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Presented by the BlueCross BlueShield Association: Playbook is POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the day Feb 13, 2019 View in browser
By Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer and Daniel Lippman

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DRIVING THE DAY
BORDER SECURITY DEAL UNRAVELING? ... LATE LAST NIGHT, we started getting text messages that the border security deal was unraveling a bit as senior aides and lawmakers were drafting it.

IT SEEMS AS IF the deal was announced a bit too early. They agreed on the big issues in principle, but as they put pen to paper, there were both critical issues and ancillary issues that were not yet solved.

IT'S UNCLEAR HOW SERIOUS THESE PROBLEMS ARE at this point. And, fair warning: These deals oftentimes fall apart a few times before they come back together. These problems might very well be solved. The difference is the government shuts down the day after tomorrow, and the House had wanted to vote on this deal this evening. So we are going to lay out the pain points at this moment:

-- DISAGREEMENTS ON BORDER LANGUAGE: As Republicans and Democrats work out the border barrier language, they've hit some snags on how to craft the language that gives PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP his $1.375 billion for the border wall. Republicans felt like Democrats might try to tie the president's hands on who needs to give approval, where it is and how to build it.

-- FEDERAL CONTRACTOR BACK PAY: Congress has already passed legislation to make whole federal workers who were not paid during the last shutdown. There's an effort afoot in negotiations between Republicans and Democrats to insert language to do the same for federal contractors. This is not a partisan issue. Several Republicans have been supportive of this effort. But there's definite disagreement among Republicans and Democrats whether they can squeeze this in.

-- VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT: VAWA was extended as part of the last government funding bill, and expires Friday. Republicans have pushed for a straight, clean extension as part of this bill. Democrats want to deal with VAWA separately -- they have their own bill. But if it's not extended before Friday, it will lapse.

AGAIN, MANY OF THESE ISSUES can be worked out. But there is very little time.

SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, via POLITICO/Morning Consult poll ... Steve Shepard: "Poll: Voters don't want another shutdown, are split on border wall"

AT FIRST BLUSH ... A SNAPSHOT OF THE VIBE IN THE CAPITOL ... WE WERE STANDING in the Capitol late Tuesday afternoon chatting with REP. MARK MEADOWS (R-N.C.) when SENATE MINORITY LEADER CHUCK SCHUMER (D-N.Y.) walked by.

MEADOWS said hello, and SCHUMER turned to him with a faux frown on his face, and said, "I'm not happy. I'm not smiling. I'm very sad." Earlier in the day, Meadows said on TV that the Democrats were all smiles about the border barrier deal, and were walking around happy.

TRUMP, ON BOARD? ... @realDonaldTrump at 6:47 p.m.: "Was just presented the concept and parameters of the Border Security Deal by hard working Senator Richard Shelby. Looking over all aspects knowing that this will be hooked up with lots of money from other sources...." "....Will be getting almost $23 BILLION for Border Security. Regardless of Wall money, it is being built as we speak!"

... at 10:23 p.m.: "I want to thank all Republicans for the work you have done in dealing with the Radical Left on Border Security. Not an easy task, but the Wall is being built and will be a great achievement and contributor toward life and safety within our Country!"

Good Wednesday morning. SPOTTED: Justice Brett Kavanaugh at the St. John's vs. DeMatha basketball game Tuesday night.

THREE YEARS AGO TODAY: Justice Antonin Scalia died and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would not fill his seat until after the 2016 election.

NEW ... AIR FORCE SECRETARY HEATHER WILSON spoke with ANNA in the latest WOMEN RULE podcast about the increasing number of women in senior defense industry jobs, her experience in 1978 being a member of just the third class at the Air Force Academy that allowed women and how then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis recruited her for the job.

HIGHLIGHTS ... WILSON WAS MUM ON BECOMING DEFENSE SECRETARY: "I serve here at the pleasure of the president and with the confirmation of the Senate, and I think that's probably where I am." When pressed again about whether she would be interested in the job, Wilson responded: "I think that's up to the president of the United States and the United States Senate." She would be the first woman to serve in the top DOD position.

-- ON THE IMPORTANCE OF NATO: "I think our alliances are absolutely vital. And [NATO] has helped to keep the peace in Europe and helped to allow prosperity to blossom around the world."

-- ASKED IF SHE'S SHARED THOSE THOUGHTS WITH TRUMP: "I'm the secretary of the Air Force. My job is to organize, train and equip air forces for the conduct of sustained operations in the air. ... I administer the force and recruit and equip that force. But those [conversations] are not my responsibility." Subscribe and listen

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THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION -- ELIANA JOHNSON: "Regime change by tweet? John Bolton hopes so": "He is the unlikeliest social media star of the Trump administration. At 70 years old, and in one of Washington's most sensitive jobs, national security adviser John Bolton has started tweeting with the frequency, and often the passion, of his boss.

"Trump's third national security adviser is using Twitter far more often, and more colorfully, than any of his predecessors - making policy pronouncements and lambasting perceived bad guys. His targets range widely, from the Cuban government to Vladimir Putin's Russia to the 'failing' New York Times." POLITICO

AMY MCGRATH 2.0? -- ALEX ISENSTADT: "Schumer recruits famed fighter pilot to challenge McConnell in 2020": "Chuck Schumer is actively recruiting a high-profile fighter pilot to take on Mitch McConnell in 2020 - a calculated act of aggression against a leading Republican foe. Schumer met with Amy McGrath, a Marine veteran-turned 2018 congressional candidate, at Democratic Party headquarters last month to pitch her on running against McConnell. McGrath listened and didn't rule it out. The Democratic leader first contacted McGrath in December.

"McConnell, the longest-serving Senate GOP leader, is gearing up for a reelection fight and leaving little to chance. His political team has begun compiling opposition research on McGrath and delving into tracking footage of her. On Wednesday, senior Republican Party officials involved with a pro-McConnell super PAC will meet in Washington to begin mapping out a potential campaign against McGrath.

"The Republican leader has also tapped a 2020 campaign manager: Kevin Golden, a veteran party operative who worked on McConnell's 2014 reelection bid and oversaw Tennessee Republican Marsha Blackburn's successful 2018 Senate campaign." POLITICO

-- SCHUMER has been targeting breakout stars from the 2018 election cycle who lost. He's also trying to get Stacey Abrams to jump into the Senate race in Georgia.

NAHAL TOOSI and MARC CAPUTO: "Dems gunning for Trump fear 2020 split over Israel": "Democrats hoping for a united front against President Donald Trump in 2020 are trying to avoid splintering over an increasingly thorny topic: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. With an energized progressive base increasingly supportive of Palestinian rights, and a president who is stridently pro-Israel in his policy moves, Democrats are starting to grapple more than ever with the party's once-reflexive support for Israel.

"The 2020 Democratic presidential contenders are saying little publicly as they balance the competing interests. But in the meantime, pro-Israel Democrats are scrambling behind the scenes to shore up support, providing Holy Land trips to members of Congress and proposing policies they hope can bridge a growing party divide." POLITICO

PELOSI'S DAUGHTER SPEAKS -- "'Makes going to work look easy': Decades before she was House speaker, Nancy Pelosi had an even harder job," by WaPo's Ellen McCarthy

-- PELOSI will attend and speak at the DNC's winter meeting tonight at their IWillVote Gala in D.C.

2020 WATCH ... THE GROWING FIELD -- ALEX THOMPSON: "Bullock steps closer to White House run with Iowa visit": "Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana will travel to Iowa at the end of the week as he further explores a run for the Democratic presidential nomination, his Big Sky Values PAC told POLITICO on Tuesday.

"State Attorney General Tom Miller, a Democrat who just won his 10th term in November, will escort Bullock to a series of small meetings with local Democrats in Des Moines on Friday and then Carroll and Fort Dodge on Saturday." POLITICO

-- LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ and ALEX THOMPSON: "'Old, male, and pale': 2020 Democrats under pressure to hire minorities"

-- SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-N.J.) told RACHEL MADDOW on MSNBC that while he didn't want to "box himself in," he would be "looking at women first" for a potential VP candidate. "It's something we should have. I'm not going to box myself in, but should I come to it, you know I'll be looking to women first."

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THE INVESTIGATIONS ... "How Manafort's 2016 meeting with a Russian employee at New York cigar club goes to 'the heart' of Mueller's probe," by WaPo's Roz Helderman and Tom Hamburger

THE PRESIDENT'S WEDNESDAY ... THE COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT will arrive at the White House at noon. The president will meet and have lunch with him. At 2:50 p.m., he'll go to the J.W. Marriott to speak to the Major County Sheriffs and Major Cities Chiefs Association Joint Conference.
PLAYBOOK READS


PHOTO DU JOUR: Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) watches as the casket of her husband, former Rep. John Dingell, is carried out of a church in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday. | Bill Pugliano/Getty Images

THE LATEST IN VIRGINIA ... "Second woman who accused Fairfax of assault was subject of 2008 restraining order," by Anita Kumar and Maggie Severns: "A woman who alleged Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax raped her in college was accused of harassing and threatening a man she had a relationship with, according to Maryland court records." POLITICO

-- CARLA MARINUCCI in Oakland, Calif.: "Stanford accuser of Virginia's Fairfax issues plea for awareness": "Dr. Vanessa Tyson, the political scientist catapulted into the national spotlight after she recently accused Virginia's lieutenant governor of sexual assault, made a plea Tuesday for institutions and individuals alike to stand up to sexual violence with courage - and to acknowledge that 'every survivor matters.'

"'The hardest part of this whole dynamic is that you're made to feel alone, you're isolated,' said Tyson, a Stanford University fellow and a professor at Scripps College, speaking at a Stanford University event Tuesday. 'When survivors more broadly start comparing notes ... that's when the light bulb goes off,' she said." POLITICO

ANDREW DESIDERIO: "'This wasn't on people's radar': Khanna set for victory in Yemen vote"

BEYOND THE BELTWAY -- "Gavin Newsom calls SF-to-LA high-speed rail unrealistic, pushes for route from Bakersfield to Merced," by the San Francisco Chronicle's Alix Martichoux: "During Gov. Gavin Newsom's first State of the State speech Tuesday, he surprised listeners by announcing he would put the quest for high-speed rail connecting San Francisco and Los Angeles championed by his predecessor far on the back burner.

"Instead, Newsom offered a consolation prize: high-speed rail between Bakersfield and Merced. 'Let's level about the high-speed rail,' Newsom said. 'Let's be real, the current project as planned would cost too much and, respectfully, take too long.'" San Francisco Chronicle

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BEZOS BEAT -- "Before Bezos Fight, Enquirer Publisher AMI Faced Steep Losses," by Bloomberg's Shahien Nasiripour: "The publisher of the National Enquirer, currently under attack by Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos, has been facing steep financial losses that have left the once-loyal keeper of Donald Trump's secrets with more than $1 billion in debt and a negative net worth.

"The closely held American Media Inc. -- led by the president's longtime friend, David Pecker -- recorded a $31.5 million loss in the six months that ended Sept. 30, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg. That marked an improvement over the previous year, but nonetheless brought the company's total losses over the last 5 1/2 fiscal years to $256 million. AMI owed about $203 million more than its assets were worth." Bloomberg

MEDIAWATCH -- "Publishers Chafe at Apple's Terms for Subscription News Service," by WSJ's Benjamin Mullin, Lukas Alpert and Tripp Mickle: "Apple Inc.'s plan to create a subscription service for news is running into resistance from major publishers over the tech giant's proposed financial terms, according to people familiar with the situation, complicating an initiative that is part of the company's efforts to offset slowing iPhone sales. ...

"It is expected to launch later this year as a paid tier of the Apple News app ... The New York Times and the Washington Post are among the major outlets that so far haven't agreed to license their content to the service, in part because of concerns over the proposed terms, which haven't been previously disclosed." WSJ

-- "BuzzFeed Journalists Vote to Unionize in Wake of Layoffs," by Bloomberg's Gerry Smith and Janet Paskin: "BuzzFeed Inc.'s U.S. journalists agreed to unionize, saying they would seek better benefits and fair pay after seeing some colleagues lose their jobs last month. An overwhelming majority of workers were in favor of the decision to join NewsGuild, the labor union that's part of the Communications Workers of America." Bloomberg

-- PAGE SIX: "Vice Media's founder Shane Smith is a Vegas 'high roller,'" by the N.Y. Post's Richard Johnson
PLAYBOOKERS
SPOTTED: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) dining Tuesday night at Farmers and Distillers ... Sens. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) dining at Founding Farmers ... Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) at The Monocle restaurant Tuesday night. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) separately was also having drinks there ... Tom Price at the security checkpoint between Cannon/Longworth and the Capitol ...

... Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) walking into a screening of "They Shall Not Grow Old" (Peter Jackson's WWI documentary) on Sunday at the Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park.

TRANSITION -- Tyler Law, former DCCC national press secretary, is joining AKPD Message and Media as a principal. He will run the firm's West Coast team, opening an office in Oakland, Calif.

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Alex Burgos, VP of federal policy, government relations and communications at TechNet. How he got his start in politics: "I interned for Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) in the summer of 2002. When she retired recently, I wrote this perspective in Miami-based Babalu Blog on what that experience and her career meant to me. She gave me my first real opportunity in politics and solidified my passion for this career track, which eventually led me to the NRCC, Mitt Romney's first presidential campaign and nearly eight years with Marco Rubio." Playbook Plus Q&A

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): CBN's David Brody turned 54

BIRTHDAYS: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is 73 ... Chip Smith, EVP of global public affairs and policy at 21st Century Fox ... former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon is 63 ... Jerry Springer is 75 ... Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center ... Rep. Filemon Vela (D-Texas) is 56 ... Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas) is 44 ... Pew's Chris Conway ... Stacie Sherman, New Jersey bureau chief at Bloomberg ... Raven Reeder ... Lila Nieves-Lee of Sen. Tim Scott's (R-S.C.) office ... Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life ... Samantha Slater, director of comms at Columbia World Projects at Columbia University ... Megan Becker ... Danielle Baussan ... Lauren Huston ...
Mae Stevens, EVP at Signal Group ... Pence alum Brian Szmytke, now a strategist at i360 (hat tip: Dan Hennessey) ... Les Francis is 76 (h/t Jon Haber) ... KPMG's Sven Erik Holmes (h/t Jeff Solnet) ...

... Jill Barclay, the RNC's director of operations (h/ts Annie Starke and Jackie Rooney) ... Alexa Den Herder, assistant press secretary for Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) (h/t Blake Waggoner) ... Cailin Kearns ... Erum Haider ... Peter Lettre ... Alex Hinson, Interior deputy press secretary ... Sunny Mehta, senior comms associate at Marathon Strategies ... Shannon Murphy ... Rob Crampton ... Jeffrey Banasiak ... Camille Johnston of Siemens ... Betsy Ankney ... Allison Ryan, director of media relations at the Cato Institute ... George Kundanis ... Jeff Stein ... Mark Cohen ... J.R. Claeys ... Unjin Lee ... Mary Cownie ... Bill McCarren, executive director of National Press Club ... Ryan
Cunningham ... Mike Spector, U.S. corporate crisis correspondent at Reuters, is 38 ... retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager is 96 (h/t AP)

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