memeorandum: Gawker's Demise and the Trump-Era Threat to the First Amendment (Jeffrey Toobin/New Yorker)

1:15 PM ET, December 12, 2016

Top Items:

McCain Calls Russian Hacking a ‘Form of Warfare’ — John McCain says there is no doubt about Russian hacking, which he called “warfare.” — President-elect Donald J. Trump formally names John F. Kelly, a retired Marine general, as secretary of homeland security.

Discussion: Daily Mail, Talking Points Memo, CNBC, The Gateway Pundit, Balloon Juice, alan.com, The Daily Caller, Political Wire and Mediaite

Alexander Bolton / The Hill:

McConnell rejects special panel for Russian election interference allegations — (R-Ky.) on Monday said recent findings by the CIA that the Russian government tied to influence the U.S. presidential election should be investigated by the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Discussion: ABC News, RedState, Daily Kos, twitchy.com and Politico

Rebecca Morin / Politico:

Bolton: Russian hacks could actually have been by Obama administration — Ambassador John Bolton claimed Sunday that hacks during the election season could have been “a false flag” operation — possibly committed by the Obama administration itself. — In an interview with Fox News' Eric Shawn …

Discussion: Washington Post, Hot Air, BillMoyers.com, The Week, TheBlaze, Political Wire, Scared Monkeys and The Guardian

Cyra Master / The Hill:
Bolton questions if Russian hacks were ‘false flag’

Discussion: ABC News, Politico, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, New York Magazine, Raw Story and Washington Post

Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:

Electors demand intelligence briefing before Electoral College vote — In its first show of public support for efforts questioning the legitimacy of Donald Trump's victory, Hillary Clinton's campaign said it is supporting a request by members of the Electoral College for an intelligence briefing …

Discussion: The Hill, Daily Kos, Weasel Zippers and ballot-access.org

Michael Edison Hayden / ABC News:

Donald Trump Adviser Kellyanne Conway Says President-Elect 'Doesn't Want Interference in Our Politics' — Adviser Kellyanne Conway today sought to clarify Donald Trump's rejection of claims that Russia had sought to tip the balance in the U.S. presidential election by saying that …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, TIME, Politico and The Daily Caller

Christine Pelosi:

Bipartisan Electors Ask James Clapper: Release Facts on Outside Interference in U.S. Election — Open Letter to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper: — We are Electors who were selected by the voters of our states to represent them in the Electoral College on December 19, 2016.

Discussion: The Hill, Weasel Zippers and Politicus USA

Brent Griffiths / Politico:
Conway: Moving U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem ‘big priority’ for Trump

Discussion: Jewish Telegraphic Agency

Brent Griffiths / Politico:
Conway says she declined White House press secretary post

Discussion: Political Wire

David Frum / The Atlantic:

Five Questions About Russia's Election Hacking — The evidence to support the CIA's conclusion that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump remains mostly secret. But the outline of the case is no mystery. Both Democratic and Republican Party servers were reportedly hacked …

Discussion: Washington Monthly

Paul Krugman / New York Times:

The Tainted Election — The C.I.A., according to The Washington Post, has now determined that hackers working for the Russian government worked to tilt the 2016 election to Donald Trump. This has actually been obvious for months, but the agency was reluctant to state that conclusion …

Discussion: The Federalist, The Atlantic, Mediaite, Hot Air, emptywheel, Washington Post, TheBlaze, The Daily Caller, Fox News Insider, Raw Story, American Prospect, Independent Journal Review, The Guardian, The Gateway Pundit and Refinery29

New York Times:
C.I.A. Judgment on Russia Built on Swell of Evidence

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, alan.com, Business Insider, The Daily Beast, Hot Air, Althouse, Hit & Run, JONATHAN TURLEY, New York's PIX11, The Daily Caller and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Charles M. Blow / New York Times:
Patriotic Opposition to Donald Trump

Discussion: Raw Story

Andrew Malcolm / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Obama mocked Romney over Russia, but now he blames Russia for Trump

Discussion: ThinkProgress, ABC News, Business Insider, Hot Air, Scared Monkeys, AOL, RedState and Viking Pundit

New York Times: Russia's Hand in America's Election

John Fund / National Review:

What's Behind Trump's Move to the Right? — He owes nothing to the old guard, he sees a window for bold reforms, and he knows who his enemies are. — The biggest surprise Donald Trump has provided as president-elect is just how conservative a cabinet he is putting together.

Discussion: Shot in the Dark

Juan Williams / The Hill: Who will survive in Trump's reality show?

The Independent:

China flies nuclear bomber over South China Sea to ‘send a message’ to Donald Trump — China flew a nuclear-capable bomber outside its borders in a show of force less than a week before US President-elect Donald Trump's phone call with the president of Taiwan, it has been reported.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, NPR and Patterico's Pontifications

Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:

Democrats fear another Trump trouncing — As Donald Trump's inauguration draws near, Democrats fear they remain woefully unprepared to fight the new president's agenda. — The party loses its standard-bearer once President Barack Obama leaves office, and the Democratic National Committee …

Discussion: Raw Story and No More Mister Nice Blog

Knoxville News-Sentinel:

Sam Venable: Santa grants a final wish — Eric Schmitt-Matzen looks every bit the part of Santa Claus. — His 6-foot frame carries 310 pounds, leaving “just enough of a lap for the kids to sit on,” he says with a gentle Kringley chuckle right out of Central Casting. — No fake facial fuzz for this guy.

Discussion: TheBlaze, FOX2now.com, AOL, WTHI-TV and Fox News Insider

Bloomberg:

China Warns Trump Against Using Taiwan for Leverage on Trade — President-elect defends call from Taiwan President Tsai — Trump says other nations shouldn't dictate who U.S. speaks to — China warned Donald Trump against using the One-China policy regarding Taiwan as a bargaining chip in trade talks …

Discussion: The Guardian, KFOR-TV, Political Wire and The Daily Caller

Emily Rauhala / Washington Post:
Trump draws rebuke after saying U.S. isn't bound by One China policy

Discussion: Daily Kos

Ali Breland / The Hill:

Senate fails to confirm FCC Commissioner after lengthy battle — Jessica Rosenworcel will be forced step down from her post as commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission after Congress finished it last legislative session of the year on Saturday without confirming her.

Discussion: RedState

Jeff Greenfield / The Daily Beast:

The Faithless-Elector Fantasy Is Fun, but It's Just a Fantasy — When it comes to faithless electors, I wrote the book—literally. — Okay, it was a novel, and a satirical one at that. But I did immerse myself in the law, and the lore, of the Electoral College, and the potential for …

Arnie Seipel / NPR:
FACT CHECK: Trump Claims A ‘Massive Landslide Victory’ — But History Differs

Discussion: No More Mister Nice Blog

TMZ.com:

‘Flip or Flop’ — Stars Split After Explosive Fight — EXCLUSIVE — “Flip or Flop” stars Tarek and Christina El Moussa portray the chipper, nearly perfect all-American couple on TV but we've learned they're now separated ...after a scary incident involving guns and a feared suicide attempt.

Discussion: Fox News, Independent Journal Review, KFOR-TV and Refinery29