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Presented by American Edge Project: POLITICO's must-read briefing on what's driving the afternoon in Washington. | | | | | |  | | By Eli Okun and Garrett Ross | Presented by |  | | | Our in-house Florida man Marc Caputo writes in with a big development in the 2022 governor’s race: THE RACE AGAINST DESANTIS — It’s sounding increasingly likely that Rep. VAL DEMINGS wants to run against Gov. RON DESANTIS in 2022, according to two sources who have spoken with her about it and two more who have been briefed on her conversations with donors and top Democrats, including advisers to President JOE BIDEN, DNC Chair JAIME HARRISON and Florida Democratic Party Chair MANNY DIAZ. “At this point, it’s more likely than not that she does run,” said one source who had spoken with Demings recently. “And if she does, it’s almost definitely running for governor.” That puts Demings on a collision course with former governor and fellow Rep. CHARLIE CRIST, who is expected to announce his own gubernatorial campaign as early as Tuesday. While we’ve heard buzz that Demings — whom Crist briefly entertained as a running mate in his failed 2014 comeback bid for governor — could announce her own candidacy in the coming days, two knowledgeable sources waved us off of that timeline. Florida’s political insiders see Demings as having “an ‘it’ factor,” as one top Democrat put it, and view her as potentially more appealing to Democratic donors and voters than either Crist or Agriculture Commissioner NIKKI FRIED, who is currently the only Democrat elected to statewide office and has spent months positioning herself to run against DeSantis. Buzz surrounds Demings even at non-political events: At an Orlando fundraiser Wednesday night for a new Holocaust memorial, a coterie of Central Florida political leaders and insiders lined up to speak with Demings and encourage her to run, a source told us. One big drawback for Demings (or any Democratic candidate): The Florida Democratic Party is in shambles, and for years has failed to conduct the voter-registration programs it needs in order to win statewide elections. Another key factor in this calculation: Florida is gaining a new congressional seat next year, which could alter district boundaries for Demings, pushing her Orlando-based seat into less familiar territory. If she has to introduce herself to new voters anyway, why not go big? That leads to a question: If you go big in 2022, would you prefer to face DeSantis or Sen. MARCO RUBIO? Demings first told POLITICO last week that she was “seriously considering” a bid against either the incumbent governor or two-term senator. But we’ve heard that in conversations with others, she has made it clear that she would prefer to run for governor in part because she thinks that DeSantis is particularly awful — remember, they served in the House together before he was elected governor in 2018. (Worth noting: Rep. STEPHANIE MURPHY, a fellow Orlando Democrat, is exploring a bid against Rubio.) WOW — “U.S. investigating possible mysterious directed energy attack near White House,” CNN: “Federal agencies are investigating at least two possible incidents on U.S. soil, including one near the White House in November of last year, that appear similar to mysterious, invisible attacks that have led to debilitating symptoms for dozens of U.S. personnel abroad. “Multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN that while the Pentagon and other agencies probing the matter have reached no clear conclusions on what happened, the fact that such an attack might have taken place so close to the White House is particularly alarming. … That incident, which occurred near the Ellipse, the large oval lawn on the south side of the White House, sickened one National Security Council official.” Good Thursday afternoon. | | A message from American Edge Project: Technology is vital to America's small businesses.
Policymakers must work to promote policies that protect America’s technological edge to ensure our entrepreneurs can lead U.S. economic recovery and growth, and lead the world in innovation.
Read more from Karen Kerrigan, president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. | | | LOOMING SHOWDOWN — “Democrats seek to push Medicare expansion as part of Biden’s $1.8 trillion families plan, defying White House,” WaPo: “Sen. RICHARD J. DURBIN (D-Ill.), the Democrats’ vote-counter in the chamber, said he planned to push for Medicare reforms he saw as a ‘game changer.’ … In an early sign of trouble, Sen. JOE MANCHIN III (D-W.Va.) told The Washington Post on Wednesday that he opposes expanding Medicare eligibility even as he supports broader adjustments to the Affordable Care Act. … “Manchin, a closely watched swing vote in virtually all significant policy fights in the Senate, also expressed some trepidation about tax increases outlined by Biden, including roughly a doubling of the capital gains tax rate for those earning more than $1 million per year. … Most other Democrats, however, did not seem deterred.” HEADS UP — Calling in to Fox Business Network this morning, former President DONALD TRUMP said that Senate Republicans should replace MITCH MCCONNELL as their leader. — REALITY CHECK from Burgess Everett (@burgessev): “As of my last check in, Senate Republicans still overwhelmingly support McConnell as leader and he’s very serious about breaking the Mansfield record as longest serving party leader.” FOR THE RECORD — “Biden says he was not briefed in advance about search warrants executed at Giuliani’s home, office,” NBC ECONOMY RUNNING HOT — “U.S. economy accelerated at a robust 6.4% annual rate last quarter,” AP: “The nation’s gross domestic product — its total output of goods and services — accelerated in the January-March quarter from a 4.3% annual gain in the last quarter of 2020 … Growth in the current April-June period is expected to be faster still … “All told, the latest figures point to a remarkably fast recovery from the devastating recession that ripped through the economy last year … A major reason for the brightening expectations is the record-level spending that is poised to flow into the economy.” — THE VIEW FROM WALL STREET: “Stocks Are Off to Best Start to a Presidential Term Since Great Depression,” WSJ — THE UNEMPLOYMENT PICTURE: “Jobless claims drop 13,000 to 553,000 as economy heals,” AP: “[Jobless claims are at] the lowest level since the pandemic hit last March, and another sign the economy is recovering from the coronavirus recession. … They have fallen sharply over the past year but remain well above the 230,000 weekly figure typical before the pandemic.” INTERESTING IDEA — “Whitmer unveils plan to tie Michigan vaccination rates to easing COVID-19 rules,” Detroit Free Press: “[Michigan] Gov. GRETCHEN WHITMER outlined a plan that ties specific vaccination levels to rolling back COVID-19 restrictions during a press event Thursday morning.” In short: Two weeks after 60% of people get their first vaccine dose, the state will increase indoor capacity for sporting events, gyms and lift curfews on restaurants/bars; two weeks after hitting 65%, it will lift all indoor capacity restrictions; two weeks after hitting 70%, the state will rescind its mask mandate. HERE WE GO! — NYC Mayor BILL DE BLASIO announced this morning on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that the city plans to reopen fully by July 1 — i.e. 100% capacity everywhere. — MORE FROM THE BIG APPLE: “Sexual assault allegations throw New York’s mayoral race into a tailspin,” by Sally Goldenberg and Amanda Eisenberg: “Hours after City Comptroller SCOTT STRINGER unequivocally denied a charge that he groped a woman who volunteered on a 2001 campaign, one of his highest-profile and most loyal supporters pulled her endorsement. Several district leaders announced they too would drop their support. And some of his Democratic opponents began retooling their electoral strategies as they surveyed the damage to a longtime politician who had just begun to gain momentum in the crowded race.” | | | | JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST": Power is shifting in Washington and across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. “The Recast” is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy across America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | SCOTUS WATCH — “Justices Again Back Longtime Immigrants in Deportation Case,” Bloomberg: “The decision was 6-3 and broke along non-ideological lines. Justice NEIL GORSUCH wrote for the majority, which also included CLARENCE THOMAS, STEPHEN BREYER, SONIA SOTOMAYOR, ELENA KAGAN and AMY CONEY BARRETT. Justice BRETT KAVANAUGH wrote a dissent joined by Chief Justice JOHN ROBERTS and SAMUEL ALITO.” AS BIDEN VISITS CARTER — “Biden restores presidential consultations that Trump dismissed,” CNN: “[I]t will be at least the fourth time [Biden has] spoken with one of his presidential or vice-presidential predecessors this month. He phoned former President GEORGE W. BUSH to alert him to a pending announcement about withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, a war Bush had begun 20 years ago. The conversation, aides said, was short but warm — even if it left Bush skeptical. … “And he discussed his troop withdrawal plans with former President BARACK OBAMA … [with whom] he now speaks … regularly about policy decisions, personnel matters and his family. … Biden’s historic consultations have stretched further back, from devouring accounts of FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT’S early presidency to studying DWIGHT EISENHOWER’S public works initiatives and LYNDON JOHNSON’S expansion of the social safety net. He has hosted historians at the White House to gauge their assessment of what worked and what didn’t in the past two centuries of presidential history.” 2022 WATCH — “Cheri Beasley, former NC chief justice, jumps into U.S. Senate race,” WRAL: “Beasley, who lost her seat on the high court in November, said her experience on the bench has prepared her for Congress. ‘I knew it was really important that every person who came before the court was treated fairly, and so many people are being left behind by what’s happening in Washington,’ she said.” Launch video THE LATEST IN INDIA — “State Department urges Americans to leave India as soon as possible amid record case surge,” WaPo: “Meanwhile, U.S. flights carrying critical coronavirus aid for India will begin arriving on Thursday, as India’s Health Ministry reported 379,257 new infections — a new global record — and 3,645 deaths.” COURT NOMINEES ROLLING IN — “Biden announces 2nd round of diverse federal judiciary picks,” AP: “The second round, released Thursday, includes a woman who would be the first Asian American appointed as a federal judge to the Western District of Washington, a Latino who is currently the presiding judge of the Grant County Superior Court in Ephrata, Washington, and a woman who is a longtime labor and employment litigation attorney in New Jersey … “Administration officials emphasized the speed with which Biden is announcing nominees, stressing that the president was out of the gate with names faster than his immediate predecessors.” THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION — “Exclusive data: Biden staffing makes history,” Axios: “President Biden put his Cabinet in place faster than any other administration since President Reagan, the White House Office of Presidential Personnel says in a report provided first to Axios. … “Of Biden’s roughly 1,500 agency appointees, which the White House said was double the number of any previous administration at 100 days: 58% are women. 18% identify as Black or African American. 15% identify as Latino or Hispanic. 15% identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander. 3% identify as Middle Eastern or North African. 2% identify as American Indian or Alaska Native. 14% identify as LGBTQ+. 4% are veterans. 3% identify as disabled or having a disability. 15% were the first in their families to go to college. 32% are naturalized citizens or the children of immigrants.” The fact sheet | | | | TUNE IN TO GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe and start listening today. | | | | | FROM 30,000 FEET — “At 100 Days, Biden Is Transforming What It Means to Be a Democrat,” NYT: “Aides say he has come into his own as a party leader in ways that his uneven political career didn’t always foretell, and that he is undeterred by matters that used to bother him, like having no Republican support for Democratic priorities. … Mr. Biden, now 78, has pursued these sweeping changes without completely losing his instinct for finding the center point of his party.” CLASH OF THE SUPERPOWERS — “Joe Biden can’t stop thinking about China and the future of American democracy,” CNN: “[W]hat he views as a critical task of his presidency: Proving that democracy works amid the rise of brutally efficient autocracies. … It informs his approach to most major topics and the President regularly raises it in meetings, whether he is discussing foreign policy or electric bus batteries. And aides say Biden believes it is a key test by which historians will judge his presidency. … “Biden’s outlook may have emerged from the geopolitical landscape, but aides say the democracy vs. autocracy framing he repeatedly harps on is primarily aimed at a domestic audience. But whether he is emphasizing the value of democracy to other countries or to the American public, Biden believes the best path to achieving that is through a government that delivers, with the kinds of big transformative policies Biden has focused on.” RUBBER, MEET ROAD — “‘Buy American’ sounds good in theory. Biden will find it’s painfully slow in practice,” by Doug Palmer: “His problem comes from two key factors: The vast majority of government expenditures are already for products made in America. In addition, U.S. factory employment stood at 12.2 million workers when Biden took office — and has not exceeded 17 million since early 2001 — so bolstering employment by 40 percent in manufacturing, let alone any sector, is aggressive.” CLIMATE CLICKER — “The U.S. Will Need a Lot of Land for a Zero-Carbon Economy,” Bloomberg: “Expanding wind and solar by 10% annually until 2030 would require a chunk of land equal to the state of South Dakota … [N]o matter how you slice it, the U.S. will need to dedicate more land to producing power in an emissions-free future. Here’s how researchers at Princeton University’s Net-Zero America project estimate it can be done.” UP IN SMOKE — “There’s a double standard on Pennsylvania Avenue. Despite Biden’s strict rules around weed, Capitol Hill staffers down the street say they have no problems getting high and hired,” Insider: “Few, if any, offices require drug testing or ask staffers about their previous use … If anything, weed use among Capitol Hill staffers appears to have become more common … “Some Hill staffers routinely use marijuana to socialize with friends, blow off steam in a cutthroat, hard-charging culture where 13-hour days are the norm, or when they’re annoyed about having to work late on a Friday night. One former Democratic aide said he saw cannabis-edible packaging discarded in trash cans on the Hill and that he heard people would walk outside toward the Democratic National Committee headquarters to avoid smoking illegally on federal grounds.” MEDIAWATCH — Patrick Healy has been named deputy opinion editor at the NYT, a masthead position. He most recently has been politics editor at the paper. Announcement — Debra Saunders will join Discovery Institute’s Chapman Center for Citizen Leadership as a fellow, where she’ll resume her nationally syndicated weekly column. She most recently was White House correspondent for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. — Mattathias Schwartz will be a senior correspondent at Insider, writing analytic features. He most recently has been a contributing writer at the NYT Magazine. FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — WHITE HOUSE ARRIVAL LOUNGE: Stephonn Alcorn is now special assistant for racial justice and equity and economic mobility to the Domestic Policy Council. He most recently was senior associate at Blackstone. — Christian Heller is now AI success manager at DataRobot. He most recently was director of strategic comms at the NSC and is also a former intelligence officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. TRANSITIONS — Greg Newburn and Matt Bulger are joining the Niskanen Center’s new criminal justice department. Newburn will be director and previously was Florida director at the FAMM Foundation. Bulger will be government affairs manager and previously was senior policy manager at Dream Corps. | | | | A message from American Edge Project:   Read more from Karen Kerrigan , president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council. | | | | | | | 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 | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |  |
