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Presented by UnitedHealth Group: Playbook is POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the day in Washington Sep 20, 2018 View in browser
By Anna Palmer, Jake Sherman, Daniel Lippman and Eli Okun

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AP/ABERDEEN, MD.: "Officials: 3 killed in shooting at Maryland Rite Aid center": "Three people were killed Thursday morning in a shooting at a Rite Aid distribution center in northeast Maryland, officials said.

"A law enforcement official with knowledge of the shooting stressed that the number of dead is based on preliminary information. The official wasn't authorized to discuss details by name and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press." AP

HILL BUZZ ... As we highlighted this morning, ELAINA PLOTT of The Atlantic scooped yesterday that 10 House Democrats are seeking to change the threshold by which the caucus nominates its speaker candidate. Right now, the party nominates a speaker candidate for a floor vote with a simple majority. These Democrats -- led by Colorado Rep. Ed Perlmutter -- want to change it to 218, which is how many votes the speaker needs on the floor.

WE DID SOME POKING with both Pelosi allies and middle-of-the-road Democrats, and here's what we heard.

-- WHY PELOSI ALLIES ARE SMILING: There are just 10 signatures on this letter, which serves to highlight that the internal public opposition is underwhelming at this point. Even undecided Democrats don't love the letter.

-- WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Pelosi allies are going to make the argument that a drastic rules change of this nature will disenfranchise what could be a massive freshman class.

-- WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE DEM CAUCUS: The caucus rules mirror legislative procedure, so watch for someone to try to refer this matter to a party procedure committee, where we expect it'll meet its fate: an unceremonious death.

-- PELOSI-WORLD THOUGHT BUBBLE, from REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CALIF.) on MSNBC'S "MORNING JOE": "Well my position is honestly, I think it's a huge mistake to be fighting over the leadership and the rules at a time when we haven't won the midterms. The midterms are still almost seven weeks away and all of our focus ought to be on that, not creating internal conflict within the caucus.

"If we're successful there will be plenty of time to work out what the caucus rules ought to be, but I wish every member of our caucus would be out on the campaign trail, if they are not in a tough race themselves out there helping others and not stirring up a conflict within the House at the moment."

Happy Thursday from Columbus, Ohio. (From Jake: I felt like I got a sideways look when I ordered a salad at Katzinger's.) We had a big event here this morning with RICHARD CORDRAY, the Democratic nominee for governor of the Buckeye State, and REP. JIM RENACCI, the Republican nominee who is trying to knock off SEN. SHERROD BROWN (D-OHIO).

CORDRAY QUICKLY ZEROED IN on health care as a central -- even maniacal -- focus, touting Medicaid expansion, cutting prescription drug prices and preserving Obamacare protections. Asked how he would pull ahead of REPUBLICAN MIKE DEWINE in the tight race, he said, "The way we pull out of this and win this race is by helping people understand the differences between me and my opponent on health care."

RENACCI DIDN'T HESITATE to take a different tack. JAKE: "Would you, as a senator, still vote to repeal Obamacare?" RENACCI: "Absolutely. The Affordable Care Act's not working. I do think we need to keep pre-existing conditions in line. I do think we need to eliminate the caps."

BOTH MEN SOUNDED POPULIST NOTES in ways that cut against the grain of their national parties' positions du jour. Cordray dumped all over trade deals -- just like PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: "There were a lot of blue-collar workers who were disaffected with Hillary Clinton over NAFTA and the bad trade deals that they feel have hollowed out the middle class in Ohio. And by the way, my opponent in this race backed every one of those trade deals. ... I support negotiating fair trade deals that protect workers in Ohio, and I think that NAFTA was poorly negotiated, and it cost us a lot of jobs in this state."

AND RENACCI ATTACKED BROWN on the economy. "The working man and woman are suffering," the congressman said. "He says he's for the labor unions, but we have the lowest amount of labor union participation in 25 years."

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OTHER INTERESTING BITES ...

-- NOT SURPRISINGLY, RENACCI doesn't give much credence to the polls that show Brown leading him by double digits. "We see this race at a dead heat from every poll," he said of his campaign's internal numbers.

-- RENACCI INDICATED IT'S TIME TO CONFIRM BRETT KAVANAUGH. On Christine Blasey Ford: "I think she should be heard, I agree with that. But I also think the hypocrisy of all this - we have Democrats who have come out and said, 'There's a standard of conduct now and because of this standard of conduct, we should not allow him to be confirmed.' Well, if you're gonna take that standard of conduct with one person, you gotta take that standard of conduct with every person. You gotta look at the lives of every politician. ... Let's make sure she's comfortable, let's get that testimony out there, and then let's move forward. We do have to move forward."

SCOTUS WATCH -- BURGESS EVERETT and ELANA SCHOR, "Kavanaugh's confirmation on track as deadline looms for accuser": "Senate Republicans have given Christine Blasey Ford a firm deadline: Talk to the Judiciary Committee by Monday, whether in public or private, or risk not having your story told before the Senate votes. Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said he expects a response by Friday morning.

"Ford's attorneys have asked for an FBI investigation into the alleged assault in high school and more witnesses to appear before the panel, but the GOP has shrugged them off." POLITICO

-- FALLOUT ... "Ex-aides in Hill sexual harassment scandals tell Congress: Finalize a misconduct deal," by Elana Schor: "Seven women who have come forward about experiencing sexual harassment while they worked in Congress made a public plea Thursday for lawmakers to finalize a deal to strengthen Capitol Hill's misconduct policing system.

"In a letter to congressional leaders, a copy of which was shared with POLITICO, the women described themselves as 'dismayed and disheartened by Congress's failure to act and take care of its own' by agreeing on final legislation modernizing the Hill's workplace harassment rules.

"'In every building, down every hallway, and behind every door in Congress are good, honest people - often young people - working long hours for little pay in hopes of making our country and the world fairer and more just,' the seven women wrote." POLITICO ... The letter

-- "Grassley in firing line on Kavanaugh assault allegation," by Burgess and Elana: POLITICO

ALL IN THE FAMILY -- Vice President Mike Pence hosted a fundraiser Tuesday at the National Restaurant Association for his brother, Greg Pence. Attendees included Rep. Luke Messer (Ind.), former Rep. Mary Bono (Calif.) and the National Restaurant Association's Roy Jackson and Steve Danon, among others.

AT FOGGY BOTTOM -- "Top U.S. Diplomat Backed Continuing Support for Saudi War in Yemen Over Objections of Staff," by WSJ's Dion Nissenbaum: "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo backed continued U.S. military support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen over the objections of staff members after being warned that a cutoff could jeopardize $2 billion in weapons sales to America's Gulf allies ...

"The move has fueled rising outrage in Congress ... Mr. Pompeo overruled concerns from most of the State Department specialists involved in the debate who were worried about the rising civilian death toll in Yemen. Those who objected included specialists in the region and in military affairs. He sided with his legislative affairs team after they argued that suspending support could undercut plans to sell more than 120,000 precision-guided missiles to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates." WSJ

ON THE WORLD STAGE -- "North Korea's Kim wants new summit with Trump soon to continue denuclearization," by WaPo's Simon Denyer and Min Joo Kim in Tokyo: "Moon [Jae-in] said Kim wanted [Mike] Pompeo to come to North Korea as well. ...

"Moon said Kim also told him that the closure of a nuclear weapons test site at Punggye-ri could be subject to international verification as well. He said he would discuss with Trump his and Kim's goal of formally declaring an end to the Korean War by the end of this year." WaPo

WHAT'S ON THE PRESIDENT'S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 7:05 a.m.: "Financial and jobs numbers are fantastic. There are plenty of new, high paying jobs available in our great and very vibrant economy. If you are not happy where you are, start looking -- but also remember, our economy is only getting better. Vote in Midterms!"

... at 7:13 a.m.: "We protect the countries of the Middle East, they would not be safe for very long without us, and yet they continue to push for higher and higher oil prices! We will remember. The OPEC monopoly must get prices down now!"

... at 7:43 a.m.: "I want to know, where is the money for Border Security and the WALL in this ridiculous Spending Bill, and where will it come from after the Midterms? Dems are obstructing Law Enforcement and Border Security. REPUBLICANS MUST FINALLY GET TOUGH!"

HEY CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP ... Still confident in no shutdown? Deadline is roughly one week away. RACHAEL BADE: "Trump ramps up shutdown talk ahead of midterms"

... at 9:34 a.m.: "S&P 500 HITS ALL-TIME HIGH Congratulations USA!"

2018 WATCH -- "Trying to hold state Trump won, McCaskill feels pull to left," by AP's Sara Burnett in St. Louis: "The same liberal energy that's led to insurgent Democratic victories around the country is spurring voters she should be able to count on to demand that she move to the left ...

"Meanwhile, McCaskill has received a small reprieve on Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court, an issue where she's felt pressure from both sides. ... 'I know that I may not be perfect in your eyes in terms of where I stand on every issue,' she told the roughly 100 people in the coffee shop courtyard, urging them to help her campaign. 'But I hope you will take a look at what's at stake.'" AP

-- MARC CAPUTO in Miami, "New racial controversy batters DeSantis": "A Republican activist who donated more than $20,000 to Ron DeSantis and lined up a speech for him at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago club called President Obama a 'F---- MUSLIM N----' on Twitter recently, in addition to other inflammatory remarks. ...

"Despite DeSantis' denunciations of bigotry, this is the fifth race-related issue concerning the candidate, the campaign or one of its supporters to erupt since the start of the general election campaign." POLITICO

-- "Rep. Dana Rohrabacher Endorses Local Politician Accused of Peddling 'Racist Conspiracies,'" by Mother Jones' David Corn: Mother Jones

VALLEY TALK -- "A venture capitalist is running for Congress in farm country. And his opponent is turning those Silicon Valley bona fides into an insult: The race between Josh Harder and Jeff Denham isn't just about one seat. It's a referendum on how people feel about Silicon Valley," by Recode's Theodore Schleifer in Modesto, Calif.: Recode

RICH MILLER and CRAIG TORRES on the cover of BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK: "The Fight to Protect the Fed From Trump's Rate-Hike Barbs": "Cultivating Congress, paradoxically, is a cornerstone of [Jay] Powell's strategy to protect the Fed's freedom to conduct monetary policy without political interference. ...

"Trump can't fire Powell under the law, but he could try to remove him for cause-a very high bar that scholars say would have to go way beyond a mere policy disagreement. A bigger risk is that Trump's relentless attacks could erode the Fed's support in Congress and spur legislative efforts to hem it in by hardcore conservatives and populist liberals already suspicious of its power. It all amounts to a stress test for Powell, not only as a central banker but as a politician. ... In his first six months in office, he's met or called lawmakers 48 times. Twenty-one of those contacts were with Democrats and 27 with Republicans." Bloomberg ... The cover

AFTERNOON READ ... KNOWING FRANCIS CISSNA -- "The Man Behind Trump's 'Invisible Wall,'" by Ted Hesson: "Much less visible than [Stephen] Miller or Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Cissna has quietly carried out Trump's policies with a workmanlike dedication. From his perch atop USCIS, he's issued a steady stream of policy changes and regulations that have transformed his agency into more of an enforcement body and less of a service provider. ...

"In interviews with 20 current and former coworkers, classmates and friends, he comes across as a puzzle: someone obsessed with law and order in the immigration system, framing his own philosophy as a return to the intent of the law-but whose interpretations consistently trend in the direction of making life harder for people who want to come and stay in the United States.

"At the same time, acquaintances describe him as a thoughtful policy expert with a passion for cultures and language. He's the multilingual son of a Peruvian immigrant and speaks Spanish to his two young children. His wife's mother-born in the West Bank city of Ramallah-arrived in the United States as a Palestinian refugee ... He has, according to most who know him, never been animated by apparent anti-immigrant sentiment. And according to Cissna, that hasn't changed." POLITICO Magazine

HMM ... THE ADMINISTRATION -- "Ben Carson's HUD: Political loyalty required, no experience necessary," by WaPo's Tracy Jan: "The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded promotions and pay increases to five political operatives with no housing policy experience within their first months on the job, demonstrating what government watchdogs and career staff describe as a premium put on loyalty over expertise. ...

"The limited experience at the upper reaches of the agency ... injected confusion into the rollout of policy initiatives and brought delays to even routine functions, according to interviews with 16 current and former career staff members." WaPo

CLICKER -- "FEMA Set Aside Billions to Repair Homes in Puerto Rico. Many Are Still in Ruins," by NYT's Frances Robles and Jugal K. Patel in Punta Santiago, Puerto Rico: "FEMA's work in Puerto Rico was the longest sustained domestic airborne food and water mission in the nation's history. The agency has never distributed more food or installed more generators. And its effort to get people back in their homes was massive, too ...

"Yet the record in Punta Santiago and elsewhere shows that the federal government failed to take into account the poverty that plagued the island even before the storm." With hundreds of photos: NYT

THE LATEST FROM MONTGOMERY -- "Alabama Loves Sessions, But Not Enough to Stand Up to Trump," by Eric Velasco in POLITICO Magazine: "In a state where tribalism is baked into daily life-Auburn or Alabama, but never both-something almost impossible seems to be happening: Republicans are not taking sides in the bitter internecine feud between the president and his top lawman, whom he has openly fantasized about firing. ... Conservative Alabama's politicians love Sessions, who helped lead the state's rightward shift, but they're wary of the prickly, shoot-first president more." POLITICO Magazine

MEDIAWATCH -- "CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo Is Trying His Hand At Radio," by The Hollywood Reporter's Jeremy Barr: "The CNN anchor, who took over the 9 p.m. slot on the network in June, is getting a daily, afternoon radio show on SiriusXM's non-partisan P.O.T.U.S. channel called Let's Get After It with Chris Cuomo." THR

-- Sabrina Rodríguez will be a reporter for POLITICO Pro Trade. She is currently an agriculture and trade reporting fellow. ... Sam Mintz is joining POLITICO Pro Transportation as the author of Morning Transportation. He was previously a reporter at E&E News. ... Zack Colman will be a reporter for POLITICO Pro Energy. He is currently a reporter at E&E News.

WEEKEND WEDDING -- Paige Helling, a strategic account director for Governing Magazine, married Scott Campbell, an enterprise customer success manager for tech company Okta. The couple met while working at CQ Roll Call in Washington, D.C. HuffPost's Matt Fuller served as the groom's best man. Instapics ... Another Instapic

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