Cutting Aid to Egypt Signals a Big Strategic Shift For Obama

Cutting Aid to Egypt Signals a Big Strategic Shift For Obama

The decision to withdraw military aid to Egypt should be hailed as a victory for a more conscientious and appropriate American grand strategy. For too long, the U.S. has been policing the world with a puffed-up chest. This move is more than a slight, calibrated adjustment, but a signal that President Obama intends to change course entirely. It shifts the emphasis of American foreign policy away from “Do as I say, not as I do” at the point of a gun and towards a more honest, morally defensible, and humble posture.

Indeed, the symbolic power of this move outweighs the on-the-ground Realpolitik results. Some may argue that we cannot afford to lose our leverage with a country’s military as important as Egypt’s. Indeed, this is an unfortunate side effect of cancelling this deal. However, going through with arms shipments is a mere band-aid solution to the greater crisis of legitimacy in the country and other countries in the region. If the U.S. gets too comfortable with a government that owes its existence to a military coup, we will continue our unfortunate tradition of trampling our own name in the mud.

Obama, for his part, is absolutely right to stay out of the affairs of the Egyptians and take a wait-and-see approach to the situation. The cancelling of the trade of these arms should be seen not as an active move in opposition to the standing government of Egypt but as a sort of “reset” in which all matters are on the table for renegotiation. It is a recognition of the fact that immense political shock has just occurred in Egypt and it is time to tread lightly, rather than blindly assume that the status quo is still the way. It would be hypocritical for the U.S. to ignore the outcome of a fair and free election as being the ultimate legitimating device.

This path that Obama has started down is consonant with the rest of his stated and implied grand strategic approach to international affairs. Ultimately, he is signalling that the U.S. is no longer in the business of international security and that our allies can no longer count on us to blindly deliver security regardless of the particular circumstances. This adjustment, a large step back, sets us on a sustainable path toward the future and allows us more flexibility to ignore crises in which we don’t have a stake and intervene where we do. If the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan prove nothing else, it is that the U.S. is bad at judging its own best interests abroad with a “maximalist” approach.

It’s time for a “minimalist” approach in which we focus on our strengths, export our culture, and support legitimate democracies everywhere. This isn’t to say that military threats have no role in foreign policy. Rather, we should be in complete control of those threats. Giving weapons to others is tantamount to turning over our hard power to others and letting them do what they will, whether we approve or not. This is reckless and counter productive.

Image Credit: AP

Eric Tillberg

I graduated from Oberlin College in 2007 with degrees in Art History and Music Performance (double bass). Currently studying International Relations at the Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, I’m interested in Turkey and the Turkic world. I play Go at the KGS 6k level and am an avid fan of the board game Diplomacy. Check out my adventure blog: http://ericsadventureblog.blogspot.com/

PolicyMic

Cutting Aid to Egypt Signals a Big Strategic Shift For Obama

Is Lois Lerner cutting a deal?

The intriguing possibility that Lois Lerner might turn John Dean is on the table.  Patrick Howley of The Daily Caller has tracked down what seems to be going on behind the scenes.

IRS scandal figure Lois Lerner is negotiating through her lawyers with Rep. Darrell Issa’s House Oversight and Government Reform Committee about possibly gaining immunity to testify again in the committee’s investigative hearings.

“The Chairman did not adjourn the hearing, he recessed it. Ms. Lerner remains under subpoena. The Committee has not made any offer of immunity to Ms. Lerner. The Committee has, however, indicated a willingness to listen to any offers from her attorney about what she would testify to if it was offered,” Oversight Committee adviser Ali Ahmad told The Daily Caller.

“I don’t have any update for you on timing,” Ahmad said in regard to when Lerner will be called back before the committee.

Because it appears she was less than truthful in her testimony, Lerner has a lot to lose.  She just retired and now reportedly is getting paid $ 50 large a year until she dies as a parting gift from the taxpayers, and would like to enjoy that largesse outside of prison.

The big question is how much will she be willing to give up in order to get immunity? That depends on how much she knows about higher ups and how much she is willing to rat out on the operation she implemented to use the power of the IRS to suppress the political opposition of the president in his re-election battle.

Lerner has a track record at the Federal Election Commission, where she did her best to hobble conservatives and Republicans. The committee should inquire into the process by which she moved from one bureaucratic position to another. Who suggested and who helped her move between agencies, seeking leverage points for suppression of the political enemies of the left?

My guess is that Lerner knows a lot, because she has been part of a broader movement, one that has strategically deployed her and others throughout the bureaucracy. She is, in other words, an apparatchik, and before getting caught lying under oath, she was getting paid six figure handsomely to deploy the regulatory power of the state to keep her side in power.

I think Ms. Lerner would absolutely hate life in prison. I hope the committee squeezes her hard. She has committed crimes against the constitutional order, corrupting government to the core. She is high order of criminal, and the price of her freedom ought to be very steep.

American Thinker Blog

Is Lois Lerner cutting a deal?

Congress split on cutting off Egypt aid – Pryor fights on – GOP gets their message out, en español – AZ"s odd couple: Kirkpatrick and Goslar – Tom Reed late on taxes 38 times

CONGRESS SPLIT ON CUTTING OFF EGYPT AID – Stephen Ohlemacher writes for the Associated Press: “Members of Congress are divided on whether the United States should cut military aid to Egypt, which highlights the difficult choices the Obama administration faces as violence intensifies on the streets of a pivotal Middle East ally. Democratic leaders generally have supported the president’s approach. But Sunday, Representative Keith Ellison, a Democrat from Minnesota, said he would end aid to Egypt. Ellison is the first Muslim elected to Congress; he is cochairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. ‘I would cut off aid but engage in intense diplomacy in Egypt and in the region to try to say, look, we will restore aid when you stop the bloodshed in the street and set up a path toward democracy,’ he told ABC’s ‘This Week.’ …

– “Among Republicans, there were calls to end military aid to Egypt. Others were hesitant. Representative Pete King, Republican of New York, said curtailing aid could reduce US influence with Egypt’s interim government, which controls access to the Suez Canal. ‘We certainly shouldn’t cut off all aid,’ said King, who chairs a House panel on counterterrorism and intelligence. King said on ‘Fox News Sunday’ that there are no good choices in Egypt. Ousted President Mohammed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was democratically elected. But, King said, the group has not demonstrated a commitment to democracy. … The split among members of the same party illustrates the uncertainty facing President Obama as he tries to navigate volatile developments in Egypt, where crackdowns in recent days left nearly 900 people dead and thousands injured.” http://b.globe.com/18EsthO

PRYOR, ARKANSAS’ LONE DEMOCRAT, FIGHTS ON – Our own Manu Raju files this report from Rogers, Ark.: “Sen. Mark Pryor might be the most vulnerable Democrat running for re-election in 2014, but he doesn’t think the ‘D’ by his name stands for ‘death knell.’ Now that’s being bullish. Since Pryor skated to reelection to his second term in 2008, he’s watched the political landscape here rapidly slide to the right: His Democratic colleague, Blanche Lincoln, was trounced in the 2010 midterms; Republicans in 2012 took over the state legislature for the first time since Reconstruction; and he’s now, suddenly, the lone Democrat in Arkansas’ increasingly conservative congressional delegation. The Democratic giants who once ruled the state – Bill Clinton, Dale Bumpers and his father, David Pryor – seem like relics. And antipathy toward President Barack Obama – and Obamacare – is running extraordinarily high. All the while, Pryor shrugs it off: ‘The Democratic Party, it’s not dead like some people think it is.’

– “Democrats are nervous about his chances as a resurgent Arkansas Republican Party unites behind a conservative upstart, freshman Rep. Tom Cotton, throwing the race into a dead heat. It’s a reality that not only threatens Pryor’s family political dynasty, the fragile Democratic Senate majority, but also shows the larger challenge faced by moderate Democratic candidates in the South. In a wide-ranging series of interviews traveling through Northw0est Arkansas, a GOP stronghold in this conservative state, Pryor argued that his path to victory rests on making the case that he’s not a party-line Obama loyalist, but the kind of conservative Democrat that has long thrived in Arkansas, even as the breed disappeared across the South. But that Arkansas tradition changed when Obama entered office in 2009. Critics here cite the president failing to visit the state since taking office; his defeat of the former Arkansas first lady, Hillary Clinton, in the bitter 2008 primary; and the president’s liberal social and domestic policy leanings, which have even prompted a spate of local Democratic officeholders to switch to the GOP.” http://politi.co/17DmaKh

FACING EXTINCTION, CALIF. GOP PUSHES IMMIGRATION REFORM – POLITICO’s Jake Sherman reports from Modesto, Calif.: “Republicans in Washington are taking a piecemeal approach to immigration reform — a strategy that could give the party’s most polarizing figures a months-long platform to pop off about illegal immigrants. California Republicans have a much different line: Shut up and get it done. The divide boils down to simple math for California Republicans, who know they can’t win elections here for long without the support of Hispanic voters. Eleven of the 15 districts held by Republicans are a quarter or more Hispanic — and some of them are prime targets for Democrats who need 17 seats to take back the House in 2014. But Republican leaders in Washington also face a much different picture nationwide: More than 100 House GOP districts have close to no Hispanic voters. So, while some Republicans in Washington might argue there’s no need to tackle immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship, California Republicans believe they must —or face extinction.” http://politi.co/17Dmc4W

NYT: “McCain Takes His Work Home to Arizona, Promoting an Immigration Bill,” By Fernanda Santos: http://nyti.ms/16WdMp8

GOP GETS THEIR MESSAGE OUT – EN ESPAÑOL – Washington Post’s Ed O’Keefe reports: “Wadi Gaitan, a 24-year-old House Republican staffer who serves as a Spanish-speaking spokesman, TV booker and occasional tutor, was stumped. He was trying to teach a Republican lawmaker how to say ‘sequester’ in Spanish, but the literal translation was proving to be problematic. ‘That one was tricky at first; I couldn’t figure it out, because in Spanish, ‘secuestrar’ literally means to kidnap someone,’ Gaitan said. ‘I said, let’s not use the literal translation, because we don’t want to say that we’re kidnapping people, or that President Obama is kidnapping people.’ Probably a good call. Now Republicans say ‘recortes automáticos’ — literally, automatic cuts.

– “The proper way to say sequester — and debt ceiling, border security and other key phrases — has become a pressing concern for many Republicans, who worry that they are increasingly unable to make their case on the issues to the nation’s fast-growing Latino bloc simply because they are unable to speak their language.  It’s such a critical concern that House Republican leaders at the beginning of the year ordered an overhaul of their messaging operation, urging members to appear in liberal news outlets and, as often as possible, on Spanish television.” http://wapo.st/14ORL8N

HOW THE SEQUESTER IS HITTING U.S. WORKERS – Michael D. Shear and Ron Nixon write obn A1 of the New York Times: “Geological visits to monitor volcanoes in Alaska have been scaled back. The defense secretary is traveling to Afghanistan two times a year instead of the usual four. For the first time in nearly three decades, NASA pulled out of the National Space Symposium, in Colorado Springs, even though representatives from France, Germany and China all made the trip. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in March in Afghanistan, which he now visits less often because of deep spending cuts. Five months after gridlock in Washington triggered the deep spending cuts known as sequestration, much of the United States government is grounded. Most government travel budgets have been cut this year by 30 percent, the result of an administration directive forcing managers to make difficult policy decisions about whom to send, where to send them and for how long. The result, agency officials say, is a government that cannot conduct essential business and is embarrassing itself abroad.

– “‘We talk about being a leader in space exploration,’ said Elliot H. Pulham, the chief executive of the Space Foundation, which sponsored the NASA-free symposium in Colorado. ‘But it’s hard to be a leader if you don’t show up.’ Not necessarily, say budget hawks like Senator Tom Coburn, Republican from Oklahoma. ‘Hopefully what you will have is more sound judgment at these agencies about what is critical travel and what isn’t,’ Mr. Coburn said. ‘There is no question that federal employees should have some travel and go to some conferences, but most of it has nothing to do with their jobs. It’s a perk.’” http://nyti.ms/14tLCQ8

ARIZONA’S ODD COUPLE: KIRKPATRICK AND GOSAR – Alex Isenstadt reports for the hometown paper: “They’re the oddest couple in Congress: One is a favorite of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin who swept into office on the tea party wave of 2010, the other a supporter of Obamacare and the $ 787 billion economic stimulus package. But what makes the budding relationship between GOP Rep. Paul Gosar and Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick so surprising – and to some on Capitol Hill, downright confusing — is that just three years ago they were bitter rivals in a slash-and-burn election. Back then, Gosar called Kirkpatrick an Obama loyalist. She called him a right-wing extremist. He blasted her after video emerged of her fleeing a constituent event. She hammered him after Palin made a website with crosshairs on her district.

– “Today, you’re a lot more likely to see the Arizona lawmakers introducing bills together than calling each other names. After losing to Gosar in the last midterm and then winning election to a nearby House seat last year, Kirkpatrick has teamed up with her onetime rival on more than a half-dozen bills. On Tuesday, they’re even co-hosting a town hall meeting in Superior, Ariz. to discuss a proposed copper mine that the lawmakers are trying to get Congress to authorize. The alliance, however, isn’t sitting well with some Republicans, who worry that Gosar is giving Kirkpatrick an opportunity to campaign as a bipartisan figure cutting through Washington’s partisanship and dysfunction to get things done for her district. She badly needs Republicans and independents to win reelection in her sprawling northeastern Arizona district, which Mitt Romney carried.” http://politi.co/17XBqk2

**A message from POWERJobs: New jobs on our radar this week: Senior Strategic Policy Advisor at AARP, Director of Development at Brady Campaign & Center to Prevent Gun Control and Senior Legislative Counsel at Human Rights Campaign. Interested? Apply to these jobs and more at POWERJobs.com; finally, a career site made for YOU!**

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, August 19, 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.

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TODAY IN CONGRESS – Both the House and Senate have adjourned for the summer recess.

SUNDAY, SUNDAY, SUNDAY

– REP. PETE KING (R-N.Y.) suggested Sen. Rand Paul was lying about NSA surveillance, POLITICO’s Kevin Robillard reports: “In the latest round between Sen. Rand Paul  and Republican hawks, Rep. Peter King is accusing the Kentucky Republican of providing a “grab bag of misinformation and distortion” about the NSA’s surveillance programs.  ‘I totally disagree with what Sen. Rand Paul says,’ King said on ‘Fox News Sunday.’ ‘That was just a grab bag of misinformation and distortion.’” http://politi.co/16WafHo

– PAUL IS BLAMING GOV. CHRIS CRISTIE FOR THEIR SPAT: “Sen. Rand Paul says that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie started their recent spat by arguing that libertarians had no place in the GOP. ‘The party’s big enough for both of us,” the Kentucky Republican said on ‘Fox News Sunday.’ ‘The party’s big enough for lots of different Republicans. This all started with him saying, ‘We don’t have enough room for libertarian Republicans.’ The thing is, that’ show we grow our party.’” http://politi.co/19BVD5V

– SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-S.C.) said Egypt is on its way to becoming a “failed state, POLITICO’s Jonathan Topaz writes: “Appearing on CBS’s ‘Face the Nation,’ Graham said the Egyptian military generals were not interested in pursuing democratic reform, but rather were trying to ‘grab power.’ The South Carolina Republican, who recently visited Egypt with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in an attempt to negotiate an agreement between military leaders and supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, urged the Obama administration to stop sending aid to Egypt. While acknowledging the removal of  Morsi from office had “a lot of support” from the public, Graham said it was a “coup” and that the U.S. must send a message by withdrawing financial assistance. Both Graham and McCain urged President Barack Obama last week to stop sending aid to Egypt.” http://politi.co/19C2Ena

MANCHIN STILL PLAYING DEFENSE ON GUNS – National Journal’s Chris Frates files this report from Beckley, W.Va.: “Manchin’s push earlier this year to expand background checks on gun sales was widely known, thanks in part to the National Rifle Association. In June, the NRA spent $ 100,000 airing an ad slamming Manchin for working with President Obama and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on their ‘gun-control agenda.’ Manchin, a lifelong NRA member, punched back, with his own $ 100,000 ad buy defending his position. And last month, the NRA countered by sending letters critical of Manchin to 200,000 West Virginians. So it’s no surprise that Manchin took a few minutes to defend his failed attempt to expand background checks. ‘Let me ask you this point-blank,’ Manchin said to the crowd. ‘Do you think it’s unreasonable if you went to a gun show or online that there’d be a background check? That’s all we’re talking about.’ Everywhere he goes, Manchin paints his proposal as a simple fix to close loopholes that allow some some gun-show and Internet buyers to avoid background checks. It’s an attempt to better keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. It’s not a government gun grab. In fact, he argues, his plan would strengthen gun rights. Still, Manchin knew, in a culture as steeped in guns as the Mountain State, he was going to pay a price for pushing any increased gun control.” http://bit.ly/14rBIyB

TOM REED LATE ON TAXES 38 TIMES – Jerry Zremski reports for the Buffalo News:  “Rep. Tom Reed, a Republican who represents the Southern Tier and serves on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, was late paying his property taxes 38 times between 2005 and this year – including at least 18 times since he joined Congress in late 2010. Tax records from Steuben and Chemung counties, where Reed owns or has owned several properties in addition to his family home, show that Reed has paid $ 3,486.51 in interest and penalties because he has repeatedly been late on his property taxes by a month or two. Told about the late payments, Reed said he was unaware of the scope of them. Noting that he has been involved in many investment properties, sometimes on his own and sometimes with partners, he said he has probably made at least 500 property tax payments since 2005. That being the case, Reed downplayed the importance of the 38 late payments. ‘Obviously we are meeting our obligations,’ Reed said. ‘All the taxes have been paid in full, and we’ll continue to make good on all our obligations. Since there’s so many different entities here, we obviously try to work hard to do it on time, but we can’t guarantee that just like with everything else, something may not happen in the future.’” http://bit.ly/14NwqfY

PETITION DRIVE TO RECALL MAYOR FILNER KICKS OFF – CNN’s Dana Ford reports: “Armed with clipboards and pens, volunteers hit the streets of San Diego over the weekend to collect signatures they hope will lead to the recall of embattled Mayor Bob Filner. They must get more than 101,000 signatures by September 26 ‘We’re going to be everywhere. We’re going to be at sporting events. We’re going to be at street fairs, arts shows — you name it, we will be out there,’ Dave McCulloch, a recall organizer, told CNN affiliate KFMB on Sunday. So far, 16 women have come forward to say that Filner acted inappropriately, with accusations ranging from one woman’s claim that the mayor gave her ‘tush a pat,’ to another woman’s assertion that he ‘put in me what I guess now is the famous headlock.’ Filner’s office has not responded to multiple CNN requests for comment on the allegations. Last month, he acknowledged that he “failed to fully respect the women who work for me and with me” and that he was “embarrassed” by his actions. But he also said he will be vindicated by “a full presentation of the facts” and he will not resign. As part of the recall effort, protesters — including attorney Gloria Allred and some of the women accusing Filner — rallied at City Hall on Sunday, Day 1 of the official recall effort.” http://bit.ly/14VrT29

SCOTT BROWN TALKS 2016 – Hillary Chabot writes for the Boston Herald: “Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown told the Herald he is looking at a possible 2016 presidential bid today as he hit a well-worn stomping ground for Oval Office hopefuls – the Iowa State Fair. “I want to get an indication of whether there’s even an interest, in Massachusetts and throughout the country, if there’s room for a bi-partisan problem solver,” said Brown, who has been meeting with top Republicans nationally and last week hosted a Fenway event for Republican National Committee members. Brown indicated he isn’t close to deciding whether he will run. ‘It’s 2013, I think it’s premature, but I am curious. There’s a lot of good name recognition in the Dakotas and here – that’s pretty good.’” http://bit.ly/1cRQhEJ

FRIDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER  – Tom Flanagin and Robert Edmonson both correctly answered just seconds apart that Lyndon B. Johnson was the only president to have been sworn in by a woman. He was sworn in by Sarah T. Hughes, a federal judge, on Air Force One after the assassination of President Kennedy.

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Paul Doucette reading us from Houston, Texas, has today’s question: Most folks know that Harry Truman became president upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.  But not many people know what the vice president was doing when he was summoned back to the White House that day.  Where was Vice President Truman going when he was summoned back to the White House and which famous Texas politician was he going to visit?

The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@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: New jobs on our radar this week: Senior Strategic Policy Advisor at AARP, Director of Development at Brady Campaign & Center to Prevent Gun Control and Senior Legislative Counsel at Human Rights Campaign. Interested? Apply to these jobs and more at POWERJobs.com; finally, a career site made for YOU!**

POLITICO – Top 10 – Huddle

Congress split on cutting off Egypt aid – Pryor fights on – GOP gets their message out, en español – AZ"s odd couple: Kirkpatrick and Goslar – Tom Reed late on taxes 38 times

Wal-Mart Pledges Fresher Produce By Cutting Out The Middleman

A shopper selects produce at a Wal-Mart in Deptford, N.J.

Matt Rourke/AP

The nation’s largest retailer announced Monday that it will be delivering produce from farms to stores faster by buying fruits and vegetables directly from growers.

The plan is to source about 80 percent of fresh produce directly, explained Jack Sinclair, executive vice president of the food business for Wal-Mart U.S., during a conference call that we participated Monday morning.

In many instances, Sinclair says it will be possible to “cut out the middleman,” but he added that local wholesalers will continue to “play an important role for us in the areas we serve.”

The announcement comes on the heels of complaints that Wal-Mart isn’t staffing its stores with enough employees to stock shelves efficiently or manage produce, resulting in complaints about the freshness of fruits and vegetables on display. As The New York Times reported in April, internal Wal-Mart memos showed the company struggling with “low customer confidence in its produce and poor quality.”

To address such concerns, Sinclair says, Wal-Mart will launch Fresh Produce School training for 70,000 associates. Managers and employees will be taught, for example, to identify fruits and vegetables that should no longer be on the shelves — and in general, they’ll learn more about handling of produce.

And if Wal-Mart shoppers aren’t happy with the quality of a peach or pear, the retailing giant is reinforcing its commitment to a 100 percent money-back guarantee.

Sinclair says there’s no need to return the food item: Just bring in a receipt and the store will refund shoppers for the full amount, “no questions asked.”

Sinclair said Wal-Mart is on target to meet its commitment to increase the amount of local produce found in retail stores by the year 2015 (a pledge made in 2010). There have been complaints, however, that some small farmers aren’t benefiting from the initiative.

And with the goal of making nutritious food more affordable, Sinclair says Wal-Mart is open to new opportunities. One incentive program I wrote about in March, where health insurers nudge shoppers to buy broccoli instead of brownies by offering rebates, is an example of attempts to incentivize healthy choices.

News

Wal-Mart Pledges Fresher Produce By Cutting Out The Middleman

Portman now backs gay marriage, Grand jury probing Menendez, Manchin"s uphill fight for gun control, Feinstein clashes with Cruz, McConnell/Ryan/Cantor at CPAC, Gang of 8 eyes cutting family visas

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GOP’S PORTMAN BACKS GAY MARRIAGE AFTER HIS SON COMES OUT – CNN’s Dana Bash has the exclusive: “You probably recognize Sen. Rob Portman from his tireless campaigning for Mitt Romney in 2012. He was even on the short list to be Romney’s running mate. He’s been a leading Republican voice on economic issues for four decades. Now, the prominent Ohio conservative will be known for something else: reversing his hardline position against gay marriage. … ‘I’m announcing today a change of heart on an issue that a lot of people feel strongly about that has to do with gay couples’ opportunity to marry,’ Portman told CNN. It has to do with another revelation, one deeply personal. His 21-year-old son, Will, is gay. ‘I’ve come to the conclusion that for me, personally, I think this is something that we should allow people to do, to get married, and to have the joy and stability of marriage that I’ve had for over 26 years. That I want all of my children to have, including our son, who is gay,’ said Portman.

– “Will Portman told his father and mother he is gay two years ago, when he was a freshman at Yale University. ‘My son came to Jane, my wife, and I, told us that he was gay, and that it was not a choice, and that it’s just part of who he is, and that’s who he’d been that way for as long as he could remember,’ said Portman. What was the Republican senator’s reaction? ‘Love. Support,’ responded Portman. And complete surprise. He told CNN that he never suspected that his son was gay. …

– “Until now, this was a secret to most people in politics, but not everyone. Last year, when Romney was vetting Portman to be his running mate, the Ohio Republican informed both Romney and his top campaign advisers that he has a gay son. ‘I told Mitt Romney everything,’ said Portman with a laugh. ‘That process is, intrusive would be one way to put it. But, no, yeah, I told him everything.’ Portman, who was ultimately passed over as the GOP vice-presidential candidate in favor of Rep. Paul Ryan, said the fact that his son is gay was not the deal breaker for Romney. How does he know? ‘Well, because they told me,’ said Portman.” http://bit.ly/15Qh39P Watch the interview with Portman here: http://bit.ly/XchvcI

GRAND JURY INVESTIGATING MENENDEZ – Carol D. Leonnig and Peter Wallsten report on A1 of the Washington Post: “A federal grand jury in Miami is investigating Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), examining his role in advocating for the business interests of a wealthy donor and friend, according to three people aware of the probe. Menendez has intervened in matters affecting the financial interests of Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, seeking to apply pressure on the Dominican government to honor a contract with Melgen’s port-security company, documents and interviews show. Also, Menendez’s office has acknowledged he interceded with federal health-care officials after they said that Melgen had overbilled the U.S. government for care at his clinic. Melgen has provided Menendez with plane flights and hospitality at his Dominican vacation home, say people acquainted with their relationship. …

–“A grand jury probe, which involves a prosecutor pursuing allegations with an eye toward possible indictment, typically represents a legal escalation, though it does not always lead to a prosecution. As part of the grand jury investigation, the three people said, federal agents have questioned witnesses about the interactions between Menendez and Melgen, who contributed $ 700,000 last year to Menendez and other Senate Democrats. The grand jury has also issued subpoenas for Melgen’s business and financial records, according to two people briefed on the probe who, like the others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe an on­going investigation. Federal agents have not contacted Menendez, according to a person familiar with the case.” http://wapo.st/XckqSI

OBAMA’S GOODWILL TOUR COMES TO CLOSE – Manu Raju, Kate Nocera and Jonathan Allen write for the hometown paper: “President Barack Obama on Thursday wrapped up his Capitol Hill goodwill tour, telling House Democrats he’s got their backs on entitlements. The president has been open to a number of reforms that irk liberals, such as raising the retirement age of Medicare, means-testing and adopting a more modest inflation calculation, known as chained CPI, for Social Security. Obama told the Democrats he won’t chase a bad deal and let Republicans entice him into trying for the field goal only to pull the ball away at the last minute time and again. ‘I’m not Charlie Brown with a football,’ Obama said in response to a question on CPI from Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), according to a source in the closed-door meeting. ‘I haven’t heard anything from Republicans on revenue, so Keith, you can relax’ on CPI, Obama added.

– “Earlier, Obama told Senate Republicans that he’s committed to bipartisanship, but wants the GOP to help out and consider new revenue sources. ‘I said to the GOP caucus ‘is there not one loophole we can close?’’ Obama said in Thursday’s meeting with House Democrats, according to a source in the room. Republican senators leaving their lunch meeting called the discussion polite but lively, featuring discussion of corporate tax reform, regulations, trade policy and the deficit. ‘Certainly the push was made for issue of entitlement reform. The president responded with the need for revenues,’ said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.” http://politi.co/YvJWBN

– In an interview with the New York Times on Thursday, Speaker John Boehner said the GOP’s losses last November wouldn’t affect his party’s vision of reducing the size of government, turning government health care programs largely over to the private sector and opposing tax hikes. http://nyti.ms/12VutUh

‘REPLACING MAX BAUCUS’ – The Wall Street Journal’s lead editorial calls Sen. Chuck Schumer the “de facto” Finance chairman: “The Senate budget includes instructions to the Finance Committee to raise $ 975 billion in revenue ‘not later than October 1, 2013.’ But tax reform has traditionally been passed as ‘revenue neutral,’ which allows for fewer loopholes to finance lower tax rates. If tax reform must raise so much more additional revenue, it’s a dead letter. … This all follows the script offered last year by New York Senator Chuck Schumer that tax reform must raise revenue, not lower rates. This means that Mr. Schumer is the de facto chairman of Senate Finance, while nominal Chairman Max Baucus might as well return to Montana for the next two years.” http://on.wsj.com/10WcYSn

– On a party-line 12-10 vote, the Senate Budget Committee approved its first budget in four years. It now heads to the full Senate next week: http://bit.ly/1558SnI

MANCHIN ‘S UPHILL BATTLE FOR GUN CONTROL – Manu Raju and John Bresnahan reports for POLITICO: “Sen. Joe Manchin could be President Barack Obama’s best hope for a bipartisan gun package this year. But he’s running into headwinds on Capitol Hill. Manchin — along with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) — tried for weeks to broker a compromise with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), but that effort hit roadblocks. Manchin urged Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) to keep an open mind, but no dice. And he tried to persuade Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) to consider signing on as a prime sponsor but was quickly rebuffed. Manchin’s efforts are growing ever more critical as the battle over gun control hits the Senate floor as soon as next month. The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved a sweeping assault weapons ban opposed by the National Rifle Association, as well as a prohibition on high-capacity ammunition magazines. But those proposals stand little chance of becoming law.” http://politi.co/YuGkTY

– An assault weapons ban cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote though it’s unlikely to clear the full Senate, the New York Times’ Jennifer Steinhauer reports: “[T]he committee’s passage of the bill, along with three other measures that previously cleared the panel, demonstrated momentum by lawmakers who have sought new gun regulations after the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Taken together, the votes show a willingness by lawmakers to confront the pro-gun lobby, which has stifled new gun limits for years. As recently as last year, it would have been unthinkable for these bills to have even been considered in a Senate committee. But those measures — which include a ban on high-capacity magazines and enhanced background checks for gun buyers — will now be considered by the full Senate, where gun rights sentiments run far deeper than in the committee, to say nothing of the House, where members are even less avid to take up new gun curbs.” http://nyti.ms/XDFxmN

FEINSTEIN TO CRUZ: ‘I AM NOT A SIXTH-GRADER’ – Veteran Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and freshman Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tangled during the hearing, Carolyn Lochhead reports for the San Francisco Chronicle. “Cruz, a Harvard-trained lawyer who has argued before the Supreme Court, including participation in the landmark District of Columbia vs. Heller case that threw out a D.C. gun ban in 2008, interjected by admonishing Feinstein that ‘all of us should begin as our foundational document with the Constitution.’ In mock deference, Cruz asked ‘the senior senator from California’ whether she would ‘deem it consistent with the Bill of Rights’ if Congress did the same thing to the First Amendment’s freedom of speech protections that she contemplates with the Second Amendment’s protection of the right to bear arms. Her assault weapons bill bans certain weapons, so Cruz asked whether Congress could ban certain books. — “He might as well have cut a nerve. Bristling, Feinstein replied, ‘One, I am not a sixth-grader, senator.’ She said her bill specifically exempts 2,271 weapons by make and model. ‘Is this not enough for the people in the United States?’ she asked. ‘Do they need a bazooka?’ The Stanford-educated Feinstein, calling herself “reasonably well-educated,” recalled her nine years as mayor of San Francisco that began when Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated. She was the first to discover Milk’s body, slipping her finger into the bullet hole as she sought a pulse. It was a searing experience whose story she has recounted many times. ‘I walked in, I saw people shot,’ Feinstein told Cruz. ‘I’ve looked at bodies that have been shot with these weapons. I’ve seen the bullets that implode.’” http://bit.ly/YfqQRm Watch the exchange here: http://bcove.me/9titteke

CR DELAYED AS SENATORS MOVE TO PROTECT HOME-STATE INTERESTS – David Rogers reports for POLITICO: “As the clock runs down, the stopgap spending bill before the Senate is looking more and more like a life raft for senators trying to protect home-state interests from the automatic spending cuts ordered under sequestration. Alarmed by the rush, the leadership stalled action on the continuing resolution, or CR, Thursday, while it assessed the political situation. And there is a fear that if too many accommodations are made by the Senate, it risks a blowup with the House and exactly the sort of shutdown fight both parties want to avoid on March 27 when funding runs out. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) said as many as 99 amendments had been filed, and Reid insisted that unless this list is pared down substantially, he plans to move ahead with a scheduled cloture vote Monday night. ‘One way or another we are going to move this bill forward on Monday,’ Reid said.

– “Republicans have been most prominent in seeking relief. Sen. Jerry Moran wants to shift $ 50 million to protect contract air-traffic control towers important to rural states like his own Kansas. Prompted by threatened layoffs at the Tobyhanna Army Depot, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) was on the floor Thursday, proposing to add $ 60 million back into military operations accounts by raiding the Pentagon’s biofuels program. But Democrats aren’t immune to the same appeals. And with major meatpacking houses in both states, Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas has teamed with his Republican neighbor, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, to try to add $ 55 million to the current Senate bill to shore up the Food Safety and Inspection Service.” http://politi.co/Yevuiv

– The Pryor-Blunt proposal would keep food inspectors – and Missouri’s 43,000 meat-industry workers – on the job, Blunt told Huddle.  “We’ve got 148 meat packing facilities from Missouri, [Arkansas Sen.] Mark Pryor has 137. This is a big issue where we live and it impacts families who really work hard to make a living,” Blunt said.  “For meat, poultry and eggs, the inspector needs to be present for every minute that plant is operating, so if he doesn’t show up nobody else can be working.”

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GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 15, 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.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – The House is in at 9 a.m. with first and last votes expected between 12:15 and 1:45 p.m. on the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act (SKILLS). The Senate is out today and returns at 2 p.m. Monday to continue work on the six-month stopgap funding measure.

AROUND THE HILL – Sen. John Hoeven and others urge construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline at 10 a.m. in the Senate Studio. Rep. Yvette Clarke speaks on gun legislation at 11:15 a.m. at the House Triangle. Sen. Mike Lee speaks at a Federalist Society luncheon honoring the late Judge Robert Bork, from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Mayflower hotel. Reporters should RSVP to amorris@crcpublicrelations.com.

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster addresses the Washington Aero Club Speech at 12:30 p.m. at the Capitol Hilton Hotel. House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force members hold a hearing on background checks at 1 p.m. in HVC 210.

IMMIGRATI0N ‘GANG OF 8’ EYES REDUCING FAMILY VISAS – David Nakamura writes on A1 of the WaPo: “Key senators are developing plans that would make it harder for the relatives of U.S. citizens to immigrate to this country, while easing the path for more high-skilled foreign workers, according to lawmakers and others negotiating an immigration deal. The plans — which would run counter to policies that have been in place for generations — are part of ongoing talks between a bipartisan group of eight senators, whose bill is expected to serve as the template for a comprehensive immigration deal between Congress and the White House. The senators agree that a limited number of people should be allowed into the country each year; the question is who those people should be. … Senators involved in the negotiations stress that no final decision has been made. But Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), a leader in the talks, said in an interview Thursday that tighter limits on family visas are likely.” http://wapo.st/Ws9T8P

RAND AND RUBIO FIGHT FOR FUTURE OF GOP – Lois Romano reports for the hometown paper: “Senators Marco Rubio and Rand Paul packed the hall at CPAC Thursday, injecting some electricity into the sober conservative conference by offering two very different visions for the Republican party — and both bringing activists looking for victory in 2016 to their feet. Republicans may privately say that CPAC no longer represents mainstream America, but that didn’t deter the two rival stars –and every other GOP politician looking sideways at the White House — from rushing over. Over the next few days Rep. Paul Ryan, Jeb Bush, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and others will try out their conservative bona fides with this crowd and try to capture a slice of the market. …

-- “The freshman senator from Kentucky and son of Ron Paul repeatedly called for a new GOP. ‘The GOP of old has grown stale and moss-covered,’ the Kentucky senator thundered. “I don’t think we need to name any names, do we? … The new GOP will need to embrace liberty in both the economic and the personal sphere.’ The room of thousands listened to most of his speech on their feet cheering, particularly when he referred to his 13-hour filibuster last week. … He also addressed the ‘Facebook generation,’ a younger constituency that both he and his father have attracted. By contrast, Rubio played it safe, emphasizing conservative values. ‘We don’t need a new idea,’ he told the crowd, saying the GOP already had a good idea. ‘The idea is called America, and it still works.’ He derided abortion and praised ‘traditional marriage,’ but steered clear of immigration reform, a hot button issue on which he has taken a leading role in Congress.” http://politi.co/YuhZgN

TODAY AT CPAC:  9 a.m.: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), 9:15 a.m.: Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R., N.H.), 9:30 a.m.: Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.), 3:35 p.m.: Rep. Eric Cantor (R., Va.). http://on.wsj.com/XKZaat

CLUB FOR GROWTH PRIMARY TARGETS SEEK BOEHNER’S HELP – Jake Sherman and Anna Palmer report for POLITICO: “Several House Republicans the Club for Growth has singled out for primary challenges are looking to Speaker John Boehner and GOP donors to keep them out of the fire. A handful of lawmakers targeted by the Club’s Primary My Congressman campaign are slated to meet with Boehner next week to press him on anything the House GOP leadership can do inside and outside the Capitol to prevent the Republican-on-Republican skirmishes, several sources said. And several of the lawmakers, including prodigious fundraisers like Illinois Rep. Aaron Schock, are pushing corporate political action committees to give the maximum amount of money to their campaigns early in the cycle in order to show strength against potential GOP challengers. … Indiana Rep. Larry Bucshon, one of the club’s targets, said the idea to meet with him came together in a member discussion on the House floor. But it’s unclear what Boehner can actually do to help the at-risk lawmakers.” http://politi.co/12UENf8

Wall Street Journal, A1 4-col lead, “Senate Slams Bank on ‘Whale,’ By Dan Fitzpatrick, Scott Patterson and Gregory Zuckerman:  “J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. brushed off internal warnings and misled regulators and investors about the scope of losses on its ‘London whale’ trades last year, according to a scathing Senate report. One risk gauge at the largest U.S. bank projected in February 2012 that the firm could lose $ 6.3 billion on the trades. But the warning was dismissed by a key risk manager as ‘garbage,’ according to the 301-page report by the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. The New York company’s trading losses ultimately exceeded $ 6 billion. The report, the product of more than 50 interviews and a review of 90,000 documents, found that the bank ignored alarms triggered weeks and in some cases months before Chief Executive James Dimon dismissed concerns about them as a ‘tempest in a teapot’ on an April 13, 2012, earnings conference call. ‘While we have repeatedly acknowledged mistakes, our senior management acted in good faith and never had any intent to mislead anyone,’ J.P. Morgan said Thursday.” http://on.wsj.com/1556o8I

THURSDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – Matthew Erwin was first to correctly answer that William Henry Harrison was the only U.S. president to have served in the House of Representatives as a non-voting member. He represented the Northwest Territory.

TODAY’S TRIVIA – David Heymsfeld has today’s question: Name the U.S. president who was selected for membership in Harvard’s exclusive Porcellian Club, and the president who said it was the “greatest disappointment of my life” to not be selected. First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@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/

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POLITICO – Top 10 – The Huddle

Portman now backs gay marriage, Grand jury probing Menendez, Manchin"s uphill fight for gun control, Feinstein clashes with Cruz, McConnell/Ryan/Cantor at CPAC, Gang of 8 eyes cutting family visas