Subject: POLITICO's Morning Money, presented by Allied Progress: The problem with Bernie's electability argument — Cruz, Kasich team up to stop Trump — Brexit fear could slow Fed — GOP insiders resigned to Hillary win?
From: Morning Money <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2016 06:04:08 -0600

By Ben White | 04/25/2016 08:01 AM EDT

THE PROBLEM WITH BERNIE'S ELECTABLILITY ARGUMENT - Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders often makes the case that he should stay in the Democratic primary, despite his big delegate deficit, because he polls better in general election matchups than Hillary Clinton. Well, there is a reason for this, as a liberal Democrat who is sympathetic to Sanders on many issues laid out in an email to MM: "Sanders keeps claiming ... that his apparent poll 'lead' gives him leverage and a reason to stay in the race ... But those numbers are totally unrealistic because no one has run a negative campaign against him. 

"And, Clinton can't because she needs his support and his supporters. In stark contrast, Republicans have been running hard negative against the Clintons for decades and against Hillary personally for a very long time. No one should be surprised at her high negatives; in fact, you could argue that the surprise that they are not higher given everything thrown at her so consistently for so long. ... 

"It also seems obvious that if a negative campaign were run against Sanders no way he'd run so well against Trump or anyone else. Therefore, those numbers are totally artificial and say little if anything about what would be the reality if Sanders were the nominee or a real threat to the Republicans." 

SIREN: CRUZ/KASICH TEAM UP TO STOP TRUMP - POLITICO's Katie Glueck and Kyle Cheney: "Ted Cruz and John Kasich have begun coordinating their campaign strategy to stop Donald Trump, an abrupt alliance announced Sunday night that includes Kasich quitting his efforts in Indiana and Cruz clearing a path for the Ohio governor in Oregon and New Mexico. 

"'To ensure that we nominate a Republican who can unify the Republican Party and win in November, our campaign will focus its time and resources in Indiana and in turn clear the path for Gov. Kasich to compete in Oregon and New Mexico, and we would hope that allies of both campaigns would follow our lead,' Cruz campaign manager Jeff Roe said ... 

"Trump fired back late Sunday on Twitter, writing, 'Wow, just announced that Lyin' Ted and Kasich are going to collude in order to keep me from getting the Republican nomination. DESPERATION!'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d0df7d8e2d8ccbd821884bc3093c8e0e569dddae105b08a2cb

BREXIT FEAR COULD SLOW FED - Pantheon's Ian Shepherdson: "We are revising our forecast for Fed action this year, taking out two of the four hikes we had previously expected. We now look for the Fed to hike by 25bp in September and December, so the funds rate ends the year at 0.875%. ... We remain more aggressive than most other forecasters, especially for next year, but we have to recognize that a June hike is now less likely, not least because the U.K.'s referendum on its membership in the European Union comes just eight days after the FOMC meeting. 

"The intervention of President Obama in London on Friday and the open letter by eight former U.S. Treasury Secretaries urging Britons to stay in the EU makes it very clear that the administration is extremely nervous of the potential consequences of Brexit. We are firmly of the view that the U.K. will vote to remain in the Union. But we also think Dr. Yellen will be very reluctant to raise rates just a week before chaos could descend on global markets" 

GOP INSIDERS RESIGNED TO HILLARY WIN? - Per a memo to clients going out this a.m. from political consultant Paul Equale: "A significant development is taking hold among GOP professionals on the Hill and downtown ... 'save the House and Senate at all costs' is the mantra. Their alarm about Trump is allayed by three bedrock beliefs. First, he will lose. Second, they've learned to live with Obama as president; after him, how bad can Hillary be? Besides, the voters will tire of Democrats in the WH after 12 years, setting up 2020 as an election that will propel a Republican to the Presidency. ... 

"Finally, for the downtown crowd, if the House and Senate hold, so does their ability to attract clients. While some still hold out hope for Trump to lose in an open Convention scenario, the majority have already acclimated to the likely reality that many otherwise safe down ballot House/Senate seats will be in serious jeopardy with Trump leading the ticket. 

"The most forward thinking DC Republican operatives are well into planning for clear and strong down-ballot distancing from Trump in the general election, and are beginning to quietly talk with a small circle of Republican donors." 

BRUSSELS LOVE NYT's Nicola Clark: "The offices of Politico Europe, the Brussels outpost of the American political news organization, are less than a five-minute walk from the Maelbeek subway station where a suicide bomber killed more than a dozen people in the terrorist attacks here last month. ... The niche publication normally focuses on the inner workings and power dynamics of the European Union's sprawling institutions, so acts of Islamic terrorism are not exactly its standard offering.

"But to Matthew Kaminski, Politico Europe's executive editor, it was an event that lent itself naturally to Politico's brand of swift, flood-the-zone news coverage. ... Brussels Playbook is the European equivalent to the free morning email started by Politico's departing star Washington reporter Mike Allen ... 'Everyone reads it,
conceded Peter Spiegel, Brussels bureau chief of The Financial Times. 'It has really become the thing that starts the daily conversation here.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d06674f9d8f49d184274bac09141d8b39cc06747a41d428849

GOOD MONDAY MORNING - Congrats to the Caps on getting past the Flyers in six games and saving MM the stressful nightmare of another Game 7 and possible collapse. Now bring on the Pens! Friendly non-monetary wagers with Pittsburgh fans considered. Email me on [email-masked] and follow me on Twitter @morningmoneyben 

THIS MORNING ON POLITICO PRO FINANCIAL SERVICES -  Patrick Temple-West with the latest on IEX's stock exchange application -- and to get Morning Money every day before 6 a.m.-- please contact Pro Services at (703) 341-4600 [email-masked]

DRIVING THE WEEK - Big primary day on Tuesday with contests in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are set up for big wins. But Trump could run into trouble in Pennsylvania because most of the state's delegates will not be bound even on the first ballot in Cleveland ... Will big losses drive Sanders from the race? Seems possible. 

President Obama completes his European trip on Tuesday continuing to push for free trade in an appearance with German Chancellor Angela Merkel followed by remarks and meetings with other European leaders ... FOMC meets Tuesday and Wednesday but is not expected to make any change to rates. And there is no press conference by Chair Janet Yellen ... First read on Q1 GDP on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. expected to show growth of just 0.6%.

ALSO THIS WEEK: ICBA SUMMIT - Per ICBA: "ICBA's Washington Policy Summit ... begins on Monday, April 25 and runs through Wednesday, April 27. During the event, community bankers from across the nation will be swarming Capitol Hill and bringing the message of the nation's more than 6,000 community banks and the countless customers and communities they serve to members of Congress and regulators." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d061f52435f6b9197bddaea80c365d35925d09776312c65a20 

OBAMA TRIES TO SAVE EUROPE - POLITICO's Michael Crowley: "Barack Obama planned to pivot to Asia, escape the Middle East, reboot with Latin America and elevate Africa. Europe, he hoped, would take care of itself. No such luck. Europe is in crisis, many U.S. officials believe, and when Obama delivers a speech in Hanover, Germany, on Monday, aides say he will be addressing the whole continent as it grapples with terrorism, nationalism, refugees and questions about the European Union's survival.

"It also marks a turnabout in Obama's own thinking - amid grumbling by many European diplomats that the president hasn't given the continent the attention it needs. Even some Obama aides acknowledge that Europe has sometimes been overshadowed by Obama's other foreign priorities, like the Iran nuclear deal and relations with China." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d058e191bda3c82ead822d57065069c502e5042daac62c8d3a

** A message from Allied Progress: #DebtTrapDebbie Wasserman Schultz isn't the only Member of Congress trying to sabotage President Obama's hard work to rein in predatory payday lenders through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Vote now and help Allied Progress decide who to expose next. CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d01814021f010f6f76bcd20910dcf98599595a752a61ae9e6a **

OBAMA/MERKEL LOVEFEST - FT's Geoff Dyer in Washington, Patrick McGee in Hanover and Stefan Wagstyl in Berlin: "Barack Obama and Angela Merkel have called for talks over a transatlantic trade deal to be completed this year as fears mount that the opportunity to reach an agreement is slipping away. .. .Speaking at a joint press conference, Mr Obama went out of his way to praise the German chancellor, who has been one of his closest confidants among international leaders but whose domestic political standing has been undermined by the migrant crisis.

"The German decision to allow more than 1m people to enter the country last year had put Ms Merkel 'on the right side of history' despite the political backlash, he said. 'She is giving voice to principles that bring people together rather than divide them. I'm very proud of her for that and I'm proud of the German people for that,' he added. ... In return, Ms Merkel showered her American counterpart with praise for his leadership on the Paris climate accords. 'Barack, a personal thanks to you,' she said. 'Without the United States of America, this would not have come to pass.'" 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d061cda8bd6caecb872df1e3a4ac630fe9fef1f9943b6be22f

CEOS FREAKED OUT BY 2016 - WSJ's Nick Timiraos and Ted Mann: "Chief executives at big American companies are increasingly frustrated by the populist tone of the presidential campaign, and concerns are mounting in boardrooms and corner offices that antibusiness rhetoric may solidify even after the November election. Some business groups had looked to a Republican administration next January that might peel back some Obama administration regulations. But that hope now is in doubt, and such groups are instead focused on key Senate and House races.

"While some observers believe candidates may soften their stances once elected, executives worry that for now, the rhetoric of the election discussion could weigh on consumer confidence, thwart any immigration overhaul and derail [TPP] .. 'The precipitousness of the political debate is a little scary right now,' said Jim McNerney, who served as chief executive of Boeing Co. until last year and as chairman until February, at a recent industry conference." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d030eb54122816b93553c70680004870c69faf26331c5d46bf

SANDERS LOOKS TO SHAPE THE AGENDA - NYT's Nicholas Confessore: "Even as his chances of winning the Democratic presidential nomination slip away, ... Sanders and his allies are trying to use his popularity to expand his political influence, setting up an ideological struggle for the soul of the Democratic Party in the post-Obama era.= Aides to Mr. Sanders have been pressing party officials for a significant role in drafting the platform for the Democratic convention in July, aiming to lock in strong planks on issues like a $15-an-hour federal minimum wage, breaking up Wall Street banks and banning natural gas 'fracking.' ... 

"The pressure from Mr. Sanders and his allies is putting the party establishment, which is closely aligned with Hillary Clinton, in a delicate position. Democratic leaders are wary of steering the party too far left, but do not want to alienate the Sanders supporters whose votes Mrs. Clinton needs in November, or risk losing the vast new donor base Mr. Sanders has created. ... Gov. Dannel P. Malloy of Connecticut, a top Clinton surrogate, will be co-chairman of the platform committee. Barney Frank, a former Massachusetts congressman and fierce critic of Mr. Sanders and his Wall Street proposals, will be a co-chairman of the rules committee" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d0698197f27d2e91cabd72e893b2f9cfd08b0f152597e8a9c6

ALSO FOR YOUR RADAR - 

RETAILERS GET UNLIKELY SUPPORT - Discover CEO David Nelms: "I think we may be missing an opportunity to go to the higher level of security with EMV, which is how chip cards are handled in the rest of the world and what merchants in other countries expect when they see a U.S.-issued EMV card" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d07fccb1e834acbc1000f20d6545154cec00ad7244c6ded48c

GOLDMAN GOES DOWN MARKET - FT's Ben McLannahan: "For almost 150 years Goldman Sachs has been the go-to bank of the rich and powerful. But now the Wall Street titan is opening up to the masses on Main Street by offering online savings accounts for as little as $1 on deposit. Goldman's shift down market comes as the bank is under pressure to develop new streams of funding. Weak first-quarter results from the big US banks have highlighted the challenges faced by their investment banking units, under pressure from volatile markets and tight regulations. ... 

"The bank last week launched GSBank.com, a platform it inherited via the acquisition of a $16bn book of deposits from GE Capital. Through that deal it gained about 145,000 retail depositors and is now seeking more, offering annual interest rates of 1.05 per cent on a savings account - many times better than the rates of the biggest US brick-and-mortar lenders such as Citibank, JPMorgan Chase or Bank of America. Stephen Scherr, Goldman's chief strategy officer, said the aim was to broaden sources of funding for GS Bank, its New York State-chartered lender" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d04b56a00c5807be5f71aaa8278e0913ce2849e22bcf3293fe

KOCH: HILLARY MIGHT BE OK - ABC's Alexander Mallin and Jonathan Karl: "It's a nightmare scenario for Republicans, but conservative billionaire Charles Koch says 'it's possible' Hillary Clinton could make a better president than the remaining candidates in the GOP primary. Koch, one of the most influential and controversial forces in Republican politics, said in an exclusive interview with ABC News to air Sunday on 'This Week' that he believed Bill Clinton was a better president 'in some ways' than George W. Bush." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d08c551eb76336dc579ae9c629fdb6031481a7d9ccc4f1e444

NEW REPORT ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND TERROR FUNDING - Via a report out Monday from The Camstoll Group: "Terrorist financiers and fundraisers have utilized social media to attract and direct funding to procure weapons, pay salaries, strengthen infrastructure and operate civil and social services. While the amount of funding raised via social media is far less in comparison to revenues from oil sales or taxation, al-Qaida and ISIS fundraisers have taken credit for millions of dollars" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d02d932df527a04a822bdfe31f41fd254f5c09ac701d2c2e9f

** A message from Allied Progress: #DebtTrapDebbie Wasserman Schultz isn't the only Member of Congress trying to sabotage President Obama's hard work to rein in predatory payday lenders through the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Vote now and help Allied Progress decide who to expose next. Who will it be? Rep. Corrine Brown - Rep. Kathy Castor - Rep. Lois Frankel - Rep. Alcee Hastings - Rep. Patrick Murphy - Rep. Bill Posey - Rep. Dennis Ross? CAST YOUR VOTE TODAY: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=99a82374dbba75d01814021f010f6f76bcd20910dcf98599595a752a61ae9e6a **

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