Subject: POLITICO Huddle, Driven by the all-new Ford Mustang: So, what’s coming to the Hill from Obama’s SOTU? -- WHAT HE SAID, WHAT HE MEANT -- Ernst solid in response -- GOP plan B on DHS? -- REID IS BACK
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 06:52:08 -0600

By Burgess Everett (@burgessev or 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] )

WHAT STICKS OUT A DAY LATER: It was a confident and dare we say football spiking State of the Union from President Barack Obama, one that saw few new policy proposals that will pass Congress and little bad behavior from the president's political opposition (If you wanted to make a point, you did it with a guest last night: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd8230b65072685a1446cadea5ee0bd276b8a7f8b81cc7cb5ef5 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd8230b65072685a1446cadea5ee0bd276b8a7f8b81cc7cb5ef5 ). What sticks in my head hours later is the ad-libbed line following his mention that he doesn't have to run any more elections: "I know because I won both of them." That one blew up Twitter and evoked the most reaction from the room. And his remark on the economy -- "this is good news people" -- accompanied by a smile and a wink toward the GOP is something that only a very confident president could say. If you missed the whole thing and want to sound smart today here's a SOTU 2015 recap in 90 seconds: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd829e1673c5ff28c94a5c9a0fe954bde5a906bc88991d0b2061 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd829e1673c5ff28c94a5c9a0fe954bde5a906bc88991d0b2061  | And full SOTU in 60 minutes: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd822ebd8ef7578eda16647e486a31dfe37cab8f2c1a9555b200 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd822ebd8ef7578eda16647e486a31dfe37cab8f2c1a9555b200 

So, what's actually going to come to Hill after this? Whatever you think of the president's ideas to expand education access or reform the tax code, it's clear that GOP leaders in Congress have no plans to fast-track those through Capitol Hill. Instead it's going to be the big ticket items that we've been talking about for a while that are most likely to get Hill consideration: Cybersecurity, trade (the least applauded subject from Democrats last night) and an Authorization of the Use of Military Force against the Islamic State.

CUTTING THROUGH: David Nather brings back a classic of the Carrie Budoff Brown Oeuvre: What Obama said, and what he meant. "What he said: "Tonight I want to focus less on a checklist of proposals and focus more on the values at stake in the choices before us." What he meant: "Tonight I want to talk about 2016 ... What he said: "So I'll be taking new action to help states adopt paid leave laws of their own. And since paid sick leave won where it was on the ballot last November, let's put it to a vote right here in Washington." What he meant: "Maybe the states will listen to me ... What he said: "Let's set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline." What he meant: "You're not getting
 Keystone." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82cb877aba7d3c67042c1a00acd96a1f9d625bb123855d059e 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82cb877aba7d3c67042c1a00acd96a1f9d625bb123855d059e 

SO HOW'D JONI ERNST DO? The freshly elected Iowa GOP senator didn't cause any stir with what Robert Costa writes was a " smoothly delivered, personal and populist message." Indeed, there was no water bottle moment, and the Iowa National Guard member seemed particularly strong on military matters, speaking"firmly in favor of a foreign policy that promotes U.S. engagement abroad and military strength. 'The forces of violence and oppression don't care about the innocent ... We need a comprehensive plan to defeat them.'" 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82adda3543ff404b096c1d8fdb76e14e4c7bf61d18a380e4a9 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82adda3543ff404b096c1d8fdb76e14e4c7bf61d18a380e4a9 

The hometown paper's take: The Des Moines Register's Kathie Obradovich writes that "Ernst&#39;s performance Tuesday will enhance her reputation in Washington and, at least in the short term, make it easier for her to make her mark." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82cf0a0859bfec3e9453fef9b738b944e9362ede87e8a5355b 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82cf0a0859bfec3e9453fef9b738b944e9362ede87e8a5355b 

What you really came to see: Ernst's camo shoes: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82249be7db31840da959b2ee941f187cf998ca54792d9f54c5 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82249be7db31840da959b2ee941f187cf998ca54792d9f54c5 

AND RAND PAUL? In his own address released right after Obama's speech, the Kentucky senator "called on the U.S. government to follow the instructions he received in medical school. 'As a physician, I was taught, &#39;First do no harm,&#39; to think before you act, to analyze the unintended consequences of your actions.'" National Journal's Emma Roller: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82f23c37dddba52e91725d595fc3429efe6798b57146761879 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82f23c37dddba52e91725d595fc3429efe6798b57146761879 

AND TED CRUZ? I've decided he enjoys the State of the Union more than almost any other Republican. It's not that he likes listening to Obama, but he does love the access to dozens of cameras and reporters in Statuary Hall -- where he can barely walk 10 feet before drawing a crowd. Alas, his best line was unveiled before the speech: He said Obama sounds like Christopher Walken's SNL character that thinks "more cowbell" is the solution to everything. Obviously, here's the skit: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82bb9c88bef872794f73dfea0ff92d3e0b7368fdd2ad8a5669 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82bb9c88bef872794f73dfea0ff92d3e0b7368fdd2ad8a5669 

"Eh, let me start over": If there's a downside to all that exposure, it's that Cruz flubbed one of his MANY responses in Stat Hall (55-second mark): 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82bae65a0479bcc205cf170403ba12a3def3e149224460fc26 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82bae65a0479bcc205cf170403ba12a3def3e149224460fc26 

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME: Can't really think of a worse place to lead a car chase last night than through Capitol Hill. "About 20 minutes into President Barack Obama's State of the Union address, reports came in over Capitol Police radios of an armed robbery suspect driving erratically toward the Capitol. The driver was trailed by police cars from two Maryland jurisdictions on streets north of the Hill. Over the course of a few minutes, the driver took a few sharp turns, winding through streets east of the Capitol, before coming to a stop near the Rayburn House Office Building, according to sources near the scene of the arrest." Roll Call's Hannah Hess: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82e4f846dae2e8d09ab8e6858ea30cd28916a8e5b4f92da41c 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82e4f846dae2e8d09ab8e6858ea30cd28916a8e5b4f92da41c 

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A WEARY WEDNESDAY. And welcome to the Huddle, your play-by-play guide to everything Capitol Hill, where the rest of the week will be spent nursing a political hangover from the State of the Union. Please send tips to 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked]  and follow along on Twitter @burgessev.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate is in at 9:30 a.m. and is expected to vote throughout the day on a series of amendments to the Keystone XL Pipeline bill. The House is in at 10 a.m. and is expected to consider the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act.

AROUND THE HILL - At 10 a.m. Speaker John Boehner holds a post-conference media availability in HC-8, while at the same time in HVC-210 Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra will hold an availability. Also at 10 a.m. a number of Democrats will appear in SVC 214 to call for campaign finance reform. At 5:30 p.m. former Rep. J.C. Watts will honor newly-elected Reps. Mia Love and Will Hurd and Sen. Tim Scott in HC-5.

MONDAY'S MOST CLICKED LINK: Clearly, it was Speaker John Boehner's explanation of a photo showing him adjusting Vice President Joe Biden's natty suit. We're betting on Joni Ernst's shoes for tomorrow.

GOP'S DHS PLANS STILL UNRESOLVED: Republicans still don't know exactly how they are going to keep the Department of Homeland Security funded and hit back at Obama's immigration action at the same time, my colleagues Manu Raju and Seung Min Kim report. "Among the possible Plan B's: Republicans could pass a new bill to beef up security at the U.S.-Mexico border. They could sue to overturn Obama's unilateral protections for millions of undocumented immigrants. Or they could pass yet another short-term DHS funding measure, giving the GOP more time to approve a strategy ... All these options would soften the hard line the House drew last week, when it passed a DHS spending bill that would roll
 back Obama administration moves on immigration dating back to 2011." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82faba2cecdb06f66a058b36128f0fabaaee796b7b7236cd9a 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd82faba2cecdb06f66a058b36128f0fabaaee796b7b7236cd9a 

Secretary on the Hill: DHS Sec. Jeh Johnson was in the Capitol for what he would only call a "bipartisan" meeting that appeared to be attended by House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul and his ranking member Bennie Thompson. Johnson said he's urging a clean funding bill from Congress -- but would say little else about the task at hand.

REVENGE SERVED COLD? Boehner hasn't moved to further punish his dissidents in the House, but that doesn't mean everything is resolved, Huddle alum Scott Wong writes. "Working with committee chairmen, Boehner could cut off their ability to travel abroad on congressional trips. His loyalists could also skip defectors when it comes to deciding who gets to sponsor legislation moving in the House. The Speaker can also turn off the spigot of donations that flow from his large network of political contributors, depriving the dissidents of campaign cash." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd821a62b89a1f0ad7b95da69a8076119cfc10a5d1e8fa75e886 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=0840d553ee1bfd821a62b89a1f0ad7b95da69a8076119cfc10a5d1e8fa75e886 

REID RETURNS: Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid was back at the Capitol yesterday, and though he didn't attend the State of the Union he did run Democrats' caucus meeting. "Much better, he looked good today," Sen. Chuck Schumer said of the minority leader late last night (or was it this morning?). "He has a bounce in his step." Reid still hasn't made a speech on the Senate floor or conducted a weekly news conference; Republicans gave another unrebutted press conference on Tuesday. "That will take a little time," Schumer said of Reid's rhetorical return. Reid told Manu he's hoping the vision returns in his right eye.

KIRK NOT WORRIED ABOUT DUCKWORTH - The GOP senator tells Manu that he intends to beat Democratic House member Tammy Duckworth if she runs against him. "It's going to be a vigorous campaign that I will overwhelmingly be likely to prevail in ... I've always had tough races in the House and Senate, and I've beat everybody," he said.

MONDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Matt Schlager was the first to answer that Victor Berger, a Wisconsin socialist, advocated abolishing the Senate because he believed the chamber was corrupt.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Logan Ferree has today's question: Who is the only U.S. senator to be convicted of treason in absentia? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] 

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