memeorandum: Romney skipping GOP convention, joins list of presidents, leaders (CNN)

12:15 PM ET, May 6, 2016

Top Items:

‘Dismayed’ Romney says he doesn't intend to back Trump, worried about ‘demagoguery and populism’ — Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, said at a dinner in Washington on Thursday night that he had no intention of supporting presumtive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice, Talking Points Memo, Politico, Independent Journal …, New York Magazine, BizPac Review and Wall Street Journal

New York Times:

Sheldon Adelson Says He Will Support Donald Trump — The casino magnate Sheldon G. Adelson said on Thursday night that he would support Donald J. Trump now that he has become the Republican Party's presumptive nominee. — “Yes, I'm a Republican, he's a Republican,” Mr. Adelson said in a brief interview.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Mother Jones, New York Magazine, Politico, Washington Post, USA Today, Fox 59, JP Updates, Associated Press, Outside the Beltway, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, The Week, Wall Street Journal and Guardian

Jake Sherman / Politico:

How Ryan decided to ditch Trump — On Wednesday morning, not even 24 hours after Donald Trump effectively clinched the Republican nomination, Paul Ryan convened his top advisers for a call. With Congress out of session, Ryan was bouncing between multiple states, raising the piles of money needed …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Wall Street Journal:

Ben Carson Says Donald Trump Could Consider Democrat for Running Mate — Former GOP candidate, now a Trump ally, also takes his name out of the running as possible pick — Ben Carson, the former rival now helping presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump choose a running mate …

Discussion: Breitbart, Talking Points Memo, USA Today, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, AOL, BizPac Review, Liberty Unyielding, Complex, RedState, Washington Free Beacon, The Week, Joe.My.God. and CNN

Matea Gold / Washington Post:

Trump turns to general election — and away from past positions … Just days into his new role as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump is walking away from key positions that have defined his anti-establishment bid — including his pledge to keep wealthy donors at bay.

Discussion: MSNBC, The Daily Beast, New York Times, zerohedge.com/fullrss2 … and CANNONFIRE

ABC News:

The Note: Not All Aboard the Trump Train — Paul Ryan Hedges on Prior Pledge to Support GOP Nominee — Now that Donald Trump has all but clinched the Republican presidential nomination, House Speaker Paul Ryan walked back his previous position that he would support the eventual Republican nominee.

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon and The Last Refuge

Nolan D. McCaskill / Politico:

Trump camp suggests Ryan unfit to be speaker — Donald Trump and his allies are lashing out at House Speaker Paul Ryan for his refusal to back - for now - the presumptive Republican nominee, with Trump's spokesman even declaring Ryan unfit for his job. — During a phone interview with Fox News …

Discussion: ABC News

Eric Bradner / CNN:
The GOP resistance to Donald Trump

Discussion: Politico, No More Mister Nice Blog, Daily Kos, Downstream Politics, Trail Blazers Blog, Vox, The Atlantic, The Gateway Pundit and The Week

Nick Gass / Politico:
Trump rules out Democrat as running mate

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Political Wire and The Week

Nick Gass / Politico:
Priebus on Trump: 'He's trying'

Discussion: Washington Post, The Hill and Talking Points Memo

Dana Bash / CNN:
First on CNN: Rick Perry endorses Donald Trump for president

Discussion: RedState, Trail Blazers Blog, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo, BuzzFeed, The Resurgent, Patterico's Pontifications, The Week, BizPac Review, Independent Journal …, Politicus USA, New York Times and Washington Times

CNN:
Romney skipping GOP convention, joins list of presidents, leaders

Discussion: The Atlantic, BizPac Review and Mediaite

Sundance / The Last Refuge: Donald Trump Is The Nominee But Every State Needs To Keep Voting...

Eric Bradner / CNN:
Paul Ryan: 'I'm just not ready' to back Donald Trump

Nathan McDermott / BuzzFeed:
Rand Paul On Trump: “I've Always Said I'll Endorse The Nominee”

Discussion: RedState

Erick Erickson / The Resurgent:

Republicans, Apologize to Bill Clinton — Upon arrival in Washington, DC in January of 1993, Bill and Hillary Clinton found themselves in a never ending independent counsel investigation. The investigation began over a land deal that was known as Whitewater.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Mediaite

Daniel Strauss / Politico:

Sanders poised for May win streak — Here's one reason Bernie Sanders is reluctant to give up the fight: May is shaping up to be a pretty good month for him. — On the heels of his Indiana victory Tuesday, Sanders is well-positioned for wins in the upcoming West Virginia and Oregon primaries.

Discussion: Common Dreams and Althouse

Michael Tomasky / The Daily Beast: Yo, Hillary: Hit Donald Where It Hurts

Steven Shepard / Politico: Majority of GOP insiders won't commit to Trump

Alexander Bolton / The Hill: Third-party push gaining steam

Joe Klein / TIME:
Why the Clintons Don't Fear the Coming Armageddon With Donald Trump

Discussion: Liberty Unyielding and Washington Monthly

John Podhoretz / New York Post:

White House admits it played us for fools to sell Iran deal — MORE FROM: — Congratulations, liberals of the Washington press corps and elite organizations: You're a bunch of suckers. We all know this because the Obama White House just told us so. — In an astounding New York Times piece …

Discussion: Front Page Magazine, Israel Matzav and Instapundit

David Samuels / New York Times:
The Aspiring Novelist Who Became Obama's Foreign-Policy Guru

Discussion: Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Business Insider, Mediaite, Israel Matzav, The Lid, Front Page Magazine, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Washington Free Beacon and EconLog

Lee Smith / Weekly Standard:
Obama's Foreign Policy Guru Boasts of How the Administration Lied to Sell the Iran Deal

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon

Charles Thompson / PennLive.com:

Child told Paterno of sex abuse in 1976, court papers allege — Court documents state that “in 1976, a child allegedly reported to PSU's Head Coach Joseph Paterno that he (the child) was sexually molested by Sandusky.” … A new bombshell dropped in the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal Thursday.

Discussion: NBC News, New York Magazine, 6, Balloon Juice, The Week, CBS New York, Associated Press, The Big Lead, WJHL, Mashable, Complex, CollegeFootballTalk and WCMH-TV

Philly.com: Source: Penn State settled claim Paterno knew about Sandusky in 1976

Kevin Drum / Mother Jones:

Everyone Is Getting Today's Trump Tweet Totally Wrong — I think everyone is badly misinterpreting this tweet from Donald Trump: … This is not an awkward and embarrassing outreach to Hispanics. It's not aimed at Hispanics at all. It's aimed at white people.

Discussion: ABC News, Media Matters for America, Mashable, Western Journalism, Patterico's Pontifications, Guardian, Business Insider, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, U.S. Uncut, NBC News and USA Today

James Hohmann / Washington Post:
The Daily 202: Donald Trump's relentless media tour calls attention to him —and his general-election strategy

Discussion: Politicus USA, Guardian, Political Wire, Mashable and ABC News

Donald J. Trump / Facebook:
Happy Cinco de Mayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill.

Binyamin Appelbaum / New York Times:

Donald Trump's Idea to Cut National Debt: Get Creditors to Accept Less — One day after assuring Americans he is not running for president “to make things unstable for the country,” the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald J. Trump, said in a television interview Thursday that he might seek …

Discussion: Vox, Business Insider and rubber hose

CNN:

First on CNN: FBI interviews Clinton aides including Huma Abedin as part of email probe — (CNN)Some of Hillary Clinton's closest aides, including her longtime adviser Huma Abedin, have provided interviews to federal investigators, as the FBI probe into the security of her private email …

Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:
Federal prosecutors in Virginia assisting in Clinton email probe

Discussion: NBC News, The Week, Media Matters for America and Media Matters for America

Chris Enloe / TheBlaze.com:

Tow Truck Driver Shows Up to Help Stranded Motorist When He Sees Sticker on Her Car That Makes Him Drive Away: ‘Call the Government’ — A North Carolina tow truck driver recently took a controversial stand after he was dispatched to pick up a woman stranded on the side of I-26 in Asheville …

Discussion: JustOneMinute, Western Journalism, Mediaite and The American Mirror

Bloomberg.com:

Why GOP Strategist Mary Matalin Is Registering as a Libertarian — Republican strategist Mary Matalin discusses Donald Trump and her decision to change her party affiliation on “With All Due Respect.”

Discussion: FOX News Radio, New York Times, BizPac Review, Politico and Political Wire

Lisa Fickenscher / New York Post:

JCPenney taking emergency measures to stay afloat — More On: — JCPenney, faced with unexpected light sales in mid-April, slashed payroll, froze overtime and took other drastic cost-cutting steps in an attempt to protect its bottom line, The Post has learned.

Discussion: Consumerist and Investor's Business Daily