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11/03/2016 08:00 AM EDT


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

EYES ON THE PRIZE- After huddling for nearly four hours at Rep. Mark Meadow's apartment Wednesday, top members of the House Freedom Caucus are mulling a big ask: a seat at the leadership table in exchange for backing Paul Ryan as speaker. "Though the position would be likely be low in the leadership pecking order, it would be the first time a member of the group of hardliners became part of official party governance," Jake and Rachael report. But the group would have to move fast since the GOP conference is set to hold its closed-door leadership elections Nov. 15.

Why Election Day matters: "The more seats Republicans lose, the more powerful the Freedom Caucus could become, because its members would comprise a bigger share of a smaller conference."

Potential openings: "One attendee at Wednesday's gathering said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), the House Republican Conference secretary, might step down. GOP insiders say Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kans.) could also leave her post as conference vice chair. Changing House and party rules to empower rank-and-file members is a top priority for the caucus. House GOP leadership sources said this week they're preparing an overhaul of some rules, but it's unclear if that will be enough to assuage the group."

No give on the motion to vacate: "The Freedom Caucus members also discussed possibly asking leadership to allow committee members to choose their own chairmen," a huge transfer of power that's unlikely to happen. And Rep. Scott Perry said the group "talked 'a little bit' about a proposal to eliminate the legislative maneuver used to remove the speaker - called the 'motion to vacate' - but said they would not be willing to enter into those negotiations. Ryan has indicated he wants to eliminate the mechanism." Read more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b017859ae59f51a9e26fd5c90ae84487434f1af2e2592547e56

THE SILENT LEADER SPEAKS- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally broke his weeks-long silence on Trump, offering his most enthusiastic support for the GOP nominee in months, Burgess reports. "'We need a new president, Donald Trump, to be the most powerful Republican in America,' McConnell said, according to the Associated Press. 'If America votes like Kentucky, we'll be fine.'" The last time McConnell talked Trump? After the "Access Hollywood" tape was released in early October, when the Kentucky Republican called Trump's comments "repugnant." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b01aede2d12edff7c8c08f29b58fd66743b168e027868b0344c

Trump who? Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan has continued to avoid mentioning Trump's name (despite voting for him) as he campaigns for House candidates across the country. CNN's Manu Raju and Deirdre Walsh: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b010e18b4b7328e03aee1e7539ecd2ec5858e4ab6ef3230b175

ABORTION RIGHTS REPUBLICANS FACE OUSTER- Finding GOP lawmakers who support abortion rights is already rare but will likely become near impossible next Congress, reports Jennifer Haberkorn this morning. "Five Republicans in Congress regularly buck their party by supporting abortion rights. But one of those, Rep. Richard Hanna of New York, is retiring and two more - Rep. Bob Dold and Sen. Mark Kirk, both of Illinois - face uphill races." And Democrats rarely go against their party to vote against abortion rights.

What that means: "That hardening of party lines around the polarizing issue is all but certain to worsen congressional gridlock - measures to defund Planned Parenthood, for instance, have already led to threats to shut down the government and bogged down the response to the Zika virus. It is also likely to increase the number of votes taken on ultra-partisan legislation, such as repealing the ban on federal funding of abortion, if no lawmakers are pushing back on party leaders." More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b01634eb590496493acf4e481a30785d5f9d379cea49c01fe8b

THURSDAY IS THE NEW FRIDAY, unless you're a reporter. Welcome to Nov. 3. You're reading POLITICO's Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill. Did you guys happen to see a little thing called the Word Series last night? The whole game was bananas (and went late!), but after 108 years the Cubbies are finally back on top! YAY!

TWEET DU JOUR: President Obama (@POTUS): It happened: @Cubs win World Series. That's change even this South Sider can believe in. Want to come to the White House before I leave?

WEDNESDAY'S MOST CLICKED- Rachael and Jake's story about the House Freedom Caucus' secret meeting.

TODAY IN CONGRESS- The House is dark. The Senate meets in a pro forma session at 2 p.m.

BAYOU STATE BRAWL- Things got out of hand in Louisiana Wednesday night as white supremacist David Duke sparred with other Senate candidates in the empty auditorium of a historically black college as protests over his candidacy roiled outside. "Police pepper-sprayed protesters outside Georges Auditorium during a televised U.S. Senate debate at Dillard University on Wednesday night, while inside, the target of their venom, David Duke, became embroiled in arguments with the other candidates and even the moderator, WVUE-TV anchor John Snell," reports Tyler Bridges for the Advocate. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b0148f5ebfa97c2bd79c3847cbb73f73df007f63b7ae692aa66

THE COMEY PILE ON- Democratic leaders continue to pile on FBI Director James Comey, with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi saying Wednesday "maybe he's not in the right job" during a CNN interview. "I think he made a mistake and these jobs, if you're not in it for a while, you can't take the heat, and I think he just couldn't take the heat from the Republicans," she said. And incoming Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told Bloomberg he's lost confidence in Comey, describing his recent actions as "appalling." President Obama also criticized Comey without mentioning him by name Wednesday, telling Now This News, "We don't operate on innuendo."

McCAUL FLOATS CLINTON IMPEACHMENT- House Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul floated the idea of impeaching Hillary Clinton on Fox News Wednesday, just days after his Senate counterpart, Sen. Ron Johnson, pushed the same idea. "If she wins and the investigation goes forward and it looks like an indictment is pending, at that point in time, under the Constitution, the House of Representatives would engage in an impeachment trial, it would go to the Senate and impeachment proceedings and removal would take place," he said. More the Texas Tribune: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b012d57e3ec1c8b5e40f50e388fbd16ab8f79594068c4400336

And the Senate's No. 2 Republican, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, is also saying Congress has no plan to slow down its Clinton investigations if the GOP holds onto both chambers. More from BuzzFeed: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b01b055023fb9addada68309f4c1623d27d8843024b39a27fc7

Related: Obama lambastes Republicans for obstruction talk, from Sarah Wheaton: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b0144a903e5955429c56be0f4e43d8aaa71b549f91aa58f1cdf

BURR'S BULLSEYE COMES BACK TO BITE- North Carolina Democratic Senate candidate Deborah Ross is up with a new digital ad hitting Sen. Richard Burr for joking Hillary Clinton should've had a "bullseye" over her face. The ad "puts together several news clips with anchors talking about Burr's 'bullseye' comment and comparing it one Donald Trump made a few weeks ago. The ad also flashes words - including 'tasteless,' 'despicable,' 'hateful,' and 'violent'- that were used by different news outlets in bold letters," reports BuzzFeed's Tarini Parti. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b012b0719354a206d5394e95a036bde6e7313efd01cdf495d5d

THE JANESVILLE GAZETTE ON PAUL RYAN: "Ryan remains a popular figure in Wisconsin in part because he puts big ideas above personality. He has a vision for a better nation. The 1st Congressional District, and the rest of the country for that matter, could use a reminder," writes the Janesville Gazette's editorial board. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b0134f87d559263edcca31ff1db2550ccaa89f93be7f47f25d5

GRASSLEY WANTS DOJ WATCHDOG PROBE- Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley "wants the Justice Department's independent watchdog to probe whether Justice officials investigating Hillary Clinton's email server had any conflicts of interest because of their close ties to the Democratic nominee and her aides," Rachael reports. More: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b01e688c5be17540c74478f284f60f6eb892931025465cfe9f6

POP QUIZ: Do you know the last time the House changed hands during a presidential election year? I won't ruin it for you, but it's been a long time. The Washington Post's Paul Kane explains why: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b0142eefe3163c58019e891ee5d124e6a26ebaaed0769b86a64

THE STAR CANDIDATE WHO RECRUITED HIMSELF- Democrats have a real chance to take back the Senate and a big part of that victory could be due to Missouri Senate candidate Jason Kander, who wasn't even really on their radar to start. Maggie Severns with this great yarn: "Missouri had initially sat low on the DSCC's priorities for the 2016 election, and the relatively inexperienced Kander was on paper an unlikely candidate for the party committee's support."

"But Kander has always excelled at getting people on his side, from a surprise win in a statewide race four years ago to an Army tour in Kabul, where the astute, plain-spoken Kander so impressed war-weathered Afghan officials that they later requested his presence in meetings set up by his commanding officer. [DSCC Chairman Jon] Tester was no different. He left his meeting with Kander newly encouraged that a Democrat could win Missouri and, in the process, expand Democrats' Senate map." The full story is worth the click: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b01317c3456b538049f93611893a39fc07b84ecfff8e2fdf888

SAUDI GOVERNMENT STAFFS UP- Saudi Arabia is hiring more lobbyists ahead of the lame duck, when Congress might try to "fix" the 9/11 victims bill lawmakers overwhelmingly passed and then overrode Obama's veto on before the recess. The law allows 9/11 victims and their families to sue Saudi Arabia but lawmakers have already talked about ways to "soften" the measure so that the U.S. isn't opened up to similar lawsuits around the world. The Hill's Megan Wilson with more: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b011f2855f5acc0fe859212b5a9387942b7c63cb92fe365126f

THE K(ELLY) FILE-- "Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who is seeking reelection in New Hampshire, said in a radio interview Wednesday that she would not want her daughter in a room with Donald Trump or Bill Clinton, but added that 'this isn't about my daughter,'" reports CNN's Andrew Kaczynski.

RUBIO'S STRATEGY: JUST SAY NO (TO TRUMP)- Sen. Marco Rubio has no plans to campaign with Trump in the closing days of the election, even when the GOP nominee is blocks away in the key battleground state. Jay Weaver with the Miami Herald: Rubio "joined black preachers, businessmen and others for a breakfast meeting at Jackson Soul Food in the historic Overtown neighborhood that lasted almost until noon. Meanwhile, Trump was holding a midday rally in Bayfront Park off Biscayne Boulevard. 'We're not doing presidential events,' Rubio declared after the meeting, when asked about appearing with Trump at Bayfront Park or at any time before Tuesday's presidential election." More:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=b48f016bc4218b017cd65a2985460d5208bff611f502fc63c29401f8f22960d0

WEDNESDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER- Joshua Sizemore from Sen. Daines' office was the first to correctly guess that the only state House Speaker Paul Ryan hasn't visited is Maine.

TODAY'S TRIVIA- Joshua with today's question: In honor of the start of Movember, name the senator who proudly supports the cause each year and whose staff can be seen around the Senate sporting mustaches in honor of those fighting cancer. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in tomorrow's Huddle: hcaygle@politico.com

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