Subject: POLITICO Playbook, presented by Samsung: THROWDOWN THURSDAY: COMEY’s legacy day -- TRUMP leaves hole in schedule during hearing -- THE RNC’S TALKING POINTS and 'suggested tweets' for today’s big event -- SPOTTED at Trump Int’l hotel -- B’DAY: Barbara Bush
From: "Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman" <[email-masked]>
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Date: Thu, 08 Jun 2017 04:41:02 -0600
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Today's PLAYBOOK presented by Samsung 
    
06/08/2017 06:37 AM EDT
 
By ANNA PALMER ([email-masked]; @apalmerdc) and JAKE SHERMAN ([email-masked]; @JakeSherman) with DANIEL LIPPMAN ([email-masked]; @dlippman)
        Driving the Day       
Listen to the Playbook Audio Briefing http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e58689b39bffe44507a9423f9481da0090811839034988c053729ad34127269670bd0f93628df0dc00 ... Subscribe on iTunes  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5d48c83baac0f9cf94e4de7e7ed658d51d57bacb86520c49d27374f5c3864cb260a9b3be67eb84d61 ... Visit the online home of Playbook  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5032c98ec4176a5766834e4b68376b02cdfc6df7059104b2b1a62ec37c8f21bcf980bddd61ab57a3a

Good Thursday morning. GET READY FOR THROWDOWN THURSDAY. James Comey's testimony before the Senate Intel Committee starts at 10 a.m. Today all the networks and all the cables will be live -- with a few of them offering up live streams for free online. And if James Comey's much buzzed about statement is any indication of his savvy and willingness to dish, Trump will be more than tweeting today. He'll be seething. Comey's statement http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5f5902adec77c30faca9d2847173f07e740162e45efabfaa8bee7e6da8da5c733cedaccee2cfe4342 

FOLLOW POLITICO's two reporters in the hearing room (Hart 216) today: Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) and Kyle Cheney (@kyledcheney). 

THE PRESIDENT'S THURSDAY -- Trump speaks at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's Road to the Majority Conference at 12:15 p.m., and then will host governors and mayors at the White House for an infrastructure summit at 3:30. 

-- NOTES: The president has nothing before his 12:15 speech. Some of the newsiest bits of the hearing will be at the top. THE PRESS BRIEFING TODAY is with Sarah Huckabee Sanders and it will be off camera. Speaker Paul Ryan is holding his weekly press conference at 11:30 a.m. today in the Capitol.

REMEMBER THIS -- Comey isn't constrained by traditional political considerations. Today will shape his legacy. Our reporting tells us that members of Congress don't expect him to accuse the president of a crime, but expect him to be extremely open about what transpired behind closed doors. We are told that he will, at times, go beyond what he wrote in his statement. 

THE BIG PICTURE -- NYT, A18 -- "Comey's Political Shrewdness Is on Display in Tussle With Trump," by Peter Baker and Glenn Thrush: "The morning, at least, seemed to go reasonably well for President Trump. He announced a new F.B.I. director, and two intelligence chiefs told Congress the president had never pressured them to interfere in the investigation into Russian election meddling.

"And then James B. Comey ... dropped the hammer. By authorizing the immediate release of the opening statement he plans to give in his much anticipated appearance before a congressional committee on Thursday, he instantly changed the conversation back to his assertion that the president tried to shut down part of the F.B.I. investigation.

"Mr. Trump may be relatively new to Washington, but Mr. Comey is not. A savvy veteran of the capital who has worked in high positions in multiple administrations, he has usually emerged on top in any internal power struggle. And in the month since his dismissal, Mr. Comey has shown why presidents are normally loath to fire F.B.I. directors." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5a91f4e692e2337ae69fe215e46e124d99bb75664fc47220936513ff481dc14825c28e73449763d0b 

THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE sent an email at 9:56 p.m. last night to people around town with the subject line: "Talking Points and Digital Packet for Senate Intelligence Committee Hearing." The first item under "top takeaway" is "President Trump feels completely and totally vindicated by Former FBI Director James Comey's opening testimony and is eager to move forward." It includes a "suggested tweets" section. The RNC talking points http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e521d20eef4fcf5a7b0aa11a4ec6528a9800399bd11dc0ec660ed5dc1bde83f0163d78561363faa9dd ... WSJ: RNC says they've dedicated 60 aides to the pushback effort. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5d3d263d0562196da48b2e611543bb44496a2411fef3f1209b02cba1413f54507bdec896d78d9b07f

THE COUNTER ATTACK -- "West Wing aides fearful of directly attacking Comey: The White House has outsourced its counter-messaging effort during Comey's testimony, as aides try to avoid more personal legal risk," by Matt Nussbaum, Josh Dawsey, Darren Samuelsohn and Tara Palmeri: "'It's fair to say a storm is coming,' one administration source said. 'We're boarding up the windows for the impending hurricane.' ... The [RNC] is taking the lead in the response and has prepared a surrogate operation. ... Two former Trump White House officials - former deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh and former communications director Mike Dubke - are helping coordinate the effort. Press secretary Sean Spicer was
 at the RNC on Wednesday as preparations took place. ... For official comment, the White House has directed all questions to the office of Trump's outside counsel, Marc Kasowitz.

"Kasowitz's office, in turn, has directed inquiries to Emily Thall, the law firm's director of business development and marketing. On Tuesday, Thall declined to comment in a brief conversation with POLITICO about Comey testimony. By Wednesday, inquiries to Thall were met with an automatic response: She would be out of the office on vacation until next week. By Wednesday night, Kasowitz's firm had retained longtime political communications pro Mark Corallo to handle media inquiries." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5f0b8986342c252bc9cb2e45d2561e8b3cd1fe40d9aec3c5139612567a30b1040bf6a4af077d98e1f

QUOTE OF THE DAY - From the quadruple-byline story: "White House aides are trying to keep Trump busy Thursday morning with meetings so he won't watch TV and tweet during the hearing. 'But if he wants to watch it, it's not like we can say, 'oh, the TV doesn't work,'' one official said." 

HOW IT'S PLAYING -- HUFFPOST banner, "COMEY BEFORE THE STORM" ... DRUDGE as of 6 a.m., "MAY DAY" (about the UK election) ... N.Y. POST, "'I EXPECT LOYALTY'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e55f3cda840b5868a17be5e2df8678d229b6104d38f15cc63b7dbf5e9aa5c0b1bd39c1e998b999b5ae ... N.Y. DAILY NEWS, "DON'S PLEA: COVERUP" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5a101f80b95960df18669ffdfb5891962a09b9cfe9c0933d8e96e9b71c1878ebca21a95b77d673912 ... EVEN TMZ IS IN ON THE ACTION -- They have videos of Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) (http://bit.ly/2qYQTBX) and Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) (http://bit.ly/2s7kyNv).

****** A message from Samsung: Samsung has announced more than $10 Billion in US Growth since 2016, including our March 2017 acquisition of HARMAN International, a commitment of $1.2 Billion in U.S.-based IoT Investment and R&D, and a $1B expansion of our Austin, TX Semiconductor Manufacturing Facility. Visit Samsung.com/VisionForTomorrow for more. ******

FUN READ -- "'Must-See TV': Free Drinks and Canceled Meetings for Comey's Testimony," by NYT's Mike Grynbaum and Katie Rogers: "By the time details from Mr. Comey's prepared remarks surfaced on Wednesday ... the hearing had leapt from Beltway curiosity to required viewing, a cliffhanger episode of the nation's real-life reality show. ... At Union Pub in Washington, a sports bar steps from the Hart Senate Office Building, bartenders plan to dole out a free round of Budweisers or bourbon shots every time Mr. Trump blasts out a tweet. For those wondering: No, there will not be a limit. 'We'll give out 20 rounds' if the president tweets 20 times, Ashley Saunders, the bar's general manager,
 said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e58865686dfd0762aa3749dbb7928c83dabb1b69253fa1a8a56959ed78f4424cb3a33f959bce6b1ebf

THIS TOWN -- "White-collar lawyers see opportunity in Trump scandals," by Darren Samuelsohn and Andrew Restuccia: "More than a dozen attorneys and crisis communications specialists have already started working for Trump associates touched by the unfolding Russia scandal, according to a POLITICO tally. People close to the probes say that number is only expected to grow as more than 20 other senior campaign aides and White House officials begin receiving subpoenas, grand jury summons and other requests from special counsel Robert Mueller as well as congressional committees." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e504d2a6899a60dd86a11e6695852082f1492c1960c01d36c856b369f702ce85b8bba4d8151b790c58

ACROSS THE POND -- BRITISH ELECTION TODAY -- "Polls open in UK election after campaign marred by attacks," by AP's Danica Kirka in London: "Polling stations opened across Britain on Thursday for national elections, amid heightened security worries following a series of terror attacks in what one senior police official described as 'unprecedented times.' The public is being asked to be alert and to report concerns to police as voters choose 650 lawmakers for the House of Commons. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D'Orsi acknowledged concerns about Thursday's general election." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5774c94de241ffc4a2caabb0fe24d2ba72cf3c54db92b4cc73abcd10097180b0e925257c7dd5a0c34

ANNIE KARNI: THE FIRST FAMILY -- "Melania Trump set to make her D.C. move next week: Staffers hope the first lady will be a stabilizing presence in a White House that's been consumed by scandal and infighting": "With the school year over, first lady Melania Trump and the couple's son Barron are expected to finally make their official move to Washington on June 14, according to people familiar with the planning. ... Over the past few weeks, the often stiff-in-her-role first lady has been spending more time in the White House, building out her East Wing staff, preparing the residence for the family and slowly increasing her schedule of public events. ... [T]he June 14 date is seen as a major
 marker on the White House calendar - when the first lady puts away the full matching set of Louis Vuitton luggage that she travels with and settles in for good." With cameos by Sam Nunberg, Chris Ruddy and Anita McBride http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5f8219da6e0c8169c2870d16cfc73e52abc30b1bb1d00dc60253f5913d793b936075af5be8011dc56

-- US WEEKLY COVER: "IVANKA TAKES A STAND ... WHY I DISAGREE WITH MY DAD" (h/t Brian Stelter). Online header to the story: "How Ivanka Trump Influences Her Father Donald Trump" The cover http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5d275335a7a246342ae1ee91f6385603cc9277fe306fdad8257560ffb1cd84955e512c9367582dc5a ... The story http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e58ed2388525015605e542b0f4e2104e3ef435d2c95e742a0e504a6921254eab0aa1f4b8557a236fe1

CAPITOL HILL WATCH -- "Trump 'all in' on Senate Obamacare repeal," by Burgess Everett and Josh Dawsey: "At a meeting with congressional leaders on Tuesday, Trump urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to follow through on an aggressive timetable for repealing the law in order to quickly turn to tax reform and help avoid a calamitous autumn full of key fiscal deadlines, according to multiple sources familiar with the meeting." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5441506f26c02148a8e55b1ce92319db9ae04f642e83ab21691870b04fddcef860010b260d9e1e39f

-- IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Senators don't like being told by Trump, or really any president, about how to run the Senate. While Republican senators have been working their way through how to pass a health care bill, GOPers across the ideological spectrum have been pessimistic about legislation actually passing. But most insiders note: don't count out Mitch McConnell.

THE JUICE ... 

-- SPOTTED LAST NIGHT AT TRUMP INTERNATIONAL HOTEL: Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin with Tom Barrack, Vincent DeVito, Brandon Clark, Andrew Giuliani, Corey Lewandowski, Nick Owens, Lynne Patton, Jason Osborne, Jerry Pierce and Tim Rupli. 

-- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- MoveOn will formally call for impeachment proceedings this morning in anticipation of the Comey hearing.

-- SEN. AL FRANKEN's book, "Al Franken, Giant of the Senate," is No. 1 on the upcoming June 18 NYT non-fiction best-sellers list, while William McRaven's "Make Your Bed," is also number one on the on the "Advice, How-to and Miscellaneous" list. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5820cac2bae4ae14be39be789c00ade21764d8129051ed1ff4bd1e7cbf5235db47a578fed5f8a88d0

-- "McConnell groups backing Luther Strange to run $2.4M in ads starting next week," by AL.com's Howard Koplowitz in Birmingham, Alabama: "Two groups connected to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have bought a combined $2.4 million in ads buys blanketing Alabama television and radio stations with ads supporting Sen. Luther Strange." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e54c1921b12494abadce799cfddca80013afc0c94c52c064a7d0b3313b686ca7f43ceca0c0913e8686

-- THE NRCC reported another $545,541 in spending against Jon Ossoff in Georgia's 6th congressional district.

       Playbook Reads       

CARTOON DU JOUR by Matt Wuerker.

DRAIN THE SWAMP! -- "Trump White House lacks waivers for longtime lobbyists: Critics are questioning whether White House officials with broad portfolios can truly steer clear of conflicts of interest," by Theo Meyer: "At least a half-dozen former lobbyists are working in President Donald Trump's White House even though they haven't received waivers from the administration's ethics rules, raising questions about how much the rules do to prevent conflicts of interest. ... 

"The Trump administration has granted exemptions from the rules for a handful of staffers, as President Barack Obama's administration did. But at least six former lobbyists now working in the White House haven't received such waivers, meaning they must recuse themselves internally from any issue where they have conflicts, according to the White House. ... Five of the lobbyists POLITICO identified who haven't received waivers work in Pence's office." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5b1493bb0a60c1ba44f53d27c065731a61a2c9d73911db091d820addda1fbfc7c2aed251669a7f3db

NEW TIME COVER -- "The Swamp Hotel: How Trump's D.C. outpost became a dealmaker's paradise for diplomats, lobbyists and insiders," by Alex Altman: "[The hotel] is the new town square in Donald Trump's Washington. Tourists perch on the blue velvet sofas in the lobby, snapping cell-phone pictures as power players stream across the dark marble floors and cream carpets: international businessmen, Republican operatives, wealthy donors, foreign diplomats, former Trump campaign aides, the occasional Administration official. That's partly because a President who once promised to 'drain the swamp' of influence peddling now owns the city's newest bog." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e581e1cae09ce8ce351db2f87407f7f4d884610b88ff0cc053171821c85cc911267c7c224c9cdd7e0e
 ... See the cover http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e58767e1bbde312900bda20133d7b20f2ce3d3bb453bf909e14c69017627dcd11f8cb5140f7fc63946

****** A message from Samsung: Samsung's footprint in the U.S. has been growing for nearly 40 years, and we announced more than $10 Billion in US Growth since 2016. This year, we're proud to have added HARMAN International and its 3,500 U.S. employees to the Samsung workforce in America, and just as enthusiastic about our common vision, the similarities in our culture of innovation, and the added value we can create for customers. Learn more about our partnership at Samsung.com/VisionForTomorrow for more. ******

HISTORY LESSON -- "The Greatest Hearings in American History: James Comey's testimony joins the pantheon of dramatic congressional moments," by Joshua Zeitz in POLITICO Magazine: "This isn't the first - and it won't be the last - time that congressional testimony captured the nation's imagination. From the Army-McCarthy hearings of 1954 to the Iran Contra hearings in 1987, House and Senate committees have held ordinary citizens in rapt attention. ... Comey's testimony is in this sense an absolutely American phenomenon." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e511c0d0024ba5df884334e786b7e00186b6573a1d29e512c48af60ad4daf0fd07999be37a2c6c1d93

NICK SCHMIDLE in The New Yorker, "James Comey's Intellectual History": "Comey has told associates that he never tried to lure Trump into improprieties. 'It wasn't like Jim was going to the Mob boss, all wired up, trying to secretly extract a confession,' one associate told me. Yet, in Comey's view, Trump's behavior toward him repeatedly crossed the line, making him 'an obstructor.' Based on Comey's prepared remarks, his Senate testimony will lay the basis for this legal claim, without explicitly making the charge. His testimony is likely to be supremely assured. A senior intelligence official said of Comey, 'He likes the stage. He takes politicians' questions apart. He loves the fact that
 he's smarter than them.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e50aad77171735ba6a74e1f77735d5175b7f6c10ac7dcea54fe9030d8e694b498994a6d42aeec91447 

RICH LOWRY, "Comey's fizzle": "The document has considerable entertainment value in its dead-pan account of a profound mismatch, a Washington buddy movie gone bad. It's a tale of a bureaucratically agile and self-serving careerist matched against an institutionally ignorant and self-serving outsider. One is careful, memorializing every conversation and calculating his every more; the other is blundering around in the dark - and eventually blows the whole thing up." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5e72db20dbdeae3aeb28fb701e43694dc02f3dd334fe0f53479e581b068003f5ed1de0c500fb30f50

BEYOND THE BELTWAY -- "GOP candidate [Ashley Moody] for Florida Attorney general once sued Donald Trump in federal fraud case," by Florida Playbooker Marc Caputo: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e54ac4aaf2c311180656a1a6e2f98ab916418fcbcd42b523a833c9c34b8b467654b2b595d1a78bca28 

THE INNOVATION ISSUE: In a month long Special Report, POLITICO's The Agenda takes a deep look at the surprising new politics of innovation, and ideas for how to drive it in a new era. Check out a piece by Nancy Scola on how AOL founder Steve Case became the first call for lawmakers who want to bring innovation to the heartland (http://politi.co/2rOKFFW); a critical look by Arthur Allen at Challenge.gov, the federal government's prize competition designed to spur innovation (http://politi.co/2sWpDom); and Kevin Kosar writes on the surprisingly innovative history of the U.S. Post Office (http://politi.co/2r4Xyij), which was long on the forefront of technology before turning into a lesson in
 what "not" to do. The full issue http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5424b79a50ae8944ee06a4111f6618a86824c221b5795d28e1488a51d09193099b73c69baa0dc5040 

MEDIAWATCH -- Greg "Gianforte to give $50,000 to press freedom group after assaulting reporter," by Hadas Gold: "'I write to express my sincere apology for my conduct on the evening of May 24. My physical response to your legitimate question was unprofessional, unacceptable, and unlawful,' Gianforte (R-Mont.) wrote in a letter [to Ben Jacobs]. 'As both a candidate for office and a public official, I should be held to a high standard in my interactions with the press and the public. My treatment of you did not meet that standard.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e563e8ace5e9d85c29348d9df5331cbaa6f7f52af4b3ff891c4669bd1d94b31736eb09cfef954fcc83 ... The letter http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e50d45bbcca3cdaeff9e9d088f8ff7be3a74f67423db26d5bac8d17b8ef1bca0a2ef50f0a9a731e860

        Playbookers       
SPOTTED -- Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) at the U.S. Navy Memorial last night, celebrating the launch of a new book by Admiral James Stavridis (USN, ret.), "Sea Power: The History and Geopolitics of the World's Oceans"

REMEMBERING VIC GOLD - WaPo's Matt Schudel: "Vic Gold, a high-powered and sometimes high-strung Republican political strategist who served as the press secretary for Vice President Spiro T. Agnew and who wrote books with a president and the wife of a vice president, died June 5 at a hospital in Alexandria, Va. He was 88. ... Short, intense and often irritable, he was once dubbed 'the Mount Vesuvius of press secretaries' for his outbursts, but he had a redeeming sense of humor and an appreciation of the theatricality of politics." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e592d4cb26eb2b11ce80efa6f87dd2ff993e982fa393d23ba2d875e59f8dfa8bbac8667ea81d08ca1c

OUT AND ABOUT - The Competitive Enterprise Institute last night hosted their annual dinner, this time an Alice in Wonderland themed event titled "Through the Looking Glass" at the Marriott Marquis. Speakers included Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao and the Wall Street Journal's Kimberly Strassel. SPOTTED: Grover Norquist, Suhail Khan and Jana Plat, Tom Schatz, Fred Smith, Myron Ebell, Dwayne Carson, Francesca Chambers and Michael Moroney, and Byron Tau.

-- KENT KNUTSON, vice president of government relations for The Home Depot and board member of the Home Depot Foundation, celebrated his 50th birthday at Hotel Monaco's Dirty Habit Wednesday night with friends and family, the Washington retail community and Members of Congress. SPOTTED: Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Reps. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), Barbara Comstock (R-Va.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), Adrian Smith (R-Neb.) and Bill Flores (R-Texas).

--CNN's DANA BASH last night kicked off "Badass Women of Washington" at Fig & Olive with a panel with five of the seven women profiled in the series: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, Army Surgeon General Nadja West, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.). All five panelists discussed what their views about the series and answered the question, "can a woman have it all?" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5fe7f82d2ba0897c7690af04c5e05899b6d4848c028ba296192e1ed9a16fea17a03154c345901b8b3 ... Pics http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e59710643c5a40cdbee744e3a8d6af68b304a774bd4e1b659b0d95b4114a0b76276aa7515fb8b1c941 ...  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5d618c5bab8b2d0f4c032427972d3693edd2b769e9ba61ee1e3b1f7aa5d0bcc6f6340666d86bc6ed9 ... 
 http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5c213f491278b1abca5a96e444b8903fb85221f44986c8349e62fb7a9cc6dfe971f89135f8e19a6ad

SPOTTED: Virginia Moseley, Heather Podesta, Kellyanne Conway, Gloria Borger, Ana Navarro, Hilary Rosen, Bill Press, Nia Malika Henderson, Michael LaRosa, Lauren Pratapas, Kate Bennett, Nikki Schwab, Alexandra De Luca, Matt Dornic, Zeke Miller, Christina Ruffini, Francesca Chambers, Lauren Culbertson, Ashley Killough, Meredith Balenske, Dannia Hakki, Christine Delargy, Artur Orkisz, Marissa Mitrovich, Meredith Artley, Rachel Smolkin, Hadas Gold, Mitchell Rivard, Johanna Persing, Ryan Mahoney, Richard Hudock, Tara Palmeri, Michelle Jaconi.

-- After 8 years with Sen. Tom Udall (D-Colo.), friends and colleagues yesterday toasted Kevin Cummins' move to the Professional Services Council at Romeo & Juliet Cafe on Capitol Hill. SPOTTED: Frannie Wellings, Joe Trahern, Kara Van Stralen, Scarlet Doyle, David Grossman, Michele Ash, Tom Manatos, Melika Carroll, Sunmin Kim, Lee Friedman, Dana Gray, Harry Anastopulos, Cort Bush and Joey Wender.

NEW HAMPSHIRE CELEBRATION in D.C. -- POOL REPORT from Haley Dorgan: "Last night, the Senate got a taste of New Hampshire. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) welcomed her colleagues to eat and drink New Hampshire's finest products and get a taste of the Granite State's cultural and tourism opportunities. Sens. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Reps. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.) and Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.) were greeted by Kodak the Bear and Max the Moose at the Kennedy Caucus Room. Some of the most popular items? Smuttynose beer, Cider Bellies Doughnuts, Creamy New England Fish Chowdah from the New Hampshire Food Bank, and Granite
 State Tea Cakes made by culinary students from the New Hampshire Job Corps." Other attendees included Ryan Williams, Byron Tao, Cate Martel, William Shaheen, and Jeff Rose.

SPOTTED yesterday evening at the U.S.-Colombia Business Partnership farewell cocktail party held on the ConocoPhillips rooftop for Ambassador of Colombia to the U.S. Juan Carlos Pinzon: Bill Burlew, Reps. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), Francis Rooney (R-Fla.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Andrew Lundquist, Brian Donahue, Wes Battle and Josh Corless.

ENGAGED -- Brian Parnitzke, director of turnout and targeting at the RNC, proposed this past weekend to Kate Karnes, chief of staff in the office of digital strategy at the White House and a former Romney 2012 staffer and RNC alum. The two met in 2013 when they were working on separate campaigns for lieutenant governor of Virginia. Brian popped the question on Folly Beach outside of Charleston, South Carolina, where he first told Kate he loved her. Pic http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e53799e550abd9443d3afcf807d22372a8f13a650ecfdc70488a0490b7e6af97b3445428a5603a6ef8

TRANSITIONS - OBAMA ALUMNI -- Todd Breasseale, former Army Lt. Col. and spokesman at the DoD who became a DHS assistant secretary for public affairs during Secretary Jeh Johnson's last two years in office, is now helping manage Facebook news feed communications. He reports to McCain '08 alum Tucker Bounds. ... Christian Marrone has been promoted to SVP and chief of staff for IT firm CSRA. He joined CSRA in January 2016 after serving as chief of staff at DHS.

... Mattie Duppler is joining the National Taxpayers Union as a senior fellow of fiscal policy. He previously served as the coalitions director to the House Republican Conference and is an alum of Americans for Tax Reform. ... Greenberg Quinlan Rosner has hired Lindsey Reynolds as its new COO. She joins GQR this month after 10 years with the DNC, where she served as both COO and director of the office of the secretary.

... Shana Glenzer has started as chief marketing officer at Crowdskout, a data management startup based in D.C. She previously was the CMO of MakeOffices, an Arlington-based co-working space. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5b66862cd8a82372b2034b6ca296e67dffe2dfb00eefa008af368dd92d8c0aefe871ae607cd15f135 End Citizens United has hired Matt Burgess as EVP. He previously was the senior political strategist at Planned Parenthood during the 2016 cycle. ... Clinton Blair is joining the Organization for International Investment as VP of public policy and government affairs. He previously was at Jaguar Land Rover North America.

SUNDAY SO FAR - "Fox News Sunday": Panel: Karl Rove, Donna Edwards, Newt Gingrich, Charles Lane

FORMER REP. GABBY GIFFORDS (D-ARIZ.), whose birthday it is today, is headed to Galveston, Texas, where she will help the Navy commission the U.S.S. Gabrielle Giffords. It's the first Navy warship to be named after a living woman since Martha Washington. She learned that the ship would be named in her honor the same day she resigned from Congress in 2012. Hillary Clinton, Joe and Jill Biden, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Olivia Munn, Jon Bon Jovi, Katie Couric, Sully Sullenberger and Thad Allen are all expected to attend.  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e5c04639fcc1bab48b52b4f2601b3f59c1e62583981c0c877eb2526c8067c83beb06315fe7de3631d7

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Wendy Sherman, senior counselor at Albright Stonebridge Group

BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Russ Schriefer, partner at Strategic Partners & Media
How he's celebrating: "I'm in London with my wife Nina Easton who is chairing the Fortune Most Powerful Women International Summit next week. Our daughter Ellie and I are just tagging along." Read his Playbook Plus Q&A: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=13e6fe739658a1e564cc54efbd451b1019f077859bebaa5989536d3eadc8a3ffe12e229bfb948930f5e9c480fc5bd50f 

BIRTHDAYS: Jonathan Collegio is 41 ... former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) is 47 (h/ts Hilary Rosen and Katie Peters) ... Paul Winfree, deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and the pride of Williamsburg, Va. ... Jim Cicconi (h/t Hilary) ... Barbara Bush is 92 ... Eric Kuhn, CMO of Layer3 TV and a former DC resident who worked for CNN, is 3-0, celebrating at Lincoln Center in NYC (h/ts Maha Hakki and Susanna Quinn) ... Cory Fritz, a Boehner alum now deputy staff director for comms. at House Foreign Affairs, is 32 ... Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) is 64 ... Politico's Laura Hayes and Sarah Hashemi ... Patrick Garrigan, Politico alum now events guru for The Atlantic ...
 "Meet The Press" associate producer Justin Peligri (h/t Olivia Petersen) ... Tim Grieve, VP for news at McClatchy (h/t John Harris) ... Roger Hickey, co-director of Campaign for America's Future ... Kelsey Harkness of the Daily Signal ... Mary Palmer is 31 ... J.J. Simmons V ... Ashley Baia of 270 Strategies ... Karen Robinson (h/t Jon Haber) ... USDA's Allie Ryan ... Matt Whitlock ... Davis White ... The Federalist's Bre Payton ... J.D. Dalfonson, comms director for Rep. Darin LaHood ... John Sandy, COS for Sen. Jim Risch ... Bale Dalton, pride of Orlando and HSC85 U.S. Navy, is 30-something "and more handsome than ever" (h/t Christian Hertenstein) ... Uber flack Matt Wing ... 

... Dasha Zhukova, friend of Ivanka and Jared, art collector and editor, married to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, is 36 (h/t Jewish Insider) ... Emily Pomeranz, the special events and major gifts maestro at NARAL (h/t James Owens) ... Hannah Yoest, assistant literary editor at Weekly Standard ... Erin Gorman, cookie baking aficionado currently at the Environmental Defense Fund, formerly "Mother Duckling" of the O'Malley campaign, and a campaign/DGA vet several times over, is 3-0. She will be feted by friends and family all weekend long in Baltimore (h/ts Matt Corridoni and Daniel Ensign) ... Chris Good ... Cathie Ericson ... Denton's Alex McGee, the pride of Atlanta (h/t Ed Cash) ...
 Lale Mamaux, CoS to Rep. Alcee Hastings ... Jordana Cepelewicz ... Kris Coratti, VP of comms and events at WaPo ... Avery Brooks, senior associate at Global Infrastructure Partners ... Ben Case is 25 ... Obama WH alum Keith Maley, also an ardent Red Sox fan and birdwatcher ... Brian Hardwick ... Michael Shmagin (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Ann Belser ... Nancy Baile, public affairs and comms. manager at Coca-Cola ... Rosie Lineham ... Jane Hampton Cook ... Tom Davidson is 46 ... Barry Lando ... Lila Young White ... actor-comedian Jerry Stiller is 9-0 ... Nancy Sinatra is 77 ... "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams is 6-0 ... Julianna Margulies, a loyal Playbooker, is 5-0 ... Kanye West is 4-0 ...
 Maria Menounos is 39 ... tennis player Kim Clijsters is 34 (h/ts AP)

****** A message from Samsung: Samsung's footprint in the U.S. has been growing for nearly 40 years, and we announced more than $10 Billion in US Growth since 2016. This year, we're proud to have added HARMAN International and its 3,500 U.S. employees to the Samsung workforce in America, and just as enthusiastic about our common vision, the similarities in our culture of innovation, and the added value we can create for customers. Learn more about our partnership at Samsung.com/VisionForTomorrow. ******

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