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By Scott Wong (
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LAWMAKERS EYEING SEQUESTER PART II? - Manu Raju reports for the hometown paper: "There's an idea kicking around Congress to avoid the year-end 'fiscal cliff,' and it bears an uncanny resemblance to the dreaded sequester that's become the bane of lawmakers' collective existence. It'd be a stretch - but not a huge one - to call it another sequester. Designed to head off the deep automatic spending cuts and higher tax rates set to kick in next year, the proposal is to instruct - actually, mandate - the powerful House and Senate tax-writing committees to rewrite the Tax Code. And if they fail? That part isn't firmed up yet. But some mechanism would kick in to force Congress's hand to slash the
deficit and overhaul tax and spending laws. The goal, just like this time, would be to make the cost of failure greater than the pain of any compromise. ...

-- "While the latest idea - under consideration at the highest levels of Congress - would be structured differently than the sequester, it is inspired by a similar line of thinking. 'There would be consequences for failure to achieve the results,' said Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), the Budget Committee chairman and a proponent of the latest plan. Asked if it would be nothing more than another version of sequestration, Conrad let out a laugh and said: 'Well, I wouldn't call it Sequestration Part II.'"
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NEW BATTLEGROUND POLL: IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID -- Voters say the economy is the most important issue for Congress to focus on, according to our new POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Poll. When voters were asked which party they favor in their congressional race, it was a tossup: 46 percent said they would vote for or were leaning toward the Democrat; 45 percent said they would vote for or were leaning toward the Republican. Nine percent were undecided. For more:
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CONGRESS FUNDS GOVERNMENT, THEN HITS CAMPAIGN TRAIL - The Associated Press reports that the Senate worked into early Saturday morning but didn't get all that much done: "The Senate closed the Capitol on Saturday after sending President Obama a spending bill that will make sure the government won't shut down Oct. 1, the start of the new budget year. The measure passed early Saturday by a 62-30 vote - and then lawmakers skipped out of town to campaign. Left behind for a postelection session is a pile of unfinished business on the budget and taxes, farm policy and legislation to save the Postal Service from insolvency. The only must-do item on the agenda was a six-month spending measure to
fulfill the bare minimum of Congress' responsibilities by keeping the government running after the budget year ends on Sept. 30."
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-- President Obama used his Saturday radio address to chide House Republicans for skipping town before finishing its work: "'Last week, without much fanfare, members of the House of Representatives banged a gavel, turned out the lights, and rushed home, declaring their work finished for now,' Obama said in the weekly address. 'If that frustrated you, it should -- because their work isn't finished.'"
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GRIMM: BREAK-IN WAS 'ATTACK' ON DEMOCRACY -- John M. Annese reports for the Staten Island Advance: "An overnight intruder smashed several windows and gained entry into Rep. Michael Grimm's New Dorp headquarters over the weekend, possibly tampering with computers inside the office, authorities said. Grimm's staff discovered the damage Sunday morning -- two large chunks of cement and some smaller rocks had been hurled through three, 4x8-foot vertical windows, according to a campaign spokeswoman. They also believed that someone had deleted computer hard drives. The congressman and his campaign staff believe the vandalism was staged to cover up the computer tampering.

-- "On further inspection it was determined the intruder had caused a different type of damage -- someone installed the Linux operating system on the office's computers, Grimm told the Advance Sunday night, and in the process wiped the hard drives clean. 'All of my polling data, all of the data from my IDs of voters, and a bunch of other campaign information. But fortunately we had everything backed up from literally hours before, so we don't lose anything because we have backups,' Grimm said. ... 'This is an attack against a federal campaign office, which is an attack on our democracy as a whole. It's an attack against what we stand for, for free elections,' he said."
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--Grimm, a former FBI agent, is at the center of a federal investigation into his campaign fundraising.

L.A. TIMES AGAIN BACKS BERMAN OVER SHERMAN - From the paper's editorial on Sunday:"In June, San Fernando Valley voters winnowed a field of seven candidates for the 30th Congressional District seat to the two clear leaders: Democratic Reps. Howard Berman and Brad Sherman, who are now facing off as a result of redistricting that forced them to go head to head. ...The Times supported Berman in the first round of voting, and we're sticking with him in the head to head. That is no slight to Sherman. He's a solid member of Congress with a strong voting record and evident devotion to the interests and well-being of his constituents. Under most circumstances, he would be a shoo-in for
reelection and would deserve enthusiastic support. In this case, however, he's up against one of the most senior and respected members of the House.

-- "Berman is an admired leader in foreign affairs, a clear thinker and the rare congressman these days who has friends and admirers in both political parties. ... Indeed, one of the more notable aspects of Berman's campaign in recent weeks has been his ability to secure endorsements from significant Republicans, specifically Arizona Sen. John McCain and South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham - adding their support to that of California's two Democratic senators, its Democratic governor and most of its House delegation. The depth and breadth of his backing is testament to Berman's influence in Washington and to his willingness to work across party lines at a time when bipartisanship
is increasingly undervalued on Capitol Hill."
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WSJ EDITORIAL BOARD DEFENDS RYAN'S AARP SPEECH - The Journal's lead editorial this morning: "The headlines this weekend were all about the boos Paul Ryan elicited on Friday when he addressed the AARP, the self-styled seniors' lobby. The herd of independent media minds missed the real story, which is that the Republican Vice Presidential nominee went into the heart of the entitlement culture, told some hard truths, and even won applause for doing so. Mr. Ryan deserves credit merely for showing up at an organization that portrays itself as nonpartisan but whose leadership is dominated by long-time liberals who consistently pursue the Democratic Party's entitlement agenda. On Friday,
our Kimberley Strassel reported on the long email trail showing how AARP officials served as an arm of the White House in promoting ObamaCare."
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Washington Post, A1, "Death of newborn panda hits hard at National Zoo," By Michael E. Ruane and Victor Zapana: "The zoo's giant panda cub, born amid hope and fanfare Sept. 16, was pronounced dead at 10:28 a.m., after a life of not quite 61 / 2 days. Somber zoo officials on Sunday painted this portrait of the cub's final moments, along with the effort of keepers and veterinarians to save its life. The cub's sudden death struck the zoo community on a beautiful fall morning, as the facility on Connecticut Avenue in Northwest Washington was thronged with visitors. The staff was 'devastated,' zoo director Dennis Kelly said. ...And it upended, for now, all the plans for a new era of giant pandas
at the National Zoo and in the Washington region. Zoo officials said it was too early to discuss what they might do about their pandas in the future."
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BROWN VS. WARREN 2.0 - POLITICO's David Catanese reports from Boston: "With polls showing the liberal consumer advocate inching ahead of the Republican incumbent, the marquee Massachusetts Senate race is entering a defining new phase,. [Scott] Brown is shedding his Mr. Nice Guy image and going on the attack. [Elizabeth] Warren is trying to make the race a referendum on a potential Republican Senate and less about personality - a contest she'd have difficulty winning against the likable, everyman Brown. The fresh approaches are indicative of a shift of the contours of the campaign in Warren's favor, as Democrats begin to come home to support the first-time candidate in a blue state primed to
deliver a massive margin of victory to President Barack Obama."
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--Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has begun campaigning for Warren while being careful not to alienate the junior senator from Massachusetts, the Boston Globe reports:
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AKIN: 'FULL SPEED AHEAD' - "Todd Akin's message to anyone hoping he would bail out of the Missouri Senate race: 'Those people are fooling themselves,'" writes Susan Davis. "In an interview with USA TODAY, the Republican lawmaker -- abandoned by his party and GOP outside groups when he made controversial comments last month about the abortion rights of raped women -- is unbowed and confident that he is on track to defeat incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.Republican Party leaders had hoped Akin would exit the race by a Tuesday deadline to get his name off the ballot in order to nominate another Republican, but the six-term House member has never entertained the notion and has
lashed out at 'party bosses' who tried to influence the race. 'We are moving full speed ahead. We have tremendous focus to do what I was commissioned to do by the voters of the state of Missouri and that is replace Claire McCaskill,' he said."
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INSIDERS RUNNING AS OUTSIDERS - Jennifer Steinhauer reports for The NYT: "In one of his campaign advertisements, Joe Heck emphasizes his long career as a physician taking care of elderly patients. Dan Benishek, in an ad, refers with a tinge of sadness to the "career politician" who is competing with him for a House seat. Ann Kirkpatrick informs viewers that she is extremely fond of driving. What the two men do not say is that they are members of Congress - Heck a Republican from Nevada and Benishek a Republican from Michigan - and Ms. Kirkpatrick does not say that she is a former Democratic congresswoman from Arizona looking to get her job back.

-- "Bragging about one's voting record used to be a staple of political advertising, and a career in Congress was worn as a badge of honor. But this year, many House candidates are deciding not to mention their service here, a blunt acknowledgment of the dim view that a vast majority of voters have of Congress."
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QUICK READS

Nancy Pelosi is objecting to her role in a new Mitt Romney ad:
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Romney surrogate Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) says his "47 percent" remark was simply "political analysis":
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Newt Gingrich stumps with embattled Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin today in the St. Louis area:
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GOOD MONDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 24, 2012, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day's congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to
mailto:swong@politico.com
swong@politico.com . If you don't already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.

My new followers include but are not limited to @kathrynlopez and @ArgoJournal.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - Both the House and Senate are out on the campaign trail and won't return until after the Nov. 6 election.

VIRGIL GOODE COULD SPOIL VIRGINIA RACE FOR GOP - Michael Leahy writes on A1 of the Washington Post: "Privately, some Republicans snipe that Goode, who is already on the ballot in two dozen states, is hungry for attention after losing his congressional seat in 2008; that he wants nothing more now than to be a high-profile spoiler who ruins Romney's chances in much the way Ralph Nader siphoned Florida votes and contributed to Al Gore's loss to George W. Bush in 2000. Some Republicans still hold out hope that Goode can be denied a place on the Virginia ballot, or that he will come to his senses and withdraw from the race in the name of Republican unity. Goode's response? Dream on."
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JEWISH DEMS TO NETANYAHU: BUTT OUT OF ELECTION - Julian Pecquet writes for The Hill: "Top Jewish Democrats are squarely standing by President Obama's decision not to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and warning Israel to butt out of the U.S. presidential race. The White House has been on the defensive ever since Israeli officials publicly complained last week after Obama refused to adjust his schedule to meet with Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week. Republicans quickly pounced, urging Obama to reconsider and inviting Netanyahu to meet with them at his convenience. 'I don't think it's necessary for the president to rearrange his
schedule,' Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, told The Hill. 'I didn't think it was appropriate for the prime minister to publicly get into a dispute with the president of the United States, since we're both very closely working together to impose sanctions and to force Iran to stop its development of a nuclear weapon.'"
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LIEBERMAN STILL UNDECIDED HOW HE'LL VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL RACE - Here's what the Connecticut independent says in a CSPAN "Newsmakers" interview that aired Sunday. He's made similar statements before. The Weekly Standard writes: "'Having decided to stay out of politics in my own career this year, I'm going to enjoy the privilege that most every other American enjoys, which is just going into the booth and voting privately on Election Day,' said Lieberman, who is retiring from the Senate. 'I'm glad to be out of the cross-fire.' When a questioner follows up to ask whether he's undecided, Lieberman says, 'Yeah, I really am.' 'Why?,' the questioner asks. 'Well, because it's a
complicated decision, and there's a lot left before the Election Day, particularly the debates, which I think are going to be very important. And, you know, I'm exercising the glorious liberty that an independent has to not make up one's mind until one goes into the booth to vote.'"
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'THEY HAVE NOT DESTROYED TOM DeLAY' - Juan A. Lozano writes for the AP: "Former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay - still waiting to learn his legal fate since being convicted nearly two years ago for his role in a scheme to influence Texas elections - is praying for vindication but also preparing for the possibility of imprisonment. DeLay's three-year prison sentence has been on hold as his case has made its way through the appellate process. For both DeLay and his critics, the process has been frustratingly slow, due in part to some of the appeals court justices in Austin recusing themselves as well as DeLay's successful effort to have a judge on the panel removed because of
anti-Republican comments she made. 'I don't like living under this cloud. But I'm not angry about it. I even pray for the prosecution and my enemies,' the former Houston-area congressman told The Associated Press in an interview. 'No, they have not destroyed Tom DeLay as a person. And I'm ready to go to prison if that's where I'm supposed to end up.'"
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FRIDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Katharine Bruce, an aide to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, was first to correctly answer that 1933 was the last time a Washington baseball team played in the post-season. That year, the Washington Senators lost the World Series to the New York Giants in five games. Pitcher Bobby Burke was a member of that Senators team.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - It seems the only thing Democrats and Republicans can agree on in Washington is that the nation's 26th president should win his first Presidents Race at Nationals Park. What is Teddy's losing record in the 2012 season? First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at
mailto:swong@politico.com
swong@politico.com .

WEATHER - Mostly sunny with highs in the low 70s, according to ABC7's Steve Rudin.

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