memeorandum: Donald Trump's Top Adviser: ‘This Is Not A Hard Race’ (Howard Fineman/The Huffington Post)

12:45 AM ET, May 27, 2016

Top Items:

Seung Min Kim / Politico:

Sanders angers Democrats with Trump debate ploy — For some Democrats, Bernie Sanders' latest gambit — challenging Donald Trump to a debate to cap all debates — is the last straw. — “Bulls**t,” said Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia. “That confirms what we've been saying.

Discussion: Politicus USA

Nick Gass / Politico:

Trump: I'll debate Bernie for $10 million — Donald Trump on Thursday said he would “love” to debate Bernie Sanders and raise $10 million to $15 million in the process, even if the Democratic challenger is not well positioned to be his general election foe.

Discussion: Washington Post and RedState

Jonathan Easley / The Hill:

Sanders camp: Discussions underway for Trump debate — 's campaign manager says “back-channel conversations” are underway with Donald Trump — 's staff about setting up a bipartisan debate between the two presidential candidates. — “I think it would benefit voters from across the country …

Discussion: Politico, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, MSNBC, Don Surber and Politicus USA

Keli Goff / The Daily Beast:
The Racist Side of Bernie Sanders Supporters

Discussion: Mediaite and Truth Revolt

Henry C. Jackson / Politico:
Trump hits 1,237 — 1,237: It's official. — DONALD TRUMP …

Discussion: Washington Post, Associated Press and ABC News

Sheila Foster Anthony / Washington Post:

Vince Foster was my brother. Donald Trump should be ashamed. — The writer served on the Federal Trade Commission from 1997 to 2003. — It is beyond contempt that a politician would use a family tragedy to further his candidacy, but such is the character of Donald Trump displayed in his recent comments to The Washington Post.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Washington Monthly, alan.com, Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times, Media Matters for America, The Week, Raw Story and New York Times

Mike Debonis / Washington Post:
Sen. Orrin Hatch reacts to meeting with Merrick Garland before it occurs

Discussion: Daily Kos, Talking Points Memo, Booman Tribune, Political Wire and The Bob and Chez Show

Michael Virtanen / Associated Press: Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Having Only 8 Justices Hamstrings Supreme Court

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Rubio: ‘Unlikely’ I'll run for reelection — Mitch McConnell conducted a survey on Sen. Marco Rubio on Thursday: At a GOP caucus lunch, he asked senators whether they'd like to see Rubio run for reelection. — Every hand in the room went up. And then the Senate majority leader told senators …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Washington Post and AOL

Manu Raju / CNN:

Rubio faces pressure to run for reelection as GOP fears grow over his Senate seat — Miami's Cubans discuss Sen. Marco Rubio — (CNN)Top Republicans are becoming nervous that they may lose Marco Rubio's Senate seat and their tenuous majority in the chamber — and now many want the Florida senator …

Discussion: Mediaite, Post On Politics, Daily Kos, The Daily Caller and Joe.My.God.

Eric Bradner / CNN:
Marco Rubio says he's going to the GOP convention

Discussion: Hot Air and Talking Points Memo

PPIC:

Clinton, Sanders in Close RaceEach Leads Trump in Fall Matchup — Harris, Sanchez Lead Senate Contest, With Nearly A Third Of Likely Voters Undecided — Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are in a tight race in the Democratic presidential primary, while Donald Trump has the support of most Republican primary likely voters.

Discussion: Hot Air, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Washington Times and Towleroad

Matthew Artz / Mercury News:
California poll: Clinton and Sanders in virtual dead heat

Discussion: New York Times, New York Magazine and Common Dreams

Jeet Heer / New Republic:
Bernie Should've Attacked Hillary's “Damn Emails”

Discussion: Hit & Run, Politico and Common Dreams

New York Times:
California Up for Grabs, Poll Finds, as Clinton and Sanders Battle

Discussion: Business Insider, Los Angeles Times, The Week, The Atlantic and Althouse

Taegan Goddard / Political Wire:

Breaking News — Fox, CNN, CNBC and MSNBC all featured this shot of an empty podium waiting for a Donald Trump press conference this afternoon. — Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton was in Las Vegas discussing her plans to raise incomes for working families.

Discussion: Politicus USA

Euan McKirdy / CNN:
Obama: World leaders ‘rattled’ by Trump

Discussion: Business Insider, Truth Revolt and The Gateway Pundit

MJ Lee / CNN:
Donald Trump has delegates to clinch GOP nomination

Discussion: The Atlantic, Washington Free Beacon, Chicago Boyz, WTVR-TV, Business Insider, The Right Scoop and The Root

Mark Hensch / The Hill:

Joe Scarborough to Clinton: ‘Stop lying’ about emails — MSNBC host Joe Scarborough on Thursday slammed Hillary Clinton — , calling on the Democratic presidential front-runner to “stop lying” about her personal email account. — “It's pretty remarkable,” he said on “Morning Joe” …

Discussion: Zero Hedge

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Judge: Video of Clinton aides' depositions to be kept secret

Discussion: Mediaite and Conservative Tribune

Edward Morrissey / The Fiscal Times:
We Now Know Hillary Lied Multiple Times About Her Email Server

Discussion: Roll Call, Hot Air, Power LinePower Line, Outside the Beltway and Patterico's Pontifications

The Hill:

Bible verse prompts GOP walkout after LGBT vote labeled a sin — A House conservative went after dozens of fellow Republicans on Thursday with suggestions that they'd sinned for backing an anti-discrimination proposal against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.

Discussion: The Atlantic, Washington Times, Politico, Mediaite, Raw Story, Towleroad, Talking Points Memo and Joe.My.God.

Washington Post:

The superbug that doctors have been dreading just reached the U.S. — For the first time, researchers have found a person in the United States carrying bacteria resistant to antibiotics of last resort, an alarming development that the top U.S. public health official says could mean “the end of the road” for antibiotics.

Discussion: Phenomena, USA Today, Balloon Juice, The American Conservative, New York Magazine, CBS New York, Daily Mail, Joe.My.God., Hot Air, NPR, WREG-TV, NBC News and Consumerist

Joshua Green / Bloomberg:

How to Get Trump Elected When He's Wrecking Everything You Built — A day in the life of Reince Priebus, reluctant GOP peacemaker. … When Donald Trump wrapped up the Republican presidential nomination on May 3 by winning Indiana and forcing Ted Cruz from the race, it fell to Reince Priebus …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Breitbart, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, Conservative Tribune, Business Insider, Hot Air, Guardian, RedState, Daily Kos, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Daily Caller, Patterico's Pontifications, The Bob and Chez Show, BizPac Review, Prntly, The Week and Politico

Associated Press:
Trump reaches the magic number to clinch nomination

Associated Press:
Delegates in hand, Trump says he's got GOP nomination

Discussion: Politico, whorunsGov, Daily Kos and Outside the Beltway

Howard Fineman / The Huffington Post:

Donald Trump's Top Adviser: ‘This Is Not A Hard Race’ — Paul Manafort explains why his boss is “gonna win,” no prob. — Global Editorial Director, The Huffington Post — Donald Trump “sees himself more as the chairman of the board” of the country. — ALEXANDRIA, Va. …

Discussion: CNN, Talking Points Memo, Bloomberg, Daily Kos, Guardian, ABC News, susiemadrak.com, Mother Jones, Washington Post, Slantpoint, BizPac Review, ThinkProgress and Shakesville

Dara Lind / Vox:
Trump campaign chair: We'll pick a white man for VP. Anything else would be “pandering.”

Discussion: Guardian, Daily Kos, Hot Air, Right Wing Watch, Talking Points Memo, CNN, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Politicus USA, RedState, Politico and The Week

Jessie Hellmann / The Hill:

Fox News ‘Meet the Trumps’ special draws backlash — Fox News drew backlash Thursday for airing a “Meet the Trumps” special, in which anchor Greta Van Susteren interviewed the family of likely Republican nominee Donald Trump — Most of the hour-long special focused on Trump's wife …

Discussion: Raw Story

Media Communications:

Baylor University Board of Regents announces leadership changes and extensive corrective actions following findings of external investigation — Board of Regents apologizes to Baylor Nation; Dr. David Garland named interim University President; Ken Starr transitions to role of Chancellor …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Business Insider, Talking Points Memo, NBC News, NPR, ThinkProgress and Politico

Marc Tracy / New York Times:
Baylor Demotes President Kenneth Starr Over Handling of Sex Assault Cases

Discussion: New York Magazine, BuzzFeed, The Week, The Daily Caller and Friendly Atheist

Kelly McLaughlin For / Daily Mail:

EXCLUSIVE: 'Rosie O'Donnell's foul-mouthed rant against Donald Trump as she breaks six-week silence on the Republican front-runner to call him a ‘s*** stain with a tinge of orange’ — Rosie O'Donnell launched a foul-mouth rant against Donald Trump on Wednesday at New York's Beacon Theatre

Discussion: Raw Story, John Hawkins' Right Wing News and BizPac Review

Eric Owens / The Daily Caller:

Obama's Fancy New Mansion Is Located 1,000 Feet From The Islamic Center Of Washington DC — The mammoth, multi-million-dollar mansion where President Barack Obama and his family will reportedly live after the first family exits the White House is located 1,096 feet from the Islamic Center of Washington …

Discussion: Raw Story, Washington Post, Daily Kos and alicublog