Joe Biden, sporadic culture warrior

Presented by Facebook:

Apr 29, 2022 View in browser   By Sam Stein, Alex Thompson and Max Tani Presented by Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice.  Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Max The day after the Supreme Court kept in place a Texas law effectively banning most abortion services as early as six weeks of pregnancy last December, California Gov. GAVIN NEWSOM unveiled the progressive inverse of that legislation. Whereas the Texas law allowed private citizens to sue to stop abortions — a deliberate work around to try and give the bill constitutional muster — California would use the same mechanism to go after ghost guns and assault weapons. Progressive hailed the Newsom initiative. At worst, it would expose the high court as intellectually bankrupt. At best, it would put in place an aggressive new gun-control scheme that could serve as a template for other Democratic-run states. Half a year later, however, there is no law on the books, and no other state has mimicked California. The legislation, SB-1327, made it through a state Senate committee this week. But legislative aides say it won't receive full floor action until the fall and, should it pass (and it likely will), won't actually go into effect until January. SB-1327 may well end up being the shrewd volley in the culture wars that it was designed to be. But it also has unintentionally revealed how differently the two political parties wage these fights. There is no heightened urgency to pass the bill, even after a mass shooting in the state capitol of Sacramento this month left six people dead and 12 others injured. And California Democrats have exhibited some hand wringing about pursuing the law in the first place. A state Senate Judiciary Committee analysis of the bill warned it could provide legitimacy to the Texas law and "undermine our justice system and the policy of the State of California." By contrast, a number of Republican states have moved with incredible speed to pass restrictive abortion laws in the past few months, with the explicit goal of impacting the jurisprudence around the matter. And it's not just on abortion where GOP lawmakers are pushing the culture war envelops. Legislation going after curriculums and LGBTQ inclusiveness in elementary schools also are being pushed in a variety of statehouses. "Sometimes we suffer from the use of reason as a leadership style. We believe because we have the right side of the argument and the reasonable conclusion and the reasonable argument that people will come to the same conclusion," conceded ANTHONY PORTANTINO, the California state senator pushing SB-1327. "Where we struggle is tying the reasonable, righteous intellectual argument to the emotional reaction of people. That's where we struggle." President JOE BIDEN is not a culture warrior. Indeed, he's often bristled at these fights, including in arguably the highest-profile one in which he's engaged: the 1987 Supreme Court confirmation battle around ROBERT BORK.  "If there was an argument to be made against Bork in the Senate, it would have to be made to Republicans and Democrats in the political center," Biden wrote in his 2007 memoir, "Promises to Keep." "If we tried to make this a referendum on abortion rights, for example, we'd lose." But, on occasion, Biden has picked his spots, most notably when as vice president he got out front of BARACK OBAMA in endorsing same-sex marriage before the 2012 election. Recently, he's given indications that he's ready to engage more. At a teachers of the year event Thursday at the White House, Biden chastised "politicians trying to score political points" by going after textbooks on flimsy, if not false, grounds that they push racial indoctrination. "Did you ever think," he asked, "when you'd be teaching you'd be worried about book burnings and banning books all because it doesn't fit somebody's political agenda?" Last week, Biden also called MALLORY McMORROW, the Democratic state senator in Michigan whose pointed denunciation of legislation targeting early-education LGBTQ inclusivity catapulted her into national Democratic stardom. "President Biden is focused every day on addressing what's top of mind for the American people: lowering costs, keeping COVID-19 under control, and making our communities safe from crimes," said White House spokesman MIKE GWIN. "But, he's not going to sit idly by when MAGA Republicans try to use our kids as a political football. It's shameful and the president won't hesitate to call it out." It could very well be that these are one-offs from the president, as issues like inflation, Covid, and the war in Ukraine exert their gravitational pull on the course of the midterms. But there is a strand of the party that believes fuller engagement isn't just morally imperative but politically advantageous, especially as the Supreme Court looks likely to end Roe v. Wade in the weeks ahead. For evidence, there's this: The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee recently put out a fundraising email addressed by McMorrow. It performed 30 percent better than the next highest fundraising appeal from this year. "That kind of performance is truly astronomical for a state legislative name, which speaks to the impact of the message," said CHRISTINA POLIZZI, the DLCC's national press secretary. "Republicans are artful at using their majorities to hijack these policies. They're good at using these issues to rile up their base. Democrats as a party need to focus on the power of state legislatures." TEXT US — ARE YOU ALLISON ZELMAN, the deputy chief of staff at the Labor Department? We want to hear from you (we'll keep you anonymous).  Or if you think we missed something in today's edition, let us know and we may include it tomorrow.  Email us at westwingtips@politico.com or text/Signal/Wickr/WhatsApp Alex at 8183240098 or Max at 7143455427. A message from Facebook: We build tools that give you control and help keep you safe Real connection can only happen on safe platforms. So we build tools to protect our communities. • Privacy Checkup, where you can manage your privacy settings and control who sees what you share • Industry-leading AI that detects and reacts to harmful content faster than ever Learn about our efforts   POTUS PUZZLER From the University of Virginia's Miller Center  Which president's chief of staff said of his boss, "[He] does enjoy sitting down with people, whether they agree or disagree with him. ... He was invigorated by that process, energized by that process." (Answer at the bottom.) Cartoon of the Week Cartoon by Lalo Alcaraz | Courtesy TGIF. It's cartoon feature time! This one is courtesy of LALO ALCARAZ. Our very own MATT WUERKER also publishes a selection of cartoons from all over the country. View the cartoon carousel here. The Oval WOE IS THE WH CORRESPONDENT: This morning, West Wing Playbook's own MAX TANI published an article about how the Biden White House has (for now) killed the celebrity White House correspondent by avoiding briefing room blow ups and drilling down on policy minutiae. It sparked an interesting discussion. PATRICK DILLON, husband of the White House deputy chief of staff, tweeted that the article read like "an editor said 'hey can you write something where every single paragraph is more depressing than the one that came before.'" (Editor's note: This was NOT the directive given to Max.) Sen. BRIAN SCHATZ (D-Hawaii) was "nauseated" by one White House reporter quoted anonymously in the piece. Washington Post reporter DAVE WEIGEL remarked that a recent biography by two well-respected Associated Press reporters would have sold more than just 250 copies in its first week (per Bookscan) if it was titled "something like 'APOCALYPSE: Jill Biden and the Fight to Save Democracy from Trump.' instant Amazon #1." And a certain former Politico Playbook guest author also had some relatively unpleasant thoughts. We got an email from White House deputy press secretary ANDREW BATES too late for us to include in the article itself. But he told us that after DONALD TRUMP 's presidency, "President Biden felt strongly that restoring a respectful and good faith relationship with journalists needed to be the top priority of the press office. That meant less contentiousness and more professionalism." (If you want a sampling of more responses, take a spin through Max's Twitter mentions, where the, uh, "conversation" has been going on all day). WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: Deputy press secretary Bates shared this CBS story by KATHRYN WATSON about Republicans and Democrats both signaling they will back Biden's proposal for $33 billion in supplemental aid for Ukraine. Asked if he would support it, Senate Minority Leader MITCH McCONNELL (R-Ky.) responded Thursday: "Very likely, yes." WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO READ: Or should we say, what they don't want you to watch. Political commentator VAN JONES said on CNN that Democrats have "overpromised, underdelivered so far … When you over promise so much in the beginning of the year and underdeliver at the end of the year... you suddenly end up with a disappointment factor plus inflation." White House Chief of Staff RON KLAIN quote tweeted the clip this morning, defending the work of the administration. Tweet by Ron Klain | Twitter COAST GUARD COMMENCEMENT: Vice President KAMALA HARRIS is set to be the commencement speaker at the Coast Guard Academy's graduation ceremony May 18 in New London, Connecticut, the school announced today.   DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM THE 2022 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from the 25th annual Global Conference. This year's event, May 1-4, brings together more than 3,000 of the world's most influential leaders, including 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. "Celebrating the Power of Connection" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect influencers with the resources to change the world with leading experts and thinkers whose insight and creativity can implement that change. Whether you're attending in person or following along from somewhere else in the world, keep up with this year's conference with POLITICO's special edition "Global Insider" so you don't miss a beat. Subscribe today.     THE BUREAUCRATS ANOTHER ONE GONE: PILI TOBAR, White House deputy communications director, is leaving to head to the private sector, Axios' SARAH MUCHA reported Friday. It's the latest in a slew of recent West Wing departures and comes after the news that White House Office of Public Engagement Director CEDRIC RICHMOND is also leaving. COVID IN THE WH: White House Communications Director KATE BEDINGFIELD tested positive for Covid-19 Friday, she announced on Twitter, noting that she's experiencing mild symptoms. She plans to isolate and work remotely until she receives a negative test result. Bedingfield met with the president Wednesday, wearing an N-95 mask, and wrote on Twitter that the meeting was not considered close contact by CDC standards. Agenda Setting RUNNING LATE: POLITICO's LARA SELIGMAN reports that U.S. defense officials assess that Russia is "several days" behind schedule in achieving its objectives in the Donbas, hobbled by logistical issues and Ukrainian resistance.   A message from Facebook:   What We're Reading There's major beef between Kamala Harris and LA mayoral candidate Rep. Karen Bass, book alleges (SFGate's Eric Ting) A frustrated Joe Biden will go on the attack against Republicans in the midterms — and into 2024 (CNN's Edward-Isaac Dovere and Kevin Liptak) How the White House Correspondents Dinner Broke the Democratic Party (Rolling Stone's Meredith Shiner) Biden Eyes Student-Loan Forgiveness Starting at $10,000 (Bloomberg's Nancy Cook, Jarrell Dillard, and Emma Kinery)   INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED:  Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today.     Where's Joe The president received the President's Daily Brief in the Oval Office this morning. Biden also spoke on the phone with Mexican President ANDRÉS MANUEL LÓPEZ OBRADOR. The pair discussed the upcoming Ninth Summit of the Americas, on top of migration, economic growth, security, energy, and economic cooperation. He held a meeting with inspectors general and discussed oversight, accountability, and transparency in the State Dining Room. Where's Kamala She held a virtual meeting with leaders of 15 Caribbean countries and discussed the pandemic, the climate crisis and security. The Oppo Book For Biden's science adviser, FRANCIS COLLINS, life can get pretty stressful. One way he copes? Playing instruments. While we did feature his pandemic-themed cover of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," he also turns to the piano to cope. "When the pressure seems to be ganging up on me, I will get up from my desk and play the piano for 10 minutes to get a different part of my brain to kick in," he told the Association of American Medical Colleges back in December 2021. POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER BILL CLINTON's chief of staff LEON PANETTA described Clinton's learning curve in dealing with Congress during a Miller Center oral history interview in January 2003. He added, "There was always a sense that he could bring anybody into the Oval Office and convince them of the right thing to do, through his personality or his arguments or what have you. I think what concerned him is that it was a much tougher sell in Washington [than in Arkansas], because you're dealing with the House to some extent, a lot more egos on the Senate side who have been through this. A lot of those members have told presidents to go to hell, and there are some who have made it a career." For more on Clinton's presidency, visit millercenter.org. A CALL OUT — Do you have a more difficult trivia question? Send us your best question on the presidents with a citation and we may feature it. Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein A message from Facebook: Privacy Checkup helps you stay informed and empowered on Facebook We want privacy to be as easy as possible for you. That's why we built the Privacy Checkup, so you can: • Strengthen your account security • Learn about your privacy settings and how your information is used • Control who sees what you post Learn more about our safety efforts.     Follow us on Twitter Alex Thompson @AlexThomp Maxwell Tani @maxwelltani Allie Bice @alliebice   Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings This email was sent to rouf@idiot.cloudns.cc by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.