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By Heather Caygle | 08/01/2018 07:58 AM EDT


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

With an assist from Elana Schor

THE FIRST BLACK SPEAKER? Rep. Joe Crowley's stunning primary loss did more than just eliminate the man who many saw as the next potential speaker if Democrats win back the House in November. Crowley's defeat caused House Democrats to take a broad reassessment of their future leadership and now several lawmakers are quietly talking about what once was a longshot: Electing the first black speaker in January. "I think it's more than a possibility. It's a probability," Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio), a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus, told Bres.

Fudge strongly backs Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), currently the No. 3 House Democrat, for the job. But other members, particularly those looking for a generational overhaul at the top, have started to gravitate toward Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). Jeffries would never challenge Clyburn but he could be an attractive option if the current top Democrats, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) and Clyburn, don't get enough votes or step aside.

The up-and-coming New York Democrat was recently feted by Democratic donors and candidates at a retreat for the CBC's fundraising arm. And Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), a CBC elder, held a meeting in his office last week with two dozen other House Democrats who want to see Jeffries run for leadership in November, whether that be speaker or another open position. "I could see him to be anything he wants to be," Meeks told your Huddle host. "I think Hakeem could be - he's got as much talent as Barack has."

Why this matters: The CBC, with its 48 members who often vote in a bloc, can make or break potential leadership hopefuls. In addition to the history-making aspect of electing a black lawmaker to the top job in the House, a Democratic speaker would also be in a unique position to take on President Donald Trump - who has openly stoked racial divides in the country - at a critical period for the party. Much more from Bres and yours truly: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b232315d42e2642c639ef34742bb8e48dbdb01d6fbd522676b29fef321cc0ea03022fc84be8180d6ed1d

HOLD THE PHONE - The months leading up to the midterms are normally a time for show-votes and partisan brinkmanship aimed at making lawmakers up for reelection in the other party look bad. But not this year. "Senate and House GOP leaders are planning a pre-election agenda to persuade voters to keep Republicans in control of both chambers," Burgess reports, with hopes of notching bipartisan wins on government spending, defense and farm legislation.

Bye-bye show votes: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) "has no plans to put up another tax cut bill before the election ...The same goes for a big funding boost for border security, a top Trump priority," Burgess writes. Why? "Both proposals would also give conservative Democrats on the ballot a chance to side with Trump, which McConnell believes would not help the GOP's chances of flipping seats." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b232580fc7137479eed4972e7fa9ccbf50a1dd64f2be34c555bd861b4535c8a11947e2d6ec45e8c4e40f

TROUBLE IN THE BUCKEYE STATE? Trump will head to Ohio to campaign on Saturday ahead of a special House election next week as Republicans increasingly worry about their chances of holding onto the seat. "National Republicans have bombarded the suburban Columbus district with more than $3.3 million in TV ads in an effort to boost [Troy] Balderson, a state legislator, and attack his Democratic opponent, Danny O'Connor, ahead of the Aug. 7 special election. They are battling to replace longtime GOP Rep. Pat Tiberi, who resigned last fall." Alex Isenstadt and Elena Schneider with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b2322dfdc0bdf6098f2b1961981ba3a4d9fd47ba870b6363ccb137cb7489ddc6d38763bed644e12ef650

Elsewhere on the campaign trail: Five Democratic primaries where the Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez earthquake might hit next, via Elena Schneider. Read: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b2322495c741e7646e238631752b1e1035bbe7b158d626fb3157c9d720696eb2c3eb305f1e5ca5c39461

-- What Rep. Diane Black is reading: Trump dodges risky Tennessee governor's race ahead of Thursday's primary, report Daniel Strauss and Christopher Cadelago. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b2321a21a65c134f6e6ff7327defecb0a965b7ab538740394c6c5792669701ace91fdfa24e65e3db5d26

-- Top Senate Democratic PAC reserves $17 million in August airtime in six states: Indiana, Missouri, North Dakota, West Virginia, Nevada and Tennessee. Sean Sullivan with the Washington Post: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b232da8722acae7b79b9b7bd7cfb2c5a3f82067dc00b3977be80c6b9cf91da0d437f2957e5d6b56ee0a6

WELCOME TO AUG. 1 AND ANOTHER WILD WEDNESDAY IN WASHINGTON. Thanks for reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. I'm Heather, your one-day Huddle guide, filling in for our regular host Nolan.

Since I'm here... We're exactly one month away from another year of world football domination by the Alabama Crimson Tide, who kicks off against Louisville Sept. 1. Who else is ready for college football to return? Send your predictions my way: hcaygle@politico.com

TUESDAY'S MOST CLICKED - You guys were digging the Wall Street Journal editorial board's op-ed on "Trump's Lose-the-House Strategy".

A WINDOW INTO HIS THINKING - Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has privately told senators he thinks DOJ's appointment of a special counsel is "appropriate," possibly shedding some light on his views of the Robert Mueller investigation, CNN's Manu Raju reports. But Kavanaugh has also stood by his opinion questioning whether a sitting president can be indicted. And Kavanaugh has been "careful not to tip his hand on his views of the Mueller investigation's constitutionality, given that he could rule on matters stemming from the probe, leaving ample questions about his views," Manu writes. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b232d636b58802f9530f21032893dd31b7a0394b100dd18720358142cb360f9cc632b0f915f0b6cd08ae

New this AM: Kavanaugh tapes give Dems fresh fodder - Democrats are amassing new signs that Kavanaugh has seen investigating a president as a job first and foremost for Congress, not an outside independent counsel. During remarks at a 2000 panel discussion obtained by Sen. Cory Booker's (D-N.J.) office and shared with POLITICO, Kavanaugh drew on his experience on Kenneth Starr's staff during the independent counsel's investigation of former President Bill Clinton to ding Congress for opting, "in abdication of their constitutional duty," to hold off on their own inquiry while Starr finished his work, Elana reports.

Democrats are seizing on the comments as yet another indication that Kavanaugh could side with Trump and against Mueller in any future high court battle. Elana with the deets: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b2320102b99d7843fd23c8b772d4a3ed2020921231c1814ced443657a48084fc6d49f9f3f773919f6634

Fun fact: Kavanaugh has met with 40 senators since his nomination was announced - 39 Republicans and one Democrat. He'll add six more Republicans to that list with a slate of meetings scheduled today (more info below) and he'll meet with Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly on Aug. 15.

JUST A LITTLE PATIENCE - After Trump fired off tweets Tuesday threatening a government shutdown, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had a simple message for the president: I've got your back. No, McConnell doesn't want to shut down the government. But the Kentucky Republican reiterated Tuesday he supports efforts to fund the wall, even if that means pushing the fight off until after the midterms while GOP leaders work to pass less controversial spending bills in the meantime.

But Trump may have other plans: "[Trump] said whether a shutdown happens before or after the elections his focus is getting the problem fixed. It's been a 40-year problem in the making, it's been dumped on his plate, he wants to fix it," White House spokesman Hogan Gidley said aboard Air Force One Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer suggested congressional Republicans would be the ones punished in November if Trump forces the issue: "Usually the person that loses the shutdown is the person who caused it," Schumer said. "And Donald Trump is making no bones about it, that he might think of causing it." Burgess with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b2329d0764fd02a8bd3c659bd30a244ce43443302f19a09dfe41b3e747aa70162008f21292962b518859

More spending bill fun: Senate Republicans battle with their House colleagues for leverage in funding fight. The Hill's Alexander Bolton and Niv Elis: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b232cb7978e42bdd47f1482840bd70105fd6a5cbb39a4d0248bc3f2fded55c0fe1a525e6f0bf19907bbb

NO THANK YOU - Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) said Tuesday she wasn't surprised the Koch brothers snubbed her GOP opponent Kevin Cramer. But that doesn't mean she'll be seeking their support ahead of November. "The Koch brothers have definitely a perspective and a point of view, including on trade, and my opponent has been particularly opaque and unaware of the consequences of this [Trump] trade policy," Heitkamp told Elana, adding that she has no plans to seek the network's formal endorsement. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b232571ad52d0a5cf769e7522883b890862f1e518c32a2a3fd9255e46dba2fd554ddc971c6c0d8438c0e

Stuck between Trump and a hard place: GOP senators huddled privately on Monday to discuss the public feud brewing between Trump and the Koch network over the direction of the party. "In a private meeting at the Capitol, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) recounted his visit to the Koch conference to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other GOP senators and aides, and described the frustration he encountered over Trump's trade policies and conduct, the Republicans said," Bob Costa and Sean Sullivan report for the Washington Post. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b23237151a0f1935183d9e0afe3bffefd83d4eb7bef5aded1054b3206f7fdb3608e192a5c9ebf112aa39

Related read: How the Kochs blew up their détente with Trump, Maggie Severns reports from Colorado Springs. Read it: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=648a3e625258b2323379c893996b86945cc136f336858b8ee04da98642b98b7b8ff262775552a0b1752b6f6e253c280d

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The Senate gavels in at 10 a.m. with five roll call votes related to the spending bill starting at 11 a.m. The House is out for recess.

AROUND THE HILL - Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) will host a bipartisan group of senators for a discussion with NATO ambassadors from 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. in S-211.

Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) holds a press conference on the EPA and clean tap water efforts at 11:30 a.m. in SVC-208. The U.S. Capitol Historical Society holds a 12 p.m. lecture on congressional leadership elections from 1960 to present in the Library of Congress' Jefferson Building.

Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) meets with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh at 11:30 a.m. in 483 Russell. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) meets with Kavanaugh at 12:15 p.m. in 555 Dirksen. Kavanaugh meets with Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) at 2:30 p.m. in 338 Russell.

Trump hosts a group of Republican senators at the White House at 2:45 p.m.

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and Kavanaugh will meet at 3:15 p.m. in 511 Dirksen. Later in the afternoon, Kavanaugh meets with Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.) in 141 Hart at 4 p.m. Finally, Kavanaugh will huddle with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) at 4:45 p.m. in 284 Russell.

TUESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Logan Ferree was first to correctly guess that the Senate has an 18 x 26-foot picture of Oliver Hazard Perry's exploits.

TODAY'S TRIVIA- Logan with today's question: The primary law managing the US's fisheries is called Magnuson-Stevens Act after two long time senators who played significant roles in the law's history. This slights two House members who have also played important roles in previous reauthorizations. However, the combination of their names would raise some eyebrows. Who are they? The first person to correctly guess the answer to today's question gets a mention in tomorrow's Huddle. Send your answers my way: hcaygle@politico.com

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