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | HAPPENING TODAY — “Tens of thousands expected for March on Washington’s 60th anniversary demonstration,” by AP’s Aaron Morrison That anniversary (which is actually Monday) is the subject of a number of stories this morning, but the one that really stands out to us is an epic oral history of the March on Washington by WaPo’s Clarence Williams and his colleagues, drawing from new interviews with “young civil rights soldiers, curious bystanders and behind-the-scenes leaders, as well as voices from ensuing generations. Together, their quotes below capture the story of Aug. 28, 1963, beyond MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.’s famous speech, and what that day means now.” Make some time for it this weekend. THREE BIG DISAGREEMENTS DIVIDE DEFENDANTS — All 19 defendants in the Georgia election interference case, including the big kahuna DONALD TRUMP, have turned themselves in. And, as anticipated, the infighting has begun over the facts of the case, the timing of it and where it should be tried. DISAGREEMENTS OVER WHERE: “Five defendants have already sought to move the state case to federal court, citing their ties to the federal government. The first one to file — MARK MEADOWS, Mr. Trump’s chief of staff during the 2020 election — will make the argument for removal on Monday, in a hearing before a federal judge in Atlanta,” write NYT’s Richard Fausset and Danny Hakim. Federal court is likely much friendlier turf for the defendants because of pool of potential jurors: “If the case stays in Fulton County, Ga., the jury will come from a bastion of Democratic politics where Mr. Trump was trounced in 2020. If the case is removed to federal court, the jury will be drawn from a 10-county region of Georgia that is more suburban and rural — and somewhat more Trump-friendly.” Fulton County District Attorney FANI WILLIS has said she wants to try all 19 defendants together. But if they are successful in their attempts at removal, we could have a Marvel-sized multiverse of a bunch of different cases in different jurisdictions on different timelines.
| | | | A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API): How Are Gas Prices Determined? The biggest factor in what Americans pay at the pump is the price of crude oil. Because of this, changes in the retail price of gasoline typically track changes in global oil prices. Oil prices are impacted by geopolitics, supply and demand fundamentals, inventories, seasonality, and market expectations. The Biden administration should support continued growth in American oil to boost supply and put downward pressure on prices. Fuel up on facts. | | | DISAGREEMENTS OVER WHEN: “KENNETH CHESEBRO, a lawyer who advised Mr. Trump after the 2020 election, has asked for a speedy trial, and the presiding state judge has agreed to it. His trial is now set to begin on Oct. 23. Another defendant, SIDNEY POWELL, filed a similar motion on Friday, and a third, JOHN EASTMAN, also plans to invoke his right to an early trial, according to one of his lawyers.” Trump, on the other hand, filed a motion earlier this month to move his trial to 2026. This morning, our colleague Kyle Cheney has a helpful rundown of the calendar — and how it could potentially sideline Trump from the campaign trail. Keep an eye on this: “On Monday, the schedule may crystallize further,” Kyle writes. “That’s when the judge overseeing Trump’s federal case on election fraud has signaled she will choose a trial date. If she opts for a trial in early 2024, as prosecutors have requested, Trump’s already packed courtroom calendar will get much more complicated.” DISAGREEMENTS OVER WHAT: Kyle already reported this week that three of the defendants say they only became false electors because “Trump, then the sitting president told them to.” That, of course, is not welcome news for Trump’s defense, and hints at the likelihood of the strains almost certain to grow between the co-defendants.
| | | | A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API): Fuel Up on Facts. The biggest factor in what Americans pay for gasoline is the price of crude oil. When crude oil supply can’t meet demand, pump prices can rise. Washington policymakers should support continued growth in American oil production to help boost global supply and put downward pressure on prices. | | | ONE WEIRD DISAGREEMENT IN POLITICS AND CULTURE — What are the political beliefs behind “Rich Men North of Richmond,” the viral sensation and No. 1 song in the country? On this, singer-songwriter OLIVER ANTHONY seems to disagree with the conservative influencers who’ve propelled it to the top of the charts. For weeks, the song has blown up across the right wing of the internet, with people like BEN SHAPIRO and MATT WALSH pointing to it as an anthem excoriating liberals in general and JOE BIDEN in particular. It was even used to frame the opening questions of this week’s GOP presidential debate. But now, Anthony says the people interpreting his song as a right-wing rallying cry are entirely misreading it. “That song has nothing to do with Joe Biden, you know, it’s a lot bigger than Joe Biden,” Anthony says, describing his own beliefs as centrist. “It’s aggravating seeing people on conservative news try to identify with me, like I’m one of them.” As for its use in the Fox News-hosted GOP debate? “That song is written about the people on that stage,” he says. More surprising comments, via Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing: “‘We’ve got to go back to the roots of what made this country great in the first place, which was our sense of community — I mean, we are the melting pot of the world and that’s what makes us strong is our diversity — we need to learn how to harness that and appreciate it and not use it as a political tool to keep everyone separate from each other,’ [Anthony] said. “Later Friday, he tweeted: ‘I. Don’t. Support. Either. Side. Politically. Not the left, not the right. Im about supporting people and restoring local communities. Now, go breath some fresh air and relax. Please? :) I’m not worth obsessing over, I promise. Go spend time with your loved ones.’” Good Saturday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza. BIDEN’S SATURDAY: The president and first lady will depart Reno, Nev., to return to the White House.
| | | | GROWING IN THE GOLDEN STATE: POLITICO California is growing, reinforcing our role as the indispensable insider source for reporting on politics, policy and power. From the corridors of power in Sacramento and Los Angeles to the players and innovation hubs in Silicon Valley, we're your go-to for navigating the political landscape across the state. Exclusive scoops, essential daily newsletters, unmatched policy reporting and insights — POLITICO California is your key to unlocking Golden State politics. LEARN MORE. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
|  Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. pose for a photo in front of the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, Aug. 26 as they gather to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 9 THINGS THAT STUCK WITH US 1. POLL POSITION: It was a monumental week for the Republican presidential field with the first of many debates and yet another Trump arrest. And yet, the more things change, the more they seem to stay the same. Our colleague Steve Shepard writes in his latest candidate tracker that “it’s Trump unambiguously on top.” Here’s a breakdown of the reordering in Steve’s tiers:
- The Frontrunners: Trump stands alone in this category, with a national polling average lead of 42 percentage points.
- The Contenders: DeSantis marks the biggest shift in this category, dropping down from his previous perch in the frontrunners group. Plus, CHRIS CHRISTIE and VIVEK RAMASWAMY join NIKKI HALEY, MIKE PENCE and TIM SCOTT on this level.
- The Longshots: No surprises here for the group of RYAN BINKLEY, DOUG BURGUM, LARRY ELDER, ASA HUTCHINSON, WILL HURD, PERRY JOHNSON and FRANCIS SUAREZ.
Related read: “Trump’s trial run: How an onslaught of court dates could sideline him from the campaign trail,” by Kyle Cheney 2. NOT-SO-GREAT SCOTT: This week was supposed to be a momentum maker for Tim Scott’s presidential hopes. The South Carolina Republican “entered Wednesday’s debate seemingly primed for the first real moment of consequence for his campaign,” NYT’s Maya King and Shane Goldmacher write. But it wasn’t so. “During the two-hour debate in Milwaukee, Mr. Scott spoke for only 8 minutes 15 seconds,” they write. (Only Burgum and Hutchinson logged less speaking time.) “Mr. Scott flashed moments of humor but often faded entirely into the background. And he wasn’t targeted by his rivals, nor did he target them.” 3. RAMASWAMENTUM: Vivek Ramaswamy was quick to return to Iowa for campaigning, where he is “stoking curiosity and skepticism after his attention-grabbing performance” in the first GOP debate, AP’s Thomas Beaumont writes from Pella, Iowa. “He is drawing new interest from Republicans who will participate in the nation’s first caucuses next year, but also apprehension from attendees at his events and pointed criticism from a former GOP governor. Much of the negative feedback is about his foreign policy ideas, notably his argument that the U.S. should stop providing arms and funding to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s invasion.” What they’re reading in the Hawkeye State: “After GOP debate showing, Vivek Ramaswamy sees his crowds growing in central Iowa,” by The Des Moines Register’s Philip Joens Related read: “Ramaswamy is an 'unaffiliated' voter, records show,” by NBC’s Dareh Gregorian 3. DeSANTIS DOWNLOAD: When abortion came up at Wednesday’s debate, DeSantis deployed a story about a “lady in Florida named Penny” who “survived multiple abortion attempts.” The “jarring anecdote caught the attention of viewers on social media, who speculated that Mr. DeSantis was fabricating the story,” NYT’s Lisa Lerer and Nicholas Nehamas write. “But Penny does exist. Mr. DeSantis’s campaign says the governor has met her. She is MIRIAM HOPPER, who goes by Penny and is an anti-abortion activist who lives in Florida and calls herself an ‘abortion survivor.’” However, at least one expert cautioned that Hopper’s story “had little relevance for the current debate about abortion rights and policy.” 4. REDISTRICTING READ: Democrats are pulling out all the stops in the state-by-state fight that is unfolding over redistricting, which will go a long way in determining the House majority. “Former President BARACK OBAMA hosted a fundraiser for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee on Thursday,” Zach Montellaro reports. “The event in Martha’s Vineyard raised $1.5 million, the committee told POLITICO, ahead of a crucial stretch of redistricting fights that will play out in the closing months of this year.” 5. BACKSTORY: “How a small-town feud in Kansas sent a shock through American journalism,” by WaPo’s Jonathan O'Connell, Paul Farhi and Sofia Andrade in Marion, Kan.: “Parsing the events that led to the search — and understanding its larger implications for a free press in the United States — comes down to untangling the complex interrelationships and tortured history of a small group of people coexisting in a single small town. At the center of everything were a business owner, a police chief and a newspaper.” 6. SEEKING THE SECRETARY: “Everyone Wants to Talk to Gina Raimondo – Even China,” by WSJ’s Yuka Hayashi: “In China, where she lands Sunday, [GINA] RAIMONDO will conduct a balancing act. She’ll perform the traditional role of a Commerce secretary in promoting American business. She’ll meet with U.S. companies. Officials on the ground have been preparing for a possible visit to Disney’s theme park in Shanghai. High on her agenda in Beijing, where her trip begins, is a core national-security policy. The Biden administration in the coming weeks will finalize sweeping restrictions on advanced semiconductors that it put in place last year.” 7. DANCE OF THE SUPERPOWERS: “What China’s Economic Woes May Mean for the U.S.,” by NYT’s Lydia DePillis: “If the world’s second-largest economy is stumbling so badly, what does that mean for the biggest? Short answer: At the moment, the implications for the United States are probably minor, given China’s limited role as a customer for American goods and the minor connections between the countries’ financial systems.” 8. FOR YOUR RADAR: “House Republican demands unredacted Jan. 6 panel transcripts from White House,” by NBC’s Kyle Stewart: Rep. BARRY LOUDERMILK (R-Ga.) “who is leading an inquiry into the Democrat-led Jan. 6 panel as chairman of the House Administration’s subcommittee on oversight, wrote that the transcripts he's requesting include testimony from ‘Secret Service agents or employees who were assigned to former President Trump on January 6, 2021’ and who testified to the select committee at the end of 2022.” 9. WAR IN UKRAINE: “Kremlin Considers How to Bring Private Military Group Under Its Control,” by NYT’s Julian Barnes and Eric Schmitt: “Wagner could be absorbed into Russia’s Defense Ministry or its military intelligence arm. A Russian general could also be installed to lead the group, U.S. and Western officials said.”
| | | | A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API):   Policy matters: To help Americans at the fuel pump, Washington must support U.S. oil production. | | | |  | CLICKER — “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker — 15 funnies GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Ryan Lizza: — “Undercover With the New Alt-Right,” by Amanda Moore for The Nation: “For 11 months, I pretended to be a far-right extremist. I discovered a radical youth movement trying to infiltrate the Republican Party.” — “Persecution in the Name of the Lord,” by Deborah Jian Lee for Esquire: “Publicly funded Christian colleges and universities across the U. S. have long exploited a legal loophole to control and discriminate against LGBTQ+ students with impunity— inflicting financial pain and emotional trauma in the process. Now there’s a new battle brewing over this warped version of religious freedom.” — “How a Small Gender Clinic Landed in a Political Storm,” by NYT’s Azeen Ghorayshi: “Washington University’s youth gender clinic in St. Louis, like others around the world, was overwhelmed by new patients and struggled to provide them with mental health care.” — “The World Is Going Blind. Taiwan Offers a Warning, and a Cure,” by Wired’s Amit Katwala: “So many people are nearsighted on the island nation that they have already glimpsed what could be coming for the rest of us.” — “Americans Vote Too Much,” by The Atlantic’s Jerusalem Demsas: “No one can be a full-time political animal.” — “The Heartrending Tale of Kitt the Police Dog and His Human Partner,” by Boston Magazine’s Dave Wedge: “Braintree officer Bill Cushing needed a partner. Kitt, an expertly trained German Shepherd, needed a purpose. Together, they rescued each other.” — “Lyme Disease Has Exploded, and a New Vaccine Is (Almost) Here,” by Businessweek’s Kristen Brown and Nacha Cattan: “Lymerix was pulled from the market two decades ago. How much enthusiasm will there be for its replacement?” — “My last day in Guantanamo,” by Mansoor Adayfi for The New Arab: “Seven years after his release, Mansoor Adayfi reflects on the fifteen years of his life he spent in the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison and the crucial promise he made to those that remain detained there on his final day.” — “A sex educator in Michigan refused to be shamed. Then came the backlash,” by WaPo’s Greg Jaffe and Patrick Marley: “Heather Alberda found her calling by speaking bluntly about sex in her conservative county. Her career was no match for the nation’s culture wars.”
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | Joe Biden on Donald Trump’s mug shot: “I did see it on television. Handsome guy.” Chris Christie’s New Jersey beach home is growing — and neighbors are wondering how. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a fan of “Rich Men North of Richmond.” We have a date for the start of the Kristen Welker era at Meet the Press. OUT AND ABOUT — Michael Blake hosted The Kairos: Celebration and Conversation event at the SEIU D.C. headquarters yesterday to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. The commemoration featured a panel conversation with Bernice A. King with Tamika Mallory and George Gresham. SPOTTED: Bishop Vashti McKenzie, Marc Morial, Ashley Bell, Tom Perez, Steve Benjamin and Leopoldo Martinez Nucete. TRANSITIONS — Emily Crerand is now chief of staff for Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.). She most recently was deputy chief of staff for Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and is a Carolyn Maloney alum. … Theodoros Georgiades is now press attaché for the Cypriot Embassy. He most recently was press officer of the Ministry of Transport in Cyprus. ENGAGED — Josh Rothstein, an attorney for DOJ, and Kate Champagne Sklar, a comms strategist and personal fitness instructor, got engaged Aug. 19 at the spot they met, sitting at the bar at Le Diplomate. The executive chef, a dear friend of the couple who was in on the surprise, lured Kate to Le Diplomate pre-opening to try new menu items. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: USA Today’s David Jackson … Miriam Elder … Bob Barnett … State’s Tiffany Cox and Kirk Anderson ... The New Republic’s Grace Segers … Gara LaMarche … Oracle’s Josh Pitcock … former DHS Secretary Tom Ridge of Ridge Global … Eddie Vale of New Paradigm Agency … Jennifer Sherman of Reservoir Communications Group … Insider’s Nicole Gaudiano … POLITICO’s Aaron Czarnopys and Jordan Muller … Bloomberg Government’s Maeve Sheehey … Ilyse Hogue … Patrick Dorton of Rational 360 … CAP Action Fund’s Navin Nayak … Rebekah Jorgensen Hoshiko … Lindsey Curnutte … Satyam Khanna … Stephen Dubner (6-0) … Kiran Chetry … Arthur MacMillan ... Bill Whitaker … NBC’s Savannah Sellers and Sophia Maltese … Myles Miller … Julian Epstein … Russell Adam of the Herald Group … Quint Forgey … Hunter Wilson of Plus Communications … Jordan Wong of Rep. Katie Porter’s (D-Calif.) office … Eric Fehrnstrom … Justin Dillon … Jim Harris of Bain … Nick Martin of Rep. Suzan DelBene’s (D-Wash.) office THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here): ABC “This Week”: Chris Christie … Cedric Richmond … Leana Wen. Panel: Retired Col. Steve Ganyard and Julia Ioffe. Panel: Donna Brazile, Sarah Isgur, Charles Lane and Patricia Murphy. CBS “Face the Nation”: Mike Pence … Chris Christie … Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) … Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) … Fiona Hill. CNN “State of the Union”: Vivek Ramaswamy … Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) … Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King and Yolanda Renee King … Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker … Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) … Asa Hutchinson. Panel: Kate Bedingfield, Scott Jennings, Alice Stewart and Nina Turner. Panel: Kristen Soltis Anderson, Karen Finney, Matt Mowers and Jeff Nussbaum. NBC “Meet the Press”: Vivek Ramaswamy … Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Panel: Pat McCrory, Markos Moulitsas, Stephanie Murphy and Danielle Pletka. FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Joe Lieberman … Jennifer Griffin. Panel: Francesca Chambers, Josh Holmes, Penny Nance and Juan Williams. Panel: Jonathan Turley and Tom Dupree. Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures”: Nikki Haley … Michael McCaul … Gary Shapley … Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Panel: Kari Lake and Tudor Dixon. MSNBC “Inside with Jen Psaki”: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu … Keisha Lance Bottoms. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton, and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine.
| | | | A message from The American Petroleum Institute (API): How Are Gas Prices Determined? The cost of crude oil is the No. 1 factor in determining retail fuel prices, accounting for nearly 60% of the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Oil companies do not set gasoline prices, nor do convenience store operators or retailers.
Historically, fuel demand increases to higher levels during summer months – even with U.S. refineries operating at near record capacity to produce more fuels to meet demand. Increased demand for motor fuels during summer, layered on top of geopolitical events, affects global market fundamentals. Federal reviews have shown that these market forces of oil supply and demand affect changes in gasoline prices.
New studies show that the U.S. holds more crude oil reserves than anywhere else in the world. Washington policies can add to global supply, and put downward pressure on crude costs and gasoline prices at the pump. Instead of dipping into America’s emergency reserves, Washington should increase access to areas – onshore and offshore across America – for safe, responsible development. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment