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03/31/2017 08:06 AM EDT


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

With an assist from Burgess Everett

TAKING BACK THE MAJORITY IN THREE EASY STEPS - Senate Democrats face long-shot odds to taking back the majority in 2018. But the path to do it involves knocking out conservative firebrand Ted Cruz in Texas. Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke - a 44-year-old former hard rock musician and internet entrepreneur who speaks fluent Spanish - is hoping to do just that when he enters the race today.

"Texas is how you win back the Senate," O'Rourke said in an interview earlier this month. But it's not that easy. Democrats are defending 25 seats, including 10 in states President Donald Trump carried. They would have to hold onto all of those seats and pick up three more held by the GOP-Arizona, Nevada and Texas are the best targets -to take back the majority.

'A suicide mission': "I know Beto. And he's a good guy. But I think this is a suicide mission," said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, another Texan and a two-time chairman of the party's Senate campaign arm. "We haven't elected a Democrat statewide since ... 1994."

If Democrats can legitimately put Texas in play - still an if - it could help propel voter turnout and be a boon for fundraising. "People want to win and they want to play offense. And Texas represents that," O'Rourke said. Much more from Burgess and yours truly: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c201d796eafe633e6fd19aa56f4db5d9b881f7d082841f72c0a19ebf3e3bf8b654a8b0a63d79e75a7a3b40789a88b88a

'I'M NOT GOING TO SUPPORT CRAZY' - To score any major legislative wins in the House, Trump will need to convince either a wing of Freedom Caucus members or Democrats to join with Republicans. The president has attacked both groups on Twitter recently, just another example of behavior Democrats say gives them no incentive to offer the White House a helping hand anytime soon.

Kind keeping it real: "I do come from a district that did flip to Trump this time but I don't think they should be reading that as a slam dunk," said Rep. Ron Kind, one of 12 Democrats sitting in Trump-won House seats. "I'm not going to support crazy up here."

GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin has tried to facilitate outreach between the White House and some moderate Democrats, with mixed success. "Will they attract one or two Democrats on whatever piece of garbage they want to offer? Maybe," said New Dem Chairman Jim Himes, who is open to sitting down with Trump's team. But early talk from the White House about corralling a few Democratic votes has to stop, Himes added. "They better leave the 'picking off' language behind and start talking about what we would need." Much more from Kyle and yours truly: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c201d796eafe633e507c4d24a6800a3f165e8231e6e45d4d038eb8a1119198cce8719269c28c9e74b0625f2cb8ce741b

FLYNN SEEKS IMMUNITY DEAL - Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has made a pitch to the FBI and the House and Senate Intel Committees: He's willing to be interviewed about Russia in exchange for immunity from prosecution. "He has made the offer to the FBI and the House and Senate intelligence committees through his lawyer but has so far found no takers, the officials said," reports the Wall Street Journal's Shane Harris, Carol Lee and Julian Barnes.

Flynn's lawyer acknowledged the former Trump aide is seeking "assurances against unfair prosecution" from the House and Senate panels. But a spokesman for the House Intel Committee on Thursday night said that the panel had yet to receive any such request from Flynn. Austin Wright, Josh Meyer and Martin Matishak with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c201d796eafe633e3a9bd387d182268071d6c783fd477ec7b2d80590b6e77712cbcd913bb0ee346346549bb0325842f6

Limits to that request: "Congress has the power to grant only limited 'testimonial' immunity, which means prosecutors cannot use witnesses' testimony against them in any prosecution. Ultimately, it is Justice's decision whether to grant immunity from prosecution for any underlying conduct that is discussed, or other matters that don't come up in testimony," explain Adam Entous and Ellen Nakashima for the Washington Post.

WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS GAVE NUNES INTEL - Three senior White House officials, including a top lawyer for the National Security Council and a former House Intel aide, helped facilitate the sharing of intelligence reports with House Intel Chairman Devin Nunes about Trump associates' communications, reports the New York Times and the Washington Post.

ALRIGHT Y'ALL, FRIDAY. Welcome to March 31 and thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. Do yourself a favor and click through these adorable puppy engagement photos (yes, you read that right): http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c201d796eafe633e2072db553b9d0843ddab07f4c09068b6b17d2a7578774fa4a4f3fe5c3900865f6da6377d1ed1debf (h/t Kyle Cheney)

THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: Burgess and Seung Min's write up on the Senate's potential filibuster change was the winner.

THIS IS FINE, EVERYTHING IS FINE - It was hard to keep track of which Republican was attacking whom as GOP infighting exploded into the open Thursday, drowning out any last ditch efforts to salvage their Obamacare repeal before heading home for the weekend. Trump went after Freedom Caucus leaders Mark Meadows, Jim Jordan and Raul Labrador specifically over the repeal collapse and also more generally threatened to primary members of the caucus on Twitter.


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Not to be outdone, HFC member Justin Amash and Rep. Thomas Massie used their Twitter accounts to take on the president. And GOP Sen. Bob Corker even sniped at Speaker Ryan for encouraging Trump not to work with Democrats. "The crossfire left a sour taste for lawmakers as they left town for the weekend without resolving any of the differences that ruptured health care deliberations the week before," Kyle and Rachael report. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c201d796eafe633e0c156f21d83e84ccd209a98800b46e4eef4281c520163ad6e86c93b568b533b5dce98b77495735f8

So how's that Obamacare repeal going? "The Tuesday Group will never meet with the Freedom Caucus. Capital N-E-V-E-R," said Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), a member of the centrist group and Trump ally. Rachael, Kyle and Jen Hbaerkorn with the story: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c201d796eafe633e291224bbcf94ceef9fcc21951cea94ae4b9f9abdd014d52b3c867f3d15a3acd7d0fbc3f9cb90cf05

Watch yourself: Rep. Mark Sanford was threatened with a primary challenge from the White House during last week's repeal fiasco, he told the Post and Courier's Emma Dumain. "'The president asked me to look you square in the eyes and to say that he hoped that you voted 'no' on this bill so he could run (a primary challenger) against you in 2018,'" Sanford said OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, a co-founder of the Freedom Caucus and former fellow member of the S.C. delegation, told him. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c201d796eafe633e98aa1847d08bbd55db740bf728c435f9d7b309050c1e4e2e8f28075d1ffd690a33f26c3a5aa2ad70

RED STATE DEMS BACK GORSUCH - Sens. Joe Manchin and Heidi Heitkamp became the first Democrats to publicly back Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch on Thursday. The support from the two red-state Democrats isn't enough to stave off an all-but-guaranteed filibuster next week. But their endorsement could give other Democrats political cover to vote for Trump's nominee. Now, some Senate Democrats are complaining Gorsuch is declining to meet with them, Elana and Seung Min report.

Coming to a screen near you: The conservative Judicial Crisis Network followed Heitkamp and Manchin's announcement by rolling out a $1 million ad buy aimed at pressuring the remaining Democratic fence-sitters: Sens. Michael Bennet, Joe Donnelly, Jon Tester, and Claire McCaskill. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c201d796eafe633e269c15df98ccac21f3bdb4b29500f6bc95206b3b81f92ab2192deb8892946ff3556a170aeec7ef1e

McCaskill's no-win situation: McCaskill has stopped talking publicly about the battle to confirm Gorsuch. But behind closed doors, she said she is mortified about where the Senate is headed if Gorsuch is blocked and GOP leaders change the filibuster rules, Burgess reports. "I am very comfortable voting against [Gorsuch], but I'm very uncomfortable being part of a strategy that's going to open up the Supreme Court to a complete change," McCaskill said at a Missouri fundraiser, in audio first obtained by the Kansas City Star. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=c201d796eafe633e0f6f1d7927613e8da3f95fafbbe5fee96140d9888b137fc14110e8532e1ee5377dcf636faa6a08a5

-The Missouri GOP party released the full audio from her fundraiser: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7b72e7b673f901872ad141f81bc30a558a9f3ba762779ef895a3492bedb7ad4a3f41f826cb2d3d63d115642b5d1557e2 Nuggets from the audio: McCaskill predicts GOP Rep. Ann Wagner will run against her and guesses the Senate race could cost more than $200 million, Burgess reports.

A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS - Republican leaders summoned Sen. Johnny Isakson to the Capitol Thursday - he's been out for weeks recovering from surgery - to help swing a tied vote targeting funding for Planned Parenthood. Vice President Mike Pence also had to come to the Hill to break the tie. More from Seung Min and Brianna Ehley: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7b72e7b673f90187fea3a6c2708ea4ee0d3a72847f9de3e8e5ad5e1e91f828946667cf0e09a0424437a932232f35bac3

Johnny's back: Isakson said that he'd likely be back again next week for the epic fight over the Supreme Court ("I wouldn't bet against it," he said with a grin) but he faces a long road to recovery. The genial Georgian seemed in high spirits on Thursday but put it bluntly when asked how long his road to recovery is after two back surgeries: "I have eight more weeks of physical therapy," he said.

GEORGIA ON MY MIND - Republicans are getting nervous that a crowded GOP field could hand Democrats an unexpected win in Georgia's 6th District, the seat previously held by HHS Secretary Tom Price. "We know that Ossoff is real," NRCC chairman Steve Stivers told Elena Schneider. More on what the House GOP's campaign arm is doing to ensure the district doesn't flip to Democrats: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7b72e7b673f90187bd407b5a183cfe3c13b8b1af75db1726ef87a0508f154a5e9e0736b84a414a79addb66eb0cdbe21e

BUDDIES WITH A BIG JOB - Senate Intel leaders Richard Burr and Mark Warner know they have a monumentally important task in front of them: Get to the bottom of Russia's involvement in the election and whether Trump knew anything about it. But it also helps that they are long-time friends, facilitated by former Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

Warner, a multimillionaire, "regularly ribs Burr for wearing Kirkland Signature shirts purchased at Costco, and they sometimes travel together," Paul Kane writes. The two also declined to support each other's Senate opponents in recent years. Much more from the Washington Post: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7b72e7b673f901870e722ae883903eb711a47e1573a7ed561ee93e52551213035ea28cfd91c26161dea7dcc4d698f662

WELCOME TO THE WORLD - Shea Snider Miller, comms director for Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and president of the Republican Communications Association, and Ben Miller, VP of production at Convergence Media and a Jim Sensenbrenner, GenOpp, and FP1 Strategies alum, have welcomed Bishop Collins Miller. Pic from his baptism on Sunday in Alabama: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=7b72e7b673f901872f6c29bceecf1a7e8de1b6b96dc393cca0eee22776854a0c3095109b99cef9e24f477ff7fba96f9a

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House and Senate are out. Phew.

AROUND THE HILL - Who's hosting the off-the-record happy hour today? I'll bring snacks.

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Peter Roff was the first to guess that John F. Kennedy wrote the Encyclopedia Britannica entry on Oliver Ellsworth, a senator from Connecticut and third chief justice.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Tyler Law with today's question: How many people have served as a city council member, mayor, governor and senator and who are they? The first person to correctly answer gets a shout out in Monday's Huddle. And don't forget, send suggestions for trivia questions my way: hcaygle@politico.com

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