By Mike Allen (@mikeallen; mallen@politico.com) and Daniel Lippman (@dlippman;dlippman@politico.com)
Good Wednesday morning. MUST-WATCH VIDEO -- “Morning Joe” has long interview at Trump Tower (along with Rand, Christie and Sanders on-set), with the Donald telling Joe and Mika, re attacking Bill Clinton on sexism: “I’m just saying this, it’s fair game, when they attack me I’m going to attack them.”
TRUMP to Joe and Mika: “I think we’re going to do great in Iowa. ... I have an amazing relationship with the people of Iowa, and New Hampshire, and South Carolina. And then you go to Nevada and then we have the SEC [primary]. ... [W]e were in Mississippi recently, and I’ll tell you what: That place was packed. That was a major stadium, and it was packed.” http://on.msnbc.com/1n3EEBy
ARTICLE OF THE DAY -- “Trump quietly builds a data juggernaut: Defying skeptics, he puts tools in place to get out the vote,” by Ken Vogel and Darren Samuelsohn: “Trump’s rivals cling to the hope that the surprise GOP presidential front-runner lacks the know-how to lure supporters to the polls, but ... his campaign several months ago assembled an experienced data team to build sophisticated models to transform fervor into votes. The team is led by two low-profile former [RNC] data strategists, Matt Braynard and Witold Chrabaszcz, and includes assistance from the political data outfit L2 ...
“The data push is focused on integrating information Trump has collected, through his campaign website and at voter rallies, on nontraditional or unregistered supporters. It also includes commercial data obtained from the RNC and other sources, in an effort to mobilize voters in key early states.” http://politi.co/1Ozl8ra
--NH1 Political Director Paul Steinhauser in Claremont, N.H.: “Trump says he hears ‘a couple of states have a problem with’ ... Cruz’s Canadian birth. ... ‘I hope this would not be a reason for disqualification.’” Video http://bit.ly/1PMkg3b
--CRUZ responded by tweeting a link to “Fonzie Jumps the Shark on Happy Days (Episode 5.3) 1977” http://bit.ly/1OzjoxV
--“Trump’s free media bonanza ... milked the networks for thousands of dollars’ worth of cost-free advertising,” by Hadas Gold with Eliza Collins and Nolan McCaskill: “Trump’s new 30-second spot, released Monday morning, was played in its entirety 40 times on the cable news networks ... would have cost Trump $330,000.” http://politi.co/1Rr3Nl4
--“Trump Leads, But When It Comes To Second Choice, Cruz Is On Top,” by NBC’s Josh Clinton, John Lapinski, Marc Trussler, and Sam Petula: “The second choice for all candidates is a non-establishment candidate.” With 6 graphics http://nbcnews.to/1IQ76B1
INSTAGRAMS OF THE DAY -- @speakerryan: “Fresh year. Fresh start. Fresh shave” http://bit.ly/1IQfLDC ... @ivankatrump: “A quiet moment on set at my @townandcountrymag cover shoot” http://bit.ly/1JtvsAw
BEST PICS – @BraddJaffy: “A+ Reuters photo from Trump’s rally [Monday] in Lowell, Massachusetts”. http://bit.ly/1mF8PyI ... “#AsphaltOne - @JHoganGidley workin’ hard, @chipsaltsman takin’ a break, & @GovMikeHuckabee chats w/ @janethuckabee. on the road in Iowa ... Total road time [Tuesday:] 242 miles and 5 hours on the bus.” http://bit.ly/1IQ6SK2
SCOOP DU JOUR -- “Marco Rubio seeks new HQ,” by Anna Palmer and Shane Goldmacher: “The Florida Republican has outgrown his campaign headquarters on Capitol Hill and is in search of new and bigger space — as soon as possible. Rubio’s paid payroll has doubled in size since Oct. 1 ... He had 54 people on staff then. Now he has more than 100.” http://politi.co/1Oa44UX
--“How Much Do Marco Rubio’s Boots Cost?” by Vanity Fair’s Tina Nguyen: “On Monday, New York Times reporter Michael Barbaro’s eye was drawn to a stunning pair of heels on an equally stunning, if somewhat short, set of legs [and Barbaro tweeted:] ‘Marco Rubio is rocking some seriously fashionable black boots today in New Hampshire.’ ... So: Where did he get those boots?” With some educated guesses http://bit.ly/1Rr1qhV
** A message from Ford Motor Company: We are committed to making people’s lives better by changing the way the world moves. Ford SYNC 3 now adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, offering drivers more ways to stay connected. Learn more about Ford Smart Mobility: http://ford.to/FordCES2016 **
COMING ATTRACTIONS: The “Today” show will broadcast a live, two-hour show from inside the White House next Tuesday, State of the Union day. Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker, Natalie Morales and Carson Daly will host, and Matt Lauer will POTUS.
A TOP IMAGE of the 8 years – “Obama wipes away tears as he calls for new gun measures ... gets emotional as he remembers Sandy Hook victims and fiercely calls for more rights for those vulnerable to gun violence,” by Sarah Wheaton and Nick Gass http://politi.co/1S3HLpY
--FRAMER: Pic of tearful POTUS takes up half the front page of Daily Telegraph of London. See the page. http://politi.co/1kL2Qah ... Denver Post banner, “Obama acts alone” ...
--NYC TABS: N.Y. Post wood, “BAM’S TEARS: Emotional plea as he orders new gun regs.” See cover. http://politi.co/1kL2Qah ... Daily News (pics of Fiorina, Cruz, Ryan, Rubio), “THE PARTY OF PRO-DEATH ... News says: Republican leadership is composed of pandering liars stoking irrational fear. Their answer to Obama’s measured plan to stop crazies from getting guns is simple deceit. All in a blood-soaked chase for cheap votes.” See cover. http://nydn.us/vp5qdB
--Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.): “The burden remains on Congress and Speaker Paul Ryan to pass a comprehensive solution to curb the epidemic of gun violence that plagues our nation.”
--NYT Quotation of the Day – President Obama, as he vowed to curb gun violence, on the children killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut: “First graders. Every time I think about those kids, it gets me mad.”
--“Gunmaker’s Stock Hits Record High As Obama Boosts Background Checks,” by BuzzFeed’s Sapna Maheshwari: “Smith & Wesson rose 11% to close at $25.86, its highest closing price since it began trading more than a decade ago, while Sturm Ruger jumped 7% to $65.54. ... Gun stocks tend to rally at any talk of gun control, which often serves as a catalyst for sales.” http://bzfd.it/22KcsUT
--“Cruz Fundraises: ‘Obama Wants Your Guns’,” by Daily Beast’s Betsy Woodruff: “Just a few hours after [Obama’s announcement] ... Cruz put up a link ... comparing the president to a SWAT team raider ... The image is a photoshop of Obama wearing military-style garb and scowling ominously. ‘OBAMA WANTS YOUR GUNS ... SUPPORT THE PROTECTION OF YOUR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS!’” http://thebea.st/1JWTFu2
WHITE HOUSE DEPARTURE LOUNGE: Yesterday was John Galloway’s last day as National Economic Council chief of staff, marking the end of his second tour of duty in the White House as Jeff Zients’ right-hand man. Elizabeth Kelley will take over as NEC chief of staff, moving over from USTR, where she managed private-sector engagement.
BREAKING – BBC: “North Korea nuclear H-bomb claims met by skepticism ... [N]uclear experts have questioned whether the size of the blast was large enough to have been from an H-bomb. South Korea called the test a "grave provocation" but said it was difficult to believe it was from such a device.” http://bbc.in/1ZNulzQ
--“APNewsBreak: US sees Assad staying in Syria until March 2017,” by Matt Lee and Brad Klapper: “The Obama administration’s best-case scenario for political transition in Syria does not foresee Bashar Assad stepping down as the country's leader before March 2017, outlasting Barack Obama’s presidency by at least two months, according to ... [an] internal timeline prepared for U.S. officials dealing with the Syria crisis.” http://yhoo.it/1MShcfv
POWER PLAYERS: S.C. “Gov. Nikki Haley to deliver GOP response to Obama’s State of the Union,” by The (Columbia) State’s Andrew Shain: “Haley is calling her nationally televised speech from Columbia an ‘address’ rather than a ‘response,’ as the political counterpoints have been called since they began in 1966. Haley is the first South Carolinian to deliver the State of the Union response.” http://bit.ly/1PeG7vz
--Google alum Niki Christoff has started at Uber, leading all federal affairs and east coast communications, based in D.C.
--“Rep. Steve Israel, member of Democratic leadership, retiring,” by Jake Sherman and John Bresnahan: “Israel, the party’s chief House messaging strategist, is ... the second veteran Democrat to retire this week ... Israel said he is retiring to ‘pursue new passions and develop new interests, mainly spend more time writing my second novel.’” http://politi.co/1PeLZoI
WASHINGTON, INC. – “Business group hopes to jumpstart momentum for trade pact,” by AP’s Kevin Freking: “Leading business groups, often at odds with ... Obama, are looking to give momentum to one of his top priorities before he leaves office: approval of ... the Trans-Pacific Partnership ... John Engler, president of the Business Roundtable, ... said his organization is hoping Congress will approve the pact before its August recess. ... [The National Association of Manufacturers] came out with its endorsement Monday.” http://apne.ws/1JWYCTC
MOOD MUSIC: What Plouffe, Messina and Rattner are reading -- WashPost 1-col. lead, “Auto industry back in fast lane: U.S. CAR SALES HIT RECORD HIGH IN 2015 -- Rising wages, cheap gas stimulate demand,” by Drew Harwell and Steven Mufson: “17.5 million cars and trucks were sold last year, ... overtaking the 17.3 million sales in 2000 and far outpacing the 10.4 million sales in 2009, when taxpayers paid billions to bail out the bedrock of America’s automotive might ... [S]ome analysts [are] projecting ... another ... record in 2016.” http://wapo.st/1Sz8zO3
--USA Today, bottom of front page, “At CES [Consumer Electronics Show], they really are reinventing the wheel,” by Marco della Cava in Vegas: “The hallmark of all this CES car talk is synergy. There is an unprecedented amount of collaboration on display as automakers seek to agree upon shared platforms ... to avoid ... Betamax vs. VHS.” http://usat.ly/1O4HNKi
2016 PLAYERS -- “Christie adds six to his lean campaign staff,” by WashPost’s Phil Rucker in Manchester: “Christie until now has had one of the smallest campaign teams of the major candidates, with just 34 staffers. But Christie has hired six additional aides, four nationally and two in New Hampshire ... Nicole Sizemore, the governor’s deputy press secretary, is joining the campaign as press secretary. ... Sarah Dolan, who has led the governor’s research efforts in Trenton, will become the campaign’s research and rapid response deputy director. ... Two other hires, Bill Dunne and Caroline Potter, are national political field staffers who will focus on a range of primaries and caucuses.” http://wapo.st/1OLNHn0
-- “FOX Business Network (FBN) has announced that ... Neil Cavuto and ... Maria Bartiromo, along with anchors Trish Regan and Sandra Smith will reprise their moderating roles for the first Republican presidential primary debates of 2016. The RNC sanctioned debates will take place on Thursday, January 14th at 6PM and 9PM/ET at the North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center in North Charleston.”
AIR WARS -- NEW CHRISTIE ad – “We Need to Keep Our Eye On The Ball,” “responding to recent attacks by Marco Rubio and calling for Republicans to keep their eye on the ball in order to defeat Hillary Clinton in November.” http://bit.ly/1O4E3Zr
--CRUZ new ad, “Invasion,” shows bankers all dressed up in fancy business clothes crossing the Rio Grande to make his point about elites not caring about immigration because it doesn’t jeopardize their jobs. http://bit.ly/1UvGQMH
--MARCO new ad, “Safe” – “Instead of fighting to fund our troops, [President Obama] fights to fund Planned Parenthood. He spies on Israel, and cut a deal with Iran. His plan after the attack in San Bernardino: take away our guns.” http://bit.ly/1RgYRky
TOP TWEETS -- @ScottFConroy: “Shout-out to Secret Service agent for politely explaining the First Amendment to Trump staffer who tried to stop me shooting video in public”.
--@jwpetersNYT: Someone asks Rubio in Ft. Dodge how we can keep Sharia Law out of this country. Rubio brushes him off. ‘Guys, that’s not going to happen.’”
--@newtgingrich: “Speaker Paul Ryan was outstanding on Hannity tonight. Conservatives can be proud of his leadership.”
USED NEWS – WashPost, online yesterday, “Forget hopes and dreams: The GOP race is all about nightmares” http://wapo.st/1RgXB0G ... NYT, Sept. 13, “Gloomy Republican Campaigns Leave Behind Reagan Cheer” http://nyti.ms/1NpOV4l ... Politico’s Ben Schreckinger, 7/5, “Mourn on the 4th of July: As New Hampshire partied through Independence Day, GOP presidential hopefuls saw only the death of the American Dream.” http://politi.co/1F6teF3
SNEAK PEEK -- Bloomberg Businessweek’s new cover features Bernie Sanders with the line: “Bernie Sanders Doesn’t Want Your Vote.” From Joel Stein’s story, online this afternoon: When Sanders “was asked, before a speech in Keene, N.H., what he would say to reassure the Bloomberg Businessweek readers who work on Wall Street, or have millions of dollars, or run a hedge fund, and might be afraid he wants to tax them back to the Carter Age … ‘I’m not going to reassure them.’” See the cover. http://bit.ly/1Z4LO4u
STATE OF THE ART – “Sanders’ New Canvassing App On-boards Volunteers in Seconds,” by Wired’s Issie Lapowsky: “The Bernie Sanders campaign ... [has] a new canvassing app that makes volunteering in the field as easy as downloading the app, logging in, and getting started. The app, called Field the Bern, launched in the Apple app store Monday and was, fittingly, developed by a merry band of grassroots volunteers affiliated with the groups Feel the Bern and Coders for Sanders. Now, the Sanders team has absorbed the app as its own, enabling it to funnel the data collected on Field the Bern directly into the campaign’s main voter database.” http://bit.ly/1RajcYd
FAMILY BUSINESS -- --“Chelsea Clinton to Fundraise for Hillary in Los Angeles [Jan. 25 and 26],” by Hollywood Reporter’s Tina Daunt: “Chelsea’s events, which have a hip young edge, will take advantage of arts-oriented venues. Styled as ‘conversations’ ... one gathering will occur ... at the Venice office of Pritzker Prize-winning super architect Frank Gehry. The next day, there will be a similar conversation at the historic Venice Lantern House compound of author and computer code entrepreneur S. Scott Meyers.” http://bit.ly/1VHH8S5
--“Josh Romney ‘strongly considering’ run for [Utah] governor in 2020,” by Deseret News’ Lisa Riley Roche: “For now, Josh Romney said he’s focused on helping Gov. Gary Herbert win re-election in 2016 for what is expected to be a final term, and he noted that four years ‘is a long time in politics.’” http://bit.ly/1MSd3bj
TRANSITIONS -- “Perkins-Coie Political Law Group has ... announced two new Partners. Graham Wilson and Kate Keane. Wilson counsels clients on federal and state campaign finance law, voting rights, ethics regulations, lobbying laws, and pay to play issues. Meanwhile Keane’s work includes federal and state campaign finance law, congressional and executive branch ethics regulation, and lobbying registration and disclosure.”
-- “Former FinCen Chief Counsel Carlton Greene Bolsters Crowell & Moring’s AntiMoney Laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, and Sanctions Prowess”: http://politi.co/22KcImV
-- New firm Farragut Partners launches: “Long-time Capitol Hill veterans Jeff Mackinnon, Joe Vasapoli, and Jeff Mortier ... had been partners at Ryan, Mackinnon, Vasapoli, & Berkok, LLP ... Their practice includes a robust list of clients from the telecommunications, energy and healthcare industries ... [and] have a combined seven decades of experience working on policy matters in and with the Congress.” http://politi.co/1O4EGSH
--“Results for America [has released] the 2nd Edition of the Moneyball for Government book, featuring a new bipartisan chapter by Michael Gerson ... and Raj ... In the new chapter, titled ‘Foreign Assistance and the Revolution of Rigor,’ Gerson and Shah call for data and evidence to drive U.S. foreign aid. Available for free download through Amazon today. Amazon http://amzn.to/1S0p4Ub Book page http://bit.ly/1yAnawn
MARK PENN’s NEW ACQUISITION -- “Stagwell Media LLC acquires a majority stake in [creative digital agency] Code and Theory”: “The agency was founded in 2001 by Dan Gardner and Brandon Ralph and creates products, content and campaigns for ... companies across physical and digital worlds. Code and Theory is known for redefining media platforms for clients like Bloomberg, the Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, Vogue and Mashable.” http://politi.co/1UvFhhT
MEDIAWATCH -- NYT NAMES NEW OP-ED EDITOR -- Per Politico Media Pro: New York Times deputy national editor Jim Dao has been tapped to serve as the paper’s new Op-Ed editor, editorial page director Andy Rosenthal announced in a staff memo yesterday. Dao replaces Trish Hall, who in September moved from the editorial page director of the Op-Ed desk to serve as senior editor of the newsroom.
--“Financial Times to get new Brussels chief in reshuffle,” by Alex Spence: “Peter Spiegel, who has led the FT’s coverage of the European Union since 2010, is being lined up to become the news editor in London and is expected to move in spring or early summer. ... Alex Barker, the FT’s European diplomatic editor, who is already based in Brussels, is a strong contender to succeed Spiegel.” http://politi.co/1PMlKuc
--JOSH MEYER to NBC NEWS, as a senior investigative reporter – Richard Esposito emails the staff:“Josh is currently the director of education and outreach of the Medill Journalism School National Security Journalism Initiative. ... At the Los Angeles Times, Meyer was a staff writer for 20 years, the last nine as its terrorism/national security reporter.”
HOLLYWOODLAND -- “‘13 Hours’ Gives Benghazi Attack Cinematic Treatment,” by NYT’s Michael Cieply: “Hillary Clinton ... is never mentioned. President Obama is only a fleeting voice in ‘13 Hours.’” http://nyti.ms/1kKNKl8
VALLEY TALK -- “Twitter Considering 10,000-Character Limit for Tweets,” by Re/code’s Kurt Wagner: “Twitter is building a new feature that will allow users to tweet things longer than the traditional 140-character limit, and the company is targeting a launch date toward the end of Q1 ... [T]he final product ... [is referred to internally] as ‘Beyond 140.’ ... Twitter is currently testing a version of the product in which tweets appear the same way they do now, displaying just 140 characters, with some kind of call to action that there is more content you can’t see.” http://on.recode.net/1PJHJAl
“AIR SUPPLY” – WSJ A1, below fold, “CHANGE IN THE AIR PROMISES TV BONANZA: Small stations stand to win big as FCC reallocates airwaves to wireless,” by telecom reporter Thomas Gryta in Lima, Ohio: “[B]y next week, broadcasters have to decide if they want to join the auction that will let wireless carriers like AT&T Inc. and ... acquire those station rights for tens of billions of dollars. The process gives small TV stations a chance to cash out just as their business faces challenges from online video.” http://on.wsj.com/1TDRDo0
WELCOME TO THE WORLD – Cato’s Ilya Shapiro emails: “Kristin and I are exhilarated and exhausted to announce the birth of Jacob Thomas Shapiro. Jack (aka Jake aka Jakie-Jack aka JT) weighs in at 6 pounds even and measures 20 inches, which is pretty good for a baby born four weeks early. His arrival [at 7:20pm Monday] came as a huge surprise -- we hadn’t even packed our hospital bags when Kristin’s water broke as we were binge-watching Making of a Murderer Sunday night -- but labor still lasted 21 hours. (Our son clearly has a bright future in one of DC’s thriving ‘hurry up and wait’ careers.) Mom did great -- and didn’t even check her phone during labor, after emailing her Williams & Connolly colleagues from the car on the way to the Virginia Medical Center -- and both she and baby are doing great.” Pic http://bit.ly/1JWVd79
--“ABC News correspondent Mara Schiavocampo and her husband Tommie Porter welcomed their second child [Tuesday], a healthy baby boy named Cruz Achille Porter. Cruz was born at 5:33am and weighed 7 lbs, 11 oz.” With pic http://abcn.ws/1Z34zoO
– Incoming NBC reporter Josh Meyer and wife Michael Alison Chandler, a WashPost reporter covering education, had a daughter, Norah Ruth, on Dec. 21, weighing in at 7 pounds 4 ounces. Born on the Winter Solstice, her name means “Light” in Arabic and other cultures. Pic http://bit.ly/1S3kHHU
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): AP’s David Bauder ... former Rep. Tom Davis ... Val Mack ... Piper White Baker … Thomas Suddes, Cleveland Plain Dealer editorial board member
BIRTHDAYS: Kate McKinnon of “Saturday Night Live” is 32 (hat tip: Hillary) ... Tricia Russell, chief of staff to Congressman Israel (h/t Jesse Ferguson) ... Julie Chen is 46 ... Jimmy Vielkind, Politico’s Albany bureau chief, resident Cuomo-ologist, home brewer and fedora connoisseur ... pollster Louis Harris is 95 ... former FBI director Louis Freeh is 66 ... Joseph Whitehouse Hagin II, former deputy of staff to Bush 43, and 41 alumnus (h/ts the great Rick Ahearn, JSD, Blake, Jared, SRD) ... Yahoo’s Nancy Baker (h/t Katie) ... Hamilton Place Strategies’ Stuart Siciliano, the pride of San Marino, Calif. (h/t Deckard, Watkins, Matt McDonald) ... Politico’s Kelsey Hayes ... Kimball Stroud, the pride of Texarkana, Ark. (h/t Jon Haber) ... Michael Patrick O’Neil, the pride of Defiance, Ohio and former special assistant to the President and key political aide to President Obama, is 35 (h/t Tommy Vietor) ...
... Michael Corn, senior E.P. of “Good Morning America” ... NBC embed Shaq Brewster (h/t Olivia Petersen) ... Chris Gordon, one of D.C.’s premiere hockey writers, who also works in Sen. Lindsey Graham’s office, is 21, celebrating at Nellie’s on Saturday afternoon for Caps v. Rangers (h/t Craig Brownstein) ... David Polyansky, a Joni Ernst and Scott Walker alum ... The Daily Beast’s Olivia Nuzzi is 23 ... WSJ’s Kate O’Keeffe is 32 ... Jennifer Donelan ... Kiel Brunner ... Rubio campaign’s Natalie Boyse, a Romney alum ... AJWS alum Jodi Lynn Jacobson, now editor-in-chief and president of RH Reality Check ... Tricia King ... Dave “DG” Grimaldi III ... Mark Hyman, VP of corporate relations at Sinclair Broadcasting ... Mary L. Bartels of Vermillion, S.D., and mother of the Denver Post alum Lynn Bartels … Daniel Francis, global climate program coordinator at Environmental Defense Fund ...
... Linda Kildea (h/t Joey, Rob) … Lola Elfman, director of staff development at Change.org … AP alum Matt Ford, now founder and CEO of Vignette Interactive … Dalit Toledano ... Peter O’Keefe ... David Katz (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... Debra Cole ... Norman Prusslin ...World Golf Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez is 59 ... TV chef Nigella Lawson is 56 ... Gilbert Arenas is 34 ... Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys) is 30 (h/ts AP)
**A message from Ford Motor Company: We are driving innovation in every part of our business, using smart technology, data science and advanced materials to solve the world’s biggest transportation challenges and deliver safe, convenient solutions.
SYNC, Ford’s in-vehicle communications system, enables consumers to voice-control smartphone apps from the driver’s seat – making it easy to create personalized experiences while drivers can keep their eyes on the road, hands on the wheel. We are also giving customers more choice in how they connect by offering iPhone users the ability to select Apple CarPlay and Android users the choice to use Android Auto.
At this week’s CES, we are sharing more of what is ahead in 2016. Follow us @ford or visit http://ford.to/FordCES2016 **
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