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08/06/2018 07:56 AM EDT


By Nolan D. McCaskill (nmccaskill@politico.com or @NolanDMcCaskill)

DEMS TARGET KAVANAUGH TIES -- Senate Democrats plan to focus on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh's relationship with former Judge Alex Kozinski, who was forced into retirement last year following a series of sexual harassment allegations. In the early 1990s, Kavanaugh clerked for Kozinski, a mentor who introduced him at his confirmation hearing in 2006. "We need to know what Judge Kavanaugh knew and his views on this serious problem," said Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), who sits on the Judiciary Committee. The White House anticipated Kavanaugh's Kozinski ties might be an issue but has insisted Kavanaugh "had never heard any allegations" before women began coming forward last year.

"The White House is ... expecting a Kozinski-related line of questioning, an official there said, and considers Kavanaugh's record in supporting female clerks and colleagues to be exemplary," Elana reports. "The White House has also collected public statements from three individuals who worked under Kozinski at the same time as Kavanaugh who say Kozinski exhibited no improper behavior at the time. In fact, for some who want to see senators press Kavanaugh about Kozinski, the most important question isn't what he knew but what he plans to do about harassment in the judiciary should he be confirmed to the high court." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3cbddbea6baa8642f9de600810ac936576b319e5318c996be1bf94d47e4330c84e9980137e38f6f25a

As Democrats gear up for the new line of attack, the pro-Trump America First Policies will be pouring more than $1 million into pressuring red-state Democrats to back Kavanaugh for the high court. The group will start running TV ads Wednesday urging Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) to back Kavanaugh -- all three voted for Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch last year. "The new ads running in major local media markets, combined with America First's statewide digital campaigns that are already underway, are scheduled to stay up through Sept. 5," Christopher Cadelago writes. Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3c51f458f7a794e7ae46cb02fbdbecb4222d0106c4f77f4bd09b94903e1bf4c8bcaeaef5bdf8cbbc61

Mark your calendars: Heitkamp and Donnelly will meet with Kavanaugh on Aug. 15. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) will meet with him on Aug. 21. From Elana and Burgess: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3c4b2956ae5ba600676dcde8e0f11f46df4c74712c5b26792fc2b771b0e29e1f8e5cec8acf35027d2b

DEMS SURGING IN OHIO SPECIAL ELECTION -- Republicans have scrambled to save a House seat in an Ohio district that's been reliably red for three decades. President Donald Trump rallied for special election candidate Troy Balderson on Saturday. Vice President Mike Pence visited the state last week. Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., recorded a robocall. And Gov. John Kasich endorsed Balderson in a television ad. Still, signs are "everywhere that Democrats are surging -- from recent polling to the private and public statements of many Republicans, including the GOP candidate himself," Alex Isenstadt reports.

The RNC has opened two offices in the suburban Columbus district. It also launched a half-a-million-dollar get-out-the-vote effort and dispatched Bob Paduchik, a top official who ran Trump's 2016 Ohio campaign. And outside conservative groups have spent more than $3.5 million on TV. "The all-out push underscores the GOP's trepidation about the final special election before the midterms," he notes. "A loss, following startling Republican defeats in Pennsylvania and Alabama, would offer more evidence that a blue wave is on the horizon. And it would further fuel fears of what's becoming evident: that Democrats are simply more amped up, even in areas that have long been safely Republican."

Balderson, a state senator, faces Democratic Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor in Tuesday's special election to serve the remainder of former Rep. Pat Tiberi's (R-Ohio) term. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3c5e5e350da658da3bd05cf9b0565ff0c6f0a78506215837964a92d4f8eae517510fd49e08a3e6e8e3

Related: "At Ohio rally, Trump seeks to head off blue wave," by Alex Isenstadt: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3c2b7248f3216ff05fdd2b5751ab515b42a9bd1d04f1a6b8aaa994bd1c06e44ea039eb8a39b81c3da4 and "Balderson won't address Kasich claim he did not invite Trump to central Ohio," from the Columbus Dispatch's Jack Torry: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3c2298009dd8a5191b74ed5caa6c99765fc9940214ccc61e69d81967b8c3addfd1aff27d602b2ebe5f

RUBIO OPEN TO ALTERING ELECTION MEDDLING BILL -- Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) on Sunday expressed a willingness to tweak his bipartisan bill to get it passed. "The proposed bill, known as the DETER Act and backed by Rubio and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), would bar foreign governments from buying ads to influence U.S. elections and would also give the director of national intelligence the power to deploy 'national security tools,' such as sanctions, if the Kremlin interferes in another American election," Martin Matishak reports. Rubio acknowledged concerns about giving the DNI such power but said he and Van Hollen are willing to "make reasonable changes" for the bill to become law. More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3cf5329d16ce9a3012427d14b95ae26d69e70f903cdd61d5dc26a2c0243ab95aeab25a8a087840c10a

Related read: "Klobuchar 'very concerned' midterms could be hacked," by Martin Matishak: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3c89cb8a2d638c5eee16776d325f597c1a702f024d35af2335bce14151ea2c3475afd50a5a2d42e685

GOOD MORNING! Thanks for reading Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Monday, August 6.

MCCONNELL ANNOUNCES REELECTION CAMPAIGN -- The 2018 midterm elections are still three months out. But that didn't stop Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) from formally announcing his 2020 reelection campaign over the weekend. The Kentucky Republican has long said he intended to run for reelection but made it official in Fancy Farm on Saturday, telling supporters there, "I don't like starting late." Jonathan Shell, the 30-year-old majority leader of the state House of Representatives, will chair McConnell's campaign. "As he readies his re-election campaign, McConnell has been embracing Trump, especially as he tours his home state," The Associated Press' Adam Beam reports.
"Saturday, McConnell bragged he canceled the August recess so he can spend more time 'promoting the Trump agenda all the way through the month of August.'" More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3cff93f9f039d0e149b2b04aeb37513d66693d8e67a82cc5dd16c875fc7ee13964c68cb0b406043862

GIVE ME A BREAK -- The Senate is out for a mini-recess until Aug. 15. McConnell has two incentives to keep the chamber in session for most of the month: It allows the Senate to continue working to advance the president's agenda and keeps vulnerable red-state Democrats away from their constituents. But for Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the annual August recess is also "a time to be with kids and grandkids," he said, adding that "it kind of upsets me that we're losing this opportunity to be with our families." The schedule presents the same downside for Republicans, not to mention having to respond to Trump tweets. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3c5e7f458ab06c87cbd8978164583b2bb70f8a469f1caabf49d277aafc6e5a13aa496a80b24dcb4a5a

Some senators fear this reduced recess will become the new normal. "I don't think we'll ever get it back," Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said of the Senate's annual summer break. "Who will pay the highest price?" The Washington Post's Paul Kane asks. "The thousands upon thousands of Senate staff who work long hours for not great pay, particularly the nonpartisan support staff and Capitol Police who are stationed around the Senate chamber. Those folks have devoted long days and nights to the Senate, always counting on a late-summer reprieve to take care of their personal lives." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3c0508afc52e99c9f0155237fb60092bdcc771606b843fe9d092b78658d07e376d34bf2386136e3bca

MENENDEZ'S BUMPY ROAD TO REELECTION -- It didn't take Sen. Bob Menendez's (D-N.J.) team long to secure major endorsements after his corruption trial ended in a hung jury. But his glide path to reelection may experience some turbulence. "Facing a deep-pocketed Republican challenger, a blitz of negative ads and lingering concerns over a lackluster performance in an uncontested primary, Mr. Menendez's race has started to concern some Democrats," The New York Times' Nick Corasaniti reports. "After weathering a criminal indictment and a harsh ethics rebuke from his Senate peers, Mr. Menendez may find himself in a tough enough re-election fight that will force the party to devote money and energy
needed in other races critical to the party's quest to retake Congress." Much more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3cf743f56465bd4b854c35e7a134f8dcf5f0ded6dc46ee71161d38ef9b6f7ea37490684e4eb3cb9d35

FREEDOM CAUCUS MEMBERS ON THE HOT SEAT -- Two high-profile members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus could get swamped in a Democratic wave. Reps. Dave Brat (R-Va.) and Scott Perry (R-Pa.) "were elected in the throes of the tea party backlash against then-President Barack Obama ... but are now fighting to survive a very different kind of backlash against the current president," Rachael reports. "Their politics -- and shifting makeup of their districts spurred by redistricting -- are providing ample fodder for Democratic challengers."

Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA operative, insists Brat prioritizes the Freedom Caucus' diehard politics over his constituents, while Democrat George Scott, a pastor, highlights Perry's push to impeach Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein as evidence that he's too extreme and is unfit to represent the district. Spanberger has outraised Brat every quarter. Brat, however, has softened his tone lately, repaired relationships with senior Republicans and avoided the impeachment effort. In return, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) have helped him raise money. Perry, meanwhile, is sticking to his fiery rhetoric. More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=42ef7ca0a084df3c776d80bd783f3de96ed2104b0bcff58656e680842ddbfe4019771342d4ce85aac3af7b7fd49d3b53

TRANSITIONS -- Conor Sheehey has started with Sen. Tim Scott's (R-S.C.) office as deputy legislative assistant handling health finance and higher ed.

Katherina Dimenstein is now chief of staff for Rep. Dave Schweikert (R-Ariz.). She was previously legislative director. Oliver Schwab has transitioned out as Schweikert's near decade-long chief of staff to pursue new opportunities.

John Wilson will be a senior legislative assistant for Heritage Action for America. He was previously military legislative assistant for Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.).

TODAY IN CONGRESS -- The House and Senate are out.

FRIDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER -- Joe Bookman was first to correctly guess that the 27th Amendment to the Constitution underwent a ratification process that spanned two centuries, and Michigan and New Jersey are the two states tied for putting it over the top.

TODAY'S TRIVIA -- From Joe: Twice a new president took office with three living ex-presidents who were younger. Who were the presidents and the younger ex-presidents? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your best guess my way: nmccaskill@politico.com.

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