memeorandum: Abortion restrictions threaten Senate GOP's Obamacare repeal push (Burgess Everett/Politico)

4:10 PM ET, June 8, 2017

Top Items:

Joe Concha / The Hill:

CNN issues correction after Comey statement contradicts reporting — CNN has corrected a Tuesday report after the release of former FBI Director James Comey's opening statement for his Thursday testimony in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee contradicted the reports' sources.

Discussion: Power Line, Breitbart, Washington Post, zerohedge.com/fullrss2 …, Daily Wire, Vox Popoli, TheBlaze, Washington Free Beacon, TVNewser, Mediaite, The Week, Hot Air and The Daily Caller

Rick Klein / ABC News:

ANALYSIS: Comey goes nuclear in showdown with Trump — He accused the president and his top aides of lying. He suggested that the president wanted special treatment in exchange for loyalty. He said he thinks he lost his job because of how he handled the Russia investigation.

Discussion: Vox, Axios, Politico, Political Wire and The Hill

Tara Palmeri / Politico:

Aide: Trump's mood ‘light’ as Comey testimony unfolds — The president decided ahead of time that he wouldn't tweet during the Senate hearing, according to two White House officials. — President Donald Trump decided the night before former FBI director James Comey's Senate testimony …

Discussion: Axios, ABC News, Vox, New York Magazine and The Week

Wall Street Journal:

RNC to Lead Trump's Offensive Against Comey — President Donald Trump is outsourcing much of the response to ex-FBI Director James Comey's testimony on Thursday to the Republican National Committee.

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, New York Magazine, TMZ.com, The Daily Caller, The Week and Politico

JGoldsmith / Lawfare:

Two Reflections on the Comey Statement — Though I agree with much of what Ben says about James Comey's statement, I find myself in greater agreement with David French's account. As French concludes, “there are some elements that are good for President Trump, but overall it shows …

Discussion: National Review, Booman Tribune, New York Magazine, NPR, The Week, The Atlantic, Mashable, Balloon Juice, Hot Air, Business Insider, Daily Wire, The Federalist, The Guardian, ThinkProgress and Mother Jones

JONATHAN TURLEY:

Did Comey Violate Laws In Leaking The Trump Memo? — One of the most interesting new disclosures today in the Comey hearing was the admission by former FBI Director James Comey that he intentionally used a “friend” on the Columbia law faculty to leak his memos to the media.

Discussion: Newsweek, Above the Law and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

Philip Allen Lacovara / Washington Post:

I helped prosecute Watergate. Comey's statement is sufficient evidence for an obstruction of justice case. — Philip Allen Lacovara, a former U.S. deputy solicitor general in the Justice Department, served as counsel to Watergate special prosecutors Archibald Cox and Leon Jaworski.

Discussion: Breitbart, The Hill, New York Times, Daily Wire, The Intercept, Gizmodo, Daily Kos, RedState, CNBC, Taylor Marsh, The Week, Vox, Lawfare, The Federalist, Just Security and Blazing Cat Fur

Alex Ward / Vox:

This is the most important moment of the Comey hearing — And it undercuts many GOP arguments. — Former FBI Director James Comey stated that he took President Donald Trump's comments about letting the Michael Flynn investigation go as a direct request to do it.

Discussion: Washington Monthly, RedState, The Verge and Mediaite

Eddie Scarry / Washington Examiner:

Chris Matthews: Trump-Russia collusion theory ‘came apart’ with Comey testimony — Liberal MSNBC host Chris Matthews said Thursday the accusation that President Trump directly colluded with Russia to interfere in the U.S. election “came apart” following former FBI Director James Comey's testimony in front of Congress.

Discussion: RedState, Washington Free Beacon and The Gateway Pundit

Brian Beutler / New Republic:
Comey's Trump Testimony Will Haunt Republicans

Discussion: Washington Post, Vox, Just Security and Eschaton

Fox News:
Dershowitz: Comey confirms that I'm right - and all the Democratic commentators are wrong

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

Politico:
Full text: James Comey testimony transcript on Trump and Russia

Discussion: Vox and The Week

Jonathan Turley / USA Today:
James Comey's testimony doesn't make the case for impeachment or obstruction against Donald Trump

Discussion: Breitbart, The Federalist, Los Angeles Times, Betsy's Page, New York Times, New York Magazine and CNN

Becket Adams / Washington Examiner:
‘Not true’: James Comey denounces NYT report on Trump campaign collusion with Russia during testimony

Discussion: RedState, Washington Post, Talking Points Memo and Hit & Run

Brad Reed / Raw Story:
Fox News' Chris Wallace: Comey's testimony was ‘very damaging to the president’

Discussion: Politico, Mediaite and The Week, more at Mediagazer »

Matt Zapotosky / Washington Post:
James Comey lays out the case that President Trump obstructed justice

Discussion: New Yorker, The Daily Caller, Questions and Observations and The Guardian

German Lopez / Vox:
James Comey on Trump's excuse for firing him: “those were lies, plain and simple”

Discussion: Politico and Talking Points Memo

New York Times:
Comey Testimony: Highlights of the Hearing

Discussion: Politico, Political Wire, New York Times, Refinery29, The Resurgent, Axios and Vox

Amber Phillips / Washington Post:
7 takeaways from Comey's extraordinary testimony about what Trump told him to do

Discussion: New York Times, TheBlaze, The Guardian and FiveThirtyEight

Jordain Carney / The Hill: GOP senator threatens to subpoena Comey

Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
The Note: Comey goes under the microscope

Discussion: Politico, Axios, The Slot, Daily Kos and The Week

Matthew Boyle / Breitbart:
COVFEFE LIVEWIRE: Comey Crazy Sweeps Washington... Breitbart Live From Union Pub

Discussion: CNNMoney, CNN, Mother Jones and KOIN-TV

New York Times:
‘Must-See TV’: Free Drinks and Canceled Meetings for Comey's Testimony

Discussion: Althouse and The Week

Rich Lowry / Politico:
Comey's fizzle — James Comey has an expectations problem.

Discussion: ABC News, New York Times and Axios

Steve Benen / MSNBC:
Comey's statement points to alleged Trump lies about obstruction

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, Mother Jones, The Week, Washington Monthly and Hullabaloo

Wall Street Journal: The ‘Independent’ Mr. Comey — His prepared testimony shows why he deserved to be fired.

CBS News:
James Comey testimony: “I take the president at his word that I was fired because of the Russia investigation”

Discussion: RedState and CBS Boston

Bob Fredericks / New York Post:

Does John McCain even know what's going on? — Sen. John McCain startled onlookers on Thursday as he appeared to conflate the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the campaign with the closed probe into Hillary Clinton's private email server. — McCain said he was troubled …

Discussion: Boston Globe, Townhall.com, Mother Jones and Blazing Cat Fur

Hannah Moore / Daily Mail:

Saudi soccer team refuse to stand for London victims — By , HANNAH MOORE FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA — The Saudi Arabian soccer team failed to line up for a minute's silence for the London terror victims on Thursday night. — Fans were left outraged at the display ahead of a World Cup qualifier against Australia in Adelaide.

Discussion: Blazing Cat Fur, Young Conservatives and The Daily Caller

Breanna Edwards / The Root:

‘Shut Up, Slave!’: White Man Hurls Insults, Compares Black Man to Livestock During Altercation at Chicago Starbucks — We apparently have not yet hit our racist-tirade quota for the day. A white man at a downtown Chicago café was captured on camera launching into a rant …

abc7chicago.com:
Man charged after altercation outside Starbucks in Chicago's Loop

Discussion: Raw Story and Hullabaloo

Thomas B. Edsall / New York Times:

The Democratic Party Is in Worse Shape Than You Thought — Sifting through the wreckage of the 2016 election, Democratic pollsters, strategists and sympathetic academics have reached some unnerving conclusions. — What the autopsy reveals is that Democratic losses among working class voters …

Rachael Bade / Politico:

Gowdy picked by GOP steering committee to chair House Oversight panel — The Republican Steering Committee on Thursday backed Rep. Trey Gowdy to become the next chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. — The move — if confirmed by the full GOP Conference …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and The Week

Caroline Fountain / WNYW-TV:

Group left out of Charlotte's Pride Parade because they support President Trump — CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46) - A group says ‘Charlotte Pride’ is pushing them out of the Gay Pride Parade because they support President Trump. — “I'm very proud of my country, proud of my president …

Discussion: Townhall.com, TheBlaze, Washington Post, IJR, The Resurgent, The Gateway Pundit and PinkNews

Joseph Wulfsohn / Mediaite:

Twitter Explodes After Kurt Eichenwald Allegedly Tweets Photo That Shows His Interest in Anime Porn — Back in December, Tucker Carlson and Newsweek's Kurt Eichenwald had one of the most epic on-air battles in recent memory. And apparently Eichenwald is still bitter about it.

Discussion: RedState, The Daily Caller, Gizmodo and twitchy.com

Bryan Lowry / Kansas City Star:

Kris Kobach launches campaign for Kansas governor — Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who has championed some of the strictest voting laws in the nation, announced a campaign for governor Thursday in Lenexa. — Kobach, the architect of controversial election and immigration laws …

Discussion: Political Wire and Right Wing Watch