Subject: Playbook PM: House Dems push back leadership vote
From: "Anna Palmer Jake Sherman Daniel Lippman" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 24 Jul 2018 10:54:09 -0600
List-Id: <1376319.xt.local>

Presented by BP: Playbook is POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the day in Washington             Jul 24, 2018 View in browser                   
 By Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman, Daniel Lippman, Akela Lacy and Eli Okun 
             
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IMPORTANT ... HEATHER CAYGLE: "House Democrats delay leadership elections to December": "House Democrats voted Tuesday to delay their leadership elections a full month past the November midterms, setting up a potentially lengthy and contentious battle for control of the caucus.

"Democrats will now vote on their leaders - including speaker if they win back the House - after Dec. 5.

"The plan, which was adopted on a voice vote during a private caucus meeting Tuesday, comes amid growing calls for generational change that the longtime leadership is trying to beat back. Members didn't settle on an exact date but wanted to push the votes into December to give incoming freshmen enough time to make it through all of their orientation duties. The midterm elections will be held on Nov. 6." POLITICO

-- SPEEDY ELECTIONS typically favor incumbents, who have operations that can snap into action. A delay, as Heather notes, gives people time to organize. 

PUTIN TO TRUMP ... EH, I DON'T LOVE D.C. IN THE FALL ... REUTERS/MOSCOW: "The Kremlin was reticent on Tuesday about whether it would accept an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump to hold a summit with Vladimir Putin in Washington later this year, saying only that the two men had other chances to meet as well. ... 

"The Kremlin's failure to swiftly accept Trump's invitation for a Washington summit has been noticeable. Though Moscow saw the Helsinki summit n the two leaders held last week as a success, the fiercely negative reaction by some U.S. politicians to Trump's performance has taken some in Russia aback.

"Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that though Washington and Moscow agreed there was a need for another Putin-Trump meeting, Russia had not yet begun any practical preparations for a new meeting.

"'There are other options (to meet) which our leaders can look at,' Ushakov told reporters, citing a meeting of G20 leaders in Argentina which starts at the end of November. 'Maybe there will be other international events which Trump and Putin will take part in.'" Reuters

SENIOR DAY ... SPEAKER PAUL RYAN said this morning that PRESIDENT TRUMP is trying to "troll" Democrats by saying he's going to strip security clearances from critics like John Brennan and James Comey. And he said he wouldn't invite Vladimir Putin to a joint session of Congress because that's reserved for "allies." More from Rachael Bade POLITICO

THE GOP SPLIT SCREEN -- "Haley tells high schoolers to avoid 'own the libs'-style online behavior," by The Hill's Maya Lora: "U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley kicked off a conservative conference of high school students on Monday by urging attendees to avoid inflammatory language in favor of demonstrating real leadership." The Hill

... AND AT THE SAME CONFERENCE: "Attorney General Sessions joins 'Lock her up!' chant in front of high school students" by Didi Martinez: "U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions briefly joined in during a 'Lock her up!' chant while delivering a speech to a group of conservative high school students on Tuesday, marking the latest example of Trump and his aides making aggressive gestures toward their political rivals. ... 

"'I like this bunch, I gotta tell ya, you're not going to be backing down. Go get 'em! Go get 'em!' Sessions said, when the audience started yelling 'Lock her up!' ... Chuckling and repeating the chant once himself, Sessions then attempted to move on before saying, 'I heard that a long time over the last campaign.'" With video POLITICO

Good Tuesday afternoon. SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA.) is meeting with Brett Kavanaugh today at 2:30 p.m.

ON THE PRESIDENT'S MIND ... at 11:50 a.m.: "I'm very concerned that Russia will be fighting very hard to have an impact on the upcoming Election. Based on the fact that no President has been tougher on Russia than me, they will be pushing very hard for the Democrats. They definitely don't want Trump!"

-- PUTIN said last week that he wanted Trump to win the 2016 election.

POLITICO EUROPE'S MAGDALINE DUNCAN: "Juncker consulted Merkel, Macron ahead of Trump trip": POLITICO Europe

SCOOP -- "Trump to offer farmers $12B in trade aid," by Catherine Boudreau, Adam Behsudi and Helena Bottemiller Evich: "The Trump administration is planning to ease fears of a trade war by announcing Tuesday about $12 billion in aid to farmers hurt by retaliatory tariffs, according to three sources familiar with the plan.

"The administration's plan is expected to use two commodity support programs in the farm bill, as well as the Agriculture Department's broad authority to stabilize the agricultural economy during times of turmoil by buying up excess supply. The plan is also expected to focus on providing aid to the dairy sector in particular, one of the sources said." POLITICO
       
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MORE ON THE TRADE WARS -- "Tariff Dispute Threatens China's Thirst for U.S. Oil," by WSJ's Chuin-Wei Yap and Kara Dapena: "For the American oil industry, which President Donald Trump has declared is entering an era of 'energy dominance,' an escalating trade fight with China would represent a lost opportunity for U.S. efforts to break into a strategic market.

"China has been the biggest new buyer of the millions of barrels of oil unlocked by U.S. shale companies from dense rock formations. Now the second-largest consumer of U.S. oil exports after Canada, China has seen its demand rise 200-fold over past two years and last year bought a fifth of American crude-oil exports." WSJ

-- "Apple Vulnerable in U.S.-China Trade Showdown," by WSJ's Tripp Mickle and Yoko Kubota: WSJ

FOR THOSE KEEPING TRACK -- "Mueller plans to call IRS, FBI, FinCen witnesses at Manafort trial," by Darren Samuelsohn: "Manafort sat at the defendant's table for Tuesday morning's session wearing a dark suit, a contrast from a day earlier, when he was in an olive-green prison jumpsuit. During interludes, the longtime GOP operative looked several times at his wife, Kathleen Manafort, who for a second consecutive day was seated in the courtroom's front row. As the hearing ended, Manafort winked at his wife and then mouthed, 'I love you' as he was escorted back to the Alexandria Detention Center, where he's been held for the past two weeks." POLITICO

2018 WATCH -- "Democrats overperforming with the real swing voters: those who disapprove of both parties," by NBC News' Mark Murray and Ben Kamisar: "Democrats have a 30-point advantage over Republicans among this constituency on the generic ballot, a stronger lead than Republicans had during each of their midterm wave years of 2010 and 2014. Fifty-five percent of these voters back Democrats, compared to just 25 percent who back Republicans. ... 

"Trump's strength among these voters was one of the clues we missed during the 2016 election. And it was an influential clue." NBC News

-- CONOR LAMB CRUISING .... COOK POLITICAL REPORT moves his race against GOP Rep. Keith Rothfus to lean Democratic. COOK 

-- "Georgia GOP governor's runoff tests loyalty to Trump," by AP's Ben Nadler and Bill Barrow in Atlanta: "Georgia Republicans decide a bruising gubernatorial runoff Tuesday that is testing the loyalty of conservative voters to President Donald Trump and their frequent rejection of the establishment in favor of outside, bare-knuckled politics.

"The matchup between Secretary of State Brian Kemp and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle pits the White House, which backs Kemp, against outgoing Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, who backs Cagle. Democrat Stacey Abrams awaits the winner in the fall, seeking to become the first black female governor of any American state." AP

-- "Can a Bronx socialist help a campaign in Kansas? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will find out soon," by WaPo's Ben Terris in Wichita, Kansas: "It's one of the top theories among Democrats that the way to win back majorities in Congress is to move toward the center, maybe peel off some moderates or at least not freak them out so much that they vote Republican in 2018. [James] Thompson doesn't buy it.

"He's working with the other prevailing theory on how a Democrat should run in 2018. 'They're going to call me a socialist anyway,' he said he told Ocasio-Cortez. 'You might as well come out so we can all have a good time.'" WaPo

TELL US HOW YOU REALLY FEEL! -- "Corker compares revoking security clearances to Venezuela's dictatorship," by Rebecca Morin: "'I can't even believe that somebody at the White House thought up something like this,' Corker said during an interview on MSNBC. 'I mean, when you're going to start taking retribution against people who are your political enemies in this manner, that's the kind of thing that happens in Venezuela.'

"'So you just don't do that. I can't believe they even allowed it to be aired, to be honest,' he said. 'I mean, it's a banana republic kind of thing.'" With video POLITICO

ON THE WORLD STAGE -- "Theresa May Says She Will Take Control of Brexit Negotiations," by Bloomberg's Alex Morales, Tim Ross and Kitty Donaldson: "Prime Minister Theresa May has taken control of Brexit talks, relegating the Brexit Department. The pound rose on the news. Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and Oliver Robbins, May's negotiator, are now taking questions in Parliament after the government published a policy document on the EU withdrawal agreement." Bloomberg

-- "Israel shoots down Syrian fighter jet it says entered Israeli airspace," by CNN's Oren Liebermann, Amir Tal and James Masters: "The Israeli military shot down a Syrian fighter jet after it entered Israeli airspace on Tuesday afternoon, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said, raising fears of further military escalation in the region. ... 

"Israel said there had been a notable increase in activity by the Syrian military in the area on Tuesday, especially the Syrian air force, as a result of ongoing internal fighting in the war-torn country. Before it launched its strike, Israel communicated with Russia to make sure the jet was Syrian, and not part of the Russian air force." CNN
           
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TOP-ED -- PATRICK GASPARD of Open Society Foundations, in POLITICO Europe, "Steve Bannon's European dream is delusional but dangerous": "Out of favor at the White House and out of a job at Breitbart, U.S. President Donald Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon is looking for new paying clients by making waves in Europe. 

"Bannon's grand plan is to campaign on behalf of far-right political parties across Europe ahead of next year's European Parliament election. It should come as no surprise that he was invited to the fray by the French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally party has been bankrolled by Russian loans.

"Bannon's idea betrays a deep lack of understanding of how European politics work. Even if one leaves aside the inherent contradiction of a nationalist American trying to use the European Parliament to undermine national governments, it's unclear exactly how the mechanics of his operation will function." POLITICO Europe 

HMM -- THE GUARDIAN'S JON SWAINE in New York: "Trump lawyer uses government action on abortion to raise cash for own group": "Jay Sekulow, a personal attorney to the president, has contracted telemarketers to collect money from the public for his not-for-profit organisation using a script that highlights the justice department's examination of foetal tissue transfers by groups including the women's clinic network. ... 

"It was unclear from the ACLJ script whether Sekulow was merely repeating past media reports of preliminary inquiries made by the justice department, or if the president's lawyer had learned of a previously undisclosed full investigation." The Guardian

TRUMP INC. -- "Trump to invest L150M in Scottish golf resort," by POLITICO Europe's Gabriela Galindo: "The Trump Organization said Tuesday it plans to invest L150 million in one of two Scottish golf resorts owned by the U.S. president's company.

"Plans for further development of the resort in Balmedie, northeast Scotland, have faced fierce opposition from local and international environmentalist groups, and they have also been stalled by the Scottish environmental authority, which found the project fails to meet environmental standards." POLITICO Europe

ISAAC DOVERE: "Walsh: Working-Class Trump Voters 'Forgot Where They Came From'": "[Boston Mayor Marty] Walsh warns that his party's never going to get those voters back with broad and abstract conversations about transforming the economy, like those which tend to come out of prospective presidential front-runner and his own home-state senator Elizabeth Warren, as much as he likes and respects her. ... 

"Walsh picks at a fundamental problem for Democrats: It's not that voters don't think they deliver, it's that they suspect they are delivering for other people but that they're still paying for it anyway." POLITICO Magazine

BUSINESS BURST -- Walmart is announcing $2 million in grant support for black and Latino students to take Capitol Hill internships. Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) will join current interns and a Walmart representative tonight at The Observatory at an event unveiling the grants.

SPOTTED: Bill Richardson flying first class on an American Airlines flight from Providence to DCA this morning ... Jake Tapper discussing his new book "The Hellfire Club" with staff this morning at Hogan Lovells.

D.C. FUNDRAISING CIRCUIT -- SPOTTED at a Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) fundraiser yesterday that was headlined by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and held at Brown Forman's D.C. office: Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

-- SPOTTED at a D.C. fundraiser event Monday night for California gubernatorial nominee Gavin Newsom: Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.), Eve and Peter O'Toole, Jeremy and Robyn Bash, Scott Plank, Robert Edmonson, Roshan Patel, Julie Chase, Leslie Pollner, Brian Wolff, Marcus Mason, Laurie Saroff, Colm O'Comartun, Gerard Orozco and Irma and Dan Maldonado.

WEEKEND WEDDING -- MacKenzie Smith, Michelle Obama's deputy chief of staff, married Blaine Boyd, a second year law student at the University of Maryland and former director of correspondence for Michelle Obama at the White House. Pool report: "Guests were invited to a welcome to D.C. party for new Redskins quarterback Alex Smith [MacKenzie's brother] on Saturday night at Republic Restoratives Distillery in Ivy City. Despite former President Obama and Michelle Obama arriving a few minutes into the party, they nor Alex Smith were the stars of the party. 

"A few minutes after the Obamas entered the room, Bruno Mars' 'Marry You' started blaring as the surprise bride and groom's family started a procession into the room with nieces and nephews leading the way holding signs 'Who's got the rings?' and '#issawedding'. ... The crowd's surprise was confirmed by Tina Tchen once they reached the microphones when she said excitedly, 'it's a wedding!''" Instapic by Lawrence Jackson

SPOTTED: Pia Carusone, Alan Fitts, Brian Mosteller, Joe Mahshie, Kristin Jones, Melissa Winter, Brendan Johannsen, Dannia Hakki, Chris Canning, Tom and Dana Manatos, Johnathan Lozier, Lauren Vrazilek and Pam Smith.
               
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