POLITICO Playbook, presented by Abbott – D.C. REPUBLICANS go home for holidays, discover Trump voters are real (and may even be related) – JEB: ‘Call me a cab!’ ‘You’re a cab!’ – PLAYBOOKER gifts -- B’DAY: Katie Beirne Fallon, Candy Crowley, Mike Hammer Presented by Amazon

By Mike Allen (@mikeallen; [email protected]) and Daniel Lippman (@dlippman; [email protected])

Hope your Christmas was sunny in every way. Thank you for posting your hoverboard selfie on each of your social channels. Today is the first day of Kwanzaa, and Boxing Day. From London, AP’s Gregory Katz sorts through several theories about how Boxing Day arose in Britain (wealthy families left a “Christmas box” for tradesmen the day after the holiday, churches put out collection boxes for the poor, etc.). While the origin is disputed, “it’s clear [it] has nothing to do with the modern habit of using the holiday for shopping at ‘big box’ stores.”


PLAYBOOK POSTCARD -- A Republican Playbooker who lives in D.C. is back home in New Hampshire for the week: “Driving around the state’s capital [Concord] (which is more heavily Democrat than Republican) ... you notice ... lots of visible support for Bernie: lawn signs and bumper stickers. There are signs of support for Hillary too, but Bernie appears to be winning the passion race, if nothing else. A smattering of Ben Carson signs placed only at busy intersections. More paid media from Right to Rise than anyone.

“I asked my folks, all longtime supporters of establishment Republicans, who they’re backing: Trump. When you try to advocate for more traditional candidates, they dig in more for Trump (whose Christmas card is kept in a place of honor).”

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ARTICLE OF THE DAY – WSJ A-Hed, “Apple Watch Users Discover Another Way to Go ‘Hands Free’: The nose can be useful [to silence alarm, answer phone] when hands are occupied; ignore the funny looks,” by Daisuke Wakabayashi: Wristly, a research firm, found that “46% of ... 1,040 respondents ... had used their nose as an ‘input device.’ ... Morgan Hocking, a programmer from New York City, ... programmed his nose into the TouchID fingerprint sensor.” http://on.wsj.com/1Vjza16

DATA DU JOUR – Boston Globe p. 1, below fold, “Poll numbers are up — and up and up: Surveys saturate run-up to first primary contests in presidential campaign,” by Matt Viser: “The number of polls of Republican voters in [Iowa, N.H., S.C.] has skyrocketed nearly 90 percent [all primary polls up nearly 40%] compared with the 2012 GOP primary [in] polls tracked by ... Real Clear Politics.” National: 100 in both 2011 and 2015 ... Iowa: 56 in 2015 vs. 29 in 2011 ... N.H.: 60 in 2015 vs. 29 in 2011 ... S.C.: 20 in 2015 vs. 14 in 2011.” http://bit.ly/1kkxY02

MESSAGE: I’M FUNNY – N.Y. Times p. A12, “Bush Camp Suggests (Very) Secret Weapon: Its Candidate Is Funny,” by Matt Flegenheimer, with Ashley Parker (online: “Hear the One About Jeb Bush’s Humor? You Have to Listen Closely”): “‘Irony doesn’t work,’ he said last month aboard his bus, ... ‘in the world of digitized campaigning.’ ... As Mr. Bush’s poll numbers have lagged, the bids for laughs have proliferated. ... He has been whimsical with animals. ... His team has posted videos of the candidate musing on the ‘Sharknado’ films and struggling to pull a hooded sweatshirt over his face, labeling the clips #JebNoFilter.” http://nyti.ms/1OPZcUw

FINAL YEAR – “Obama's agenda breaks through in 2015: This year's biggest policy stories include significant wins for the administration,” by Politico’s Nancy Cook: “Some of the accomplishments don’t fit neatly within either party’s ideology: Congressional Republicans worked with Democrats to overhaul the much-criticized No Child Left Behind Act, returning more control over public schools to the states. And lawmakers from both parties signed off on a long-sought deal for a five-year highway bill, and legislation that made permanent several business and family tax breaks.” http://politi.co/1QSmTlj

WESTERN WHITE HOUSE – WashPost A1, top of col. 1, “Hawaii wipes out in Obama honors: Cost, cultural loyalty doomed bids to rename roads, beach, birthplace,” by Greg Jaffe and Juliet Eilperin in Honolulu (online: “Hawaii can’t seem to name anything after native son Obama”): “Since 2009, Hawaii’s politicos have sought to name two schools, an abandoned lot, a scenic overlook and two state holidays after Obama. ... [T]he most famous thing that bears Obama’s name here is the ‘Snowbama,’ a shaved ice that’s a mix of lemon, lime, cherry and passion guava ... and sells for $4 at Island Snow, one of the president’s favorite vacation haunts.

“Other states have had better luck naming things for Obama. Earlier this month, Florida’s Riviera Beach renamed Old Dixie Highway for Obama, ... Nearby Pahokee [also in Palm Beach County] had already converted East First Street to Barack Obama Boulevard. Other presidents have also had more success with namings. The Ronald Reagan Legacy Project, led by anti-tax activist Grover Norquist, has renamed 109 buildings, roads and schools for the 40th president ... Its goal is to name one thing for President Reagan in all of America’s counties, which number more than 3,000.” http://wapo.st/1YI5nzn

CLINTON ALUMNI – “Protégé of Clintons Takes On Congressman in New Jersey,” by NYT's Alex Burns: “As [Josh Gottheimer] mounts a dogged challenge to Representative Scott Garrett, a seven-term Republican, Mr. Gottheimer has drawn on an extensive network of national allies, assembled over two decades in the Clinton universe. ... Patti Solis Doyle ... helped Mr. Gottheimer begin his 2016 campaign with a fund-raiser in her home last May. Paul Begala ... delivered a rousing pep talk.” http://nyti.ms/1SgfkEx

--“Arson suspected in fire at [Bill] Clinton’s early childhood home in Hope” --

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: “[A]t the Clinton Birthplace National Historic Site on South Hervey Street ... [t]he fire was quickly extinguished and only one interior room was damaged by flames. Arson is suspected because investigators smelled an accelerant at the scene. There was also graffiti in the area ... [and] the crime may have been the work of juveniles ... [with] no indication it was done out of political hatred toward Clinton.” http://bit.ly/1SfHIGP

** A message from Abbott: We asked a million people what it looks like to really live life fully. What we found is as interesting and diverse as the world itself. Come see what the world thinks. http://abbo.tt/PL01 **

CLICKERS: “Christmas Messages From Your 2016 Presidential Candidates” – WSJ: http://on.wsj.com/1kka6K7

--“18 Photos That Will Change Your View of Washington: A new look at old icons in 2015.” – Politico Magazine: http://politi.co/1OP0DCM

-- “The year in politics, as told through POLITICO headlines,” by Nick Gass: “Remember when rivals quaked at the Bush juggernaut? Or when Democrats told Sanders ‘fat chance’?” http://politi.co/22rPWQG

PLAYBOOKERS’ BEST GIFTS: Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute: “My mother gave me for Christmas a special treasure...six miniature silk scarves my father bought for her while he was stationed in Europe during World War II as a B-17 pilot. He was courting her from afar, and they married soon after he returned to the states. Here is a link to the wartime diary that he kept of his 50 missions flown out of England and North Africa early in the war.” http://bit.ly/1RL3uD1 ... Pic http://bit.ly/1SfHLm3

--Josh Alcorn: “Wanted to share what won ‘present of the year’ in my house (narrowly beating out the pine cone pigs I got for my mom). Behold box 200 of 250 of the Happy Socks Box Set. 52 pairs of Happy Socks each of which are my favorite color.

Like 70% of male Democrats (and 99% of male Democratic fundraisers) I take pride in my wild and bold socks. Brianna knows me very well!” Pic http://bit.ly/1Oro2QC

--Becca Glover Watkins, comms. director for Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) and a noted equestrian, reports that her hubby Pepper got her a much-needed ASTM-certified riding helmet.

--Brendan Daly, a Pelosi alum now at Save the Children, emails us that his 18-year-old daughter Emily got a gag gift of a framed picture of Donald Trump looking especially Donald-like and making one of his usual weird faces with his eyes almost closed. Pic of her holding the photo http://bit.ly/1U934nB

--Margie McAllister, a former staffer with the US Senate Commerce Committee and the Texas State Senate: “The Sacred Spirit of Russia: Christmas Liturgy from a Russian Cathedral by Conspirare (Austin Texas choral groupwww.conspirare.org). They we’re sold out of this CD but somehow my husband found it in time for Christmas morning!”

--Nelson Patterson, a VP at Baxter Healthcare and a W&L grad: “LL Bean’s duck boots are the fashion rage with college students once again, so back orders run until March or April of 2016. Yesterday, I walked into the new LL Bean retail store in Leawood (KS) and a Christmas miracle occurred: they had one pair of the size 11 mid-calf boots to fit the W&L freshman John Patterson who had foolishly bet his Dad they could not be found....My son (pictured) is John Patterson, W&L 2019, a rabid Chicago Blackhawks fan and proud owner of those hard-to-find LL Bean Duck boots. We are just visiting family in Kansas City today, making the primo score yesterday at 9:20 am at the L L Bean in Leawood.” Pic http://bit.ly/1ma9F6U

--John De Vito, a native Long Islander and a second year law student at GWU: “My little brother got me a ‘boyfriend’ [a Ken doll] because I am ‘too busy to be bothered to get one myself’. I am not sure whether I should be offended but I certainly got a laugh in.” Pic http://bit.ly/1kk2mrm

GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman, filing from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico:

--“The Great Republican Revolt,” by David Frum in The Atlantic’s Jan. issue: “The GOP planned a dynastic restoration in 2016. Instead, it triggered an internal class war. Can the party reconcile the demands of its donors with the interests of its rank and file?”: http://theatln.tc/1mzqo3q

--“Why America Is Moving Left,” by Peter Beinart in The Atlantic’s Jan. issue: “Republicans may have a lock on Congress and the nation’s statehouses—and could well win the presidency—but the liberal era ushered in by Barack Obama is only just beginning.” http://theatln.tc/1YAiylZ

--“Under Watchful Eyes,” by Amanda Power in Lapham’s Quarterly: “The medieval origins of mass surveillance.” http://bit.ly/22rPphv (h/t ALDaily.com)

--“Longreads Best of 2015: Under-Recognized Stories” http://bit.ly/1U8CRFE

--“Jealousy List 2015” – “Our editors, writers, designers, and producers choose their favorite articles from outside Bloomberg.” http://bloom.bg/1mEsAGP

--“Papa,” by Sean Flynn in GQ in Feb. 2009: “When James Brown died on Christmas Day 2006, he left behind a fortune worth tens, maybe hundreds, of millions of dollars. The problem is, he also left behind fourteen children, sixteen grandchildren, eight mothers of his children, several mistresses, thirty lawyers, a former manager, an aging dancer, a longtime valet, and a sister who’s really not a sister but calls herself the Godsister of Soul anyway.” http://bit.ly/22rPwK4 (h/t Longform.org)

--“The Best Novels in English” – FiveBooks.com: “Journalist Robert McCrum spent two years selecting the best novels in English. Here he narrows it down to just five: perfect choices for your holiday reading.” http://bit.ly/1Jz8G4Z

--“The Importance of Being Orwell,” by Christopher Hitchens on LitHub.com: “As someone who had been brought up in a fairly rarefied and distinctly reactionary English milieu, in which the underclass of his own society and the millions of inhabitants of its colonial empire were regarded with a mixture of fear and loathing, Orwell ... made an early decision to find out for himself what the living conditions of these remote latitudes were really ‘like.’” http://bit.ly/1VgQi7U

--“Moldova’s Drama on the Dniester,” by Alexander Clapp in The National Interest: “Europe’s poorest country is torn between Brussels and Moscow.” http://bit.ly/1QQHLtc

--“Devils, Deals and the DEA,” by ProPublica’s David Epstein: “Why Chapo Guzman was the biggest winner in the DEA's longest running drug cartel case.” http://bit.ly/1J8jJr4

ENGAGED – Emily Cahn, a political reporter at Mashable and a CQ-Roll Call alum, got engaged Christmas morning to law student Jake Singer in Port Washington, NY with both of their families around to celebrate right after. They met on New Year’s Eve 2012 at a party in DC hosted by AIPAC’s Evan Philipson, but that night they met, they figured out that both their families lived in the same Manhattan apartment building two floors apart as infants and never knew. Jake is a law student at Penn and graduates in May, and will then be a law clerk in the Eastern District of New York. Pic http://bit.ly/22rQWEb

BIRTHWEEK (was yesterday): Piper Adams ... Shengxiao “Sunshine” Yu

BIRTHDAYS: Katie Beirne Fallon, White House director of legislative affairs (Natitude: Brian) ... Candy Crowley, the pride of Kalamazoo, Mich., and St Louis … Jared Bernstein ... U.S. Ambassador to Chile Mike Hammer, an NSC alum, cheering the Redskins hoping for an NFC East title and celebrated Christmas with a full house of family in Chile – Pic http://bit.ly/1NGhA4u (h/t Ben Chang) ... Noa Meyer ... former Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), is 60 ... David Sedaris is 59 ...Kristin Davison of the Rubio campaign and a Karl Rove alum ... Mary Blanche Hankey, Sen. Jeff Sessions’ legal counsel and the pride of Florence, Ala. … Scott Shepard, speechwriter and senior adviser for Sen. Joe Manchin ...

... Noelle Clemente, V.P. at Bryant Row and a Tom Price alum (Go Pack: Dad) … Eloy Martinez, senior director of gov’t relations at the American Gaming Association ... David Dunn ... former California Gov. Gray Davis (h/t Dan Harrison) ... Politico’s Andrew Weber ... Ed Greelegs ... Alison Powell Moore ... Jeff Quinton ... Matt Neufeld ... Politico alum Jane Song ... Joe Maloney ... Ellen Field ... Natasha Walsh ... Will Heyniger ... Uncle Dave Nieuwstraten ... Jennifer Duck ... Sarada Peri ... Matthew Verghese … Scott Lear of Orlando … Dominic Gabello, chief of staff to Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM) ... Joe Deoudes, director of political and advocacy sales at SpotX … Jill Cooper Udall ... Holly Shannon ... Jon Henke … Dillan Siegler … Bishop Garrison, OFA Virginia alum and West Point grad …

... Scott Shepard ... Dillan Siegler, director of partnerships and engagement at UChicago Institute of Politics … Ian Duncan of the Baltimore Sun … Doris Kearns Goodwin … Ron Parker … Georgiana Cavendish ... actor Donald Moffat is 85 ... Caroll Spinney (Big Bird on "Sesame Street") is 82 ... Abdul "Duke" Fakir (The Four Tops) is 80 ... record producer Phil Spector is 76 ... "America's Most Wanted" host John Walsh is 70 ... Bob Carpenter (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 69 ... Baseball Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk is 68 ... Kit Harington ("Game of Thrones") is 29 ... actor Zach Mills is 20 (h/ts AP)

THE SHOWS, from @MattMackowiak, filing from London:

--NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Bernie Sanders; Wendy Sherman; Michael McFaul; roundtable: Helene Cooper, Matt Bai, Amy Walter and Michael Gerson

--ABC’s “This Week”: John Kasich; Donald Trump; Stephen Breyer; roundtable: Matthew Dowd, LZ Granderson, Bill Kristol and Hilary Rosen

--CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Bernie Sanders, Ben Carson; Stephen Colbert; NASA Commander Scott Kelly; roundtable: Jeanne Cummings, The Atlantic’s James Bennet, David Rohde and Ben Domenech

--“Fox News Sunday”: Mike Huckabee; Peter King; roundtable: Steve Hayes, Anne Gearan, Nina Easton and Evan Bayh (substitute anchor: Fox News’ Doug McKelway)

--CNN’s “State of the Union” (9am ET / 12pm ET): Roundtable: Gloria Borger, Dana Bash, Brianna Keilar and Jeff Zeleny; John King; roundtable: Bakari Sellers, SE Cupp, Donna Brazile and Ana Navarro

--Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” (10am ET / 9am CT): Tom Price; Doug Holtz-Eakin; philanthropist and financier Mike Milken; American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown; roundtable: Ed Rollins, Judith Miller and Global Strategy Group’s Stephen Sigmund

--CNN’s “Inside Politics” with John King (SUN 8:30am ET): Roundtable: Dan Balz, MJ Lee, Ryan Lizza and Sara Murray

--CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS”: (SUN 10am ET / 1pm ET): Special presentation of “Long Road to Hell: America in Iraq” with interviews with Tony Blair, Paul Bremer, Douglas Feith, Richard Clarke and David Petraeus

--CNN’s “Reliable Sources”: (SUN 11am ET): Lone survivor of August shooting on live television Vicki Gardner; roundtable: AP’s Kathleen Carroll, NPR’s Michael Oreskes and Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Joanna Coles

--Fox News’ “MediaBuzz” (11am ET / 10am CT): Susan Ferrechio; Jonah Goldberg; Joe Trippi; Mercedes Schlapp; The Daily Beast’s Michelle Cottle; tech commentator Shana Glenzer

--Univision’s “Al Punto” (SUN 10am ET / 1pm PT) Rebroadcast of one-hour report: Journey to Explore Conflict and Hope in the Middle East, with reporting from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the West Bank, with interviews with Benjamin Netanyahu and Dr. Hanan Ashrawi

--C-SPAN: “The Communicators” (SAT 6:30pm ET): Berklee College of Music’s Allen Bargfrede, questioned by Communications Daily’s Jimm Philipps... “Newsmakers” (SUN 10am ET): National Education Association president Lily Eskelsen Garcia, questioned by U.S. News & World Report’s Lauren Camera and Politico’s Maggie Severns ... “Q&A” (SUN 8pm & 11pm ET): Tyler Abell, stepson of the last “Washington Merry-Go Round” columnist Drew Pearson

--PBS’s “To the Contrary” with Bonnie Erbé: food security

--WUSA 9 CBS Washington, DC’s “Capital Download” with Derek McGinty and Susan Page: (SUN 8:30am ET): Jon Huntsman; Center for Public Integrity’s Gordon Witkin; roundtable: Boston Globe’s Christopher Rowland and NPR’s Domenico Montanaro

--Sinclair’s “Full Measure” with Sharyl Attkisson (SUN 9:30am ET on WJLA and airing on Sinclair stations nationwide): Report on for-profit colleges allegedly preying on military veterans; segment on calls from Congress to investigate what some are calling a toxic turf; segment of the top media misses of 2015 with Howie Kurtz; segment on the top stories of taxpayer waste from 2015

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Follow us on Twitter Anna Palmer @apalmerdc



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