Subject: POLITICO Huddle: WARREN DISHES ON BIG D.C. NAMES – Explains why she dodges press – Obama to Dems: Defend ACA – BOEHNER ‘HELLBENT’ ON PASSING IMMIGRATION BILLS – McAllister staffer resigns for video leak
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 05:53:56 -0600

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

WARREN DISHES ON BIG D.C. NAMES - POLITICO's MJ Lee has the story: "Elizabeth Warren's upcoming book chronicles many private meetings with powerful politicians such as President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Tim Geithner. The Massachusetts Democrat also describes conversations with plenty of other Washington bold-faced names, including Larry Summers; Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas); and Guy Cecil, executive director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Not surprisingly, not all of the officials are given flattering portrayals in the book. 'A Fighting Chance' is set to be released on Tuesday. What follows are highlights of how Warren describes her dealings with some of
 Washington's former and current political and policy players ...

-- Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas): "Warren served with Jeb Hensarling on the Congressional Oversight Panel, a group created in 2008 to analyze how the 2008 bank bailout law was being implemented. The Texas Republican ... clashed with Warren from the beginning, voting against the panel's first report to Congress. Warren writes that she walked into a meeting with Hensarling expecting to discuss what he didn't like about the COP report, but what she got from the congressman was: 'I want to know your plans for dividing up the budget.' ... When she told Hensarling that the COP's work shouldn't be a 'my-party-your-party exercise,' he took a hard tone. 'Look,' he said, 'the game is
 shirts-and-skins.' 'Hensarling's point was obvious,' Warren writes. 'He wanted to make sure his team got its share.'"

-- Rep.Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.): "Bachus, the former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, did not impress Warren. ... the senator describes a meeting with the Alabama Republican prior to the 2010 midterms in which he 'spoke movingly about people who had been swindled' in the financial crisis. 'He concluded by saying that if he had more courage, he'd go after the people who did that to families. In other words, if he stood up for the families who'd been hurt, he could find himself sidelined in Congress by the leadership of his own party,' Warren writes. 'I was stunned by his use of the word courage and his small, tight smile.' At the conclusion of their meeting, Warren says
 Bachus said quietly to her: 'I'll go after the consumer agency, but I hope you understand, it isn't personal.'"

--Tim Geithner: "In 2010, Warren accepted Obama's request to help set up the CFPB. On her first day on the job, then-Treasury Secretary Geithner took her to lunch. As the two rode in the back of an SUV to one of Geithner's favorite dining spots, Warren told him to put on his seat belt. 'Like a naughty kid, he looked back and said, 'I don't have to.'' Geithner, Warren recalls, 'explained with obvious pride that the car was bulletproof and that the driver and his partner were both highly trained and carried big guns. 'We're safe here,' he said in a tone meant to end the conversation.''" 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fd07b3f14995cf34448a025fbb7f6cedbddb349cea71510030ce31b08a886139 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fd07b3f14995cf34448a025fbb7f6cedbddb349cea71510030ce31b08a886139 "A Fighting Chance," published by Metropolitan Books, is out Tuesday: $12.99 on Kindle, $21.80 in Hardcover.
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-- IN HER BOOK, Warren also explains why she's walled herself off from the press on Capitol Hill, writes the Boston Globe's Matt Viser: "She felt burned by a 2012 article that appeared in an online publication, The Daily Beast. She expresses her disapproval about the article even while acknowledging that the reporter quoted her accurately. 'I learned a painful lesson from that interview,' Warren writes. 'The old way of talking with the press - long conversations and lively discussions - was gone. There was a huge difference between being an 'expert' and being a 'candidate.' The game had changed.'

-- "The story began at McKay's, a diner in Quincy, where Warren sat for an interview of around 20 minutes with Daily Beast reporter Samuel Jacobs. Her campaign spokesman, Kyle Sullivan, sat by and recorded the interview. The reporter 'really seemed engaged,' she writes. 'Kyle said he thought it was a good interview. Me too.' And then, a week and a half later, she read the article. The headline was 'Warren Takes Credit for Occupy Wall Street,' and it quoted Warren saying that she 'created much of the intellectual foundation' for the nascent movement. Warren could not believe she had said such a thing. She quickly contacted Sullivan, to review their recording of the interview. He already had.
 Indeed, the quote was correct.

-- "'I was deeply embarrassed,' Warren writes. 'My words sounded so puffy and self-important, and they made it seem as if I were trying to take credit for a protest I wasn't even part of. I wondered if some alien had invaded my body and said something stupid while the real me was visiting a desert island.' 'I wondered if politics turned everyone into an idiot - or was it just me?' she added. 'I wanted to cover my head with a blanket and never come out.'" 
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DIPLOMATIC DEAL BUT EAST UKRAINE SEPARATISTS NOT STANDING DOWN - Reuters' Pavel Polityuk and Thomas Grove report from Kiev and Slaviansk: "Armed pro-Russian separatists were still holding public buildings in eastern Ukraine on Friday, saying they needed more assurances about their security before they comply with an international deal ordering them to disarm. The agreement, brokered by the United States, Russia, Ukraine and the European Union in Geneva on Thursday offered the best hope to date of defusing a stand-off in Ukraine that has dragged East-West relations to their lowest level since the Cold War. ... The fact any deal was reached at all came as a surprise, and it was not
 immediately clear what had happened behind the scenes to persuade the Kremlin, which had up to that point shown little sign of compromise, to join calls on the militias to disarm." 
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PRESIDENT OBAMA said Thursday at least 8 million people had signed up for health care through the Affordable Care Act, as he called on Republicans to end their quest for repeal and implored Democrats to "forcefully defend and be proud" of the law, POLITICO's Kyle Cheney and Jennifer Haberkorn report: "In remarks from the White House briefing room, Obama delivered a vigorous defense of the program, which has far exceeded enrollment expectations but remains a liability for Democrats in the midterm elections. 'I don't think we should apologize for it,' Obama said. 'I don't think we should be defensive about it. I think there is a strong, good, right story to tell. What the other side is doing
 and what the other side is offering would strip away protections from those families, and from hundreds of millions of people who had health insurance before the law passed.' ...

-- "'I think we can agree that it is well past time to move on, as a country...The point is, this debate is and should be over. The Affordable Care Act is working. The American people don't want us re-fighting the battles of the past five years.'he said. 
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DEMS' MIDTERM STRATEGY: TRIAGE - Alex Isenstadt reports for the hometown paper: "House Democrats, battered by Koch brothers ads and facing a grim outlook for the midterms, are providing the clearest indication yet of how they plan to respond: By shoring up imperiled incumbents and only the most promising challengers, but most likely leaving some of the party's upstart hopefuls to fend for themselves. The aim of the strategy, detailed in nearly two dozen interviews with party officials and strategists, is a tacit acknowledgement of the ominous political environment Democrats are up against this year. The goal is to stop Republicans from padding their 17-seat edge and keep the party within
 striking distance of the majority in 2016, a presidential election year that could well be more favorable to Democrats.

-- "On Friday, House Majority PAC, a leading Democratic super PAC ... will begin placing its first round of TV ad reservations, according to an outline first shared with POLITICO. Of the 24 districts the group is reserving commercial time in, 18 of them are occupied by party incumbents. The ads will begin running around Labor Day, when the midterm sprint begins in earnest. Some of the reservations are intended to prop up lawmakers long seen as vulnerable, such as Massachusetts Rep. John Tierney and Minnesota Rep. Rick Nolan. But the group says it's learned a valuable lesson from 2010, when the party waited until too late to help incumbents they believed were safe but who ended up losing.
 House Majority PAC will buttress several Democrats who've been favored to win, such as New York Rep. Dan Maffei and Florida Rep. Patrick Murphy." 
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RETIRING SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D-W.VA.) "cut a personal check for $250,000 to Senate Majority PAC, the super PAC focused on defending Democrats' majority this fall. ..." report POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Tarini Parti. "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) have together given an additional $200,000 to Senate Majority PAC - which was co-founded by Reid's former chief of staff Susan McCue - in the 2014 election cycle. The donations from Reid and Kaine were in the first quarter of 2014, while Boxer donated last year." 
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http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=fd07b3f14995cf34011e4a95299978f67a2a42a88ba2fbfd16a7f936a9696bdf Finance report: 
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REP. TONY CARDENAS (D-CALIF.) has stuck his nose in the ongoing Sriracha fight. He said the hot sauce maker should relocate to his San Fernando Valley district, USA Today reports. 
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HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2014, and welcome to The Huddle, where your host only made it until the 4th inning at last night's frigid Nats game before seeking refuge in a nearby bar. It didn't end up being much of a ballgame anyway: The St. Louis Cardinals shut out the Nats 8-0. Here's hoping for warmer weather and better baseball this spring. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to 
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My new followers include 
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TODAY IN CONGRESS - Both the House and Senate are out for the Easter recess. They'll return the week of April 28.

TRANSITIONS - STEPHEN BELL marks his last day as communications director for the House Republican Study Committee and Chairman Steve Scalise (R-La.). He'll start with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association on Monday. "It's been a tremendous honor and privilege to work for Congressman Scalise for nearly five years and the RSC since the start of this Congress," Bell wrote in an email to friends and colleagues. Erika McManus will be filling in for Bell on the communications side at the RSC. Last year, Bell helped the RSC navigate the tricky story that the group had barred Heritage Foundation employees from its weekly meetings in the Capitol. More on that here:
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BOEHNER AT VEGAS FUNDRAISER: I'M 'HELLBENT' ON GETTING IMMIGRATION DONE - Laura Meckler reports for the Wall Street Journal: "Speaker John Boehner and other senior House Republicans are telling donors and industry groups that they aim to pass immigration legislation this year, despite the reluctance of many Republicans to tackle the divisive issue before the November elections. Many lawmakers and activists have assumed the issue was off the table in an election year. But Mr. Boehner said at a Las Vegas fundraiser last month he was 'hellbent on getting this done this year,' according to two people in the room. A spokesman for Mr. Boehner didn&#39;t dispute the account but said no action is
 possible until President Barack Obama proves himself a trustworthy partner to Republicans.

-- "Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R., Va.), chairman of the HouseJudiciary Committee, delivered an upbeat message about legislative prospects during a recent trip to Silicon Valley, said Carl Guardino, chief executive of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, who hosted his visit. He said Mr. Goodlatte told him action in 2014 was 'entirely possible,' likely in the form of votes this summer on five to seven immigration bills." 
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OBAMA CALLS CANTOR PHONE CALL 'PLEASANT' - "President Barack Obama doesn't know what House Majority Leader Eric Cantor heard during their phone call Wednesday - but it wasn't what the Republican described in a press release," writes our own Carrie Budoff Brown. 'I had a very pleasant conversation with Mr. Cantor yesterday,' Obama told reporters Thursday. 'You're always kind of surprised by the mismatch between press releases and the conversation.' The White House had said the president was just trying to wish Cantor, who is Jewish, a happy Passover. But hours later, Cantor's office issued a statement saying Obama had called him to talk about immigration but that he 'still has not learned
 how to effectively work with Congress to get things done.'" 
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McALLISTER STAFFER WHO LEAKED 'KISSING' VIDEO RESIGNS - Greg Hilburn reports for the Monroe (La.) News Star: "Leah Gordon, the staff member of U.S. Rep. Vance McAllister who is accused of leaking the video of the congressman's scandalous kiss, has resigned as his Monroe District Office manager. Adam Terry, McAllister's chief of staff, confirmed her resignation late Wednesday. He said Gordon wasn't fired....McAllister, R-Swartz, has been under fire since a video was published last week showing the married congressman kissing former married staffer Melissa Peacock, who has since resigned. Last week prominent West Monroe minister Danny Chance said he has proof that it was Gordon, who also
 worked for former U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander, R-Ruston, who had possession of the video. Gordon also worked for state Sen. Neil Riser's campaign when he ran against McAllister last fall, but McAllister kept her on staff after winning the election." 
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PROGRESSIVES WILL VOTE FOR HAGAN BUT AREN'T HAPPY ABOUT IT - BuzzFeed's Kate Nocera in Durham, N.C.: "Bill Clay ... a North Carolina native, has been involved in Democratic politics for decades. He volunteers on campaigns and works as a progressive activist. ...Like many progressives here, Clay isn't that impressed with the state's Democratic Sen. Kay Hagan, one of the most vulnerable senators in the country this year. He calls Democrats like Hagan 'corporatists' and said he worked for Hagan's primary opponent Jim Neal in 2008, though he eventually volunteered for her. 'A lot of the progressive community, people that are focused on policy, aren't enthusiastic about Kay Hagan,' Clay said.
 'But a lot of them are like me. I look at it like it's a pragmatic exercise: the lesser of two evils should result in less evil.'

-- "'She's better than the alternative,' echoed Joshua Bradley, a member of the Wake County Progressive Democrats after a meeting in Raleigh. 'I'm still probably going to wake up in the fetal position in the shower sobbing after I vote for her, but I'm going to vote for her.' People like Clay and Bradley - motivated, active Democratic voters - will be essential to Hagan this fall if she is going to hold onto her Senate seat. They believe most will eventually come around to support the moderate Hagan, not because she's especially inspiring, but because Democratic-controlled Senate could hang on the outcome of Hagan's race." 
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RAHM'S FREQUENT FLYER TAB -- Bill Ruthhart has the A1 lead for the Chicago Tribune: "Mayor Rahm Emanuel flew around the country more than 50 times during his first 2 1/2 years in office, mixing city business with politics and attending events that helped burnish his national profile. On at least nine of the trips, records show taxpayers covered all or part of the travel as Emanuel met with political donors or raised campaign money from wealthy business executives who helped stock a re-election fund that now tops $7 million. An additional six taxpayer-funded trips listed little or no official city business but offered Emanuel a stage, from rubbing elbows with Washington&#39;s elite at
 exclusive dinners to giving a commencement speech to graduates of a master&#39;s program named after former President Bill Clinton. ...

-- "The documents, which detail thousands in taxpayer dollars spent on stays at luxury hotels and expensive airline tickets for Emanuel, show how the mayor has maintained his status as a national political figure frequently willing to travel to the power centers of America as he tries to sell Chicago and raise campaign contributions. All told, the mayor&#39;s office has spent at least $325,000 on travel for Emanuel, staff members and the city&#39;s Springfield lobbyists from when the mayor took office in May 2011 through the end of 2013, records show. That total doesn&#39;t include most of the city expenses for private car services on dozens of out-of-town trips that the Emanuel
 administration estimated at $15,000 a year." 
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THE W.H.'S NEW GATE-CRASHER - Carol E. Lee writes on A1 of the Wall Street Journal: "There&#39;s a new guest at the White House. Unlike most people who pass through the presidential residence, he wasn&#39;t invited. But in cutthroat Washington fashion, he saw weakness and took advantage. Now he rests and plays uninhibited at the seat of power. He also has pointy ears and a bushy tail. The little red fox, who hasn&#39;t been named, turned up on the White House grounds in the weeks before the government shutdown in October. After many White House groundskeepers were furloughed, the fox settled in. Months later, the furry little conundrum has left officials who sort through some of the
 world&#39;s most complex challenges scratching their heads.

-- "The fox lacks the deference typically exhibited by White House guests. He tore through the White House garden when it was left unattended during the shutdown. He graduated to tripping alarms in the middle of the night, napping wherever he pleases and generally living the high life on a campus overseen by dozens of highly trained Secret Service agents. Even President Barack Obama was stunned, aides say, when he looked outside the Oval Office one morning to see the fox running down the same open-air colonnade along the Rose Garden that has been traversed by American presidents and world dignitaries for the past century." 
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THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Paul Hays was first to correctly answer that theWashington, D.C., cemetery where the most former members of the U.S. Supreme Court are buried is Rock Creek Cemetery. Justices John Marshall Harlan, Willis Van DeVanter and Stephen Johnson Field are buried there. Oak Hill has two justices and Congressional Cemetery has one. Many answered Arlington National Cemetery, but it is located in Virginia.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - A statue of this woman looks out onto Seward Square in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Who was she? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at 
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