Can I still read full Politico Playbook with Readless?

Yes! Readless archives all full newsletters. Your digest summarizes Playbook and other sources, but you can click through to read full Politico articles, analysis, and insider scoops anytime.

How does combining Playbook + Axios + Punchbowl work?

All three cover similar stories but from different angles. Readless AI detects duplicates, extracts unique insights from each source, and presents one comprehensive summary with attribution. See all perspectives in one read.

What about Politico Pro or paid political newsletters?

Works perfectly! Forward your paid Politico Pro, Puck, or other premium political newsletters to your @mail.readless.app address. Get summaries in digest, click through for full paid content.

Can I create separate digests for different policy areas?

Yes! Pro users can create up to 3 digests. Many political professionals use: (1) Daily morning briefing, (2) Weekly deep dives, (3) Specific policy area tracking (healthcare, foreign policy, etc.).

How quickly does Readless deliver political news?

Schedule your digest for anytime. Most political professionals choose 6-7 AM delivery to read before their workday starts. All newsletters from the past 24 hours consolidated.

Who writes Politico Playbook now that Mike Allen left?

After Mike Allen founded Axios in 2016, Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman took over (2016-2020). They left to found Punchbowl News. Current authors since 2021: Rachael Bade, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri, and Eugene Daniels—all veteran political journalists.

How many people read Politico Playbook?

Politico Playbook has 100,000+ subscribers, making it one of the most influential political newsletters in Washington DC. It's considered essential reading for Hill staffers, with 74% of DC professionals reading email newsletters throughout their workday.

What makes Politico Playbook different from Axios AM or Punchbowl?

Playbook focuses on DC insider scoops and Capitol Hill drama with longer-form analysis. Axios AM uses Smart Brevity (concise bullet points) for faster reading. Punchbowl (founded by former Playbook authors) offers three daily newsletters with Congress-focused deep dives. Many professionals read all three—that's why consolidation with Readless saves 60+ minutes daily.

When was Politico Playbook founded?

Politico Playbook was launched in 2007 by Mike Allen, who wrote it solo for nearly 10 years until 2016. It pioneered the political morning newsletter format and established the template that Axios AM, Punchbowl News, and others would follow.

Is Politico Playbook free?

Yes, the main Politico Playbook newsletter is completely free. Politico also offers Politico Pro (paid subscription with industry-specific deep dives) and Politico Playbook Power Briefing (mid-day edition). All can be forwarded to Readless for consolidation.

Why do I need to consolidate political newsletters?

Most DC professionals subscribe to 5-10 political newsletters (Playbook, Axios, Punchbowl, The Skimm, Puck, etc.). That's 40-50 emails per week covering the same stories with 70-80% overlap. Reading them manually takes 90+ minutes daily. Readless consolidates everything into a 12-15 minute read with duplicate detection and topic organization.

Can I combine Politico Playbook with newsletters outside politics?

Absolutely! Many professionals combine political newsletters (Playbook, Axios) with business newsletters (Morning Brew, WSJ, NYT DealBook), tech newsletters (The Information, TechCrunch), and industry-specific newsletters. Readless Pro allows up to 3 separate digests so you can organize by topic.

Politico Playbook + 40 Political Newsletters in One Morning Briefing

Essential reading for political professionals. Consolidate Playbook, Axios, Punchbowl, The Skimm, and 40+ political sources into one daily digest.

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100,000+ subscribersSince 200774% of DC pros read newslettersFree forever60s setupSave 80+ min daily

Quick Facts: Politico Playbook

Founder

Mike Allen (2007-2016)

Current Authors

Bade, Lizza, Palmeri, Daniels

Frequency

Daily (6am ET)

Subscribers

100,000+ (DC insiders)

Content

DC insider scoops + Capitol Hill news

Cost

Free (Politico Pro paid)

Top Political Newsletters at a Glance

Newsletter	Founded	Focus	Best For	Subscribers
Politico Playbook	2007	DC insider scoops	Hill staffers	100,000+
Axios AM	2017	Smart Brevity news	Executives	2.5M+
Punchbowl News	2021	Capitol Hill deep dives	Congress watchers	Premium (paid)
The Skimm	2012	Digestible daily news	General public	5M+
Morning Consult	2014	Polling & data	Policy analysts	Large

Key Takeaways

Politico Playbook pioneered the political morning newsletter format in 2007
100,000+ subscribers include Hill staffers, lobbyists, and political consultants
74% of DC professionals read email newsletters throughout their workday
Mike Allen founded Playbook and wrote it solo for 10 years before founding Axios
Alumni founded Punchbowl News — former Playbook authors Palmer & Sherman launched competitor in 2021
Essential DC reading — reading Playbook + 40 political newsletters takes 90+ minutes daily

What is Politico Playbook?

Politico Playbook is the original political morning newsletter that defined the genre. Launched in 2007 by Mike Allen, Playbook pioneered the format that Axios AM, Punchbowl News, and dozens of other political newsletters would later adopt.

Delivered daily at 6am ET, Playbook provides DC insiders with breaking political news, Capitol Hill scoops, behind-the-scenes analysis, and the stories that will dominate Washington conversations that day. With 100,000+ subscribers, it remains the must-read newsletter for Hill staffers, lobbyists, political consultants, and journalists.

The Mike Allen Era (2007-2016)

Mike Allen, Politico's chief political reporter, wrote Playbook solo for nearly 10 years. His relentless work ethic (often sending the newsletter at 5am) and insider connections made Playbook essential reading in Washington. Allen's Playbook featured:

"The Scoop" — breaking news before it hit mainstream media
"What's Happening" — insider analysis of DC power dynamics
Birthday announcements — networking tool for DC elites
Sponsored messages — lucrative ads from corporations and trade associations

In 2016, Allen left Politico to co-found Axios with Jim VandeHei and Roy Schwartz, launching Axios AM as a more concise alternative to Playbook.

The Palmer-Sherman Era (2016-2020)

After Allen's departure, Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman took over Playbook, joined by reporter Daniel Lippman. The duo modernized Playbook with:

A mid-day edition (Playbook Power Briefing) launched in 2017
Playbook interviews — audio deep dives with politicians
Focus on younger audiences and mobile optimization
Subscription growth of 8% in 2 months post-Allen

In late 2020, Palmer and Sherman announced they were leaving Politico to launch their own newsletter, Punchbowl News, in January 2021. Punchbowl quickly became a major Playbook competitor, raising $1M in initial funding and achieving 60% subscription revenue growth by mid-2025.

Current Era (2021-Present)

Politico announced a new Playbook team in 2021: Rachael Bade, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri, and Eugene Daniels. All four are veteran political journalists who bring deep Washington expertise and extensive networks to continue Playbook's legacy as DC's essential morning read.

Politico Playbook vs Other Political Newsletters

How does Playbook compare to Axios AM, Punchbowl News, and The Skimm? Here's a detailed breakdown.

Feature	Politico Playbook	Axios AM	Punchbowl News	The Skimm
Founded	2007	2017	2021	2012
Writing Style	Insider scoops + analysis	Smart Brevity (concise)	Deep Congress reporting	Casual, digestible
Frequency	Daily (6am ET)	Daily (6am ET)	3 daily newsletters	Daily (morning)
Audience	Hill staffers, lobbyists	Executives, professionals	Congress watchers, DC insiders	General public, millennials
Subscribers	100,000+	2.5 million+	Premium (paid)	5 million+
Cost	Free	Free	Free basic, paid premium	Free
Focus	DC power dynamics	Top 10 national stories	Capitol Hill mechanics	Simplified daily news
Read Time	12-15 min	8 min	20+ min (all 3)	6 min

When to Choose Politico Playbook

You work on Capitol Hill or in DC politics
You need insider scoops before they hit mainstream media
You want DC power dynamics and who said what to whom
You value 18 years of legacy and DC credibility

Or Subscribe to All Four

Most DC professionals read Playbook and Axios and Punchbowl and The Skimm. That's 40+ emails per week with 70-80% story overlap.

Reading all four manually: 90 minutes daily

Readless consolidates all four into one 12-minute digest with duplicate detection. Learn how →

Your Morning Routine, Optimized

Before Readless

6:00 AM - Arrive at desk

Open Politico Playbook (15 min)

6:15 AM

Read Axios AM (8 min)

6:23 AM

Check Punchbowl News AM (10 min)

6:33 AM

Scan The Hill Morning Report (5 min)

6:38 AM

Skim CQ Roll Call (7 min)

6:45 AM - 7:30 AM

Check 15+ more political newsletters

Total: 90 minutes before first meeting

With Readless

6:00 AM - One digest arrives

All 40+ political newsletters consolidated

What's inside:

• Top 5 political developments
• Playbook scoops + Axios insights + Punchbowl intel
• Congressional movements organized by chamber
• Commentary synthesis from multiple analysts
• Links to full original sources

6:15 AM - Fully briefed

Ready for meetings, calls, strategy sessions

Total: 15 minutes, comprehensive coverage

How Readless Handles Political News

Duplicate Detection

Same story covered in Playbook, Axios, and Punchbowl? AI detects it, extracts unique insights from each source, presents one comprehensive summary with attribution.

Source Attribution

Know which outlet broke the story. Every digest entry shows sources: (Playbook), (Axios), (Punchbowl). Click through to cite originals in your work.

Organized by Priority

Breaking news first, Congressional updates second, commentary third. AI understands political news hierarchy and organizes accordingly.

Professional Use Cases

Hill Staffer Workflow

Daily 6 AM digest: Playbook + Axios + Punchbowl + Roll Call. Briefed before boss's 7:30 AM meeting. Forward digest to Chief of Staff. Click through to Playbook for office talking points.

Time saved: 75 min daily → career advancement

Political Consultant Workflow

Three separate digests: (1) Daily news (6 AM), (2) Weekly polling & strategy (Monday), (3) Opposition research newsletters (Friday). Share client-relevant insights directly from digest.

Time saved: 120 min weekly → more billable hours

Lobbyist Workflow

Custom digest filtered to specific policy areas (healthcare, energy, finance). AI flags mentions of tracked legislation. Morning digest + weekly deep dives on committee movements.

Time saved: 90 min daily → strategic client work

Ready to optimize your political news reading?

Build My Political Digest

Essential Political Newsletters for DC Professionals

Morning Briefings

• Politico Playbook
• Axios AM
• Punchbowl News AM
• The Skimm
• Morning Consult

Deep Dives

• Puck (Tara Palmeri, Julia Ioffe)
• The Atlantic Politics
• New Yorker Politics
• Politico Pro

Specialized Political

• CQ Roll Call
• The Hill Morning Report
• National Journal Hotline
• Inside Elections

Commentary & Analysis

• Matt Yglesias
• Josh Marshall (TPM)
• Ben Smith (Semafor)
• Margaret Sullivan

Built for Political Professionals

Policy Professionals

Hill staffers, think tank analysts, advocacy groups

Comprehensive coverage without spending 2 hours on morning news

Political Consultants

Campaign strategists, pollsters, political advisors

Competitive intel and messaging trends in one place

Lobbyists & GR Pros

Government relations, public affairs, regulatory tracking

Policy developments and Congressional movements consolidated

Political Journalists

Reporters, editors, commentators, analysts

Full landscape view without missing breaking news

Frequently Asked Questions

Explore other newsletters like Axios, The Skimm, learn about newsletter automation, see how Readless works, or view pricing plans.

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