Good Friday morning, I'm Anna Palmer, and welcome to your Politico Playbook audio briefing, sponsored by UC Davis.

And I'm Jake Sherman. We have some big money buzz this morning in Playbook. Protect the House.

Vice President Mike Pence and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's Joint Fundraising Committee is planning a massive DC fundraiser in June with the entire House leadership team.

Speaker Paul Ryan, majority whip

Steve Scalise, Republican Conference Chairman Kathy McMorris Rogers, and Patrick McKenry are all

slated to be in attendance. Internally, Republican leadership has been trying to project unity.

Here's a really good opportunity. Protect the House benefits Republican candidates who have

tough re-elections. This morning, we are sending out a welcome to the reality of Washington note. In the last two days,

we've seen the world get introduced to two elements of D.C. that many of us know well,

political intelligence and big dollar fundraising. Here are a few things that happen in D.C. that

might, but shouldn't, catch some people by surprise.

Yes, Paul Ryan flew across the country to meet with Sheldon Adelson, and when the Superpack asked for $30 million, he had to leave the room.

Yep, it's totally weird, but that's how campaign finance works.

They can do everything but ask for the big dough. It happens

routinely in both parties. Yes, guys like Michael Cohen routinely get paid a million dollars to

offer insight about their ex-boss. Yeah, it's crazy, but many readers of this newsletter would not

have their McMansion and McLean, their BMW, their membership at Army Navy, second homes in Delaware,

cigar lockers, and

endless glasses of pinot at BLT stake in Tosca if that kind of stuff didn't happen.

Newsflash, a million dollars is not even a rounding error for massive corporations,

although the smart companies root these deals through law firms.

Here's the bottom line.

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