Subject: POLITICO Huddle: SCALISE GETTING WHIPPED – Dems push voting rights in Selma – MENENDEZ’S GOP DEFENDERS – Prospects of immigration reform? – MCCONNELL: NO DEBT DEFAULT – Grayson divorce saga continues
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 09 Mar 2015 05:45:55 -0600

By Seung Min Kim (
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked]  or @seungminkim)

STEVE SCALISE IS GETTING WHIPPED - National Journal's Daniel Newhauser recounts the majority whip's rocky few months as the House GOP's chief vote-counter, with problems on abortion, border-security and education bills. He details how a deputy whip offered to resign and Dick Cheney boasted inside a whip team meeting: "Former Vice President Dick Cheney couldn&#39;t help but gloat, if only in jest, when he visited the House Republican whip team last week in the Capitol. When he served as majority whip in 1989, he never lost a vote, Cheney said ... 'I batted 1.000 as a whip,' he told the GOP whips last Monday, according to a source in the room. 'I&#39;m glad I&#39;m not one now.'"

--Rep. Dennis Ross (R-Fla.) told Scalise during the DHS debacle that he would resign, Newhauser adds: "Ross felt that after promising constituents in his Florida district that he would never support a bill that did not block Obama&#39;s executive action on immigration, he could not in good conscience vote against a procedural motion that would have killed the Senate-passed bill, according to sources familiar with the encounter. Scalise did not accept his resignation." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff3460cc3613c49a5260444fde516923b22d49807c5f8bd77e2a 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff3460cc3613c49a5260444fde516923b22d49807c5f8bd77e2a 

DEMS USE SELMA TO PUSH VOTING RIGHTS - POLITICO's Edward-Isaac Dovere with this dispatch from Selma, Ala.: "Hypocrisy. Disappointment. Frustration. That's how Democrats described their feelings about Republicans as they listened to President Barack Obama call for a renewal of the Voting Rights Act in front of the Edmund Pettus Bridge on the anniversary of the march that helped get the law passed 50 years ago ... 'An absolute disgrace for Republicans in the year 2015 to work overtime to deny people the basic right to vote,' said Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)."

--"House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, the sole member of the House GOP leadership who came for Saturday's ceremony, said he didn't see acting on the VRA as the right way to move forward from Selma. 'There's always different ways to solve a problem. But I think there's always things we should look at,' McCarthy said." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34b25ca901620777dda69970e3a26f70f18e83d6216a68eb5a 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34b25ca901620777dda69970e3a26f70f18e83d6216a68eb5a 

--Isaac also writes about how the nomination of Loretta Lynch for attorney general - which has yet to come to the Senate floor - became a rallying point in Selma over the weekend: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34633d161e467edbcc76d49b0e23086fafa868f534ca53cac4 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34633d161e467edbcc76d49b0e23086fafa868f534ca53cac4 

--Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the civil rights icon who participated in the march from Selma to Montgomery 50 years ago, recounts the experience in a collection of tweets: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34785e80ef181c58ba9999186d72bbe42384083525418c2129 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34785e80ef181c58ba9999186d72bbe42384083525418c2129 

MENENDEZ GETS GOP DEFENDERS - The New Jersey Democrat, who is expected to face corruption charges soon, finds support from unlikely corners including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who calls the timing "awfully coincidental." CNN: "During an appearance at an agricultural summit in Des Moines, Iowa, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, raised questions about why the news of the pending indictment was coming out now ... While appearing at the same event, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, also suggested that there were political motivations by the administration regarding the case." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff3493ec044d1a3e11fb7238101820c8a192e6ecdad3440538dd 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff3493ec044d1a3e11fb7238101820c8a192e6ecdad3440538dd 

--From last week, ICYMI: Menendez to be charged with criminal corruption, but is unlikely to resign his Senate seat. "I am not going anywhere," Menendez vows: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff3417a043e7d74e1a0516fc3405886c5bfa9a47a9673abf0179 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff3417a043e7d74e1a0516fc3405886c5bfa9a47a9673abf0179 

GOP NOT EAGER TO RETURN TO IMMIGRATION - Yours truly and Burgess Everett write about how, after a bruising DHS fight triggered over immigration, Republicans aren't too keen on coming back to the issue anytime soon: "When the GOP-controlled Senate bent to Democratic demands to fund the Department of Homeland Security, effectively undercutting conservatives who were willing to allow the agency to shut down until Obama backed down, there was talk of Senate GOP leaders returning to the immigration issue to find new ways to thwart Obama's orders ... 'At this point, we have a lot of other issues to do,' said Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who authored stand-alone legislation to block Obama's
 immigration directives. 'I'm very happy the Department of Homeland Security is funded, and I think the issue of the president's overreach with his executive order of last November is probably going to end up being decided by the courts. And that's not a bad option.'"

--"Senate Republican leadership aides also indicated that the chamber is not likely to return to the Collins legislation in the next several weeks ... In the House, committees are humming along on some immigration bills, but leadership has shown no indication when - or if - they will come to the floor ... [I]f there was any question, Obama's executive actions, which are deeply despised by Republicans, likely extinguished any remaining prospects of this White House working with the GOP on immigration. In a meeting with advocates last month, Obama said he was not hopeful this Republican-led Congress would pass immigration bills that he would be able to sign, one person who attended the
 meeting said." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff346c10e6d98c06ef9b7c7fead9ea41d1fc65531707a3996eee 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff346c10e6d98c06ef9b7c7fead9ea41d1fc65531707a3996eee 

SUNDAY SHOW WRAP-UP -

--Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) indicates that he may try to extract policy concessions in the coming debt ceiling fight, but adds: 'I made it very clear after the November election that we&#39;re certainly not going to shut down the government or default on the national debt." HuffPo: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff341a5a5d70bc53369984cca7a83c11d147434fb45973307609 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff341a5a5d70bc53369984cca7a83c11d147434fb45973307609 

--Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of at least two members of the Senate flip-phone club, said he has never sent an e-mail. 'I don&#39;t know what that makes me," he added. NBC News: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff342d4c8320e91ed1eee0c39ccee2f62348686f9f2033841c9d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff342d4c8320e91ed1eee0c39ccee2f62348686f9f2033841c9d 

--Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) called on Hillary Clinton to "step up" and more fully address the private e-mail controversy. "From this point on, the silence is going to hurt her," Feinstein said. The New York Times: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff345d31da91e15e0a5bb8b3e2a8ad4b13ae33ecab52989090e0 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff345d31da91e15e0a5bb8b3e2a8ad4b13ae33ecab52989090e0 

--Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), who leads the Benghazi committee, says there are "huge gaps" in the e-mails that Clinton has given to the House panel, noting that investigators have no emails from the day she traveled to Libya after the September 2012 attacks. Reuters: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34162624c031be59dd488b00b5e1f2d271085b39b4d500af8d 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34162624c031be59dd488b00b5e1f2d271085b39b4d500af8d 

TRANSITIONS -- Ellis Brachman is returning to the Hill as chief communications officer for the Congressional Research Service, according to a release going out later today. Brachman was communications director for the House Democratic Caucus under former chair Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.) and the Appropriations Committee under former Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.). He'll be the chief spox for CRS and help lead its communications and congressional outreach efforts.

Sean Coit, who served in Sen. Patty Murray's (D-Wash.) press shop, is starting Monday as communications director for Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). He replaces Ian Koski, who'll stay on as a senior adviser for a bit longer, but has more important matters to tend to: Planning his wedding in Maine.

HAPPY MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2015 and welcome to The Huddle, where we're wondering how many other senators have never used e-mail (there can't be that many, right?) Please send your tips, suggestions, comments, complaints, and corrections to 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked]  and please follow along on Twitter at @seungminkim.

My new followers include @JonathanGormley and @lizmargolis.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House is out. The Senate is in at 2 p.m. and will hold votes at 5:30 p.m. on four nominations: Daniel Henry Marti to be intellectual property enforcement coordinator, Michelle K. Lee to be director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and Jeffrey S. Hall and Dallas P. Tonsager to be members of the Farm Credit Administration Board. First will be a roll call vote, and the rest will be voice-voted.

AROUND THE HILL - Quiet today.

GOP SOUNDS WARNING ON IRAN - Josh Rogin for Bloomberg: "A group of 47 Republican senators has written an open letter to Iran&#39;s leaders warning them that any nuclear deal they sign with President Barack Obama&#39;s administration won't last after Obama leaves office. Organized by freshman Senator Tom Cotton and signed by the chamber&#39;s entire party leadership as well as potential 2016 presidential contenders Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul, the letter is meant not just to discourage the Iranian regime from signing a deal but also to pressure the White House into giving Congress some authority over the process." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff3419c3fc12f9db7fa968138e883f6cf2c98cfdcdc3b5fe67dc 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff3419c3fc12f9db7fa968138e883f6cf2c98cfdcdc3b5fe67dc 

--From the letter, released this morning: "[W]e will consider any agreement regarding your nuclear-weapons program that is not approved by the Congress as nothing more than an executive agreement between President Obama and Ayatollah Khamenei. The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time."

EDWARDS TO ANNOUNCE SENATE BID TUESDAY - The Washington Post has details on Rep. Donna Edwards's (D-Md.) bid to replace the retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.): "Edwards, 56, has drawn early support from national progressive organizations, who helped her oust incumbent Albert Wynn in the 2008 Democratic primary and last week announced a movement to get her to run for Senate. But it remains to be seen whether efforts by groups such as Emily's List and the Feminist Majority will be enough to offset an early funding advantage held by [Rep. Chris] Van Hollen, a proven fundraiser who has $1.7 million in his campaign account." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff340ab8fc4788e4ecad41fbfbb85581fc6abc517a0ad2f76c67 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff340ab8fc4788e4ecad41fbfbb85581fc6abc517a0ad2f76c67 

@frankthorpNBC: While running w/ wife at National Harbor today we stumbled upon @repdonnaedwards taping a message w/ a large production crew #MDSEN?

@frankthorpNBC: Edwards was talking to cam w/ prompter, w/ Natl Harbor/Woodrow Wilson Bridge as backdrop, her office wouldn&#39;t comment on what she was taping

--ICYMI, Reid is already all in for Van Hollen. Kevin Robillard for POLITICO: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34a410010adbdab288642a74da28fe9b7fe24872dab7078f96 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34a410010adbdab288642a74da28fe9b7fe24872dab7078f96 

HUELSKAMP STAFFER ARRESTED ON SEX CRIME CHARGES - KWCH of Wichita, Kansas: "A staffer for a Kansas congressman is in jail charged with 17 counts of sexual exploitation of a child. Matthew P. Pennell was arrested on Thursday ... [Chief of staff Mark Kelly said: 'Upon learning of his arrest, the office immediately placed Mr. Pennell on leave without pay until further notice.Because this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide further comment at this time.'" 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34ec470334cc0eb1192143089d5c5b308a746c5285200a44d9 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34ec470334cc0eb1192143089d5c5b308a746c5285200a44d9 

GRAYSON DIVORCE SAGA CONTINUES - The Associated Press has the latest chapter on the bizarre divorce battle of Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.): "Rep. Alan Grayson says his wife, Lolita, was still married to Robert Carson when she and the multimillionaire congressman married in 1990 in Virginia ... But Lolita Grayson says she divorced Carson in Guam in 1981, and she disputes that she was divorced in Broward County. She also said she isn&#39;t the 'Lolita B. Carson' cited in a dissolution of marriage final judgment that Alan Grayson, 56, says is proof that she was still married to Carson when they wed. Neither side has found Carson." 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34cf3dfec41959788ce7528510eacd05439a70208cb28bc4c6 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6fd2b96b8629ff34cf3dfec41959788ce7528510eacd05439a70208cb28bc4c6 

FRIDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Kirtan Mehta was the first person to correctly answer that John Quincy Adams is the only ex-president to have served in the Senate, House, and argued a case before the Supreme Court.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Kirtan has today's question: In honor of baseball returning, who was the first president to throw out the ceremonial first pitch? Name the year and name the teams that were playing. Please answer all three parts. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day&#39;s Huddle. Email 
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