Subject: POLITICO Huddle – THE NEW GOP.GOV – ‘Kissing Congressman’ scandal grows – Committees make comeback – GOP UNFAZED BY PAYCHECK VOTE – Republicans bash Bush border remarks – Coats’ Crimea bill – STENY: NO, I HAVEN’T SMOKED POT
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 09 Apr 2014 06:49:01 -0600

By Scott Wong (
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked]  or @scottwongDC)

With assists from Juana Summers and Seung Min Kim.

HUDDLE FIRST LOOK: THE NEW GOP.GOV -- House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) this morning will roll out a revamped website for House Republicans - the first redesign since 2010.The site, she says, enhances the website's ability to capture email addresses, aggregate information from GOP members' websites and social media feeds, and update real time floor information.House Republicans no longer have "issues" pages at GOP.gov, but instead promote "solutions." 

-- McMorris Rodgers will say in a statement this morning: "It is my goal to continue helping House Republicans modernize when it comes to communicating with every corner of America, and our website's clean, updated redesign will provide hardworking Americans with easier access to information about our efforts to create good-paying jobs, grown the economy, and provide more opportunities for all people." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfe07f58a4f9299638bb0882bcac5dbbb1da934015d1a2d829 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfe07f58a4f9299638bb0882bcac5dbbb1da934015d1a2d829 

'KISSING CONGRESSMAN' SCANDAL GROWS - John Bresnahan and Jake Sherman report for POLITICO: "A full-scale search is on for the leaker of a video that showed freshman GOP Rep. Vance McAllister of Louisiana in a romantic encounter with a now-former aide. And the husband of that ex-aide - Melissa Hixon Peacock - said he is 'freaking devastated' by the video, which shows his wife and McAllister locked in a passionate embrace on Dec. 23 in the lawmaker's Monroe, La., congressional office. Heath Peacock said the couple, who have a 6-year-old son, are now headed for a divorce.

-- "These latest developments show that the political fallout surrounding the 'Kissing Congressman' has only gotten worse since McAllister issued a public apology on Monday night and asked for privacy for himself and his family. So far, McAllister has said he won't step down from Congress, and neither party leaders nor his colleagues have called for his resignation. Yet the whole incident is now threatening to turn into a full-scale scandal, and top House Republicans or Louisiana GOP officials may have to formally weigh in on McAllister's future at some point. McCallister didn't vote for a second day in a row on Tuesday.

-- "It's also eerily similar to the furor that ended former Sen. John Ensign's career in 2011. Ensign (R-Nev.) was caught having an affair with the wife of his best friend, who also happened to be an Ensign aide. McAllister campaigned in 2013 as a family-oriented Christian conservative, so the video could prove fatal to his nascent political career." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfec7418505dbaf4ce4e4b1165ba2317eac6f6ba67af3773e1 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfec7418505dbaf4ce4e4b1165ba2317eac6f6ba67af3773e1 

-- MELISSA PEACOCK was paid $300 as "reimbursement for headquarter cleaning," according to the Washington Post. That Nov. 8 payment was found in his post-runoff-election campaign finance report under itemized disbursements. 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfbf88eff9d15e5623e24f92ac821644f37fccfa7ad6479d9e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfbf88eff9d15e5623e24f92ac821644f37fccfa7ad6479d9e 

-- So far, we've had the "Cocaine Congressman," the "Kissing Congressman" ... what's next? Declaring the House is "not a frat house," Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) took to the floor and proposed legislation that would require all members of the House and their aides to undergo annual sexual harassment training." Seung Min Kim: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfc363fd5f3ff79430895b8c86c576b8eaf15ac7fa87edeb50 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfc363fd5f3ff79430895b8c86c576b8eaf15ac7fa87edeb50 

COMMITTEES MAKE A COMEBACK -- "John Roberts gets the parties started," By POLITICO's Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer: "Republican Party committees are getting their groove back, thanks to John Roberts. Insiders are dreaming up how to maximize a recent Supreme Court ruling that frees up some big donors to give even more. A prominent idea: create a new class of donors who contribute a total of six- or seven-figure donations to each of three party committees and spread cash to endangered lawmakers. In exchange, the big-money givers would get something of an 'all access pass' that comes with perks from the big three national committees, like face time with top officials. ... The moves are early
 signs that the national party committees are making a comeback after years of stumbling and shrinking in an era of super PACs. The Supreme Court allowed unlimited money to flow into super PACs years ago, and a new decision last week lifts the caps on the total amount of money an individual can give to political campaigns, PACs and parties." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf80c33908b414a2b2ccb28a3f63142759701575029ea097a1 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf80c33908b414a2b2ccb28a3f63142759701575029ea097a1 

SPOTTED: DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz marking Equal Pay Day at Hank&#39;s Oyster Bar on the Hill. The restaurant's happy hour special: 23 percent off, signifying the wage gap between men and women according to organizers Lean In D.C. Also in attendance was Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.)

LEDE OF THE DAY -"On Tuesday, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, started to sob at a Taco Bell event, but it wasn&#39;t because the salsa was too spicy," Nikki Schwab writes for U.S. News & World Report. "Boehner made a brief cameo at a gathering sponsored by the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, as the former gave the latter $30 million to help teens graduate from high school. (Taco Bell employs many teens, so that's the connection.) 'Some of you know how I am about these things,' Boehner said, choking back tears while praising the work of the Boys & Girls Clubs. 'We need to do a better job at educating more American kids. We live in America, for
 goodness&#39; sake.' Boehner stood alongside former Destiny&#39;s Child singer Kelly Rowland, a longtime advocate for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, who told Whispers she was touched by Boehner's near-tears. 'He's so sweet,' she said." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf356eff9380871865d5159c8294a1436fa49be01e60f8dea5 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf356eff9380871865d5159c8294a1436fa49be01e60f8dea5 

SEN. DAN COATS (R-IND.), in a floor speech this morning, will introduce the Crimea Annexation Non-Recognition Act - legislation intended to ensure that the U.S. doesn't recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea or take any action that would imply such recognition.

NOW LIVE, YOUR GUIDE TO THE PERMANENT CAMPAIGN - Campaign Pro launches today, offering political professionals real-time news, analysis, and data on more than 60 House, Senate and gubernatorial races. With deeper reporting on exponentially more races-plus an aggregation of the most important campaign news you can't get anywhere else - Campaign Pro provides the information you need first, fast and all in one place. Sign up today: 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] 

CHASING SEAN ELDRIDGE --- POLITICO's Alex Isenstadt files this dispatch from New York's 19th congressional district: "It's difficult to size up the person behind the polished image Eldridge and his campaign are projecting to voters. He's been running for more than half a year but remains mostly an enigma. Congressional challengers typically seek maximum media exposure; Eldridge allows few chance encounters with the media. His campaign frequently posts pictures on his Facebook page of the candidate out and about in the district, but local reporters say they're usually not made aware of his public schedule ahead of time. He declined to be interviewed by POLITICO, and the door to his campaign
 headquarters in Kingston was locked on a recent visit. No one answered a call on an intercom.

-- "A spokesman provided a statement from Eldridge that said, 'Chris and I have been very fortunate in our lives, and we've benefited from those who took a chance on us. The Hudson Valley is our home, and we're proud to be investing in entrepreneurship in our community.' Even people who have spent time with the candidate aren't sure what to make of him. A few weeks after his September campaign launch, Eldridge sat for an interview with Alan Chartock, an influential liberal radio host in upstate New York. They talked for almost 30 minutes, discussing Eldridge's views on the federal shutdown, environmental policy and money in politics. 'If you look at what we've seen in Washington recently,
 with more of this brinkmanship, more of the games and party politics that are really hurting our economy and hurting middle-class families and not helping anyone. I'm frustrated. I know we can be doing better than how we're doing now,' Eldridge said in the interview. Chartock came away without any real sense of the candidate." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf3ade033c28f7495d67c8e175306fd27dfe37688aac17053f 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf3ade033c28f7495d67c8e175306fd27dfe37688aac17053f 

-- Eldridge's responded to the POLITICO story in the Times-Herald Record: '[W]e're not really concerned with a D.C.-based blog." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf2d2470528b4e6f283a32afda2c9fa346eb662570d9f763e8 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf2d2470528b4e6f283a32afda2c9fa346eb662570d9f763e8 

**A message from POWERJobs: Jobs on our radar this week: Director of Legislative Affairs at National Propane Gas Association, Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at Portland Cement Association, Vice President Government Affairs, American Frozen Food Institute. Interested? Apply to these jobs and more at 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfb371fc7a05635eb54ea70b722f60931b3a8b061ad18ab972 
www.POWERJobs.com ; finally, a career site made for YOU!**

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, APRIL 9, 2014, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of all the action on Capitol Hill. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] . If you don't already, please follow me on Twitter 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfb2ebbec7300ea3041f9f70ba852ebde3f347e2cd2c4eb50b 
@scottwongDC .

My new followers include 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfd4465c48206380876f6419401f7610a5d41ca8fa20ad0baa 
@ComealHouseman  and 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf161d00527d7447303d5be25c579f1275510682c491a7cb1e 
@MeredithBklyn .

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate meets at 10 a.m. and at 11 a.m. will hold a key procedural vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act. There also will be a vote on the nomination of Terrell McSweeny to be a Federal Trade Commissioner The House is also in at 10 a.m. with first and last votes expected between 5 and 6 p.m. on the Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act. The House will also continue work on Chairman Paul Ryan's fiscal year 2015 budget.

AROUND THE HILL - House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi meets with fasting immigration advocates at 9 a.m. in H-206. Rep. Nydia Velazquez speaks on the Ryan budget and small businesses at 10:30 a.m. at the House Triangle. Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer and others speak on the GOP budget and manufacturing at noon in HVC Studio A. Sens. Sherrod Brown and Brian Schatz hold a conference call to unveil legislation to protect consumers from inaccurate credit reports and credit scores, at 11:30 a.m. Call 202-224-3978 to RSVP.

Sens. Lindsey Graham, John McCain and Kelly Ayotte, and Rep. Trey Gowdy speak on Benghazi at 1:30 p.m. in the Senate Studio. Sens. Patty Murray, Barbara Mikulski, Tammy Baldwin and other female senators speak on the Paycheck Fairness Act at 2 p.m. in the Senate Studio. Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Tony C&aacute;rdenas hold a forum on the new "Kids for Cash" documentary and the need to reform the juvenile justice system at 6 p.m. in the Capitol Visitor Center North Orientation Theater.

'HOUSE OF CARDS' BILL FAILS IN MARYLAND -- Jenna Johnson and John Wagner report for the Washington Post: "It was 11:40 p.m. Monday. The end of the 2014 Maryland General Assembly session was 20 minutes away. ...Virtually all that remained was a standoff right out of 'House of Cards' - literally. The producers of the popular Netflix series, which is mostly filmed in and around Baltimore, had threatened to leave the state if lawmakers didn't provide millions of dollars in additional tax credits. The House of Delegates balked at the Frank Underwood-style power play, thus prompting state senators, who wanted to keep the show in the Free State, to balk at the House members.

-- "If the two sides could not agree, the incentive program would stand at $15 million, to be parceled out among "House of Cards" and other shows filming in Maryland, including HBO's "Veep." That might not be enough to keep Kevin Spacey's Frank Underwood character from leaving. Senators figured they'd need $18.5 million. What hung in the balance was $3.5 million more in tax credits - and whether state lawmakers could wield power over Hollywood. Money vs. power. The Senate vs. the House. The clock was running." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf85ffaa789c7aff6c96aac0f1256df4e8000384f95ccfcefc 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf85ffaa789c7aff6c96aac0f1256df4e8000384f95ccfcefc 

GOP UNFAZED BY PAYCHECK VOTE - Burgess Everett writes for the hometown paper: "Republicans working to improve their image among women aren't worried about suffering a political backlash if they follow through with plans to block the Paycheck Fairness Act. Most Senate Republicans are expected to unite on Wednesday to block the legislation, which would allow workers to compare salaries without the threat of retaliation, force companies to explain pay disparities between men and women and allow those discriminated against to seek punitive damages. Democrats are pushing the bill because they say it's good policy - but also to force Republicans into taking a tough vote ahead of the midterm
 elections. But the GOP seems perfectly comfortable killing the bill, risking legions of negative headlines and coordinated Democratic attacks on the GOP as a party out of touch with women." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf1ebefb2426cfe0dd188638b7ab09c592168371ed12690a8d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf1ebefb2426cfe0dd188638b7ab09c592168371ed12690a8d 

KERRY, SENATORS CLASH OVER SYRIA -- Arshad Mohammed and Patricia Zengerle, report for Reuters: "Secretary of State John Kerry bristled at fierce criticism from U.S. senators on Tuesday, saying he would accept blame for foreign policy failures but was at least trying to make progress on Middle East peace and the crises in Syria and Ukraine.During a 21/2-hour hearing, Kerry got pointed questions about the U.S. failure to end Syria&#39;s civil war, prevent Russia&#39;s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and make peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.While much of the criticism came from Republicans, Senator Robert Menendez (D., N.J.), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,
 also pushed Kerry on negotiations with Iran on curbing its nuclear program and on U.S. policy on Syria." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfff42250f776a95277be10198267f08cddf4df1233851e93c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfff42250f776a95277be10198267f08cddf4df1233851e93c 

RUBIO: JEB WON'T DETER ME FROM '16 RUN - POLITICO's Manu Raju catches up with the Florida senator: "Sen. Marco Rubio has long considered Jeb Bush his political mentor. But the Florida senator says that relationship won't factor into his decision whether to seek the presidency. With chatter growing over the possibility of a Bush-2016 run, Rubio insisted that the former governor's potential candidacy for the presidential nomination would not deter him from seeking his party's nod himself - even though it's long been presumed the two would avoid running in the same high-stakes race.

-- "'In terms of my decision-making for next year, it will be based on me - not on anybody else,' Rubio said in an interview when asked about the prospects of a Bush candidacy. 'And I think that's true for anyone thinking about it - including himself.' ... The comments are the latest indication that even if Bush is considered a favorite of the party establishment, such talk is not scaring off possible opponents like Rubio. The two would vie for the same support among deep-pocketed donors and GOP big wigs influential in the nominating process." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfe1fb6e1a640a4dbcf391df1a8312275db0bab557da16e526 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfe1fb6e1a640a4dbcf391df1a8312275db0bab557da16e526 

-- GOP LAWMAKERS criticized Bush's recent comments that people coming to the U.S. illegally were doing so out of an "act of love" for their families, The Hill's Russell Berman writes. "Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho), a conservative who has worked on immigration reform, suggested Bush was 'pandering.' 'When you trivialize the fact that these people have broken the law, I think your message is a little bit off. I think it's unfortunate,' Labrador said at a Tuesday event sponsored by The Heritage Foundation." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf6d57d681c767e6d312091e5dbd9f806594e74745beda11cb 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf6d57d681c767e6d312091e5dbd9f806594e74745beda11cb 

HOYER: NO, I HAVEN'T SMOKED POT - Daniel Newhauser writes for Roll Call: "House Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer said Tuesday that he has not smoked marijuana, clarifying his remarks from earlier in the day when he indicated he had. 'At today's press conference, I was unclear when discussing the Maryland General Assembly's actions on marijuana. To be clear, I have not used marijuana. The point I tried to make was that I wasn't going to ask for a show of hands of people who haven't tried marijuana - because if I did, I would probably be one of very few who could raise my hand." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf2f5fea221eb9cfa74525d2481462d698f99b42dd715eef4c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf2f5fea221eb9cfa74525d2481462d698f99b42dd715eef4c 

TUESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Shelby Boxenbaum was first to correctly answer that the last Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Kansas was Sedgwick County Attorney George McGill in 1930 and 1932. He was defeated for re-election by former Governor Clyde Reed in 1938.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Emma Kenyon has today's question: In the Capitol's rotunda, there is a painting of George Washington resigning his commission as commander of the Continental Army in order to become president. Since then, Congress has declared war 11 times, within 5 conflicts: What conflicts were they? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] .

GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says "Sign Up." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbffabba04ab6d3bc38c5499e86d9e1323b891b8b5c1b8a6c04 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbffabba04ab6d3bc38c5499e86d9e1323b891b8b5c1b8a6c04 

**A message from POWERJobs: Tap into the power of POWERJobs for the newest job opportunities in the Washington area from the area's top employers, including AARP, Boeing, Leidos Biomedical Research and U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Powered by names you trust - POLITICO, WTOP, WJLA/ABC-TV, NewsChannel 8 and Federal News Radio- POWERJOBS is the ultimate career site with more than 2 million job searches and nearly 17,000 applications submitted this year so far. Connect through Facebook or LinkedIn, search jobs by industry and set up job-specific email alerts using 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfb371fc7a05635eb54ea70b722f60931b3a8b061ad18ab972 
www.POWERJobs.com , the site for Washington's top talent.**

Go to POLITICO Huddle Now >> http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfcd0dcc479be463a810737bc21959d36b95b8ff6b93b2e939

Go to this edition >> http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbf5dcbfbd912a1eddf083775238b24ae1d333a5c243defa784

=================================

2014 POLITICO, LLC

POLITICO Huddle.

To unsubscribe, http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c52acb130d8bbcbfd5d691eaa4297432f4fbb87c907ce3a5b0e8010ad30b387a

=================================