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04/12/2016 06:26 AM EDT


By Mike Allen (@mikeallen; mallen@politico.com) and Daniel Lippman (@dlippman; dlippman@politico.com)

Good Tuesday morning. SMART BOMB: Think Ted Cruz would save the GOP from a Trump-tastrophe in November? Check out this humbling array of GOP primary results in general-election swing states: The wily Texan got clobbered by double digits in Arizona (lost 22 points to Trump), Florida (scorched 29 points by Trump), New Hampshire (thumped 23 points by Trump), Ohio (bucked 34 points by Kasich) and Virginia (trounced 18 points by Trump). The exceptions were Iowa (beat Trump by 3) and Wisconsin (hammered Trump by 13). http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdfa787569cac32d1bbda11a6fa07135e3e67815262ea4301d

The national Real Clear Politics average for Cruz vs. Clinton gives hope to Team Ted: The spread is Clinton +2.5 - a statistical tie. But ask President Gore if we run national elections. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cda81e1e4beb40d40fca843a7b3f7ba06a12b6ea862b60e223


--"Trump's support deeper than it looks: Just how big is the 'Never Trump' army?" by Steven Shepard: "National polls show that even as Trump's image has cratered among the broader electorate, more Republicans have a favorable opinion than view him unfavorably. ... He's still the preferred choice of more Republicans nationwide than any other candidate." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd70462bd3bad3fdbeedc409284c389dec954edc85c73013ad

TOP TWEET -- @Reince: "The rules were set last year. Nothing mysterious -- nothing new. The rules have not changed. The rules are the same. Nothing different."

SHOTS FIRED - "Why Ryan won't run: His every utterance stokes 2016 speculation, but the speaker's inner circle says everyone's misreading him," by Jake Sherman: "If Hillary Clinton wins - most Republicans in Congress are convinced she will - he might take a look at a 2020 bid. ... The backdrop of all his denials is the political reality that Ryan would likely lose. Most public polling has him faring relatively poorly in a potential matchup with Clinton. ... Ryan would be forced to launch and run a presidential campaign in three months. His experience from 2012 would help, but even the most talented campaigner would be at a disadvantage on such a compressed timetable."
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cde7ad9246c3f99ce4d3c2351d4860363d3123e73022780ac4


"BIDDING WAR FOR DELEGATES" -- WashPost A1, top of col. 1, "Rules for courting delegates aren't clear: 'They'll live like kings' at a close GOP convention, says one observer," by Matea Gold and Ed O'Keefe: "Imagine this: Donald Trump wooing delegates with rides on his gold-accoutered private jet. ... [D]elegates cannot take money from corporations, labor unions, federal contractors or foreign nationals. But an individual donor is permitted to give a delegate unlimited sums, ... including money to defray the costs of travel and lodging.

"A candidate's campaign committee can also pay for delegate expenses. Some legal experts believe a campaign could even cover an all-expenses-paid weekend prior to the convention to meet with senior staff at, say, a Trump-owned luxury golf resort in Florida. ... [M]ost experts doubt there will be systematic efforts to try to win over delegates with cash." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd13be5ae60a03cb530edcabbf5b1322550a90438c3d83db30

PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION - "Trump's D.C. Hotel Will Be the 'Best' With 'Best' Crab Cakes and Chicken, Says Chef," by Washington City Paper's Jessica Sidman: "'I'm going to have a killer crab cake, and it will be the best crab cake in the city,' says chef Oliver Beckert, who will oversee the luxury hotel's 24-hour room service plus banquets and catering. 'Our pizza will be one of the best in the city ... The chicken is probably going to be the best chicken you're going to taste.' ... He's already started interviewing some job candidates, 'and I can tell you they are very international ... I've worked with many great Mexicans, and I think some of them might join me again.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdff14791a572c16adb7de94e74ade489b94e156a09569bdf6


TRUMP SAYS HIS V.P. LIST includes Rubio, Kasich, Walker! USA Today p. 1A, bottom of page, "Trump change of tune: 'I like Marco, I like Kasich' -- Says he might even tap them for Cabinet," by Mike James and Kirsten Powers: "In a sit-down interview in New York with ... Kirsten Powers, Trump said his previous battles with Rubio and other GOP rivals were part of 'the crazy business' of politics." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdf45bfacb150e5e128c3cd7d09a059b193e26be2744ca5610 ...Kirsten's column http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdacb4112ed0c1b387bbd2677a280ba6dbaea9cf2b05573bcf

JUST POSTED! "Progressive groups target Julián Castro: They say HUD secretary's record makes him unsuitable to be Clinton's VP," by Isaac Dovere: "The veepstakes oppo war has begun. With Bernie Sanders' durability exciting progressives at their potential to shape the Democratic race, a coalition of groups-many of them backers of the Vermont senator-are launching a preemptive strike against Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro, aimed at disqualifying him from consideration to be Hillary Clinton's running mate.

"[This] morning, the group will be emailing petitions to several million people attacking Castro on the relatively obscure issue of his handling of mortgage sales and launching a website with an unsubtle address: DontSellOurHomesToWallStreet.org. They're just as open with their political aims: to publicly discredit Castro as a progressive, latching onto the mortgage issue to seed enough suspicion to keep him off Clinton's short list. ...

"The 41-year-old Castro's seen by many as the perfect balance to Clinton-younger and Latino, with a history as mayor of San Antonio and now two years in the Obama administration, handsome and with a 2012 convention keynote speech that immediately made him a rising star ... 'Castro has a strong record at HUD fighting on behalf of progressive issues including protecting those with criminal records, standing up for LGBT rights and advocating for more inclusive communities through affirmatively furthering fair housing,' said one person close to the secretary." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd51a7bee6ed87a024286ae669390c1c6a9cfe4fe54c91c906 ... Opponents' websitehttp://dontsellourhomestowallstreet.org


** A message from JPMorgan Chase & Co.: New report finds 65% of middle market business leaders expect their revenue and sales to increase over the next year. 2016 Business Leaders Outlook reveals optimism, despite concern about the global economy. Read the full report here: www.jpmorganchase.com/businessleadersoutlook **

OBAMA TO HIROSHIMA? Financial Times, top of p. 1, "Arm in arms: Kerry opens way for Obama with visit to Hiroshima," by Robin Harding: "John Kerry, US secretary of state, and his Japanese counter- part Fumio Kishida reach out to each other at a wreath-laying ceremony in Hiroshima for the victims of the atomic bombing of the city in 1945. The first such visit by a sitting secretary of state may pave the way for a similar visit next month by President Barack Obama when he attends this year's summit of G7 leaders hosted by Japan.

"'Everyone should visit Hiroshima and everyone means everyone,' said Mr Kerry, without specifying whether Mr Obama would become the first US president to visit the site of the bombings, the first use of nuclear weapons in which 80,000 Japanese died. Mr Kerry and Mr Kishida took part in a meeting of G7 foreign ministers to discuss nuclear non-proliferation." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cde75833d70023fa48166337a60dc50cc6ac399438951962cf


COMING ATTRACTIONS ... "Brock: Enough opposition research to 'knock Trump Tower down,'" by Ken Vogel: "David Brock, in ... speech [last night] to some of the biggest liberal donors in the country, boasted that his researchers had assembled a trove of opposition research on Donald Trump that Democrats could use to 'knock Trump Tower down to the sub-basement.' Speaking at a reception on the sidelines of the annual spring meeting of the Democracy Alliance liberal donor club at Santa Monica's tony Fairmont Hotel, Brock said that Trump 'was not properly vetted by his rivals - or by the press'" during primaries. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdbe965f1bb0157494f9b36df0c8262277c12c3140472e8a7f


THE POST'S GAMBLE - "Biography of Donald Trump by ... The Washington Post to be Published by Scribner" Aug. 23, a month AFTER the GOP convention - Simon & Schuster release: "Titled 'Trump Revealed,' the book will be reported by a team of award-winning Washington Post journalists and co-authored by investigative political reporter Michael Kranish and senior editor Marc Fisher. ... The effort will be guided by a team of editors headed by Executive Editor Martin Baron ... Scribner Vice President, Editor-in-Chief Colin Harrison ... will edit the book." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdd59c70d048fa58a656d4065e7d115446355c439d515d1e25

--WILL COME OUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS -- AP's Hillel Italie: "The Republican convention will have been held a month before the Post book is scheduled for release, but Baron told the AP in a statement that a book was planned no matter what because Trump had become a 'major political figure and is expected to remain one.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd184e4b04698cf82e1bce45ebc7ec87f55ed3fdf07b6f5ca0

TRUMP IS #1 AD TARGET -- N.Y. Times 1-col. lead, "BARRAGE OF ADS MAY UNDERMINE TRUMP CAMPAIGN: SPENDING SETS RECORD -- Rivals and Groups Drive a Rise in Negative Commercials," by Nick Corasaniti and Maggie Haberman: "More than half of the record spending on negative advertising during the 2016 presidential primary has been directed at ... Trump ... Of the more than $132 million spent on negative ads by candidates and the groups supporting them, nearly $70 million has gone to commercials assailing Mr. Trump, according to a New York Times analysis of data provided by Kantar Media/CMAG. ...

"Elizabeth Wilner, a senior vice president at Kantar Media/CMAG[, said:] 'You have general election foes attacking him, you have his primary foes attacking him, and you have specific groups whose whole focus in life is just to make sure that he's not the nominee.' ... Largely because of his high name recognition and established brand, he has mostly withstood the attacks, building on his delegate lead and polling well in states that vote soon. ...

"Ken Goldstein, a professor of politics at the University of San Francisco who tracks campaign advertising, pointed to Wisconsin as a place where the ads, paired with a focused message, a smaller field and a persuadable electorate, had an effect. ... In Florida, ... with several media markets, Mr. Trump faced a significant amount of negative advertising from various groups, but the scattershot message failed to take hold, and he cruised to victory. ...

"Mike Murphy, who was the chief strategist for [Jeb super PAC] Right to Rise, said the ads had kept Mr. Trump from consolidating more support in the Republican primary. ... Priorities USA - the super PAC supporting Mrs. Clinton, which also backed Mr. Obama in 2012 - has begun reserving $70 million in television ad time from the Democratic convention in late July through Election Day." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd169c7beafb7a7851da5ec8ddf1857b298055dad4f8519cdb

DON McGAHN PROFILE - WashPost Style lead, "The go-to Beltway insider for an outsider campaign," by Ben Terris: "Donald F. McGahn II, the former [FEC] chairman, [is] Trump's campaign lawyer ... McGahn is one of the top election lawyers in the country ... For a while, McGahn's colleagues at Jones Day either didn't know the firm was representing Trump or didn't mind. That changed late last month when McGahn organized a meeting between the candidate and more than a dozen lawmakers at the firm's Washington office. Many current employees just about lost their minds." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd0f27b88db42404e15a1bbe02c0be4d11e7c14617094b504e


POLL DU JOUR - "Sanders lags in delegates but leads in likability," by AP's Catherine Lucey and Emily Swanson: "By 48 percent to 39 percent, more Americans have a favorable than an unfavorable opinion of Sanders, giving him the best net-positive rating in the field, according to a new [AP]-GfK poll. Unlike the other candidates, ... [h]is favorable rating is up from an earlier AP-GfK poll." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd5223bfe18af289734789c0d4cbb5f94a789f3d5385fe7467

SPICER's MILESTONE - Sean emails Playbook: "Today marks the 1 year anniversary since Hillary jumped into the race (again) ... Since [then] ... the RNC has filed over 500 FOIA requests with 120 federal agencies, filed six FOIA lawsuits, and reviewed over 35,000 pages of newly disclosed records. We've obtained hundreds of hours of video unavailable online stretching back to the early '90s, scoured the Clinton Presidential Library and uncovered reams of new negative information the public has yet to see. Anyone who thinks Hillary Clinton will be 'vetted' going into a general election has another thing coming."

TV TONIGHT - Heidi Cruz will be interviewed by Megyn Kelly on Fox News' The Kelly File at 9 p.m. "The interview will be Mrs. Cruz's first ... since a National Enquirer report on her husband's alleged affairs and being criticized by Donald Trump on Twitter."

KATIE COURIC goes "One-on-One with Mayor Bill de Blasio on NYC's role in the 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton and more": "Her platform right now will be the most progressive of any president walking in the door in a generation, by far." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdb2cec945300bd25df82062d1af4fda6a62921fb9306b2ebb

OBAMA ALUMNI -- "New terminal to be dedicated in honor of Ray LaHood": "Former U.S. Transportation Secretary and Congressman Ray LaHood will be honored [today] during a special dedication ceremony at the General Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport. The airport's new International terminal will be named in his honor. Special guests U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Michael Huerta, Administrator of the [FAA], will be featured speakers." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd3dc978d4d4c01c89d314b204be3ef434c65b6eb9758f8ff6

PICS DU JOUR -- @aseitzwald: "New Hillary Clinton 404 page." (her trying to enter the NYC subway) http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd47e330d03582ef8845550a242ccaabb98e2b84a3b5c9a800 ... @BeschlossDC: "President Franklin Roosevelt's Oval Office desk as it looked when he died [today in] 1945: #NARA" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cded53d966aea10556949fce8957c1966e302ea78a6a498597

SPOTTED: Rev. Jesse Jackson and Speaker Ryan on Sunday night's United Airlines flight 5940 from DCA to Chicago O'Hare (both in coach). Our tipster: "Speaker and Rev. shared handshakes and posed for photo at the gate before boarding. Rev. had on black trench coat and a black fedora. Speaker had on jeans and a sporty vest, with earbuds, traveling with Janna and security detail. Rev. put fedora on passenger before taking photo with her. Interaction with Speaker was brief." ... Jeb Bush on Monday morning at 6:30 a.m. in first row of business class on an American Airlines flight from Miami to DCA. Our tipster: "Looking at his tablet. Suit and tie but jacket off. ... [I]t appeared to me he was
solo." ...

... Sen. Rand Paul in line for the 9 a.m. Monday Acela to NYC - pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdff8395a4993d015446aaa74ef171a5b544897b9ebe4323c1 (h/t Russ Merbeth) ... Sen. Elizabeth Warren on American Airlines Flight 2170, from Boston Logan to DC Reagan, wearing a purple suit coat and sitting in economy. "The woman she ended up sitting next to ... was talking her ear off and Senator Warren was so congenial and listened to her intently."

SEND YOUR SPOTTINGS to dlippman@politico.com

HAPPENING TODAY - In celebration of Equal Pay Day, Sen. Deb. Fischer will be hosting a live chat on Sidewire from 9:30-10 a.m. ET to discuss equal pay and the Workplace Advancement Act. Fischer's Time op-ed, "You Have a Right to Know How Your Pay Compares" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdd312b074aa93f586cc77ee581f424ec1892bee812055fe2d ... 1-min. video, "Equal Pay: Here's My Story..." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdd6b53fbeee70a5594cc07da4edc7bb600132b30cff545094

--Haley Barbour and Jonathan Martin are also hosting a live chat on Sidewire about the 2016 race from 10:30 a.m. to 11.

--U2 lead singer Bono will testify in the Senate this afternoon (Dirksen 192 at 2 p.m.) about the refugee crisis in his capacity as co-founder of The ONE Campaign. Sneak peek: "For too long, aid has been seen as charity-a nice thing to do when we can afford it. But this is a moment to reimagine what we mean by aid. Aid in 2016 is not just charity-it is national security." NYT op-ed in today's paper, "Time to Think Bigger About the Refugee Crisis" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd8094280dfc9f6e66894214a0207e68299ae1d0d2ac6df143 ... His multimedia NYT travel journal http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd0dbe64f0f8140ffc75b35c70b08060377547d34dc81a69ce

SAVING THE SENATE -- "McConnell-linked groups raise nearly $39 million," by USA Today's Fredreka Schouten: "Two groups focused on keeping the Senate in Republican control collected nearly $17 million during the first three months of this year. In all, the groups - Senate Leadership Fund and One Nation - have raised $38.8 million so far in the election cycle ... Senate Leadership Fund's seven-figure donors have included Chevron, Houston Texans owner Robert McNair, hedge-fund founder Paul Singer and Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdefa78d7b08de2167d8a5bdbd38496c683794abbf4fb93467

MINDMELD from a Democrat working on the campaign for Merrick Garland: "On the eve of Senator Grassley's meeting with the Chief Judge, the Senator continues to feel real pressure - as evidenced by his own acknowledgement that his reelection is at risk. From the state AG to his longtime supporter and friend and constitutional scholars in the state - the call for Grassley to get back to the Iowa way is very clear."

THE TALK OF WALL STREET - N.Y. Times p. A1, bottom of page, "Goldman's Settlement on Mortgages Is Less Than Meets the Eye," by Nathaniel Popper: "Buried in the fine print are provisions that allow Goldman to pay hundreds of millions of dollars less - perhaps as much as $1 billion less - than [the $5.1 billion] headline figure. And that is before the tax benefits of the deal are included. The bank will be able to reduce its bill substantially through a combination of government incentives and tax credits." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd8cc36b1825105f7c449b9d114df854cfda6b5a93aecc035d

MEDIAWATCH - NYT Business Day front, "Donald Trump and New York Tabloids Resume Their Elaborate Dance," by Michael M. Grynbaum: "As Mr. Trump prospered, so did the tabloids he fed. His energetic personal life made for good headlines - and many reporters recalled that the gossip he supplied about friends and ex-wives usually turned out to be true. ... 'He would phone us at home sometimes, like on a Saturday,' [former gossip writer George] Rush recalled, back when the presidential candidate was a city divorcé. 'What do you think of this girl, or that girl? What number would you give her?' (By 'number,' Mr. Rush clarified, Mr. Trump meant a sliding scale of attractiveness: 1 through
10.)" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdaa83088b6f73e867f5babf6fe722fad159bc276007707c82

--"President Obama Interview Delivers Big Ratings for Fox News Sunday," by Mediaite's Josh Feldman:"A total of 1.6 million viewers, with 516K in the 25-54 demo, watched the president's interview with Chris Wallace when it aired ... Re-airings on Fox News Channel ... pushed the total number of viewers to 5.4 million, with 1.3 million in the demo." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdb0e057012c82add5f349648a8f91be3ec64d5264f3a9bbd8

--"Meredith Long Promoted to Group Publisher, Time/Fortune/Money" - Evelyn Webster emails the staff: "Working closely with Editor Nancy Gibbs, Meredith helped launch Motto, Time's new site for millennial women, and conceived new franchises including Question Everything, which was extended across multiple Time Inc. brands."

MINDY FINN PROJECT - "Empowered Women, founded by Mindy Finn (formerly of Twitter and the RNC), [will announce] today it will host its first Leadership Retreat, #OwnYourPower, June 6-8 ... featuring U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, Elise Whang of SnobSwap, Katie Biber of Thumbtack, Poppy MacDonald of National Journal, and many more. The Retreat will focus on women leading change in politics, media, and the new economy. Empowered Women also announced its new board with Lee Carosi Dunn ... Laura Cox Kaplan ... Diane Tomb ... Jessica Dahl ... Amy K. Mitchell ... Lori Sanders ... and Bettina Inclan." Retreat info http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdc4fb0e6723bfe417d9291189468680f943e6b5de656f651b ... Board announcement
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd6cb5cf803bceac7161af56d3d2eb6b9810ea0bb15522df95

OUT TODAY -- RON FOURNIER's book "Love That Boy: What Two Presidents, Eight Road Trips, and My Son Taught Me About a Parent's Expectations," goes on sale today. Unlike his 2012 essay, this is a deep and broad look at parental expectations: where they come from, which are unique to our times, and how they shape and misshape kids. It includes the most recent social science plus interviews with three dozen parents, including some raising special needs kids. Speaking/signing appearances include both the George W. Bush Library in Dallas and the Clinton School in Little Rock.

A media blitz started with Megyn Kelly last night, followed by Fox & Friends; Morning Joe; HuffPost Rise; Fox Business; Bloomberg's With All Due Respect; Fox News Health; Special Report with Bret Baier; Andrea Mitchell; NPR's Scott Simon. Excerpts are coming in The Atlantic, Reader's Digest, USA Today, and AARP magazine. In addition to a book party at David Bradley's house next week, Fournier's mom is throwing a book party for family and friends in Detroit. On page 198, Ron writes that they're moving back to Detroit after Tyler graduates from high school in June. "Family first, for once." Their moving plans are going full speed. $16.82 on Amazon http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd7ef4e8fc81c490d661dfec873e94142045c26ef4ba051733
... Book's website http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdc3eaf7cc4fa75704889b3aa9d1595042c8bb05b69a384e8b ... Detroit News feature, "Detroit native details journey to love son in new book" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdb82e6018af69df424194729d2f2c59651f2af67f7f5ee13e

TRANSITIONS: Kate Bryan (@katembryan), former director of communications at American Principles Project, starts tomorrow at CRC Public Relations as a senior account executive.

--"[Human Rights Campaign] Names Jay Brown as Communications Director": "Liz Halloran, who has led communications for the HRC Foundation, has also been promoted to Deputy Communications Director."

--"Maverick PAC elects Sarah Isgur Flores to National Board, adds Katie Behnke, Dane Bahnsen & Ben Proler to Leadership Committees": "They will be celebrating these leadership additions and the start of the baseball season with events in St. Louis at Busch Stadium with Cardinals Team CEO William DeWitt III April 19th and at the Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati with Reds GM Dick Williams April 22nd." Invites http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdc4c1221fbbcaf273536e9d1890ec8c7b52ea36cba06b906a ... http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd200280d2e3112adaaba91fbfd356a22200a22dd78daa45c5

OUT AND ABOUT -- Marty Baron, exec. editor of Washington Post, hosted a special screening last night of "Papa: Hemingway in Cuba," the first U.S. commercial movie shot in Cuba in fifty years. Director and exec. producer Bob Yari and White House deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes chatted on stage after the film, to be released on April 29th. Trailer http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdebb140da561c41bc3ffb07f1c8ae0495320446df0fe06457

SPOTTED: Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Rep. Jim McGovern, Todd Flournoy, Capricia Marshal, Caroline Tess, Bruce Andrews, Tonya Williams, Melissa Fitzgerald, Howard Fineman, Ed Henry, Betsy Fischer Martin, Josh Rogin and Ali Weinberg, Dan Swartz, Betsy Woodruff, Elizabeth Williamson, Kiki Burger, Susannah Wellford.

--Scores of staff and supporters from Lamar Alexander's 50 years in politics gathered for a reunion at the U.S. Chamber last night with Lamar and his wife Honey. Alexander donned his famous plaid shirt and joked about being ready if there was a contested convention. He has served as Governor, U.S. Education Secretary, and Senator. In 1996 he ran for the GOP nomination for president, finishing 3rd in IA and NH.

SPOTTED: Fred and Marlene Malek, Agnes Warfield, Whit Ayres, Mark Merritt, Mike Tuffin, Lanny Griffith, Luke and Susan Simons, Checker Finn and Brian Kennedy.


BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Paul Arden, senior associate at SKDKnickerbocker and a Diane Feinstein alum

BIRTHDAYS: Peter Scher, chairman of the Washington, DC region and head of corporate responsibility for JPMorgan Chase (h/t Jon Haber) ... Fred Ryan (h/t Genny) ... CBS News' Rita Braver ... Amy Brundage (h/t her Upper Press family) ... Reed Galen is 4-0, celebrating with a "Pretty Mellow Day" as befits life at 8k feet in Park City, Utah (h/t Dad, Rich) ... Amber Goodwin, national advocacy director at Americans for Responsible Solutions and the pride of Midland, Texas (h/t the ARS Team) ... Henry Clay was born in 1777. The Henry Clay Center for Statesmanship will be celebrating with trivia all day @henryclaycenter #henryclay and might even stump Clay Fanboy/U.S. Majority Leader, Mitch
McConnell ...

... Brad Elkins, deputy campaign manager on the Jason Kander for Senate campaign, is 28. An alumnus of the O'Malley for President campaign and the Truman National Security Project, Brad will be enjoying a fancy dinner in his new hometown of Columbia, Mo. (h/t Danny Gaynor) ... Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) ... Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) ... Aaron Ament, chief of staff for the general counsel for the Dept. of Education, is 35 (h/ts fiancée Allison Bormel and Mark Ament) ... Bruce "Uncle Boo" DeFrees ... Mindy Myers, chief of staff for Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse and an OFA alum ... Katherine Rodriguez, senior account executive at DCI Group ... Ashley Smith, the pride of Ridgewood, N.J.,
an MBA candidate at NYU Stern and a Hamilton Place Strategies alum ...

... Sindy Benavides, director of civic engagement and community mobilization of the League of United Latin American Citizens ... Karen Reaves, Bush 43 WH alum ... Shalla Ross ... Carrie Camillo, multiplatform editor at WashPost ... Jack Pandol Jr., comms. director for Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) ... Chris Harvey ...Kimberly Casey ... Eric Leckey ... AARP's Timothy Gearan (h/t wife Anne Gearan of the AP) ... Patricia Duff ... Tariq Mureed ... Iliana María Such ... Darryl Cowherd Sr. ... Karen Williams ... Peter Scher ... Tim Waddell ... Elizabeth Langer ... Tamara Pogue (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... David Letterman is 69 ... jazz musician Herbie Hancock is 76 ... author Scott Turow is
67 ... singer David Cassidy is 66 ... Vince Gill is 59 ... J Alexander ("America's Next Top Model") is 58 ... Guy Berryman (Coldplay) is 38 ... Claire Danes is 37 ... actress Saoirse Ronan is 22 (h/ts AP)

DESSERT -- A new "Prairie Home Companion" - AP's Jeff Baenen in St. Paul, Minn.: "The popular public radio variety show ... is set for some changes as ... Garrison Keillor prepares to retire and mandolin ace Chris Thile of the bands Punch Brothers and Nickel Creek gets ready to step in as its new host." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cd8e8e9d3e5161c04444a69f6a68ffdb4f5d3b1f379079dabc

--"At Disney, running a race is all about the costume," by AP's Anick Jesdanun in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.: "At Walt Disney World, you might find Darth Vader, Tinker Bell or a classic Disney princess running alongside half-marathon participants. ... Disney has races to honor classic Disney and Pixar characters (January and September), princesses (February), Tinker Bell (May) and superheroes from Disney's Marvel comic books (November)." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdff70d8d0a2ef89058f133d49af8453adb35dd397af761293

** A message from JPMorgan Chase & Co.: The 2016 Business Leaders Outlook report reveals that U.S. businesses are optimistic for growth despite uncertainty about the economy. The annual survey was conducted from January to February, and includes data from over 2,300 participants. "While business leaders admittedly see challenges overseas, they continue to see opportunities at home and anticipate positive growth in international markets over the next few years," said Jim Glassman, Senior Economist at JPMorgan Chase. Read the report here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4ca12306ef49d7cdc469d3114f1135ae40d785b2b7d34f6602599a1df2e8cd62 **

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