Subject: POLITICO Huddle, Driven by the all-new Ford Mustang: KEYSTONE SESSION ENDS IN ANGER -- But Senate shatters 2014 amendment number -- Moderates flex muscle in House -- IRAN CAUSES GOP RIFT
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 06:50:54 -0600

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

REGULAR ORDER GETS UGLY - It was a late one last night (and this morning) in the Senate, with the chamber staying in past midnight as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sought to dispose of Democratic amendments to the Keystone XL Pipeline and finally move the bill toward an end game. All the while, Democrats' requests to speak on the floor during the debate were denied, leading to some hurt feelings. Elana Schor explains the state of play: "The new, freewheeling Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell presided over an agitated debate on the Keystone XL pipeline that churned into Friday's wee hours and ended with aggrieved Democrats crying Koch. Around midnight, a seemingly endless
 series of amendment votes and quorum calls shifted as McConnell moved to end debate on a bill that would yank President Barack Obama's authority over the proposed oil pipeline - after quickly disposing of five Democratic amendments." 
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Crying Koch? The Hill's Laura Barron-Lopez: "Democrats questioned if the speedy nighttime session to get through amendments had something to do with the conference in California sponsored by the Freedom Partners, a conservative group tied to mega-donors Charles and David Koch. 'Senator McConnell&#39;s rush to vote on amendments without providing time to read or debate them could have something to do with this Koch retreat tomorrow, which a number of Republican senators are reportedly attending,' Adam Jentleson, spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said. 
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@StewSays (Don Stewart, a top McConnell aide): Summary: Sen.McConnell asked consent to vote on remaining pending amendments Friday; Democrats objected; next votes will be on Monday.

Long weekend: There will be no Friday session in the Senate today.

CHAMPAGNE SPILLING: The Senate surpassed a big milestone barely three weeks into the year, eclipsing the total number of amendment votes in 2014 on Jan. 22, 2015. This is is going to be the talking point you hear from Republicans if you ask about the unusual Thursday night session, but Democrats seem happy too: All these amendment votes give them exactly the kind of election ammunition that the GOP was seeking in the minority last year. 
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MODERATES STRIKE BACK: We checked all the headlines; there's really no explanation for the collapse of the 20-week abortion ban other than the rising clout of GOP centrists. Remember, the GOP House majority is bigger than it's been since the '40s, and that means Republicans have extended their reach far beyond conservative bastions in the South and West. Jake and bureau chief Bres: "In years past, it was just the far right that dragged Boehner by the hair. But the political pendulum has swung closer to the center, and now, everyday members of the House Republican Conference are regaining their voice and willing to criticize their leadership for catering almost exclusively to conservatives.
 It happened first last week, when dozens of them revolted on amendments to gut President Barack Obama's executive actions on immigration. And this week, moderates forced the leadership into a deeply uncomfortable situation, pulling Congress into an unwanted discussion about rape and abortion." 
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Who are these folks? "Rather than trying to appease conservatives by pursuing bills that have little hope of becoming law, GOP leaders, who have had their own battles with the party&#39;s right flank, suddenly find themselves with a faction of vocal Republican lawmakers who say they are interested in scoring legislative victories rather than political points. 'I&#39;m a practical Republican,' said Rep. Tom MacArthur, a newly elected lawmaker from New Jersey who voted against the Dreamer-deportation measure and raised concerns about the antiabortion bill, despite his opposition to abortion." LAT'S Lisa Mascaro: 
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DRESSED DOWN BY BROWN - My favorite moment of the week was riding the subway with Sen. Sherrod Brown talking about the State of the Union. The Ohio Democrat was in a punchy mood as we chatted about tax policy. "When you think tax reform in this place, where everybody's paid well and dresses well," he said, pausing to look at me. "Well, you guys aren't paid well and you don't dress that well either." Luckily, riding in the car with us was a Republican aide that noted my new(ish) haircut. "The haircut looks great," Brown admitted, eyeing me further. "But the tie?"

** Manufacturing jobs in 25 U.S. states contribute to an iconic car assembled in Michigan. Now the 2015 Ford Mustang is marking its official launch to more than 100 markets around the world. Watch its journey:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b95526a9ceed28ab7c3fa2da4f818e60d93b86e0a13ff9c9bea2aeddea38e3d9 
 http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b95526a9ceed28ab7c3fa2da4f818e60d93b86e0a13ff9c9bea2aeddea38e3d9  **

NOT LONG 'TIL HAPPY HOUR. Welcome to the Huddle, your play-by-play guide to everything Capitol Hill, where this Terp is beginning to develop strong feelings toward the state of Indiana. Please send tips to 
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TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House and Senate are out until Monday.

THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED LINK: "Breast implant leak delays congressman&#39;s wife&#39;s bigamy trial," by the AP.

REMEMBERING WENDELL FORD: The former Kentucky senator and Democratic whip died early Thursday. "Ford held elective office for 33 years - the last 24 of them as a U.S. senator - and was the only Kentuckian ever to win election to consecutive terms as lieutenant governor, governor and senator. To many Democrats, Ford was the most popular, effective and enduring politician the state party had produced in the last half century, and many sought his blessing and support before launching their own political campaigns." Courier-Journal: 
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McConnell floor speech: "Wendell Ford first came to the Senate in the 1970s, calling himself just 'a dumb country boy with dirt between his toes.' But, over a distinguished two-decade career, this workhorse of the Senate would prove he was anything but."

In October: Ford cut an ad for Alison Lundergan Grimes: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b95526a9ceed28abf7ad55de41933042105bc2e62724fe49d29e95ecc78c89c7 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b95526a9ceed28abf7ad55de41933042105bc2e62724fe49d29e95ecc78c89c7  (h/t to new Timesman Alex Burns)

THE DEFINITIVE PRE-SURGERY REID STORY: Written by Manu Raju, naturally. "Harry Reid doesn't particularly like long phone calls. He is known to abruptly hang up after a quick conversation with an aide, a senator or a lobbyist. But in the aftermath of a grisly New Year's Day exercise accident, which gave him four broken ribs and may leave him permanently blind in one eye, the 75-year-old Nevada Democrat has been burning up the phones with up to 50 calls per day, trying to make clear that he's still in charge. He may be keeping largely out of the public eye, but his conversations with other senators, President Barack Obama and prominent Democratic players have shown he's not yielding any of
 his power during his convalescence." 
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McCAUL, SESSIONS TRY TO SQUASH BEEF: But it didn't really seem to work, reports Roll Call's Matt Fuller. Sen. Jeff Sessions has been highly critical of Rep. Mike McCaul's border security bill, and the readouts from the two Republicans suggest all is not resolved. 'I don't think he had anything very specific with respect to my bill,' [McCaul said]. 'If you look at his seven issues, they're really all in the judiciary lane.' In a phone interview with CQ Roll Call later Thursday, however, Sen. Sessions adamantly disagreed with that characterization." 
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It's probably moot: The administration hates the McCaul bill anyway, reports Seung Min Kim. DHS Sec. Jeh Johnson calls it"extreme to the point of being unworkable." 
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IRAN, IRAN SO FAR AWAY: There are two very different approaches coming out of the Senate Banking Committee and Foreign Relations Committee on Iran, a Mark Kirk sanctions bill and a Bob Corker bill that would require Congress to approve a nuclear deal with Iran. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has no intention of picking one; instead both proposals will get floor action in some fashion simultaneously and possibly be married. But meanwhile, people are starting to take sides. "'I don't want to apply sanctions in a fashion that will disrupt the negotiations,' [Lindsey] Graham said. 'Corker and I are working with Democrats to not have a sanctions vote - but when the deal is concluded, if
 there is one, to bring it forward to the Congress.' Asked about Corker's proposal, Kirk was less than enthused about the prospect of a vote to approve the Iran deal. 'Sometimes we get trapped in minority-think,' Kirk said. 'We think: 'How could we lock in another vote?' Once you have a majority, you can lock in a vote whenever you want.'" Myself and Manu: 
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TOM STEYER BURIES THE LEDE: But writes in HuffPo that he's not running for the California Senate seat being left open by Barbara Boxer. 
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Why not to 11? Rep. Xavier Becerra, on the other hand, is so serious he's rating his own seriousness, reports Anna Palmer. "'One to 10, 10 being serious, 10,' said Becerra when asked how seriously he was considering launching a campaign." 
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Less forthcoming: Former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa jukes the press at the U.S. Conference of Mayors, reports McClatchy's Curtis Tate. ""So I have an important announcement to make: The dessert will be served in just a moment." 
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IT WASN'T A HACK: Senate friends, wondering why your email went out on Wednesday night? The Sergeant At Arms says " a network router experienced a hardware failure."

THURSDAY's TRIVIA WINNER - Claude Mark was the first to answer that California Sen. Barbara Boxer and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are two Brooklynites representing other states. We meant (but neglected to say) current senators, but plenty of readers including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, also offered former Sen. Norm Coleman.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Claude has today'squestion: Name the Supreme Court Justice that served two separate stints, one as associate Justice and one as Chief. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at 
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GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says "Sign Up."
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** The all-new Mustang is just another reason that Ford is a top U.S. exporter of vehicles. That's because trade is fundamental to Ford's business. Tariffs were last century's trade barrier and currency manipulation is the 21st century one. Leading economic groups from across the political spectrum, including
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b95526a9ceed28ab9a32249e0f0fca008df7c27e84863e4b7fd0f332e1bcd340 
 the Peterson Institute  and
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 the Laffer Center , agree that currency manipulation by other countries is hurting America&#39;s competitiveness. That's why the U.S. must secure strong and enforceable rules prohibiting currency manipulation in Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and all future trade deals. Learn more at:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b95526a9ceed28ab7c3fa2da4f818e60d93b86e0a13ff9c9bea2aeddea38e3d9 
 http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b95526a9ceed28ab7c3fa2da4f818e60d93b86e0a13ff9c9bea2aeddea38e3d9  **

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