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Today's Playbook Power Briefing presented by the Peter G. Peterson Foundation

By JAKE SHERMAN (sherman@politico.com; @JakeSherman), ANNA PALMER (anna@politico.com; @apalmerdc), DANIEL LIPPMAN (daniel@politico.com; @dlippman), ZACH MONTELLARO (zmontellaro@politico.com; @ZachMontellaro)


BULLETIN at 11:44 a.m. -- "WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump announces intent to declare North Korea a state sponsor of terror."

-- MORE ON N.K., from pooler David Boyer of the Washington Times: "The formal designation will come Tuesday from Treasury, with more sanctions as well. By the time the new sanctions are in place over the next two weeks, he said, it will be 'the highest level' of sanctions imposed on North Korea ever. 'It should have happened years ago,' the president said, calling Pyongyang 'a murderous regime.' He said North Korea 'must end its unlawful nuclear and ballistic missile development' and end its support for international terrorism."

-- NOTE: North Korea was previously designated as a state sponsor of terror. President George H.W. Bush added them to the list in 1988 and President George W. Bush removed them in 2008.

Good Monday afternoon. MEMO TO KEVIN MCCARTHY: REP. DARRELL ISSA in the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: "Californians don't deserve a tax increase": "Federal tax reform moved forward this past week in Washington. Good news for most of the country. Not so much for us here in California.

"Done right, it would have spurred economic growth, allowed Californians to keep more of their hard-earned paychecks, enabled Americans to better save for the future, and helped dig hard-working families out of the mountain of tax increases piled on them in recent years. Unfortunately, I fear that the plan as approved could actually make the incredible burden our state's taxpayers feel even worse. I voted no because my constituents don't deserve a tax increase." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff19d7a40d2f7bef5af1c549eebee4ad3cf45fdf6c10f9b8fc03ffa7621f548b679b76108bea43ac7f7

-- NYT UPSHOT'S NATE COHN: "If 2018 Is Like 2017, the House Will Be a Tossup": "Assume, for the moment, that next year's midterm elections go exactly like this year's special and general elections. What would happen?

"The Democrats would post sweeping gains. They would win the House national popular vote, probably by a wide margin. But the battle for House control would be close. The Democrats might be modest favorites to retake the chamber, but it would probably be fairer to characterize the race as a tossup. Of course, there's no reason to assume that next year's midterm elections will go like this year's contests. The next year could prove as eventful as the last, and no one can say what the national political environment will be like next November.

"But the evidence of Democratic strength has been clear and consistent all year. Democrats in 2017 generally ran far ahead of their recent showings, including ahead of Hillary Clinton's performance in the 2016 presidential election. President Trump's approval rating is stuck in the 30s. Democrats have around a 10-point lead on the generic congressional ballot. And the party out of power historically fares very well in midterm elections." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff137b8aca90faef185f24a39c955efce5bdad7bdd0cd68ac0f851c9adabfa1041c6adc3050014607a3

ALEX ISENSTADT: "Opening for Romney Senate bid gets wider": "Utah Republican Boyd Matheson is forgoing a 2018 Senate campaign, a decision that further opens the door for Mitt Romney to run.

"Matheson, a former chief of staff to Utah Sen. Mike Lee and the president of the conservative Sutherland Institute think tank, announced on Monday that he would not run for the seat currently held by longtime Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch, who is 83 and deciding whether to seek another term. The prospect of a Matheson campaign had gained traction among conservatives. During a recent trip to Washington, Matheson met with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and President Donald Trump's 2016 deputy campaign manager, David Bossie. He also received encouragement from an array of conservative outside groups." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1ab021d9227c74c9a381bec8b7d5621575cf1f547c2429f9d77e4eff1d5eb0784d64a211a18c7e6ce

THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION -- "Make Nepotism Great Again: 20 Families Got Jobs in Trump Administration," by The Daily Beast's Lachlan Markay: "A Daily Beast examination of public records reveals that there are at least 20 families, joined by either blood or marriage, in which multiple members hold some federal post or appointment. They include the families of some of Trump's most prominent campaign supporters and agency officials, including one cabinet officer. The posts range from senior White House staff to more ceremonial and advisory positions." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff160cbf808bc634e83f26aee26dcf72e5e9fb0e8817f6dd71eee534dc02d7ea73a6792e821b3552579

ANOTHER FRANKEN ACCUSATION -- "Woman says Franken inappropriately touched her in 2010," by CNN's MJ Lee: "A woman says Sen. Al Franken inappropriately touched her in 2010, telling CNN that he grabbed her buttocks while taking a photo at the Minnesota State Fair. It is the first allegation of improper touching by Franken, who is a Democrat, while he was in office.

"According to [Lindsay] Menz, she attended the Minnesota State Fair with her husband and father in the summer of 2010, almost two years after Franken was elected to the Senate. Her father's small business was sponsoring a local radio booth, and she spent the day meeting various elected officials, political candidates and celebrities and taking photos with them as they stopped by the booth.

"When Franken walked in, Menz and her husband, who also spoke with CNN, said they recognized him right away. Menz said she had a brief and cordial exchange with the senator. Then, as her husband held up her phone and got ready to snap a photo of the two of them, Franken 'pulled me in really close, like awkward close, and as my husband took the picture, he put his hand full-fledged on my rear,' Menz said. 'It was wrapped tightly around my butt cheek.' ...

"In a statement to CNN Sunday, Franken said he did not remember taking the photo with Menz and that he felt 'badly' that she felt disrespected. 'I take thousands of photos at the state fair surrounded by hundreds of people, and I certainly don't remember taking this picture,' Franken said. 'I feel badly that Ms. Menz came away from our interaction feeling disrespected.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff115c4fefdb3e0a5c2298c304a63bf0211ac67875dffc39e08e73ea30c744a84036a9dc681edc29206

VOX'S LAURA MCGANN: "Exclusive: NYT White House correspondent Glenn Thrush's history of bad judgment around young women journalists: Several women told Vox about their experiences with the star reporter, and the Times has suspended him pending an investigation." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff12cccc296c218c3559bf476336590dac540f2832d0b4069d62f692960f1de43b939dde0b420a1177a

-- GLENN THRUSH'S statement http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1ba0b03cbc590921e2485ca98d70c47dfeb660de8f003aa6484313ffd1c889aa6a66d67f84e03cd17

-- NOTE TO THE NEWSROOM FROM POLITICO CEO PATRICK STEEL: "Good morning, As you are probably aware, this morning VOX published a story detailing serious and disturbing allegations against Glenn Thrush. Many of you worked with Glenn before his departure for the New York Times last year, and we understand how upsetting this story must be.

"POLITICO is a place where you should feel supported in your work, respected as an individual, and able to achieve your professional goals. Carrie said this morning that, 'Great journalism and great businesses require a great workplace.' I couldn't agree more. The notion that anyone at POLITICO would be subjected to harassment-or feel as though they couldn't speak out-is totally unacceptable to me. Our standards and values leave no ambiguity-this behavior will not be tolerated, period.

"Please take a moment to review the note below that Traci Schweikert, our VP of Human Resources, sent last month detailing our policies and procedures for harassment and professional conduct.

"My door is always open, Carrie's door is always open and Traci's door is always open-please stop in anytime to discuss whatever is on your mind."

****** A message from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation: As Washington debates tax reform, there's talk of tax cuts that will give trillions of dollars back to American taxpayers. That sounds great. But if these tax cuts aren't paid for, future generations will be stuck with the bill. Congress, tax reform should grow the economy. Not the debt. www.pgpf.org/tax-reform. ******

MORE FROM ONE OF MOORE'S ACCUSERS -- "Moore accuser: 'I wonder how many more me's he doesn't know'," by Louis Nelson: "Leigh Corfman, the Alabama woman who accused Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore of initiating a sexual encounter with her when she was 14, said Monday that her interaction with Moore robbed her of her senses of trust and self-confidence, placing a weight on her that she said took 'decades' to shed. ...

"Moore has denied allegations of wrongdoing -- although he conceded in an interview that it is possible he dated teenage women when he was much older than them -- and has characterized the accusations against him as political attacks. He has said he does not know Corfman. 'I wonder how many more me's he doesn't know,' Corfman said when asked by Guthrie about Moore's denial that he knew her." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff18e183e48a998c590f8cf95d5ceb881f93570385765d17fb8a293b7837a27e600003bb985b8bcc38b ... Video of the interview on TODAY http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff123218d8d4417cac89524d60e468ee2d3893864247793e6b3a7c238c7c95c6c9f55329618603c7e48

BUZZFEED'S JOSEPH BERNSTEIN: "Sources: McMaster Mocked Trump's Intelligence In a Private Dinner": "Over a July dinner with Oracle CEO Safra Catz - who has been mentioned as a candidate for several potential administration jobs - McMaster bluntly trashed his boss, said the sources, four of whom told BuzzFeed News they heard about the exchange directly from Catz. The top national security official dismissed the president variously as an 'idiot' and a 'dope' with the intelligence of a 'kindergartner,' the sources said.

"A sixth source who was not familiar with the details of the dinner told BuzzFeed News that McMaster had made similarly derogatory comments about Trump's intelligence to him in private, including that the president lacked the necessary brainpower to understand the matters before the National Security Council. Both Oracle and the Trump administration heatedly denied the comments that Catz later recounted." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1bb4cd83bec5f1b56b947d183f6f9fb2077f6913ed0d051d7d660d16c62a2ce7cf4872aea3520fe72

KEYSTONE, GOING FORWARD -- "Keystone XL pipeline wins green light in Nebraska," by Ben Lefebvre: "Nebraska regulators approved the Keystone XL pipeline Monday, clearing the last big regulatory hurdle for the controversial oil project after nearly a decade of bitter protests from environmentalists and landowners and delivering a win for President Donald Trump's drive for U.S. 'energy dominance.' The Nebraska Public Service Commission voted 3-2 to approve the route through the state for the pipeline that will transport up to 830,000 barrels per day of crude from Canada's oil sands and North Dakota's shale fields to oil refineries on the Gulf Coast."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1a3ea435e77c5735f75412339adb5aac2820b0593193e427bb5057e7f89f5926beba7b1f685846732

INDICTMENT UPDATES -- "Judge opens door for Manafort, Gates to get Thanksgiving passes," by Darren Samuelson: "Former Donald Trump campaign staffers Paul Manafort and Rick Gates may get to leave home confinement for Thanksgiving after all. In a brief order Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson told the two men who are facing charges in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe that they had until 3 p.m. Tuesday to file any motions 'seeking release to attend specific events' over the upcoming holiday weekend." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1895cf57613d668af87e001c3be5d3f4317407993e12a8c89824d2352ff86ffe130b197bdfb85d115

WHAT HAPPENED TO RAND -- GQ's BEN SCHRECKINGER ON THE CASE -- "The Bizarre True Story of the Neighborhood Scuffle That Left Rand Paul with Six Broken Ribs": "[T]o many people in Bowling Green, there's nothing about this that smacks of politics. From the locals who know both men well, a portrait emerges of something much more personal and petty. A clash between a big-deal politician, living in a small town and rarely realizing the ways in which he rubs people the wrong way, and his neighbor, a proud, fiery, and meticulous former doctor. In other words, something far less Sumner-Brooks than Hatfield-McCoy. 'It's like the old hillbilly feud over the property line,' said longtime Bowling Green
resident Bill Goodwin, who has known Paul for the better part of two decades and has become friends with Boucher in recent years." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1d86a28941b9c70d402e3d9dbfa985a7701c7f7b9f456fbfe4a0cbae458a8c8d735eae156781e23ff

ON THE PRESIDENT'S MIND -- @realDonaldTrump at 6:25 a.m.: "Marshawn Lynch of the NFL's Oakland Raiders stands for the Mexican Anthem and sits down to boos for our National Anthem. Great disrespect! Next time NFL should suspend him for remainder of season. Attendance and ratings way down." ... at 6:55 a.m.: "Under President Trump unemployment rate will drop below 4%. Analysts predict economic boom for 2018! @foxandfriends and @Varneyco".

WAR REPORT -- "War zone deaths are up for the first time in six years," by Military Times' Todd South: "For the first time in six years, the number of U.S. troops killed in overseas operations has increased over the previous year. So far this year, 31 service members have died in actions overseas, according to Defense Department data. Last year, the total was 26, down two from 2015." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff16186d2feefb32c9683f85ab562a26cb03db0732ad924bdd462afc7a154675e136e96d3d0497caca3

CLICKER -- Defending Digital Democracy, the project at Harvard's Belfer Center run by Robby Mook and Matt Rhoades, has released its "Campaign Cybersecurity Playbook" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff18027d31370b72755f3967445ca05a99307a9307c5bbda70ae2caf7b2199677eb62dc5d6a80338594

FIRST PERSON -- Rhode Island state Sen. GAYLE GOLDIN in GLAMOUR -- "Why Speaking Out Against Sexual Harassment Backfires for Women in Office": "Politics is all about relationships. We aren't just making friends at work; we're building rapport to advance our legislative agenda. When you call out your colleagues for everyday sexism, you earn a reputation of being 'difficult,' 'sensitive,' or worse. Too many men who are not perpetrating this behavior often turn their colleagues' comments into jokes or simply shrug. This creates an internal struggle for elected women: Is it more important to gain your colleagues' support on legislation than to remind him that he should stop calling you 'one of
the girls' when he's talking to you?" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff18db11f96647efa1822c4ac11d1610d8e74c0ca61568c4259452703f097389dc9199cdfb5a19dfb71

DE BLASIO 2020? -- "De Blasio heads to Iowa in hopes of defining a national role," by POLITICO New York's Gloria Pazmino: "Bill de Blasio is headed to Iowa again, but the mayor of New York City insists he's really not running for president. ... The mayor's trip to Iowa is being funded by the Progress Iowa group, aides to the mayor said. He will be in Des Moines Dec. 19-20 and will travel with no more than two staffers. Although he has not yet done so, de Blasio acknowledged he will need to set up a PAC to raise money to fund his out-of-state excursions. Sources close to the mayor have confirmed there have been discussions with advisers to establish a federal political action committee."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1068397aeeb8053b42630f973ccba76a0b5f5c97aad3316a88d906a4514c9f7ee82ab2298fa48f545

THIS YEAR'S PRESIDENTIAL TURKEY PARDONS -- @WhiteHouse: "The two turkeys, Drumstick and Wishbone, participating in this year's National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning Ceremony have arrived in DC!" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1147d91eceb8e7c8375f0e907c0142ff197faa92adfef19303a47e3152c31f47ce240c9c1bd551fad

TRANSITIONS -- Ben Fry starts today as Sen. David Perdue's (R-Ga.) new state director. He was most recently VP of state government affairs at UnitedHealth Group. ... Kelsi Daniell has started as press secretary for EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. She was last in Sen. John Boozman's (R-Ark.) office. She was communications director for Sen. Boozman's 2016 re-election campaign and communications director for Ark. Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin. ...

... Bethany Aronhalt is heading to the National Retail Federation as senior director of media relations. She was previously press secretary for House Committee on Education and the Workforce. ... Jamie Shimek joined the Democrats' House Appropriations staff on Monday, working on the Energy & Water subcommittee. She was previously at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. ...

... Casey Harper has joined Definers Public Affairs as a director. He was previously communications director for Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.). Tom Mulkeen has also joined the firm as an associate. He previously worked at the RNC's research department.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD - Joey Smith, director of operations at Treasury and alum of Financial Services Roundtable and the Romney 2012 campaign, and Jeannette Smith, VP at Leading Authorities and alum of the Chertoff Group and Bush 43 WH advance, on Saturday welcomed Hunter Joseph Smith. Pics http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1c5ad501a2a93093384a8a0d2ba31898a600e05fb17f508dedf132f76fd0113b27ddcae706e800dad ... http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1a6a921a5d08ae6dc8aa00c39f209dcd69796def0fd3c5fc338c0e8bf59740a01d686d76858705e8e ... With their two other boys http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1219effd2d551d4546e072d674d1d1970b9145b79f182afc961ec05d059551b74fc0e3a9ce365f4d0

ENGAGED -- Luke Bolar, SVP for energy at Edelman, proposed to Kelsey Harkness, a senior producer at the Daily Signal, Federalist contributor, and fellow at the Steamboat Institute. "We met in D.C. at a reception and I pitched her a story while I was on the Hill working for Sen. Vitter. We got engaged Friday night in Navy Yard after dinner at Osteria Morini." Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff162dffd1ee1786220d7cae5a1a6ac5a61a5e313cf0aac3a24f714286df9205ae35692e6a7fbe4a9ff

-- Andy Nielsen, a policy analyst for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and the Senate Small Business Committee, on Friday night proposed to Kami Spicklemire, the P12 communications manager at the Education Trust and a CAP alum. "We met in college at Indiana University through an organization called Camp Kesem. He proposed in Lamont Park in Mt. Pleasant, before dinner at Beau Thai and drinks at Dram and Grain!" Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1fc83b81e67b60eb2911e4f42bf86010f68769d0a56e3ffc7225bd13ec54a00594b57aa36349ed0a8 ... The ring http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1685e7113af6269a72d99b42070780c4d6a6c557b9e8644d29523dd3439503bb8eff771d57eb9a52d

WEEKEND WEDDINGS -- Liz DeBold, a director at SKDKnickerbocker and alum of NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, on Sunday married Joseph Fusco, an owner of Attilio's Villagio, a pizzeria and Italian restaurant in northern New Jersey. Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff192cf67a3a3eab7769c254a0e4ea531f40e78e46cadb2a9611b41270dae5d0a29642c0c6cc484dcea ... NYT announcement http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff14804199ead15c3388ee686a6c866d9dab30cf61148234d41870d4a4278ae79cf02df8cca656c8b6a

--Maria Thorbourne, senior manager of public affairs at the Hoover Institution in D.C. and alum of former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, married Craig Harless, a music teacher at Fusion Academy in Cleveland Park. The wedding was in Sacramento, and the couple met through mutual friends. Pics http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1ef53de225030ba5327de2731acdfb9e375eb86757cee50498ae0f38d91e611e539002a740a085102 ... http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=ec7066dc538b8ff1c04dbc147204c1e3bac08de0c19f31fb52e400af4be1291b43c6585e5d8bcefad7d8495eb37f2c49

****** A message from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation: Washington is debating tax reform. There's talk of substantial tax cuts that will give trillions of dollars back to American taxpayers. That sounds great. But if these tax cuts aren't paid for, future generations will be stuck with the bill. Congress is right to pursue tax reform - the code is outdated, complex and unfair. Tax reform done right should be permanent, because businesses and individuals need certainty to plan and invest. It should be based on realistic, independent projections and assumptions about the effect on our economy and our fiscal outlook. And it should enjoy bipartisan support, so that it's durable over time.
Lawmakers should use the valuable opportunity presented by tax reform both to improve our fiscal outlook and strengthen the economy at the same time. Congress, tax reform should grow the economy. Not the debt. Learn more at www.pgpf.org/tax-reform. ******

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