POLITICO Playbook: 2 DAYS TILL DEBATE: Kasich heads for main stage – OOPS: Looks like Perry OUT
YOU'RE INVITED: DAVID BROCK joins the PLAYBOOK BREAKFAST lineup for THURSDAY, following Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald. Brock - who said he wants his official title listed as "Hillary's rapid defender" - is founder of Correct the Record, American Bridge 21st Century, and Media Matters for America.
--Outside cameras and correspondents welcome. Doors open at the Newseum at 7:30 a.m. RSVPhttps://bit.ly/1Ita37W
By Mike Allen (@mikeallen; [email protected]) and Daniel Lippman (@dlippman; [email protected])
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Good Tuesday morning. DEBATE DASHBOARD - 2 DAYS! Looks like Rick Perry is OUT for the big stage; Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich are IN. Fox still won't say which polls will determine the lineup, but Fox gave hints yesterday in its own poll, which will be one of the five. Politico's Steve Shepard: "Barring a major bump in [final] surveys, Perry will fall short of the top 10." https://politi.co/1OMSS1B
INSIDE THE DEBATE: Playbook has learned that the 10 candidates will be standing on the stage as Fox News coverage of the two-hour prime-time debate begins at 9 p.m. from Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Viewers will see the photo spray of the candidates as Fox takes the air and the moderators -- Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly and Chris Wallace -- begin talking. The format: 1-min. answers, 30-sec. rebuttals, 1-min. closing statements.
The podiums will be assigned based on final poll rankings, with the center two going to #1 (Trump) and #2. The next two, outward, go to #3 and #4, and so on. The first question will go to #1, and the next couple will follow the polling order. Facebook is partnering with Fox for the debate. A question from Facebook will be asked every 15 minutes, and Facebook data will be used to illustrate how the issues are resonating.
CHRIS WALLACE gets a huge portrait on WashPost Style section cover, "Moderator unbound ... Wallace prepares to push them off-script," by Krissah Thompson (online: "Wallace ... plans 'some doozies'"): "'I certainly think my style is adversarial,' he said ... Wallace's goal, he says, is to push politicians off their scripts - a strategy his old colleague Sam Donaldson used to call 'unlocking their minds.'
"When they were both on the White House beat in the 1980s - Wallace for NBC, Donaldson for ABC - they found themselves tag-teaming President Reagan, peppering him with questions about the 1985 incident in which the United States intercepted an Egyptian airliner carrying Palestinian terrorists. Reagan ignored them until Wallace asked, bluntly, 'Do you have anything to apologize for?'" https://wapo.st/1MJtYCq
TWITTER wishes POTUS Happy Birthday: "President Obama turns 54 today and Twitter now celebrates birthdays with animated balloons on profile pages, which you can see this morning on @BarackObama's Twitter profile." https://twitter.com/BarackObama
** A message from Qualcomm: The car of the future will be full of exciting and useful technology. Enhanced safety, in-car wireless charging, 3D navigation, and improved infotainment options are just some of the ways Qualcomm is already making the fully connected car a reality. Why Wait?. https://bit.ly/1Gw9FCU **
5 TAKEWAYS from last night's GOP forum in N.H. - "For some GOP candidates, the desperation is beginning to show," by Eli Stokols in Manchester: "[T]he crowded forum was a form of protest by New Hampshire and the other early states against the 10-candidate debate format adopted by Fox ... For once, there were no questions about Trump [who wasn't there]. ... The lower-tier candidates hit Hillary the hardest ... CRUZ'S COMFORT ZONE: Ted Cruz, along with Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, had to appear via satellite Monday because a late afternoon Senate vote on a bill to defund Planned Parenthood kept them in Washington.
"All the other candidates hustling on and off the stage seemed overly conscious of the clock, speaking as fast as possible, jumping from talking point to talking point without taking a breath. Rubio and Paul, seated inches away from Cruz in CSPAN's Washington studio, seemed thrown off by satellite delays. And then there was Cruz: calm, crisp and comfortable. ...
"Fiorina opted not to answer the first question ... in order to thank the forum organizers, her words dripping with sarcasm, for recognizing the importance of the early state primaries. After the debate, as Jeb Bush and Scott Walker headed for the exit, Rick Santorum joined his fellow second-tier denizens in the spin room and ... groused about the media ... Kasich has Jeb in his sights." https://politi.co/1P362Ir
NOT THE ONION: "Santorum says Fiorina good choice for $20 bill" https://apne.ws/1IVuTPf
GOP MARCH MADNESS -- From the ESPN/ABC podcast "Capital Games - Andy Katz and Rick Klein talk to noted bracketologists Jonathan Martin ... and Harry Enten (FiveThirtyEight.com) to seed the Sweet Sixteen of Republican candidates, ... with a play-in game featuring George Pataki and Jim Gilmore. Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and Ted Cruz grab No. 1 seeds. Bush and Marco Rubio are in the toughest bracket together, since only one is likely to advance beyond Florida.
"Cruz's Southwest bracket looks like a dogfight - with Rand Paul and Rick Perry also there. Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum are in the Midwest bracket, as defending Iowa champions. And No. 2 seed in the east Chris Christie is looking for a Trump stumble." https://abcn.ws/1SYujje Listen here https://es.pn/1P1DFu2
MOOD MUSIC - WSJ 1-col. lead, "Unhappy Voters Shake Up Contest," by Janet Hook: "Bush is losing ground among the most conservative Republican voters ... Clinton is viewed more negatively ... than at almost any time in her political career. ... Trump leads [but] inspires more negative feelings than any other major candidate. 'We don't much like our candidates,' said Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster who helped conduct the survey with Democrat Fred Yang." https://on.wsj.com/1E5VjXb
THE STATE GOP CHAIRS' VIEW - "A primary like no other: Republican state party chairs say the 2016 nomination fight is as unpredictable and wide-open as any they can remember," by Katie Glueck, Kyle Cheney and Eli Stokols: "Many chairs expect that it will be well into the spring of 2016 before the field is seriously winnowed down ... [T]he ... view the sprawling field as a positive." https://politi.co/1gGF3qW
CRISIS IN SANTORUM CAMPAIGN - "Cash-strapped ... Santorum ... reshuffles staff: The moves leave the winner of the 2012 Iowa Caucuses without a campaign manager and raise questions about whether he can last until Iowa," by Katie Glueck: "Several top staffers have left ... Santorum's campaign to create a new super PAC, ... spurred by the ... candidate's anemic fundraising. Campaign manager Terry Allen, Iowa state coordinator Jon Jones and digital strategist Steve Hilliard - Allen's son-in-law - departed ... Karen Fesler, a prominent Iowa activist who had been aiding Santorum's efforts in the state. She now serves as Rick Perry's Iowa co-chair. ...
"[Santorum] had among the worst fundraising hauls of the entire presidential field, raising only about $600,000 and spending about 60 percent of that in his first fundraising quarter as a presidential candidate. Allen, Jones and Hilliard are expected to file the paperwork for a new pro-Santorum super PAC - separate from the already existing super PAC, Working Again, launched by Santorum's 2012 finance director - as early as this week ... Allen ... said [the] super PAC ... will be focused on funding Santorum's ground game." https://politi.co/1ePI2eB
OBAMA ALUMNI -- DAN PFEIFFER on CNN.com, "If Jeb Bush wants to win, he should play chess": "I can't help but think that pulling out of next year's Iowa caucuses would be the best thing Jeb Bush could do to win the nomination. ... The main reason for Bush to pull out of Iowa is that he is going to lose, and may lose badly. ... If the odds of winning are long and the benefits of winning are limited, common sense would dictate skipping Iowa and spending time and resources elsewhere." https://cnn.it/1P2QxQN
LIST DU JOUR - PR Week names its 40 under 40 2015 brand champions: Thomas Gensemer, Chief strategy officer, US, Burson-Marsteller, 38: https://bit.ly/1JIAxTR ... Ben LaBolt, Founding partner, The Incite Agency, 34: https://bit.ly/1P1DSxm ... Margaret Shepard, Executive director, communications and strategy, US Chamber of Commerce, 36: https://bit.ly/1E53uTC ... Doug Thornell MD, SKDKnickerbocker, 39: https://bit.ly/1UjiHdc Full listhttps://bit.ly/1E5Rj9l
BEYOND THE BELTWAY - "After Years Of Cuts, Cities And States Are Hiring Again," by Pew Stateline' Susan Milligan: "Many states and localities are now hiring, buoyed by an improving economy and better-than-expected revenue. Nearly three-quarters of states and localities reported making new hires in the past year, ... the second year in a row ... Much of the hiring is driven by 'pent-up demand' from the recession years, along with a burst of retirements by people who feel more confident about leaving their jobs now that the economy is recovering." https://huff.to/1N5wZdl
CLICKER - "364 bills that have been introduced in Congress, ranked by acronym quality," by WashPost's Philip Bump: "5. SPY Car Act of 2015 - Security and Privacy in Your Car Act of 2015. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) ... 3. DISCLOSE Act of 2015 - Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2015. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) 2. EGO Act - Eliminating Government-funded Oil-painting Act. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) ... 1. GIF Act of 2015 - Global Internet Freedom Act of 2015. Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.)" https://wapo.st/1gFpPCw
LATE-NIGHT BEST -- John Oliver on D.C. statehood: "Washington ... also missing from rhyming state songs. John Oliver and a group of singing children fix one of these problems." Video https://bit.ly/1SE5FcT
MEDIAWATCH -- "Gawker publishes Donald Trump's cell phone number," by Daniel Strauss: "A call to the number immediately goes to voice mail after a voice says, 'Please leave your name and message and we'll get back to you shortly.' 'It's a very old number. This is not one he uses. Mr. Trump has several numbers so this is not an issue,' the campaign said." https://politi.co/1II9cAh
POSTCARD FROM CHICAGO - From Daniel's trip there this weekend: The skyline and Lake Michigan from the planetarium: https://bit.ly/1DpvXsg The dessert at the restaurant Alinea, where chef/owner Grant Achatz makes the delicious concoction (tropical fruit with rum, vanilla and kaffir lime), on your actual table: https://bit.ly/1HnleK2 Alinea's pre-fixe menu: https://bit.ly/1M8FJCe
OUT AND ABOUT: Newsbusters (blog of the Media Research Center) last night celebrated its 10th anniversary at The Hamilton. Ann Coulter presented the first Noel Sheppard Media Blogger of the Year Award to Mollie Hemingway, senior editor of The Federalist. The award goes to the writer "who best reflects the spirit of Noel Sheppard's energetic blog postings in pursuit of exposing the news media's liberal political agenda."
--SPOTTED : Bill McMorris, Lachlan Markay, Kerry Picket, Ben Domenech, Becket Adams, Eddie Scarry, Jordan Bloom, Stephen Gutowski, Matt Vespa, Joel Gehrke.
WEDDING: Jamie Faulkner, director of research products at the U.S. Travel Association, married Michael Mageau in Charlottesville at Blenheim Vineyards.
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Ed Carberry ... Alex Mackler, deputy counsel for VP Biden ... (was Sun.): FCC's Gigi B. Sohn
BIRTHDAYS : President Obama is 54 ... Sheldon Adelson ... Bret Baier ... Politico's Seung-Min Kim... former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is 60 ... Andrea Hechavarria, Ernest L.A., and Sununu, Gregg and Johanns alum (h/t Nick Simpson) ... Caren Auchman, a senior V.P. at FleishmanHillard, former Dodd and Waxman flack (h/t Kristin Lee) ... HuffPost's Nick Wing ... Andrei Cherny is 4-0, celebrating by heading to the Grand Canyon with his family (h/t Stephanie) ... Kate Michelman ... John Edgell, policy and comms. specialist, former Hill and Obama Administration staffer, frequent extra on "House of Cards," "Madame Secretary" (h/ts Jon Haber) ... Daniel Moss, Bloomberg News' executive editor on global economics (h/t Jasmine Zhao) ... ?Washingtonian editor Michael Schaffer ... Susan Benton, president and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council ...
... Brett Loper ... WashPost deputy Outlook editor Mike Madden, a City Paper alum, is 39 ... Wendy Cohen, party planner extraordinaire ... Greg Krieg, senior staff writer for Mic News and an ABC News alum ... former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland ... Daniel Son, a banking officer at M&T Bank and alum of HPS and Capitol Hill ... The U.S. Coast Guard is 225 (h/t Don Stewart) ... Joel Bailey ... Hayley Prim, principal at Hilltop Public Solutions ... Martha Love ... Steve Kean ... Lina Brunton ... Paige Shipman ... Anna Bennett (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Valerie McCabe ... Susan Whitson, a Laura Bush alum and now travel advisor at King & Whitson Travel ... Fritz Fitzpatrick ... WJLA's Steve Rudin ...
... Larry McQuillan of the American Institutes for Research and a UPI and Thomson Reuters alum ... Emil Hill of Weber Shandwick ... Cecelia Walsh ... singer Frankie Ford is 76 ... actor-comedian Richard Belzer is 71 ... Football Hall-of-Famer John Riggins is 66 ... actor-screenwriter Billy Bob Thornton is 60 ... Hall of Fame track star Mary Decker Slaney is 57 ... retired MLB All-Star pitcher Roger Clemens is 53 ... race car driver Jeff Gordon is 44 ... country singer Crystal Bowersox ("American Idol") is 30 ... Tom Parker (The Wanted) is 27 ... Jessica Sanchez ("American Idol") is 20 (h/ts AP)
DESSERT: "The 33 Best Burgers in America," from Thrillist https://yhoo.it/1gFrWWU
** A message from Qualcomm: When will the future arrive? While the rest of the world wonders when, Qualcomm is at work developing cutting-edge wireless technologies today. We are the inventors, the restless innovators continually pushing forward. When Qualcomm connected the phone to the Internet, the phone became smart. When we connect billions more things, our lives will be even smarter. Why Wait?. https://bit.ly/1Gw9FCU **
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