Subject: DNC Clips 5.24.2016
From: "Palermo, Rachel" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 24 May 2016 04:54:21 -0700

WEATHER: 82F, Partly Cloudy

POTUS and the Administration

As Obama Presses Vietnam on Rights, Activists Are Barred From Meeting<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/25/world/asia/vietnam-us-obama-human-rights.html>

NEW YORK TIMES // GARDINER HARRIS<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/h/gardiner_harris/index.html?version=meter+at+0&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click> AND JANE PERLEZ<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/p/jane_perlez/index.html?version=meter+at+0&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click>

President Obama<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/index.html?inline=nyt-per&version=meter+at+0&module=meter-Links&pgtype=article&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click> won enthusiastic applause here on Tuesday with a supportive reference to Vietnam's disputes with China, saying in a speech that "big nations should not bully smaller ones." But several activists who had been scheduled to meet with him before the speech were prevented from doing so, underscoring the gulf with Hanoi on human rights.

The White House had requested the meeting as a signal to Vietnam's Communist government that the United States cares about human rights here. Mr. Obama spent more than his allotted time with the six Vietnamese civil society leaders who did attend the meeting at a JW Marriott hotel, but he said that several others had been prevented from coming.

"Vietnam has made remarkable strides, the economy is growing quickly, the Internet is booming, and there's a growing confidence here," Mr. Obama said when a group of reporters were briefly allowed into the meeting. "But as I indicated yesterday, there's still areas of significant concerns in terms of areas of free speech, freedom of assembly, accountability with respect to government."

Obama buries another Cold War relic in Vietnam<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/obama-vietnam-relationship-cold-war-223505>

POLITICO // EDWARD ISAAC DOVERE

President Barack Obama brought his 2016 the Cold War Is Really Over tour here Tuesday, after his big speech in Havana in February and looking ahead to his final NATO summit scheduled for July in Poland. That's a message that he stressed repeatedly in his televised address to the Vietnamese people, even as he prepares to head on Wednesday to Japan for a meeting of the G-7 world leaders, the specter of a booted-out Russia still in the background. And it's a message delivered to a Communist Party that greeted him at its headquarters Monday afternoon in a cavernous, red-carpeted room under a giant gold bust of Ho Chi Minh that seemed quite confident that it's not going anywhere or changing its approach any time soon, despite Obama's nudging jabs, including pointing out publicly in a meeting with civil activists Monday that "there were several other activists who were invited who were prevented from coming for various reasons."

Obama to lay out vision for Vietnam ties after ending arms ban<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-vietnam-obama-idUSKCN0YE2RX>

REUTERS // MATT SPETALNICK AND MARTIN PETTY

U.S. President Barack Obama is set to lay out more of his plan for a stronger alliance with Vietnam on Tuesday, after scrapping an arms ban that was the last big hurdle between two countries drawn together by concern over China's military buildup. The removal of a vestige of the Vietnam War suggests U.S. worries about Beijing's reclamation of islands in the South China Sea and deployment of advanced radars and missile batteries in the disputed region trumped concerns about Vietnam's human rights record. Washington had for years said a lifting of the ban would require concrete steps by Vietnam in allowing freedom of speech, worship and assembly and releasing political prisoners. In a joint news conference on Monday with Vietnamese counterpart Tran Dai Quang, Obama said "modest" human rights improvements had been made and the decision to end the embargo was about the changing dynamic in ties and "not based on China".

U.S. Strike on Taliban Leader Is Seen as a Message to Pakistan<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/us/politics/afghanistan-pakistan-taliban-leader.html>

NEW YORK TIMES // MARK LANDLER AND MATTHEW ROSENBERG

Early on Saturday, a middle-aged Pashtun man used forged documents to cross from Iran into Pakistan. A few hours later, on a lonely stretch of highway, he was incinerated by an American drone. It is not exactly clear how the Americans tracked Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, leader of the Afghan Taliban, to a white sedan rattling across the arid expanse of Baluchistan Province. The United States picked up a mix of phone intercepts and tips from sources, American and European officials said, and there were reports that Pakistan also provided intelligence. President Obama described Mullah Mansour's death on Monday as an "important milestone" - but the strike was also an illustration of the tangled relationship between Washington and Islamabad. Not since Mr. Obama ordered Navy SEALs to hunt down Osama bin Laden in May 2011 has he authorized a military incursion in Pakistan as audacious as this one. The White House did not inform the Pakistanis in advance of the operation, which occurred outside the frontier region near Afghanistan, the one place where Pakistan has tolerated American drone strikes in the past. By using the military's Joint Special Operations Command rather than the C.I.A. to carry out the attack, the United States denied Pakistan the fig leaf of a covert operation, which in the past has given the Pakistanis the ability to claim they had been consulted beforehand.

Obama Chides Congress Over Zika Funding<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/us/politics/obama-chides-congress-over-zika-funding.html?ref=politics>

NEW YORK TIMES // CARL HULSE

The House and Senate are gearing up for a push before a Memorial Day break that President Obama said Congress should not take unless it got some very specific business done. Mr. Obama chided lawmakers last week, saying they should not leave town at the end of this week unless they reconcile their differences over a Zika prevention funding bill and send him public health legislation he is willing to sign. "They should not be going off on recess before this is done," Mr. Obama said about putting resources behind an effort to stop the spread of the mosquito-borne virus. "To the extent that we're not handling this thing on the front end, we're going to have bigger problems on the back end." But chances of a quick compromise on the legislation seem dim. The House has provided only about half as much as the $1.1 billion approved by the Senate - both well short of the $1.9 billion sought by the White House. And the House bill would shift money to fight Zika from efforts to combat Ebola, which Mr. Obama compared to robbing Peter to pay Paul.

VA chief compares waits for veteran care to Disneyland: They don't measure and we shouldn't either<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/05/23/va-chief-compares-waits-for-veteran-care-to-disneyland-they-dont-measure-and-we-shouldnt-either/>

WASHINGTON POST // LISA REIN

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, under pressure to be more transparent about how VA measures wait times for veteran care, on Monday said the government should be more like Disneyland. Disney doesn't track how long visitors wait in line for attractions at its theme parks to decide if they liked their experience, he said. So the VA should not be held to the same standard for medical appointments for veterans. "When you go to Disney, do they measure the number of hours you wait in line? Or what's important?" McDonald told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor. "What's important is, what's your satisfaction with the experience?" The comparison brought swift, political-season condemnation from Republicans and veteran service organizations, who said McDonald was being insensitive to veterans.

VA Secretary Bob McDonald: Veteran wait times not what really matters<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/23/va-secretary-bob-mcdonald-veteran-wait-times-not-what-matters/84786012/>

USA TODAY // DONOVAN SLACK

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald said Monday that he believes veterans' wait times for appointments aren't a valid measure of their experience at the VA and releasing more wait-time data would create negative headlines that would distract people from what really matters. The VA currently does not release data showing how long veterans wait between scheduling an appointment and being seen. "So why don't I also make the measurement of the fit of your prosthetic sleeve public?" McDonald said at a breakfast with reporters organized by The Christian Science Monitor. "I mean, I've got so many measures, if I make them all public, you're all going to write headlines about them and they're going to distract people from what's important. I don't want to do that. I want people focused on what's really important."

TSA security chief who received $90K bonus removed from post<http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/280983-tsa-security-chief-who-received-90k-bonus-removed-from-post>

THE HILL // MELANIE ZANOMA

A top security chief at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) who came under fire for receiving a $90,000 bonus has been removed from his post, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee said Monday evening. The panel tweeted that Kelly Hoggan, assistant administrator for the office of security administrations, has been removed from his position following a committee hearing earlier this month on TSA misconduct. A House committee aide said Hoggan has been reassigned at the agency, but could not provide further details. A spokeswoman for TSA did not immediately return a request for comment. Hoggan came under fire during an Oversight hearing for receiving a $90,000 bonus, which was paid in small increments over a 13-month period, despite a damning report that showed that screeners he oversaw were failing to detect fake bombs and weapons during security tests. The agency has been scrambling to alleviate overwhelmed security lines and increased wait times at airports around the country.

Breyer: Supreme Court can function with 8 justices<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/breyer-supreme-court-can-function-with-8-justices-223503>

POLITICO // ASSOCIATED PRESS

Justice Stephen Breyer said Monday that the Supreme Court has not been diminished by having only eight members since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February. Breyer suggested in response to questions at an awards ceremony at the Library of Congress that Scalia would have made a difference in only four or five cases out of more than 70 the court will decide this term. "We may divide 4-4 in four or five cases, we may not," Breyer said of the term than will end in June. That could include some of the term's biggest cases involving abortion and immigration. A tie vote would leave the lower court ruling in place and prevent the court from setting a legal precedent that applies to the entire country. The court has already deadlocked in three cases, including a high-profile dispute over public-sector labor unions. And last week, the justices returned a dispute over access to birth control to lower courts, suggesting they could not form a majority that would have settled a major conflict over the scope of the nation's health care law.

Democrats

Nearly 180 Democrats join call to end House fetal-tissue probe<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/05/24/nearly-180-democrats-join-call-to-end-house-fetal-tissue-probe/>

WASHINGTON POST // MIKE DEBONIS

All but a handful of House Democrats are calling on Speaker Paul D. Ryan to disband the special committee established last year to probe connections between abortion providers and medical researchers, accusing the panel of "continued abuses which jeopardize the integrity of the House and the safety of Americans." The letter represents a new salvo in the partisan warfare over the Select Investigative Panel established in October in response to a series of undercover videos produced by anti-abortion activists. All but two Democrats voted<http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2015/roll538.xml> against creating the panel, and Democratic members of the committee have called since then on several occasions for its dissolution.

The new letter, signed by 178 of 188 House Democrats, raises the protests to a new level, asking Ryan (R-Wis.) for a written response to their accusations of harassment, intimidation and McCarthyism on the part of the panel's Republican members and staff.

Democrats, seeking unity, give Sanders say in party platform<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-idUSKCN0YE2IH>

REUTERS // JONATHAN ALLEN

The Democratic Party said on Monday it would give U.S. presidential contender Bernie Sanders a prominent say in writing its platform this year, a gesture that could ease tensions between Sanders' camp and party leaders, whom Sanders has accused of favoring rival Hillary Clinton. Sanders has remained steadfast in his long-shot battle with Clinton for the Democratic nomination for the Nov. 8 presidential election, even though he lags her in the delegate count with only a few state contests remaining. The divisiveness among the Democrats stands in contrast to the Republicans, whose party leaders are slowly rallying behind Donald Trump, their presumptive nominee. Sanders' tenacity appeared to be paying off. The U.S. senator from Vermont will be allowed to name five members to the 15-member committee that writes the platform at the Democratic National Convention in late July in Philadelphia even if he is not the nominee. Clinton will name six. The party said in a statement the split was based on the results of state votes to date "in an effort to make this the most representative and inclusive process in history." The party's chairwoman, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, will name the committee's final four members.

DNC Gives Sanders Bigger Say on Platform in Bid to Quell Feud<http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-05-23/dnc-gives-sanders-bigger-say-on-platform-in-bid-to-quell-feud>

BLOOMBERG // SAHIL KAPUR AND ARIT JOHN

The Democratic National Committee made a bid to quell an escalating feud with Bernie Sanders on Monday by giving him more clout on the panel that will write the party's platform, a decision made with an eye toward coalescing the party around likely nominee Hillary Clinton. With Clinton having all but locked up the nomination and looking for ways to bring Sanders' supporters into the fold before the general election, the DNC gave the Vermont Senator five picks for the Philadelphia convention's platform drafting committee. Clinton gets six members and four others are appointed by DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who Sanders has accused of tilting the nomination process in Clinton's favor. Sanders said he was satisfied with the compromise plan. "We believe that we will have the representation on the platform drafting committee to create a Democratic platform that reflects the views of millions of our supporters who want the party to address the needs of working families in this country and not just Wall Street, the drug companies, the fossil fuel industry and other powerful special interests," he said in a statement.

Trump fuels Democratic voter surge<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/california-democratic-voter-registration-223487>

POLITICO // DANIEL STRAUSS

When the deadline to register to vote in California's June 7 primary closes Monday evening, Democrats are expected to be the big winners. The party has enjoyed a dramatic spike in registration since the beginning of the year - and they have Donald Trump to thank for it. In the first three months of the year, California added 1.5 million new voters through the end of April - double the number of new voters added during the same time period in 2012. And the total number of registered Democrats increased by nearly 100,000 people between the beginning of January and the beginning of April - compared to a gain of just 15,000 registered Republicans, according to an analysis from Political Data Inc., a California-based voting analytics firm. Paul Mitchell, Political Data's vice president, notes that Democratic registration typically increased when the news cycle revolved around Donald Trump. "What's interesting is that the upticks have been greatest among Democrats and Latinos on those days where Donald Trump is kind of dominating the conversation," said Mitchell, a former Democratic consultant who has analyzed California voter registration from day to day and by party affiliation since January.

Jimmy Carter: Trump tapping into 'inherent racism'<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/280998-jimmy-carter-trump-tapping-into-inherent-racism>

THE HILL // MARK HENSCH

Former President Jimmy Carter on Monday said Donald Trump's presidential campaign is feeding off America's racial tensions. "I don't feel good, except for one thing: I think the country has been reawakened the last two or three years to the fact that we haven't resolved the race issue adequately," he told The New York Times. "[Trump] has tapped a waiting reservoir there of inherent racism," Carter added of the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee. Carter said Trump is just one example of GOP animosity toward President Obama that exudes a "heavy racial overtone." "I think there's a heavy reaction among some of the racially conscious Republicans against an African-American being president," he said. Carter also said Trump's call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the U.S. undermines global human rights.

Reid throws wrench into Clinton vice presidential picks<http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/280954-reid-throws-wrench-into-clinton-vice-presidential-picks>

THE HILL // JORDAIN CARNEY

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is throwing a wrench into Hillary Clinton's plans for picking a vice presidential candidate, warning any senator from a state with a Republican governor is off limits. Reid, who wants Democrats to take back the Senate in his final year as leader, said his answer to whether Clinton should pick a running mate who could be replaced in the Senate by a Republican was "hell no." "If we have a Republican governor in any of those states, the answer is not only no, but hell no. I would do whatever I can, and I think most of my Democratic colleagues here would say the same thing," Reid told MSNBC's "AM Joy." "[I would] yell and scream to stop that." The comments mean Reid would be in opposition to Clinton picking Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) or Sherrod Brown (Ohio), two senators with big progressive fan bases who are on most short lists. It would also be a reason against picking New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.

Virginia governor under FBI probe over campaign donations: CNN<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-virginia-governor-investigation-idUSKCN0YE2KP>

REUTERS // ERIC BEECH, TIMOTHY AHMANN, AND JONATHAN ALLEN

Terry McAuliffe, Virginia's Democratic governor and chairman of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential run, is under federal investigation over contributions to his 2013 campaign, CNN said on Monday, citing unnamed U.S. officials. The U.S. Justice Department's year-long investigation has focused, at least in part, on whether contributions to McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign, including $120,000 from a Chinese businessman, Wang Wenliang, violated the law, according to CNN. Investigators have "scrutinized" McAuliffe's time as a board member of the Clinton Global Initiative, part of the charitable foundation set up by former President Bill Clinton, CNN said, citing unidentified government officials briefed on the case. The foundation is not accused of any wrongdoing, CNN added. McAuliffe spent at least 15 years as an unpaid director for the foundation, now known as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, until 2013, according to the charity's annual disclosures filed with the Internal Revenue Service.

Feds investigating contributions to Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2016/05/23/federal-investigation-mcauliffe-contributions/84817968/>

USA TODAY // PAKEVIN JOHNSON

Federal authorities have been investigating whether Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe's 2013 campaign accepted improper contributions, a federal law enforcement official said Monday. The official, who is not authorized to comment publicly, said the inquiry has included a review of donations made by Wang Wenliang, a Chinese businessman and politician who has residency status in the U.S. The development was first reported by CNN. In a statement Wednesday, McAuliffe attorney Marc Elias said that "neither the governor nor his former campaign has knowledge of this matter.'' Elias characterized the Wang contributions as "completely lawful.'' "The governor will certainly cooperate with the government if he is contacted about it,'' Elias said.

Kamala Harris catches ride on populist wave in California Senate primary<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/05/23/kamala-harris-catches-ride-on-populist-wave-in-california-senate-primary/>

WASHINGTON POST // VANESSA WILLIAMS

It was the kind of affirmation that candidates covet, especially in the year of the 99 percent: a woman who lost her home to foreclosure stood up at a campaign rally to thank the candidate for supporting her lawsuit against a mortgage company. "The gratitude of the community is unbelievable," Tsvetana Yvanova told California attorney general and U.S. Senate candidate Kamala Harris. When Yvanova went to the California Supreme Court for the right to sue New Century Mortgage Corp., Harris filed a brief on her behalf and the court ultimately ruled in Yvanova's favor. "Thank you for your courage," Harris replied, basking in the opportunity to remind the roughly 150 people who came to see her at the United Food and Commercial Workers hall that standing up to the mortgage industry on behalf of homeowners has been a hallmark of her tenure as the top law enforcement officer of the most populous state in the nation.

McAuliffe attorney denies knowledge of any DOJ probe <http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/terry-mcauliffe-department-justice-223491>

POLITICO // JOSH GERSTEIN

An attorney for Terry McAuliffe's gubernatorial campaign on Monday denied any knowledge of an alleged federal investigation into the Virginia governor's campaign contributions, saying McAuliffe will cooperate if he is contacted about the issue. The denial of any awareness of a probe comes as CNN reported Monday afternoon that McAuliffe, a long-time ally of the Clintons, is being investigated by the FBI and the Justice Department's public integrity unit over contributions to his gubernatorial campaign, citing U.S. officials briefed on the probe. The report stated that McAuliffe has not been told by investigators that he is the target of the probe, which it said dates back to at least last year. CNN said investigators were examining, in part, a $120,000 donation from companies controlled by Wang Wenliang, a Chinese businessman, who has also donated $2 million to the Clinton Foundation.

Republicans

GOP: Clinton could cost Democrats in battle for Senate<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/clinton-dems-senate-223468>

POLITICO // BURGESS EVERETT

Ask a vulnerable Republican senator on the ballot this fall about Donald Trump, and chances are you'll get an uncomfortable pause, or perhaps some mild criticism paired with a promise to "support the nominee." Ask about Hillary Clinton, though, and the straitjacket vanishes.  "Hillary Clinton is definitely going to be a major problem for Katie McGinty," Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who has left the door open to abandoning Trump, said of his Democratic foe. "They're in lockstep, in unison on everything."

GOP duo unveils healthcare bill maintaining parts of ObamaCare<http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/280984-gop-duo-unveils-healthcare-bill-maintaining-parts-of-obamacare>

THE HILL // PETER SULLIVAN

Two Republican lawmakers are breaking with their party's long-stated goal of repealing ObamaCare by putting forward a healthcare plan that leaves parts of the system in place. While the new bill from Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) and Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is a departure from the core Republican idea of full repeal, it could provide a roadmap for changes that could be enacted under a GOP president. At the center of the bill is a $2,500 tax credit that any citizen could use to purchase health insurance. The plan would repeal ObamaCare's mandates for individuals to have coverage and for employers to provide it, as well as the reform law's requirements for what an insurance plan must cover. But much of ObamaCare would remain, including its safeguards against insurers discriminating based on pre-existing conditions. The law's tax increases would also be kept. Sessions and Cassidy acknowledged that their plan is a departure from the GOP's six-year quest to repeal the whole law; they said they are dealing with the "political reality."

GOP Health Bill Would Allow States to Back Away From Obamacare<https://morningconsult.com/2016/05/gop-health-bill-seeks-open-door-states-back-away-obamacare/>

MORNING CONSULT // MARY ELLEN MCINTIRE

Two GOP lawmakers have introduced a bill that deviates from years of Republican health care orthodoxy by not attempting to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) on Monday formally announced a bill that they say would cover more people than the Affordable Care Act does now. While the bill does not repeal the 2010 health care law, it would repeal both the individual and employer mandates and limits the "non-essential" products that plans would have to cover. They aren't being shy about how great they think their proposal is. They are calling it the "World's Greatest Healthcare Plan." Republicans have long promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but the politics just may not work that way, Sessions and Cassidy said at joint press conference.

Fearing a Last-Minute Obstacle in a Push to Release 9/11 Findings<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/us/politics/9-11-attacks-declassified-documents-saudi-arabia.html?ref=politics>

NEW YORK TIMES // CARL HULSE

After years of frustration, proponents of releasing 28 classified pages of a congressional inquiry into the Sept. 11 attacks were seeing real progress in their push for disclosure of findings that are said to show high-level Saudi Arabian support for the hijackers. "We seem to be coming to a point of decision as to whether to release it or not and in what form," said Bob Graham, the former Democratic senator from Florida, who served as a co-chairman of the 2002 inquiry and has made disclosure of the pages a personal cause since leaving Congress. But last-minute obstacles, often by design, have a way of cropping up in Washington and slowing things down. Mr. Graham hopes he is not seeing an example of that, he said, after suggestions from James R. Clapper Jr., the director of national intelligence, that Congress will ultimately be left to decide what to do with the pages once intelligence officials finish a review as early as next month. That approach - first raised in a private meeting last week among Mr. Clapper, Mr. Graham and lawmakers - took Mr. Graham by surprise. It threatens to add a new layer of complexity to a process that those backing the release thought was reaching its long-sought end.

McConnell sets up vote to begin debate on defense policy bill<http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/280979-mcconnell-sets-up-defense-policy-bill>

THE HILL // JORDAIN CARNEY

The Senate is set to vote Wednesday on proceeding to a defense policy bill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) set up the vote on Monday, moving to end debate on whether or not to take up the bill. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) had lambasted his colleagues for making the defense bill - passed overwhelmingly by his committee earlier this month - jump through the procedural hurdles. "We are going to go through some kind of foolishness of having the majority leader file cloture. ... It's being totally divorced from the reality of what is happening in the world," he said Monday. McCain, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, tried to get an agreement to move immediately to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), but was blocked by Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Though GOP leadership had floated trying to finish the NDAA this week, Reid said Monday that the Senate traditionally spends weeks debating the legislation.

House GOP budget 'SWAT' team is formed<http://thehill.com/policy/finance/280969-house-gop-budget-swat-team-is-formed>

THE HILL // SCOTT WONG

A "SWAT team" of eight House GOP lawmakers has begun meeting to strike a last-ditch deal on a fiscal 2017 budget, Republican Study Committee Chairman Bill Flores (R-Texas) told The Hill on Monday. It's just the latest attempt to jump-start a budget process that many on Capitol Hill have left for dead. "Earlier this month, I recommended that Speaker Ryan put together a small team of interested individuals with disparate views to develop a path forward to get a budget on the floor," Flores said during an interview in his Capitol Hill office. "That team has been formed and we are working on that," he added. The creation of the SWAT team comes amid GOP infighting over a budget resolution that has gone on for months.

Bill to give location data to police in emergencies fails in House<http://thehill.com/policy/technology/280991-bill-to-give-location-data-to-police-in-emergencies-fails-in-house>

THE HILL // DAVID MCCABE

A bill that would make it easier for law enforcement to get cellphone location data during emergencies was rejected by the House of Representatives on Monday, after critics said it could too easily be abused. The Kelsey Smith Act failed to get the two-thirds vote required to pass under suspension of the rules, with 229 votes for the bill and 158 votes against. It marked a defeat for House leadership, because it is uncommon for bills to fail under suspension. The Huffington Post reported that the family of Kelsey Smith, who was murdered after being kidnapped almost 10 years ago, watched from the gallery as the bill failed. The measure would have made it easier for law enforcement to get location data from cellphones in emergency situations by requiring telecom companies to provider it. Critics said it gave police too much power - and urged lawmakers to vote against it even as they said they agreed with the broader purpose of the law.

Corker skips Obama trip for Trump date<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/bob-corker-donald-trump-veep-223498>

POLITICO // BURGRESS EVERETT

Sen. Bob Corker says he declined an invitation to join President Barack Obama's historic trip to Asia this week, citing the busy congressional schedule. But Corker did find time for a New York meeting with Donald Trump on Monday - a visit the Tennessee Republican downplayed despite ceaseless questions about whether he's being considered as a vice-presidential nominee. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is plainly excited about Trump's candidacy upending traditional political allegiances in Washington, even as he deflects questions about joining the Manhattan mogul on the ticket. Trump has campaigned as a deal maker who isn't beholden to parties or ideology - the kind of pitch that could fit nicely with Corker's own propensity for working across the aisle. "Right now our country's on a very negative trend with things as they're going with both parties and the situation we're in. That's the thing that's attracted Americans to [Trump] is hoping the status quo will change and we can address some of the big issues the nation is dealing with," Corker said in a brief interview Monday after visiting with Trump.

2016 Democrats

Bernie's not-so-secret-weapon<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/bernies-not-so-secret-weapon-223492>

POLITICO // STEVEN SHEPARD

For months, Bernie Sanders and his supporters have pointed to polls that show him running comfortably ahead of Donald Trump in November. But now that Hillary Clinton's lead over Trump has disappeared - and the two likely nominees are now running neck-and-neck in national polls - his argument is gaining new resonance. Clinton and her campaign argue that the Vermont senator hasn't undergone the kind of scrutiny that Clinton and Trump have - and that his poll numbers are over-inflated compared to candidates who have faced intense political attacks from the other party. The data remain unequivocal, however: The latest averages from HuffPost Pollster give Clinton a just less-than-2-point advantage<http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-clinton> over Trump, while Sanders - who is virtually certain to finish well behind Clinton in pledged delegates - leads Trump by 10 points<http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/2016-general-election-trump-vs-sanders>. Trump has narrowed Clinton's lead by 5 points since the end of April, while he's only chipped 2 points off Sanders' edge.

Hillary Clinton Declines Invitation to Debate Bernie Sanders<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/us/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-campaign.html?ref=politics&_r=0>

NEW YORK TIMES // THOMAS KAPLAN

Eager to move on from the Democratic primary race, Hillary Clinton has turned down an invitation to debate Senator Bernie Sanders ahead of California's primary, her campaign said on Monday. The announcement came hours after Mrs. Clinton unleashed a biting critique of Donald J. Trump while addressing a union convention, mocking his business record and offering a glimpse at how she might confront him in the general election. Mr. Sanders's campaign last week tentatively accepted an invitation by Fox News to participate in a debate before California's June 7 primary, and expressed hope that Mrs. Clinton would agree to face off against the senator. In a statement issued Monday evening, a spokeswoman for Mrs. Clinton's campaign, Jennifer Palmieri, said Mrs. Clinton's team would contest California while "turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses."

Hillary Clinton declines invitation to debate Bernie Sanders in California<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/23/hillary-clinton-declines-invitation-to-debate-bernie-sanders-in-california/>

WASHINGTON POST // ABBY PHILLIP

Hillary Clinton's campaign said on Monday that she will not participate in a California debate against Bernie Sanders before the state's primary on June 7. The two campaigns had agreed to additional debates beyond the slate of events that had been scheduled by the Democratic National Committee. The Sanders campaign had hoped to schedule a final debate in California and Fox News had agreed to host in San Francisco. In a statement, Clinton's communications director Jennifer Palmieri confirmed that they do not intend to participate. Instead, Palmieri indicated that Clinton would prefer to instead continue her pivot to the general election fight against Donald Trump, the likely Republican nominee. "We have declined Fox News' invitation to participate in a debate in California," Palmieri said. "As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses."

Clinton turns down Fox News offer to debate Sanders again<http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-debate-idUSKCN0YF013>

REUTERS // ERIC WALSH

Hillary Clinton, the front-runner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, turned down on Monday an invitation by Fox News to debate rival Bernie Sanders in California, despite having agreed previously to a debate in May. "We believe that Hillary Clinton's time is best spent campaigning and meeting directly with voters across California and preparing for a general election campaign that will ensure the White House remains in Democratic hands," her campaign said in a statement. Sanders had already agreed to participate in the event to be hosted by Fox News, following a series of heated exchanges during their fifth debate in April in New York. "I am disappointed but not surprised by Secretary Clinton's unwillingness to debate before the largest and most important primary in the presidential nominating process," Sanders said in a statement.

Clinton declines another debate with Sanders<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/05/23/clinton-sanders-fox-news-california-debate/84818506/>

USA TODAY // COOPER ALLEN AND KATIE SMITH

Hillary Clinton has turned down Fox News' invitation to take part in another Democratic primary debate with Sen. Bernie Sanders, her campaign said Monday. "As we have said previously, we plan to compete hard in the remaining primary states, particularly California, while turning our attention to the threat a Donald Trump presidency poses," said Jennifer Palmieri, the Clinton campaign's communications director, in a statement. Sanders recently accepted an invitation to take part in the debate, which was to be held in California ahead of its June 7 primary. "I am disappointed but not surprised by Secretary Clinton's unwillingness to debate before the largest and most important primary in the presidential nominating process," Sanders said in a statement in which he added a few digs at Clinton. Given the troubles facing California, Sanders said they should have a debate out of "respect for the voters" of the state.

Clinton in Detroit: Trump is 'disaster waiting to happen'<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/05/23/clinton-detroit-trump-disaster-waiting-happen/84813892/>

USA TODAY // KATREASE STAFFORD

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton appealed to a key group of union members Monday afternoon at Detroit's Cobo Center and blasted presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, saying she will stand for workers' rights and unify the party ahead of November's election. Clinton addressed more than 3,000 Service Employees International Union (SEIU) members at the union's 2016 International Convention.The SEIU endorsed Clinton last November, calling her a leader "who will stand up for the working people building a movement to secure a better future for their families." Clinton focused a chunk of her speech on Trump, who she said is a "disaster waiting to happen to America." The crowd booed loudly at the mention of Trump.

Clinton hacker 'Guccifer' expected to plead guilty<http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/280911-clinton-hacker-guccifer-expected-to-plead-guilty>

THE HILL // JULIAN HATTEM

A Romanian hacker who claimed to have broken into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's personal email server is expected to plead guilty to U.S. criminal charges in a federal court this week. Court records show that Marcel Lehel Lazar, who goes by the alias "Guccifer," will change his plea during a hearing in Alexandria, Va. on Wednesday morning. A spokesman with the U.S. attorney's office prosecuting Lazar confirmed that he would plead guilty. However, it is unclear which charges the 42-year-old will plead guilty to, or whether the move is part of a deal to cooperate with federal officials on other cases. The hacker has been indicted on nine felony counts related to his hacking into accounts of senior U.S. officials, including former President George W. Bush and ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell. Lazar's hacking into Bush's email account exposed self-portraits and other paintings that the former president had after leaving office.

Clinton campaign plans battleground-state media blitz hitting Trump on housing crisis<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/23/clinton-campaign-plans-battleground-state-media-blitz-hitting-trump-on-housing-crisis/>

WASHINGTON POST // ABBY PHILLIP

An army of Hillary Clinton's surrogates in battleground states will blast Donald Trump on Tuesday over his past statements about the housing market and his business record, according to a campaign aide. The coordinated push is the first of their efforts to frame the likely Republican nominee in the minds of swing voters even while Clinton continues to contest the Democratic primary against Bernie Sanders. About a dozen surrogates and local elected officials in Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Hampshire, Iowa, Colorado, Nevada and elsewhere will host calls, events and release statements focused on Trump's response to the housing crisis that precipitated the economic recession. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), will be engaged in the efforts and Ryan will host a conference call with reporters at noon Tuesday to hammer home the message.

Sanders wins greater say in Democratic platform; names pro-Palestinian activist<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/sanders-scores-platform-concessions-from-democratic-national-committee/2016/05/23/e9ee8330-20fc-11e6-aa84-42391ba52c91_story.html>

WASHINGTON POST // ANNE GEARAN

Sen. Bernie Sanders was given unprecedented say over the Democratic Party platform Monday in a move party leaders hope will soothe a bitter split with backers of the longshot challenger to Hillary Clinton - and Sanders immediately used his new power to name a well-known advocate for Palestinian rights to help draft Democratic policy. The senator from Vermont was allowed to choose nearly as many members of the Democratic Party platform-writing body as Clinton, who is expected to clinch the nomination next month. That influence resulted from an agreement worked out this month between the two candidates and party officials, the party announced Monday. Clinton has picked six members of the 15-member committee that writes the platform, and Sanders has named five, the Democrats said Monday ahead of an expected announcement by the Democratic National Committee.

Sanders barnstorms California with little to say about Clinton<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/23/sanders-barnstorms-california-with-little-to-say-about-clinton/>

WASHINGTON POST // DAVID WEIGEL

Thirty-two minutes into his speech to a large and slightly sunburned crowd, Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.) finally did it. He mentioned that he was running against someone. "We don't hang out in fancy mansions raising millions of dollars," Sanders said. "One of the differences between Secretary Clinton and our campaign is that we've raised money in the old-fashioned way. ... Secretary Clinton and Donald Trump are doing it a little bit differently." There were boos at the mention of Clinton's name, but not many. The largely Latino crowd in east Los Angeles's Lincoln Park offered no chants or "Bernie or Bust" heckles. As his campaign quietly fights to influence July's Democratic National Convention, Sanders is limiting his own critiques of Clinton to electability and to her support from super PACs that can collect unlimited donations. It's a night-and-day difference from what Clinton's supporters feared, or the brief period when Sanders pronounced the front-runner "not qualified" for the presidency.

Sanders steps up his attacks in homestretch<http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/280993-sanders-steps-up-his-attacks-in-homestretch>

THE HILL // ALEXANDER BOLTON

Bernie Sanders is stirring things up in the homestretch of the Democratic presidential primary. The Vermont Independent is threatening to take his challenge against Hillary Clinton, whom he described over the weekend as the "lesser of two evils" compared to Donald Trump, all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. He's supporting Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz's primary challenger in Florida, making his fight with the Democratic National Committee chairwoman personal. On the legislative front, Sanders is intensifying his opposition to a Puerto Rico debt relief deal backed by Clinton, President Obama, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and even Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), one of Sanders's own supporters on Capitol Hill. The multifronted fight is sparking worries among Democrats, who see Trump as winning time to unify the GOP as their own party remains engaged in internal war.

Sanders draws blood in war with Democratic leaders <http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/url-bernie-sanders-democrats-establishment-platform-223495>

POLITICO // GABRIEL DEBENEDETTI

Bernie Sanders secured his first concession from the Democratic establishment on Monday when the Democratic National Committee agreed to grant his supporters greater representation on its convention platform committee. But, as is increasingly becoming clear, he and his restless loyalists have no intention of stopping there. Sanders is rapidly revealing that his nomination battle against Hillary Clinton represents just one front in his wider war on the Democratic Party's entrenched leadership, and that the other fights - from Washington, D.C., to Nevada, to Wyoming - are about to get far more attention. Gone are any new attacks on the likely nominee, though Sanders has kept up his jabs at certain of Clinton's policies and still needles her over her political prospects. But the Vermont senator - long perceived by many of his Democratic colleagues as a gadfly - is stepping up his assault on the party's way of doing business.

Sanders: Democratic convention will be 'messy'<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/sanders-democratic-convention-will-be-messy-223501>

POLITICO // HANNA TRUDO

Bernie Sanders expects the Democratic National Convention to be one thing for certain: "messy." In an interview with The Associated Press published on Monday, the Vermont senator suggested that Democrats would have to tolerate some measure of chaos if they wanted their party to welcome new voters into their ranks. "I think if they make the right choice and open the doors to working class people and young people and create the kind of dynamism that the Democratic Party needs, it's going to be messy," he said. "Democracy is not always nice and quiet and gentle but that is where the Democratic Party should go." Pressed by AP reporter Ken Thomas, Sanders made no apologies for comments that are likely to alarm Hillary Clinton's supporters, who are hoping for a smooth convention in July.

2016 Republicans

Trump opponents scramble to get on board<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-opponents-reverse-stance-223493>

POLITICO // ELI STOKOLS

Two months before the man who is running Donald Trump's super PAC took the job, he was calling the billionaire a "narcissist" and predicting that a litany of lewd interviews with Howard Stern would do in his campaign. "There's so much stuff to pound away on [with] Trump. All you have to do is get all the Howard Stern tapes, when he and Howard Stern would talk about girlfriends," Ed Rollins said during a panel discussion about the election at Hofstra University on March 10, five days before Trump won the Florida primary. "I think he's in for a real battle. And what I've discovered watching him is, like many narcissists - which clearly he is - they don't like to be attacked. Anytime he gets attacked, he loses his cool."

Trump fuels Democratic voter surge<http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/california-democratic-voter-registration-223487>

POLITICO //  DANIEL STRAUSS

When the deadline to register to vote in California's June 7 primary closes Monday evening, Democrats are expected to be the big winners. The party has enjoyed a dramatic spike in registration since the beginning of the year - and they have Donald Trump to thank for it.

In the first three months of the year, California added 1.5 million new voters through the end of April - double the number of new voters added during the same time period in 2012. And the total number of registered Democrats increased by nearly 100,000 people between the beginning of January and the beginning of April - compared to a gain of just 15,000 registered Republicans, according to an analysis from Political Data Inc., a California-based voting analytics firm.

Poll Finds Lack of Enthusiasm for Clinton and Trump<http://www.wsj.com/articles/poll-finds-lack-of-enthusiasm-for-clinton-and-trump-1464037289>

WALL STREET JOURNAL // PATRICK O'CONNOR

Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump share a defining asset that is fueling support for both in the 2016 presidential race: voters' animus toward the other candidate. More than half of registered voters in a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll who said they plan to cast ballots for Mrs. Clinton this fall say their decision is more about opposing Mr. Trump than supporting the likely Democratic nominee. A slightly larger share of Trump backers says the same about their vote for the Republican candidate. That finding underscores just how discouraged many voters are about the likely choices in a general-election showdown that would pit the two least-popular presidential candidates in modern history in a race already defined by frustration and anger over the status quo.

Trump: I may ask Congress to formally declare war to fight terror <http://www.politico.com/story/2016/05/trump-terror-declaration-war-223497>

POLITICO // NOLAN MCCASKILL

President Donald Trump would have no problem asking Congress for a declaration of war to fight terrorism, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee told Fox News host Bill O'Reilly in an interview that will air Monday evening. "It wouldn't bother me at all doing that," Trump said, according to a transcript of the interview. "We probably should have done that in the first place." The real estate mogul said fighting terrorism isn't the same as traditional war, noting that terrorists don't wear uniforms and battling extremists isn't the same as going against a country like Germany or Japan.

Trump escalates attack on Bill Clinton<https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-escalates-attack-on-bill-clinton/2016/05/23/ed109acc-2100-11e6-8690-f14ca9de2972_story.html>

WASHINGTON POST // JOSE DELREAL AND ROBERT COSTA

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is reviving some of the ugliest political chapters of the 1990s with escalating personal attacks on Bill Clinton's character - centered on past accusations of sexual assault - amid a concerted effort to smother Hillary Clinton's campaign message with the weight of decades of controversy. Trump's latest shot came Monday when he released an incendiary Instagram video that includes the voices of two women who accused the former president of sexual assault, underscoring the presumptive Republican nominee's willingness to go far beyond political norms in his critique of his likely Democratic rival. The real estate mogul has said in recent interviews that a range of Clinton-related controversies will be at the center of his case against Hillary Clinton.

Trump set to headline first campaign fundraiser in Albuquerque Tuesday<https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/05/23/trump-set-to-headline-first-campaign-fundraiser-in-albuquerque-tuesday/>

WASHINGTON POST // MATEA GOLD

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is slated to headline his first official fundraiser in conjunction with the Republican National Committee Tuesday when he makes a campaign swing through Albuquerque, kicking off an urgent drive to raise $1 billion for his general election bid. The event, which requires a $10,000 donation, is being hosted by Kevin R. Daniels, the owner of a funeral services company and prominent GOP donor, according to details obtained by The Washington Post. In an interview, Daniels said he was putting on the fundraiser at the request of RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. "I am a pretty big supporter of Republican causes and the United States, and always vowed to support whoever our nominee is," Daniels said. Between 20 and 25 people are expected to attend the reception, which includes a photo line with the candidate. "I'm sure it's going to be one of many," Daniels said.

Donald Trump Meets With Woody Johnson, Jets Owner and G.O.P. Fund-Raiser<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/us/politics/donald-trump-woody-johnson-fundraising.html?ref=politics>

NEW YORK TIMES // MAGGIE HABERMAN

Donald J. Trump met privately on Monday with Woody Johnson, the New York Jets owner and a top Republican fund-raiser, as the presumptive nominee looks to secure the support of some of the party's largest financial backers in order to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for his general election effort. Mr. Trump confirmed the meeting in a brief interview with The Times. "Woody's a great guy," Mr. Trump said. "Woody will support me. He's a terrific guy, he's been a friend of mine a long time." Mr. Johnson supported Jeb Bush during the Republican primary, a decision he made early in 2015, at a time when many people were still uncertain whether Mr. Trump was mounting a serious campaign. An aide to Mr. Johnson declined to comment on the meeting. The move came as Mr. Trump begins to build a fund-raising operation in order to raise roughly $1 billion through a joint fund-raising agreement among his campaign, the Republican National Committee and 11 state parties.

Editorials/Op-Eds

The gun debate America needs to have<https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-gun-debate-america-needs-to-have/2016/05/23/fb3ce42a-2119-11e6-aa84-42391ba52c91_story.html>

WASHINGTON POST // THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Donald Trump appeared Friday before the National Rifle Association and promised to roll back gun restrictions if elected president. The next day, Hillary Clinton stood before a group of mothers who have lost children or other relatives to gun violence and vowed to fight for stricter gun control. The back-to-back speeches by the presumptive Republican nominee and his likely Democratic opponent signal the prominent role that gun issues may play in the presidential election. That would be a welcome contrast to the recent past, when the critical matter of gun violence - and how to combat it - was missing in action from national election debates. Ms. Clinton has highlighted her disagreement with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) over gun policy in their primary battle. Traditionally, Democrats running for office tread gingerly on the issue so as not to rile the NRA, but Ms. Clinton seems eager to take on the powerful organization. "Unlike Donald Trump, I will not pander to the gun lobby," she said Saturday, after the NRA had endorsed Mr. Trump.

A Baffling, Hard-line Choice in Israel<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/opinion/a-baffling-hard-line-choice-in-israel.html?ref=opinion>

NEW YORK TIMES // THE EDITORIAL BOARD

Avigdor Lieberman's previous stints as Israel's foreign minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were a disaster for Israeli-American relations. Mr. Lieberman's ultranationalist positions on Palestinians, settlements and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict rendered him effectively unwelcome in Washington and toxic to Palestinians. Yet to shore up his coalition in the Israeli Parliament, Mr. Netanyahu has now offered Mr. Lieberman the office of minister of defense - widely considered to be the second most powerful position in the Israeli government, with a critical role in dealing with the United States and the Palestinians. Mr. Netanyahu may think his political needs are more important than relations with the soon-to-end Obama administration, relations that are already severely strained by the nuclear agreement with Iran. But the administration had at least established a working relationship with Moshe Yaalon, the tough but pragmatic defense minister who resigned once the offer to Mr. Lieberman became known. The timing of this changing of the guard is particularly sensitive because a critical 10-year defense agreement establishing new levels of American military aid for Israel is in the final stages of negotiations.

Moving On in Vietnam, but Remembering Its Lessons<http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/opinion/moving-on-in-vietnam-but-remembering-its-lessons.html?ref=opinion>

NEW YORK TIMES // JOHN KERRY, JOHN MCCAIN, AND BOB KERREY

As President Obama visits Vietnam, we are struck by the fact that most citizens of both countries have no living memory of a conflict that claimed the lives of more than 58,000 Americans and upward of a million Vietnamese. As Americans who fought in that war, we are frequently asked about its lessons. There are few easy answers, in part because every conflict is unique and because we have learned that attempts to apply past lessons to new crises sometimes do more harm than good. But a few things are clear. The first is not personal to us, but a principle that applies to all who wear the uniform: We must never again confuse a war with the warriors. American veterans deserve our deepest respect, gratitude and support whenever and wherever they serve. The second lesson is that our leaders need to be honest with Congress and the American people about our plans, goals and strategy when the lives of our fighting men and women are put at risk. (The mission of the first American combat troops deployed to Vietnam was described as "flood relief.")