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01/08/2016 08:15 AM EDT


By Seung Min Kim (skim@politico.com or @seungminkim)

With an assist from Burgess Everett

MODERATE DEMS BUCK OBAMA - POLITICO's Burgess Everett and Lauren French: Barack Obama will never be on the ballot again, but his new plan to combat gun violence is causing a fresh round of worries among centrist Democrats looking to disentangle themselves from his legacy before they again face voters. From his weeklong roll-out of a strengthened gun background check system to his handling of the environment and relations with Iran, the party's shrunken moderate wing is showing increasing concern with Obama's fourth-quarter agenda."

--"Some of the party's more conservative members already have a strategy to distance themselves from the president, and no one's hewing closer to it than West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin ... 'You get to that point where (Obama) may be pushing the envelope' with his unilateral actions, Manchin said in an interview on Wednesday after the president's gun announcement ... [Rep. Brad] Ashford bucked conventional wisdom by backing Obama this week, and in an interview he shrugged off the notion that it would be politically helpful to oppose the president on a matter that electrifies conservative voters." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=91714fb4f7fce673e4d01ce6ee9b6c1df90570fb6f87e97ce9059726033a3f84

... AND LIBERALS ARE ANGRY, TOO - Their sore spot is a new strategy from the Obama administration that conducts raids on immigrants from Central America who have been ordered deported but haven't left. From yours truly and Lauren: "Two top Obama administration officials met with several House Democrats Thursday, amid rising anger on Capitol Hill over a series of controversial raids targeting immigrants who have been ordered deported from the United States. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi convened the meeting with Cecilia Munoz, the White House domestic policy director, and Alejandro Mayorkas, the deputy secretary of Homeland Security, on Thursday afternoon, according to three Democratic
sources."

--During the meeting, held in Pelosi's office with Munoz, Mayorkas and about 15 House Democrats, lawmakers pressed the administration officials on why they had taken such an aggressive approach to removing 121 immigrants here illegally, and why they had gotten no advance warning of the tough new tactics ... 'What I said to [Munoz] is, I said, 'Think about it a moment. Donald Trump is praising your public policy on immigration,' Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said. ''You should need no further evidence of how wrong it is.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=91714fb4f7fce67338e3719acfa632c8a3a17755c3c8dfa70079d2b7267eda0b

--Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) took the most aggressive tone among Hill leaders against the raids on Thursday. At a presser in Nevada with immigrants eligible for Obama's executive actions allow them to stay and work legally, Reid told reporters: "These [are] political refugees. They are entitled to stay here. And so that's what we're working on today. And that's the message I want to deliver to the community: That a number of us are extremely concerned, we've made contact with the Department of Homeland Security to have them just back off till we can find out a better way to do this."

KING ABDULLAH INVITED TO GOP RETREAT - Burgess with the scoop: "Congressional Republicans have invited a key U.S. foreign policy ally, King Abdullah of Jordan, to deliver a keynote address at their joint GOP retreat in Baltimore next week, according to a draft agenda obtained by POLITICO. Abdullah is not confirmed to speak on Wednesday and if he declines the invite, author Jon Meacham will take his place. Otherwise, Meacham will keynote Thursday night's event, Republican sources said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=91714fb4f7fce673c33f30fb16b6e2cf68fd4e1f68f6afe6e403bed01757b10b

--And before heading up to join their House counterparts, Senate Republicans will have their own little retreat in D.C. midway Wednesday: First a discussion of the Senate rules, led by Sen. Lamar Alexander in the LBJ Room, then a chat in the Mansfield Room with Fred Barnes, the editor of the Weekly Standard. Burgess has a preview of that discussion here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=91714fb4f7fce673daab4409e9393380c1715be53a44f4ec97e56941184a2068

GOP LAWMAKER INTROS OBAMA CENSURE MEASURE - The Sun Herald of Biloxi, Miss.: "Rep. Steven Palazzo announced Thursday he is introducing a resolution to censure President Barack Obama over what the congressman said is misuse of his authority as president. Palazzo's announcement comes days after Obama issued an executive order to expand background checks for those who wish to buy guns ... 'For seven years, the president has gradually expanded his powers through executive overreach,' Palazzo said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=91714fb4f7fce673930a274e07c682fabf25666490828f8140f554b34b47b1b5

TRANSITIONS - Tasha Jamerson has joined the U.S. Capitol Police as communications director. The former journalist previously served as comms chief for Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), as well as communications director and spokesperson for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

Eric Toy, legislative assistant to Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), has joined the Vantiv corporate communications team as leader for international communications and corporate social responsibility. Toy is a longtime Portman aide with stints on the campaign trail, U.S. Trade Representative's office, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Senate with the Ohio Republican.

House Republican Conference Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers has several new additions to her staff, including legislative director Jerry White, communications director Kara Hauck and policy adviser Megan Perez. White was previously with Rep. Luke Messer (R-Ind.), Hauck came over from former Speaker John Boehner's political operation, and Perez worked for Rep. Lou Barletta (R-Pa.).

HAPPY FRIDAY, Jan. 08, 2016 and you're reading The Huddle, where we are still a birther-free zone. Give a shout with tips, rants, corrections, Hill gossip, etc. at skim@politico.com or on Twitter at @seungminkim.

My new followers include @CallyGingrich and @LeoShane.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House is in at 9 a.m. and will have their sole series of votes around 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and will finish work on the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act. The Senate is milking every last few minutes of recess.

AROUND THE HILL - House Republican women, led by Rep. Mimi Walters, will hold a news conference on the Women2Women National Policy Agenda at 10 a.m. in 1310 Longworth. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will hold a news conference on the ICE raids at 10:45 a.m. in HVC Studio A.

THE OBAMA ISSUE: POLITICO MAGAZINE OUT TODAY - Days before President Barack Obama will deliver his final State of the Union address, POLITICO Magazine releases a standout issue on America's 44th president and his hotly contested, historic presidency. Glenn Thrush, Michael Grunwald. Rich Lowry, Michael Eric Dyson, and Michael Crowley and are just some of the contributors to this must-read issue. Read here http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=91714fb4f7fce6736b0333e6fa7ade09df2c28b03d1470bd49865c4d2aa439ba or grab a print copy at a Starbucks around D.C.

--And you're invited to a Morning Money event: POLITICO's Ben White discusses the upcoming State of the Union address, the U.S. economy and what it means for your hometown with House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) at AIA District Architecture Center, 421 7th St. NW on Jan. 11. At 5 p.m. RSVP: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=91714fb4f7fce673b53f659f2eee5ec8695092cc7f38692331fed453a277f106

WESTMORELAND FOR GOVERNOR? The Atlanta Journal Constitution: "After 11 years in Congress, U.S. Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Coweta County, announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election to take some time at home with his family - and to consider running for governor in 2018 ... 'I've had people tell me that: 'Well, if you're going to run for governor, you know, you need to stay in Congress.' And that's not me. I'm not going to stay in Congress just so I can leapfrog into something else. So this will give me two years, or at least a year, to really kind of decide what I want to do, listen to people. People have encouraged me. You know I think it's something I would definitely consider.
It's not ruled out of my life.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d381dd1d85452dcdcdd506468cad9f215f7fc8bee2d0cb5679db92cf9bab5680

GIFFORDS: 'IT'S BEEN A LONG, HARD HAUL, BUT I'M GETTING BETTER' - Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Tucson, Ariz., shootings that killed six people and injured more than a dozen others, including former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.). The AP chronicles the last five years of her recovery: "In the past five years, Gabby Giffords has hiked the Grand Canyon, gone skydiving, raced in a 40-mile bike ride and founded an advocacy group that helped persuade President Barack Obama to take executive action on gun control ... 'It's been a long, hard haul, but I'm getting better,' Giffords said in an email this week. 'I wake up every day grateful that I have a second chance at life and a second
chance at service.'...At their Tucson home, Giffords is merry, smiling as she plays with her service dog, Nelson, who likes to eat napkins but can also fetch a tissue box at the sound of a sneeze." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d381dd1d85452dcd4ef7a3a9c250b18f43915b2407212b41a0ef314d447dcaea

GRASSLEY DROPS ONE STATE HOLD - The AP's Bradley Klapper: "A key Republican senator has cleared the way for one of President Barack Obama's top diplomatic nominees to be confirmed. Sen. Chuck Grassley's spokeswoman says the Judiciary Committee chairman released his hold on Tom Shannon's nomination to the State Department's third-highest position ... The revelation came after Secretary of State John Kerry implored the GOP-led Senate on Thursday to confirm Shannon and a dozen other senior nominees." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d381dd1d85452dcdbb367cef7f5c2f560b4a2210f6e614e0e6052ea963e1bedd

HOUSE TO SANCTION NORTH KOREA - WaPo's Mike DeBonis: The House is poised to swiftly approve new economic sanctions on North Korea in the wake of the isolated nation's nuclear test Monday. Top leaders of both parties said action on a new bipartisan sanctions package is in the works ... House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) said in a statement that the bill set for a vote next week would 'prohibit North Korea's access to hard currency and other measures to block and seize assets related to nuclear proliferation, illicit activities, and human rights violations that are the hallmark of the Kim regime.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d381dd1d85452dcd65527dd2575b5f0d8edbfc63f0918c1fd7deb632e80ff4cd

PAUL RYAN: BE ON TIME!! The Hill's Cristina Marcos: "For former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), it was lawmakers' sloppy outfits. For Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), it's tardiness. In a display reminiscent of his predecessor, Ryan on Thursday paused a lengthy vote series on regulatory reform bills to lecture House members on the chamber's rules and decorum. ... 'Members should be reminded, members should attempt to come to the floor within the 15-minute period as prescribed by the first ring of the bells. All sides of the aisle,' Ryan said." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=d381dd1d85452dcd25b633b5571118466c6380fb8b5210e21b3be843709d80bf

--Huddle side note: In our time covering Congress, we've noticed that Republicans tend to be more punctual than Democrats.

THURSDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Shin Inouye was the first person to correctly respond that Harrison Ford, a.k.a. Han Solo, has testified on the Hill twice in front of both House and Senate panels, both times on aviation issues.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Huddle reader Howie Kipnes has today's question, well-timed with the NFL playoffs about to start: Who was the first professional football player to be elected to Congress? What was his team and what state did he represent? The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. E-mail skim@politico.com.

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