Playbook PM: What the Hill press corps should be reading

From: POLITICO Playbook - Wednesday Feb 16,2022 06:22 pm

Feb 16, 2022

By Rachael Bade, Garrett Ross and Eli Okun

Presented by

The “Otter” app has become a favorite tool among Washington journalists — a mostly smooth, fast transcription service used by the D.C. press corps to share audio bites from the president and lawmakers. It makes life simpler and increases access among the press to powerful figures. On Capitol Hill, poolers have used it to share files during the pandemic.

But the app presents its own vulnerabilities and risks, as our colleague Phelim Kine recounts in his journey “down the rabbit hole — talking to cybersecurity experts, press freedom advocates and a former government official.”

— How it started: Phelim received “an odd note from Otter.ai … It read: ‘Hey Phelim, to help us improve your Otter’s experience, what was the purpose of this particular recording with titled “Mustafa Aksu” created at “2021-11-08 11:02:41”?’ Three responses were offered: ‘Personal transcription,’ ‘Meeting or group collaboration,’ and ‘Other.’

“I froze. Was this a phishing attack? Was Otter or some entity that had access to Otter’s servers spying on my conversations? I contacted Otter to verify if this was indeed a real survey or some clever phishing ruse. An initial confirmation that the survey was legitimate was followed by a denial from the same Otter representative, laced with a warning that I ‘not respond to that survey and delete it.’ My communications with Otter were all restricted to email and were sporadic, often confusing and contradictory.”

— The takeaway: “Otter and its competitors, which include Descript, Rev, Temi and the U.K.-based Trint, are digital warehouses whose advantages of speed and convenience are bracketed by what experts say can be lax privacy and security protections that may endanger sensitive text and audio data, the identities of reporters and the potentially vulnerable sources they contact.”

Good Wednesday afternoon. We have a clarification to make. In case you were confused by this line in today’s Playbook, it referred to Biden’s approval ratings specifically for his handling of the pandemic: “Voter opinions about President JOE BIDEN’s handling of the pandemic continue to be an enormous anchor weighing down Democrats: Just 39% of registered voters approve of the job he’s doing, while 57% disapprove.” Biden’s overall approval rating in the latest POLITICO-Morning Consult poll was 43%, with 53% disapproval.

A message from Facebook:

Why Facebook supports updated internet regulations

Paige is one of many experts working on privacy at Facebook—to give you more control over your information.

Hear from Paige on why Facebook supports updating regulations on the internet’s most pressing challenges, including federal privacy legislation.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE LATEST

— Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN cautioned that the recent promise from Russia that it would pull back forces from the Ukrainian border appears to be empty. “Unfortunately, there’s a difference between what Russia says and what it does, and what we’re seeing is no meaningful pullback. The contrary, we continue to see forces, especially forces that would be in the vanguard of any renewed aggression against Ukraine, continuing to be at the border to mass at the border,” Blinken said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” (More from Quint Forgey)

— NATO Secretary-General JENS STOLTENBERG echoed Blinken’s assessment, saying “we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground. On the contrary, it appears that Russia continues its military buildup,” per WSJ’s Yaroslav Trofimov, Thomas Grove and Ann Simmons.

— However, a Ukrainian intelligence report indicates that “the number of Russian forces remains insufficient for an invasion,” CNN’s Matthew Chance reports. “According to the new Ukrainian intelligence report, 87 Russian Battalion Tactical Groups (BTGs) are on constant alert around Ukraine, up from 53 which are usually based in the area. BTGs are formations that consist of 800 to 1,000 Russian troops.

“The numbers are consistent with the latest U.S. assessment of the Russian troop buildup, but deviates from Western statements by playing down the threat of a full-scale invasion. … Instead, Ukrainian intelligence believes that Russia has focused its efforts on ‘destabilizing Ukraine’s internal situation’ using punitive economic and energy-related tactics, as well as cyberattacks.”

ON THE PERIPHERY — NYT’s Andrew Higgins reports from Redzikowo, Poland, the site of a “highly sensitive U.S. military installation, expected to be operational this year, which Washington insists will help defend Europe and the United States from ballistic missiles fired by rogue states like Iran.” But Russian President VLADIMIR PUTIN, “the military base in Poland, and another in Romania, are evidence of what he sees as the threat posed by NATO’s eastward expansion — and part of his justification for his military encirclement of Ukraine.”

— Also worth paying attention to: “Rising oil prices and fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine have created a dilemma for Saudi Arabia: Help the West by pumping more crude to tame the market, or stand by a five-year-old oil alliance that is helping Moscow at the expense of Washington. For now, the world’s largest crude exporter is sticking with Russia,” write WSJ’s Benoit Faucon in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and Summer Said in Dubai.

JAN. 6 AND ITS AFTERMATH

W.H. REJECTS TRUMP ‘PRIVILEGE’ CLAIM ON VISITOR LOGS — Biden cleared the way for a trove of Trump administration documents to be released to the Jan. 6 select committee, rejecting Trump’s claims of executive privilege and ordering the National Archives to hand over the documents, Kyle Cheney writes. “As a matter of policy, and subject to limited exceptions, the Biden Administration voluntarily discloses such visitor logs on a monthly basis. The Obama Administration followed the same practice,” White House Counsel DANA REMUS said in a letter to National Archivist DAVID FERRIERO dated Feb. 15. “As practice under that policy demonstrates, preserving the confidentiality of this type of record generally is not necessary to protect long-term institutional interests of the Executive Branch.”

— What’s next: “It’s unclear if Trump will launch another court action to prevent the newly identified records from reaching lawmakers. It’s also unclear how the new tranche of records differs from earlier ones that were the subject of Trump’s lawsuit.”

BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now.

ALL POLITICS

MIZZOU MOVES — In the Missouri GOP Senate primary, the hot topic isn’t Biden or railing against Democrats. “Instead, they’re focusing on another target — China,” Phelim Kine writes. “Most of the candidates vying to replace ROY BLUNT , the retiring GOP Missouri senator, call China a growing military, economic and public health threat. And they’ve vowed in person and through online videos to strike back if elected. … Ahead of the Feb. 22 filing opening, the contest has become a preview of how U.S. politicians may weaponize public antipathy toward China as a campaign focus in November’s midterms and the 2024 presidential race.”

— Meanwhile, Sen.TED CRUZ (R-Texas) officially endorsed Missouri A.G. ERIC SCHMITT for the seat, Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser reports. It comes after Sen. JOSH HAWLEY (R-Mo.) backed Rep. VICKY HARTZLER in the race.

— And that’s not all in the Show-Me State: “Newly released polling in Missouri bolsters an argument Senate Republican leadership has made for months: Former Gov. ERIC GREITENS could be an unusually weak red-state nominee,” Natalie Allison reports . “Greitens, who resigned mid-term in 2018, has led the crowded Republican field in early polling for the state’s open Senate seat. But according to a recent survey done for a private third-party and obtained by POLITICO, Greitens would have just a slim lead over Democrat LUCAS KUNCE if the general election were held today.”

2022 WATCH — As a slate of progressive candidates look to primary incumbent Democrats across the country, Rep. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-N.Y.) is trying to tame the field. “Jeffries and two of his House Democrat allies rolled out its first slate of endorsements on Wednesday from Team Blue PAC, a political action committee intended to protect incumbents from intraparty attacks,” Rolling Stone’s Kara Voght reports . “The endorsement and its attendant $5,000 campaign contributions are the strongest demonstration of support yet from Jeffries and his allies — and serve as a warning shot to primary challengers seeking to unseat incumbents as Democrats fight to hold onto their fragile majorities.” The endorsements: Reps. SHONTEL BROWN (D-Ohio), DANNY DAVIS (D-Ill.), CAROLYN MALONEY (D-N.Y.), DONALD PAYNE JR. (D-N.J.) and DINA TITUS (D-Nev.).

— In Ohio, retiring GOP Rep. ROB PORTMAN has officially endorsed JANE TIMKEN to replace him, Cleveland.com’s Andrew Tobias reports.

IN THE TANK IN CALI — In California, Dem Sen. DIANNE FEINSTEIN’s approval numbers “have tumbled to the lowest point in her three-decade Senate career, with just 30% of California voters giving her positive marks in a new UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times,” LAT’s Melanie Mason reports.

— Also worth noting: Both Biden and Vice President KAMALA HARRIS are underwater in the Golden State. Biden’s net approval is -1 (47% approve, 48% disapprove), and Harris’ is -8 (38% approve, 46% disapprove).

DEEP IN THE HEART — BETO O’ROURKE might be running anew in 2022, but it won’t be easy for him to shake the specter of 2020, NYT’s J. David Goodman writes from Tyler, Texas. “Mr. O’Rourke’s presidential campaign shadows his run for governor, complicating his effort to present himself as a pragmatic, there-for-you Texan who embraces responsible gun ownership and wants to win over moderate voters. His 2020 campaign remarks have figured prominently in attacks by [incumbent Texas Gov. GREG] ABBOTT and are familiar to many voters in a state where Democrats also proudly own guns. Mr. O’Rourke counts himself among their number — he and his wife own firearms, his campaign said — and he appears well aware of the liability.”

BEYOND THE BELTWAY

STUDY: WEST’S MEGADROUGHT WORST IN 1,200 YEARS — Experts are raising the red flag, warning that the climate situation in the American West is worse than it even seems. “‘What we're seeing in 2022 is good snow, generally, in some places -- but at the same time, not consistent,’” Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner CAMILLE TOUTON told CNN . “‘You're seeing record events, followed by record dry months. Now add to that low reservoir level, because we didn't get a lot of inflow into our reservoirs last year.’ The bigger picture is stark. The West's megadrought is the region's worst in at least 1,200 years, according to a study published Monday, and researchers said the human-caused climate crisis has made the megadrought 72% worse. Western water experts echoed the concern that the term ‘drought’ may be insufficient to capture the region's current hydrology.”

STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today.

TRUMP CARDS

INTERIOR I.G.: ZINKE BROKE ETHICS RULES — RYAN ZINKE during his time serving as Interior secretary during the Trump administration “broke federal ethics rules repeatedly by improperly participating in real estate negotiations with the chairman of the energy giant Halliburton at the time and other developers,” WaPo’s Anna Phillips and Lisa Rein report. “Interior Department Inspector General MARK GREENBLATT found that while Zinke was in office, he sent dozens of emails and text messages, held phone calls and met in his office with developers to discuss the design of a large commercial and residential development in his hometown of Whitefish, Mont. Zinke continued to represent his family’s foundation in the negotiations for nearly a year, investigators found, even after committing to federal officials that he would resign from the foundation and would not do any work on its behalf after he joined the Trump administration.”

PLAYBOOKERS

Laura Ingraham gave Pete Buttigieg the devil-horns-and-pitchfork treatment on Tuesday night’s show, complete with a cartoony, wiry mustache and goatee.

Meta’s policy head honcho Nick Clegg is getting a promotion, which will allow CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg to take a step back.

Rory Stewart this week published a report for the Atlantic Council presenting a plan to tackle the world refugee crisis.

SPOTTED: Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom walking in the Senate basement. ( h/t The Daily Beast’s Ursula Perano)

IN MEMORIAM — “Peter Earnest, a veteran of the CIA’s Cold War clandestine operations who ran agents in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, then helped promote and preserve the history of espionage while serving as the founding executive director of the International Spy Museum in Washington, died Feb. 13 at a hospital in Arlington, Va. He was 88. … Through his speeches, books, interviews with journalists and leadership of the Spy Museum, Mr. Earnest helped demystify the world’s second-oldest profession, introducing people to the techniques, influence, triumphs and shortcomings of intelligence gathering around the globe.” Full obituary by WaPo’s Harrison Smith

MEDIA MOVES — WaPo’s Jacqueline Alemany is now an MSNBC and NBC News contributor. Announcement … Darius Tahir will be a health tech correspondent at Kaiser Health News. He currently is an eHealth reporter at POLITICO.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Nicole Porreca is joining Boeing as director for international operations and policy. She previously was a senior foreign policy adviser for Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and is an Obama NSC and State Department alum.

TRANSITIONS — Rob Childers is now a director of government affairs at S&P Global. He previously was counsel for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.). … Melanie Meyers is now campaign manager for Regan Deering’s Illinois congressional campaign. She most recently was campaign manager for Jeanine Lawson’s Virginia congressional campaign, and is a Pete Stauber and Tom Tiffany alum. …

… Brigid Hasson Richelieu is now senior comms manager at the Financial Services Forum. She most recently was a senior public relations director at Rational 360. … Josh Withrow is joining the R Street Institute as a fellow on their technology and innovation policy team. He previously was director of technology policy at National Taxpayers Union, and is a FreedomWorks alum.

A message from Facebook: