Top Items:
Washington Post:
Trump leaves Sessions twisting in the wind while berating him publicly — President Trump and his advisers are privately discussing the possibility of replacing Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and some confidants are floating prospects who could take his place were he to resign or be fired, according to people familiar with the talks.
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Lesley Clark / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Trump messes with Sessions, and Senate Republicans are not pleased — President Donald Trump is getting a bitter Washington lesson when he messes with Jeff Sessions - you don't pick a fight with one of the Senate's guys. — It's a lesson that could cost him politically in a Senate …
Discussion:
Washington Post, Talking Points Memo, Power Line, NPR, TheBlaze, Mediaite, Washington Times, Daily Wire, IJR, Common Dreams, AOL, ABC News, FOX40 and CNBC
Mike Allen / Axios:
Trump in phone call: “What would happen if I fired Sessions?” — President Trump, in one of his hallmark rituals, recently called a longtime political associate and asked out of the blue: “What would happen if I fired Sessions?” — Trump has been openly undermining Attorney General Jeff Sessions …
Discussion:
Business Insider and Raw Story
Veronica Stracqualursi / ABC News:
The Note: Trump has sights set on belittling Sessions — WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY — Is Jeff Sessions in danger of losing his job? The president is continuing his public attacks against Sessions, tweeting this morning: “Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position …
Discussion:
Politico, HuffPost, Political Wire, Washington Post, National Review and National Journal
Associated Press:
AP sources: Trump speaks to advisers about firing Sessions
AP sources: Trump speaks to advisers about firing Sessions
Discussion:
New York Magazine, IJR and Just Security
Erick Erickson / The Resurgent:
Cabinet Level Revolt Over Trump's Treatment of Jeff Sessions. “A Clusterf**k” One Secretary Calls It.
Cabinet Level Revolt Over Trump's Treatment of Jeff Sessions. “A Clusterf**k” One Secretary Calls It.
Discussion:
twitchy.com
Daniel Lippman / Politico:
Trump shames Sessions amid shake-up speculation
Trump shames Sessions amid shake-up speculation
Discussion:
The Daily Beast, New York Times, TheBlaze, Business Insider, The Week, Newsweek, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, AOL and ABC News
Jacqueline Thomsen / The Hill:
Cruz being considered to replace Sessions: report
Cruz being considered to replace Sessions: report
Discussion:
The Week, RedState and Balloon Juice
Sharon Begley / STAT:
Psychiatry group tells members they can defy ‘Goldwater rule’ and comment on Trump's mental health — leading psychiatry group has told its members they should not feel bound by a longstanding rule against commenting publicly on the mental state of public figures — even the president.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo and Althouse
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Obamacare repeal vote still too close to call — Senate Republicans are barreling toward a dramatic and highly unusual vote on Obamacare Tuesday without knowing whether they'll have the votes to start dismantling the health care law. — At stake is not just the seven-year-old campaign pledge …
Discussion:
The Hill, Political Wire, Talking Points Memo, Scared Monkeys and Vox
RELATED:
Associated Press:
The Latest: McConnell calls for GOP dissenters to back bill
The Latest: McConnell calls for GOP dissenters to back bill
Discussion:
Bearing Arms, TheBlaze, Mashable, twitchy.com, Daily Kos, Balloon Juice, Vox, The Texas Tribune, Washington Free Beacon, Jezebel and The Week
Sam Baker / Axios:
No one knows what the Senate's going to do. But it will do it today.
No one knows what the Senate's going to do. But it will do it today.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, Common Dreams, Political Wire, Politico and Vox
Wall Street Journal:
Can Republicans Govern? — Some Senators want to talk forever about health care.
Caitlin Owens / Axios:
The Senate's evolving health care plan
The Senate's evolving health care plan
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Politico and NBC News
Dylan Scott / Vox:
Senate Republicans don't know what's in their health bill or what it would do. They're voting anyway.
Senate Republicans don't know what's in their health bill or what it would do. They're voting anyway.
Discussion:
New York Magazine
Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Trumpcare Is the Worst-Designed Social Policy in History
Trumpcare Is the Worst-Designed Social Policy in History
Discussion:
The Atlantic
Pete Grieve / CNN:
Rep. Farenthold: I'd ‘settle this Aaron Burr-style’ if senators resisting repeal were men
Rep. Farenthold: I'd ‘settle this Aaron Burr-style’ if senators resisting repeal were men
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon
Tara Palmeri / Politico:
Scaramucci to oust White House press aide, offers ‘amnesty’ to others — Newly appointed White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said on Tuesday that he plans to dismiss assistant press secretary Michael Short. — It would be Scaramucci's first step toward shaking …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Axios and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »
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Washington Post:
New communications director moves toward possible staff purge at White House … Anthony Scaramucci, the flashy financier President Trump hired to overhaul the White House communications operation, is exercising a broad mandate from the president and intends to follow through on threats …
Discussion:
Politico, The Week, Political Wire, Booman Tribune and AOL, more at Mediagazer »
William D. Cohan / New York Times:
This Is Not the Mooch I Know — It's been a rough start …
Josh Dawsey / Politico:
Senate Judiciary Committee issues subpoena for Manafort in Russia probe — The Senate Judiciary Committee has issued a subpoena for former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort to appear at a hearing Wednesday in the ongoing probe of Russia's activities during the 2016 campaign, the committee said Tuesday.
Discussion:
Axios, Talking Points Memo and Political Wire
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Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
Trump praises Kushner: ‘Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump’
Trump praises Kushner: ‘Next up, 11 year old Barron Trump’
Discussion:
Axios, RedState, CNN, IJR, Just Security, Mediaite, Common Dreams and AOL
Travis Gettys / Raw Story:
Jason Chaffetz, who recently stepped down from the House …
Jason Chaffetz, who recently stepped down from the House …
Discussion:
Mediaite and Hullabaloo
Robert Costa / Washington Post:
Boehner predicts Republicans will ‘never’ repeal and replace Obamacare — Former House speaker John A. Boehner, who has mostly avoided public commentary since leaving Congress two years ago, told a business gathering last week that Republicans are “not going to repeal and replace Obamacare” …
Discussion:
Axios, Talking Points Memo, Business Insider, Political Insider blog and The Week
RELATED:
William Sullivan / American Thinker:
For leading Republicans today, the answer is almost certainly yes.
Jenna Johnson / Washington Post:
After Trump's partisan speech, Boy Scouts of America reiterates that it is ‘wholly non-partisan’ — Following President Trump's campaign-style speech at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia on Monday evening, the Boy Scouts of America released a statement that did not comment …
Discussion:
ThinkProgress, Raw Story, IJR and The Week
RELATED:
Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
Scaramucci says it's ‘probably’ correct Trump wants Sessions gone — White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci on Tuesday said it is “probably” correct that President Trump wants Attorney General Jeff Sessions — gone. — But Scaramucci said he didn't want to speak for the president.
RELATED:
CNN:
Videos suggest Russian government may be arming Taliban — Two videos obtained by CNN suggest the Taliban have received improved weaponry supplied by the Russian government — Russia's Foreign Ministry declined to comment but has previously called claims they are arming the Taliban “utterly false”
Discussion:
The Week, Defense One and The Daily Caller
Ken Meyer / Mediaite:
Kat Timpf Goes Off on Twitter After Having Water Dumped on Her: ‘Infantile Bullsh*t’ — Fox News Specialist co-host Kat Timpf released a lengthy tweetstorm on Monday where she alleged that someone dumped a bottle of water on her just ahead of a speaking engagement in Brooklyn Monday evening.
Discussion:
twitchy.com, IJR, The Daily Caller, RedState and AOL
Courtney Vinopal / Washingtonian:
Joshua Green: In Trump's World, “You're Never Really Dead if You Just Stick Around and Endure It” — The Bloomberg Businessweek correspondent has written a fascinating account of Steve Bannon's role in Trump's campaign. — When journalist Joshua Green attended a screening of a documentary …
Scott Lemieux / Lawyers, Guns & Money:
Stripping Health Insurance From 23 Million People to Pay For Upper-Class Tax Cuts Is So Mavericky — I'm sure you'll be surprised by how the story turns out! … He wouldn't be flying in for a vote that was a lost cause. I'd put the odds of BCRA passing at over 50% now, perhaps well above.
RELATED:
Teresa Welsh / McClatchy Washington Bureau:
Sen. McCain will return to Senate Tuesday ahead of health care showdown
Sen. McCain will return to Senate Tuesday ahead of health care showdown
Discussion:
Shakesville and The Gateway Pundit
Peter Baker / New York Times:
Trump White House Tests a Nation's Capacity for Outrage — GLEN JEAN, W.Va. — Remember that time President George W. Bush told his attorney general to investigate Al Gore for his “crimes”? Or President Barack Obama called for a Justice Department prosecution of John McCain?
Discussion:
No More Mister Nice Blog, The Atlantic, CNN, Mother Jones, Talking Points Memo, Daily Wire and IJR