Subject: POLITICO Huddle: GOP SEARCHES FOR HOPE IN KEY PRIMARIES -- Haspel hits the Hill after near withdrawal -- TRUMP’S ANTI-MUELLER WARRIORS -- McCain allies prepare for the end
From: "POLITICO Huddle" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 07 May 2018 05:57:55 -0600
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05/07/2018 07:56 AM EDT

By Nolan D. McCaskill ([email-masked] or @NolanDMcCaskill) 
 
ON TAP FOR CONGRESS -- Congress is back in session today after a weeklong recess. The House is scheduled to hold votes through Thursday, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has teed up six judicial nominations. CIA director nominee Gina Haspel will hit the Hill today for meetings with Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) ahead of Wednesday's hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee, according to Playbook. The White House is also expected to formally ask Congress today to cut billions of dollars from years-old spending, starting a 45-day countdown clock. But much of the week will focus on primary elections as both
 parties fight for control of Washington. 
 
GOP FACES KEY PRIMARIES THIS WEEK -- All eyes will be on West Virginia's GOP Senate primary this week. Republicans are hoping Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.) or state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey can prevail over the surging Don Blankenship, a once imprisoned coal baron who hasn't ruled out a third-party run if he loses on Tuesday. "Republicans will also choose two other Senate nominees Tuesday in crucial races: Indiana and Ohio," Steven Shepard and Alex Isenstadt report. "And each of those three primary campaigns has turned more pitched and acrimonious in the run-up to the vote, an early sign of ugly midterm fights ahead in states that will help determine which party controls the Senate
 for the next two years."
 
Congressional primaries in North Carolina and Ohio are expected to shed light on the party's posture heading into the midterms. "But it's the West Virginia Senate contest that has roiled the national landscape -- in large part because of establishment Republicans' efforts to derail Blankenship's campaign, and Blankenship's inflammatory and at times racially charged rhetoric in response," they note. "Many in the party are convinced that a Blankenship win would destroy the party's prospects of defeating [Sen. Joe] Manchin in November." Still, the Senate map favors Republicans, as Democrats have 24 seats up for grabs, including 10 in states President Donald Trump won in 2016. Much more: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=644532684f244a2a3ac58a3cab9ab33094dd2e274a47f9ff31908b8f3e9516b7490b0f78950308e9766961442f1a396b 
 
Related: "Blankenship surging on eve of West Virginia Senate primary," by Alex Isenstadt: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2eac4e6a966216d231c12dc818a6f3244ce01b149c065807adb2afee88b7a3a55ff8cecd45435fe46f "Don Blankenship won't rule out third party bid in West Virginia senate race," from CBS News' Nicole Sganga: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2e42192beff6e495f1b5d0a4a59ae3fe7f79bb630c9dd9ca497020d3ee7192dc4464f5ce14f0a9ca45 and "'Mini-Trump' candidates battle it out in Republican primaries," via Reuters' James Oliphant: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=644532684f244a2afe0e4e548723054e6e257d300325993ed80d2d24ea332e555d235e2f3a9939bbf7b35a769214aed8 
 
ONCE-SAFE GOP INCUMBENTS STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL -- Dozens of House Republicans are facing something this cycle for the first time in their congressional careers: competitive races against credible, well-funded Democrats. "Many newly vulnerable Republicans represent suburban communities such as [Rep. Ted] Budd's, where Donald Trump won in 2016 but has since lost popularity," The Washington Post's David Weigel and Paul Kane report. "Budd is one of two GOP incumbents in this region of North Carolina being targeted by Democrats, with pollsters and independent handicappers saying the races could be competitive." Budd and Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-N.C.) cruised to victory in 2016 over cash-strapped
 Democrats. This year, however, their opponents have each outraised them, racking up more than $1 million apiece. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=644532684f244a2a1a80a81c4554a57bb6b23faed85f2c1f5dc7b0d4b8471ce3c8f6b57acccb4bc0432af3d59e1aa964 
 
GOOD MORNING! Thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, May 7. 
 
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FRIDAY'S MOST CLICKED: McClatchy's report on the Senate's consideration of controversial judicial nominee Ryan Bounds was the winner.
 
PELOSI PREDICTS A WAVE -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Democrats have the "small droplets of water" -- fundraising, issues and an energized base -- necessary to make more than a splash this November. "Democrats need to pick up 23 seats to flip the majority," The Associated Press' Thomas Beaumont notes. "A stream of Republican House retirements, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, and the GOP-passed tax cut's shaky popularity, underscored by President Trump's low approval, are fueling increased Democratic hopes of retaking the House for the first time since 2010." 
 
Pelosi told AP she's been a longtime target of the GOP because she's been an effective leader. "I also happen to be, apart from anyone who's running for president or been the presidential nominee, the biggest fundraiser in the country," she said. "So they want to diminish that." Cory Bliss, executive director of the Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC, vowed to "spend millions" this summer and fall "reminding people what Nancy Pelosi would do to this country if she were speaker again." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=644532684f244a2ae929c0f6885210e8d400d3e1003dafe8ed3e1f321707325d694b0e45a462fbf788671197b462baac 
 
Like Pelosi, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is similarly optimistic his party will prevail in November -- and likely elevate him to speaker. "[H]e says he'll talk about the speaker's race after Republicans retain control of the House," AP's Lisa Mascaro writes in a profile of the GOP leader. "He maintains they will and has said little about what's next for him if they don't. But last week... McCarthy told a group of students he's unlikely to run for another office after serving in the House: 'That's where my political career will probably end.'" More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=644532684f244a2aa2806f08f41cd301157945244a43b775dbe2788bc9871c6e8de26146d0bcd98b109c408f63941068 
 
Related reads: "Pelosi calls for ethics investigation into C&aacute;rdenas sexual assault allegations," via Heather: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2e2686d229b2e749d30f5271c0b6a7c78baf48a3747562be06cf350f988779919fd6aa8e8d3c805604 "Republicans at state party gathering would rather talk about the gas tax than keeping the House," per the Los Angeles Times' Christine Mai-Duc: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2ea7c74fce2b31139afddccb1c5d8a239a0cbc0b494f92c614061fbe680a827e5cf8929844b182efa1 "In A 2018 Democratic Primary, It's Good To Be A Woman," from BuzzFeed News' Ruby Cramer: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2e47783d95f0b4b9ed51334c6f27f38914e66bed0354117696d68c356ce964240a53190b26e7a14dc5 and "Record Numbers of Women Running for Office May Not Mean Big Gains in Congress," by Bloomberg: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=644532684f244a2a4502ef30b548c0e67cc43e1948ba11810f7150ca6971f5ac1abb3db10d0a319ff4bacd43b73f7c81 
 
HASPEL HANGS ON AFTER NEARLY WITHDRAWING -- CIA Deputy Director Gina Haspel nearly withdrew her nomination to be CIA director last week, worried that her controversial role in the interrogation of terrorist suspects could sink her confirmation in the Senate. After Haspel signaled that her withdrawal was forthcoming during a White House meeting on Friday, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and legislative affairs director Marc Short met with Haspel at her office at CIA headquarters later that day. "Discussions stretched several hours, officials said, and the White House was not entirely sure she would stick with her nomination until Saturday afternoon," The Washington Post's Carol D.
 Leonnig, Shane Harris and Josh Dawsey report.
 
CIA spokesman Ryan Trapani said Americans will "finally" see the "true" Haspel when she testifies on Wednesday. "Those who know the true Gina Haspel -- who worked with her, who served with her, who helped her confront terrorism, Russia and countless other threats to our nation -- they almost uniformly support her," Trapani said. "That is true for people who disagree about nearly everything else. There is a reason for that. ... [Americans] will understand why she is so admired and why she is and will be a great leader for this agency." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=644532684f244a2a2fcdb432a6bad9ae3121a3dad06a6f7ad6c9fdff7f8ab7613fc519529b183ebc17b13803630961d9 
 
Related: "White House gears up to push CIA nominee as concerns mount," by Christopher Cadelago and Nahal Toosi: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2e0b94b4cfc1e2771c399358ede971870eb8c0f51bce4a242b99c14655e3a7aacf3b4b7a5b1d319354 and "ACLU demands internal CIA records on Haspel push," from Elana: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2e1383c4ae8a9ebe8a7a039287407750fbf0331191db9c2a96c5e15507e61a4d593173bf6606d6c067 
 
HOUSE DEMS PLAN TO RELEASE RUSSIA-LINKED FACEBOOK ADS -- House Intelligence Committee Democrats plan to release 3,000 Russia-linked Facebook ads as early as this week "in what would offer the broadest picture yet of how the social network was manipulated during and after the 2016 U.S. presidential election," The Wall Street Journal's Deepa Seetharaman and Byron Tau report. "The cache will show the images of the ads, which groups the ads targeted, how much they cost and how many Facebook users viewed them." Democrats and Facebook are still negotiating how much user information should be redacted, meaning the release could come next week or later. Much more: 
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2e4f8ac263fa70efcb224ef058545a874a1a58d01cb1828635d83c0f52d19244cfa3579c7d94eb921d 
 
MEET TRUMP'S 'WARRIORS' -- A group of four House Republicans has defended the president's sustained attacks on the Justice Department's Russia probe, unsettling even some GOP colleagues who think they're going too far. The president calls them his "warriors." "They have demanded thousands of documents central to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation," Kyle reports. "They threaten to impeach Mueller's boss, who in turn accuses them of 'extortion.' One has even likened the Russia probe to a possible 'coup d'etat.'" The group -- Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) -- has become some of Washington's most prominent Republicans,
 with direct lines to the White House and Air Force One flights.
 
"Their emergence underscores a reality of the Trump era: power and prominence on Capitol Hill these days often flow not to the most senior lawmakers but to Republicans who display allegiance to a president who prizes loyalty," Kyle writes. "None of the four holds a powerful committee chairmanship, but they have something just as important: regular airtime on Fox News. And their pressure campaign against the Justice Department and FBI has put Mueller's boss, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, on the defensive." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2e9870d8af3874d5ae7e1c56dd0b2a9bc90af47af54f3136ba65c9722f912f755d82c142746d19ecdf 
 
Related Russia reads: "Trump Team Takes a More Aggressive Stance on Mueller Probe," from The Wall Street Journal's Aruna Viswanatha, Erica Orden and Byron Tau: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2ed986546359c3265137e0507c05b8dcbe7c1ea8db43350fe91641a37e91ac4dec1fbc79569fc2c2c4 and "Nunes demands Justice Department records. Then he doesn't read them," by CNN's Manu Raju, Jeremy Herba and Laura Jarrett: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2e15c82ec45d795f14c63a6341cc43a1c1bc948bf987c346121ccbed1ee94f6f85f1740a8583009ea9 
 
MCCAIN, ALLIES PREPARE FOR THE WORST -- Close friends of Sen. John McCain have told the White House that the Arizona Republican wants Vice President Mike Pence to attend his funeral at Washington's National Cathedral, but not the president. "And some of his associates, though not his family, have started to quietly put out word that they want a 'McCain person' eventually appointed to fill his Senate seat, a roster that includes his wife, Cindy," The New York Times' Jonathan Martin reports. McCain, who has been in Arizona for months recovering from cancer treatment, is still fighting. 
 
"But his health has become a matter of immediate political interest," Martin writes. "Mr. McCain's future may determine whether Republicans retain their single-seat Senate majority: Should the senator die or resign before the end of May, there will most likely be a special election for the seat this fall. But under Arizona law, if he remains in office into June, there will probably not be an election for the seat until 2020, which Republicans would prefer given Democratic enthusiasm this year." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2e1a4cdb54838f2c98cfa312b3374891eb2600a64e8b0c53be7c19f271dda8438c16848b1d2b2e9fa7 
 
FEINSTEIN GETS OBAMA ENDORSEMENT -- Former President Barack Obama endorsed Sen. Dianne Feinstein in California's Democratic primary. "The endorsement -- a rare intervention from Obama -- served as the highest profile rebuke yet of state Sen. Kevin de Le&oacute;n's long-shot effort to unseat Feinstein," David Siders reports. "Feinstein, a centrist and an institution in California Democratic politics, has maintained large leads over de Le&oacute;n in fundraising and polls ahead of the state's June primary election. But she has also suffered from increasing angst among progressive activists here, failing to secure the state Democratic Party's endorsement earlier this year." Obama called her an
 "indispensable leader for California" and "one of America's most effective champions for progress." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2ee120cbd55a54f8fe46cc95f29abdf53b5c0ab72136581245217b242f645c350e6d1c8bae361119d9 
 
TRANSITIONS -- Aaron Clark has left the office of Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), where he served as communications director and deputy chief of staff. Pat Long is Fitzpatrick's new communications director.
 
TODAY IN CONGRESS -- The House gavels in at 12 p.m., with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. Today's agenda: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7e5dae36e7ce2a2ed86308c2c135dfbf50bedbd9d5f2b713a4eccfa1889b300dee2f07deff15d1aad92990997ff4cfa5 The Senate meets at 3 p.m. to resume consideration of judicial nominee Kurt Engelhardt. The chamber will hold a procedural vote on his nomination at 5:30 p.m.
 
AROUND THE HILL -- Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) will hold a news conference with young activists and survivors of gun violence to demand Congress take immediate action to curb gun violence in America at 10:30 a.m. in the Senate Swamp.
 
Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.) will hold a news conference with faith leaders to urge lawmakers to reject proposed cuts to SNAP in the farm bill at 11 a.m. in the House Triangle.
 
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) will receive the George Washington University Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication's award for congressional leadership in public diplomacy at 5 p.m. in 419 Dirksen.
 
FRIDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER -- Eamonn Dundon was first to correctly guess that Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) was also an amateur boxer. 
 
TODAY'S TRIVIA -- From Eamonn: This former House speaker hailed from the closest port city in the U.S. to Europe. Who is he, and what city is he from? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: [email-masked].
 
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