Good Wednesday morning! Sending Playbook for the first time from in-flight wi-fi, aboard an American Airlines 737 as we red-eye into Dulles from LAX:
TOP TALKER – “Pentagon, CIA, White House opened up to Hollywood on bin Laden raid,” by Josh Gerstein: “[T]op officials … granted Hollywood filmmakers unusual access to those involved in planning the raid and some of the methods they used to do it, newly released government records show. at a briefing in July 2011, Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Mike Vickers told filmmakers Michael Boal and Katherine Bigelow that the leaders of the the Special Operations Command couldn't speak to them for appearances' sake. However, Vickers said that the Pentagon would make available a Navy SEAL who was involved in planning the raid from its earliest stages. … [A] transcript of the meeting [was] released Friday to Judicial Watch. The conservative watchdog group filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit demanding the documents … Bigelow [is] best known for ‘The Hurt Locker’ …
“The Pentagon is now withholding … the same name DoD gave the filmmakers. … A Pentagon spokesman stressed Tuesday night that the name given to the filmmakers was not that of someone directly involved in carrying out the bin Laden raid. ‘The identity of a planner, not a member of SEAL Team 6, was provided by USSOCOM as a possible point of contact for additional information if the DoD determined that additional support was merited,’ Lt. Col. James Gregory said. ‘no additional official DoD support was granted, nor to our knowledge was it pursued by the film makers.’” http://politi.co/MGg30O
–PLAYBOOK FACTS OF LIFE: What would the reaction have been if the Bush administration had done the same?
BREAKING: "Dan Restrepo, Senior Director for the Western Hemisphere at the National Security Council, will leave the White House next month. Restrepo has been President Obama’s point man on policy in the Americas since early 2007, and made history in April 2009 as the first person to speak Spanish from the White House podium. He plans to reacquaint himself with his family before heading to the private sector. 'no one has done more in support of the President's agenda to build trust and deepen our relations with the Western Hemisphere than Dan,' said Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough. 'While we'll miss his quick wit, boundless energy, and intellect, I'm glad he'll have more time to spend with his wife Kate and their beautiful daughters in the days ahead.'"
–Ricardo Zuniga, currently at the U.S. Embassy in Brazil, is slated to replace Restrepo.
MOOD MUSIC – USA Today lead story, “Auto plants roar into overdrive: Demand drives overtime, hiring,” by Chris Woodyard: “Automakers are pushing factories … to the limit to try to meet burgeoning demand for new vehicles. Some plants are adding third work shifts. Others are piling on worker overtime and six-day weeks. … Ford … and Chrysler … are … reducing the annual two-week July shutdown at several plants this summer to add thousands of vehicles to their output. … The automakers’ problem now is … hot demand. Sales for 2012 are estimated at 14.3 million vehicles, … up from 12.8 million last year.” http://usat.ly/Kny7KS
CHASER – “‘Fiscal cliff" could cause U.S. recession — CBO,” by Reuters’ Lucia Mutikani and Kim Dixon: “A stalemate over how to tackle a series of fiscal deadlines at year's end would likely push the United States economy into recession in the first half of next year, the Congressional Budget Office warned on Tuesday. A wave of U.S. tax hikes and automatic spending cuts … are set to take effect in January … CBO … said the U.S. economy would contract at an annual rate of 1.3 percent for the first half of 2013 if lawmakers take no action to prevent the looming tax hikes and spending cuts. … CBO said growth would snap back in the second half of the year to 2.3 percent … The United States has run budget deficits topping $1 trillion for three straight years, and it is on course to do so for a fourth.”
THE NARRATIVE – “GOP discovers that Mitt could win,” by Jonathan Martin: “Margin-of-error polling, fundraising parity last month, conservative consolidation around Romney and a still-sluggish economy has senior GOP officials increasingly bullish about a nominee many winced over during a difficult primary process. Interviews with about two dozen Republican elected officials, aides, strategists and lobbyists reveal a newfound optimism that with a competent, on-message campaign, Romney will be at least competitive with a weakened incumbent. That’s a dramatic shift from the fatalistic view many party stalwarts shared mere weeks ago. ‘Romney is a lot better off than I expected him to be this quickly,’ said former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour … [T]he newborn optimism over Romney owes to more than just contempt for the alternative. Republican officials have been genuinely impressed with the former Massachusetts governor and his campaign of late.” http://bit.ly/Lq4zZK
THE BIG PICTURE – “Obama Prospects Improve as Swing State Economies Improve,” by Bloomberg’s Mike Dorning: “from extra shifts at auto and steel plants in Ohio to office buildings rising in Northern Virginia, the geography of the U.S. economic rebound is providing an edge to President Obama’s re-election. The unemployment rates in a majority of the 2012 battleground states are lower than the national average as those economies improve. Coupled with the growth of adult minority populations in those states, the trends create a higher bar for … five of the [nine] Bush-turned-Obama states had lower unemployment rates in April than the 8.1 percent national average, and in three of the states joblessness had dropped below 7 percent. …
“in Ohio, the state’s economy followed the roller coaster of the auto industry to a deeper recession than elsewhere and a stronger recovery. Unemployment in the state dropped to 7.4 percent in April, also aided by a rebound in steel, growth in other manufacturing industries and a surge in oil and natural gas development through the use of ‘fracking’ technology. … The portion of eligible voters in Ohio who are African- American also is slightly higher than the last presidential election, up 1 percentage point in 2011 from three years earlier, according to an analysis of census data by William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution …
“Virginia, a state that went Democratic for the first time since 1964 in backing Obama, has been sustained throughout the recession by federal government contracts, particularly military procurement. Unemployment never rose above 7.3 percent and had dropped to 5.6 percent in April. … The percentage of racial minorities, who voted heavily for Obama in 2008, in Virginia had risen by 3 percentage points in 2011. …
“[J]oblessness has been declining more rapidly in Florida than elsewhere, with the 8.7 percent April unemployment rate down from a peak of 11.4 percent in February 2010. The state’s tourism industry has benefited from pent-up demand for more vacation travel as the economy has recovered. … Population shifts in Florida since 2008 benefit Obama, with blacks and Hispanics each accounting for an additional 1 percent of the state’s eligible voters by 2011, according to Frey’s analysis.” http://bloom.bg/LmMRtq
BREAKING – TWO NEW OBAMA ADS OUT TODAY, part of the previously announced $25 million, four-week flight in nine states (CO, FL, NC, IA, NH, NV, OH, PA, VA). The campaign’s descriptions:
–“‘Personal’ highlights the President’s commitment to preserving Medicare … as a president who was raised by his grandparents, he understands the importance of Medicare.” Watch the ad. http://bit.ly/JTnnod
–“‘Sacred Trust’ highlights the President’s strong commitment to honoring our veterans. Watch the ad. http://bit.ly/Lf59tU
–Both feature the campaign’s “Forward” slogan.
STEVEN RATTNER op-ed in his alma mater, the N.Y. Times, “Tall Tales about Private Equity”: “as a former Obama administration official, I was uncomfortable about being used in a Romney ad in support of his position. However, I was also concerned that the Obama ads … might be seen to portray … private equity … in an ugly light because a few of the companies the firm invested in went bankrupt while Bain Capital still made money. on Monday, mr. Obama struck the right balance, emphasizing that he wasn’t attacking private equity but was questioning Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital credentials to be the job creator in chief. That’s fair, particularly because mr. Romney himself has been foolishly reweaving history to claim, as recently as last week, that he helped create 100,000 jobs during his time at Bain.” http://nyti.ms/KxsYvL
TOP STORY — “Facebook Stock Collapse Contributes To Mistrust Of Wall Street,” by HuffPost’s Mark Gongloff: “[T]he Facebook IPO had examples of pretty much everything that is wrong with the stock market today. Media and analyst cheerleading? Check. The destructive influence of high-speed trading? Check. A system built for insiders to profit while retail investors pick up scraps? Duh. ‘this constantly erodes the confidence of the average investor,’ said Joseph Saluzzi, co-head of stock trading at Themis Trading. ‘It's why we see money coming out week after week from stock mutual funds. People are tired, frustrated.” http://huff.to/Kcj9Gn
–Drudge banner: “ZUCKED!” – links to “Regulators to Review Morgan Stanley Facebook Allegations,” by Reuters: “The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's chairman said on Tuesday that regulators plan to review allegations that Morgan Stanley shared negative news before Facebook's initial public offering with institutional investors. … Massachusetts Secretary of Commonwealth William Galvin has issued a subpoena to Morgan Stanley over the discussions with investors on Facebook.”
–HuffPost banner: “REGULATORS CIRCLING”
–WSJ A1, ““Inside Fumbled Facebook Offering,” by Shayndi Raice, Anupreeta Das and Gina Chon: “Less than three days before Facebook inc.'s initial public offering, Chief Financial Officer David Ebersman decided to boost the number of shares the company would offer investors by 25%, said people familiar with the planning. His main adviser at lead underwriter Morgan Stanley assured him there was plenty of demand, they said. … that decision by the 41-year-old Facebook executive may have doomed any real chance the social-networking company had that its stock would jump on its first day of trading—a hallmark of successful IPOs.”
2012 WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT released by White House Historical Association: “The 2012 White House Christmas Ornament honors President William Howard Taft, who introduced the automobile to White House transportation in 1909, breaking a long presidential tradition of reliance on horse-drawn vehicles. … The ornament depicts President and mrs. Taft en route to deliver Christmas presents. They are seated behind chauffeur George H. Robinson in the White Motor Company's Model M, a seven passenger steam-powered touring car embellished with the Great Seal of the United States on the doors.” News release http://bit.ly/KxpKbE… Ordering info http://bit.ly/MlP8oh
**A message from Univision: Latinos represent 1 in 7 voters in key swing states. The question isn’t whether they’ll have a voice. The question is whether they’ll hear yours. Visit www.Univision.net/hispanic-vote to learn how to reach the millions of Latinos who watch our network to see every gooooaalllll!!!!!! **
BIRTHDAYS: CNN producer Danielle Dellorto (h/t Patrick Gavin) … Rob Keast, Third Way v.p. of outreach … Yahoo! Sports’ Cameron Smith, a WashPost alumnus .. AP’s Brian Bakst … Drew Carey is 54 (h/t AP)
BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Mary Bruce, ABC News White House producer – ask her about her new iPad. (hat tip: Jennifer Morris) … Tom McMahon (hat tip: Dick Keil) … Ted Dick, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party (h/t Max Cross, Brett Broesder) …
BIRTHMONTH (June 1): Google’s Samantha “Sam” Smith
HEY, MARTHA! “Boy Scouts get tech-savvy to boost membership,” by AP’s Jamie Stengle in Dallas: “The Boy Scouts of America is trying to recruit a new generation of kids to join its troops with high-energy, high-tech activities that include thrill-inducing zip lines at a new adventure camp, apps and a television show. … The Boy Scouts' membership peaked in 1972 at almost 5 million. last year, they had about 2.7 million youth members, down slightly from about 2.8 million in 2007.” http://bo.st/MGfQKW
THE JUICE – WEST WING RAISES ROLE IN DRONE TARGETING — AP Intelligence Writer Kimberly Dozer: “White House counterterror chief John Brennan has seized the lead in guiding the debate on which terror leaders will be targeted for drone attacks or raids, establishing a new procedure to vet both military and CIA targets. The move concentrates power over the use of lethal U.S. force outside war zones at the White House. The process, which is about a month old, means Brennan's staff consults the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies as to who should go on the list, making a previous military-run review process in place since 2009 less relevant, according to two current and three former U.S. officials aware of the evolution in how the government targets terrorists. …
“One senior administration official argues that Brennan's move adds another layer of review that augments rather than detracts from the Pentagon's role. The official says that in fact there will be more people at the table making the decisions, including representatives from every agency involved in counterterrorism.”
THE PRESIDENT’S DAY: “in the morning, the President will travel to Colorado Springs [to] deliver the commencement address at the United States Air Force Academy. [Then] in Denver, the President will deliver remarks at a campaign event at the Hyatt Regency Denver. … Later in the afternoon, the President will depart Denver, Colorado en route Mountain View, California. … in the evening, the President will deliver remarks at a campaign event at a private residence in Atherton, California. … Later in the evening, the President will deliver remarks at a campaign event at Fox Theatre in Redwood City, California. … The President will spend the night in San Jose.”
–THE V.P.’S DAY: “at 6:45 PM, the Vice President will host a reception for leaders of labor organizations at the Naval Observatory.”
PRESIDENT MEDAL OF FREEDOM to be awarded May 29 to:
–Madeleine Albright: “from 1997 to 2001, under President William J. Clinton, Albright served as the 64th United States Secretary of State, the first woman to hold that position”
–John Doar: “Doar was a legendary public servant and leader of federal efforts to protect and enforce civil rights during the 1960s. He served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.”
–Bob Dylan: “One of the most influential American musicians of the 20th century, Dylan released his first album in 1962. known for his rich and poetic lyrics, his work had considerable influence on the civil rights movement of the 1960s and has had significant impact on American culture over the past five decades. … He has written more than 600 songs, and his songs have been recorded more than 3,000 times by other artists. He continues recording and touring around the world today.”
–William Foege: “A physician and epidemiologist, Foege helped lead the successful campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970s. He was appointed Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 1977.”
–John Glenn: “Glenn is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States Senator. in 1962, he was the third American in space and the first American to orbit the Earth. after retiring from the Marine Corps, Glenn was elected to the U.S. Senate in Ohio in 1974.”
–Gordon Hirabayashi: “Hirabayashi openly defied the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. as an undergraduate at the University of Washington, he refused the order to report for evacuation to an internment camp, instead turning himself in to the FBI to assert his belief that these practices were racially discriminatory. Consequently, he was convicted by a U.S. Federal District Court in Seattle of defying the exclusion order and violating curfew. … in 1987, his conviction was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Hirabayashi died on January 2.”
–Dolores Huerta: “Huerta is a civil rights, workers, and women’s advocate. with Cesar Chavez, she co-founded the National Farmworkers Association in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers of America.”
–Jan Karski: “Karski served as an officer in the Polish Underground during World War II and carried among the first eye-witness accounts of the Holocaust to the world.”
–Juliette Gordon Low: “Born in 1860, low founded the Girl Scouts in 1912. … this year, the Girl Scouts celebrate their 100th Anniversary, calling 2012 ‘The Year of the Girl.’”
–Toni Morrison: “One of our nation’s most celebrated novelists, Morrison is renowned for works such as Song of Solomon, Jazz, and Beloved, for which she won a Pulitzer Prize in 1988. … [S]he became the first African American woman to win a Nobel Prize in 1993 … Morrison continues to write today.”
–Shimon Peres: “An ardent advocate for Israel's security and for peace, Shimon Peres was elected the ninth President of Israel in 2007. … Through his life and work, he has strengthened the unbreakable bonds between Israel and the United States. … mr. Peres will not attend the ceremony, as he will receive his Medal at a separate event.”
–John Paul Stevens: “Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1975 to 2010, when he retired as the third longest-serving Justice in the Court’s history. known for his independent, pragmatic and rigorous approach to judging, Justice Stevens and his work have left a lasting imprint on the law in areas such as civil rights, the first Amendment, the death penalty, administrative law, and the separation of powers.”
–Pat Summitt: “in addition to accomplishing an outstanding career as the all-time winningest leader among all NCAA basketball coaches, Summitt has taken the University of Tennessee to more Final four appearances than any other coach and has the second best record of NCAA Championships in basketball.”’
BUSINESS BURST: “The National Retail Federation [launched] a nationwide 60-day campaign on sales tax fairness to educate lawmakers and the public about how the unlevel playing field between online retailers and Main Street is hurting local communities and job creation. Campaign efforts include targeted print and online advertising inside the Beltway and in Congressional states and districts, a series of videos featuring small retailers talking about the competitive disadvantage they face to online sellers, an online petition, a series of CEO-level Retail Means Jobs grassroots events, and an aggressive media relations campaign. The campaign will focus on retail’s small businesses and their struggle to compete against online and remote vendors who enjoy, on average, a 10 percent sales tax advantage.” http://bit.ly/JPZT52
DESSERT – SPOILER ALERT — “DANCING WITH THE STARS”– AP: “He already has a Super Bowl ring, and now football star Donald Driver can add the ‘Dancing with the Stars’ mirrorball trophy to his awards collection. The Green Bay Packers receiver won the ABC dance show Tuesday after wowing audiences and judges with his kickin' country-themed freestyle routine. He and partner Peta Murgatroyd hoisted the glittery prize above their heads after being named the new ‘Dancing’ champs. Streamers and confetti rained down from the ceiling, filling the ballroom as they celebrated. Driver's wife and children joined him on the dance floor.
“with just one point separating the three finalists, it was up to the viewers to pick the winner. He and his fellow finalists, Welsh singer Katherine Jenkins and Cuban actor William Levy, each earned perfect scores for their last performances Tuesday. Jenkins came into the final contest with a perfect 60 points; Driver and Levy each had 59. Judges' scores combined with viewer votes determined the result. … The next round of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ will feature contestants from past seasons.”
**A message from Univision: Latinos represent 1 in 7 voters in key swing states. The question isn’t whether they’ll have a voice. The question is whether they’ll hear yours. Visit www.Univision.net/hispanic-vote to learn how to reach the millions of Latinos who watch our network to see every gooooaalllll!!!!!! **
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