IN THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON PLANET EARTH, the vice president is suggesting that doctors “recycle gowns” because hospitals don’t have enough.
IN THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON PLANET EARTH, states are sending ventilators to other states when this disease seems to recede because the medical devices are scarce.
IN THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON PLANET EARTH, a fund meant to rescue small business is running out of money — by next week, according to some estimates — and Congress can’t figure out a way to fix it.
IN THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON PLANET EARTH, the president said “we have the best” system for testing people for the coronavirus, even though other nations have tested a far higher percentage of their population.
IN THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON PLANET EARTH, policymakers can’t figure out whether voters should be able to vote by mail in the middle of the greatest public health crisis of our lifetime. Instead, in many places, they will be forced to public polling locations.
IN THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON PLANET EARTH, a debate is raging among political leaders about opening the economy, even though medical professionals say the disease is not yet controlled. One prominent voice pushing for a return to normalcy, according to The Washington Post, is the vice president’s chief of staff, who is not a medical professional.
WAPO: “Trump administration pushing to reopen much of the U.S. next month,” by Matt Zapotosky, Josh Dawsey, Jose A. Del Real and William Wan
— REMINDER: AS THE POST NOTES, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION has not closed anything, so it can suggest that places should open, but it has no ability to open anything. It’s governors and mayors who will do that.
NEW PELOSI INTERVIEW … HEATHER CAYGLE and JOHN BRESNAHAN: “Pelosi warns Trump not to reopen country too soon”: “Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled Thursday that the House is unlikely to return to session later this month, her clearest indication yet that Congress — like the rest of the country — could remain shuttered for weeks or even longer as the coronavirus crisis continues.
“In a half-hour interview, Pelosi issued a stark warning to President Donald Trump, urging him not to prematurely rush to reopen major segments of the country before the coronavirus is under control, which she said could further send the U.S. economy into a tailspin.
“‘Nobody can really tell you that and I would never venture a guess. I certainly don’t think we should do it sooner than we should,’ Pelosi said when asked if she still planned to bring the House back on April 20, which is the current target date. ‘This has taken an acceleration from when we started this…Little did we know then that at this point, we’d be further confined.’” POLITICO
MEANWHILE … RNC PRAISING TRUMP’S CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE, via ALEX ISENSTADT: “The Republican National Committee is launching a seven-figure advertising campaign lavishing praise on President Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus outbreak, as the president confronts a sustained assault from liberal groups over his response to the crisis.
“The $1 million-plus digital blitz, which will run across more than a dozen battleground states, is unusual: The committee rarely spends so heavily on advertising so early in an election year. But over the last several weeks, an array of liberal groups has spent millions of dollars on commercials battering Trump. On Thursday, Pacronym, a liberal super PAC, began running a web video hammering the president for initially downplaying the virus.”
SOME REPUBLICANS TO TRUMP: SHUT UP! … NYT’S JONATHAN MARTIN and MAGGIE HABERMAN: “Trump Keeps Talking. Some Republicans Don’t Like What They’re Hearing”: “As unemployment soars and the death toll skyrockets, and new polls show support for the president’s handling of the crisis sagging, White House allies and Republican lawmakers increasingly believe the briefings are hurting the president more than helping him. Many view the sessions as a kind of original sin from which all of his missteps flow, once he gets through his prepared script and turns to his preferred style of extemporaneous bluster and invective.”
WSJ ED BOARD HAVING FUN WITH THIS: “All the President’s Ratings: The Commander in Chief responds to our editorial”: “Thanks for reading, sir, and we agree the briefings are an excellent way to communicate directly with Americans. Our point was about the way Mr. Trump is communicating about a subject that is literally a life and death matter. That’s the reason they’re a ratings hit, not because people enjoy Donald Trump sparring with the White House press corps like a Packers-Bears game.
“We’ll bet the ratings for the briefings would be even higher if they were shorter and more focused. We suggested 45 minutes, but at least one reader who wishes Mr. Trump well thinks they should be 30, delivering an update on key developments, taking a question or two — and that’s it.
“The ratings that will matter for Mr. Trump this year are where he stands in public approval come November. And those ratings will depend on Mr. Trump’s results in conquering Covid-19 and restarting the economy.”
Good Friday morning. MARKETS are closed today for Good Friday. THE S&P has had its best week since 1974.
TIM ALBERTA goes long on GRETCHEN WHITMER: “‘The Woman in Michigan’ Goes National”: “To the untrained eye, Gretchen Esther Whitmer might seem like a pushover. With the suburban-mom hairstyle, the high-pitched giggle, the nasally accent straight out of ‘Fargo’ central casting, she looks like the type of person—OK, the type of woman—that Donald Trump would chew up and spit out.
“But looks can be deceiving, especially when they are strategically deployed to deceive. Reared in the cradle of Michigan’s back-slapping establishment, Whitmer is the quintessential insider, one-part policy aficionado and one-part student of the game. She’s an old-style pol, known as much for impassioned partisan crusades as for her conciliatory three-beer summits. In Lansing, you cannot find anyone, Republican or Democrat, on the record or off, who does not admire the skills of the state’s 49th governor. Moreover, just about everyone likes her. She is genuine, secure, quick to give a hug or share a dirty joke. She is a mom, a sports nut, a lawyer, a politician with a perfect record of winning races and a long history of flustering opponents. …
“Rarely in the modern sweep of presidential campaigning has there been a more public tryout for the job of vice president. Contrived and overtly political though it might have seemed, the exercise was necessary. Biden has personal relationships with Amy Klobuchar and Kamala Harris, two of the other top contenders for the job. Despite calling her ‘a good friend,’ the truth is that Biden barely knows Whitmer. America barely knows Whitmer. Heck, Michigan is just beginning to know Whitmer.”
— DETROIT FREE PRESS: “Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday extended the state’s ‘stay home’ order until May 1.
“The order, originally handed down March 23, was initially in effect only through April 13. Whitmer announced Thursday she is extending it through April 30, meaning it will expire on May 1. The extended order is also expanded, imposing more stringent limitations on stores to reduce foot traffic, slow the spread of the coronavirus and save lives, Whitmer said.
“The new order bans travel ‘between two residences’ after Friday, meaning Michiganders will no longer be legally permitted to get in the car or even cross the street to visit friends and neighbors, unless it is covered by a few exceptions, including caring for a person or animal in need.”
CHECK YOUR BANK ACCOUNTS! … “Treasury expected to get started on stimulus payments Friday,” by Aaron Lorenzo … LAT: “Unemployed Californians to get an extra $600 in weekly benefits starting Sunday amid coronavirus crisis”
BARR BACK OUT DEFENDING TRUMP on FOX NEWS with LAURA INGRAHAM: “During his interview with Ingraham, Barr said he felt [former ICIG Michael] Atkinson had gone beyond his authority in notifying Congress of the then-reported contacts between Trump and [Volodymyr] Zelensky. ‘He was obliged to follow the interpretation of the Department of Justice and he ignored it,’ Barr said. ‘I think a president was correct in firing him.’” POLITICO
ANOTHER GOP-LED STATE BACKS MAIL-IN VOTING — “New Hampshire governor to allow absentee voting in November because of coronavirus outbreak,” by WaPo’s Colby Itkowitz and Amy Gardner: “New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) announced Thursday that the state will allow voters to cast mail-in ballots in the November general election if the coronavirus is still a factor this fall.
“The decision is a significant departure from Sununu’s past stance against widespread absentee voting and stands in contrast to the rhetoric coming from some Republicans, including President Trump. ‘Basically if you feel more comfortable voting absentee because of the outbreak or your inability or nervousness about just appearing in person to vote, you can vote absentee and obtain an absentee ballot,’ Sununu said at a news conference.” WaPo
— NYT’S REID EPSTEIN and STEPHANIE SAUL: “Does Vote-by-Mail Favor Democrats? No. It’s a False Argument by Trump”: “As with false claims by Republicans about vote-by-mail fraud, there is no evidence to back up the argument from the right that all-mail elections favor Democrats. But Mr. Trump and some of his allies are warning that vote-by-mail poses an existential threat to their party, in hopes of galvanizing Republican opposition to a voting method that is widely seen as safer than in-person voting in the era of the coronavirus.
“Five states — Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah and Washington — now have all-mail elections, in which ballots are sent to every registered voter without their having to request one. Others, like Arizona and California, allow voters to add themselves to a permanent list of mail voters.
“And there are also cases like Nebraska, which allows counties of less than 10,000 people to mail ballots to all voters (many of them Republicans) but forbids it in large urban areas (where many voters are Democrats). Texas allows no-excuse absentee voting for people 65 or older, another group that skews Republican. None of these states have seen an appreciable shift favoring Democrats that officials and experts attribute to mail voting.”
IN TIME FOR PASSOVER: AP/KAMPALA, UGANDA: “New, larger wave of locusts threatens millions in Africa”
TRUMP’S FRIDAY — The president will participate in an Easter blessing with Bishop Harry Jackson in the Oval Office at noon.
— THE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE will hold a briefing at 1 p.m.
SUNDAY SO FAR …
FOX
“Fox News Sunday”: Mark Cuban … D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. Panel: Ari Fleischer, Gillian Turner and Juan Williams.
CBS
“Face the Nation”: Scott Gottlieb … Cardinal Timothy Dolan … Neel Kashkari.
CNN
“Inside Politics”: Megan Ranney, Asish Jha, Alexis Glick and Tamara Keith.
NBC
“Meet the Press”: Panel: Yamiche Alcindor, Lanhee Chen, Jon Meacham and Kristen Welker.
Gray TV
“Full Court Press with Greta Van Susteren”: Gary Cohn.
Sinclair TV
“America This Week with Eric Bolling”: Anthony Fauci … Barbara Corcoran … Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) … Jenn Pellegrino … Dave Campbell … Dena Grayson. Panel: Sebastian Gorka and Ameshia Cross.
THE WFH READ: In honor of what should be Master’s week, the late JOHN R. WILKIE of the WSJ on Augusta National on Sept. 18, 1998: “Billionaire Duffer Would Love To Belong to Storied Golf Club”
RYAN LIZZA: “Barack Obama wins the Democratic primary”: “In the end, the most influential politician of 2020 may be the one who has been the most silent. With Bernie Sanders exiting the race and Joe Biden taking on the mantle of presumptive nominee, the man who hovered quietly over the race for more than a year, Barack Obama, will soon return to the political fray.
“Obama wanted Sanders to have the day to himself and so he refrained from speaking (or tweeting) publicly on Wednesday. But Obama had always said his role in the primaries would be to unite the party when it’s over, and he’s been in close contact with both campaigns as the pandemic both froze the race without a clear victor and also made it more obvious that Biden would eventually prevail.
“‘Over the last few weeks, he’s had multiple conversations with candidates, including Sen. Sanders, about how to best position the Democratic Party to win in November,’ said a source familiar with those calls. ‘While the content of those conversations remain private, there was always agreement that winning in the fall was paramount.’ ‘A very good day!’ one Obama adviser wrote when I asked about Sanders dropping out.” POLITICO
NYT’S ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON in Sugarcreek, Ohio: “In Ohio, the Amish Take On the Coronavirus”
THE ATLANTIC’S RON BROWNSTEIN: “The Two States Where Trump’s COVID-19 Response Could Backfire in 2020”: “A handful of swing states will almost certainly decide the winner of November’s presidential election. And in two of them, Michigan and Florida, Donald Trump’s complicated relationship with their governors could expose him to greater political risk as the economic and social price of the coronavirus pandemic mounts.
“Trump faces mirror-image threats. Michigan voters could interpret Trump’s animosity toward Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer as punishing the state. By contrast, in Florida, Trump’s liability could be his close relationship with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, which is seen by many as one reason DeSantis was slow to impose a statewide stay-at-home order.
“In each place, voters may be even more likely than those in other states to blame or credit the president for how the outbreak unfolds there. And in both cases, Trump’s posture toward the states is now inextricably interwoven with the larger story of their struggle to contain the disease.” The Atlantic
MEDIAWATCH — “McClatchy furloughs about 115 employees to deal with the impact of coronavirus,” by CNN’s Kerry Flynn: “The company, whose newspapers include the Pulitzer Prize-winning Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee, employs about 2,700 people, so the plan translates to more than 115 temporary job losses.
“The reductions will mostly affect McClatchy’s advertising department, while the editorial department will be spared, McClatchy Vice President of News Kristin Roberts told CNN Business in an interview on Thursday.”
— “FDA warns Alex Jones over false coronavirus claims,” by Sarah Owermohle: “The Food and Drug Administration warned right-wing media personality Alex Jones to stop making false coronavirus claims about products touted and sold by his websites or face legal action and a possible order to pay back consumers.
“The agency late [on Thursday] pointed to a range of misleading videos posted to Jones’ website, InfoWars, that promote unproven silver products including toothpaste as possible coronavirus treatments.” POLITICO
Send tips to Eli Okun and Garrett Ross at [email protected].
BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Josh Shultz, president of NJI Media and co-founder of FamousDC. A trend he thinks deserves more attention: “My wife, Robin, is the director of geriatrics for the Inova Health System, and it’s heartwarming to see the recognition the medical community is receiving right now. These professionals are on the front lines each and every day of their careers doing incredible work. It’s been humbling to watch from the sidelines as they work tirelessly to combat this terrible virus. I can only hope the respect the world is giving them right now continues for generations to come.” Playbook Q&A
BIRTHDAYS: Ann Marie Hauser, VP of public affairs at the Hudson Institute … Antoine Sanfuentes, CNN VP and managing editor for the W.H. and Capitol Hill … Hanna Rosin, co-host of NPR’s “Invisibilia,” is 5-0 … Ann Klenk … Samantha Dravis, SVP at Clout Public Affairs (h/t Catherine Frazier) … Carter Yang … POLITICO’s Adam Behsudi, Alice Miranda Ollstein and Emma Savić … Lisa Belkin … BGR Group’s Mark Tavlarides … Amy Dudley, chief spokesperson for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (h/ts Ben Chang) … Melinda Henneberger of the Kansas City Star … Max Clermont … Elizabeth Alexander is 41 (h/t husband David Wade) … Shelley Greenspan of the State Department … Cary Sherman is 72 … Jessica Mackler is 41 … Gary Grumbach … Bradley Saull … Mike Purdy, creator of PresidentialHistory.com and author of “101 Presidential Insults” (h/t Michael Artime) …
… Stig Abell, editor of the Times Literary Supplement, is 4-0 … Geoffrey Goodman … Dale Thorenson of Gordley Associates (h/t Randy Tyree) … Marshall Sitten (h/t Jon Haber) … Haley Bowcutt … Mariama Tejan … Emily Stier … Nick Barbknecht, associate director at the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs … Joe Gierut … Majority Strategies’ Aaron Whitehead … Daniel Wolman … David Endicott … Bridget Mulcahy, booking producer for MSNBC’s “Hardball” … Mitchell Murray … Jon Sallet, senior fellow at the Benton Foundation … Ray Zaccaro … Chris Lydon of J.A. Green & Co. (h/t Nihal Krishan) … Jen Judson … Katie Cline Malloy … Kim Hicks … Gabriel Arana is 37 … Yishai Schwartz … Jeffrey Frank … Howard Gantman … Tom Kohn … Lauren Appelbaum … Joseph Heaps is 56 … Josue Pinto … Marisa McNee … Triada Stampas … Matt McCarthy … Amy Bodette (h/t Teresa Vilmain)
- Anna Palmer @apalmerdc
- Jake Sherman @JakeSherman
View all our political and policy newsletters
What’s next? A plague of frogs?
0 Comments: