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11/11/2016 08:08 AM EDT


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

With assistance from Burgess Everett and Daniel Lippman

WE'RE COOL (FOR NOW)- After openly questioning Paul Ryan's future as House speaker recently, the House Freedom Caucus is poised to put away the knives, at least for now. Following weeks of veiled threats that they might try to take him out, the group of 40 staunch conservatives now appears almost certain to get behind the speaker for another term. How'd that happen? Ryan has Donald Trump to thank. Rachael and I polled a handful of the group's top agitators and they seem intent on ensuring a smooth start for the president-elect rather than engaging in another intra-party leadership tussle.

What to expect next week: A number of House Freedom Caucus members will probably still vote against Ryan in a secret-ballot election on Tuesday. But the group isn't plotting his demise at this point, caucus sources say. Remember, just last week top leaders of the group met in Washington to determine how to extract concessions from Ryan in the lame duck.

"It's just a whole different state of optimism," said Florida Rep. Ted Yoho, who voted against Ryan for speaker last year. Yoho chatted with Ryan Wednesday, describing the conversation as "great" and even name dropping the speaker's signature policy agenda in a conversation with Huddle. "With Mr. Trump coming in, maintaining the House, maintaining the Senate...it's going to be a good day. And I think you're going to see people coming together," he said. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d72c0b6ecbde723c8220e3ad8ca44b1cfdb671bfa941cfe3a06

DNC RACE HEATS UP- Incoming Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is just the latest key lawmaker to throw his support behind Rep. Keith Ellison for DNC chairman, Jake and Anna report this morning. From Playbook: "Schumer spoke with Ellison Thursday afternoon and 'supports him for chair,' according to a source close to Schumer." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d72b56570f623747a7b48fdc925e667ecb56bab9c1e34c6a189

Progressive heavyweight Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are also backing Ellison to lead the DNC. Sanders officially endorsed Ellison for the job this week and Warren told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Thursday she thinks the Minnesota lawmaker would "make a terrific DNC chair."

Ellison, who has been working back channels in an effort to position himself for the job, said he plans to make an announcement Monday. "'I will announce that I'm going to make an announcement on Monday. So there you go," Ellison said on a Democracy for America call Thursday night. More from Daniel Strauss: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d726a3ab46d3056fd04c8b93493a763c79baf4a95fa33f5a833

Former DNC Chairman Howard Dean also announced he's running for the position again. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d726aea34a25c8b5e1f517499fdd9564be66df72822e21c4b8f

Fireworks at the DNC: Things got heated at the DNC's first staff meeting on Thursday since Hillary Clinton's loss. "Donna Brazile, the interim leader of the Democratic National Committee, was giving what one attendee described as 'a rip-roaring speech' to about 150 employees, about the need to have hope for wins going forward, when a staffer identified only as Zach stood up with a question."

"'Why should we trust you as chair to lead us through this?' he asked, according to two people in the room. 'You backed a flawed candidate, and your friend [former DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz] plotted through this to support your own gain and yourself.'" More from the Huffington Post's Jennifer Bendery: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d72ec796853cf9fee2de286ab267baf8bdae5c6261ba5bba691

MR. TRUMP GOES TO WASHINGTON- After Trump's first trip to Washington Thursday as president-elect, it's clear his courtship with Republican leaders-who spent months criticizing and avoiding him-is now in full swing. Trump, along with his wife Melania and Vice President-elect Mike Pence, lunched with Ryan, who then gave the group a tour of the Capitol, showing Trump the speaker's balcony and where he'll be inaugurated in January.

"The upbeat, positive setting appeared to dramatically reduce the possibility that Trump would seek to oust Ryan as speaker," Rachael and Burgess report. Ryan later said on Fox News he's confident he'll stay in the top House spot, telling Bret Baier "the past is the past." "This was an unconventional year. He was an unconventional candidate. But the point is, we unified," Ryan added.

Trump's top priorities: "We're looking very strongly at immigration, we're going to look at the borders, very importantly, we're looking very strongly at health care and we're looking at jobs. Big league jobs," he said after an afternoon meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d7260368a4236b4d8938336648ac06692800ab3c83519be5e2a

Shane Goldmacher sums up Trump's trip: "It almost seemed normal... For a candidate and a campaign that disregarded custom and shattered political norms with relish from the start, Trump, on his second day as president-elect, stuck closely to the script of the standards expected of presidents-elect." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d7256711ba90ff7f5f4fd23b8e2a122c09767e1f84dc571dfc7

GUYS, IT'S FRIYAY! Welcome to Nov. 11. Thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. Alabama continues its path toward world football dominance with a game against Mississippi State tomorrow at noon. Bres told me he's so excited, he's already planning tailgate snacks for his watch party.

THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED- My story with Bres about Democrats moving through stages of grief.

TODAY IN CONGRESS- The House and Senate are both out but fret not, they'll be rolling into town Monday.

THE SPENDING FIGHT THAT WASN'T- Looks like the lame duck might not have the fireworks and drama of years past as GOP leaders look to "clear the deck" for President-elect Trump and temporarily extend government funding beyond the Dec. 9 deadline. House and Senate GOP leaders are expected to move a bill that funds that government into early next year, "part of a strategy to split up any showdowns over a government shutdown and a debt ceiling hike," report Ben, Burgess and Bres (the "B Boys," as we call them around here).

"Letting President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican Congress handle government funding is easier politically and gives the GOP more control over final budget outcomes," they report. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d7213702d4aecb3d15161fb9e18c4e5fbf4d67383bf317c868e

And don't expect a spending showdown from party hardliners: "I think most of us would prefer a CR that runs into next year," House Freedom Caucus member Dave Brat (R-Va.) told Huddle, as long as it's a clean bill and not "a crap sandwich." "If it's a crap sandwich with extra portions, I'll doubt we'll be in favor of it," he said.

WILL SHE OR WON'T SHE? "Sen. Patty Murray is talking one-on-one with fellow Democrats, and Sen. Chuck Schumer convened a conference call this week with other top Democrats. But Senate Democrats still haven't figured out their leadership problem," Burgess reports. "The issue: Murray (D-Wash.) won't say whether she will run for whip against Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the current No. 2 Democratic leader." But time is running out to decide: party leadership elections are next week. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d724b30387a28d9762bfb271a46e60f4ff594d2a11c59692a0a

SCHOCK FACES MULTI-COUNT CRIMINAL INDICTMENT- The Justice Department indicted former Rep. Aaron Schock Thursday on 24 counts including fraud, theft of government funds, false statements and filing false income tax returns, accusing the former lawmaker of "running his congressional office and campaign committee like a personal money-making operation," Jake, Anna and Bres report. Schock is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 21 in Springfield, Illinois.

So what's on the list? "Federal prosecutors allege that Schock pocketed tens of thousands of dollars in improper mileage reimbursements, camera equipment, and proceeds from selling tickets to the World Series and Super Bowl. Schock even used a front corporation to make money from an annual constituent 'fly-in,' the indictment states," they report. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d721bde14dd0107f53e77b4e7a957e2479a4bcaa3eb6635b91e

TRANSITION WATCH- Senate Agriculture Chairman Pat Roberts said he has no interest in being Ag Secretary on Thursday, though he's happy to give a few names to Trump (less happy to do so for reporters). House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling is under consideration for Treasury secretary, reports the Wall Street Journal. And Rep. Michael McCaul is a "top candidate" for Homeland Security secretary, Bloomberg reports.

HAKUNA MATATA- GOP Sen. Jeff Flake, one of the most persistent and vocal "anti-Trumpers" in the party, told Burgess he doesn't expect retribution from the president-elect, adding he's on his "second helping" of eating crow after being one of Trump's loudest critics. "In an interview on Thursday evening, Flake said that he can work with Trump on repealing Obamacare, curtailing regulations and even immigration reform, where the Arizona Republican has backed policies well to the left of Trump's positions." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d72ad0f03a208259f96ea0fe788ec048e4802a47633ba0b5828

And for everyone who's now singing "Hakuna Matata," here it is: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d722cfa47ed32b5abc1f6f8a394fcaad09a1dc7e86d21040455 Happy Friday y'all!

CONGRESSWOMAN CLINTON? "While some pundits are declaring the Clinton political dynasty dead, sources tell us that it is far from over. Chelsea Clinton is being groomed for the New York seat held by Rep. Nita Lowey," reports the New York Post's Emily Smith. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d725ca8dd2263f677258073d1cbed93abcd7f50b36174e09649

DEM OP-ED: THEY THOUGHT 'I WAS THE CRAZY ONE'- Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell reflects on what went so wrong for Democrats: "I was the crazy one. I predicted that Hillary Clinton was in trouble in Michigan during the Democratic primary. ... at Rotary clubs, local chambers of commerce, union halls and mosques, I noted that we could see a Trump presidency. 'That's Debbie, it's hyperbole, she is nuts.' It's now our reality, and as Americans we need to understand why." More in the Washington Post: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d72c7a472ff71d0f9f4527c0fa9f58e9829d3a4a1b437fc81e5

DEPARTURE LOUNGE- David Peluso, chief of staff to House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, is joining Kountoupes Denham as a principal. The release: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1e5bf26833df4d727eb9a481be92a355d98962a2f951584b14f875b54eaa959a

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER- Wes Farno correctly guessed that Calvin Coolidge was the president who was sworn in by his father, a notary public, in Vermont after President Warren G. Harding's death.

TODAY'S TRIVIA- Wes with today's question: One former American general will always hold the distinction of having the highest rank. Who is that general and what is the rank? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in Monday's Huddle: hcaygle@politico.com

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