Biden takes a back seat to Cheney

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Jul 03, 2022 View in browser   By Ryan Lizza and Eugene Daniels Presented by With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross It was Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) rather than President Joe Biden who emerged as the face of the opposition to Trumpism this week. | Mark J. Terrill/AP Photo DRIVING THE DAY GOOD NEWS (EXCEPT FOR PETS) — "Fireworks Come Roaring Back This Summer," per the NYT TODAY'S TOP READS It's a slow news day as we hit the halfway point of this holiday weekend, but a good one to catch up on three big summer storylines that will continue to reverberate long after Independence Day: the rise of Rep. LIZ CHENEY (R-Wyo.), the Supreme Court's historic term and Russia's occupation of eastern Ukraine: 1. CHENEY — You would expect last week to have been dominated by President JOE BIDEN. The Supreme Court set back the liberal policy agenda by decades — on abortion, gun control, the separation of church and state and climate change — while the Jan. 6 committee presented its most compelling evidence that DONALD TRUMP may be criminally responsible for the attack on the Capitol. At the end of the week, the court said it would take up a gerrymandering case from North Carolina that voting rights advocates fear could completely upend election laws in America by endorsing a once-fringe legal doctrine known as the independent state legislature theory (ISLT). But it was Cheney rather than Biden who emerged as the face of the opposition to Trumpism. She pushed the Jan. 6 committee to hold an extra hearing featuring its blockbuster witness on Tuesday in Washington, flew to Southern California to speak at the Reagan Library to condemn Trump's grip on the GOP on Wednesday, was back in Wyoming for a primary debate on Thursday, and today is on ABC's "This Week" for her first interview since the hearings started. WSJ's Natalie Andrews captures how it's all playing in Cheney's home state: "The race serves as the marquee test of whether vocal anti-Trump lawmakers can survive in today's Republican Party, pitting supporters of the former president against a persistent and unapologetic critic with little patience for Mr. Trump's false claim the election was stolen." In an interview with Jonathan Karl on "This Week," Cheney made some news on whether Trump should be prosecuted and her own 2024 plans. On whether the hearings "demonstrated that Donald Trump needs to be prosecuted": "Ultimately, the Justice Department will decide that; I think we may well as a committee have a view on that. … If you just think about it from the perspective of what kind of man knows that a mob is armed, and sends the mob to attack the Capitol and further incites that mob when his own vice president is under threat, when the Congress is under threat? … It's very chilling, and I think, certainly, we will continue to present to the American people what we found." She also said that it's still possible that the committee will make a criminal referral. On her presidential aspirations: "I haven't made a decision about that yet. And I'm obviously very focused on my reelection, I'm very focused on the Jan. 6 committee, I'm very focused on my obligations to do the job that I have now, and I'll make a decision about '24 down the road. But I think about it less in terms of a decision about running for office and more in terms of, you know, as an American and as somebody who's in a position of public trust now, how do I make sure that I'm doing everything I can to do the right thing? To do what I know is right for the country and to protect our Constitution." 2. SCOTUS — NYT's Adam Liptak makes several notable points this morning about what's going on behind the scenes at the Supreme Court as justices become more secluded and less collegial with one another: — Covid protocols and new security = a more isolated court: "Always cloistered and remote, the court is now impenetrable." — Retreating from public: "The release of the decision in the abortion case highlighted another way in which the court has withdrawn from public scrutiny. For unexplained reasons, the justices have stopped announcing their decisions from the bench, abandoning a tradition that is both ceremonial and illuminating." — Less collegial: "[T]here is every reason to think that the leak, the investigation it prompted, the controversy over Justice CLARENCE THOMAS's failure to recuse himself from a case that intersected with his wife's efforts to overturn the election and the justices' very real security concerns have made the court an unhappy place." — All of which is bad for the liberal minority: "A less collegial court seems like it could be especially problematic for the three liberal justices. There are now five Republican-appointed justices who are even more conservative than [Chief Justice JOHN] ROBERTS. If the court is a less collaborative place, I would imagine it gives the justices in the minority — both the liberals and, in some cases, Roberts — less ability to shape decisions." More weekend step-backs from the Times, the Post, and the AP: — "Gridlock in Congress Has Amplified the Power of the Supreme Court," by Liptak — "With sweep and speed, Supreme Court's conservatives ignite a new era," by WaPo's Robert Barnes — "'Revolutionary' high court term on abortion, guns and more," by AP's Mark Sherman 3. UKRAINE — Is it the end of the line in Luhansk? Russia claimed today to have fully captured Lysychansk, the Ukrainian region's last city to be taken over. Ukrainian forces said they still controlled the city (though the Russian advance has looked inexorable of late). More from CNN Related read: "Russian strikes with older Soviet weapons pushed up the civilian death toll in recent weeks, Ukraine says," by NYT's Valerie Hopkins, Daniel Victor and Ivan Nechepurenko A message from Meta: Doctors can practice high-risk situations risk-free in the metaverse In the metaverse, future surgeons will be able to practice advanced procedures hundreds of times before seeing real patients – helping them gain experience and master their skills. The metaverse may be virtual, but the impact will be real. Learn how Meta is helping build the metaverse.   SUNDAY BEST — Rep. ADAM KINZINGER (R-Ill.) on whether new witnesses have come forward to the Jan. 6 committee since CASSIDY HUTCHINSON's testimony, on CNN's "State of the Union": "Yes. Again, I don't want to get into who or any of those details, and it's not even just Cassidy — by the way, she's been inspiring for a lot of people — this happens every day. Every day, we get new people that come forward and say, 'Hey, I didn't think maybe this piece of a story that I knew was important, but now that you guys are — like, I do see this plays in here.' … There will be way more information, and stay tuned." — Rep. ZOE LOFGREN (D-Calif.) on reporting that DOJ prosecutors were surprised by Hutchinson's testimony, on NBC's "Meet the Press": "We're not an arm of the Department of Justice. We're a legislative committee. They have subpoena power. They could subpoena Ms. Hutchinson. I'm surprised they had not done so. … What are they doing over there? They have a much greater opportunity to enforce their subpoenas than our legislative committee does." — HHS Secretary XAVIER BECERRA on his message to congressional Dems frustrated with the Biden administration on abortion, on "Meet the Press": "I tell them, 'Give us some good ideas.' We're going to explore everything we can. And I also would ask them to please pass a law." Good Sunday morning. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza. TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week's must-read opinion pieces. Voting rights and ISLT … Leah Litman, Kate Shaw and Carolyn Shapiro on Moore v. Harper in WaPo: "A new Supreme Court case threatens another body blow to our democracy" Thom Hartmann's thread about ISLT that lit up the Twitter left: "The Nightmare Scenario SCOTUS is Plotting For the 2024 Election Takeover" Michael Luttig's Twitter thread on how he thinks the case should be decided Jan. 6 … Norm Eisen in the NYT: "Cassidy Hutchinson Changes Everything" Andrew C. McCarthy in WaPo: "Prosecuting Trump could do more harm than good" Peggy Noonan in the WSJ: "The Courage of Jan. 6 Witness Cassidy Hutchinson: She showed more guts than any of Trump's men. Her testimony strengthens the case for prosecution." Matt Labash: "American Judas: How Mark Meadows betrayed his country with an ass-kiss" SCOTUS … Nicholas Tomaino in the WSJ: "The Conservative Supreme Court Has Arrived" Jamelle Bouie in the NYT: "Will Reactionaries Impose a Red-State Social Order on the Rest of Us?" Simon Lazarus in The New Republic: "The Supreme Court Appoints Itself to Be America's Regulatory Czar" John Fund in the N.Y. Post: "Supreme Court strikes a blow on bureaucrats" Politics … David Axelrod for CNN: "Democrats may be playing with fire this primary season" Perry Bacon Jr. in WaPo: "Maybe the Democrats aren't doomed in November" Mike Shields in the WSJ: "Hispanic Republicans Have Democrats Seeing Red in Texas" Fourth of July … Jack N. Rakove in the WSJ: "What Remains of Thomas Jefferson?" Jedediah Britton-Purdy in the NYT: "Democrats Need Patriotism Now More Than Ever"   A message from Meta:   BIDEN'S SUNDAY — The president has nothing on his public schedule. VP KAMALA HARRIS' SUNDAY — Harris is in Los Angeles and has nothing on her public schedule.   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 Polish recruits go through medical aid exercises in a training led by the Illinois National Guard on Sunday, as the U.S. and Poland bolster their defense cooperation. | Omar Marques/Getty Images PLAYBOOK READS 7 THINGS FOR YOUR RADAR 1. SCOTUS VS. STATES: In letters made public Saturday, the Supreme Court marshal asked Maryland and Virginia leaders to stop protesters from demonstrating outside justices' homes in the D.C. suburbs, where the conservatives who overturned Roe v. Wade have been the subject of sustained demonstrations. GAIL CURLEY wrote that local laws prohibited such protests. But some state and county officials retorted that such ordinances were likely unconstitutional, infringing on First Amendment rights if demonstrators were standing on public property. More from ABC MICHAEL RICCI, spox for Maryland Gov. LARRY HOGAN: "Had the marshal taken time to explore the matter, she would have learned that the constitutionality of the statute cited in her letter has been questioned by the Maryland Attorney General's Office." 2. HARRIS SPEAKS: The VP excoriated the Supreme Court abortion ruling on stage at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans on Saturday, saying it constituted an inappropriate overreach of the government into people's lives. "The people trying to attack our rights are trying to make people feel small and feel lonely and different because they want you to believe you don't have power and that you're out there by yourself," Harris said in a conversation with actress KEKE PALMER. "We're not going to let that happen." More from The Advocate 3. CASH DASH: Georgia is bracing for new numbers that will likely show STACEY ABRAMS creaming Gov. BRIAN KEMP in fundraising, and the incumbent is rushing to keep up with his Democratic challenger, Brittany Gibson reports. His campaign is working with multiple fundraising consultants and increasingly looking out of state for help in what's shaping up to be a tight race. Former Georgia GOP Chair JOHN WATSON: "When you're in a gunfight, you don't care where your ammo was manufactured, you just need it." 4. QUITE THE TRAJECTORY: "An American's Murky Path From Russian Propagandist to Jan. 6," by NYT's Mike McIntire: "[CHARLES] BAUSMAN's path in some ways tracks a broader shift on the political right that embraces misinformation and sympathy toward Russia while tolerating an increasingly emboldened white nationalism. For its part, the Kremlin has sought to court conservatives in the United States and sow discord through a network of expats, collaborators and spies."   A message from Meta:   5. THE PARK SLOPE PRIMARY: White, well-educated voters in expensive brownstone spots like Boerum Hill could be the key deciding blocs in the chaotic open-seat primary spanning several neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Joe Anuta reports. The crowded race featuring Rep. MONDAIRE JONES, BILL DE BLASIO and several other top-flight contenders could hinge on these high-turnout zones — though many of these residents could be on vacation in August. 6. WHAT'S NEXT ON THE LEFT: After the end of Roe, the path ahead for abortion-rights supporters looks fractured and difficult, two big new stories from NYT's Kate Zernike and WaPo's Annie Linskey, Mike DeBonis, Marianna Sotomayor and Tyler Pager catalog. Mostly playing defense, they're taking to the courts to try to stop new abortion restrictions laws or ballot initiatives. And the groups are also placing fresh emphasis on local elections, aiming to flip Republican-held state legislatures or other key local offices. On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, Democrats are divided over the value of "show votes" to force some Republicans into uncomfortable positions on bills that won't pass. Oregon Gov. KATE BROWN to WaPo: "What's most important is that we turn all of this anger and anxiety into action. And that means turning out the votes." On the flip side: "'The Pro-Life Generation': Young Women Fight Against Abortion Rights," by NYT's Ruth Graham in Dallas: "Many American women mourned the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe, but for others it is a moment of triumph and a matter of human rights." 7. KFILE STRIKES AGAIN: Michigan GOP secretary of state nominee KRISTINA KARAMO said in 2020 that "demonic possession is real" and "having intimate relationships with people who are demonically possessed or oppressed — I strongly believe that a person opens themselves up to possession," CNN's Em Steck and Andrew Kaczynski reveal in a deep dive into her podcast. Karamo, an election denier now running to oversee elections, also spoke out repeatedly and vigorously against abortion: "The child sacrifice is a very satanic practice, and that's precisely what abortion is. And we need to see it as such."   INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don't miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.     PLAYBOOKERS Tom Cotton is heading to Iowa and New Hampshire this summer. Cory Booker is giving up all added sugar for the rest of the summer — and challenging Americans to join him. Jeff Bezos is feuding with the White House again. OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at Lally Weymouth's Hamptons party Saturday night: Martha Stewart, Wilbur and Hilary Ross, British Ambassador Karen Pierce and Charles Roxburgh, Katharine Weymouth, Gerard Baker, Robert Kraft, Adrienne Arsht, Margaret Carlson, Kevin Rudd and Therese Rein, Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), John Catsimatidis, Italian Ambassador Mariangela Zappia, Jane Harman, Steve Clemons and Josh Dawsey. ENGAGED — Robbie Ottley, a JD candidate at the University of Georgia School of Law, proposed to Alicia Bissonnette, legislative assistant to Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.), in Alicia's hometown of Bellingham, Mass., on Saturday. The proposal happened in the gazebo at the Bellingham Town Common, which was built while Alicia's dad Bill was a town selectman. The couple met on Bumble in 2019. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) … Julian Assange ... Kristen Morgante of Purple Strategies … Peter Sherman of DDC Public Affairs ... Nick Baldick of Hilltop Public Solutions ... AFP's Shaun Tandon ... POLITICO's Heidi Vogt and Allie Bice … Rina Shah … Washington Examiner's Naomi Lim ... CNN's Lindy Royce-Bartlett ... former Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) ... Adam Goldberg ... Kate McCarty … Mary Yatrousis of Rep. John Larson's (D-Conn.) office ... Cameron Morabito ... WaPo's Lally Weymouth ... Don "Stew" Stewart ... Barbara Lee of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation … Rick Powell … Maya Serkin … PBS NewsHour's Julia Griffin ... Sandra Lee … Gloria Allred … Tom Shaw of Rokk Solutions 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 Zapler, deputy editor Zack Stanton and producers Setota Hailemariam and Bethany Irvine. A message from Meta: The metaverse may be virtual, but the impact will be real Meta is helping build the metaverse so aviation mechanics will be able to practice servicing different jet engines – preparing them for any complex job. The result: A more skilled workforce. Learn how Meta is helping build the metaverse.     Follow us on Twitter Rachael Bade @rachaelmbade Eugene Daniels @EugeneDaniels2 Ryan Lizza @RyanLizza   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

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