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11/10/2017 08:04 AM EDT


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

MOORE BOMBSHELL ROCKS GOP - How far will Republicans go to distance themselves from Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore? That's the big question as the GOP grapples with allegations that Moore initiated a sexual encounter with a 14-year-old girl while he was in his 30s and pursued relationships with other teenage girls around the same time. The White House and several GOP senators, including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, were quick to call for Moore to step aside Thursday "if the allegations are true." Several Republicans have endorsed and raised money for Moore in recent weeks, including Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Rand
Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).

The White House weighs in: "Like most Americans the president believes we cannot allow a mere allegation, in this case one from many years ago, to destroy a person's life," press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters. "However, the president also believes that if these allegations are true, Judge Moore will do the right thing and step aside."

Huddle question: What additional "proof" do Republicans need? Reporters from the Washington Post interviewed more than 30 people who knew Moore at the time, including the four women, then teenagers, that he pursued. All four women, who don't know each other, are on the record and their stories verified by others. Don't miss the incredible report from Stephanie McCrummen, Beth Reinhard and Alice Crites: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735dd44335f9462f6a7ac0620a0e6b5453a6d33fb76e4736d4d0f6fa7e6dca09f03577aef86d9f4d2fa8e

What's next: Republicans don't actually have the legal or political leverage to force Moore off the ballot before the Dec. 12 election. "Some absentee ballots have already been sent to voters, which appears to make it impossible to install someone in place of Moore on the Republican Party line," Daniel Strauss, Elana and Kevin Robillard report. And Moore has no loyalty to Republican leaders, who spent millions backing Sen. Luther Strange while Moore won the nomination on an anti-McConnell platform. Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735dd0a6420130fd243ae2ca66259a85134900b82c218cb6c5496ca8f156f5d1fe290aed1ca5b5dbc16f6

Write-in bid? Some Republicans have suggested Strange mount a write-in bid ahead of the general election. "Well, that's getting the cart ahead of the horse. But I will have something to say about that. Let me do some more research," Strange told the AP's Steve Peoples. Moore, meanwhile, shows no signs of stepping aside and is even fundraising off of the report, Daniel Strauss writes.

How the GOP establishment feels: "This is what happens when you let reckless, incompetent idiots like Steve Bannon go out and recruit candidates who have absolutely no business running for the U.S. Senate," said Josh Holmes, a former aide to McConnell. The New York Times: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735ddee6b71bf527765b3b5841e3694546a5a050bf4a696712079d3c54c1443c8ee05db4812f7246fb414

TELL A VETERAN THANK YOU THIS WEEKEND. Welcome to Friday, Nov. 10, and thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. And a very special shout-out to my own Screamin' Eagle, my dad Ricky, a proud member of the 101st Airborne.

THURSDAY'S MOST CLICKED: No surprise here, you guys were really digging the video of the scooter race around the Capitol rotunda between House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Rep. Sam Johnson (R-Texas).

WEEKEND READING: "Cory Booker loves Donald Trump," from POLITICO Magazine's Michael Kruse. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735ddcf17c6ae35c7cc3895bcfcee7fbf78b9a782d76d36dc61710040347b00a835e6e579d360ad95040f

TAX REFORM, THE ROAD AHEAD - The Senate unveiled its tax proposal Thursday night and, as expected, the plan has some significant differences from the bill House tax writers approved yesterday, including the top tax rate and the timing of the corporate tax cut. "Hard bargaining, battles between GOP factions and an onslaught of lobbying are the gauntlets Republicans will have to run to get legislation to Trump's desk by the end of the year - and into their mailers and ads for the 2018 elections," Bernie Becker, Brian Faler and Aaron Lorenzo report.

Coming attractions: "The House Ways and Means Committee approved its bill on a party-line 24-16 vote, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the full House would vote on it next week. The Senate Finance Committee will start working on its bill next week, maybe as early as Monday." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735ddeb3c05405c3fe1cbf3abb1e97cb8d5804f4a7849380437a61e39ec6fe2ade3a0e61e1cc02fe9b158

DISMISSED JUROR: MENENDEZ 'NOT GUILTY' - A juror who was excused Thursday afternoon from Sen. Bob Menendez's federal corruption trial said she thinks he's "not guilty" and accused the government of "railroading" the New Jersey Democrat. "I feel like the government was very corrupted, not that Menendez was," Evelyn Arroyo-Maultsby told reporters outside the Newark courthouse. "That they were, to me, railroading him. This is how I feel. Personally, he's not guilty on all counts."

Arroyo-Maultsby said other jurors' feelings about the case have been mixed during the "tense" deliberations and could result in a hung jury. She was dismissed Thursday for a previously planned vacation so jury deliberations start all over again with a replacement juror on Monday. Matt Friedman with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735dd54668d6d2f41bc52565f5b15eed18e248db7f6e05eb5b532d609b5e4b08ae8a80badcb7fb629563a

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SENATE CHANGES HARASSMENT POLICIES - The Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a resolution that requires sexual harassment training for both members and staff. The measure, co-sponsored by both McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), "would require harassment training that also covers discrimination based on race, religion, disability and other criteria," Elana reports. Previously, sexual harassment training was optional, not mandatory. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735dde185877c0ca3fe78f5021305177045d4ebba6b20319b6fdf6f314eb3de34504fd45daf8504e3e65a

Related read: "The powerful predators on Capitol Hill," from N.Y. Mag's Marin Cogan. Read more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735ddf16d3adf530ca5131481c6f3287f1c66a2ed0225da6a0d9f027af6d12b6beafe0dc59bd941930742

FIRST IN HUDDLE: VETERANS DAY VIDEO - In honor of Veterans Day tomorrow, the Senate Republican Conference is releasing a video of Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a combat veteran, leading one of her early morning ruck marches around Washington with fellow veterans, including Rep. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.). "In one way this symbolizes what we've been able to experience in the military, with the camaraderie, with the leadership, with the physical fitness," Ernst says. "But it is one way that we can honor veterans, simply remember them, their selfless service and sacrifice." Watch: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735dd288cd04363140b06f40b629f0b7e2b52e32a00fa59db3a90bacbeea4aa0b62b5765eb1c36c6814fd

PAUL'S ALLEGED ATTACKER PLEADS NOT GUILTY - Rene Boucher, the man who allegedly attacked Sen. Rand Paul outside of his home last week, "pleaded not guilty in a Kentucky court Thursday to misdemeanor assault charges, as the senator's office described the incident as unprovoked and not a result of any recent dispute," Byron Tau reports for the Wall Street Journal. "As to reports of a longstanding dispute with the attacker, the Pauls have had no conversations with him in many years," Doug Stafford, Paul's chief strategist, said. "The first 'conversation' with the attacker came after Sen. Paul's ribs were broken. This was not a 'fight'; it was a blindside, violent attack." More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735dd32c1fd078010e91b9e44ce9b777a2daa36252e7886f32574b48a6385e16460c621b4c13e8c9f93cb

RUN ROMNEY RUN? Mitt Romney is moving closer to a Senate bid despite the fact that Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has yet to announce whether he'll run for reelection next year. "The former GOP presidential nominee is huddling with Utah's class of GOP power brokers, contacting the state's major political donors, and hitting the trail for candidates running in local races," Alex Isenstadt reports. "Romney is also raising money for House and Senate Republicans, winning him favor with GOP leaders ahead of a treacherous midterm election."

Hatch, 83, has said he will announce his decision by the end of this year. But Romney is clearly itching to get in the race. "After falling short in his quest for the White House and then being passed over by President Donald Trump for secretary of state, friends say Romney still has unquenched political ambitions," Alex reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735dddc36764a454413217d8eabfc8dec30ed11e62b45241aaa3297edcb05109dc5e407a7bc541cd0e75f

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST - House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) will retire after 2018, he announced Thursday. Goodlatte, the most senior Republican in the Virginia delegation, has served 13 terms in Congress, including leading the Agriculture and Judiciary Committees. "On a call with reporters, Goodlatte said the political climate 'didn't play a role' in his decision," Jenna Portnoy reports for the Washington Post. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735ddd8920c8a305ea7ca1cd327eb51608b7a0f6ef7ca6c35c30ba94ef1e851966c4ce4833631b6035585

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House and Senate are out until next week.

AROUND THE HILL - There's nothing happening on the Hill. Happy Veterans Day weekend.

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Eli Schechner was first to guess that S-238 in the Capitol is better known as the Strom Thurmond room. The room, which once housed part of the Library of Congress, was destroyed in a fire before being rebuilt into a mammoth three-story gathering place in the 1800s. The room was later divided again into three separate floors with no significant structural changes since 1899. Read more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=6182dd4ee3c735dd73a4edb344f5dbd6497d0d4f98f276261527907799ba0e92f153e6acd1abb70045b5c37c5df42717

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Eli with today's question: Which future member of Congress was born on the exact day that a U.S. President was assassinated? The first person to answer correctly gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: hcaygle@politico.com.

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