POLITICO Playbook PM: Pelosi: ‘I’m not trying to run out the clock’ on impeachment Presented by Amazon

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks to reporters at the Capitol on Friday, July 26. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo

Speaker NANCY PELOSI’S pre-August-recess presser …

-- THE HEADLINE: “I’m not trying to run out the clock” on impeachment … “Let’s get sophisticated about this, OK? … We will proceed when we have what we need to proceed, not one day sooner. And everybody has the liberty and the luxury to espouse their own position and to criticize me for trying to go down the path in the most determined and positive way. Again, their advocacy for impeachment only gives me leverage. I have no complaint with what they are doing.”

-- ON HER MEETING WITH REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ, CBS’ Nancy Cordes asked if Pelosi was able to “bury the hatchet” in her meeting with the first-term lawmaker. PELOSI: “I don’t think there ever was any hatchet.” 2:43 video clip … More on the meeting, via Heather Caygle

JUDICIARY CHAIRMAN JERRY NADLER (D-N.Y.) JUST NOW: “So where do we go from here? We will continue to seek testimony from key fact witnesses.”

ECONOMIC MISS! … WSJ: “The U.S. economy slowed but still grew at a solid clip in the second quarter as strong consumer spending offset a drop in business investment, keeping the decadelong expansion on track amid trade tensions and cooling global activity.

“Gross domestic product, a broad measure of goods and services produced across the economy, rose at a 2.1% annual rate in the second quarter, adjusted for seasonality and inflation, the Commerce Department said Friday.

“That marked a pullback from a 3.1% pace in the first quarter, when growth was partly driven by a jump in inventories and exports and a fall in imports—factors that reversed in the April-June period.” WSJ

-- THE PRESIDENT WON’T LIKE THIS -- “U.S. economy grew more slowly in 2018 than previously thought,” by AP’s Christopher Rugaber: “The government says the U.S. economy grew more slowly in 2018 than it previously estimated, downgrading its estimate from 3% to 2.5%. … The Commerce Department lowered its estimate of growth from the fourth quarter of 2017 to the fourth quarter of 2018 mainly because businesses spent less on buildings, equipment and software than it had earlier thought. …

“Overall, the changes don’t significantly alter the broader trajectory of the economy. … Still, the revisions mean that growth failed to cross the symbolic 3% threshold last year, which it hasn’t done since 2005.” AP

-- Victoria Guida (@vtg2): “Seems pretty notable that the president can no longer claim even one year of 3+% growth, with last year’s GDP numbers revised down to 2.5%. After all the tax cuts and deregulation, growth is still plugging along about where it was under Obama.”

INSIDE THE ROOM … BEN WHITE: “White House trade adviser Peter Navarro presented President Donald Trump on Tuesday with ideas on how to devalue the United States dollar to gain an upper hand in the trade fight with China, two people familiar with the presentation said.

“But the president… quickly shut him down and dismissed the proposals … One person in the room said Navarro had barely begun his presentation before getting ‘slaughtered’ by Trump.” POLITICO

Happy Friday afternoon. ON “FOX NEWS SUNDAY”: acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney.

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HEADS UP -- “Taliban Says Deal on U.S. Troop Pullout From Afghanistan Is Near,” by Bloomberg’s Henry Meyer and Eltaf Najafizada: “‘We are getting close,’ Mohammad Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban’s Doha-based political office, said by phone on Thursday. If the U.S. makes ‘a reasonable and convincing proposal, the peace agreement will be concluded soon.’” Bloomberg

A GOOD DAY FOR JOURNALISTIC TAKEDOWNS OF THE SWAMP …

-- BIG INVESTIGATION: MAGGIE SEVERNS and PROPUBLICA’S DEREK WILLIS: “‘This makes me a little queasy … which is good’: How operatives used conspiracy theories to recruit CPAC donors, then created their own PAC to reap millions for themselves”: “After recruiting thousands of donors for the American Conservative Union — the powerful organization behind the annual CPAC conference — a Republican political operative pushed the same contributors to give millions to a PAC that promised to go after then-President Barack Obama, but then steered much of their donations to himself and his partners.

“The PAC, called the Conservative Majority Fund, has raised nearly $10 million since mid-2012 and continues to solicit funds to this day, primarily from thousands of steadfast contributors to conservative causes, many of them senior citizens. But it has made just $48,400 in political contributions to candidates and committees.

“Public records indicate its main beneficiaries are the operative Kelley Rogers, who has a history of disputes over allegedly unethical fundraising, and one of the largest conservative fundraising companies, InfoCision Management Corp., which charged millions of dollars in fundraising fees.

“The saga of how politically connected fundraisers used one of the nation’s leading conservative organizations as a springboard for fundraising that mainly benefited the fundraisers themselves sheds light on the growing problem of so-called scam PACs — organizations that take advantage of loosened campaign finance laws to reap windfalls for insiders while directing only a small portion of receipts to actual political advocacy.” POLITICO

-- ANOTHER MUCK READ -- THE DAILY BEAST’S LACHLAN MARKAY: “Ex-Pols Took Your Cash. They Used It to Help the Saudis and the Qataris”: “[Jim] Moran is one of at least 17 former members of Congress who are registered as U.S. agents of foreign governments and have also kept their campaign committees active since retirement—or converted them, along with their cash reserves, into other types of committees that can disburse funds to political allies.

“And according to a joint investigation by The Daily Beast, the Campaign Legal Center, and the Center for Responsive Politics, at least nine of those former members have used those committees to donate to the same legislators they’ve reported lobbying on behalf of their foreign government clients.” Daily Beast … CLC report

THE NRCC’S PATRIOT PROGRAM … SECOND-ROUND ADDITIONS … The NRCC’s Patriot Program is an incumbent protection effort out of the GOP’s party committee. Here’s who Republicans have added to the list: Reps. Andy Barr (Ky.), Rodney Davis (Ill.), Brian Mast (Fla.), Steve Chabot (Ohio), Don Young (Alaska), Steve Watkins (Kan.), Jim Hagedorn (Minn.) and Kenny Marchant (Texas).

-- READ BETWEEN THE LINES: Party committees give us these lists because they want outside groups to know who they are going to spend money on -- they can’t communicate directly about spending decisions. But, for other readers, this is an interesting peek at who the House GOP’s campaign arm thinks should worry about their race. On this list is the dean of the House, Alaska’s Don Young, and Kenny Marchant, whose Dallas/Fort Worth-area district has gotten far more competitive in recent years.

A$AP ROCKY LATEST -- “Swedish court documents give details on A$AP Rocky case,” by AP’s Jari Tanner in Helsinki: “Swedish authorities have released court documents in the assault case in which American rapper A$AP Rocky and two other men are charged, with prosecutors saying that the victim was punched and kicked while on the ground and attacked with a bottle.

“Rakim Mayers, the 30-year-old rapper’s real name, and two other suspects ‘deliberately, together and in agreement’ assaulted the victim in central Stockholm on June 30, prosecutors said in documents from the Stockholm District Court obtained by The Associated Press on Friday. The 500 pages of documents, in which prosecutors also said that Rocky pushed the man to the ground, included photos of the victim’s injuries — mostly cuts and bruises — and blood-stained clothes.” AP

FOR YOUR RADAR -- “She’s Puerto Rico’s Only Link to Washington. She Could Be Its Future Governor,” by NYT’s Michael Wines: “Jenniffer González-Colón is Puerto Rico’s representative in Congress, and something of a metaphor for Puerto Rico itself, a territory with 3.2 million residents caught in a perpetual state of purgatory. …

“[Ricardo] Rosselló’s departure and the resignation this week of his acting representative in Washington leaves Ms. González-Colón as the only link between its residents and the Capitol. It also opens an opportunity to replace him as governor, an ambition she is widely believed to harbor.” NYT

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2020 WATCH -- “Elizabeth Warren’s Campaign Receives 1 Million Donations, Hitting Milestone,” by NYT’s Matt Stevens and Thomas Kaplan: “Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has received one million donations to her campaign for president, her team announced on Friday, making her the only Democratic candidate aside from Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to reach that threshold so far in the 2020 cycle.

“The milestone further solidifies Ms. Warren’s standing as a top fund-raiser after a slow first three months in the presidential race, during which she raised just $6 million. Despite having sworn off private fund-raisers, Ms. Warren raised $19.2 million in the second quarter, placing her behind only Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. during that period.” NYT

-- MORE BIDEN-HARRIS FEUDING: “‘Beau’s flipping in his grave’: Biden supporters say Harris’s attacks betray her friendship with his son,” by WaPo’s Chelsea Janes

-- PROBABLY NOT! -- “Jen O’Malley Dillon is a star Democratic operative. Can she save Beto O’Rourke’s candidacy?” by The Texas Tribune’s Abby Livingston in Miami: “A veteran of Barack Obama’s two presidential campaigns, O'Malley Dillon is building a conventional Democratic presidential campaign around a most unconventional candidate. Given how rough of a go it’s been, if O’Rourke has a chance at a turnaround, many Democrats say she’s his best shot. …

“Many Democratic observers, nearly two dozen of whom participated in this story, say there is one path to a comeback: O'Rourke must use his charisma to create breakout moment — maybe in a debate or viral video. Then O'Malley Dillon can leverage that attention with the national campaign infrastructure she is building out for him back in El Paso.” Texas Tribune

THE POLICY PRIMARY -- CNN’S JASMINE WRIGHT and KYUNG LAH in Indianapolis: “Sen. Kamala Harris rolled out two new policy proposals Friday aimed at closing the wealth gap among black Americans, focused on investing in higher education and entrepreneurship. … The California Democrat wants to invest $60 billion in science, technology, engineering and math education at HBCUs. … Harris also pledged to work with Congress to create a $12 billion capital grant and technical support program, to facilitate startup minority small businesses.” CNN

FOR THE MUELLER OBSESSIVES -- “New Netflix Documentary on Cambridge Analytica Doubles as a Mystery,” by WSJ’s Deepa Seetharaman: “Netflix Inc.’s “The Great Hack” could reinvigorate debate about Cambridge Analytica’s tactics and their implications for social media, data privacy and democracy, just as the U.S. enters the 2020 election cycle. The nearly two-hour film was released on Netflix Wednesday, the same day Facebook reported second-quarter earnings and finalized settlements with two regulatory agencies. …

“Despite the intense scrutiny … some questions remain. One is: Did Cambridge Analytica help Donald Trump win the presidency? Another is: What is to stop another company from exploiting Facebook and social media to influence the 2020 election? ‘The Great Hack’ doesn’t provide many answers. Rather, it sounds an alarm about the vast amount of user data that companies such as Facebook and Google have, and the potential for its misuse.” WSJ

SCOOP -- RACHANA PRADHAN: “Exclusive: HHS auditor may call on Florida Medicaid to repay $436M”: “The HHS inspector general could soon call on Florida to refund the federal government $436 million in Medicaid funds that were improperly paid to the country’s largest public hospital, according to a draft report obtained by POLITICO.

“The independent auditor’s office forthcoming report could provide a politically awkward moment for top Florida Republicans closely allied with President Donald Trump. Florida officials warn the state and Jackson Memorial Hospital, which treats tens of thousands of poor patients each year, could face devastating consequences if the state is forced to pay back the money.” POLITICO

NEERA TANDEN SWIPES AT ‘MEDICARE FOR ALL’ -- The Center for American Progress head joined POLITICO's Pulse Check podcast to tout CAP’s “Medicare Extra” plan, which would allow Americans to keep private insurance or choose a government-run health plan. Tanden argued that CAP’s plan and similar ideas -- favored by a growing number of Democratic candidates -- are more politically viable than Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) ambitious Medicare-for-All proposal. Listen to the podcast

DEEP DIVE -- “Jeffrey Epstein Burrowed Into the Lives of the Rich and Made a Fortune,” by WSJ’s Khadeeja Safdar, Rebecca Davis O’Brien, Gregory Zuckerman and Jenny Strasburg

MEDIAWATCH -- MEDIAITE’S CALEB HOWE: “CNN Photo Editor Resigns From Network Over Vicious Anti-Semitic Tweets on Deaths of ‘Jewish Pigs’”

TV TONIGHT -- Bob Costa will sit down with NYT’s Mark Landler, NBC’s Andrea Mitchell, WaPo’s Rosalind Helderman and CNN’s Manu Raju at 8 p.m. on PBS’ “Washington Week.”

TRANSITION -- Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) hired James Hitchcock as a speechwriter and policy adviser. He previously was editorial assistant to David Brooks and Ross Douthat at the NYT.

SPOTTED at the seventh annual Hip Hop on the Hill fundraiser, hosted by Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and featuring DJ D-Nice at Opera Ultra Lounge on Thursday night: Reps. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Antonio Delgado (D-N.Y.), Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa), Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.), Katie Hill (D-Calif.), Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) …

… Al Lawson (D-Fla.), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-Fla.), Don Payne (D-N.J.), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and Marc Veasey (D-Texas). Also in attendance: Tasia Jackson, Nicole Venable, Shadawn Reddick-Smith, Derron Smith, Daria Dawson, Brandon Gassaway, Brandon Webb, Rashawn Mitchell and Michael Hardaway.

SPOTTED at a reception hosted by the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics for UChicago students working in Washington at the National Portrait Gallery on Thursday night: Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas), David Axelrod, Michael Morell, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, Gretchen Crosby Sims, Scott Davis and Sofia Gross.

SPOTTED at the Diversity in Tech Summit this week hosted by the Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus: Reps. Alma Adams, Bradley Byrne, Mark Walker, G.K. Butterfield, Ted Budd, French Hill and Sen. Doug Jones, Michael Beckerman, Victoria Espinel, Jason Oxman, Dr. Michael Lomax, Lodrigeuz Murray, Holly Fechner, Broderick Johnson Muftiah McCartin and Jason Everett …

… Carlos Monje, Lauren Culbertson, Laurie Self, Matt Gelman, Rob Harris, Brian Gonzalez, Norberto Salinas, Alyssa Betz, Greg Barnes, Derron Parks, Kimberly Williams, Garth Spencer, Troy Clair, Austin Carson, Ebony Simpson, Rhonda Foxx, John Christie, Sara McGovern, Katherine Stewart, Kichelle Webster, Jocelyn Barajas, Kendra Brown and Lesley Hill.

BONUS BIRTHDAY: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern is 39. (h/t Marianne Williamson*)

*joke

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