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Presented by Airlines for America: The unofficial guide to official Washington. | | | | |  | | By Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels and Ryan Lizza | | | With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross
|  Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.) is not two months on the job atop the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and already she infuriated some of her colleagues by firing the executive director. | Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images | |  | DRIVING THE DAY | | BIDEN’S FOX NEWS SNUB — After several days of bickering, it’s official: President JOE BIDEN will NOT give an interview with Fox or any of its sister networks as part of its Super Bowl coverage this weekend. The decision breaks with the tradition of presidents sitting for pre-game interviews with the network hosting the most-watched sporting event of the year. This morning, we have to ask: Was that such a good idea? In some respects, the White House’s dodge makes sense. Why play ball with a corporation whose networks routinely lambaste your administration? Supporters of Biden’s decision also note there’s recent precedent: DONALD TRUMP refused to do a sit-down with game-day host NBC in 2018. On the other hand, Biden just passed up a critical opportunity to speak to millions of Americans who ignored his State of the Union but sure as hell won’t miss the Super Bowl — one that comes ahead of a likely 2024 reelection campaign launch. And he should relish a chance to spar with his conservative critics, some Democrats would argue — much as he did during his speech Tuesday, where he parried lawmakers’ boos with quips that made him appear light on his feet. Yet it appears Biden wasn’t interested, despite reports suggesting that Fox News Channel anchor BRET BAIER, not a prime-time opinion-monger, would likely conduct the interview. In fact, unlike his Democratic predecessor BARACK OBAMA, who twice sat down for Super Bowl chats with firebrand commentator BILL O’REILLY, Biden hasn’t sat down with Fox News at all during his presidency. Instead, White House officials offered a sit-down to Fox Soul, an obscure streaming service targeting Black viewers who, let’s admit, are already pretty firmly in Biden’s corner. That move, Chris Cadelago reports, “was seen as a way to have the president avoid appearing with a Fox News personality while still going through with an interview,” while NYT’s Mike Shear and Michael Grynbaum called it “an effort by Mr. Biden’s aides to sidestep the news anchors on Fox News, but evade criticism for dodging an interview.” In the end, it proved too clever by half. Fox corporate honchos appeared to cancel the interview then claim it was on again, putting the two interviewers Biden had agreed to sit down with — sports broadcaster MIKE HILL and actress VIVICA A. FOX — onto a plane from L.A. to D.C. for the big moment. But by yesterday evening, the White House put out word that nothing had changed on their end and that Biden would not sit for an interview. The upshot? “America,” Chris writes, “will have to settle for the Puppy Bowl.” Good Saturday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza.
| | | | A message from Airlines for America: Did you know? 90 percent of Americans have flown at least once. More than half of Americans have flown before their 16th birthday. Two million people choose to fly each day in the U.S. This is possible because robust competition among U.S. airlines generates enormous options for consumers, which is why Americans from a range of economic, cultural and racial backgrounds have flown. In 2021, one-third of Americans who flew had family incomes under $75,000. Learn more: www.airlines.org. | | | NEW CHC LEADER UNDER FIRE — When Rep. NANETTE BARRAGÁN got the nod to lead the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in December, running unopposed, some House Democrats were surprised. The California Democrat has long had a reputation for being hard to work for. In fact, her office has had such high turnover — the third-highest between 2001 and 2021, in fact, according to LegiStorm — that Democratic leadership once had to have a chat with her about what was happening. Not even two months later, the same dynamics are already percolating in the caucus. This week, Barragán infuriated some of her colleagues by firing a well-respected Hill veteran, JACKY USYK, who had just become the group’s executive director following stints with Sen. PATTY MURRAY (D-Wash.) and Rep. TONY CÁRDENAS (D-Calif.). That came just after the legislative director of the group quit, leaving what should be an influential faction entirely staffless. Last night, our colleagues Nicholas Wu and Daniella Diaz scooped that CHC members will meet virtually to discuss ousting Barragán. Citing more than a dozen people interviewed about group tensions, the pair report that the situation has ignited “anger from within the group and skepticism that she will be able to lead it going forward.” There’s a fear that such drama and staff churn could undermine the group’s policy work and serve as a distraction, not to mention deter future staff from joining the group. In fact, Nick and Daniella report that the situation has thrown into question a recent hire Barragán just made: a comms director to lead the group. Asked for comment, Barragán declined to discuss Usyk’s departure except to say, “We wish her well in her future endeavors.” She did not respond to Nick and Daniella’s request for comment on her potential ouster. Of note: If Barragán is ousted, Rep. ADRIANO ESPAILLAT (D-N.Y.) is considered next in line to run the CHC.
| | | | A message from Airlines for America:   Competition in the airline industry has generated enormous consumer choice and vast options for travelers – meaning there is something for everyone. Learn more: www.airlines.org. | | | | | BIDEN’S SATURDAY — The Bidens will host the nation’s governors for a black-tie dinner in the State Dining Room at 7:15 p.m., with VP KAMALA HARRIS and second gentleman DOUG EMHOFF attending.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS — Biden will head to Poland from Feb. 20-22, the White House announced. | | | | | | 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. | | | | | PHOTO OF THE DAY
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President Joe Biden welcomes Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to the White House yesterday. | Alex Brandon/AP Photo | | | PLAYBOOK READS | | 9 THINGS THAT STUCK WITH US 1. UP IN THE AIR: The U.S. shot down another “high-altitude object” off the coast of Alaska on the president’s orders, though questions remain about what it was and where it came from. It was roughly the size of a small car and didn’t seem to have any spying equipment, CNN’s Maegan Vazquez, Betsy Klein, Oren Liebermann and Haley Britzky report. The unmanned object first came on officials’ radar Thursday at 40,000 feet, prompting the U.S. to investigate with F-35 fighter jets. JOHN KIRBY said they deemed that it “posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight.” Biden called the operation a “success.” More balloon fallout: The Commerce Department added six Chinese state defense firms and contractors to a blacklist over their involvement with spy balloons. More from the WSJ 2. DOCU-DRAMA: There were a flurry of new developments and stories yesterday tied to the classified documents investigations for Trump, Biden and former VP MIKE PENCE:
3. TURNING POINT FOR TURNING POINT: “Trump frustrated with a powerful conservative group after its outreach to Ron DeSantis,” by NBC’s Allan Smith and Vaughn Hillyard: “Some Republicans now question whether the group and its founder, CHARLIE KIRK, were overhyped, particularly after top-of-the-ticket losses for candidates it went all in for in Arizona … A bigger problem for Kirk and Turning Point, however, is that they may be losing the confidence of their most important supporter: Trump.” 4. 2024 WATCH: Sen. TIM SCOTT (R-S.C.) is tapping former Sen. CORY GARDNER and ROB COLLINS to lead the Opportunity Matters Fund Action super PAC, a potential step closer to a 2024 presidential bid, Axios’ Josh Kraushaar reports. The PAC, which “would be the center of his political operation,” currently has more than $17 million. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS “is actively preparing a run for president in 2024, even as he delays a formal announcement to keep Republican voters’ attention on his aggressively conservative record in Florida,” Bloomberg’s Nancy Cook reports. His team is interviewing consultants and operatives in early-voting states, and a super PAC is in the works, though an announcement is still months away. On the Democratic side, Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser floats the chatter in New Hampshire that Biden could face a primary challenge in the state — perhaps from MARIANNE WILLIAMSON or ROBERT KENNEDY JR. 5. BATTLE FOR THE SENATE: “Rep. Lee planning to launch Senate run in Calif. this month, as rivals ramp up,” by WaPo’s Dylan Wells: “[BARBARA] LEE is timing her announcement to coincide with Black History Month. … Lee’s allies say they believe her status as a woman of color will help her with the expected diverse electorate in the all-party primary next year, and they are signaling an intent to highlight how she has fought discrimination in her career.” 6. FOR YOUR RADAR: “Matt Schlapp Hires Johnny Depp’s Lawyer to Unmask Sexual Assault Accuser,” by The Daily Beast’s Roger Sollenberger: “[MATT] SCHLAPP has formally denied that he committed sexual battery against a former HERSCHEL WALKER campaign staffer who has accused the CPAC chair of groping his crotch against his will … [But] they make no defamation counterclaims of their own.”
| | | | A message from Airlines for America:   Competition in the airline industry has generated enormous consumer choice – meaning there is something for everyone. Learn more: www.airlines.org. | | | 7. WHAT BIDEN WILL BE SELLING: A striking number of new stories highlight the various ways in which Democrats’ big-ticket recent legislative successes are starting to translate to action: The percentage of taxpayer phone calls that the IRS answers has leapt from 13% to 90%, WaPo’s Jacob Bogage reports. … Electric vehicle prices are tumbling “[m]ore quickly than seemed possible a few months ago” and could match gas car prices soon, NYT’s Jack Ewing reports. … Ford will announce a $2.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan along with a Chinese partner, The Detroit News’ Jordyn Grzelewski, Riley Beggin and Kalea Hall report. … Democrats hope new union incentives tied to federal cash will provide political upside, NYT’s Jonathan Weisman reports. … DOT will force Tesla to open its chargers to competitors or miss out on new subsidies, Reuters’ Jarrett Renshaw and Hyunjoo Jin scooped. 8. ANTITRUST THE PROCESS: “Biden administration moving toward blocking JetBlue-Spirit merger,” by Josh Sisco: “The Justice Department is likely to sue to block a pending $3.8 billion merger between JetBlue and Spirit airlines … It’s the latest anti-monopoly move by the Biden administration … The department could file suit as soon as March, some [sources] said, though they cautioned that the investigation is ongoing and no final decision has been made. People in the DOJ’s antitrust division have competing opinions about whether to bring a case.” 9. END OF AN ERA: “Mourning ‘Compassionate Conservatism’ Along With Its Author,” by NYT’s Peter Baker: “The man they came to mourn, MICHAEL JOHN GERSON, was no president or cabinet secretary. He was a wordsmith, a presidential speechwriter turned columnist. But he was more than the author of memorable addresses. He was an author of an idea that some fear will be buried along with him. … But how far Mr. Gerson’s Republican Party has come from his vision of a more decent, humanitarian style of governance was on stark display that same night.” CLICKER — “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker — 16 funnies GREAT WEEKEND READS: — “The Villages Vendetta,” by The Intercept’s Ryan Grim: “How a Grassroots Revolt in the Iconic Retirement Community Ended With a 72-Year-Old Political Prisoner.” — “Avenging Billy: How amateur sleuths took on a gay porn actor’s haunting Hollywood murder,” by the L.A. Times’ Kevin Rector — “Why There Was No Racial Reckoning,” by Wesley Lowery in The Atlantic: “Systemic problems will not be solved by representational victories.” — “The Domestic Terror Paradox,” by James Verini in the NYT Magazine: “The U.S. prosecuted Brian Lemley for threats, not violence. Is that what it takes to fight extremism?” — “Trans and nonbinary lawmakers made history in 2022. They’re already having to defend their very existence,” by the Boston Globe’s Jacob Fulton and Lissandra Villa de Petrzelka — “‘She Won’t Be Manageable,’ They Said. Now She’s in Charge,” by NYT’s James Stewart and Rachel Abrams: “Her father doubted her much of her career. Les Moonves launched a bid at CBS to overrule her. That was before sexual misconduct allegations came to light. Now Shari Redstone controls the media empire.”
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | PLAYBOOKERS | | John Fetterman was discharged from the hospital and intends to return to the Senate on Monday. Angie Craig said she was “very, very lucky that I was not more injured” in her assault. Bob Casey made some very Philly-style weekend plans. Maxwell Frost checked out the 9:30 Club. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with various Hill progressives. Matt Gaetz apologized for accidentally having an accused murderer lead the Pledge of Allegiance at a House Judiciary meeting. Canadian MP John McKay visited the House Oversight Twitter hearing and came away impressed. Mike Pence welcomed his third grandchild (and second this week!). IN MEMORIAM — “Dr. Dennis O’Leary, Voice of Calm After Reagan Was Shot, Dies at 85,” by NYT’s Sam Roberts OUT AND ABOUT — The National Governors Association had a reception last night at German Ambassador Emily Haber’s residence, where German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sent in a recorded video message. SPOTTED: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Delaware Gov. John Carney, Nichole Francis Reynolds, Sherman Greer, EU Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, Swiss Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud, Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova and Elias Alcantara. TRANSITIONS — Terry Adirim will leave her role as executive director of the VA’s electronic health records modernization program, FedScoop’s Nihal Krishan reports. … Matt Cournoyer will be policy analyst for the CFPB’s Section for Public Engagement and Community Liaison. He previously was a social science analyst at HHS’ Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. … Christopher Grieco is now general counsel and chief compliance officer at Web3 company Rain. He most recently was general counsel at Fei Labs, and is a Trump White House and DOJ alum. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) … Hawaii Gov. Josh Green … Sarah Palin … Jeb Bush … Rick Tyler … POLITICO’s Rachel Kosberg, Meiying Wu and Evan Lehmann … Jimmy Dahman … Matt Bennett … Dan Barry … Alex Conant … James Hewitt … Alejandro Rosenkranz … Kyle Buckles … Evan Siegfried … ProPublica’s Stephen Engelberg … Will Smith of Cornerstone Government Affairs … Nicole L’Esperance … Sean McCluskie … Wes Barrett … Brian Kaveney ... Andrea Mares ... Amanda Hamilton ... Hannah Lindow … Emily Kirlin of Tiber Creek Group … Jess Sarmiento … former Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Ga.) … former HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt … Rob Hendin … Alicia Mundy … New Heights Communications’ Danielle Strasburger … Steven Roberts … Global Situation Room’s Johanna Maska THE SHOWS (Full Sunday show listings here): ABC “This Week”: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer … Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) … Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.). Panel: Chris Christie, Donna Brazile, Julie Pace and Susan Page. CBS “Face the Nation”: Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) … Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.). Panel: New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. NBC “Meet the Press”: Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy … Mark Pomerantz. Panel: Leigh Ann Caldwell, Jonah Goldberg, Garrett Haake and Symone Sanders-Townsend. FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs … Myron Rolle. Panel: Bill Hemmer and Clay Travis. Panel: Terry Bradshaw, Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long and Michael Strahan. CNN “State of the Union”: Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) … Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer … Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.). Fox News “Sunday Morning Futures”: Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) … Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) … Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.). MSNBC “The Sunday Show”: Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) … Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) … press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@politico.com or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn’t happen without our editor Mike DeBonis, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine.
| | | | A message from Airlines for America: Did you know? 90 percent of Americans have flown at least once. More than half of Americans have flown before their 16th birthday. Two million people choose to fly each day in the U.S. All of this is possible because robust competition among U.S. airlines generates vast options for consumers.
Few industries match U.S. airlines when it comes to consumer choice, which is why air travel is now enjoyed by Americans from a range of economic, cultural and racial backgrounds. In 2021, one-third of Americans who flew had family incomes under $75,000. In 2022, fares (adjusted for inflation) were 6.8% below 2019 prices.
Because A4A passenger airlines compete aggressively for customers, they strive to provide a positive travel experience for all travelers, including families traveling with children, which is why A4A passenger carriers do not charge a family seating fee, unlike some ultra low-cost carriers. Read more at www.airlines.org. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
