memeorandum: Erik Prince, Blackwater Founder, Weighs Primary Challenge to Wyoming Republican (New York Times)

1:35 PM ET, October 8, 2017

Top Items:

Corker calls White House ‘an adult day care center’ in response to Trump's latest Twitter tirade — Sen. Bob Corker, the Republican chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, on Sunday called the White House “an adult day care center” after President Trump attacked him in a morning Twitter tirade.

Discussion: Vox, RedState, Axios, Talking Points Memo, ABC News, CNBC, The Guardian, Raw Story, 6, WREG-TV and Political Wire

Politico:

Trump claims Corker 'didn't have the guts' to run for reelection — The president also says the Senate Foreign Relationship chairman ‘begged’ him for an endorsement. — President Donald Trump on Sunday claimed that Sen. Bob Corker “begged” him for an endorsement and decided to not seek reelection …

Discussion: Washington Free Beacon, Mediaite, IJR and Joe.My.God.

Damian Paletta / Washington Post:

In a switch, GOP deserts its budget-cutting mantra — The Republican Party has largely abandoned its platform of fiscal restraint, pivoting sharply in a way that could add trillions of dollars in federal debt over the next decade. — Cutting spending to balance the budget was almost religion …

Discussion: Mother Jones, Balloon Juice and Political Wire

CNN:

Trump's claim that Corker ‘begged’ for endorsement is false, sources say — STORY HIGHLIGHTS — Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump's tweets Sunday morning claiming he denied Sen. Bob Corker's request for an endorsement are false, two sources familiar with the discussions said.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Hullabaloo, Splinter, NBC News, AOL and The Daily Caller

Associated Press:
The Latest: Corker hits back after Trump's critical tweets

Discussion: Politico

New York Times:

Erik Prince, Blackwater Founder, Weighs Primary Challenge to Wyoming Republican — WASHINGTON — Erik Prince, the founder of the security contractor Blackwater, is seriously considering a Republican primary challenge for a Senate seat in Wyoming, potentially adding a high-profile contender …

Discussion: Washington Post, National Review and Political Wire

Julia Manchester / The Hill:

Trump: I want to focus on North Korea not 'fixing somebody's back' — President Trump praised health care block grants on Saturday, saying they allow the states to focus on health care, but said he would rather focus his energy on tensions with North Korea than “fixing somebody's back or their knee.”

Discussion: NBC News, Washington Post, ThinkProgress, Vox, New York Times and FOX6Now.com

Sam Kim / Bloomberg: Kim Jong Un Boosts Sister Within North Korea's Inner Circle

Brent D. Griffiths / Politico:
Trump on North Korea: ‘Only one thing will work’

Discussion: Axios, CANNONFIRE and TalkLeft

Julia Manchester / The Hill:

NRA on bump stocks: 'We don't believe bans ever worked on anything' — The executive director of the National Rifle Association (NRA) said on Sunday that the organization is open to “regulating differently” bump stocks on guns but not necessarily to banning the devices.

Discussion: Politico

The Hill:

GOP leaders look to avoid a fight with base over guns — Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are signaling that they want the Trump administration to write new regulations for a gun accessory that may have allowed the Las Vegas shooter to fire hundreds of rounds per minute.

Discussion: Politico and Political Wire

Susan Svrluga / Washington Post:

‘We will keep coming back:’ Richard Spencer leads another torchlight march in Charlottesville — Richard Spencer, who in August led white nationalists and white supremacists in a torchlight march across the University of Virginia campus that touched off a weekend of deadly clashes, returned Saturday night to Charlottesville.

Discussion: New York Times, Refinery29, Splinter, The Root, The Guardian, twitchy.com, TheBlaze, Raw Story, Al Jazeera English and Talking Points Memo

Julia Manchester / The Hill:
White nationalists return to Charlottesville

Discussion: RedState

David Siders / Politico:

Feinstein ‘close’ to announcing reelection bid — Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) says she is “close” to announcing a reelection campaign — the 84-year-old's firmest suggestion yet that she will seek a fifth full term in the Senate. — “I'm ready for a good fight,” Feinstein told NBC News' …

Discussion: Political Wire

Gabriel Debenedetti / Politico:

Trump zeroes in on 2020 battlegrounds — President Donald Trump's campaign operatives and other allies have begun surveying the political landscape for his 2020 reelection bid, viewing a handful of upcoming midterm races as especially insightful to his strategic path three years from now.

Emily Q. Hazzard / ThinkProgress:

Desperate San Juan Mayor takes to Twitter after Trump administration ignores requests for help — San Juan's Mayor Carmen Cruz said she sees “no hope [on] the horizon” for Puerto Rico — despite President Trump celebrate the recovery effort and engaging on a victory tour.

Discussion: ABC News, Talking Points Memo, Washington Free Beacon and FOX6Now.com

Louise Radnofsky / Wall Street Journal:

Trump to Sign Order Easing Health Plan Rules, Official Says — Executive action expected next week would roll back some Obamacare requirements — WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump will sign an executive order next week to start lifting some insurance rules set by his predecessor's Affordable Care Act …

Discussion: Vox and New York Times