Subject: POLITICO Playbook, presented by Chevron: ALABAMA newspaper chain calls for voters to REJECT Moore in front-page editorial -- BOSTON GLOBE goes to NEW ZEALAND to catch up with SCOTT BROWN -- PALM BEACH prepares for Trump -- SASSE in IOWA -- SUNDAY BEST
From: "Anna Palmer Jake Sherman Daniel Lippman" <[email-masked]>
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Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2017 09:49:22 -0600
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Today's POLITICO Playbook presented by Chevron 
            
By ANNA PALMER ([email-masked]; @apalmerdc), JAKE SHERMAN ([email-masked]; @JakeSherman) and DANIEL LIPPMAN ([email-masked]; @dlippman)
        
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                  Driving the Day         
Happy Sunday. FRONT PAGE EDITORIAL -- BIRMINGHAM NEWS, HUNTSVILLE TIMES, PRESS-REGISTER (MOBILE) -- "STAND FOR DECENCY, REJECT ROY MOORE": "This election is a turning point for women in Alabama. A chance to make their voices heard in a state that has silenced them for too long.

"The accusations against Roy Moore have been horrifying, but not shocking. Every day new allegations arise that illustrate a pattern of a man in his 30s strutting through town like the cock of the walk, courting and preying on young women and girls. And though Roy Moore has denied the accusations of these women, his own platform and record is hostile to so many Alabamians. ... Do not let this conversation be muddled. This election has become a referendum on whether we will accept this kind of behavior from our leaders." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad2c7a66370bdca2e82d34d875dd49e0b32b656cf11810916e557775980dd6f938c96f5d7674e991f6 ... Birmingham News front page http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad980654eb9983c2789195e6e83d549eccfc8e5bd874d87df0a94eca971937467f9ea1025ae25a6878 

-- MARC SHORT to GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS on ABC'S "THIS WEEK": "George, I think that the vice president as well has spoke out against this when the allegations came forward. The president has expressed his concern about this. As you noted, the president has not gone down to Alabama to campaign for Roy Moore since the primary concluded. We have serious concerns about the allegations that have been made but we also believe that all of this info is out there for the people of Alabama. Roy Moore has been a public servant for decades in Alabama. He has run multiple times. The people of Alabama know best and the right decision to make here."

-- CHRIS WALLACE talks with SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) on "FOX NEWS SUNDAY" via Nolan D. McCaskill: Sen. Tim Scott said Sunday that it's "in the best interest of the country" that Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore step aside, adding that there's "a strong possibility" that a write-in candidate could retain the GOP Senate seat. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adc2face322fcb32513db208452539c5ae78b5900fad9f40065ba7726ed32b88452869ba2f42d5052d 

BIG NYT PROFILE -- "For Roy Moore, a Long History of Combat and Controversy: The current furor surrounding the Senate candidate has played out like a concentrated version of his battle-filled career," by Jess Bidgood, Richard Fausset and Campbell Robertson in Gadsden, Alabama: "'It was a known fact: Roy Moore liked young girls,' said Faye Gary, a retired Gadsden police officer. 'It was treated like a joke. That's just the way it was.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad4fb2f3691593bffaefe756e375d0cc5e258b9167668f312714fd7afddcb84b1e5ddee9d5bc616348 

 WHAT AMERICA IS WAKING UP TO -- CONNECTICUT POST: "DELIBERATE ATTACK?: Educators say Republican tax bill unfairly targets colleges, universities" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad18c1a9f73d6d4e6151398547367827ccc4e363047a76f4d9caeb468b0e85c31582cbcce2d005773d ... PALM BEACH POST: "Trump returning for his second season: Area prepares for his Thanksgiving stay at Mar-a-Lago" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adc7854b37f6b3babfd36a83e529851257a66d5f7600362a8a4cc074812119cdf091a7b6c104ea5e4e ... WICHITA EAGLE: "Pastors, congregants promote packing heat" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adee6917979eed4b70e95bd808bef5f84f6f971dae9a354948e6000a364343c22f2a6638a9d446e3a6 

BACK ON OFFENSE -- "Hillary Clinton: Trump 'is obsessed' with her," by Nolan D. McCaskill: "'Apparently, you know, my former opponent is obsessed with my speaking out," [Hillary] Clinton said in an appearance alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton, at a forum in Little Rock, Arkansas, commemorating the 25th anniversary of his election. 'Apparently there was another, somebody told me, tweet today. Honestly, between tweeting and golfing, how does he get anything done? I don't understand it. Maybe that's the whole point.' ...

"Clinton said in her Little Rock speech she wouldn't be silenced. 'I'm gonna keep speaking out,' she said. She dominated Saturday's conversation, which was moderated by James Carville, a Bill Clinton campaign veteran and Hillary Clinton campaign adviser. She criticized the current administration for pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement, failing to reauthorize the Children's Health Insurance Program and promoting what she called the 'fairy tale' that trickle-down economics will 'make everything great.'

"'Yeah, we may be cutting Medicare and Medicaid and health care and make it more expensive to go to school and all the stuff that they're trying to do in Washington, but it's all gonna work out,' she said sarcastically. 'It's such nonsense.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad60a4d877b4e4de51d912cdeb21c8b242ca15b816a85fe4fb0531c0fd0cd586f7d9d8b71efa672e48
 
WHY RON JOHNSON IS A NO ON TAX REFORM, by NYT's Jim Tankersley: "On the eve of the House's vote to pass a far-reaching $1.5 trillion tax cut, Speaker Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin placed a hasty phone call to his state's senior senator, Ron Johnson, in hopes of resolving an unlikely conflict in his own back yard. ...
 
 "During the phone call on Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Ryan, who had campaigned heavily for Mr. Johnson in 2016, posed an essential question, according to the senator: 'What are you going to need?' What Mr. Johnson needs ... is for the bill to treat more favorably small businesses and other so-called pass-through entities -- businesses whose profits are distributed to their owners and taxed at rates for individuals. Such entities, including Mr. Johnson's family-run plastics manufacturing business, account for more than half of the nation's business income, and the senator says the tax bill would give an unfair advantage to larger corporations.

 "'I just have in my heart a real affinity for these owner-operated pass-throughs,' he said. 'We need to make American businesses competitive -- they're not right now. But in making businesses competitive, we can't leave behind the pass-throughs.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad396849b1fc69f768cebd764260289e3c7579c5129cd7258f4b81ea89059dfce58d39a957c9b759eb 

-- IT'S WORTH NOTING: This is hardly the first time Johnson has clashed with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and his GOP leadership team. He also fought with them over how the Obamacare repeal process played out. He is just the first Senate Republican out of the gate opposing the bill. Just because the House GOP tax overhaul was on the fast track and didn't face many hiccups, don't expect the same to be true in the Senate. 

FOR EXAMPLE... JAKE TAPPER talks with SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R-MAINE) on CNN'S "STATE OF THE UNION: TAPPER: "You said this week that Republicans made a big mistake when they changed the tax bill to include this repeal of the Affordable Care Act individual mandate because that -- removing that could raise taxes or payment -- health care payments, premiums, for millions of Americans. If that provision stays in the tax bill, will that mean a 'no' vote from you?" COLLINS: "Well, first of all, I think we need to distinguish between taking away insurance from people who already have it, which is what the health care bill said we considered earlier this year would have done, versus removing a fine on
 people who choose not to have insurance. And that's ... disproportionately 80 percent on those who make under $50,000.

"I don't think that provision should be in the bill. I hope the Senate will follow the lead of the House and strike it. If not, I think we need to fix it by passing two bills, the Alexander-Murray Bill, which will help to stabilize markets and reduce premiums, and a bill I've introduced with Bill Nelson of Florida that would create high-risk pools that would protect people with pre-existing conditions and also help to reduce premiums by 20 percent."

****** A message from Chevron: When an endangered butterfly was found near a Chevron refinery, we protected the habitat and still plant the only thing they eat-buckwheat. Watch the video: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ada3187913f0f94e9676b585b695f15c750ca42b157f9a453ac3d2f760c4b652294ea4cad41a93807f ******

FUN, FROM KRISTINA PETERSON in the WSJ: "'Gucci' Lobbyists From '86 Tax Revamp Are Gone. Now They Use Gchat"  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad9e1771c63ab622e1d44afbfe71772e2c8565196f2828d0d69ef867f5c9ad516088fc9b62f21e56f5 

MORE TAX DRAMA IN THE STATES -- "In Democrat-led state capitals, GOP tax reform push could scramble fiscal plans," by Laura Nahmias in New York, Katherine Landergan in New Jersey and Carla Marinucci in California: "The Republican tax reform push in Washington is setting off budgetary alarm bells in high-tax states like New York, California and New Jersey, in the latest political skirmish to pit national Republicans against Democratic state and big city leaders.

"With Republicans intent on shrinking or repealing the state and local tax deduction, California officials are worried that the House-passed tax bill, and the emerging Senate measure, will force local governments to reduce taxes and make big cuts to schools and social services. In New York, where New York City and state revenues are heavily reliant on just a handful of wealthy tax filers, budget watchdogs fear federal tax changes could trigger the flight of those residents. And in New Jersey, plans for a new millionaire's tax, one of incoming Gov. Phil Murphy's biggest campaign promises, are already being reined in as the Democratic-led New Jersey Senate waits on the outcome of any federal
 tax plan.

"'We're going to have to re-evaluate everything' if a federal bill repealing the state and local tax deduction becomes law, New Jersey Senate President Steve Sweeney said Wednesday in Atlantic City. Just days before, Sweeney had said he would make passage of a millionaires tax his chief priority in the new administration. 'I'm just saying that what's happening in Washington is concerning the hell out of me,' he added." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad5b4db653fef31c4cd306266725815f14c736e1b1f500720a295c57dffcf21beb5691b7a81ba45284 
 
TROUBLE FOR FRANKEN -- A1 of the STAR TRIBUNE -- "Sidelined by scandal, Sen. Al Franken faces questions about ability to do his job," by Jennifer Brooks and Erin Golden: "Suddenly a senator whose statewide approval rating stood at 58 percent in the last Star Tribune Minnesota Poll is facing calls to resign - even from prominent Minnesota DFLers and deeply disappointed supporters.

 "As he faces an ethics investigation in the U.S. Senate, Franken's future is up in the air in a seat that's next on the ballot in 2020. ... Asked Saturday whether Franken would resign, a spokesperson for the senator responded: 'No.' 'He is spending time with his family in Washington, D.C., and will be through the Thanksgiving holiday,' the staffer said by text, 'and he's doing a lot of reflecting.' ... 'It's hard. He's a friend, he's an ally and he's very effective. But we cannot have a double standard when it comes to having safe places that do not allow for sexual harassment,' said State Auditor Rebecca Otto, one of two DFL candidates for governor in 2018 to call for Franken to resign.
 The other was state Rep. Erin Murphy." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad631550dd8e5d1e038f3989a47642097a3007e85a16292c315ebf9268b6706a921465e7eb04d5ff2c ... A1 PDF http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad2fa551fa998a86a4a729be21d92c9291490fcfc31170fda60ec103e651b4e25b54f357f9cab2a941 

-- TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN?: STAR LEDGER FRONT PAGE: "Why this N.J. Republican keeps voting for things that could hurt Jersey" (print headline: "MacArthur is showing affinity for risk-taking: Representative's tax stance could hurt N.J., his future"): "In just his third term in office, Rep. Tom MacArthur is helping to shape legislation in a way lawmakers who've been here a long time can only dream of.

"But such a quick rise in Washington could come at a cost to his home state of New Jersey and perhaps his future in Congress. MacArthur was the only New Jersey lawmaker to vote for the House Republican tax cut bill that curtailed the federal deduction for state and local taxes, and was one of only two GOP lawmakers from the state backing the health care legislation that rolled back the state's expansion of Medicaid." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad0f08b72842eeeeb9bcb913483b3d1380b1c3d941f16a9ed7b2e8aa7470605d9288f68189b7b41d51 ... A1 PDF  http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad0d63e6938d673d0e0a63545323fce6da9969b6e878e7bad5ebd59aa817c847df2e88cad1e2240c87 

FOR YOUR RADAR -- "Zimbabwe ruling party fires Mugabe as chief; now impeachment," by AP's Christopher Torchia and Farai Mutsaka in Harare, Zimbabwe: "Clinging to his now virtually powerless post, longtime Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe was fired as ruling party chief to cheers Sunday, and was set to discuss his expected exit with the army commander who put the world's oldest head of state under house arrest days ago." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad746c2653fb4cf6186e5639143f47ea2a1d5fca08394c84c19e8e79e2b462b39f25bbabab0d3dd485

-- "U.S. pursues quiet troop buildup in Somalia," by Wesley Morgan: "The number of U.S. military forces in Somalia has more than doubled this year to over 500 people as the Pentagon has quietly posted hundreds of additional special operations personnel to advise local forces in pockets of Islamic militants around the country, according to current and former senior military officials. It is the largest American military contingent in the war-torn nation since the infamous 1993 'Black Hawk Down' battle when 18 U.S. soldiers died. It is also the latest example of how the Pentagon's operations in Africa have expanded with greater authority provided to field commanders." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ade8924ee15d7640e97bdd8d3266d01f469063b3b581b2bf5888951165993e79d19617cfd03f3e3ea2

JARED MIDEAST PEACE BEAT -- "Eyeing Detailed Peace Plan, Trump Team Could Invest Years in Effort," by Jerusalem Post's Michael Wilner: "Deadlines are not a part of President Donald Trump's peace effort, led by Jared Kushner ... and Jason Greenblatt, the U.S. special representative for international negotiations. These two refuse to bind themselves in timetables as they prepare what they describe as an 'architecture' for their upcoming initiative. It is a notable break in strategy from those of past diplomats who have tried, and failed, to bring peace to the Middle East. ... When it is ready, the White House-based team will release what has been described to The Jerusalem Post as an
 intricately detailed plan - not a grand vision of peace from on high, but specific U.S. proposals to specific disagreements, formed based on months of listening to the parties." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad6d02d8c761d402e2b0f4f9276a0b76ae3379af28a6e876dee3c80f2f4ab6689665f7502906eab0dd

--"Palestinians vow to suspend talks if U.S. closes PLO mission," by AP's Josh Lederman and Matt Lee: "The Palestinians threatened on Saturday to suspend all communication with the United States if the Trump administration follows through with plans to close their diplomatic office in Washington. The potential rupture in relations threatens to undermine President Donald Trump's bid for Mideast peace - a mission he has handed his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Senior Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said the U.S. decision was 'very unfortunate and unacceptable,' and accused Washington of bowing to pressure from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government 'at a time when we are
 trying to cooperate to achieve the ultimate deal.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad1b86bebca77ba7641fca3e65feedb53e40ce0a7f7303f245ca9b74915bfb91bedd12c3261027bb2d 

FOGGY BOTTOM WATCH - NYT EDITORIAL: "The Trump Administration Is Making War on Diplomacy": "Mr. Tillerson has asked some senior officials to do clerical tasks and left many ambassadorships unfilled. Stephen Akard, an associate of Vice President Mike Pence with only brief experience at the State Department, was nominated director general of the foreign service, a position that oversees diplomatic appointments and is usually reserved for a senior career diplomat with the power to block political interference. All in all, Mr. Tillerson is disrupting the smooth development of career State Department leaders from entry level to the senior ranks, which will create shortages of experienced
 diplomats down the road. Not surprisingly, morale has plummeted." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad0ea5ac3578ea7399926d23978e13c6c10263cb62f5a36743cd3868b3c2acfe6bda0168df68c3b3a3 

--"Frustrated foreign leaders bypass Washington in search of blue-state allies," by WaPo's Michael Birnbaum and Greg Jaffe: "Some nations are finding that even if they are frustrated by President Trump's Washington, they can still prosper from robust relations with the California Republic and a constellation of like-minded U.S. cities, some of which are bigger than European countries. [Jerry] Brown's 10-day trip to Europe, which ended Tuesday, was just the latest in a growing transatlantic back-and-forth that bypasses the Trump-era White House. ... Several European countries have stationed ambassadors in Silicon Valley to boost trade ties. Meanwhile, state and municipal governments are
 expanding or building new offices to help them manage the increased interest in Europe and Asia." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad7abc639cc3318571f6acaea6e62cbb84cc7c9a8cd78fd2033362975831a94136fbff2baa380da18c 

BUT, BUT, BUT -- EMILY HOLDEN in Bonn, Germany: "The White House goaded activists at the international climate talks by pushing coal and other fossil fuels. But behind closed doors, U.S. negotiators stuck to their Obama-era principles on the 2015 Paris deal - despite President Donald Trump's disavowal of the pact. State Department negotiators at the U.N. conference that ended Saturday hewed to the United States' long-established positions on the details of how to carry out the Paris agreement. And that's the U.S. role that most foreign political leaders sought to highlight, despite the low expectations inspired by Trump's 'America First' agenda and his dismissal of human-caused climate
 change as a hoax.

"'You couldn't have expected more,' said German Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks, who described the U.S. delegation as constructive and neutral. 'Its diplomats who are working here, they act professionally.' White House energy adviser George David Banks portrayed the outcome in even more glowing terms, saying the U.S. had been 'indispensable in thwarting efforts by some countries to get a free pass' under the Paris agreement. The American negotiating team, Banks said, had 'led across many issues, promoted U.S. national interests, and protected U.S. taxpayers and businesses.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad9adf7274acaac393ed3b2272236444afb18ddf72e9469a86f1be383d9b71eff11864d1ae0e5699a7

SPICER AND BARNETT -- "Sean Spicer Is Resetting His Post-White House Career Strategy," by BuzzFeed's Steven Perlberg: "At first, Sean Spicer's exit from the White House followed the blueprint for famous administration officials. Step one: Hire mega lawyer/agent Bob Barnett ... Now Spicer and Barnett, who seeks to uphold a reputation as the preeminent talent broker in Washington, are both distancing themselves from one another, according to sources familiar with the matter. Around Washington, Barnett has downplayed his relationship with Spicer ... Spicer, for his part, is leaning on another agent who has represented Trump world talent like Ivanka Trump, Corey Lewandowski, and David Bossie -
 Mel Berger from agency giant WME. ...

"Some in DC media circles believe Barnett over-promised Spicer about what he could deliver, and that the duo underestimated the larger media industry's contempt from the former press secretary. TV network sources say that Spicer and Barnett weren't particularly strategic about rolling out a fresh image. The two clashed stylistically - Spicer needed a hands-on agent as opposed to a seasoned dealmaker. The former press secretary was also at times concerned Barnett was spending too much time involved with Hillary Clinton's book project than working on his own future, according to one source familiar with the matter. (Another source disputed this, saying that Barnett is responsive to his
 clients.)" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad46edf5ed056c414b0773ba72bfd152714e118da5f259e9899ea85f2eb3155d994da687909d1aaa4c 

SUNDAY BEST -- 

-- ANDREA MITCHELL speaks to OMB DIRECTOR MICK MULVANEY on NBC'S "MEET THE PRESS": MITCHELL: "Now we only have one year of tax returns because he has failed, refused, he's the first president in modern history to not release his tax returns. We have the 2005 1040 from President Trump. Our independent NBC News analysis of that showed that he was, himself, he and Melania Trump would gain at least $22 million from this tax cut from the estate tax as well. His heirs would benefit $1.1 billion. So it's not true that the president would not benefit from the tax cut?" 

MULVANEY: "Yeah, I can't speak to the president's taxes. I think that was sort of litigated by the American public during the election. I will say this, listen, the president's going to pay much higher taxes on a lot of his properties, excuse me, because he has properties in high tax states. So I laugh every time I come on networks like this, they accuse us of cutting taxes on the rich. Every time I go on different networks, and you may understand who those are, they accuse us of raising taxes on the rich. So I think it depends on how you want to look at it."

-- CHRIS WALLACE with TREASURY SECRETARY STEVEN MNUCHIN on "FOX NEWS SUNDAY" about the photo with his wife posed with dollar bills: MNUCHIN: "I never thought I'd be quoted as looking like villains from the James Bond, I guess I should take that as a compliment. That I look like a villain in a great successful, James Bond movie. But let me just say I was very excited of having my signature on the money, it's obviously a great privilege and a great honor and something I'm very proud of being the Secretary and helping the American people."

THE JUICE ... 

-- TONIGHT ON "KASIE D.C.": Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, Katty Kay, Ashley Parker, Jonathan Swan, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Ken Dilanian, Paul Kane, Paul Singer, Gen. Barry McCaffrey and Azmat Khan.

SNL COLD OPEN - "WikiLeaks Cold Open", taking place in a parking garage beneath the Ecuadorian Embassy in London - Don Jr. (played by Mikey Day): "Hello Mr. Assange, I presume." Julian Assange (Kate McKinnon): "I appreciate you coming all the way to London to meet face to face. As secure and off the record as sliding into my Twitter DMs is, I thought this would be safer." Don. Jr.: "My brother Eric is waiting in the car. Not to worry, I told him to honk the horn if he gets scared. Now Mr. Assange" [Eric honks repeatedly] "Excuse me for a moment." 

... Don leaves and returns: "Eric will be joining us. Eric, this is Mr. Assange." Eric (Alex Moffat): "He looks like Draco Malfoy." Don Jr.: "Eric, that was rude. What did we say about making fun of people's appearances, bud?" Eric: "That's Dad's thing?" Don Jr.: "Yeah." 5-min. video http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad5147da469e00627646ab0611a1b2af14e013c6f5ffc27accd4f86a5809d8b1f43c0015322d33743f 

          Playbook Reads         

PHOTO DU JOUR: Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speak at a gathering in Little Rock, Ark. on Nov. 18, marking 25 years since his election. | Kelly P. Kissel/AP Photo

JONATHAN WEISMAN in NYT Sunday Review, "When the Right Pushes Fake Jews": "Bernie Bernstein pretty much fits the mold of a Jew - at least as the alt-right sees us. A strange Northeastern accent, somewhere between New York and Boston? Check. Tossing money, but not too much money, around to no good end (remember, we're rich, but cheap)? Check. Pursuing the agenda of the liberal fake-news media? Check. Riling the worst instincts of the South's conservative base? Check. But there was something a little too on the nose, forgive me please, about those robocalls in Alabama from a mythical Washington Post reporter named Bernstein seeking women to dish dirt on Roy Moore, something too 'Jewy' to be
 actually Jewish. And that's where the rising anti-Semitism of the new white nationalists loses its punch." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad20648a699a0c23dea12395c736661886bce9cd7ee38978da3fd979c37d370e4b441da42e943b96dd

GREAT STORY -- SCOTT BROWN IN NEW ZEALAND -- "Scott Brown's pay is $155,000 per year. The benefits are priceless," by the Boston Globe's Joshua Miller in Wellington, New Zealand: "Of the waves that followed from Donald Trump's 2016 tsunami, Brown's ascension from the everyman-with-a-pickup who lost two U.S. Senate races in two years in two states to US ambassador to New Zealand ranks among the most unlikely. And, for him, the most fortunate.

"The island nation is a paradisiacal land of jade hills dotted with grazing sheep, golden-sand beaches surrounded by Jurassic Park-like jungles, snow-capped peaks that rise steeply from azure fjords, and pastoral villages serving gourmet meals and world-class wine.

"Brown spends his days as if he is campaigning across this terrain. He gladhands mayors and their constituents, bearing patriotic gifts: U.S.-New Zealand flag pins, and military challenge coins imprinted with Brown's signature. He introduces himself to chambers of commerce, noting that he, too, was once a business owner. And he connects with Kiwis over rock music and rugby, trying to parry their considerable concerns about President Trump." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad5a86917035bb67bbef762b2577baaf844a871a2d7789396587b44e12bcff78093aec2cb6f48e2c8d 

 2020 WATCH -- "Don't trust politicians to solve our problems, U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse tells Iowa crowd," by the Des Moines Register's Jason Noble: "Don't look to politics to solve the pressing problems in American culture or address looming technological and economic changes that will rearrange American society, U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse told an Iowa audience Saturday. Politicians, he said, simply aren't up to the task.

"'Friends, there is no politician who's going to save America,' Sasse told a crowd of about 500 Christian conservatives in Des Moines. 'Friends, there is no election that's going to transform your life to become so much better than it is right now.'

"'I think that the Republican Party doesn't have clarity of any long-term vision that it communicates to the American people ... That's why in the 2016 presidential election you saw it ripe for a pretty fundamental attack on its platform. ... 'Those two sides of the Republican Party - you can call it a Wall Street-K Street continuum and a Bannonite populism - both of them are unpersuasive to moms and dads in Iowa and Nebraska who are thinking about what kind of country they want to give their kids in 10 and 20 years,' Sasse said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adedd5642b77634d45eac2538fb98aaf18605d1e10accb3f923336f2be33155f94297dc019de3d6c7d 

WHAT THE PENTAGON IS READING -- "U.S. nuclear general says would resist 'illegal' Trump strike order" - Reuters: "Air Force General John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), told an audience at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada that he had given a lot of thought to what he would say if he received such an order. ... 'And if it's illegal, guess what's going to happen? I'm going to say, "Mr. President, that's illegal." And guess what he's going to do? He's going to say, "What would be legal?" And we'll come up with options, of a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that's the way it works. It's not that
 complicated.' Hyten said running through scenarios of how to react in the event of an illegal order was standard practice, and added: 'If you execute an unlawful order, you will go to jail. You could go to jail for the rest of your life.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ade048bd284a5302dea29b5a0d69780077b9c3f12691659f86680442b9e318d2d79f5b0cf5c076b4f3

TRUMP INC. -- "Mar-a-Lago's new winter season: The Red Cross Ball is out, the Trumpettes are in," by WaPo's David Fahrenthold, Lori Rozsa and Drew Harwell: "This week, Trump returns to Mar-a-Lago for the first time since April. He will confront a changed social scene. ... Once a retreat from the divisive business of politics, the Palm Beach landmark is now a place defined by those divisions - a dynamic the club is monetizing by booking events with Trump's political allies. Mar-a-Lago is still hosting weddings and members for meals on the dining terrace. But the center of Palm Beach's traditional social scene has shifted to the Breakers, a club that Trump once mocked for getting his
 'leftovers.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adc3b121ff6cb90e072eeddadd291919a9e26058feb2e3530ff39ec7423a170aabdb7e011e5209e954 

GOTHAM REPORT - BIG READ -- NYT A1, "How Politics and Bad Decisions Starved New York's Subways: Disruptions and delays have roiled the system this year. But the crisis was long in the making, fueled by a litany of errors, a Times investigation shows," by Brian M. Rosenthal, Emma G. Fitzsimmons and Michael LaForgia: "Subway workers now make an average of $170,000 annually in salary, overtime and benefits, according to a Times analysis of data compiled by the federal Department of Transportation. That is far more than in any other American transit system; the average in cities like Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington is about $100,000 in total compensation annually. The pay for
 managers is even more extraordinary. The nearly 2,500 people who work in New York subway administration make, on average, $280,000 in salary, overtime and benefits. The average elsewhere is $115,000." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad4aeca106cc52d1873b48ce9e4f92815ba7f62b6f9552301b0c6d5e24b6d06ee1758b365a3fddeadc 

****** A message from Chevron: This is a story about DOERS, butterflies, and buckwheat. In '75, the endangered El Segundo Blue butterfly was found near a Chevron refinery. We protected the habitat and planted the only thing they eat-buckwheat. We're still planting and keeping an eye on our littlest neighbor. Watch the video: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ada3187913f0f94e9676b585b695f15c750ca42b157f9a453ac3d2f760c4b652294ea4cad41a93807f ******

SPORTS BLINK -- "Every six weeks for more than 36 years: When will sex abuse in Olympic sports end?" by WaPo's Will Hobson and Steven Rich: "More than 290 coaches and officials associated with the United States' Olympic sports organizations have been publicly accused of sexual misconduct since 1982, according to a Washington Post review of sport governing body banned lists, news clips and court records in several states. The figure spans parts of 15 sports and amounts to an average of eight adults connected to an Olympic organization accused of sexual misconduct every year - or about one every six weeks - for more than 36 years. The figure includes more than 175 officials convicted of sex
 crimes as well as those who never faced criminal charges and have denied claims." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad16ce71ca9f456a1d2301182e9815597813aa01027322c10936e7a88f4d9775e6cd7c87fab5612119 

MEDIAWATCH -- NYT published a special Sunday episode of "The Daily" for kids. It's on the same day as today's edition of the Times has a new print section for children that the paper will publish every month starting in 2018. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad886d3d175e82b816ee0324f746880d7f784e15bcd1611d1c0c004d0b7c012f2a8c40c5cdeb561d26

BONUS GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman, filing from Middleburg, Virginia:

--"Elon Musk: The Architect of Tomorrow," by Neil Strauss in Rolling Stone: "Inside the inventor's world-changing plans to inhabit outer space, revolutionize high-speed transportation, reinvent cars - and hopefully find love along the way." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ada3190048e4c11984ad6188e1843a0bfbbae2253fd3e2c34d44ef31155e59be76752a896766fc2a43 

--"In Search of Distraction," by Matthew Bevis in Poetry Magazine: "The rewards of the tangential, the digressive, and the dreamy." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad5b7198228ce6557a0d49fb126492788d564de17919151f97f61b71dbfc9c0df188584a273cc1342c 

--"The New Campus Censors," by David Bromwich in the Chronicle of Higher Ed: "Students are leading the assault on free speech - and faculty members and administrators are enabling them." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61addb72454ccf762ebe8dbf2613af3620bbc5d936e6adc5365ab43145f6fe0f1015ced5400bb08de838 

--"Russia's Gay Demons," by Robert Cottrell in the N.Y. Review of Books, reviewing "The Future Is History: How Totalitarianism Reclaimed Russia," by Masha Gessen: "On one side is the historian explaining the rise of Putin as a logical reaction to the failings of Yeltsin. On the other is Masha's mother, wondering how on earth that dull man she met while selling insurance in St. Petersburg a few years back is now the prime minister." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adbdf83e700dadb3681f9032858cc30abc56d5e832bf9665f6e266877a5899d1a65628bf85ba77a13b ... $18.01 on Amazon http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad0b30c5e9dcff8a561209ebd34402fde9d27076f5829304cc4ba430a66685daec3cb4f394b048455a 

--"The Road to Making America Great Again Runs Through Asia," by Afshin Molavi in The Atlantic: "The secret to putting America First may lie in the continent's rising middle class." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61add9b257af7bad3b9d819dbee344ab0051625497f0a5e69c6bb8014351c29d9b9044c8c1dc6d5f70e4 

--"When the pizza delivery guy is also 'Nazi Bob,'" by Boston Globe's Matt Viser in York, Pa.: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad7fd3ac37eeae75091da9e53734fbb684eee3b3cb934bb53b374867d5fd2c3175b6e1ad0124fcaced 

--"In the Age of Sexual Misconduct, How Is Mike Pence a Problem?" by David French in National Review: "The 'Pence rule' and its variations reflect an accurate view of human nature." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad35ec2588bd11f64e7c0efc3bd1f598a6e2377ca22b5207eddd4c3e8fa09ee4abdd970fd0323776db 

--"Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal," by Amanda Robb in Rolling Stone: "Inside the web of conspiracy theorists, Russian operatives, Trump campaigners and Twitter bots who manufactured the 'news' that Hillary Clinton ran a pizza-restaurant child-sex ring." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad2704b357be39474b019a5628e607631c5cf196fc9780f79a436674db1142db5f56b6416f7ab3baf3

-- "The Odyssey and the Other," by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein in December's Atlantic: "What the epic can teach about encounters with strangers abroad and at home." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adf7a91e78252d0554091d7806478332f740beacfe11f2953928a95031bd8fc98a806415b2b5cfaba0

-- "Amazon's Last Mile," by Bryan Menegus in Gizmodo: "Who delivers Amazon orders? Increasingly, it's plainclothes contractors with few labor protections, driving their own cars, competing for shifts on the company's own Uber-like platform. Though it's deployed in dozens of cities and associated with one of the world's biggest companies, government agencies and customers alike are nearly oblivious to the program's existence." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad3c037a9a166e2227c268111997ca991b1637149675f5c0c52c0aa7ff32e00ec671e36dadca5af656

-- "Bill Browder, Putin Enemy No. 1," by Sean Flynn in GQ: "The harrowing tale of Bill Browder-how an American-born businessman became an enemy of the Russian state, how he has to live in constant fear, never knowing if the long arm of the Kremlin will snatch him, or kill him-is its own kind of daily terror. But what Browder's story tells us about the way Vladimir Putin operates, and what he might want from this country, should scare us all." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adf5161cc516f7e45f9db32b34345636bdb76413e17dd61ed38643c7f46f0b202c60ddf50bfbe7fe67

--"I still love Kierkegaard," by Julian Baggini in Aeon - per ALDaily.com's description: "Kierkegaard is a favorite of angsty adolescents. But it is adults, more than ever, who can most benefit from the ethical seriousness of his life and work." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adc28d55646d6e277ca51c92c3c8e6a821be90188c1711534688c4a6e97ca2f619ab6aa10de73d9bd8 

--"The Digital Ruins of a Forgotten Future," by Leslie Jamison in December's Atlantic: "Second Life was supposed to be the future of the internet, but then Facebook came along. Yet many people still spend hours each day inhabiting this virtual realm. Their stories-and the world they've built-illuminate the promise and limitations of online life." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adc04c2e2bf57163d5475fd131036506603c2a892b4ec81384777fb84bac83c074d324844a7b3c7f8b 

--"Walking While Black," by Topher Sanders, Kate Rabinowitz, and Benjamin Conarck in ProPublica: "Jacksonville's enforcement of pedestrian violations raises concerns that it's another example of racial profiling." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61adf166f9d9513e2f51c5e108880b3014335634c268f1813acfd26250872860a48ad1297ccb995290e6 (h/t Longform.org)

--"Married Young: The Fight Over Child Marriage in America," by Anjali Tsui on Frontline - per TheBrowser.com's description: "Heather was pregnant at 14 when she married her 24-year-old boyfriend, hoping to save him from jail for statutory rape. She lost the baby, the marriage failed, and the boyfriend went to jail anyway. A sad story, but not an exceptional one. All US states allow minors to marry with parental consent. At least 200,000 - almost all girls - have done so in the past 15 years. 'Children as young as 10, 11 and 12 years old were granted marriage licenses in Alaska, Louisiana, South Carolina and Tennessee.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad78b6591bb7e2a03ae8e053572dbcf0044ba984f212493fb63213f0d30ec86792edf802f43fd54faf 

                  Playbookers         
SPOTTED: Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) at the Elton John concert in Bangor, Maine, last night. "She seemed to particularly enjoy his rendition of 'Daniel,'" per our tipster.

WEEKEND WEDDINGS - "Rebecca Kaplan, Adam Levy" - N.Y. Times: "The bride, 29, who will be keeping her name professionally, is an associate producer in Washington for the 'CBS Evening News.' She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania, and she is on the board of The Daily Pennsylvanian ... The groom, 31, works in Washington as a supervising producer for CNN's political unit, where he oversees the network's political research operation. Until August he worked as a senior producer for 'State of the Union with Jake Tapper.' He graduated from the George Washington University. ... The couple met in 2015 in Washington through the dating app JSwipe." With pic 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61addd0de3026087a01fb77625080159963ea8fdaac172f7a5efc63af41844f2b0df4aff27772d4e9498 ... Wedding pic of the couple with Wolf Blitzer and Dana Bash http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ad8eac19e7918a932f8de78a8e16438a6ba16d4d15c146cc444590e6753c4d623bbcd13dc69154c5ca 

--SPOTTED: Wolf Blitzer and Dana Bash cutting the challah, Spencer Garrett, David Chalian, Alex Moe and Derek Flowers, Joy Lin, Juana Summers, John Legittino, Lauren Pratapas, Polson Kanneth and Sandhya Kotha, Ben Kochman, Rob Yoon, Katie Hinman, Sean and Ashley Kennedy.

OUT AND ABOUT -- SPOTTED at the So Others Might Eat Gala Saturday night at the National Building Museum: Tom Donohue, Suzanne Clark, Bill Conway, Jack Gerard, Matthew Say, Jim McCarthy, Wayne Berman and the winners of this year's Humanitarians of the Year award, Jane and Steve Caldeira of the Consumer Specialty Products Association.

-- SPOTTED at the "Wonder Woman"-themed birthday party for BBC's Suzanne Kianpour at Lapis Saturday night: Andrew Rafferty, Neil Grace, Molly Weaver, Walt Cronkite Jr., Lauren French, Paul Kane, Lauren Culbertson, Anastasia Dellaccio, Nikki Schwab, Brendan Kownacki, Sophie Pyle, Chris Brown, Lindsay Walters, Sean Weppner and Richard Strauss. 

-- Bert Gomez threw a party celebrating wife Susie Santana's birthday Saturday night on the W hotel rooftop where guests salsa danced till midnight and were treated to cupcakes and the "Susie Q" specialty cocktail, according to a tipster. SPOTTED: Estuardo Rodriguez, Lyndon Boozer, Maria Cardona, Angela Arboleda, Laurie Saroff, Cristina Antelo and Miguel Franco.

BIRTHDAYS: Boston Globe's Matt Viser (hat tip: Annie Linskey) ... Matt Lloyd, HHS principal deputy assistant secretary for public affairs and a Pence alum (h/ts Nate Bult, Alleigh Marre and James Wegmann) ... Ann Curry ... Meghan Burris, OMB press secretary ... former Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is 78 ... Tommy Thompson, former HHS Secretary and Wisconsin governor, is 78 ... Larry King is 84 (h/t Tammy Haddad) ... Jack Welch is 82 ... Ted Turner is 79 ... Time's Sam Jacobs ... Justin Hamilton is 42 ... Allison Janney ... WaPo's Dana Hedgpeth ... Jeff Mitchell, acting legislative affairs director at NPPD ... Robert Marcus, EVP of Signal Group ... Biden alum Annie Tomasini ... Nicole Isaac, head
 of U.S. public policy at LinkedIn ... Michael Dale-Stein, Sen. Franken's senior adviser for comms ... Trey Emerson Sprick of the U.S. Chamber ... former Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell is 55 ... Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) is 7-0 ... former Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.) is 75 ... Florida native Maya Hixson, senior comms manager at NARAL (h/t James Owens) ... former Rep. Jo Bonner (R-Ala.) is 58 ... Adriana Lorenzo, senior booking producer at Cheddar ... Scott Garlick ... Sarah Hamilton, managing director at Kivvit ...

... Brad Bauman ... Jason Dumont ... John Axelrod, MSNBC alum now at BerlinRosen, is 26 ... Lauren McCulloch of "Meet the Press" ... Obama DOJ alum Dena Iverson DeBonis ... Chris Harlow ... Eric Finkbeiner ... Mike Deutsch, FAA attorney ... Matt Allen ... Beth Mickelberg ... Lynne Walton ... Patrick K. O'Donnell ... Andrew Sollinger, EVP of subscriptions at Business Insider... Cait Graf, VP of comms at The Nation ... Ivan Levingston ... Alexander Heffner is 28 ... Ellen Silva of NPR ... Shelley Hearne (h/ts Jon Haber) ... Charlie Siguler ... Geoff Sokolowski ... Neil Bjorkman, VP of legislative affairs at the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum ... Hannah McLeod ... Michael Reynold ...
 Amber Manko ... Bush 43 W.H. alum Ivvete Diaz ... Bush 43 HHS alum Mary Kay Mantho, now director at GSK ... Ivette Diaz ... Shannon Vilmain ... Barb Leach ... Julie Cassidy ... David O'Boyle ... Ricky Wilson.

****** A message from Chevron: This is a story about DOERS, butterflies, and buckwheat. In '75, the endangered El Segundo Blue butterfly was found near a Chevron refinery. We protected the habitat and planted the only thing they eat-buckwheat. We're still planting and keeping an eye on our littlest neighbor. Watch the video: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b5ed069144af61ada3187913f0f94e9676b585b695f15c750ca42b157f9a453ac3d2f760c4b652294ea4cad41a93807f ******

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