memeorandum: House probe targets Clinton contractor who deleted subpoenaed email; refused to answer key question from FBI (Byron York/Washington Examiner)

8:45 AM ET, September 8, 2016

Top Items:

Matt Lauer's Pathetic Interview of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Is the Scariest Thing I've Seen in This Campaign — I had not taken seriously the possibility that Donald Trump could win the presidency until I saw Matt Lauer host an hour-long interview with the two major party candidates.

Discussion: Independent Journal Review, Althouse, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Week

Matt Flegenheimer / New York Times:

Here's What You Missed in the Presidential Forum — Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump squared off from the same stage Wednesday evening — if not exactly face to face — in a televised forum on national security and veterans issues. The candidates appeared and took questions separately …

Discussion: The Other McCain, Liberty Unyielding, Althouse and ABC News

Jeremy Herb / Politico:

‘Embarrassing to our country’: Trump suggests he'll fire top generals — Donald Trump trod into uncharted territory Wednesday night when he suggested that if elected he might fire some of the top generals now running the military. — As the Republican presidential nominee slammed …

NBC News:

Commander-In-Chief Forum — Who is better qualified to serve as America's next Commander in Chief? — NBC News and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America present a historic event Wednesday: The Commander-in-Chief Forum live from New York City. — Democratic presidential nominee …

Zack Beauchamp / Vox:

Donald Trump just lied about opposing the Iraq War before it started. Here's proof. — Donald Trump repeated a claim during an NBC candidate forum on Wednesday night that he's made again and again this campaign: that he was opposed to the Iraq War before the US invasion. — The problem: It's simply not true.

Discussion: NBC News, BuzzFeed, ThinkProgress, New York Times, The Atlantic, Peacock Panache and Refinery29

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

As debates near, forum shows potential Trump advantage — NBC's “Commander in Chief Forum,” held Wednesday night aboard the USS Intrepid in New York, was the closest thing to a debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton until the real thing on Sept. 26.

TIME:
Read Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump's Remarks at a Military Forum

Discussion: Hit & Run, Daily Kos and Mother Jones

Michael Calderone / The Huffington Post:
Matt Lauer Failed The Moderator Test

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, CNNMoney, Talking Points Memo, Common Dreams, Vox, Independent Journal Review, Daily Kos, BizPac Review, Politico, Business Insider and Balloon Juice

Ryan Lovelace / Washington Examiner:
Veteran confronts Clinton on handling of classified info

Discussion: White House Dossier

NBC News:
Analysis: Trump Is Erratic, Clinton Defensive in Veterans Forum

Discussion: fox8.com, Business Insider, WREG-TV, Guardian, Washington Post and Daily Kos

Meghan Keneally / ABC News:
Trump Says Putin Better Leader Than Obama in Military Town Hall

Discussion: Politico, Associated Press, New York Magazine, Vox, New Century Times and Talking Points Memo

Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:
Clinton, Trump on defensive in national security forum

Discussion: ABC News and The Atlantic

Patrick Healy / New York Times:
Forum Offers Preview of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Presidential Debate

Discussion: The Atlantic and Vox Popoli

Michael M. Grynbaum / New York Times:
Matt Lauer Fields Storm of Criticism Over Clinton-Trump Forum

Discussion: Political Wire, The Week and The Big Lead, more at Mediagazer »

John Wagner / Washington Post:
Trump praises Putin at national security forum

Discussion: Politico, New York Magazine, ABC News, Associated Press, The American Conservative, Media Matters for America, RedState, CNN and NBC News

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

Dems sound alarm on Senate majority — The campaign chairman for Senate Democrats on Wednesday warned his colleagues that if the elections were held today, the party would gain only three Senate seats, according to lawmakers who were in the room. — That outcome would leave Democrats …

Seung Min Kim / Politico:

Merrick Garland to visit Senate again — Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland is making his way back up to Capitol Hill. — Months after his one-on-one charm offensive with senators largely ended, Garland is returning to the Senate on Thursday to meet privately with Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy …

Associated Press:
Ginsburg: ‘Cooler Heads Will Prevail’ on High Court Nominee

Discussion: Political Wire and Washington Post

Amie Parnes / The Hill:

Clinton campaign warns media to tread carefully — 's campaign is working the refs hard when it comes to reports about her health. — While Clinton responded to a fit of coughing this week with humor, saying she was “allergic” to GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Evan Perez / CNN:

First on CNN: FBI director defends Clinton email probe, document releases — Washington (CNN)FBI Director James Comey is defending the bureau's Friday afternoon release of documents from the Hillary Clinton email investigation, saying “we don't play games” and that the documents were put out when ready.

Discussion: Washington Post, Fox News, Western Journalism, Hot Air, Washington Free Beacon, The Daily Caller and Talking Points Memo

Jessie Hellmann / The Hill:
Comey defends releasing FBI's Clinton report before holiday weekend

Discussion: The Daily Caller

TMZ.com:

Ryan Lochte — Suspended for 10 Months — EXCLUSIVE — Ryan Lochte just got his punishment for his Rio gas station hijinks, and we're told the U.S. Olympic Committee was tough, but not career-ending. — USOC connected sources tell TMZ Sports ... Lochte has been suspended for 10 months.

Discussion: USA Today, NBCSports.com, myfox8.com, Bleacher Report, WDTN-TV, The Big Lead, Refinery29 and fox8.com

Byron Tau / Wall Street Journal:

Colin Powell Gave Hillary Clinton Tips on How to Avoid Email Scrutiny — Former secretary of state warned of danger in BlackBerry use — WASHINGTON—Former Secretary of State Colin Powell told Hillary Clinton at the start of her tenure at the State Department that he used a personal computer …

Discussion: USA Today, CNN, The Week, The Right Scoop and twitchy.com

Matthew Nussbaum / Politico:

Pence breaks with Trump, says Obama born in Hawaii — SAN DIEGO — Mike Pence on Wednesday declined to say whether Donald Trump should apologize for suggesting Barack Obama was born outside the U.S., but he did say Trump's stance wouldn't hurt him with minority voters.

Discussion: ABC News, CBS News, Business Insider, Daily Kos, No More Mister Nice Blog, AOL, Mediaite, Hullabaloo, Little Green Footballs, ThinkProgress and Washington Post

Aaron Blake / Washington Post:

Donald Trump's thoroughly strange claim about his Mexico visit — Donald Trump made the case Wednesday night that he would be a studied and steady commander-in-chief during an NBC forum — the first matchup between him and Hillary Clinton on the same stage of the 2016 general election.

Discussion: NPR and New York Magazine

Daily Mail:

Obama DID meet with foul-mouthed Filipino leader after he apologized for calling U.S. president a ‘son of a bitch’ — Duterte had earlier warned Obama not to ask about extrajudicial killings during a planned meeting in Laos or ‘I will swear at you’ — But Philippines officials confirmed …

Discussion: Mediaite, ABC News, The Atlantic and Associated Press

Bre Payton / The Federalist:
In Laos, Obama Repeatedly Calls Americans ‘Lazy’

Discussion: Associated Press, MichelleMalkin.com, Mediaite, The Daily Caller and twitchy.com

Connor O'Brien / Politico:

Trump turns defense hawk — For months, Donald Trump has blasted Congress for excessive defense spending, calling for buying fewer of the newest fighter jets and scaling back weapons purchases pushed by “special interests.” — But on Wednesday, he was singing from the traditional GOP …

Discussion: Donald J Trump for President, The Last Refuge and War on the Rocks

Nick Gass / Politico: House Armed Services chairman: 'I've got concerns' about Trump

Brian Beutler / New Republic:

The Media Coverage of Hillary Clinton Is Out of Whack — The problem isn't the scrutiny of her emails or the Clinton Foundation, but treating such sins as comparable to Donald Trump's. — By the end of last week, high-profile liberals and members of the political press corps were battling …

Discussion: The Federalist, Raw Story and Politico

Marlon James / New York Times:

Five or Six Things I Didn't Know About Brad Pitt, by Marlon James — The worst kind, too. The kind who lets a plant starve to death. The evidence, at two opposing corners of his office in Beverly Hills; skeletal remnants that long gave up hope of ever being watered. He's been away for 10 months, he says.

Discussion: USA Today, New Century Times, AOL, The Daily Caller, Mediaite and New York Magazine

Katie Glueck / Politico:

Trump's shrinking swing state map — Two months from Election Day, Donald Trump's swing state map is shrinking. — Interviews with more than two dozen Republican operatives, state party officials and elected leaders suggest three of the 11 battleground states identified by POLITICO …

Rachael Bade / Politico:

Freedom Caucus eyes biggest power grab since Boehner — The House Freedom Caucus is eyeing its biggest power play since it pushed out John Boehner as speaker last year. — Members of the group of far-right agitators are considering a plan to run one of their own as a candidate …