Good Thursday morning, I'm Jake Sherman, and welcome to your political playbook audio briefing.

Stay tuned after the show for a message from Farma.

Beto O'Rourke is in.

With a Vanity Fair cover and a Joe Hagan pen profile, Beto O'Rourke is in the 2020 presidential race.

I'm just born to do this, Beto says.

One interesting nugget from the piece in a private meeting last November, Barack Obama,

the former president asked O'Rourke to consider if he had a clear path to the White House.

Could he deliver Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin?

This puts big pressure on Joe Biden to get in the race.

The field continues to form as Joe Biden continues to sit

on the sideline. Now for President Donald Trump's top legislative priority covering the U.S.-Canada-Mexico

trade deal. The president is doing something you might not expect when it comes to moving the U.S.

MCA. He's completely deferring to Speaker Nancy Pelosi's schedule for

passing it. The White House, which is speaking only on background on trade talk, says it's deferential

to Speaker Pelosi's timetable when it comes to passing this big trade deal. It's quite the move for

Trump who is banking on the USMCA as his chief legislative achievement this Congress.

The White House's decision to put all of its

cards in Pelosi's hand is risky, of course, but it's a recognition that she runs the place.

Trump bowing to Pelosi and giving her the proverbial keys to rewriting NAFTA, something he's

talked about since his campaign days, is notable, especially as 2020 approaches. The White House

believes even though many Democrats really hate Trump,

this deal is a win for them back home and it'll force Pelosi to move. Of course, Pelosi has far more

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