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08/04/2016 07:39 AM EDT


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

FREEDOM CAUCUS SETS SIGHTS ON RYAN-- After more than a year of bucking Republican leaders at nearly every turn, including forcing the ouster of Speaker John Boehner, the House Freedom Caucus is reeling from the loss of one of their own, Rep. Tim Huelskamp, and they're putting the blame squarely on GOP leadership's shoulders.

HFC members are "furious" that House Speaker Paul Ryan didn't do more to help Huelskamp beat his opponent Roger Marshall, a moderate obstetrician who "pilloried Huelskamp for losing his prized spot on the Agriculture Committee." Rachael Bade with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc614125563fcb28726c4eb5116bd7a055219bfdc1e7c95fe3ea7b75d4

The caucus that cried wolf: Huddle caught up with a couple of non-House Freedom Caucus Republicans to get their view: "Nobody can beat you from Washington D.C. They beat you from within your district and they beat you by getting the confidence from your voters," Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole told Huddle.

Rep. Charlie Dent: "If they're looking for a scapegoat, I think it's very unfair to blame the speaker or other members of the leadership for his primary defeat," the moderate Pennsylvania Republican said.

"I guess what's even more rich about that, for some members who have made it a point of pride to undermine leadership at nearly every opportunity and then to turn around and expect leadership to bail out one of their own is a bit mystifying."

And now, some HFC members are vowing to vote against Ryan for speaker next time around, according to the Hill's Scott Wong. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc614125560dd2bdde271a41d5ec2166bdd2ac8b45ae8ac6b42a387232

BRING OUT THE CALVARY: Allies of Speaker Ryan and Sen. John McCain are coming to their defense after Donald Trump snubbed them by refusing to endorse either lawmaker in the upcoming primaries. "Attacking somebody like Paul Ryan, who's as popular as he is in Wisconsin, is a real mistake," Rep. Reid Ribble told your Huddle host. "It may make [Trump] feel better when he goes to sleep at night because he lashed out at somebody, but it won't help him."

'Loss for words': "For those who [are] - under difficult circumstances, given some of the statements that the candidate has made - still supporting him and then for him to turn around and say no, it's not going to be reciprocal? I'm at a loss for words," Sen. Jeff Flake, frequent Trump critic, said.

Keeping it real: "For those people who have kind of tepidly endorsed Donald Trump, this is what they get, right?" Rep. Charlie Dent quipped. "It just goes to show that even a tepid endorsement isn't an endorsement at all to Donald Trump." Seung Min and I team up: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc61412556de8a69f57261b759f25b49ea0aa9d1ce124726c2b652a45c

Trump's running mate Mike Pence endorses Paul Ryan, from the New York Times: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc614125561849d7b6b951fec1c39d7caf12a8a8d98dc01870da4c13f8

Ahh, the cloak of anonymity: The Huffington Post's Matt Fuller shows that when you allow lawmakers to speak freely without their name attached, you'll get something like this: "'It's great that they're going after each other,' one GOP lawmaker told The Huffington Post this week, on the condition of anonymity to more candidly discuss the subtle hostility between Trump and Ryan. 'If they kill each other, the Republican Party and America would be a better place.'" The colorful quips don't end there: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc61412556e4f955065f38be5401d41c601c4b1962de684f57858c9812

LaTOURETTE DIES AT 62-Former Ohio Rep. Steve LaTourette died Wednesday after battling pancreatic cancer. LaTourette retired in 2013 but not before leaving an indelible mark on Congress as a straight shooter, always quick with a quip, and just a genuinely nice guy to everyone, especially to nervous young reporters like myself just starting to cover Capitol Hill back in the day.

Speaker Ryan: "All of us in the House will miss our friend and colleague, Steve LaTourette. Nobody could match his fierce sense of duty-or his great sense of humor."

Former Speaker John Boehner: "Steve LaTourette was one of the most honest and loyal souls I ever had the privilege of knowing. With his passing, I have lost a friend, and Ohio has lost a dedicated servant." The Cleveland Plain Dealer with more remembrances: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc6141255631c8f67ef63ce25254a575861e42ee4c55fddfcb87c530b2

Classic LaTourette: "Upon joining Congress in 1995, LaTourette invited humor columnist Dave Barry to serve as his temporary press secretary. He delivered a Barry-authored tort reform speech on the House floor that asserted: 'As a lawyer, I am the last person to suggest that everybody in my profession is a money-grubbing, scum-sucking toad. The actual figure is only about 73 percent,'" writes the Cleveland Plain Dealer. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc6141255651ed3093e98ed70286e2770389ac7cea1c905854066a22ef

WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S ONLY THURSDAY, August 4? You're reading POLITICO's Huddle, your play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. Don't forget to wish my Congress team member, Seung Min Kim, a very happy birthday. Tweet at her: @seungminkim

TODAY IN CONGRESS - Nothing but blue jeans, boat shoes and afternoon Cups runs.

AROUND THE HILL- Today's sing along, sponsored by the alternative country rock Hill crowd: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc6141255681b13e367531d2783c2b2f6d6814d76256d17a7cf7770195

UPSET WATCH- GOP primary voters head to the polls today in Tennessee where Rep. Scott DesJarlais-who beat his opponent Jim Tracy by only 38 votes in 2014-is in another tough primary race, this time against Grant Starrett, a former Mitt Romney aide. "DesJarlais is facing yet another competitive primary in Tennessee's 4th District on Thursday against a young opponent with an aggressive ground game who's knocking on doors in places that Tracy didn't," writes Roll Call's Simone Pathé. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc6141255611b33b5c6697115321f217241aa9b6b8a48ea7db8a5f1974

HASSAN UP IN NEW POLL-New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan is up 10 points over Sen. Kelly Ayotte in their Senate race, according to a new WBUR poll (h/t Seung Min): http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc6141255615c02f5ed9f981b0d663415a9ef59b1f907dc0b9d80ddfd1

MURPHY BACKS OUT OF GRAYSON DEBATE- "Rep. Patrick Murphy said Wednesday he will not debate Rep. Alan Grayson, his opponent in Florida's primary election later this month for the Democratic nomination for Senate, as he faces allegations of two decades worth of domestic violence against his ex-wife," reports Morning Consult: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc61412556a61639c3e7e6f2f1cb01a03e72467c47d8c8d4110951c3d9

KINZINGER NOT VOTING FOR TRUMP- Rep. Adam Kinzinger said Wednesday there's no way he can vote for Donald Trump, joining a growing list of Republican lawmakers like Rep. Charlie Dent and retiring Reps. Reid Ribble and Richard Hanna who have said they just can't pull the lever for the GOP nominee. Tyler Pager with more on Kinzinger's comments: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc61412556c123a5665fa6d9600688fb5186960f469651145314085788

NOT ENTIRELY SURPRISING-But Sen. Ron Johnson, Speaker Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker will be skipping Donald Trump's Friday event in Green Bay, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc6141255673e23e9bf5a45b38b9aaca4c7e4ef9e5efcd16bd3fed21a5

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS-Days after stepping down as DNC chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz is getting a little help ahead of her Aug. 30 primary. "Patriot Majority PAC, a super PAC started by longtime Democratic consultant Craig Varoga, filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on July 29 indicating it was spending $98,163 in mail in support of the embattled South Florida congresswoman," writes Matt Dixon. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc6141255672b74d28f9effa5125d294778775a042c839747a46a20a0c

STACKS ON STACKS (OF ENDORSEMENTS)- Ohio Sen. Rob Portman is rolling out another endorsement from a labor group that had backed his Democratic opponent in a previous election, reports the AP's Erica Werner. More: "The endorsement Wednesday from Local 18 of the International Union of Operating Engineers comes after Portman also announced backing from branches of the Teamsters, and the Mine Workers, which also switched their allegiance from Strickland." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc6141255659e9b618b39f5c56d24c7e9e52c820d176f974f65a549949

TWEET DU JOUR-- Emma Roller @emmaroller: Source: These signs have been popping up in the Rayburn men's bathrooms. Don't miss the pic: pic.twitter.com/ExfRaCDzqO

DEMOCRAT LAUNCHES #DIAGNOSETRUMP CAMPAIGN- California Democrat Karen Bass has launched a Change.org petition questioning whether Trump should be diagnosed with a health issue like narcissistic personality disorder. "It is our patriotic duty to raise the question of his mental stability to be the commander in chief and leader of the free world," Bass writes. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=5f54edcc6141255676bc442943b5ad0d90620de55c5b5e2a658db5929172d1d9

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Claude Marx was the first to guess that James Byrnes served in all three branches of government as a House member, senator, Supreme Court justice and secretary of state before becoming governor of South Carolina.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Claude with today's question: A former House member was an inspiration for a character in the comic strip Doonesbury. Name both the member and character. The first person to correctly answer gets a shout-out in tomorrow's Huddle. Email me: hcaygle@politico.com

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