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10/06/2016 07:57 AM EDT


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

With assistance from Daniel Lippman

JUST TRY AND STOP ME- If Republicans keep control of Congress next year and Donald Trump's in the White House, Speaker Paul Ryan is already promising to steamroll Democrats with a partisan agenda they'd be defenseless to stop, reports Ben Weyl. The method? Budget reconciliation.

"It's the same tool Republicans slammed Democrats for using to pass the 2010 health care law over their objections. While GOP leaders have made empty threats to use reconciliation to repeal Obamacare in the past, Ryan is making it clear that this time he plans to use it when it counts."

Ben breaks it down: "'This is our plan for 2017,' Ryan said [during a press conference last week], waving a copy of his 'Better Way' policy agenda. 'Much of this you can do through budget reconciliation." He explained that key pieces are 'fiscal in nature,' meaning they can be moved quickly through a budget maneuver that requires a simple majority in the Senate and House. 'This is our game plan for 2017,' Ryan said again to the seemingly unconvinced press. Democrats and progressive advocates are not so skeptical. Terrified might be a better word."

MIKE PENCE 2020- Republican VP nominee Mike Pence not only helped ease GOP anxieties with his debate performance Tuesday, he also showed some folks in the party he could be a strong candidate for president in 2020 if Trump loses the White House this year, Burgess, Seung Min and Rachael report.

"The Indiana governor laid out the type of policy portfolio that Republicans seem likely to adopt in a post-Trump party, an anti-abortion, tax-cutting and small government regimen that's been the center of the congressional GOP for decades. ... 'He certainly helped his chances if that's what he wants to do,' said Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a close friend of Pence."

Related-- GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, long-time Trump critic: "I would vote Pence for president in a 'heartbeat,'" from Brent Griffiths

'THAT MEXICAN THING' IS 'GONNA BITE YA' - Hispanic leaders had a simple but stark message for Mike Pence on Wednesday: Flippant comments about the Latino community are going to hurt you at the ballot box. Several Hispanic lawmakers held a conference call responding to Pence's "that Mexican thing" retort during the Tuesday debate, which Rep. Ruben Gallego, who attended, said prompted an audible gasp from audience members.

"'That Mexican thing' is gonna come back to bite ya because our community is engaged, they're paying attention," said Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. More from your Huddle host: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1699c9ee99140146abb9f36ca5a74789dfd8cb509405268a03e187d0f247725d

THURSDAY ALREADY? WE GOT THIS. Welcome to Oct. 6. You're reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. Wednesday's most-clicked: The story about the world's oldest man finally getting a bar mitzvah. You guys love the warm and fuzzies!

TODAY IN CONGRESS- The House is out. The Senate meets in a pro forma session at 10:30 a.m.

AROUND THE HILL- Millennial staffers dancing to this sweet new jam: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1699c9ee99140146c1b809ee21722ae22e614130e7039336324c8b9936c63b19

BOXER, FEINSTEIN BACK HARRIS - California Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein endorsed state Attorney General Kamala Harris this morning in her race against Rep. Loretta Sanchez to fill Boxer's seat. "The two senators join a coveted list of popular Democrats who have thrown their support behind Harris in the race between two Democratic opponents, rejecting the Orange County congresswoman," reports Phil Willon for the L.A. Times.

"President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Gov. Jerry Brown have all backed Harris. The California Democratic Party has spent more than $560,000 on Harris' Senate campaign, but not offered a penny to help Sanchez."

Harris and Sanchez faced off in a fiery debate Wednesday in what was described as a clash "as much over personal style as policies in what was a frenzied and often caustic event compared with a campaign that has seemed to amble through a long, sleepy few months," writes John Myers.

Sick burn, bro: And Sanchez ended the debate by dabbing (you know, that dance move made popular by Cam Newton), prompting this response from Harris' spokesman: "Her dab was as weak as the rest of her debate performance." More from the Sacramento Bee's Christopher Cadelago: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=1699c9ee991401468952f7ef69763b81c810dec48d338e69946895cc02724d0e

McCAIN'S ABOUT-FACE ON VETS BILL- "Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has abandoned a proposal he pushed through the Senate that would knock out a key advantage for veterans applying for federal jobs, following pressure from the powerful veterans lobby," reports Lisa Rein for the Washington Post. "The about-face from the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman concerned one of the most sensitive issues facing the federal government" and comes as McCain faces his toughest reelection in recent memory.

RACE HEATS UP FOR ENERGY & COMMERCE GAVEL- The race is on between Reps. Greg Walden and John Shimkus to lead the Energy and Commerce Committee next year. Walden, as NRCC chairman, obviously has the fundraising advantage while Shimkus has a leg up on seniority, reports the Hill's David McCabe. "'It's a hard call,' Shimkus said, while talking about his higher spot in the committee hierarchy. 'It's a call between friends. So, what tips the scale if everything else is somewhat equal?'"

Walden throwing a little shade: "'I know Mr. Shimkus is actively working the steering committee and K Street and everywhere else,' Walden said. 'He's got more time to do that than I do right now, so we'll see where that all plays out.'"

ALL WE DO IS WIN, WIN, WIN- At least that's what Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is probably saying looking at the latest Quinnipiac poll numbers. The latest polls released Wednesday have GOP Senate candidates leading in Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio and tied in North Carolina. Kevin Robillard with the deets: "The most eye-popping result comes from Pennsylvania, where GOP Sen. Pat Toomey has an 8-point lead over Democrat Katie McGinty, 50 percent to 42 percent - even as the same poll showed Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton leading Donald Trump by 4 points."

On the other hand... Trump has slipped significantly in polls across battleground states in the last 10 days, which might leave Republicans with a tough choice depending on how he does in the debate Sunday: Stick with the party's nominee or jump ship and try to save yourself, report the New York Times' Jonathan Martin and Alex Burns. "Should Mr. Trump falter badly in his second debate with Hillary Clinton on Sunday in St. Louis, Republican congressional candidates may take it as a cue to flee openly from their nominee, said two senior Republicans involved at high levels of the campaign."

So, what does this all mean? "A Roll Call analysis of recent state polls that simultaneously surveyed the presidential and Senate race shows that for the most part, Senate Republican candidates are over-performing their party's presidential nominee. In five key states, Republican Senate candidates, on average, are doing better than Trump by about 5 points," reports Alex Roarty. "Sustaining that edge through Election Day would mark a significant achievement for Senate Republicans at a time when split-ticket voting is increasingly rare."

BIG MONEY- Just 10 mega-donors have contributed nearly 20 percent of the $1.1 billion raised by super PACs so far, according to a Washington Post analysis.

DEPARTURE LOUNGE-- Andrea Pivarunas has started as senior manager of advocacy communications at the American Academy of Dermatology; she previously was communications director for Rep. Morgan Griffith.

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER- Christopher Brown was the first to guess that Huey Long (1932), Rose Long (1936, stepping in after Huey was assassinated) and Russell Long (1948) was the father-mother-son group to serve in the Senate.

TODAY'S TRIVIA- Christopher with today's question: On March 19, 1979, the House inaugurated live televised "gavel-to-gavel" debate on the House Floor. Who was the first member to speak during the first live, televised session? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in tomorrow's Huddle. Get at me: hcaygle@politico.com

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