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11/20/2015 07:38 AM EDT


By Rachael Bade (rbade@politico.com or @RachaelMBade)

BREAKING: TERROR IN MALI. "170 People taken hostage at Mali Hotel," ABC breaking news: "Gunmen have taken 170 people hostage at a hotel in the capital city of Mali, according to a Radisson representative. After reports of an active shooter operation at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Bamako, Mali, a Radisson media rep has confirmed that two people have taken 140 guests and 30 employees hostage." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865b03a24a33b13350e5fd7447eda6aecdc4663e795bb6251306

MAX JUICE: THE PAGE WHO TOOK OUT MARK FOLEY: "Why I leaked the scandalous Mark Foley messages - and what I regret about it," by Zack Stanton, editor-in-chief of the Wilson Quarterly, on Politico (H/t Daniel Lippman): "I was a congressional page in 2001 and 2002. During that year, Foley sent sexual instant messages to at least three of my classmates. The messages weren't flirtatious-though some started that way-but out and out lewd. ... [H]ow the conversations went public, and who gave them to reporters and started the avalanche that ended Foley's career and dealt a blow to the Republican congressional majority, has never come out. It was me. I didn't do it to sink the Republicans, though as
an aspiring Democratic politico, I wasn't sorry to see it happen. I did it because I realized just how easily Congressman Foley had been evading accountability for repeat offenses, and that the House leadership was either unwilling or unable to solve the problem." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865bcce2d74eb704aa1f3468a6069d858d3e774264f8c0a77341

FRESH IDEA: GUBERNATORIAL W.H. HOPEFULS BLAME CONGRESS FOR STRUGGLES. Kevin Robillard from POLITICO's campaign team in Vegas: "The nation's Republican governors think they know why their colleagues are struggling so much on the presidential stage: It's all the Republican-led Congress' fault. 'When you look at what has happened over the past year, we've got [Mitch] McConnell and [John] Boehner running the Senate and House, a lot of things wouldn't be any different than if Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi were in office,' Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in an interview at the Republican Governors Association conference. 'So I think Republican voters have had it with people who come from the political
class.'..."

"Scott Walker, the one-time Iowa front-runner, has dropped out... A rebrand couldn't save former Texas Gov. Rick Perry... Bobby Jindal joined them Chris Christie...John Kasich ...Jeb Bush are all struggling in the polls.... Why? To hear the governors at the annual RGA conference tell it in the Wynn Encore Hotel, dysfunction in Congress has ruined Americans' opinions of any and all politicians - even those far away from Washington's dysfunction." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865b2d8415f4446cfd0914097abf298a418cde04ee82ff839a63

FED TO CONGRESS: LAY OFF OUR DOUGH. Zach Warmbrodt for Pro Finance on the plan to take billions out of fed accounts to fund a highway bill: "Even as members of Congress are slamming the Federal Reserve for being too political with its monetary policy, they are plotting to use the central bank as a government piggy bank. Congress is aiming to take billions out of the Fed's accounts to help pay for a new highway and transit bill, but the Fed is balking, registering 'strong concerns about using the resources of the Federal Reserve to finance fiscal spending.' But members of Congress who consider the Fed money to be the only politically feasible way to fund a long-term transportation bill are
wondering why the central bank didn't try to stir up opposition sooner." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865bb0484d7a3eea7b366ff798423631dd7f0f5648d20be0c8a6

** A message from The Broad Tax Extenders Coalition: Over 2,000 nonprofits, charitable organizations, businesses and associations agree: permanent and multiyear tax extenders will support jobs, generate new investment and innovation, and boost charitable giving. Without a tax extenders bill, thousands of American businesses face a sudden end-of-year tax increase. Learn more at www.consensusisclear.org **

WELCOME TO THANKSGIVING BREAK, Y'ALL. Thank for reading Huddle, where we're taking extra bikram class this week in anticipation of the stuffing- and mashed potato-overload next Thursday. New pie recipe? Share it here, because I've got a hankering for something other than pumpkin: rbade@politico.com, or Tweet: @RachaelMBade.

TODAY IN CONGRESS: Out for break.

AROUND THE HILL: At 10 a.m., on First Street NW, the Capitol Christmas tree arrives. IS IT THAT TIME OF YEAR ALREADY?!?

HOUSEKEEPING ANNOUNCEMENT -"Politico Hires Brad Dayspring, Veteran G.O.P. Operative, as Spokesman," Nick Corasaniti for the New York Times: "The growing news organization has hired Brad Dayspring, the outspoken and occasionally combative Republican political operative with a notorious Twitter feed, to be their vice president of communications. 'We have always thought of Politico like a political candidate,' Kim Kingsley, Politico's chief operating officer, said in a memo that was to be sent to the staff on Thursday night and that was provided to The New York Times. 'One that needs a carefully managed and consistent message, a great offensive strategy and a clear path ahead. So in that
respect, Brad was born for this job,' she wrote." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865b50ea6f8358cd82c8c42e7f95692463b883df0bb553b1f0b3

"LAWMAKERS GOT SUSPECT TURKISH CAMPAIGN CASH," Paul Singer scoops the money trail for USA Today: "A Turkish religious movement accused of illegally financing congressional travel abroad may have also provided hundreds of thousands of dollars of improper campaign donations to congressional and presidential candidates during the past several years, a USA TODAY investigation has found. USA TODAY has identified dozens of large campaign donations attributed to people with modest incomes, or from people who had little knowledge of to whom they had given, or from people who could not be located at all. All the donors appear to have ties to a Turkish religious movement named for its founder,
Fethullah Gülen. USA TODAY reported last month that the movement has secretly funded more than 200 foreign trips for members of Congress and their staff."

"In response to USA TODAY's queries about suspicious donations she received on April 30, 2014, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H. refunded $43,100 to the donors. 'Out of an abundance of caution, the campaign has refunded the contributions in question,' said Ayotte campaign manager Jon Kohan. Ayotte also called on others who have received money from the same donors - including President Obama and Hillary Clinton - to return that money as well." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865b495ad0ecb5e4c759d65b59e8a041a0801dae762bb66994af

"HOUSE DEMS BACK GOP ON BILL TO PAUSE ADMITTANCE OF SOME REFUGEES." Elise Foley for HuffPo. "Forty-seven House Democrats broke with the White House on Thursday to vote for a bill aimed at pausing admittance of Syrian and Iraqi refugees by adding requirements to an already lengthy screening process, and putting pressure on intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security officials to act with caution... Some Democrats said the legislation simply wasn't as bad as the administration made it out to be, even after a briefing earlier in the day with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson. 'It isn't what it was characterized as, so why would we
oppose that?' Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.). He voted for the bill Thursday.

"They also expressed frustration that the White House hadn't better explained the refugee vetting process, which many agreed is already extensive, with voters and politicians. 'I've seen better presentations in my time here,' Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), who voted with Republicans Thursday, told reporters. 'They may have strong arguments on their side, but they're not expressing those strong arguments sufficiently.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865bbd2f90c456a85b628a34239bb6aa4ffc6cb8c811469c31ae

SENATE DEMS VOW TO WAGE REFUGEE FILIBUSTER, FLIP FOCUS TO VISAS. Alexander Bolton and Jordain Carney for The Hill: "Senate Democrats will filibuster legislation halting the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the United States... Senate Democrats believe they can flip the issue by shifting the debate to the roughly 20 million people who come into the country each year through the visa waiver program. They also want to put Republicans on the spot by forcing a vote on a provision to bar people on the terrorist watch list from buying guns." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865b1ef3a83ff80c6c2515302f8014641c4540a721103622427f

BUT, BUT, BUT...

BIPARTISAN VISA CHANGES FACES BUSINESS BACKLASH. Kate Ackley with Roll Call: "Efforts to curb a visa-waiver program in the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks may win bipartisan support in Congress but already are stirring backlash from industries that thrive on foreign visitors. Sens. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said Thursday that they plan to introduce a bill after the Thanksgiving recess that would tighten up parts of a decades-old program aimed at increasing the number of international tourists visiting the United States.

"But industry groups argue that security backstops enacted in the 14 years since the Sept. 11 attacks are sufficient, and that overhauling the visa-waiver program would simply make it harder for law-abiding visitors to put the United States on their itineraries... 'We understand on a political level why Congress wants to do something - especially when the knock on Congress is that they don't get much done,' said Jonathan Grella, the U.S. Travel Association's executive vice president for public affairs.... His group is 'pumping out' videos and fact sheets to make its case." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865ba04abd998151fcad983b445eb7aa9db5c07ac6ee7d582b9e

'PRO-LIFE' GROUPS TO CRUZ, PAUL: SUPPORT RECONCILIATION. Going up on Redstate today, Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, will urge Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio to "lead on reconciliation and support the bill because it defunds Planned Parenthood" - even if it doesn't do everything they want on Obamacare...

From the op-ed: "Because this is exactly what they'll need to do as President. Reconciliation is the best pathway to immediately dismantling Obamacare and Planned Parenthood's tax funding should we win the White House. But in order to do it, a President Cruz or a President Rubio would need to bring together 51 Senators. The opportunity before them is a great test run. It's an opportunity to lead and get the job done. In doing so, they'll show conservative and independent voters that, should either of them win the White House, we can immediately take a sledgehammer to Obamacare and Planned Parenthood's tax funding."

WHAT WE'VE LEARNED ABOUT PAUL RYAN. Jake and Bres: "Paul Ryan has been speaker of the House for just three weeks... He's deftly navigated a Syrian refugee crisis that might have crippled former Speaker John Boehner. He reformed an internal power center within the House Republican Conference. He's reopened lines of constant communication with President Barack Obama. And he seems to be playing on an endless loop on cable television..."

"Ryan believes that next year - an election year - should be heavy on legislating... Ryan is going to empower Kevin McCarthy... Ryan is keeping his word about changing how the House works....When disaster strikes - as it did last week in Paris - Ryan isn't afraid to move fast, bypass committees and bring a bill to the floor quickly... Ryan likes being on TV - and other Republicans like to see him doing it." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865b9cd5cb8a85c7f23ca73ec2621169c4e8b0434a024a1a66af

GREENER PASTURES. Seth Larson is leaving Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse's com office to start a new gig on Nov. 30th as the communications director for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Energy. "I'll be continuing to focus on a lot of the same issues that I've worked on for Senator Whitehouse, namely climate change and energy. With the big international climate summit in Paris slated for the coming weeks and the Obama Administration continuing it implement its Clean Power Plan, it's an exciting time to work on these issues, and I'm looking forward to tackling them from a new platform."

THURSDAYS TRIVIA WINNER. Chris Armstrong was the first to answer that Ken Cuccinelli gave his staff lapel pins of Virginia's state seal, which typically features a bare-chested Roman goddess Virtus, with an armored plate covering her up.

TODAY'S TRIVIA: Which comes from yesterday's winner, who works for Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch, the Senate Pro Tem: Who is the only Senate Pro Tempore to later become President? Email the answer here rbade@politico.com.

GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says 'Sign Up.' http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=4f57db571213865b8c3e94fec0f53c0a554a854de3e6bec0a36fc1c4640a055a

** A message from The Broad Tax Extenders Coalition: The consensus is clear: failure to pass tax extenders would hurt families, farmers, charities, and businesses. Over 2,000 nonprofits, charitable organizations, businesses and associations agree: permanent and multiyear tax extenders will support jobs, generate new investment and innovation, and boost charitable giving. Learn more at www.consensusisclear.org **


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