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07/22/2016 07:43 AM EDT


By Heather Caygle (hcaygle@politico.com or @heatherscope)

CLINTON'S RUNNING MATE RACE WRAPPING UP- With the 2016 GOP convention officially in the books, all eyes turn to Hillary Clinton and who she picks as a running mate. An announcement from her camp is expected by the end of this weekend but the chattering class has continually returned to a short list of names in recent days including Sens. Tim Kaine and Cory Booker and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The New York Times reported Thursday the Clinton camp is leaning heavily toward picking Virginia moderate Kaine and is expected to announce the final choice in an email to supporters today. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac90570038df16d8ce4183c74c2e22056823dbc0386fe0b84a8fdfe

Booker in Cleveland Thursday: "Sen. Cory Booker demurred Thursday on whether he will be Hillary Clinton's vice presidential pick, but the New Jersey Democrat hinted that he is likely to speak at the Democratic convention." Roll Call: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac90570248936e5ef8e77e3d57a22f5c06f5fb15be4f386aff87ef7

Sen. Elizabeth Warren on VP nod: "Probably not." The Boston Globe: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac905705ec9f4af2f90a72af1ef7eb0338e5800d286e4b0a64f4068

KAINE'S LIFE ON THE VEEP BUBBLE - Burgess crossed the D.C. border into Virginia Thursday to follow Kaine as he hopscotched from events. The dispatch: "Kaine is running a textbook vice-presidential lobbying campaign: low-key, on message and full of praise for Hillary Clinton - all while deflecting direct questions about the matter."

On the contrary: Kaine's day "was a marked contrast to the approach of another vice presidential hopeful, Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, who was in Cleveland with party faithful blasting Trump at a news conference. Instead, Kaine demonstrated his comfort with the media and his willingness to mix politics, policy and local issues all at once - someone who could complement Clinton in this important swing state."

His resume: Before becoming senator, Kaine served as Richmond mayor, Virginia governor and Democratic National Committee chairman. He was also on the VP shortlist in 2008. "He seemed acutely aware that in just a couple of days, it'll either all be over or he'll never be able to operate with this level of freedom again.'It will be normal again,' Kaine insisted. 'I'm glad the waiting game is near over.'" More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac905705fbe7f13f263b061d2c5e3acfcd65335039fb747f2fee3ca

McCONNELL: TRUMP WRONG ON NATO-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump's comments about NATO-namely that the U.S. might not defend its international allies in some cases-are just "wrong" during an interview with Seung Min.

But the GOP leader still didn't question Trump's fitness to be president, noting that the billionaire businessman's cabinet officials are unlikely to have the same controversial opinion. "I don't think that view would be prevalent or held by anybody he might make secretary of State or secretary of Defense," McConnell told Seung Min.

More McConnell nuggets: He thinks Republicans will hold onto the Senate, despite defending 24 seats, many in states that trend blue and purple in a presidential election, and the late entry of Democratic candidate (and former senator) Evan Bayh in Indiana. On Bayh: "It's going to cost a lot more money than it would've cost to beat whoever the no-name was, who was originally the Democratic nominee."

'Knife fights in a phone booth': Why does he think Republicans will prevail? The Kentucky Republican said GOP senators are "running better campaigns nationwide than Democrats in races that will be an "eye-gouging, shin-kicking contest all over the country" and similar to "knife fights in a phone booth." More from the sit-down with Seung Min: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac90570a5c99d84194955c885bfb58f7c2fec842e22899bc99090d7

NICE TO SEE YA FRIDAY, July 22. You're reading POLITICO's Huddle, your play-by-play guide to all things Congress, on and off the Hill. If you're coming home to D.C. today from Cleveland, we're right in the middle of a never-ending heat wave. Enjoy!

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate meets in a pro forma session at 1 p.m.

AROUND THE HILL- Something like this: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac90570d020d49cf2e92d877d8f3e20a2b03553304f9f43bdbde629

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AYOTTE TAKES THE LOCAL ROUTE- Sen. Kelly Ayotte skipped Cleveland, opting to stay in New Hampshire for some press-the-flesh campaigning. Both she and her opponent, New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan, have a similar strategy: tie their opponent to the deeply unpopular presidential nominee at the top of the ticket.

"And it's clear which side is more afraid of getting lumped in with their presidential nominee: As Ayotte spent the first week of the Senate's summer break skipping Trump's convention, Hassan celebrated the opening of coordinated campaign offices with Clinton's campaign around the state," writes Kevin Robillard, reporting from the Granite State: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac90570274c97f78712a275d7ed6e9a1e82837a691dfda686abccd9

TWEET DU JOUR-- Byron Tau (@ByronTau): Playing after Donald Trump accepted the GOP nomination: "You can't always get what you want," which is a strange choice.

DELEGATE'S 'PRIVATE' VIDEO POSTED ONLINE- "A 'private' videotape of the Virgin Islands' delegate to Congress, Democratic Rep. Stacey Plaskett, which showed her husband naked and wearing makeup, was posted online Wednesday night but later removed, the freshman lawmaker said in a statement Thursday. A topless 'selfie' of Plaskett also was being circulated," report Bres and Alex Isenstadt. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac905704998c233454af18c113a71b334b0e19e811f0c6adc550c09

R.I.P. GOP- While the GOP convention was wrapping up in Cleveland, a group of Republicans gathered in D.C. to hold an Irish wake for their party. Roll Call: "At this 'Irish wake,' the beer was poured, toasts were made and stories were told around a coffin draped in black silk. A white floral wreath mourned the deceased, a ribbon wrapped around its center read: 'RIP GOP.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac905700ae0233255074e0b6bf905bf63773e5ac64feeff83868706

NOT HOLDING BACK-Fallout from Sen. Ted Cruz's Trump snub carried over into Thursday with several lawmakers seizing the opportunity to shun the normal reverence they reserve for members of their own party and instead telling the media how they really feel. For example, Rep. Chris Collins, the first member of the House to back Trump, didn't hold back, saying "America now knows the Ted Cruz that Washington has known for several years: self-absorbed, narcissistic," tweeted the Hill's Scott Wong. And that was one of the nicer things said about Cruz Thursday.

Not for the kids: New York Rep. Peter King used a multitude of profane word to describe Cruz but since we like to keep Huddle PG, you'll have to read that here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac9057079348c999e9fb5b9351c5bd669c27ce8406f84c98a8e0e8d and here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac905707ed6b3c45f7f58b5c2dbbf852baf376ab696c86b5cb34d55

Primary challenger? And GOP strategist and Trump ally Roger Stone told Wong he's working to find a primary challenger to take on Cruz in 2018, adding he's got his eye on Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. "He'd be my choice, but in all honesty, anybody who is registered in the Republican Party in Texas would be better than Ted Cruz," Stone told the Hill. The story (which also includes some very colorful Cruz descriptors): http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=e993c1515ac90570e7d726d2f4b6ee2d3b745573a9f8cb0674f23eecdee12fb8

SEE Y'ALL LATER- Suzanne Wrasse, communications director for Sen. Jim Risch, is leaving the Senate after today for a new job at 360 Live Media as a senior account manager. Wrasse has been on the Hill since 2010, starting as a staff assistant for the Senate Republican Conference under Sen. Lamar Alexander. She also worked as deputy press secretary for Sen. Dick Lugar.

Jennifer Hall is leaving the House Transportation Committee for a job as the American Trucking Associations' executive vice president of legal affairs. Hall was just promoted to co-chief of staff for the T&I Committee a month ago. She starts at ATA Sept. 3. Sen. Richard Shelby's legislative director, Bill Sullivan, is also joining ATA as its executive vice president of advocacy starting Aug. 15.

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Joe Bookman was the first to guess that Tom Eagleton was the VP candidate nominated in 1972, presidential nominee George McGovern didn't start his speech until 2:48 a.m. and Frances Farenthold came in second on the vice presidential ballot.

And Rep. Blake Farenthold sent Huddle this note about Thursday's trivia: "My step grandmother Sissy came in 2nd as VP... I was [in] 6th grade at the time so I don't remember the times. ...Love the question."

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Joe with today's question: The year's GOP convention didn't have a keynote speaker. Back in 2000, there were two featured speakers: Sen. John McCain and Colin Powell. Before 2000, when was the last time there was no keynote speaker at the Republican National Convention? The first person to correctly answer this question will get a mention in Monday's Huddle. E-mail: hcaygle@politico.com.

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