POLITICO Playbook: 10 days till Christmas; 48 days till Iowa – FIGHT NIGHT: Cruz is top target in Vegas debate, 8:30 p.m. ET
Good Tuesday morning. Alex Isenstadt, from Vegas, has "5 things to watch in tonight's debate": "1. Who will take on Trump? ... One possibility: Chris Christie ... Another possibility: Jeb Bush ... 2. CNN looks for a fight ... Just watch the promo CNN has been running for the last month, which features a rapid-fire screenshot of each candidate paired with pulsing background music.
"Sources briefed on the network's plans say it's looking for a two-hour slugfest full of confrontation - the kind of program CNN boss Jeff Zucker loves. Several campaign aides told POLITICO they expect CNN to begin the debate by pitting individual candidates against Trump - perhaps by asking if they condemn his controversial proposal to ban Muslims from entering the United States. The tactic would be designed to hook viewers from the get-go. ... 3. Everyone vs. Cruz." http://politi.co/1J8GeXo
By Mike Allen (@mikeallen; mallen@politico.com) and Daniel Lippman (@dlippman; dlippman@politico.com)
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LIVE FROM THE STRIP - "Donald does Vegas: His feisty, freewheeling performance sets the stage for Tuesday'sdebate," by Politico's Shane Goldmacher: "For more than an hour Monday night, Trump stood center stage and whacked the media, praised the polls, and bashed, over and over, everyone who disagreed with him. And, repeatedly, he fomented fears. Of young Syrian men ('How come they have cell phones?'), of the border with Mexico ('The drugs pour across.'), of terrorism writ large ('These people are animals.').
"'I promise you this: President Trump will never change his tune ... This country needs to get away from political correctness. It's killing us. ... If we win Iowa, we're gonna run the table.' This was Donald Trump in his element. The packed rally of thousands just off the Las Vegas Strip set the stage for Tuesday's nationally broadcast debate showdown at the Venetian." http://politi.co/1mleLNk
RISES NATIONALLY AFTER MUSLIM FUROR - WashPost A1, above fold, "Trump's support among Republicans at new high: Criticism of proposal to bar Muslims doesn't hurt standing, poll indicates," by Dan Balz and Scott Clement: ABC/WP national, in GOP: 1) Trump 38%, "six points higher than in October and November" ... 2) Cruz "has surged into second place with 15 percent, effectively doubling his support since last month" ... 3) tie: Rubio/Carson 12% ... 4) Bush 5%. http://wapo.st/1mldsxP
--USA Today p. 1A, "26 weeks of Donald Trump": Trump announced 6 months ago, tomorrow.
FUNNY HOW TRUMP'S DOCTOR sounds like Trump -- "Trump's doctor: Trump would be the healthiest president ever," by Politico's Nick Gass: "In a Dec. 4 note shared by the Trump campaign, Dr. Harold Bornstein, the 69-year-old candidate's doctor since 1980, wrote that the candidate's latest physical exam showed only 'positive results.' 'If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual elected to the presidency,' Bornstein wrote. At 70 years old by Election Day, Trump would be the oldest candidate elected for a first term in U.S. history.
"'Mr. Trump has suffered no form of cancer, has never had a hip, knee or shoulder replacement or any other orthopedic surgery ... His cardiovascular status is excellent. He has no history of ever using alcohol or tobacco products.' Trump has lost at least 15 pounds in the last year, Bornstein wrote ... [and] his blood pressure and lab results were 'astonishingly excellent.' ... [Trump said:] 'I am fortunate to have been blessed with great genes - both of my parents had very long and productive lives ... People have been impressed by my stamina, but to me it has been easy because I am truly doing something that I love." http://politi.co/1mkrIaa ... The doctor's letterhttp://bit.ly/1NttVXH
INSIDE THE CAMPAIGNS - "Inside the 2016 black market for donor emails: Donors beware: Your money might not be going where you think," by Politico's Shane Goldmacher: "Scott Walker has begun selling access to his email list to pay off his leftover presidential debt ... The solicitations arrive as if Walker's donors magically landed on the lists of his old foes, as they plead for cash for themselves ... Walker's committee has struck secret deals with at least some of his old competitors to split the proceeds - unbeknownst to those doing the giving. It's part of the presidential campaign's hidden world of digging for donors online, where so-called revenue-sharing agreements - rev-shares, for short - are skyrocketing." http://politi.co/1RlVtnC
PLAYBOOK BREAKFAST TODAY ! Year-end double-header with Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell. Jake Sherman joins me for the Speaker conversation, and Anna Palmer for McConnell. If you're on the Hill, drop by the Hyatt Regency, 400 New Jersey Ave. NW; doors open at 7:30 a.m. Livestreams at 8 a.m. onwww.Politico.com. Tweet your Qs: #PlaybookBreakfast.
--"McConnell vows ambitious agenda in treacherous 2016," by Politico's Seung Min Kim and Burgess Everett: "McConnell vowed when he took over as Senate majority leader to get the notoriously gridlocked Senate moving again. Eleven months later, he can claim bona fide progress on several fronts - such as a bipartisan budget deal and first long-term highway measure in a decade - even while Democrats stymied his attempts to avert the situation he's in now: Having to pass a massive, catch-all government spending bill." http://politi.co/1MecjgD
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2016 PLAYERS -- Caitlin Conant "joins husband on Marco Rubio's campaign team," by WashPost's Sean Sullivan: "Conant is leaving her role as Ohio Republican Sen. Rob Portman's communications director to head up regional and surrogate communications for team Rubio beginning in 2016 ... Conant's husband, Alex Conant, is Rubio's communications director ... [The couple] temporarily moved to Iowa to advise now-Sen. Joni Ernst (R) in her successful 2014 campaign. Both also worked on the presidential campaign of former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty (R) in 2011." http://wapo.st/1Rlz9dS
--VOGUE's Jan. 2016 issue, on newsstands tomorrow in L.A. and N.Y., "Reconcilable Differences: Kori Schake is a GOP policy expert. Kristina Schake is working to get Hillary Clinton elected," by Meghan Daum: "[A]t 45 and 53, both sisters are high-level political players. Both have worked in the White House, played key roles in presidential campaigns, and helped shape government policy. ... A research fellow at the conservative Hoover Institution at Stanford and a former West Point professor, Kori has become one of the most prominent foreign-policy experts on the political scene and worked in the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the George W. Bush administration, as well as in the Pentagon during the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations.
"Her (admirably specific) dream job: becoming Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. Kristina spent three years as Michelle Obama's communications director (she's the one credited with 'humanizing' the First Lady by, among other things, encouraging her to show off her dance moves to Jimmy Fallon and Ellen DeGeneres) and is now serving as deputy communications director for Hillary Clinton's ... campaign." http://vogue.cm/OH7cxjV
--"Huckabee spokeswoman [Alice Stewart] leaves campaign," by Politico's Daniel Strauss: "Stewart said Monday that she left her role as communications director and was no longer working for the campaign in any capacity. ... The campaign [said:] ... 'Alice Stewart is no longer with the Huckabee for President campaign. Hogan Gidley will handle all media operations moving forward' ... In 2012, Stewart served as the press secretary for former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum's presidential campaign. Following the election, Stewart hosted a radio talk show in Little Rock, Arkansas." http://politi.co/1NQ0Bhy
BEFORE THE DEBATE - A Clinton aide: Today at the University of Minnesota -- Minneapolis, "she will detail the third element of her [3-part plan to defeat ISIS]: how we ... prevent radicalization ... at home. ... Clinton ... will propose a ... strategy to counter each step, ... from recruitment, to training, to planning, to execution, all while staying true to our values. Clinton will ... point to local efforts in the Twin Cities."
OUT AND ABOUT IN VEGAS: FamousDC convened presidential campaign staff, national media, and influencers at an event at LAVO Casino Club located in the legendary Palazzo Hotel on the Las Vegas strip. Campaign staff from dueling teams were seen laughing and shaking hands only a day before the debate. Guests were served specialty martinis, champagne, and premium cocktails alongside vegetarian stuffed mushrooms, mini crab cakes with garlic aioli, imperial wagyu meatball heroes, heirloom tomato bruschetta, and mini shrimp cocktail.
--SPOTTED : Steve Chaggaris, Holly Campbell, David Drucker, Todd Harris, Tim Mak, Alexis Levinson, Major Garrett, Tim Alberta, Geoff Freeman, Whit Askew, JT Foley, Christopher Moyer, Matt Dornic, Rob Collins, Ieva Augstums, Kevin Sheridan.
BUZZ - "Who bought the Las Vegas Review-Journal? It's anybody's guess," by L.A. Times' Nigel Duara: "The $140-million sale [was] completed late Thursday ... to the ... [Delaware-incorporated] News + Media Capital Group, which has so far refused to identify its owner. ... 'Just finished hour+ @reviewjournal ed board,' ... Jeb Bush tweeted Monday. 'Only q left unanswered - who owns the newspaper?' ... The first name that came to mind, said University of Nevada, Las Vegas associate history professor Michael Green, was the casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson, who also owns a newspaper in Israel." http://lat.ms/1Qq4mg2
MICHAEL HIRSH, "The Battle for Civilization Is Happening in Paris": "Two very different groups of visitors came to Paris in the past month: The first, terrorists bent on disrupting Western civilization there; the second, world leaders bent on saving that civilization-and the planet itself. Both groups succeeded in their aims, to differing degrees. ... The question is whether the political leaders who signed what is being called 'L'accord de Paris' were more effective in their efforts to preserve this global system than the terrorists were in theirs to destroy it." http://politi.co/1NQoDcp
ACROSS THE POND - 5-col. lead headline of (London) Daily Telegraph, "Voters head for the Brexit:New poll shows surge in support for campaign to leave EU as Cameron prepares to face European opponents," by Political Editor Peter Dominiczak: "With [Prime Minister] David Cameron attending a crucial summit in Brussels this week, a poll finds the British public is now evenly split over the prospect of a British exit from the EU." http://bit.ly/1ROVbVP
MEDIAWATCH -- "Roy Sekoff to leave Huffington Post," by Politico's Peter Sterne: "The Huffington Post's founding editor, Roy Sekoff, is leaving the organization ... Sekoff, who also was the co-creator of HuffPost Live, is currently the president and chief creative officer of the company's video division, HuffPost Studios. In [Arianna's] email to staff ... Huffington wrote that Sekoff decided to leave the company due to the stress of constant cross-country travel." http://politi.co/1lKT35p
WASHINGTON, INC. - WSJ p. D6 (Sports), with A1 skybox teaser, "Why Tickets to College Games Come Easy on Capitol Hill: Ethics law bans gifts to lawmakers, but public universities are exempted," by Brody Mullins: "[U]niversity lobbyists alone among Washington's power players can provide lawmakers and aides tickets to collegiate sporting events. ... [D]ocuments from more than a dozen public universities ... show ... that lawmakers and staffers routinely receive free tickets to big football and basketball games, sometimes sitting in luxury suites with the university president." http://on.wsj.com/1P4idXW
SOCIAL MEDIA LIMIT -- N.Y. Times, bottom of A1, "E.P.A. Faulted For Online Blitz On Water Rule," by Eric Lipton and Mike Shear: "The [GAO] ruling ... drew a bright line for federal agencies experimenting with social media about the perils of going too far to push a cause. Federal laws prohibit agencies from engaging in lobbying and propaganda. ... 'We use social media ... to stay connected and inform people across the country about our activities,' Liz Purchia, an agency spokeswoman, said in a statement. 'At no point did the E.P.A. encourage the public to contact Congress or any state legislature.'" http://nyti.ms/1SYMqXs
AIR WARS ... NEW RUBIO ad, "About": "This election is about the essence of America." http://bit.ly/1Yb74u8
--KASICH ad, "Trump vs. the Constitution": "Does Donald Trump think he's a bigger deal than the Constitution?" http://bit.ly/1P3bCx1
CAMPAIGN SUBJECT LINE of the day: From ted@tedcruz.org using The Daily Caller's list, "Message Undeliverable: This has to reach you".
WHO THEY ARE - NYT p. A24, "Marco Rubio's Wife: A Partner Ready to Puncture His Ego," by Michael Barbaro and Kitty Bennett: "The Hawaiian couples retreat was marketed as a chance to receive 'godly counsel on marriage,' and it featured daily seminars on the art of apologizing, the perils of miscommunication and the power of expressing emotion. ... Sitting quietly in the audience ... were ... Marco Rubio ... and his wife, Jeanette. ... Their participation in the 2014 retreat in Maui embodied ... a Christian faith that infuses almost every aspect of their relationship and Mrs. Rubio's determination to create a haven of family amid the chaotic and hypercompetitive world that Mr. Rubio inhabits." http://nyti.ms/1TLPJBC
FIRST LOOKS: Mayor Bloomberg's Everytown for Gun Safety has a "terrorist loophole" ad titled "America" running in the D.C. market during the debate. http://bit.ly/1IRnJMt
--From RNC's Allison Moore, "Clinton's Counterterrorism Catastrophe": "Clinton and the Democrats are on the defensive as the public sours on their poor handling of national security issues. ... As the chief architect of President Obama's foreign policy, Hillary Clinton has seen her tenure as Secretary of State go from being a chief qualification for the presidency to a huge political liability, particularly when it comes to the issue of counterterrorism." http://bit.ly/1jZndQC ... RNC on Clinton's counterterrorism record http://bit.ly/1mkRDP9
--Jessica Mackler, president of American Bridge 21st Century, "Trump Holds All The Cards At Tonight'sGOP Debate": "Tonight's audition for Sheldon Adelson's millions [at] CNN debate at the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas will give Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, and the rest of the GOP field two or so hours to argue over who among them is the biggest hawk and the least sympathetic toward refugees and immigrants. No easy task when you have a stage full of warmongering foreign policy novices looking to satisfy the GOP base's cravings for xenophobic, fascist-tinged red meat." http://politi.co/1YgDaiP ... New web video, "The Stakes: Daisy Revisited"http://bit.ly/1mkQK98
TRAILER OF THE DAY - "The First 'Star Trek Beyond' Trailer Has Landed!" http://yhoo.it/1O0BJiK
YEAR-END LISTS -- "'Hands up, don't shoot' ranked one of biggest 'Pinocchios' of 2015," by Politico's Nick Gass: "[A]mong a collection of dubious statements that earned four 'Pinocchios' from Republican poll leader Donald Trump and other candidates is the phrase that launched countless protests and calls for police accountability and reform: 'hands up, don't shoot.' Those words, which rose to the public consciousness following the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, rang hollow with federal investigators." http://politi.co/1lJtxxy ... The Pinocchios http://wapo.st/1P3ICmT
LIST DU JOUR -- "The Lugar Center and McCourt School to release Bipartisan Index Lifetime Scores for the U.S. Senate": "1. Lincoln Chafee ... 2. Susan Collins ... 3. Olympia Snowe ... 4. Joe Donnelly ... 5. Sam Nunn ... 6. Joe Manchin ... 7. Zell Miller ... 8. Gordon Smith ... 9. David Boren ... 10. Mark Hatfield." http://bit.ly/1QpqCqd
TRANSITIONS: Peter Nonis has joined the DC office of the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU), a New York-based business association, as a director where he will "focus on global business development, and providing customized programs and services to BCIU's diverse set of multinational corporate members." He previously served in public affairs roles with ASCE and AAA where he focused on infrastructure funding and policy issues.
HOLIDAY PARTIES: Le Diplomate's most prominent next door neighbor, Steve Elmendorf, held his annual holiday party at his home last night, which featured a shrimp bar. SPOTTED : Karin Johanson, Stephanie Cutter, Tom Lopach, Jonathan Capehart and Nick Schmidt, Acting Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, Hardball's Michael LaRosa, Jeremy Peters, Scott Fay, Stacey Alexander, Joe Solmonese, and many more
--TREASURY offered quesadillas and beers (foreign and domestic) to reporters in the department's Cash Room last night. Sources cannot confirm whether Secretary Lew himself partook in an alcoholic beverage but he did spend a decent amount of time conversing with the Fourth Estate. Sadly, though, he did not perform any songs from "Hamilton."
OUT AND ABOUT -- SPOTTED at iHeartRadio's Jingle Ball at DC's Verizon Center last night, which featured top 40 artists Zedd, Demi Lovato, Hailee Steinfeld and more: Kenny Day, Christine Delargy, Nick Massella, Katy Summerlin, Ashley Spillane, Kiki Burger, Ali Pardo, Megan and Todd Van Etten, Bob Ellsworth, Jim Jordan, John Scofield, Susan Collins, Lisa Kramer, Jamie Sterling, Andrew Kovalcin, Nick Swezey, Adam Weiss, Neri Martinez, iHeart top brass Tim Castelli and Jeff Howard, US Treasurer Rosa Gumataotao Rios, Hayley Dierker.
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Barry Karas turned 70 (h/t Sam Tubman)
BIRTHDAYS: Donna Brazile is ageless ... Meridith Webster ("Today" tip: Savannah) ... Politico's Lauren French, the pride of Jupiter, Fla. (h/t Anna Palmer) ... Sen. Mark Warner ... ... Jeff Le, Assistant Cabinet Secretary, California governor's office ... Matt Paul, Iowa State Director for Hillary for America, celebrated last night at Des Moines' newest bar, Juniper Moon ... Fox News' Griff Jenkins is 45 (h/t Taylor S. Gross) ... Bobby Moran, Politico Pro's V.P. of Strategy and Business Development ... Erin Dwyer, Director of Stakeholder Engagement at the Center for Audit Quality ... Heather Booth, longtime activist celebrating a special birthday with Paul and many friends ... Bill Knapp, veteran media strategist at SKDKnickerbocker (h/ts Jon Haber) ... Alison Omens, advisor for private sector engagement at Dept. of Labor and an AFL-CIO alum ... David Adler ... Brian Haley ... Patrick Oakford ... Heather Booth ... Deborah Koenigsberger ... Steve Duno ...
... Tony Kreindler, senior director at Environmental Defense Fund, is 46 ... Tyler Maland Black ... Theana Yatron Kastens ... Diane Kepley ... The Messina Group's Tara Corrigan, celebrating her birthday with THM at Minibar ... Erin Dwyer ... DOJ's Emily Pierce, a Roll Call alum ... Israel "Izzy" Ortega, senior writer at Opportunity Lives and a Heritage alum ... Rita Lenane, n attorney at Wigdor LLP, a plaintiff side employment firm, and a huge Hilary supporter, is 29 (h/t fiancé Adam Massey) ... Sarah Sullivan ... Abby Matousek ... Jimmy LaSalvia is 45 ...
... David Adler, CEO of BizBash and WHGB Brunch co-host (h/t Tammy Haddad) ... Mark Patterson, partner and firmwide co-chair of the Public and Strategic Affairs Group at Perkins Coie and a Treasury alum ... Andy Polesovsky is 3-0 ... Treasury alum Jan Eberly, professor of finance at Kellogg School of Management ... Pawlenty alum Brian Haley, now partner at CBTX Capital, is 34 ... Jim Dornan ... New Hampshire maven Karen Hick ... Tim Dickson ... Carson Pfingston ... Maggie Brickerman ... Laura Nevitt ... Tanya Bjork ... Tzinia Chellet Balkin (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... actor-comedian Tim Conway is 82 ... actor Don Johnson is 66 ... Melanie Chartoff is 65 ... Michelle Dockery is 34 ... actress Stefania Owen is 18 (h/ts AP)
BIRTHDAY FRI: Dwight Holton is 50, doing a family night - visiting Santa, followed by dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory and a massive party for him in the New Year, holding a wheelchair rugby tournament to benefit friends at Adaptive Sports NW. (h/t Mary Ellen Glynn)
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