Good Thursday morning, I'm Anna Palmer and welcome to your Politico Playbook Flash Briefing,

sponsored by UC Davis. There is a ton going on today. We've got the budget, Trump's travel ban

facing more legal hurdles, and Republicans continuing to try and sell their health care plan.

But don't forget, the NCAA basketball tournament kicks off today. We expect productivity levels,

ours, and others, on Capitol Hill and across the city to slow down as folks turn off C-SPAN

and turn on the games. And a friendly PSA. If you haven't registered for the playbook pool,

you have until 1145 a.m. Donald Trump spent yesterday doing what he loves best, rallying the public.

Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence spent the day doing a sales job on Capitol Hill for the

administration's flagging health care bill. The effort was classic Pence. Reassure Republican lawmakers

that Trump is in it for the long haul and that he is ready to fight for the bitter end, and not only for phase one, but of the other phases two.

In a closed-door meeting with Senate Republicans, Pence said Trump is, quote, spoiling for a fight, according to a GOP leadership aid.

Their roles are clearly divided. While Pence is playing the inside game, Trump plans to take

his message out to the states. Pence said Trump can't wait to go to states he won where there are

Democratic senators. There are 10 states in total that fit that bill. Here is what's happening

behind the scenes. Speaker Paul Ryan and the GOP leadership is working primarily with OMB director

Mick Mulvaney, Andrew Brenberg, head of the

Domestic Policy Council, and HHS Secretary Tom Price. The administration officials are trying to get

a read on the House Freedom Caucus, the group of several dozen conservatives, which is skeptical of

Ryan's plan. The White House is working through the Freedom Caucus's issue with the GOP leadership.

And here's something to watch, the brewing battle between Senator Tom Cotton and Paul Ryan.

As our colleagues Burgess Everett and Rachel Bade report, it's a battle of the GOP bigwigs.

One Senate Democratic leadership aide emailed us with a brain dump on their anti-GOP health care

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