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02/23/2017 07:52 AM EDT


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

With an assist from Daniel Lippman

RUSSIA PROBE DOGS TOWN HALLS - Republicans choosing to hold town halls this week are hearing a mountain of complaints from angry constituents about GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare. But lawmakers are also getting an earful on another topic, one many Republicans have said they thought would be Beltway banter only: President Trump's relationship with Russia. One after another, Republicans from Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton to Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley are being confronted about what they're doing to help or hinder an investigation into Russia.

Dodge, reject, repeat: Some lawmakers like Rep. Marsha Blackburn are either sidestepping questions about independent commissions or rejecting the idea entirely, like Rep. David Brat. "There's no allegation of wrongdoing with [Michael] Flynn," Brat said when asked if he'd support an independent probe into the former national security adviser's firing. "You don't get to throw spaghetti on the wall."

"The attention on the issue back home could increase pressure on GOP lawmakers to pursue a serious and far-reaching probe. The controversy will also test how far Republican are willing to go in openly challenging the new president, who has consistently dismissed the matter as 'fake news,'" Kyle reports from Blackstone, Va., along with contributions from Jennifer Haberkorn in Iowa Falls and Garner, Iowa; Paul Demko in Fairview, Tennessee; and David Siders from Mariposa, California. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c677ab7a0b688aa02be311801184f00beb6220689e9f31e3d872cdced85ac77b93102f16bbdd0403d8d

"What kind of insurance do you have?" To get an idea of the crowd Cotton was facing, just listen to this exchange: "My husband has dementia, Alzheimer's, plus multiple other things. And you want to stand there, with him at home, [and] expect us to be calm, cool and collected. Well, what kind of insurance do you have?" one woman pressed Cotton, to the supportive roar of other attendees. CNN with the video: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c671b90226f16f5d7b53bceb746c00ef512eeeb5915047ec014794474275b6957b012a7b861ca35738e

It's not just GOP lawmakers hearing from packed crowds: "In solidly blue Silicon Valley, anxious Democrats turned out in droves on Wednesday for the inaugural town hall meeting of freshman U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna," Carla Marinucci reports from Fremont, Cali. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67760948014840dfdb468c1a7e7b6357d6add1afcd455b4616c62f9394270539895c0c003eedab65b8

CAN WE JUST START OVER? After a rocky first month in office, top advisers to President Trump are searching for the reset button and are hoping his joint address to Congress next week does just that. "Like Trump's inaugural address, Tuesday's speech will be written by aide Stephen Miller. But rather than echo the broad strokes of the Jan. 20 'American carnage' address, White House aides involved in planning say the president will be more detailed as he seeks to recast his tumultuous first month as a success," Shane Goldmacher reports.

The ball is in your court: "White House officials said that after a first month driven almost entirely by policies they could enact unilaterally, the joint congressional address will focus on work the White House wants done on Capitol Hill during the rest of 2017." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c672d68c70cee3cdc6b4ba00d244dd56abb59a18db9c7a1f01aae71514c9a6b4785aded3eb044094925

OBSTRUCTIONISM IS OKAY, BUT ONLY WHEN WE DO IT - Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said obstructionism on Capitol Hill is good sometimes, just not when Democrats do it. "Look, I'm not against obstruction if you have a purpose. And I've from time to time been involved in that myself," McConnell said Wednesday. "Obstruction with a purpose is different from futile gestures," he added, mentioning Democratic efforts to delay confirmation of Cabinet nominees. The AP: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c675f2edded421f77ac75d28d47d2e4555116665d4230677bf59b1ab21e74620f165cd9b88f128440a6

Related: Protesters trail McConnell around Kentucky this week, from the Courier-Journal: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67ca3c5b87f04d2f51390326e7950c56949dc6600d98b629213077ef8b93146ae16436968f9c43a789


** A message from SAVE MY CARE: At local events across the country this week, constituents are demanding answers from their representatives about Congress' recent moves to repeal their health care and put 30 million Americans' care at risk. Find out which members of Congress are holding events this week: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67f071169b3c66449fa2ddcd4a4072a0e3a47dd9e530ea393f1dc26d8e593625eba127c4cf850c4c61 **


MOVE ALONG, NOTHING TO SEE HERE - House Republicans plan to derail a Democratic resolution from Rep. Jerry Nadler next week "that would have forced disclosure of President Donald Trump's potential ties with Russia and any possible business conflicts of interest," Rachael and Bres report. Seeking to avoid a floor vote, Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee plan to bring the proposal up for a panel vote on Tuesday - you know, the day Trump addresses Congress - to kill the measure. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67974b503e4d3af6e45461b131eeaa71b9bc680700f26fcaa2f5fa31c51b310b9f998d6bdda91c85f7

HELP US OUT, WHY DON'T CHA? Republicans trying to repeal Obamacare and stuck over what to do with the millions of people covered under the health care law's Medicaid expansion have privately turned to GOP governors, including Wisconsin's Scott Walker and Ohio's John Kasich, for help. "The hope, according to congressional sources, is to let the governors cut a deal on an issue that directly impacts their states and let the White House and Republican leaders endorse the plan that eventually emerges," Manu Raju reports. CNN: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67b19c8e908c1c1f73766651f6a711f60f0c30c10eceada8311b5ec52a44ca6594276e9439b799f181

WELCOME TO THURSDAY, FEB. 23. Thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill.

WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED: The adorable picture of Tilly, office mascot for Sen. Thom Tillis, got the most clicks (I mean, duh).

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate meets at 9 a.m. in a pro forma session. The House is out.

OFF THE HILL - Sen. Ted Cruz speaks at CPAC at 11:10 a.m. Rep. Ron DeSantis participates in a noon panel on "FREE Stuff vs FREE-dom: Millennials' Love Affair with Bernie Sanders?" Rep. Michael Burgess participates in an Obamacare discussion at 1:30 p.m.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will hold a roundtable on immigration and refugee policies in San Francisco at 5 p.m. eastern. GOP Reps. Paul Gosar and David Brat host a tele-town hall at 8 p.m.

DON'T LISTEN TO ME. I'M JUST A MILLENNIAL - As chairwoman of the House GOP's millennial task force, Rep. Elise Stefanik has been urging her colleagues to hold town halls to engage with younger voters. But, as the Huffington Post's Matt Fuller points out, she's not even following her own advice. "The second-term Republican has no current plans to hold a town hall meeting in her district during this week's so-called 'district work period,' even after pushing out a 22-page report last week that strongly advises members to be accessible to millennials and other voters." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67222069a9ba662da1b0c05582b95d8d1482ba49f6723a0a82d12f4bbd9f52990a7baa7b6e79ee08d8

Frustrated constituents held their own town hall without Stefanik Wednesday night (h/t Billy House). WNYT: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67bbe53933a97b68b9145cf04c82344705b25ae35a0bca109f8ad01b067eb3edbdbce3a2d163f54546

DEMS PAN TRANSGENDER POLICY REVERSAL - Democratic leaders ripped into Trump Wednesday for reversing an Obama-era policy offering bathroom protections for transgender students. "This move shows President Trump cannot be trusted to defend the rights of LGBT Americans. This is not a state issue. This is an issue of equality for all," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said. The Hill's Mark Hensch rounds up Dem reaction: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67cae697006a207b8262371a438e875e5168fcef82479a3be941949340da812564a0aab02a9e1aac8e

SPOTTED: McCAIN IN SYRIA - Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain took a secret trip to Syria over the weekend "to speak with American military officials and Kurdish fighters at the forefront of the push to drive Islamic State out of their de facto capital of Raqqa," the Wall Street Journal reports. The trip was arranged with the help of the U.S. military. Dion Nissenbaum: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67c3b388518f74e8bc4f7060c52178bd5ffacb505a9ecf29ca712b194c6fd6aa34f71a4294771c9f09

VIDEO DU JOUR: House Speaker Paul Ryan on horseback during his trip to the U.S.-Mexico border Wednesday (via Bradd Jaffy): http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c6750b7193dbf0299cff80d7dfbdbc2f2181561d11cd0f39ec34bb76ab25be7af0ca17399749398f40d

COLLINS WANTS FLYNN IN THE HOT SEAT - Sen. Susan Collins thinks former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn should have to testify in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee as the panel continues its probe into Russian meddling in the U.S. election. The moderate GOP senator also told Maine Public Radio she's open to issuing subpoenas for Trump's tax returns to look for financial ties between the president and Russia but GOP leaders would likely balk at that idea. More from Austin: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c676f9235f9848bca764494c3d377cfb540a27581e45e758a7122b563ab577a3448ff14bf739fecc102

During the interview, Collins played coy about whether she'd run for governor of Maine in 2018: "Not ruling it in and not ruling it out," she said. The AP: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c6747a85a14fac566e302d808b65dfe2510e0240ff67092c7d85aff953c8985ef4e1289182b174e48c4

NOW ABOUT THAT TWEET - One key Republican who doesn't seem to have interest in investigating Flynn? House Oversight Chairman Jason Chaffetz. But don't worry, the Utah Republican is keeping busy, turning his attention to a December tweet from Bryce Canyon National Park in his home state. Chaffetz sent a letter to the park's superintendent demanding to know if officials there had advance notice about then-President Obama designating Bears Ears as a national monument.

"Chaffetz said in an interview that the questions about Bryce Canyon's tweet are at the 'very bottom of the list' of investigations he's launched as oversight committee chairman, but he noted he couldn't ignore the message from the national park because it could indicate the Obama White House misled Utah's elected officials," report Thomas Burr and Brian Maffly for the Salt Lake Tribune. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67fb15bc625bcd41601a3fdb457a9c4d22f68c480bdf82fa1c2d257ead4fc8e74e968e3686da5590c6

TWEET DU JOUR: Manu Raju (@mkraju): Dean Heller, who represents a state with a big Latino [population]. and up for reelect, is mum on DHS immigration orders; his office isn't commenting

ROHRABACHER GOES ROGUE - Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, an avowed fan of Vladimir Putin, may have been passed over as Trump's secretary of state but that hasn't stopped him from engaging in a little eyebrow-raising diplomacy of his own. "The 14-term Republican, who hails from one of the country's legendary GOP bastions [of Orange County], has in February alone met abroad with French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, Congolese strongman Denis Sassou Nguesso and Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi," Carla Marinucci reports.

"The question, some say, is how Rohrabacher's international maneuvering will play with his constituents, particularly as his district evolves." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67cca891d62e5a204dacbabd19ca89d3f61b3e95127e3cd0e66deaa4dd0888ac42e77d2f3741884ecd

DNC RACE COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE - Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez says he is just 50 votes shy of winning the DNC chairmanship race this weekend, making him the clear frontrunner. "But a POLITICO email survey of the 447 DNC voting members and follow-up interviews with close to a dozen national and state Democratic leaders finds a considerably closer race, with Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison holding a narrow advantage," report Daniel Strauss and Brent Griffiths. Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c6732d4fb892e50607ba7332747d5bfcc6ce96bf656d9953752d93ed9b1c1f63c00da5ccee5dd9724fd

And Edward-Isaac Dovere sat down with Perez in St. Louis for the latest edition of the "Off Message" podcast, new today: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c674d4c287fc8a91492242ebf9f6700b8b445f27033658e1c083d2532bc47479818e369ce7148845590

POLITICO's State Solutions Conference: A series of one-on-one conversations with governors from across the country focusing on innovative approaches their states have taken to address complex problems. 8:30 am session features: Gov. Ricky Rosselló (D-P.R.), Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Gov. Gary Herbert (R-Utah), Gov. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) 1:30pm session features: Gov. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.), Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.), Gov. Butch Otter (R-Idaho), Gov. Dannel Malloy (D-Conn.), Gov. Steve Bullock (D-Mont.) Feb. 24, Microsoft Innovation & Policy Center - 901 K St. NW, 11th Floor. RSVP: here

ARRIVAL LOUNGE - Jake Lewis has joined Rep. Brad Sherman's office as deputy communications director, specializing in digital strategy. Lewis previously worked for Ward Circle Strategies.

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Jamie Naughton from the Military Officers Association of America correctly guessed that aside from Colin Powell, Navy Vice Adm. John Poindexter was the only other national security adviser to remain on active duty. Brent Scowcroft retired from the Air Force a month after being appointed as Gerald Ford's national security adviser.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - I'll take today's question: Freedom, the 19-foot-six-inch statue that has stood atop the Capitol dome for more than 150 years wears an eagle headdress. But she was originally supposed to don a different kind of cap. What was the original cap and which famous politician rejected the design?

The first person to correctly answer gets a shout out in tomorrow's Huddle. And don't forget, send suggestions for trivia questions my way: hcaygle@politico.com

GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning.


** A message from SAVE MY CARE: In Kentucky, 1,000 people crowded behind a fence to demand Sen. Mitch McConnell protect their health care. In New York, crowds booed Rep. Tom Reed when he said he would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. In South Carolina, a woman asked Rep. Mark Sanford and Sen. Tim Scott if her baby, whose care has already cost $800,000, would be subject to a lifetime cap.

At local events across the country this week, constituents are demanding answers from their representatives about Congress' recent moves to repeal their health care and put 30 million Americans' care at risk. Find out which members of Congress are holding events this week and make your voice heard: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=326495b460e47c67f071169b3c66449fa2ddcd4a4072a0e3a47dd9e530ea393f1dc26d8e593625eba127c4cf850c4c61 **

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