“Somebody’s gotta do it. It might as well be me.” So says Ivan Adler, the “lobbyist hunter” who plucks D.C.’s most idealistic Hill staffers and turns them into K Street top dogs. POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs and Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza pry open the revolving door between the Hill and K Street — one of the most controversial but everlasting features of Washington’s underbelly. Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Hailey Fuchs is a reporter at POLITICO covering money & influence in D.C. Ivan Adler is 'The Lobbyist Hunter' and an executive recruiter. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Read Hailey's full story: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/15/lobbyist-hunter-ivan-adler-516069

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Meet D.C.'s 'Lobbyist Hunter'

What actually happens if the nation defaults on its debt? Planes fall out of the sky, the streets run red with blood — OK, not literally. But the reality could be economic catastrophe: "Market chaos, economic chaos, all for absolutely no good reason," explains POLITICO’s Ben White. After a week of debt-ceiling drama in D.C., Ben joins Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels to unpack the partisan fights, doomsday hypotheticals and one of the most absurd twists so far: a trillion-dollar coin. Eugene Daniels is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Ben White is chief economic correspondent for POLITICO. Carlos Mucha is an attorney who popularized the idea of minting a trillion-dollar coin. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

Push it to the (debt) limit

After seven Senate terms and three runs for president, Joe Biden has mastered his folksy image. But behind "the Delaware way" are secrets in Joe's family tree and son Hunter's foreign deals. National political correspondent Ben Schreckinger tells Playbook's Ryan Lizza about what he uncovered while investigating his book, “The Bidens: Inside The First Family’s Fifty-Year Rise to Power.” Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Ben Schreckinger is a national political correspondent for POLITICO and the author of "The Bidens: Inside The First Family’s Fifty-Year Rise to Power." Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Read an excerpt of Ben's book in Politico Magazine here: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/09/14/how-joe-biden-became-irish-511637 We want to invite you to take our NEW listener survey — it helps us learn more about your interests and improve our content. What do YOU want to hear from Politico’s podcasts? Let us know at https://bit.ly/3zgKB30

The Biden family's secrets

Crypto trading! Bitcoin! Dogecoin! Stablecoin! Even if lawmakers don't understand blockchain, Capitol Hill is finally waking up to digital currency — Congress has introduced more than a dozen bills on crypto and blockchain this year alone — as  both sides of the aisle go head to head over the best way to regulate the $2 trillion market. Economics reporter Victoria Guida joins Playbook co-author Tara Palmeri to talk about lobbying around crypto and the time her dog ate her Bitcoin. Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Victoria Guida is an economics reporter at POLITICO.  Kristin Smith is Executive Director at Blockchain Association. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. We want to invite you to take our NEW listener survey — it helps us learn more about your interests and improve our content. What do YOU want to hear from Politico’s podcasts? Let us know at https://bit.ly/3zgKB30

Regulating crypto: The $2 trillion Rubik's Cube

As Democrats' massive reconciliation bill makes its way through the machine, one item is getting all the attention right now: health care. It’s a fight that basically boils down to Nancy Pelosi versus … everyone else — with the legacies of Pelosi, Sanders and Biden at stake. Playbook co-author Rachael Bade and POLITICO's Alice Miranda Ollstein take us to Capitol Hill, where the knives are coming out: leaders fighting behind closed doors about policies they've agreed on for years — or thought they did — and plenty on the line: $3.5 trillion, the future of the Affordable Care Act and dueling visions for the Democratic Party. Rachael Bade is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Alice Miranda Ollstein is a health care reporter at POLITICO.  Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Raghu Manavalan is a senior editor for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. We want to invite you to take our NEW listener survey — it helps us learn more about your interests and improve our content. What do YOU want to hear from Politico’s podcasts? Let us know at https://bit.ly/3zgKB30

Pelosi vs. everybody: Dems’ high-wire health care act

What does it mean to be the nation’s second Catholic president? Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza talks with senior staff writer Ruby Cramer about how Joe Biden balances a very public role with the “private matter” of his faith at a time of deep division over abortion, and among the bishops in his own church. Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Ruby Cramer is a senior staff writer at POLITICO magazine. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Read Ruby’s piece in Politico Magazine here: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/09/05/joe-biden-catholic-church-509396 

Biden’s abortion clash with the Catholic Church

There's an intra-party fight on the right — and it's not (all) about Trump! For decades, conservatives have called for the government to take a hands-off approach to the economy. But now, a group of self-styled “common good capitalists” — like Sen. Marco Rubio — want to change that. And, they’re gaining power. It’s a divide not only over what policy approach is best, but what the most effective political strategy is for the GOP in the 21st century. Playbook co-author Tara Palmeri talks with an influential voice in this new economic counterculture — Oren Cass, head of American Compass and Mitt Romney's former campaign advisor, as well as Eliana Johnson, POLITICO Magazine contributor and editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon, about this policy divide and where the 2024 GOP hopefuls land on this spectrum. Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Eliana Johnson is a contributing editor for POLITICO Magazine and editor-in-chief of the Washington Free Beacon. Oren Cass is Mitt Romney's former campaign advisor and executive director of American Compass. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

These Republicans are going...big government?

Kamala Harris entered law school as the daughter of activists and came out as a prosecutor — an evolution that shaped the politician she is today. Now, as the vice president grapples with some of the thorniest issues in politics and builds relationships with a wide array of Democratic allies — which she could leverage in both the administration and a future presidential campaign — even some of her closest allies admit she needs help fending off incoming fire. POLITICO Magazine’s Jesús A. Rodríguez and Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels dig into the Veep’s law school past, her performance eight months in and how wearing the mantle of “first” comes layered with racism and misogyny. Eugene Daniels is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Jesús A. Rodríguez is a contributing editor for POLITICO Magazine. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Read more from Jesús: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/08/18/kamala-harris-law-school-politics-503924

How Kamala Harris is embracing — and changing — the system

The Taliban's return to power marks the first real foreign policy crisis of the Biden administration — and a rare moment of bipartisan criticism of Joe Biden. But will the bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan scramble American politics, or merely deepen long-building fissures across the political spectrum? On the right, attempts to save America's Afghan allies have resurfaced fierce divides over immigration and diversity. On the left, the pullout is reigniting a debate over the US's "forever wars." Playbook co-authors Rachael Bade and Ryan Lizza on Biden's political pitfalls. Rachael Bade is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Andy Glass is a contributing editor for POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

The first true foreign policy test of Biden's presidency

Nobody on Capitol Hill got much sleep this week. The Senate passed its infrastructure bill, stayed up all night in a vote-a-rama and provided foreshadowing for the set of fights yet to come. As Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza put it this week: “Threat of a government shutdown? Possibility of America defaulting on its loans? Dust off that Blackberry, fire off a manual RT, and put on some LMFAO. It’s feeling very 2011.” Ryan and POLITICO’s Jennifer Scholtes break down what’s ahead for Congress. Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Jennifer Scholtes is budget and appropriations reporter at POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Read more from Jennifer: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/09/democrats-unveil-budget-to-launch-35t-plan-without-republican-help-502822 

Vote-a-rama drama and the national debt

The Democratic establishment dealt a crushing blow to the progressive movement this week in Ohio, where tensions, bad blood and intraparty allegiances were on full display. What can we learn from a special congressional primary that quickly became a national spectacle? And what does it say about the direction of one of the most powerful political forces in Washington: the Congressional Black Caucus? POLITICO's Ally Mutnick performs an autopsy with Playbook co-author Ryan Lizza. Ryan Lizza is a co-author of POLITICO Playbook. Ally Mutnick is campaigns reporter at POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Read more on the Ohio special election from Ally: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/03/shontel-brown-beats-nina-turner-in-key-ohio-primary-502365

The Democratic ‘civil war’ in Ohio

Bernie Sanders is behaving a lot like a pragmatist (just don’t say it to his face). As the Senate Budget chair and a member of Sen. Chuck Schumer’s leadership team, the 79-year-old progressive is one of the most powerful people in Washington and finally has the opportunity he’s been waiting for his whole career: to pass a reconciliation bill with sweeping social reforms. If successful, the $3.5 trillion bill would be the biggest ever passed by Congress. The trick: Can he get it past the members of his own party? Rachael Bade is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Laura Barrón-López is a White House correspondent for POLITICO. Faiz Shakir is an advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio. Read more:  Strange but true: Bernie takes a 'very pragmatic' turn

Strange but true: Bernie's pragmatic turn

Cuba’s sweeping protests — and sweeping crackdown — are historic. But the situation is a political hot potato for Biden, whose sanction orders came nearly two weeks after the unrest began. His go-it-slow approach has emboldened Republicans, while Florida Democrats fear the president could blow an opportunity to reorient U.S.-Cuba policy and improve the party’s political chances in a former swing state. POLITICO’s Sabrina Rodríguez and Marc Caputo unpack the political minefield with Playbook's Tara Palmeri. Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Sabrina Rodríguez is an immigration correspondent for POLITICO. Marc Caputo is a national political reporter for POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

Inside Biden’s slow-walk on Cuba

$1.6 trillion — that's how much student loan debt there is in the United States. Progressives want to cancel student loan debt. Republicans say that's wildly unfair. And President Joe Biden is....waiting. Playbook co-author Tara Palmeri and education reporter Michael Stratford discuss the fight on Capitol Hill over student loans and whether Biden could tackle the problem through executive action. Tara Palmeri is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Michael Stratford is an education reporter for POLITICO. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

Biden’s student debt promise comes due

Michigan’s Oakland County, once a Republican stronghold, is turning blue. Playbook's Eugene Daniels and Zack Stanton (also a Michigan native — he's from the "knuckle"), talk about whether shedding these suburbs is a warning light for Trumpism. Plus: Former Michigan GOP leader Jeff Timmer on what he thinks losing this stronghold says about the strength of a Republican electoral map. Eugene Daniels is a Playbook co-author for POLITICO. Zack Stanton is Playbook deputy editor for POLITICO. Jeff Timmer is a longtime GOP strategist who was executive director of the Michigan state party from 2005-2009. Adrienne Hurst is a producer for POLITICO audio. Annie Rees is a producer for POLITICO audio. Jenny Ament is the senior producer for POLITICO audio. Irene Noguchi is the executive producer of POLITICO audio.

How the 'burbs turned blue

POLITICO's top reporters dive into the political landscape, the latest numbers that matter, and detail what's really happening behind closed doors. They're people who spend Friday nights poring over poll numbers or the latest Federal Election Commission reports — so if you want to understand how the modern politics game is played, this is the podcast for you. New episodes every Friday, hosted by Scott Bland.

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POLITICO's Nerdcast

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