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Today's Playbook Power Briefing presented by Chevron

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


BULLETIN -- AP at 12:33 p.m.: "BAGHDAD (AP) - Tillerson makes unannounced visit to Iraq, hours after similar trip to Afghanistan."

-- FROM THE WHITE HOUSE POOLER, Linda Feldmann of the Christian Science Monitor: "As we were leaving, [Trump] was asked about timing of Fed chair choice: 'very very close,' Trump said."

Good Monday afternoon. WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE BUDGET ... YOU MIGHT'VE HEARD BY NOW, but President Donald Trump and Republican leaders really want the House to cave, and pass the Senate's budget. Here's how things will play out over the next few days.

-- THE WHIP: Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) will activate the Republican whip operation today -- they made calls over the weekend, as well. The Republican whips will canvass the 240-member House Republican Conference this afternoon and this evening at the first floor vote of the week. The whip is a somewhat primitive process: whips ask their fellow lawmakers how they intend to vote. They then turn that card over to Scalise and McHenry's operation, and they do the tally.

-- THE MEETING: The House Republican Conference will huddle tomorrow morning for its weekly meeting, where this topic is certain to come up and get chewed over.

-- THE VOTE: The House is likely to vote on the budget Thursday. The GOP leadership expects the House to be able to pass it.

LEAVING NO DOUBT -- MANU RAJU (@mkraju): "Q: 'People thought you were talking about Mr. Trump bc he had doctor's note saying he had bone spurs?' McCain: 'I think more than once, yes'".

THE WHITE HOUSE VS. A GOLD STAR WIFE -- "Trump spars with widow of slain soldier over condolence call," by Louis Nelson: "Myeshia Johnson, the widow of a soldier killed earlier this month in Niger, said Monday that a condolence call from President Donald Trump 'made me cry even worse,' prompting Trump to immediately push back against part of her emotional account via Twitter.

"'The president said that he knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyways and I was -- it made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it. He couldn't remember my husband's name. The only way he remembered my husband's name was because he told me he had my husband's report in front of him and that's when he actually said "La David,"' Johnson told ABC's 'Good Morning America.' 'I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband's name and that's what hurt me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risks his life for our country, why can't you remember his name? And that's what made me upset and cry even more because
my husband was an awesome soldier.'

"An hour after Johnson's ABC interview aired, Trump responded on Twitter to rebut a portion of the widow's account. 'I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!' Trump claimed in his online post." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b41e00b35c6ddfee0e79820bf380c8831063b6b080d3737431e82ca3b16ccae6852e7a8c66e809db0913d6ac3c168eba

MORE TRUMP TWEETS -- @realDonaldTrump at 7:42 a.m.: "There will be NO change to your 401(k). This has always been a great and popular middle class tax break that works, and it stays!" ... at 7:53 a.m.: "Two dozen NFL players continue to kneel during the National Anthem, showing total disrespect to our Flag & Country. No leadership in NFL!"

THE TWITTER WHISPERER? -- "Why Trump toned down his Russia tweets: White House lawyer Ty Cobb, a veteran of multiple special prosecutor investigations, helped coach the president on what not to say as Mueller ramps up his probe," by Darren Samuelsohn: "Since the end of July, President Donald Trump has noticeably tempered his public complaints about the Russia investigation, avoiding any Twitter allusions to a 'witch hunt' or threats to fire special counsel Robert Mueller. That's partly due to the intervention of White House lawyer Ty Cobb, who since joining the administration two and a half months ago has impressed upon Trump the risks of using such loaded language when it comes to Mueller,
according to a White House official and several sources familiar with the president's legal strategy. ...

"Cobb's job -- for which he's putting in upwards of 85 hours a week -- includes reviewing a vast database of internal documents relevant to the Russia probe and also speaking with reporters, though he has studiously avoided television appearances. Five staffers now work for him full time at the White House, including Steven Groves, who stepped down in August from his job as chief of staff to U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley.

"In an interview, Cobb said he can't take credit for the change in the president's tone on Russia, and notes that John Kelly also took over as White House chief of staff in the same week he arrived. But, Cobb said, it's the president who really changed course, endorsing a move toward greater cooperation in hopes of speeding Mueller's probe to a close." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b41e00b35c6ddfeea36addd9caf5fb723c851a805d7531f8230a0eb5775c3158c35d0f4e34d1d8c202ab0799e0e220e4

HMM... -- "China's Pursuit of Fugitive Businessman Guo Wengui Kicks Off Manhattan Caper Worthy of Spy Thriller," by WSJ's Kate O'Keeffe, Aruna Viswanatha and Cezary Podkul: "The episode took a twist when President Donald Trump received a letter from the Chinese government, hand-delivered by Steve Wynn, a Las Vegas casino magnate with interests in the Chinese gambling enclave of Macau. Mr. Trump initially expressed interest in helping the Chinese government by deporting [Guo Wengui, a wealthy Chinese businessman who has been making allegations of corruption against top Chinese officials] but other senior officials worked to block any such move, according to people familiar with the matter.
...

[A]t a June meeting in the Oval Office, counterintelligence officials briefed President Trump on Beijing's alleged efforts to steal cutting-edge research from labs and trade secrets from U.S. companies, according to people familiar with the meeting. The president, surrounded by his top aides, including Vice President Mike Pence, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, his former chief strategist Steve Bannon and other national security and economic advisers, asked to see policy options in 90 days. In the meantime, he said he knew of at least one 'Chinese criminal' the U.S. needed to immediately deport, according to the people.

'Where's the letter that Steve brought?' Mr. Trump called to his secretary. 'We need to get this criminal out of the country,' Mr. Trump said, according to the people. Aides assumed the letter, which was brought into the Oval Office, might reference a Chinese national in trouble with U.S. law enforcement, the people said. The letter, in fact, was from the Chinese government, urging the U.S. to return Mr. Guo to China." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b41e00b35c6ddfeec3b76be5920b0d63bff45ddb8cfc69ace09288fe7140181fda45db7f1dfa0a38a7235012445bf7d1

****** A message from Chevron: We're piloting a program that uses drones to keep an eye on Chevron wells, tanks, and pipelines-all to keep DOERS and what they're doin' safer. Watch the video: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b41e00b35c6ddfee7a91fdf384860b8ef4cfdbe1894e8205d62f41d552a26377875080413bbda780a42f3198b2c68ff7 ******

TRACKING REX -- "Rex Tillerson Pays Secret Visit to U.S. Air Base in Afghanistan," by NYT's Gardiner Harris: "Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson made a secret two-hour visit to the main American air base in Afghanistan on Monday, arriving in a military transport plane to meet top Afghan officials inside a massive bunker.

"Nearly 20,000 military personnel, contractors and others live and work at the base, Bagram Airfield north of Kabul. Many were on high alert as the secretary arrived, fearing the kind of rocket or mortar attack that has become common. That top American officials must sneak into this country after 16 years of war, thousands of lives lost and hundreds of billions of dollars spent was testimony to the stalemate confronting the United States because of a stubborn and effective Taliban foe that is increasingly ascendant." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=756aa272e1d69c8f3e3db7e44833a4af247fd24ba0f4557a11fec572be854bb1f7acd64ef331358d51c7a69efd507e36

TRUMP INC. -- "Blues brothers Don Jr. and Eric Trump gamble on Mississippi tourism," by WaPo's Jonathan O'Connell: "President Trump's hotel company, the New York-based managers of luxury properties and golf courses around the globe, seems an unlikely presence in this struggling stretch of the Delta, where new businesses are hard to recruit and black residents are eight times more likely than whites to face unemployment.

"But in June, the Trump Organization, now run by the president's sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, bestowed a singular distinction upon [Cleveland, Mississippi], population 12,000, and two nearby towns. It announced it would debut two new hotel brands here, beginning with a four-star, 100-room Scion hotel originally designed to replicate an antebellum plantation. In a partnership with local owners, the company said it would reopen two Comfort Inns and a Rodeway Inn after bringing them up to Trump standards and use the properties to launch its newest brand, known as 'American Idea.'

"It is nearly unheard of for a national hotel company to debut hotel lines in one of America's poorest corners, surrounded by cotton and soybean fields and lacking a commercial airport or even an easily accessed interstate. But the plan offers the first glimpse into how Trump's sons will steer the company while he is in the White House. The Trump Organization is planning dozens of locations 'designed to work in every city U.S.A.'" said company spokeswoman Christine Da Silva. It's the company's first appeal to middle America, the core of Trump's political base." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=756aa272e1d69c8f346f0bda35af3bc050fac98bae1dcb3dac1b0e06d3a6a29b588d8331b46d88df53b75f3f0ddf8dcd

GUESS IT REALLY IS COMEY -- @FormerBu on Twitter: "Goodbye Iowa. On the road home. Gotta get back to writing. Will try to tweet in useful ways." With a pic of Comey standing in a road http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=756aa272e1d69c8fa2cc94ecd5b45bac842fa8667a2b5d1f878e199b0acd0cb84d84907c0d5a3f065fb038ead815d085

TV TONIGHT -- RACHEL MADDOW will interview ERIC HOLDER at 9 p.m. on MSNBC. The network says it is his first live television interview since Trump's inauguration.

TODAY'S BEYOND THE BELTWAY -- California Republicans fall for Bannon --Gov. Bruce Rauner officially running for a second term http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=756aa272e1d69c8f1e1d23f4f9e0e6d1e08932ea0d06ee09c4a21ace090d9e60aedfbf00bf456c41d6e6018e3b91a2b8

-- "In state capitols, women see rampant sexual harassment," by The Hill's Reid Wilson: "More than a dozen female state legislators, staffers and lobbyists in states across the country interviewed by The Hill say they routinely face unwanted advances from their male colleagues, ranging from inappropriate comments about one's appearance and invitations to private meetings to physical contact and, in extreme instances, assault and rape. Many of the women used one word to describe the culture of harassment in their state capitols: pervasive.

"And even though about half of the country's state legislatures either have training programs or laws and policies meant to prevent, report and punish sexual harassment, many women say they feel like their complaints are never addressed or they are pressured to keep quiet in a male-dominated environment where retribution and retaliation are common." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=756aa272e1d69c8fff753b9d7a83898b3081949143dc9e324abc7b832c6d0b3531ac6d4bdcf44b343bb860d5e90d9492

MEDIAWATCH -- "Megyn Kelly blasts O'Reilly, Fox News over harassment allegations," by Cristiano Lima: "Megyn Kelly forcefully denounced former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly for 'shaming women into shutting the hell up about harassment' allegations on Monday, delivering her most candid remarks on the matter since exiting the network earlier this year. ... 'O'Reilly's suggestion that no one ever complained about his behavior is false,' she said while addressing the controversy on her show 'Megyn Kelly TODAY.' 'I know because I complained.' ...

"Kelly said that while the issue was 'not unique to Fox News' and that the network had 'absolutely made some reforms' to address the issue, the shaming of accusers had to come to an end." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f5d3379c373f3e7356d9d41212ec40622c7861c8a7f956c71bc1bd2bf684834432d95f8e1c304876dfbae8442cd8f89a

-- "CNN Fights 'Fake News' Claims With New 'Facts First' Campaign," by Variety's Brian Steinberg: "One of the promos, which start appearing on CNN today, shows a stark picture of an apple on the screen, while music plays. 'This is an apple,' says a narrator. 'Some people might try to tell you that it's a banana. They might scream "Banana. Banana. Banana" over and over and over again. They might put "banana" in all caps. You might even start to believe that this is a banana. But it's not,' counsels the voice. 'This is an apple.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f5d3379c373f3e730b95e5d329ecd8bf80ddd308311c24f9a085bafece409e533d52aa28c36bcefc1dc3883d033f2118 ... The apple ad http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f5d3379c373f3e73b2f8d55033d9bb52132ce9c54f624e21e6c37dfc74b4e3050585c60e920eae93c4966988b6ee92ee

-- Kristin Donnelly is starting today as supervising producer at "The Lead with Jake Tapper" on CNN. She was previously with NBC for almost eight years.

DESSERT -- "An Oral History of 'David Pumpkins': The story of Saturday Night Live's most improbable breakout character," by Vulture's Jesse David Fox http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f5d3379c373f3e7397035e9255b40bc90a764db3550319dae82ff765f0c96ef7ff4624226b6d14587c7ff5fbfab0eac2

TRANSITIONS -- Heather Purcell has been promoted to be communications director for Rep. Ro Khanna's (D-Calif.). She was previously his press secretary and legislative aide. ... Kalina Francis and Walter Suskind both joined Edelman's D.C. office as senior account supervisors. Francis is a former press secretary for the House Financial Services Committee and Suskind is a former spokesperson for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

WEEKEND WEDDINGS -- Charlie McKell, a public affairs consultant for international clients, recently married Rachel Ryan, senior account supervisor in the international affairs practice of Qorvis MSLGROUP, in a ceremony at the Jefferson County Probate Court in Birmingham, Ala. "The couple plan to celebrate in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with family and friends in Sept. 2018 once Rachel's brother, Connor Ryan, returns from his Middle East deployment as an officer in the U.S. Navy. The two met in 2013 at a bar in Washington's Glover Park." Pics http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f5d3379c373f3e7388e5c148ae4e1e62baa8dc40de17baa5de3be9d7756ecbeb32b71a66a2deac67a337f5a21b92ad62 ... http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f5d3379c373f3e73d529197d432807aee46f945c2f95f8c6582bd6d019526513bd0fce77a8c47078d7d01034c9c5bdbf

-- Will Dugan, a producer in CTV's Washington bureau, on Saturday married Kristen McGrath, manager at Deloitte Consulting. The ceremony was at Holy Rosary Church in D.C. with a reception at City Tavern Club in Georgetown. "We met in our early twenties, a warm summer night at the Georgetown waterfront." Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f5d3379c373f3e7300a24587b730d8f77c6228b96c3f34db4d1b8f493f7c0408225c3a9b727965463606bc52879018e7

****** A message from Chevron: This is a story about energy, safety, and some truly high-flyin' doin'. We're piloting a program that uses drones, HD imaging, and thermal mapping to help keep a close eye on Chevron wells, tanks, and pipelines-all to keep DOERS and what they're doin' safer. Watch the video: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=f0ddf6c34186ce7a167857da6e79f5b798855c12a89fd47bf309beed35229a351076f639909b180564ce75c7138e5ba0 ******

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