THE EVOLVING OF POLITICS AND POLITICAL POWERS

POLITICO Huddle – Presented by POWERJOBS – IS BOEHNER WEAK? – McCain meets with Syrian rebels – House’s ‘Rick van Winkel’ – BACHMANN’S BLUES – Alaska Sens. want military sexual affairs probe – Gays still back immigration bill – U.S.S. Daniel Inouye - trivia

I claim no rights to these articles:they are informative reads.

POLITICO Huddle huddledigest@politico.com via bounce.politicoemail.com

By Scott Wong (swong@politico.com or @scottwongDC

FOR BOEHNER, IT'S LEAN BACK, NOT LEAN IN - In their latest "Behind the Curtain" column, POLITICO's Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen ask: Is the speaker weak? "House Speaker John Boehner, who by title and position should be the second most powerful person in Washington, sure doesn't seem or sound like it. He has little ability to work his will with fellow House Republicans. He has quit for good his solo efforts to craft a grand bargain on taxes and spending. And he hasn't bothered to initiate a substantive conversation with President Barack Obama in this calendar year. All of this recently prompted Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, herself a former speaker, to declare on MSNBC that if Boehner were a woman, he would be known as the weakest speaker in U.S. history.

-- "So is Boehner weak? 'You're missing my style, all right?' Boehner told us in an interview. 'I don't need to be out there beating the drum every day. My job as the leader is to build my team, encourage my members, help provide leadership to my members and committee chairs and let the institution work. It doesn't need the heavy hand of the speaker all over everything.'

-- "His style, in short, is not lean in. Or lean on. It's lean back - and wait. So, yes, Boehner by recent historic standards and measures is a relatively weak speaker right now. But, in fairness, it's not clear a more bullying or forceful leader would fare much better with this gang of Republicans or in this dysfunctional Congress. Boehner runs a House in which many of the traditional levers of power are gone and of little use: earmarks for members' districts, important committee assignments and the backing of party leaders for reelection. Most young conservatives don't care about any of the three - and, in fact, see all of them as manifestations of what's wrong with and corrupt about Congress and their party. They get more mileage from snubbing their leaders." http://politi.co/13VKebC

McCAIN SLIPS INTO SYRIA, MEETS WITH REBELS - Josh Rogin reports for The Daily Beast: "Sen. John McCain Monday became the highest-ranking U.S. official to enter Syria since the bloody civil war there began more than two years ago, The Daily Beast has learned. McCain, one of the fiercest critics of the Obama administration's Syria policy, made the unannounced visit across the Turkey-Syria border with Gen. Salem Idris, the leader of the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army. He stayed in the country for several hours before returning to Turkey. Both in Syria and Turkey, McCain and Idris met with assembled leaders of Free Syrian Army units that traveled from around the country to see the U.S. senator. Inside those meetings, rebel leaders called on the United States to step up its support to the Syrian armed opposition and provide them with heavy weapons, a no-fly zone, and airstrikes on the Syrian regime and the forces of Hezbollah, which is increasingly active in Syria. ... McCain's visit came as the Obama administration is once again considering an increase of support to the Syrian opposition, while at the same time pushing the opposition council to negotiate with the regime at an international conference in Geneva in early June." http://thebea.st/11ubJK3

-- Meanwhile, the European Union dropped its ban on nations sending arms to the Syrian rebels. http://wapo.st/115cR1N

OBAMA NOMINATIONS COULD STOKE FIGHT OVER SENATE RULES - Michael D. Shear writes on A1 of the New York Times: "President Obama will soon accelerate his efforts to put a lasting imprint on the country's judiciary by simultaneously nominating three judges to an important federal court, a move that is certain to unleash fierce Republican opposition and could rekindle a broader partisan struggle over Senate rules. In trying to fill the three vacancies on the 11-member United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit at once, Mr. Obama will be adopting a more aggressive nomination strategy. He will effectively be daring Republicans to find specific ground to filibuster all the nominees. ... [L]eading contenders for the spots appear to include Cornelia T. L. Pillard, a law professor at the Georgetown University Law Center; David C. Frederick, who often represents consumers and investors at the Supreme Court; and Patricia Ann Millett, a veteran appeals lawyer in Washington. All three are experienced lawyers who would be unlikely to generate controversy individually. ...

-- "With the confirmation last week of Sri Srinivasan, Mr. Obama's first successful nominee to the court, it now has four Democratic appointees and four Republican appointees. ... Republicans in Congress are already preparing to do battle. Having approved Judge Srinivasan this month, Republican senators are pushing a proposal to eliminate the three empty slots from the court by shifting them to circuits in other parts of the country. If that strategy, which Democrats have compared to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's failed attempt to change the size of the Supreme Court, does not work, Republicans could filibuster Mr. Obama's nominees to prevent them from joining the court. Republicans currently hold 45 of the Senate's 100 seats, and 41 are needed for a filibuster."http://nyti.ms/18pAQRc

THREE MINNESOTA STORIES

HOUSE'S 'RICK VAN WINKEL' FINDS TYPEWRITERS - AND COLLEGIALITY - GONE AFTER THREE DECADES - Kristina Peterson reports for the Wall Street Journal: "After more than three decades away, Rep. Rick Nolan returned to Congress this year from Minnesota to find some big changes. Aides no longer produce the weekly newsletter on a mimeograph machine. Letters are typed on computers, instead of IBM Selectric typewriters. This time around, Mr. Nolan totes an iPhone. But the technological advances pale in comparison to the institutional changes that have transformed the House, in Mr. Nolan's view, from a collegial hive of busy committees to a polarized battleground. While many lawmakers have said Congress has lost its congeniality amid a rise in partisanship, few have witnessed the changes quite like Mr. Nolan. As a young father of four, the Democrat served three terms in the House, from 1975 until 1981, before departing for the private sector. Now 69 years old and a grandfather to 10, Mr. Nolan returned to Congress in January after 32 years-the longest gap on record between congressional terms-to represent the district in northeast Minnesota that includes Duluth, Brainerd and Chisholm."http://on.wsj.com/151Y9fW

-- Nolan also was profiled in the Boston Globe, where Matt Viser writes that during his first stint in Congress, the Minnesotan played basketball with Al Gore and Dan Quayle:http://b.globe.com/13f9GXp

BACHMANN'S BLUES - Alex Isenstadt reports for POLITICO: "Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann may be the congresswoman with nine lives. But 2014 could be the gravest threat to her political career yet. The bomb-throwing conservative and onetime Republican presidential candidate is girding for what promises to be a ferocious reelection contest. Awaiting Bachmann is a serious Democratic opponent who has the full backing of his national party and a suburban Twin Cities electorate that six months ago nearly tossed her out of office. The most glaring problem for Bachmann, though, may be a swirl of investigations into her campaign finances. The Federal Election Commission and the Office of Congressional Ethics are investigating whether her campaign concealed payments to an Iowa state senator who did work for her 2012 presidential bid. (A state ethics law bars senators from doing paid campaign work.) And late last week, Minnpost.com reported that the FBI would be joining the investigation and interviewing a former Bachmann chief of staff.

--"Aiming to capitalize on the controversy, Democrat Jim Graves has launched a rematch against Bachmann after coming within 5,000 votes - 1.2 percentage points - - of unseating her in 2012. Graves, a wealthy hotel company executive, raised more than $100,000 during the first week of his candidacy - a mind-boggling figure for a House candidate." http://politi.co/13VusO4

FRANKEN THE ONE LAUGHING NOW - POLITICO's James Hohmann reports on another Minnesota story: "Republicans promised to make funnyman Al Franken a one-term senator, but look who's laughing now. The Minnesota Democrat looked to be a top GOP pickoff target next year after his agonizing seven-month recount and legal battle put him in the Senate in 2009 by a mere 312 votes. Yet, in a turnabout few could've predicted, Franken has yet to draw a Republican opponent. The GOP looks likely to choose between relatively unknown state legislators, inexperienced businessmen or a conservative radio host with a history of controversial statements. Franken's success so far fending off a serious challenger speaks to the broader recruitment challenge Republicans face in 2014. To have a shot at overcoming the Democrats' 10-seat Senate advantage, the GOP needs to expand the map by putting seats like Franken's in play. But the party to date has struggled to find top-flight candidates in several states that should, at least on paper, be competitive.

-- "The Udall cousins elected in 2008 - Mark in Colorado and Tom in New Mexico - look safe. And no top-tier GOP candidate has announced yet in Michigan, New Hampshire or Iowa. Democrats are defending seats in seven red states carried by Mitt Romney last year, but Republicans are highly unlikely to run the table in those places."http://politi.co/1amcTGW

POLITICO PRO TO LAUNCH 'CEO REPORT' IN JUNE: POLITICO Pro's latest newsletter, "CEO Report," will debut next week. Written by POLITICO Playbook's Mike Allen and Pro Editor Martin Kady II, the once-a-month feature will offer executives and policy professionals an exclusive summary of the most important policy debates. CEO Report's easy-to-read, forward-looking format is designed to get you up to speed without having to sort through the daily minutia of Washington policy. Interested in receiving CEO Report? Become a Pro today: https://www.politicopro.com/proinfo/

**A message from POWERJOBS: On our radar this week: CFSA is hiring a Policy Director, a mystery company is looking for a Vice President of Government Affairs and U.S. Chamber of Commerce is searching for a Manager of AACCLA and Western Hemisphere Affairs. Interested? Apply online at POWERJOBS.com and set up job-specific e-mail alerts so you don't miss your next career opportunity.**

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MAY 28, 2013, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day's congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don't already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.

My new followers include @Eugene_Scott and @BenSwann_.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - Both the House and Senate are out all week for the Memorial Day recess.

ALASKA SENATORS WANT PROBE OF SEXUAL AFFAIRS ON BASE -- Gopal Ratnam and David Lerman report for Bloomberg: "Allegations that sexual affairs were condoned on the Alaska military base that provides the nation's main defense against a missile attack demand a full investigation, according to the state's U.S. senators. Democratic Senator Mark Begich said the allegations, if true, 'are not only reprehensible but show a serious loss of focus on the missile defense mission that is critical for the safety of all Americans.' Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski said yesterday she would demand that an Army investigation into Fort Greely ensures 'a true zero-tolerance policy for all sexual misconduct among our men and women in uniform.' The Army is investigating Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Miley, the commander of the Army National Guard's 49th Missile Defense battalion at the base in Alaska, after soldiers complained that he condoned sexual affairs at the remote facility, creating what they called a 'toxic environment.' The Army already was looking into Miley for promoting a World War II-style pinup calendar with photos of his wife and scantily clad female soldiers when new allegations were made about multiple affairs that had gone unpunished." http://bloom.bg/117y0LZ

GOP TEES UP IRS SCANDAL FOR AFTER RECESS - Bernie Becker and Peter Schroeder report for The Hill: "Lawmakers may be out of Washington this week, but congressional staffers will be working to ensure that the IRS controversy is teed up for them when they return. Both Democrats and Republicans left the recent string of congressional hearings with plenty of unanswered questions about how and why the IRS targeted conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status, and who authorized it. Now, during the Memorial Day recess, lawmakers say that aides will have more freedom to pore over reams of documents that Congress has requested from the IRS and the Treasury inspector general who outlined the targeting - and to further press officials for materials, if need be. Lawmakers have also been collecting more and more names of IRS staffers they want to interview, with a particular focus on the Cincinnati office where the targeting began." http://bit.ly/10E6frj

WaPo, A1, "Budget cuts clip fighter squadron's wings: Air Force Rocketeers battle frustration as sequestration grounds their planes," By Steve Vogel: "The 'World Famous Rocketeers' were flying high two months ago. The Air Force fighter squadron had returned safely with its F-15E Strike Eagles and aircraft crews from a six-month Middle East deployment, and in March the entire wing passed a readiness evaluation with an unusually high rating. That was then. In April, the Air Force ordered the Rocketeers - more formally, the 336th Fighter Squadron - to stop flying because of the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration. Now, the squadron's two dozen F-15s are parked underneath canopies on the flight line, with red covers over their gaping afterburners to keep out birds and critters. Glum pilots find themselves with lots of time for softball and community projects. And the Air Force has one less fighter squadron available to fight. ...

--"It's a story repeated at bases across the country and the world, where the Air Force has stood down 13 combat squadrons, nearly one-third of its active-duty fighter and bomber squadrons, to meet a $600 million reduction in money available for flying and readiness dictated by the mandatory cuts. The Air Force has retained enough combat power to meet current requirements around the globe, including in Afghanistan and any immediate crisis on the Korean Peninsula. Beyond that, senior officers said, it's a question mark."http://wapo.st/171MTni

HOW THE GANG OF EIGHT OUTMAUEUVERED OPPONENTS - David Nakamura reports for the Washington Post: "Over the past three weeks, Sen. Jeff Sessions tried everything he could to blow up a comprehensive immigration bill. The Alabama Republican offered 17 amendments, championed the concerns of border-enforcement employee unions and decried the cost to taxpayers. Ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee vote, Sessions produced a letter denouncing the proposal signed by opinion makers such as Laura Ingraham and Michelle Malkin. Then he was on the losing end of a 13 to 5 rout. For hard-line foes of immigration reform, the lopsided outcome produced a moment of clarity about the challenges they face in repeating their 2007 feat of scuttling comprehensive immigration legislation. Unlike six years ago, the loudest voices of dissent were drowned out by a disciplined performance from a bipartisan group of eight senators who teamed up to fight off the most serious threats to the bill. ...

-- "The committee vote was only the first skirmish in a long battle ahead for a bill that represents the most sweeping overhaul of immigration law in nearly three decades, its prospects buoyed in part by Republican worries over a lack of Latino support. The legislation moves to the full Senate floor next month, where passage is likely but not guaranteed. The Republican-controlled House is negotiating its own plan, which is expected to be more conservative. Some immigration hard-liners, while confident they will prevail, acknowledge that proponents are better prepared for the assault from the right that helped block the effort six years ago. 'It's a testament to the other side's greater preparation over the past couple of years,' said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which has opposed increased immigration. 'They lined up people in coalitions more effectively. This time they were more prepared. That's why in general . . . they've done better.' ...

-- "This time, heading into the committee hearings, Republican critics sought to employ sustained pressure on the bipartisan group that had drafted the legislation over months of private negotiations. GOP members produced two-thirds of the 301 amendments filed with the committee, focused largely on border security. ... But the eight met in private before each committee hearing, hashing out which amendments they would support and which oppose as a united coalition. Senate aides said amendments were rejected if either side felt they would shatter the deal." http://wapo.st/10ZB74H

GAYS STILL BACK GANG'S SENATE IMMIGRATION BILL - Julia Preston and Ashley Parker report for the NYT: "Lawmakers supporting a bipartisan bill in the Senate to overhaul the immigration system faced a surge of outrage last week from gay rights advocates after a provision those groups supported was left off the legislation in committee at the last minute. Advocates focused their fury on several Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, which considered more than 300 amendments to the bill, after the senators warned the chairman, Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, that they would not vote for an amendment he wanted to introduce. The measure by Mr. Leahy, also a Democrat, would have allowed American citizens to seek permanent resident status - a document known as a green card - for a foreign same-sex partners. But as the bill now moves to the Senate floor, the political damage from the episode for the Democrats - including senators who have been firm allies of gay causes like Mr. Leahy, Charles E. Schumer of New York and Richard J. Durbin of Illinois - may not be as severe as it first appeared. Gay rights advocates, stepping back from the loss, said the overhaul still contained many measures that could benefit gay immigrants, most of which came through the committee gantlet unscathed."http://nyti.ms/12eCq74

NAVY NAMES U.S.S. DANIEL INOUYE AFTER LATE SENATOR - William Cole reported last week for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser: "The Navy announced ... that a new destroyer will be named after the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, one of the most influential members of the Senate during his 50-year tenure, a tenacious fighter for the betterment of Hawaii and a stalwart military supporter. Inouye died Dec. 17 of a respiratory ailment at age 88. ... Inouye was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in Tuscany, Italy, during World War II and later became a U.S. senator. 'This is a wonderful tribute and I would like to thank Secretary Mabus, the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense for this high honor,' said Irene Hirano Inouye, the late senator's wife. 'Dan always adamantly refused when anyone suggested naming anything after him, but he would have been deeply humbled by this.'"http://bit.ly/142029x

FRIDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - Jonathan Orr was first to correctly answer that Joseph Tumulty, private secretary of President Woodrow Wilson, was credited with formalizing the White House daily press briefing.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - Who holds the record for the longest period of time between congressional terms? The answer can be found in today's Huddle. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me atswong@politico.com.

GET HUDDLE emailed to your Blackberry, iPhone or other mobile device each morning. Just enter your email address where it says "Sign Up." http://www.politico.com/huddle/

**A message from POWERJOBS: U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Aquilent, CBRE and other top Washington employers are looking for you! POWERJOBS makes applying for positions simple: You can connect your LinkedIn resume, sign in via Facebook, search career opportunities by industry, sign up for job-specific email alerts and more. Get started now at POWERJOBS.com, a career site made for YOU.**

Go to POLITICO Huddle Now >> http://www.politico.com/huddle
Go to this edition >> http://www.politico.com/huddle/0513/huddle10774.html

2013 POLITICO, LLC