POLITICO Playbook: BIG MOMENT FOR THE GOP CANDIDATES on the Confederate flag

Good Monday morning. BEHIND THE SCENES - "Hillary Clinton: Too cool for Brooklyn? The candidate eschews trendy outer-borough campaign office for Manhattan digs," by Annie Karni: "[S]he herself still works exclusively in midtown when she is in the city, and holds senior staff meetings there ... Clinton signed a two-year lease on the Manhattan suite of about seven offices on the 27th floor of Tower 45, a recently renovated office building on West 45th Street near Times Square, last August. ... At the time, ... Clinton was setting up a personal office.

"That space is now occupied by Clinton's campaign; 10 to 15 campaign staffers and interns work there ... Senior staffers ... use the office out of convenience, if they need a place to work in Manhattan between appointments around town. Because of that, the campaign is now footing the bill for the rent." https://politi.co/1K6nlcb

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--NEW YOUTUBE from Hillary HQ: 2-min. launch supercut https://bit.ly/1fsCszX

--MORE GIFs and Vines for the Clinton camp: The DNC's Rob Flaherty is taking the one-way Bolt Bus to Brooklyn. Flaherty left as DNC director of digital media on Friday, and starts this week as deputy director of digital communications on Clinton campaign. He's the #2 to Matt Ortega, and will help coordinate digital rapid response between the communications and digital shops.

OUT THIS AM - "Obama uses the N-word in podcast interview," by Nick Gass -- To Marc Maron on the comedian's "WTF" podcast in Los Angeles last week: "The legacy of slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination in almost every institution of our lives, you know, that casts a long shadow, and that's still part of our DNA that's passed on. We're not cured of it ... And it's not just a matter of it not being polite to say 'n-----' in public. That's not the measure of whether racism still exists or not. It's not just a matter of overt discrimination. ... Societies don't overnight completely erase everything that happened 2-300 years prior." https://politi.co/1THu13m

--INSTAGRAM DU JOUR -- @Marcmaron: "Talking to the President in my garage" https://bit.ly/1SC06s4

--"Former White House chef missing for more than a week," by CNN's Allie Malloy: "Walter Scheib ... who served under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, has been absent since June 13 when he left to go for a hike [in New Mexico] and was later reported missing by a family member." https://cnn.it/1LoMLSJ

THE GREAT DEBATE - N.Y. Times A1, "A Capitol's Confederate Flag Is a Test for G.O.P. Hopefuls," by Jonathan Martin (online: "Republicans Tread Carefully in Criticism of Confederate Flag"): "They do not want to risk offending the conservative white voters who venerate the most recognizable emblem of the Confederacy ... The carefully calibrated answers were a vivid illustration of the difficulties Republicans face in trying to broaden their party's appeal to minorities while also energizing white conservatives." https://nyti.ms/1JdDgVT

--PLAYBOOK FACTS OF LIFE: This is that rare opportunity in politics: a big moment. The top few GOP candidates are bunched together. This is a chance for one of them to show leadership, to look like the adult, to recognize the reality of where public opinion - even among conservatives - is heading. You can say that you understand pride in Southern heritage, but that the Charleston massacre was a transcendent event that forces us to turn a page. One of the candidates will be first.

--IF YOU HAVE WORKED on GOP presidential campaigns: Are the candidates wise to be bashful, or are they blowing a huge moment? Please send us your thoughts and we'll share them tomorrow: [email protected].

HOT ONLINE -- AP statement on those Ted Cruz gun photos: "Cruz was shown in a series of 14 photos taken by an Associated Press photographer at a 'Celebrate the 2nd Amendment' event Saturday afternoon, held at a shooting range in Johnston, Iowa. Five of the photos published by AP included images of guns seen on a wall in the background so that it appeared a pistol was pointed at Sen. Cruz's head. The images were not intended to portray Sen. Cruz in a negative light." See the pic. https://politi.co/1JdK8Tj

SNEAK PEEK: RAND SUPER PAC hits Jeb -- Forthcoming release: "America's Liberty PAC, the only Super PAC endorsed by Sen. Rand Paul, today [will announce] a digital advertising campaign highlighting Jeb Bush's support for bailouts. The ad campaign includes a 60-second digital spot, and website (www.BailoutBush.com), driven by a five-figure ad by targeting voters in [IA NH, NV, SC.]. ... A ... salesman tries the sell the viewer in infomercial-style a doll named Bailout Jeb Bush." Produced by Jesse Benton's company, Titan Strategies.  1:13 YouTube https://bit.ly/1eD5j4o Release https://bit.ly/1GC2NV7

RAND PAUL held an off-the-record "happy hour/briefing" for reporters at his campaign HQ on Capitol Hill last week. In a phone interview Friday as he headed to the airport for a weekend of Father's Day and pro bono eye surgeries in Kentucky, the senator repeated one of the key points he made to the press pack - that despite his iffy standing among GOP candidates, he polls well against Hillary:

"We lead Hillary Clinton in five states all won by President Obama ... Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa, and Colorado. And, you know, the key to winning any election is winning the purple states; and, to win five states, you add that to red states so that I think you're looking at a pretty strong sort of winnability argument for us. And I think that a lot of Republicans want to win."

--WE ASKED if he worries about Jeb's $100 million: "Not really. I think if there's anybody that ought to be worried, it would probably be ... the presumptive establishment candidate with all that money, ... still be in the middle of the pack."

--"Jeb ... Standing Improves Among Republicans," by NBC News' Mark Murray: "According to the [new NBC/WSJ] poll, 75 percent of Republicans say they could see themselves supporting Bush ... for president, versus 22 percent who couldn't (+53 points). That's up from his 70 percent-27 percent score in April (+43), and 49 percent-42 percent score in March (+7). Rubio ... has the highest margin of support among Republicans, with 74 percent who could see themselves backing him and 15 percent who couldn't (+59) - unchanged from April's poll." https://nbcnews.to/1eCIKwK

FIRST LOOK -- "[Pro-Christie] America Leads Super PAC Announces Senior Leadership Team" - Forthcoming release: "The Super PAC will be led by Phil Cox, former Executive Director of the [RGA] ... Others ... include ... Doug McAuliffe overseeing advertising and media strategy; Paige Hahn in charge of fundraising; Mike Leavitt handling mail; and Kurt Luidhardt with digital."

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AWESOME JOHN DICKERSON PROFILE -- Daily Beast's Lloyd Grove: "It's ... rare for the state-of-the-art Washington reporter ... to publicly ... embrace the divine. CBS News political director John Dickerson, the new host of Face the Nation, ... is a notable exception ... 'I believe in Jesus Christ,' Dickerson declared recently [at Patrick Henry College] ... 'I believe that Jesus Christ existed, and that He died for my sins. And I believe that what He said in the Gospels is a model for the way I should try to lead my life, and that I will always fall short of that, and therefore need Him to redeem me.'" https://thebea.st/1Cn4txO

STORY OF THE DAY, about Justice Kennedy and his maybe-gay mentor in Sacramento; with Lou Cannon cameo -- NYT A1, below fold, "Justice's Tolerance Seen in His Sacramento Roots: Examples Surrounded Kennedy, a Key Vote on Gay Marriage," by Sheryl Gay Stolberg in Sacramento: "[A]s the Supreme Court prepares to rule on whether to grant a constitutional right to same-sex marriage, Justice Kennedy, a onetime altar boy, has emerged as an unlikely gay rights icon. At 78, he has advanced legal equality for gays more than any other American jurist ...

"[L]egal scholars see parallels in ... Kennedy's record on gay rights and Chief Justice Warren's record on civil rights ... Kennedy typically sides with conservatives on issues like affirmative action and campaign finance, but with liberals on issues like the death penalty and gay rights." https://nyti.ms/1BG9979

DATA DU JOUR --WashPost A1, top of col. 1, "Latinos are getting candidates' attention: Both parties have already started efforts to secure demographic," by Mary Jordan in Mesquite, Nev.: "Nationally, 800,000 Latinos turn 18 every year ... The largest numbers of Latinos live in California and Texas. But the focus on the Latino vote for 2016 is sharpest in states both parties see as up for grabs: Nevada, Florida, New Mexico, Colorado and a handful of others, such as Virginia, where no party is dominant and Latinos, though not as numerous, can play a significant role. Obama won all of these states in 2012." https://wapo.st/1JdGDw5

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FIRST LOOK - Florida "Gov. Rick Scott: Connecticut Raises Taxes and Florida Wins": "Last week, Enterprise Florida released a radio ad in Connecticut following news that lawmakers in Connecticut recently raised taxes by over $1 billion. Governor Scott will soon visit Connecticut to meet with local businesses and share the Florida success story." Audio https://bit.ly/1SC15IH Script https://bit.ly/1MZC3iM

TOP TALKERS - USA Today 1A, "Does Hollywood have a problem with women? Critics call attention to sexists themes in summer blockbusters," by Brian Truitt: "Critical voices have taken ['Jurassic World'] to task for its poor treatment of Claire Dearing, the theme-park operations manager played by Bryce Dallas Howard. She puts her job ahead of everything else in her life, doesn't know how old her visiting nephews are and has a conversation with an employee (Chris Pratt) that's pretty much a highway to a sexual-harassment lawsuit." Critics have also gone after "Avengers: Age of Ultron," "Furious 7" and "Entourage." https://usat.ly/1K6llk6

--"DC sees more women running restaurants, breweries," by WTOP's Rachel Nania, via AP: "D.C. is experiencing a ... feminist uprising in the kitchen. [Amy] Brandwein, who is opening her first restaurant, Centrolina, in June, says chefs such as Nora Pouillon and Ris Lacoste helped to pave the way for other women in Washington. ... Another market that is bringing in more female drinkers and professionals is the spirits industry. D.C. residents Pia Carusone and Rachel Gardner recently announced their plans to become the District's first female-owned distillery." https://bit.ly/1Cnec78

--WashPost A1, "For millennials, a law office cuts its corners: District firm looks ahead 15 years to design an open space full of 'holocracy,'" by Brigid Schulte: "Nixon Peabody ... is moving from its more traditional formal office ... to an airy and open one ... Corner spaces, no longer symbols of individual power, are designed as team meeting rooms." https://wapo.st/1K6n4pF

DATA MINING OF OBAMACARE PATIENTS --L.A. Times 2-col. lead, "State to seek Obamacare patient data:Covered California says massive mining ... is essential, but it raises privacy worries," by Chad Terhune: "The state in April signed a five-year, $9.3-million contract with Truven Health Analytics Inc. of Michigan to run the database." https://lat.ms/1QLI9K0

SCOOP DU JOUR -- WashPost 1-col. lead, "Key U.S. general censured by Army : LEAVES MIDEAST AFTER REPRIMAND -- Misconduct found in handling of contract," by Craig Whitlock: "Maj. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard, who as the Army's deputy commander for operations in the Middle East oversaw the training of Iraqi forces, was ... reprimanded in February after a three-year investigation." https://wapo.st/1RoDUPC

BILL KELLER in The New Yorker, "Prison Revolt: A former law-and-order conservative takes a lead on criminal-justice reform": "Criminal-justice reformers like to say that if a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged, a liberal is a conservative who has served time. [Former Republican California state legislator Patrick] Nolan did not emerge from prison any less conservative, but he says he experienced a profound disillusionment, which has led him to play a central role in a cause that is only now finding its moment. These days, it is hard to ignore a rising conservative clamor to rehabilitate the criminal-justice system." https://nyr.kr/1H8dZfm

FIRST LOOK - FEC sued by Level the Playing Field over presidential debates: The group, trying to make it easier for a third party candidate to get on the debate stage, is filing a lawsuit against the FEC today alleging that the FEC has violated the law in not acting on a complaint that details the Commission on Presidential Debates' exclusion of candidates who don't belong to the two major parties. The complaint https://bit.ly/1THcfgE

TOP-ED -- STEVEN RATTNER in Sunday NYT, "Leave Hamilton Alone": "[I]n bumping Alexander Hamilton from the center of the $10 bill, we would be exiling the man most responsible for our nation's having a sound currency in the first place. The solution is simple: Evict Andrew Jackson from the $20 to make room for a worthy woman. In stark contrast to Hamilton, Jackson did more than most presidents to damage our financial system and our economy." https://nyti.ms/1IttObk

THE BIG PICTURE - "Washington fears losing Greece to Moscow," by FT's Geoff Dyer: "[W]ith Greece now on the verge of bankruptcy, the US is ... beginning to worry about the political fallout from a deeper crisis and the potential for Russia to gain increased influence over a Nato member. As Washington tries to maintain a united western front in support of sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, a Greek default could provide Moscow an opportunity to sow new divisions among America's European allies." https://on.ft.com/1K5RMhf

MICHAEL ISIKOFF's new doc for Yahoo, "Uniquely Nasty: The U.S. Government's War on Gays": "The film explores a dark and little-known chapter in America's recent political past, when gays and lesbians were barred from working for the federal government and the FBI, through its 'sex deviates' program, secretly collected hundreds of thousands of files on the sex lives of American citizens. 'Uniquely Nasty' includes never-before-seen government memos by legendary FBI director J. Edgar Hoover (read by George Takei) and John Steele, a top lawyer for the U.S. Civil Service Commission (read by Matt Bomer) asserting that gays were 'not suitable' for federal employment." https://yhoo.it/1Cn4UYJ

MEDIAWATCH -- "[Deborah] Solomon leaves WSJ for PR firm Finsbury," by Talking Biz News' Chris Roush:"She starts [today] with strategic communications firm Finsbury as a principal and will be based in Washington and New York. Solomon had left the Journal in 2012 for a job at Bloomberg View, but she returned to the paper in March 2013 as an editor overseeing the financial regulatory and law enforcement groups. ... She was part of a team that received the Pulitzer Prize in explanatory reporting for a series on corporate scandals." https://bit.ly/1IttSb5

TRANSITIONS -- Kevin Samy, EPA's Chief Speechwriter and formerly of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, had his last day at EPA on Friday. He's starting today at DoD as Speechwriter for Secretary Carter.

--DOJ HIRES: "Attorney General Loretta Lynch is putting in place her new Communications Director, Melanie Roussell Newman, and Chief of Staff Sharon Werner. Melanie was most recently associate director for communications and strategic planning for Shaun Donovan at White House Office of Management and Budget. She starts on Monday; her last day at the WH was Friday. ... Sharon Werner was most recently DOJ's White House Liaison and Counselor to Attorney General Eric Holder. The new White House liaison Shirlethia Franklin, was promoted from her deputy role as WH Liaison."

--ROBERT TRAYNHAM to Bipartisan Policy Center as V.P. of comms.

WEEKEND WEDDINGS -- Adam Parkhomenko, director of grassroots engagement at Hillary for America, and Kirby Hoag celebrated their marriage on Saturday night at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Groomsmen in the wedding party of 16 included Craig Smith, Seth Bringman, and Bert Kauffman. Partaking in the gallery perusing, dance floor, and photo booth were Phil Rucker, Brianna Keilar, Dan Merica, Amie Parnes, Alex Seitz-Wald, and a sizable contingent of Ready for Hillary/Hillary for America staff including Alissa Ko, Nickie Titus, Eli Kaplan, Alex Smith, Evan Wessel, and Sean England. The officiant for the ceremony was Trish Hoppey. Also SPOTTED: Patti Solis Doyle and Jim Doyle, Jim Lamb, Rafi Jafri, Tracy Sefl, Allida Black, Samantha Slosberg. Pichttps://bit.ly/1H4YVNL

--Lorea Stallard of the Vice President's legislative office and Kyle Lloyd Parker, legislative assistant of Rep. G.K. Butterfield's office, joined in matrimony Saturday at the Carolina Inn at Chapel Hill. SPOTTED: Tonya Williams, Ken Willis, Lee Lilley, Lyric Thompson, Saul Hernandez, Brittany Johnson Hernandez, Kristen O'Neill, and Dennis Sills. Pic https://bit.ly/1daP6lp

BIRTHDAYS: James VandeHei is 11 (hat tip: Mom, Dad, Sophie) ... ABC News' Michael Falcone ... Brit Hume is 72 ... Sen. Elizabeth Warren is 66 ... Sen. Dianne Feinstein is 82 ... Mary Jo Scarborough of Pensacola, Joe's mom ... Politico's Megan Chan, Lori Kelley and Kristie Robinson ... Carlos Reyes ... Pat Griffin (h/t Jon Haber) ... Two from Gabby Giffords' team at Americans for Responsible Solutions: senior adviser Pia Carusone, who celebrated (with some pickleback shots) with friends at American Ice Company ... political director Zach Stewart, who celebrated by running his first-ever half marathon (h/ts Mark Prentice) ... Kyle Taylor ... John Romero ... Andrew Malcolm ... Derek Hunter ...

... Bryan Jung ... Brian Doherty ... Chris Hofmann -- Robert Redford lookalike, Brooks Brothers aficionado, and lover of JG Mellon and all things Dorrians -- is feeling 2-2 (h/t Mike Luongo) ... CBS News alum Jackie Adams (h/t Nancy Lane) ... Mike Moodian ... Mike Conneen ... Dustin Olson ... Prunella Scales ("Fawlty Towers") is 83 ... Kris Kristofferson is 79 ... Meryl Streep is 66 ... Cyndi Lauper is 62 ... Erin Brockovich is 55 ... author Dan Brown is 51 ... Carson Daly is 42 ... Mike O'Brien ("Saturday Night Live") is 39 ... Dina Hansen (Fifth Harmony) ("The X Factor") is 18 (h/ts AP)

DESSERT -- "Sick of Political Pork, Two Former Hill Staffers Launched $10 Million BBQ Business," by The Daily Signal's Madaline Donnelly: "Back in early 2006, a Senate budget debate raged into the night. Around 1 a.m., Hill staffers Heath Hall and Brett Thompson ... could not stomach another night of delivery pizza. ... Fast-forward nearly 10 years and Pork Barrel BBQ products are in over 8,000 stores in the US, Canada, Asia and Europe; there's a Pork Barrel restaurant in Arlington." https://dailysign.al/1FvZkn7

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