memeorandum: A Great Fight of Our Times (David Leonhardt/New York Times)

9:20 AM ET, October 11, 2016

Top Items:

Jake Sherman / Politico:

Poll: Hillary Clinton won the second debate — Hillary Clinton won the second debate and leads Donald Trump by five points in a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll that also shows voters perceive the Republican Party bitterly divided four weeks before Election Day.

Discussion: Morning Consult, Washington Times, Hot Air, The Week and Political Wire

John Bresnahan / Politico:

Inside Ryan's decision to (almost) dump Trump — Paul Ryan may not be done yet. — As thoroughly as the House speaker shocked the national political establishment Monday by saying he's done with Donald Trump and it's time to focus on his House majority, there's a distinct possibility Ryan …

Discussion: The Week and Associated Press

Nicholas Fondacaro / NewsBusters:

CBS, NBC Hype ‘GOP Civil War,’ Predict Loss of House and Senate — Following the leaked tape of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump making lewd comments about women over the weekend, members of the Republican Party started to distance themselves. And NBC seemed quite giddy …

Discussion: mrctv.org/videos

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:

The GOP tumbles toward anarchy: 'It's every person for himself or herself' — The Republican Party tumbled toward anarchy Monday over its presidential nominee, as House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.) cut Donald Trump loose in an emergency maneuver to preserve the party's endangered congressional majorities.

Jim Hoft / The Gateway Pundit:

RUMBLINGS: Top Paul Ryan Advisor Leaked Trump Sex Talk Tape to WaPo — On Friday, the Clinton Campaign (Washington Post) released video of Donald Trump bragging about grabbing p*ssy in an off the record conversation with Billy Bush. — The Los Angeles Times reported hours after audio …

Discussion: Washington Post, alan.com, Infowars, FOX News Radio, Washington Times and New Urban Legends

New York Times:
Paul Ryan Turns Focus From Donald Trump to House Races, Roiling G.O.P.

Shane Goldmacher / Politico:
Priebus promises RNC still stands with Trump

Discussion: Rewire, Townhall.com, Business Insider, Mediaite and WTVR-TV

Kurt Eichenwald / Newsweek:

DEAR DONALD TRUMP AND VLADIMIR PUTIN, I AM NOT SIDNEY BLUMENTHAL — THE SCOOP VLADIMIR PUTIN SIDNEY BLUMENTHAL WIKILEAKS — I am Sidney Blumenthal. At least, that is what Vladimir Putin—and, somehow, Donald Trump—seem to believe. And that should raise concerns not only about Moscow's attempts …

Discussion: Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Daily Kos, New York Magazine, Media Matters for America, Hit & Run, Balloon Juice, Guardian, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Occupy Democrats, Politicus USA, Mother Jones, Sputnik International, Mediaite, The Gateway Pundit and Heat Street

Allegra Kirkland / Talking Points Memo:

Member Of Trump's Evangelical Council Calls Him ‘Lecherous And Worthless’ — A megachurch pastor who sits on Donald Trump's evangelical council denounced the Republican presidential candidate as “lecherous and worthless” over a leaked 2005 video in which Trump boasted about grabbing women.

Discussion: Christianity Today

Ed Stetzer / Christianity Today:

What Is Going On Inside Trump's Religious Advisory Panel? James MacDonald Speaks Out — When Donald Trump announced his Evangelical Executive Advisory Council, the news coverage and commentary was quite loud. Many Evangelicals were very concerned about why these leaders would seemingly tacitly support Trump.

Discussion: Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, Washington Post, alan.com, Occupy Democrats and RedState

George F. Will / Washington Post:

Donald Trump is the GOP's chemotherapy — “Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose.” — Janis Joplin — What did Donald Trump have left to lose Sunday night? His dignity? Please. His campaign's theme? His Cleveland convention was a mini-Nuremberg rally …

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Caitlin MacNeal / Talking Points Memo:

Mitch McConnell Refuses To Talk Trump At Kentucky Event — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Monday told the audience at an event held by the Danville-Boyle County Chamber of Commerce in Kentucky that he would not discuss Donald Trump. — “If any of you are here are thinking …

Discussion: Associated Press, alan.com, Politico and WDBJ-TV

Jordain Carney / The Hill:
McConnell: Don't ask me about Trump

Discussion: RedState

William Kristol / Weekly Standard:
Is Trump a Sufferable Evil?

Discussion: NBC News and New York Times

Alex Pfeiffer / The Daily Caller:

Hillary In Leaked Email: Saudi Arabia And Qatar Are Funding ISIS — Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton sent an email to her campaign chairman John Podesta in 2014, who was then-counselor to President Barack Obama, that said Saudi Arabia and Qatar are both giving financial …

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, NO QUARTER USA NET and Information Liberation

Sarah Westwood / Washington Examiner:
Emails: Firm that hired Abedin called Chelsea Clinton a ‘spoiled brat kid’

Discussion: Infowars, Information Liberation, The Daily Caller, RedState and Washington Free Beacon

Page Six:

Billy Bush suspended from ‘Today’ show — Billy Bush brazenly bragged to NBC staff about the vulgar Donald Trump tape while covering the Olympics in Rio, multiple sources tell Page Six. — Proving the infamous Ryan Lochte interview wasn't Bush's only Rio recklessness, the shamed “Today” …

Discussion: alan.com and Jezebel, more at Mediagazer »

Jack Shafer / Politico:
Why Did NBC News Sit on the Trump Tape for So Long?

Discussion: Wall Street Journal, FiveThirtyEight, New York Post, New York Magazine, Raw Story, NY State of Politics and Washington Post

David Leonhardt / New York Times:

A Great Fight of Our Times — Think, for a moment, about the stories that your family likes to tell about itself. They are probably miniature versions of the American story, with progress as the central theme. — Maybe your great-grandparents arrived here as striving immigrants, and you now talk about how proud they would be.

Jen Chung / Gothamist:

Gloria Allred Says More Women Are Contacting Her About Trump Misconduct — Donald Trump's disgusting behavior towards women has ranged from fat-shaming to allegations of sexual harassment, and, as we heard in the infamous “hot mic” audio from a 2005 Access Hollywood segment, even sexual assault …

Discussion: alan.com, Politicus USA, The Moderate Voice, Occupy Democrats and Raw Story

Louis Nelson / Politico:

McCain on not supporting Trump: Women ‘cannot be degraded and demeaned’ — Sen. John McCain called his decision to withdraw his endorsement of Donald Trump “not pleasant” during a debate against his Senate campaign opponent Monday night, but said Trump's graphic and vulgar discussion of women …

Discussion: Arizona Republic, Political Wire and The Week

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Cruz sticking with Trump — There will be no Texas two-step on Ted Cruz's much-belated decision to endorse Donald Trump. — The Texas senator told a local TV station in Muleshoe, Texas, on Monday that despite lewd video showing Trump joking of unwanted sexual advances on women he would still back Trump over Hillary Clinton.

Discussion: Political Wire, Independent Journal Review and RedState

Carrie Dann / NBC News:

Poll: After Trump Tape Revelation, Clinton's Lead Up to Double Digits — NBC/WSJ poll: Clinton holds major lead 7:03 — As Donald Trump's campaign reels over tapes of the presidential candidate's sexually aggressive comments about women in 2005, the Republican nominee now trails Hillary Clinton …

Elise Viebeck / Washington Post:
Ralph Nader predicts fastest impeachment in history for Trump

Discussion: RedState

Michael Sainato / The New York Observer:

More Evidence Reveals Obama Influenced Clinton's FBI Investigation — Obama called Sanders a ‘shiny new object’ while praising Clinton for overcoming adversity — In an interview with Fox News this past April, President Obama asserted that he did not put pressure on the FBI's criminal investigation …

Business Wire:

Some Tax Facts for Donald Trump — OMAHA, Neb.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Answering a question last night about his $916 million income tax loss carryforward in 1995, Donald Trump stated that “Warren Buffett took a massive deduction.” Mr. Trump says he knows more about taxes than any other human.

Discussion: New York Times, Occupy Democrats, Washington Post, Mediaite, Business Insider and Politico