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09/22/2017 07:55 AM EDT


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

Y'ALL READY FOR THIS? President Donald Trump will be in Huntsville, Ala., tonight to rally for Sen. Luther Strange ahead of next week's GOP runoff. Big Luther faced off against challenger Roy Moore in a heated - and unmoderated - debate Thursday night where he did his best to make it all about Trump's support of him. Trump, despite sagging poll numbers nationwide, remains hugely popular in the state.

"Strange made his strategy clear: Turn every topic, every argument into a reminder that Trump and Vice President Mike Pence support him," Alex Isenstadt and Daniel Strauss report. "Moore, meanwhile, wanted to turn the debate into a referendum on Strange as a Washington-establishment aligned lobbyist and insider." Both public and private polls show a tightening race, though most still have Moore slightly in the lead.

And then there's this: In the final 15 minutes or so of the hourlong event, Moore did his best to link Strange to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, saying the Kentucky Republican is manipulating Trump. You'll remember, Moore is backed by Steven Bannon, the ousted White House strategist and McConnell foe. Strange shot back: "To suggest that the president of the United States, the head of the free world, a man who is changing the free world, is being manipulated by Mitch McConnell is insulting to the president." More from Montgomery: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=44fd2963430b2fc56643faf90b0a37a15b488e201d509c38e60e920e7b0a20179095d0972b6abe2e6a726ebb557cd53e6f42cd920639dd1b

After the debate, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Sebastian Gorka, a former assistant to Trump, "used a pro-Moore rally in Montgomery, Alabama, to cast Strange as the 'swamp' personified." Cristiano Lima and Alex with the dispatch: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=44fd2963430b2fc594fab4703c82098825d6c4b0e494ec57220225c52c12d7b605c0bd666b6db34fb69e7bd1f1ec0bdc9d65f2ab8f049b67

McCONNELL LAYS IT ON THE LINE - Next week will be hugely important for McConnell, who is taking two big risks on the political front. First, there's the Alabama Senate election, where McConnell and an allied super PAC have spent millions to prop up Strange as Moore does everything he can to make the GOP leader his personal punching bag in the race. And then there's the planned vote on Republicans' Obamacare repeal bill, which could result in another embarrassing defeat if McConnell can't get 50 votes for passage.

Going all in: "The typically cautious McConnell is taking huge gambles in both cases," Burgess and Bres report. "Success would go a long way in repairing McConnell's bruised reputation with Trump and others who were surprised that he was unable to wrangle his conference to get behind a July repeal bill that collapsed in dramatic fashion on the Senate floor. ... Another defeat would be doubly humiliating." What's at stake: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=44fd2963430b2fc5e9eaf7d4b75e540e3d81d3b028e469b34a9e0c17ceb265e9a0aca7161503a9747ccde5d8dee64ba1d49befe4a293b7e9

WELCOME TO FRIDAY, SEPT. 22. Take the afternoon off, we won't tell your boss. Thanks for tuning in to POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

The Doctor-Patient [and Government] Relationship - Join POLITICO for a three-panel event looking at how doctors, patients, caregivers and advocates can navigate complex decision-making - and what policy changes can help make sure that doctors and their patients can decide the best course and get access to innovative and cost-effective therapies. Speakers include Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), American Medical Association President David Barbe, M.D. and more. Tuesday, September 26th - Doors open at 8:00am - The Newseum. RSVP: HERE.

THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: There was a tie yesterday! You guys were equally digging WaPo's list of vulnerable House Republicans in states that would lose money under Graham-Cassidy and Matt Fuller's thread about how/why the bill could pass the House.

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE - Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), the authors of the GOP's latest Obamacare repeal effort, will debate health care against Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) Monday night on CNN. When the news broke yesterday, several Democrats immediately started fretting that Sanders would use the spotlight to push his single-payer bill - not defend Obamacare - and distract from laying out Democrats' opposition to the Graham-Cassidy plan. "The only way Graham and Cassidy can pass their bill is a distraction. Bernie is serving one up on a silver platter," one Democrat told Seung Min.

HOT AND COLD - In public, Trump is fully supportive of the GOP's latest repeal effort, even publicly taunting Republicans who may vote against the bill. "Rand Paul, or whoever votes against Hcare Bill, will forever (future political campaigns) be known as 'the Republican who saved ObamaCare,'" Trump tweeted this morning. But privately, there are worries at the White House about the bill's chances of passing the Senate next week - and its impact if enacted, Josh Dawsey and Burgess report. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=44fd2963430b2fc5b0a7ab5beef4d3bacd286eb16ff66b9d9b1b46bfbe718774c642497eb42de5533f51f67338335b469d13c8eaa7970d7f

Polar bear payoff? "The Senate's Obamacare repeal bill may protect Alaska and up to four other sparsely populated states from major cuts to Medicaid through 2026, a potential boon to the home of pivotal GOP swing vote Sen. Lisa Murkowski," Jen Haberkorn reports. There's also rumors that the final bill will offer more sweeteners for Alaska. The question: Will that be enough to get Murkowski on board? More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=44fd2963430b2fc5f386480ac4ace139a9dee8a8d0d48bf7a89ba5a81223537f44960742ce5f234acec6b5aeeaf804ec2724d5ad735ea2b4

Under pressure: "The last-ditch Obamacare repeal bill has almost every divisive proposal that doomed previous bills," Paul Demko reports. The bill "would allow states to dismantle rules that prevent older, sicker people from being charged higher insurance premiums. It would cap the federal outlay for traditional Medicaid, which could jeopardize coverage for the most vulnerable. And it would almost certainly lead to millions more Americans lacking insurance, health care policy experts say." The big difference this time? The Sept. 30 deadline to pass a bill using just 50 votes. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=44fd2963430b2fc59117ad3d564209e375342d77f8f09ccfff75ab1f6eafb1aa2ab77b68e61aee52a6620f837fdd74bddb98fb8a97a05aa0

And Paul Kane explains why Republicans are determined to vote again: "The late-summer break, distant as it already feels to many of us, remains fresh in some lawmakers' minds. ...Republicans faced an unrelenting barrage of confrontations with some of their closest supporters, donors and friends. The moments occurred in small gatherings that proved even more meaningful than a caustic town hall - at meetings with local business executives, at church, at parks." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=44fd2963430b2fc5b12bcc5ea5ed215250e52f56798b29e49fa10e51d8218573ec2d04385d45f1c8b1d2326de68688c50681f2e9ccfdea30

THREE'S A CROWD - Vulnerable Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly will appear today with Vice President Mike Pence as the VP stops in the Hoosier State to pitch tax reform. Donnelly won't be alone, though. GOP Reps. Luke Messer and Todd Rokita, currently in their own nasty battle to face Donnelly in next year's Senate race, will also attend. Donnelly was one of three red-state Democrats - Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota being the others - who attended a bipartisan tax reform dinner at the White House last week. The Indianapolis Star has more on today's event: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=44fd2963430b2fc529220958d11a4a0e0ae8e9c69ab8bba8a413e7b175754a027f5aafd797ed3633ffc433e0bb17a301b51812c4ff69b878

FACEBOOK TO RELEASE RUSSIA ADS - Facing growing pressure from congressional investigators, Facebook has agreed to provide details about ads purchased by Russians to influence the 2016 election, Nancy Scola, Josh Dawsey and Ali Watkins report. But some Democrats want to make future disclosures mandatory. Sens. Mark Warner, top Democrat on the Intel Committee, and Amy Klobuchar are writing a bill that would "require web platforms with more than one million users to publicly disclose the names of individuals and organizations that spend more than $10,000 on election-related advertisements." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=44fd2963430b2fc520fbf7b256a9db8215faa93744e667b708e6a96cd1aed50e641cb702cc5130d14708a5d9d99f1c187cb51f7fdd7d7e93

MARK YOUR CALENDARS - House Republicans will huddle off site next Wednesday for a half-day tax reform retreat, GOP leaders announced. The timing is purposeful - that's the same day Trump is expected to roll out the GOP's much-anticipated tax reform framework and could be when the Senate votes on its Obamacare repeal.

DEPARTURE LOUNGE - Alyssa Marois, legislative director for Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), is leaving the Hill for a new gig at JPMorgan Chase starting next week.


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TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate and House are out until Monday.

AROUND THE HILL - Hanging around the Hill this afternoon? The Congressional Responsible Hospitality Caucus is co-hosting a briefing on "technology and innovation in the beverage alcohol industry" starting at 3 p.m. in 121 Cannon. And you're in luck - light refreshments will be served. RSVP to Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America at rsvp@wswa.org to reserve a spot.

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - No one correctly guessed all of the senators that currently host their own podcasts, although a few of you did get some right including Sens. Angus King (I-Maine), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)

TODAY'S TRIVIA - There's still (at least) one more senator with his/her own show - and this one has a pretty cool name (hint, hint). Send your best guess my way: hcaygle@politico.com. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle.

Can Brain Science Save Lives in Chicago? Last year, 764 people were murdered in Chicago, almost one in five of them age 19 or younger. Most of these crimes were committed as an act of revenge or retaliation. In this month's What Works package, POLITICO examines the "Becoming a Man program," which seeks to prevent these crimes from happening. The approach is a result of growing awareness that many kids in high-crime, poor neighborhoods need help coping with the after-effects of witnessing traumatic violence. The program seeks to prevent the reflexive anger that claims so many young lives in Chicago by engaging teens and teaching impulse control, while working to develop the skills and
instill values that will lead to productive lives after school. READ MORE: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=44fd2963430b2fc5eb1e28616424208b108e60236041d17f3a9c9b6e8500a92a668a8875887a993cb9a88f1982255473f77372b9e73cc667

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