memeorandum: ‘This Week’ Transcript: Reince Priebus, Sen. Rand Paul, and Sen. Claire McCaskill (ABC News)

12:05 PM ET, December 11, 2016

Top Items:

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Trump vs. Congress on Russian hacking — Influential senators from both parties amplified calls for an independent investigation of Russian meddling in the U.S. elections, setting up a clash with President-elect Donald Trump over U.S. policy toward Russia and potentially his pick for secretary of state.

Discussion: BuzzFeed, RedState, Washington Post, Business Insider, The Week and ABC News

Nicholas Fandos / New York Times:

Donald Trump Ties C.I.A. Reports on Russian Meddling to Democrats' Shame — WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald J. Trump said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he did not believe American intelligence assessments that Russia had intervened to help his candidacy …

Discussion: Political Wire, NBC News, Washington Post, The Hill and The Daily Caller

Benjamin Siegel / ABC News:

Bipartisan Senate Group Calls for Probe of Russian Hacking in US — A group of Democratic and Republican senators are calling for bipartisan support for an investigation into cyberattacks against the United States by foreign governments following reports of alleged Russian efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election.

Discussion: Politico, Associated Press, armed-services.senate.gov and Daily Kos

Ellen Nakashima / Washington Post:

FBI and CIA give differing accounts to lawmakers on Russia's motives in 2016 hacks — In a secure meeting room under the Capitol last week, lawmakers held in their hands a classified letter written by colleagues in the Senate summing up a secret, new CIA assessment of Russia's role in the 2016 presidential election.

Discussion: RedState, BizPac Review, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Liberal Values, Hot Air, NBC News and Politico

Fox News:

Trump: Claims of Russian interference in 2016 race ‘ridiculous,’ Dems making excuses — President-elect Donald Trump, in an exclusive interview with “Fox News Sunday,” decried as “ridiculous” the CIA's reported assessment that Russia intervened in the election to boost his candidacy …

Discussion: The Atlantic, Washington Post, Political Wire, The Week, TheBlaze, The National Interest, EgbertoWillies.com and Talking Points Memo

CNN:

Bipartisan group of senators calls for probe of Russian role in 2016 US elections — (CNN)A bipartisan quartet of high-profile senators said Sunday that “recent reports of Russian interference in our election should alarm every American.” — The group — two Republicans and two Democrats …

Discussion: alan.com

ABC News:
‘This Week’ Transcript: Reince Priebus, Sen. Rand Paul, and Sen. Claire McCaskill

Discussion: Politicus USA

The Daily Beast:
How Russian Hackers Can Blackmail Donald Trump—and the GOP

Discussion: ABC News, No More Mister Nice Blog, Slate, Washington Post, Lawyers, Guns & Money, Politico, emptywheel, RedState, Hot Air and Arkansas Blog, Arkansas Times

David E. Sanger / New York Times:
Trump, Mocking Claim That Russia Hacked Election, at Odds with G.O.P.

Discussion: Business Insider, alan.com, Balloon Juice, Politicus USA and The Mahablog

Ken Meyer / Mediaite:

Chris Wallace Asks Trump: Why Pick Business Exec. Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State? — In his upcoming interview for Fox News Sunday, President-Elect Donald Trump elaborated on why he has considered Exxon Mobil chief Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State.

Discussion: The Week, alan.com and New York Times

Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill:
McMullin: ‘Trump is not a loyal American’

Discussion: RedState, Raw Story and TheBlaze

Julia Ioffe / Politico: What It Really Means to Be a ‘Friend of Putin’

Tom Boggioni / Raw Story: Intelligence expert: Trump's choice of Putin buddy to head State adds to his White House ‘Kremlin cabal’

Rebecca Morin / Politico:
McCain: Tillerson relationship with Putin a ‘matter of concern’

Discussion: TheBlaze, Facebook, The Hill and BizPac Review

Harper Neidig / The Hill:
McCain: Tillerson ties to Putin a ‘matter of concern’

Discussion: Politico, Mediaite, ThinkProgress, alan.com, MSNBC, Hit & Run, RedState and Hot Air

New York Times:
Rex Tillerson, Exxon Chief, Is Expected to Be Pick for Secretary of State

Discussion: The Guardian, Israpundit, CNN, BizPac Review, Business Insider, New York Magazine, Talking Points Memo and NBC News

Steven Mufson / Washington Post:
Trump expected to pick ExxonMobil chief Rex Tillerson as his secretary of state

Discussion: TheBlaze

Philip Bump / Washington Post:
Who is Rex Tillerson, the ExxonMobil chairman who may become secretary of state?

Discussion: The Guardian, The Last Tradition, Politico, Mashable, Business Insider, Political Wire, Lawyers, Guns & Money and The Week

Andrea Mitchell / NBC News:
Rex Tillerson of Exxon Mobil Expected to Be Named Trump's Secretary of State: Sources

Discussion: RedState, NPR, AOL, ABC News, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Daily Kos and Political Wire

Steve Holland / Reuters:
Trump likely to name Exxon CEO secretary of state - source

Discussion: Mother Jones

Jennifer Jacobs / Bloomberg:

Rick Perry Said to Be Trump's Top Candidate for Energy Secretary — Democratic Senators Manchin, Heitkamp also under consideration — President-elect met with contenders at Army-Navy game — Donald Trump has narrowed his search for energy secretary to four people …

Discussion: alan.com and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Richard Rainey / New Orleans Times-Picayune:

John Kennedy defeats Foster Campbell for Louisiana's open U.S. Senate seat — Donald Trump thanks supporters and rallys for John Kennedy in Baton Rouge rally — Donald Trump and US Senate candidate John Kennedy wave to supporters during a Get Out the Vote rally Friday, December 9 …

Discussion: Hot Air and The Gateway Pundit

Thomas Gibbons-Neff / Washington Post:
Louisiana Republican wins final unsettled U.S. Senate race

Discussion: Washington Monthly and The Advocate

Associated Press:
Republican John Kennedy Wins Louisiana Senate Race in Runoff

Discussion: Politico and The Guardian

Lisa Hagen / The Hill:

Trump sparks imitator in Ohio Senate race — Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel (R) is looking to replicate Donald Trump — 's campaign strategy, hoping to reap the benefits of the president-elect's success in his second Senate bid. — Mandel is looking to unseat Sen. Sherrod Brown

Discussion: alan.com

Nicholas Kristof / New York Times:

The Dangers of Echo Chambers on Campus — After Donald Trump's election, some universities echoed with primal howls. Faculty members canceled classes for weeping, terrified students who asked: How could this possibly be happening? — I share apprehensions about President-elect Trump …

Discussion: Washington Post

UnionLeader.com:

Lame duck delusions: Obama ignores changing terror threat — As the final days of his presidency melt away, Barack Obama is frantically trying to piece together a legacy. — “Over the last eight years, no foreign terrorist organization has successfully planned and executed an attack on our homeland …

Mallory Shelbourne / The Hill:

Heitkamp is Trump's top choice for Agriculture secretary: report — (D-N.D.) has emerged as President-elect Donald Trump — 's top choice for Agriculture secretary, Politico reported Saturday. — Heitkamp joining Trump's administration would require a special election to fill her Senate seat, which could flip to a Republican.

Discussion: alan.com and RedState