By Brakkton Booker

With help from Ella Creamer, Jesse Naranjo, Rishika Dugyala, Marissa Martinez and Teresa Wiltz

POLITICO illustration/Photo by Francis Chung/POLITICO

What up, Recast family! President Joe Biden and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul are expected to travel to Israel as the war escalates and a federal judge slaps former President Donald Trump with a gag order in his election interference case. First we focus on the House and yet another upcoming vote to elect a new House Speaker. 

Here. We. Go. Again.

The GOP-led House is voting to elect the next speaker on the House floor today. We’ll see if they succeed.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) is now up in this ongoing and fraught game of whack-a-mole that the fractured GOP conference appears to be playing: nominate a speaker-designate by secret ballot and then scramble to find the elusive Republican support to elect them on the floor.

So far, he’s failing in that quest, losing the first round of votes, with 20 GOP votes against him. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries bested him in that round, winning 212 votes to Jordan’s 200.

To be fair, Jordan, the chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee who has the blessing of former President Donald Trump, appears much closer to winning the GOP support he needs than Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) ever was. Scalise, who some Democrats preferred to the far-right torchbearer in Jordan, bowed out a day after securing the designee title. It became clear shortly after his caucus-only vote last week that he would never sniff the 217 Republican votes he needed to lead the House.

Was The Recast forwarded to you by a friend? Don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter here.

You'll get a twice-weekly breakdown of how race and identity are the DNA of American politics and policy.

Jordan’s math isn’t quite mathing yet, either.

A few holdouts remain, including some Never-Jordans such as Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-Fla.), the Havana-born first-term congressman who posted on social media that he will support the return of recently ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy. (He kept that promise today, voting for McCarthy.)

In that same thread, Giménez railed against the eight Republicans who refused to save McCarthy’s speakership, saying “eight colleagues joined all the socialist Democrats to carry-out a coup against our duly-elected Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy.”

This seemed to put to rest an idea, floated primarily by Democrats, that if Republicans failed to elect a House speaker on their own, then the only path forward would be a power-sharing agreement where Jeffries leads the House.

Jeffries discusses House Republicans' nomination of Jordan outside the Capitol on Friday. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

Giménez, for a little extra rhetorical flavor, added this: “I will NEVER support socialist Hakeem Jeffries and anything to the contrary is a fabrication and a flat-out lie.”

While the notion of Republicans ceding power to Jeffries was a fairytale, it teed up another opportunity for House Democrats to provide a split screen — serving up an image of unity while depicting Republicans as agents of chaos who are incapable of governing.

Over the weekend, the New York Democrat took to the airwaves to test the power-sharing idea, in very opaque terms. On NBC’s “Meet the Press” Sunday, he had this to stay about House Democrats’ demands:

“We want to ensure that votes are taken on bills that have substantial Democratic support and substantial Republican support so that the extremists aren't able to dictate the agenda.”

When asked by NBC’s Kristen Welker if he’d allow Democrats to vote for a Republican House speaker, he demurred. It’s not about an individual, he said, it’s about the institution’s best interests.

To be sure, if there is an eventual Speaker Jordan, Democratic strategists tell me it could be good politics for Democrats heading into 2024, painting Jordan as an extremist figurehead under the control of Trump — and Jeffries knows this.

Jordan is seen Monday on Capitol Hill. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

While Jordan may have more sway over the hard-right faction that ultimately engineered McCarthy’s ouster earlier this month, few expect much bipartisan legislation to be passed as we head into election season.

Democrats, likely, are banking on it.

So expect lines like this one that Jeffries offered last week to be repeated early and often:

“House Republicans have just elected a Speaker nominee who in 16 years in this Congress hasn’t passed a single bill,” Jeffries said from the steps of the U.S. Capitol last week, with House Democrats standing behind him in a show of force.

Jeffries added that Jordan’s focus has instead been on inflaming division and spreading misinformation.

If the plan pans out, Jeffries may be the one holding the speaker's gavel come 2025.

Buckle up, America!

You know we’ll keep tabs on today’s vote… and how this all plays out moving forward.

All the best,
The Recast Team

BIDEN, HOCHEL TO VISIT ISRAEL 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives to speak in Tel Aviv on Tuesday after an overnight meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. | Jacquelyn Martin/AP

President Joe Biden is expected to fly to Israel on Wednesday in what is a pivotal time for his presidency as questions swirl about the ability of the U.S. to stave off a crisis.

Biden’s scheduled trip was announced Monday by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was already in Israel — his second trip there in the span of a week. He met with that nation’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and other high-ranking officials of the Israeli cabinet.

Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is also expected to head to Israel on Tuesday in what is being billed as a “solidarity mission.” (New York is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel.) Hochul, the state’s 57th governor, has joined other New Yorkers including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and New York City Mayor Eric Adams in expressing unwavering support for Israel in its battle against Hamas.

Both Biden and Hochul’s trip come as the Biden administration uses a mix of diplomacy and a show of U.S. military might to keep the scope of the conflict from broadening beyond Israel and Gaza. On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned that “all options are open” as he hinted of a preemptive attack on Israel.

Biden’s trip also comes in the aftermath of the murder of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy, Wadea Al-Fayoume, who was stabbed 26 times and later died from his injuries in what is alleged to be an anti-Muslim hate crime.

The Department of Justice also announced over the weekend that it will also investigate the incident for possible federal hate crime violations.

Family members of Wadea Al-Fayoume bring out his casket from Mosque Foundation to the hearse in Bridgeview, Ill., Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. | Nam Y. Huh/AP

According to police, the alleged assailant, 71-year-old Joseph Czuba, also stabbed the boy's mother more than a dozen times, but she is expected to survive. Al-Fayoume and his mother were renting rooms in his Plainfield, Ill., home.

“Detectives were able to determine that both victims in this brutal attack were targeted by the suspect due to them being Muslim and the on-going Middle Eastern conflict involving Hamas and the Israelis,” according to a press release from the Will County (Ill.) Sheriff's Office.

Czuba was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, as well as two hate crime charges and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Biden said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he and the first lady were “sickened” by the attack on the boy and his mother. “Our condolences and prayers are with the family. This act of hate against a Palestinian Muslim family has no place in America.”

For days, Israel has hinted at an upcoming offensive into Gaza and warned some 1 million civilians in northern Gaza to flee south ahead of an air, ground and naval military campaign. So far a large-scale offensive has not been launched. It’s unclear how much the Biden administration’s diplomacy has played a role in staving off that campaign — or whether it will last.

POLITICO’s Paul McLeary reports that additional U.S. Navy ships, carrying up to 2,400 Marines, are heading to Mediterranean waters to provide potential support for Israel in its offensive — and to be ready to evacuate Americans caught in the middle of the conflict, if need be.

SHOW ME THE MONEY! 

Reps. Katie Porter, Barbara Lee and Adam Schiff pose after a California Senate debate Oct. 8 in Los Angeles. | Richard Vogel/AP

The most recent Federal Election Commission filings give us a snapshot of how candidates for federal office are doing. Biden and the man many expect he’ll be taking on in the general election, Trump, had relatively similar amounts of cash on hand at the end of September. POLITICO’s Marissa Martinez took a peek at the numbers and found these interesting tidbits.

Right now, Biden has $32.18 million, compared to Trump’s $37.54 million. And Trump’s cash on hand dwarfed all other GOP candidates, with the next closest Republican contender, Sen. Tim Scott, sitting at $13.33 million.

Senate races we’re watching

Rep. Barbara Lee has been having a tough go of it compared to the other big-name candidates in the highly contested California Senate race, fellow Democratic House Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff.

Lee landed $1.05 million this quarter to end with $3.2 million cash on hand — not nearly enough to compete in an expensive state like California. Schiff earned nearly $6 million and ended the quarter with more than $22 million in the bank, also fielding donations from fellow Californians like Reps. Jim Costa and Mark Takano. Porter ended the quarter with $3.39 million raised, for a total of $11 million on hand.

Heading east to Arizona, incumbent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I) has yet to announce whether she is seeking another term. But she’s being outraised by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who is seeking a jump to the upper chamber. The contest between the two so far has been largely one-sided when it comes to the money haul.

He pulled in a shade under $3 million to end the period with $10 million in the bank through September. Sinema’s numbers are paltry in comparison — raising around $461,000 last quarter, though she still has upward of $13 million cash on hand. That low Q3 haul will fuel questions on whether she will in fact seek reelection.

Some House races we’re eyeing

In Texas, Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez brought in $311,000, the least of any Latino Democrat targeted by the National Republican Congressional Committee, the House Republican campaign arm. His opponent, former GOP Rep. Mayra Flores, raked in $861,000 — more than Gonzales’ entire cash-on-hand figure — after announcing her run in July. Flores, though, faces a contested primary, while Gonzales currently is running unopposed.

In Michigan, Rep. John James is flexing his campaign fundraising prowess, becoming a new powerhouse among vulnerable incumbents. James, one of four Black GOP reps, brought in $554,000 in the last quarter to end with $1.5 million in the bank.

Rep. Mark Garcia (R-Calif.) became the top earner among Latino Republicans in toss-up districts next year, hauling in more than $647,000 this quarter, while Rep. Maria Salazar (R-Fla.) reported just $197,000.

ICYMI @ POLITICO

"Pras" Michel, left, is accompanied by defense lawyer David Kenner, right, March 30, 2023, in Washington. | Andrew Harnik/AP

Ready or Not — Pras Michel, one-third of the influential hip hop trio The Fugees, “appears to be breaking new legal ground,” writes POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein. The “Ghetto Superstar” rapper is claiming his defense team used artificial intelligence to compile their closing argument during his trial earlier this year. He was convicted of a number of charges including acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China.

Tim Scott’s Super PAC Pulls Ad Buys — After initially reserving an eye-popping $40 million in TV ads in early GOP primary states, the Trust In the Mission PAC — or “TIM PAC” — is pulling back on that investment. POLITICO’s Natalie Allison breaks down why.

A New General in Town — Two weeks ago, Gen. C.Q. Brown took over as the chair of the Joint Chiefs from Gen. Mark Milley. As POLITICO’s Lara Seligman writes, Brown is “a different type of top general: one who speaks softly and stays far away from Washington’s political battles.”

THE RECAST RECOMMENDS

In Teju Cole’s “Tremor,” Tunde reflects on his life’s journey, from his West African upbringing to his work as a photography teacher at a New England college. In the process, the novelist questions what constitutes a meaningful life in a violent world.

From the creators of “Queer Eye” comes “Living for the Dead” on Hulu, just in time for Halloween. Five queer ghost hunters explore some of the most notorious haunted locations.

Three friends hustle to make it in the world of reggaeton in “Neon,” coming Thursday on Netflix. (Look out for cameos from Brray, Jon Z and "King of Reggaeton" Daddy Yankee, among others).

Bad Bunny drops a new album, “nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana,” and dines with Al Pacino.

Another power collab: Flowers, butterflies and cupids animate Ice Spice and Rema’s super-cute music video for “Pretty Girl”.

TikTok of the Day: Incredible!

Follow us on Twitter

Follow us

To change your alert settings, please log in at https://www.politico.com/_login?base=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.politico.com/settings

This email was sent to [email protected] by: POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

Please click here and follow the steps to unsubscribe.