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By Scott Wong (
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HURRICANE SANDY WREAKS HAVOC THROUGHOUT EAST COAST -- The Washington Post's Ashley Halsey III, Annie Gowen and Mark Berman report: "As mammoth storm system Hurricane Sandy conspired to assault the most populous part of the United States, hundreds of thousands of people moved to higher ground and cities announced shutdowns that typically occur after several feet of snow.

-- "The Washington region's entire public transit system - Metro, Virginia Railway Express and the Maryland Transportation System - ceased Monday operations. Schools, colleges and universities closed Monday, and some have already announced they'll close Tuesday and Wednesday as well.

-- "Cities north along the Eastern Seaboard took similar action. New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I) ordered the evacuation of Coney Island and Lower Manhattan, and authorities shut down the city's schools and its subway system, effectively bringing the nation's largest city to a near halt. More than 60 miles inland, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter (D) urged people to leave low-lying neighborhoods. Even the New York Stock Exchange will close floor trading on Monday and move to an electronic-only system.

-- "Thousands of flights in and out of eastern cities were canceled, and utility crews were summoned from distant states after it was predicted that 10 million people might lose electricity. In Virginia, about 5,000 Dominion Virginia Power customers were without power on Sunday, and the utility estimated that up to a million could lose power over the next few days. ...

-- "Sandy strengthened before dawn on Monday and stayed on its predicted path toward Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York. High winds - including hurricane-force gusts of 60 mph to 70 mph - should continue to hit the D.C. region through Tuesday evening, according to the National Weather Service. Sustained winds of 30 mph to 40 mph starting at 8 a.m. Monday are expected to increase to 45 mph around noon."
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8 A.M. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARNING - "SANDY NOW MOVING NORTH-NORTHWESTWARD AND ACCELERATING ... EXPECTED TO BRING LIFE-THREATENING STORM SURGE AND COASTAL HURRICANE WINDS PLUS HEAVY APPALACHIAN SNOWS... ABOUT 265 MI...425 KM SE OF ATLANTIC CITY NEW JERSEY. ABOUT 310 MI...505 KM SSE OF NEW YORK CITY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...85 MPH...140 KM/H. PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNW OR 330 DEGREES AT 20 MPH."
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PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA signed State of Emergency declarations for states up and down the East Coast, including Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as the District of Columbia.

-- The president has canceled today's campaign event in Orlando, Fla., "due to deteriorating weather conditions in the Washington, DC area," the White House said this morning. He is returning to Washington to monitor the preparations for and early response to the Hurricane Sandy.

FIVE POLITICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT SANDY - POLITICO's Jonathan Allen writes: "The presidential campaigns are publicly hitting pause on East Coast electioneering as Hurricane Sandy spirals toward Atlantic beaches, but privately political professionals are starting to assess important questions about how it might affect next week's elections up and down the ballot. For obvious reasons - namely that they don't want to appear to make political hay out of a life-and-death act of nature - campaign officials won't touch the prospective political aftermath of a storm that has yet to hit. ... But that doesn't mean campaigns aren't worried. Come hell or high water - and likely both - the nation will
choose a president next Tuesday, and Sandy could wreak havoc on the election.

-- Here are five questions about Sandy's impact on the election:1) Will Mitt Romney's momentum be stopped? 2) Does Obama have a natural advantage because he's president? 3) How will ad strategies be affected? 4) How will the storm affect early voting? 5) Does this throw a wrench into Obama's vaunted ground game?
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ISSA'S RECORD: FLOPS OR FEATS? - Darren Samuelsohn and Jake Sherman write for the hometown paper: "In the two years since putting himself in the way of the man he called 'one of the most corrupt presidents in modern times,' Rep. Darrell Issa has helped Republicans by grabbing headlines and providing his party with searing talking points. But he's also undercut his efforts with mixed results and unexpected slip-ups. With his investigation into the attack in Libya that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens, he's done all four at once. ...

-- "Despite Issa's promises, two years in, he still hasn't uncovered a Watergate - or even a Whitewater. He can't claim to be responsible for any high-profile resignations or any significant change of policy or behavior from the administration. The most tangible effect Issa can claim is June's largely partisan vote to hold Eric Holder in contempt of Congress - which the attorney general and the administration brushed off. To the White House, Issa's record speaks for itself: partisan noise over substance, a record of ominous talk with little to show for it except trouble.
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BARTLETT, DELANEY RACE NOW TIED IN MD. - John Fritze writes for the Baltimore Sun: "In a contest with national significance, longtime Republican Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett and Democrat John Delaney are running neck and neck in the race to represent Western Maryland's 6th Congressional District, a new poll shows. Forty-two percent of likely voters said they intend to support Delaney, a Potomac financier making his first run for political office. Bartlett, a 20-year incumbent who lives in Buckeystown, was the choice of 41 percent of likely voters surveyed. One in 10 respondents said they are undecided and 6 percent refused to say whom they will support. The result is a statistical tie. ...
The newly redrawn district was designed for Democrats, but the poll shows that the state's marquee congressional race is much closer than previously anticipated. Nonpartisan political analysts have considered Bartlett among the most vulnerable incumbents in the nation, and his own party has been slow to invest in his bid for an 11th term."
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BROWNLEY, STRICKLAND TAKE TWO PATHS IN CALIF. - Timm Herdt writes for the Ventura County Star: "Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, arguably the second-most- powerful member of the House of Representatives, was in Ventura County last week to help Republican Tony Strickland in his 26th Congressional District campaign. But there was no public notice of his visit, no news conferences, no opportunity for a newspaper photographer or a television crew to capture an image of Cantor and Strickland together. Cantor attended a $500 per person private fundraiser at a home in Westlake Village then left town.

-- "A few days earlier, Rep. Xavier Becerra, vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, also was in the county, walking precincts in Santa Paula with 26th District Democratic candidate Julia Brownley. The event was widely publicized - a news release was issued, notices were sent around on Facebook. Brownley sought to call as much attention to Becerra's visit as possible, just as she publicized visits from Sen. Barbara Boxer, Assistant House Democratic Leader James Clyburn of South Carolina and - most enthusiastically - her appearance alongside former President Bill Clinton at a Southern California rally last week. The Ventura County visits of Cantor and Becerra illustrate two
different approaches to the campaign that Strickland and Brownley have adopted."
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--Also read Jake Sherman's report from Sacramento, "GOP's California dreams dashed": "[The] Golden State isn't the golden opportunity the GOP thought it was this cycle. Nearly every Republican in California and in D.C. privately concedes the same thing: They could wake up on Nov. 7 having lost every competitive seat in the state."
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POLITICO-GW Battleground Tracking Poll -- In their congressional district, 46 percent of voters are leaning towards the Republican candidate, 45 percent are leaning Democratic and 9 percent of voters are undecided, according to the latest POLITICO-George Washington University Battleground Tracking Poll. For more:
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WSJ EDITORIAL: 'HARRY REID'S GRAVEYARD' - The newspaper's editorial board, no fan of the Nevada Democrat, warns there will be more gridlock if Democrats hold the Senate: "Even if Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan win on November 6, his agenda will be stymied if Republicans can't pick up at least three more seats than their current 47 and control the Senate. That's clear from the last two years, when Harry Reid's not-so-deliberative body became the graveyard for fiscal and other reform. House Republicans won an historic midterm election in 2010, picking up 63 seats. They also gained six Senate seats, but a handful of weak GOP candidates (Sharron Angle, Ken Buck, Christine O'Donnell)
cost them control of the upper body. Back in charge in 2011, Mr. Reid proceeded to stop nearly everything that House Republicans passed. President Obama hasn't even had to sweat a veto fight because nothing escapes Mr. Reid's lost world.

-- "Consider the record. In 2011 and 2012 the House passed more than three-dozen economic or jobs-related bills and with only a few exceptions they died in the Senate without a vote. The bills dealt with regulatory relief, tax reduction, domestic drilling for energy, offshore drilling, a jobs bill for veterans, repeal of ObamaCare and many more. Many passed the House with significant Democratic support, as the nearby list shows. Then there is the Democratic failure on their constitutional obligation of passing a budget. House Republicans passed their budgets in each of the past two years in the spring. The latest one, crafted by Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan, contained $4.5 trillion
in deficit reduction-at least twice as much as Mr. Obama's budget proposal.

-- "By contrast, the Senate failed to pass any budget in 2012. Or 2011. Or 2010. The Senate hasn't passed a budget in more than 1,200 days. Sorry, Harry, you can't blame that on a Republican filibuster, because it takes only 51 votes to pass a Senate budget resolution. In 2011 and 2012 the Senate Budget Committee never even drafted a budget, thus inspiring a House bill to dock the pay of Senate Budget Committee Members for not doing their job."
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-- The Atlantic asks: "Is Harry Reid immortal?" The six-car pileup he was involved in Friday in Nevada isn't the first time the 72-year-old majority leader has dodged death, writes Connor Simpson.
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-- Meanwhile, Marco Rubio's spokesman emailed an update after the Florida senator's 12-year-old daughter was involved in a golf cart accident Saturday: 'Amanda Rubio continues recovering from a head injury suffered in an accident yesterday. She is in fair condition. She continues to undergo neurological testing. Her long term prognosis is positive. Senator and Mrs. Rubio are grateful for all the prayers offered in their daughter's behalf.'

GIANTS SWEEP TIGERS, WIN 2ND WORLD SERIES TITLE IN THREE YEARS - Bruce Jenkins writes for the San Francisco Chronicle: "The Giants found their peace on a frigid, nasty evening in the Midwest, rain blowing across the field in sheets. It felt like heaven. With a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers, they won the World Series in a four-game sweep Sunday and established themselves beyond question as baseball's most powerful force. As a stunned crowd stood in silence at Comerica Park, the Giants mobbed Marco Scutaro, the irrepressible second baseman whose 10th-inning single won the game. They climbed all over Ryan Theriot, a nearly forgotten Giant who scored the winning run, and Sergio Romo,
who struck out the formidable Miguel Cabrera to end the game. It wasn't long before everyone got around to hugging everybody, a snapshot for Giants history and the prelude to a most satisfying winter.

-- "Their 2010 world championship was all about the first title in San Francisco, forever cherished and never to be duplicated, but baseball is a game of parity. So many teams share in the October glory, ruling out any notion of a dynasty. Things feel different now, with the Giants' second title in three years. They've established a model, all about stability, sensible transactions and an overriding sense of team."
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-- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco: 'Tonight, San Francisco celebrates as our Giants have once again made us the proudest city in baseball.As our team brings the second World Series victory to our hometown, we celebrate them for their excellence at America's game.The San Francisco Giants have once again made us proud.This year the Giants have shown tenacity, heart, and teamwork.When it comes to America's national pastime, our team and our city are number one.'

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GOOD MONDAY MORNING, October 29, 2012, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day's congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to
mailto:swong@politico.com
swong@politico.com . If you don't already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.

My new followers include but are not limited to @Jdukescarolina and @sheikhandbake.

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY - Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said President Obama's handling of the deadly Libya consulate attack was the worst "cover-up or incompetence" he had ever seen, suggesting it was worse than Watergate. "'It is now the worst cover-up or incompetence I have ever observed in my life. ...' said McCain, Obama's 2008 presidential rival, during an appearance on CBS's 'Face the Nation.' 'Somebody the other day said to me, 'Well, this is as bad as Watergate.' Nobody died in Watergate.'

-- "McCain and other Republicans, including GOP National Chairman Reince Priebus and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, pounced on the Obama administration during the Sunday talk shows after news reports came out over the weekend showing discrepancies between the White House and Defense Department over why reinforcements weren't sent to Libya after the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi."
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-- RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said on CNN's "State of the Union" that nobody is talking about Indiana Republican Richard Mourdock or Missouri Republican Todd Akin's remarks about rape. Instead, they're concerned about Obama's failed economic and foreign policies, he said.
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-- Akin will be stumping with Newt Gingrich Tuesday and Wednesday, his campaign emails this morning.

2ND DESJARLAIS GIRLFRIEND COMES FORWARD - Chris Carroll of the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports: "On the heels of a sex scandal involving a female patient, another woman has acknowledged having a sexual relationship with physician and [GOP] U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais while she was under his medical care. The second woman described DesJarlais as 'the nicest guy' and said he cooked dinner for her at their first get-together in 2000. But she also said they smoked marijuana during their relationship and remembered DesJarlais prescribing her pain medication on dates at his home. 'His biggest thing that's completely unethical is him just picking up women while he's a doctor,' the
woman said in an interview last week. 'I mean, seriously, that's his big no-no. ... He's just a hound.' The woman said the affair lasted six months and included mutual illicit drug use. ...

-- "In a prepared statement Saturday, his campaign did not dispute any specific allegations by the woman, instead condemning 'personal smear campaigns that hurt families' and 'have no place in politics.'"
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HUSBAND-WIFE FIGHT FOR POLITICAL LIVES - Molly Hooper writes for The Hill: "A married couple who serve in Congress are fighting for their political lives thousands of miles away from each other. Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) and his wife, Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.), are both in competitive races this fall. Mack is running for the Senate in Florida while Bono Mack is seeking to win a 9th term in her Palm Springs-based district. They were wed in 2007. The husband-and-wife team usually coast to victory. But this year is different. Mack is an underdog in his contest against Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). ... Meanwhile, Bono Mack, the widow of former congressman and entertainer Sonny Bono, is facing
a resurgent challenger."
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WaPo, A1, "Kaine lead over Allen holds firm in new poll," By Ben Pershing and Peyton M. Craighill: "Timothy M. Kaine enters the final days of Virginia's U.S. Senate contest with a clear advantage over George Allen, a new Washington Post poll shows, keeping an edge despite a tightening presidential race and an avalanche of outside spending against the Democrat. Kaine (D) leads fellow former governor Allen (R) among likely Virginia voters, 51 to 44 percent, nearly unchanged from the 51 to 43 margin the Democrat enjoyed in the Washington Post's mid-September poll. While that survey showed the Senate race mirroring the presidential - Kaine and President Obama held identical 8-point leads -
Kaine is now in a stronger position than his party's standard-bearer."
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KERREY CLOSES GAP - Robynn Tysver writes for the Omaha World-Herald: "As the heat rises in the Nebraska U.S. Senate campaign, the race has tightened. Democrat Bob Kerrey is now within striking distance of upsetting Republican Deb Fischer, according to The World-Herald Poll. Kerrey trailed Fischer by only 3 percentage points in a statewide survey of 800 registered voters. He has closed the gap considerably from five weeks ago, when he was behind by 10 points among registered voters in a World-Herald Poll. In fact, Kerrey has made up even more ground among people who say they plan to vote. In the September poll, Kerrey trailed Fischer among likely voters by 16 percentage points. As of last
week, Kerrey was behind by 3 points: 49 percent for Fischer; 46 percent for Kerrey."
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HAWAII'S BIGGEST PAPER ENDORSES HIRONO - Democrat Maizie Hirono won the endorsement of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser: "Hirono has been a consistent advocate for government actions and policies that serve Hawaii.... She has not wavered in her commitment on several issues critical to national interests as well as those specific to Hawaii.... Middle-class voters in Hawaii can support her and know where she stands.Judging by her past history on the Hill, she stands with them.'
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FRIDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Two readers tied for first by naming at least three Senate candidates this election year (either the Democratic or Republican nominee) who have never held elected office before. Ross Kapilian answered: Elizabeth Warren, Linda McMahon, and Wendy Long. Brad Fitch answered: Elizabeth Warren, Linda McMahon and Richard Carmona. Other answers included Ted Cruz and

Correction to Thursday's trivia: Claude Marx fact checked my answer to Thursday's question and found that William Howard Taft actually had held elected office before winning the presidency. He had been elected as a local judge, according to Encyclopedia Britannica:
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TODAY'S TRIVIA -Brad Fitch has today's question: A new study says congressional staff indicate they're working long hours and have concerns over work life balance. Question: When was the last time the House of Representatives increased the size of full-time staff in lawmakers' personal offices? First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at
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WEATHER -Windswept tropical rain and wind gusts up to 70 mph, according to ABC7's Brian van de Graaff.

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