memeorandum: George H.W. Bush labels Trump a ‘blowhard’ in new book (CNN)

3:25 PM ET, November 4, 2017

Top Items:

Donna Brazile: I considered replacing Clinton with Biden as 2016 Democratic nominee — Former Democratic National Committee head Donna Brazile writes in a new book that she seriously contemplated replacing Hillary Clinton as the party's 2016 presidential nominee with then-Vice President Biden …

Discussion: Mother Jones, ABC News, Axios, The Daily Caller, The Last Tradition, Mediaite, Raw Story, IJR, Political Wire, Instapundit, The Resurgent, The Root, RT, CNBC, Fox News Insider and Washington Free Beacon

Associated Press:

Inside story: How Russians hacked the Democrats' emails — WASHINGTON (AP) — It was just before noon in Moscow on March 10, 2016, when the first volley of malicious messages hit the Hillary Clinton campaign. — The first 29 phishing emails were almost all misfires.

Discussion: Hullabaloo, Business Insider, Washington Monthly, Balloon Juice, emptywheel and The Atlantic, more at Techmeme »

Alex Seitz-Wald / NBC News:

Memo Reveals Details of Hillary Clinton-DNC Deal — WASHINGTON — The Democratic National Committee struck a deal with Hillary Clinton in 2015 that gave her campaign input on some party hiring and spending decisions, but required they be related only to preparations for the general election, according to a memo obtained by NBC News.

Discussion: NBC News, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Balloon Juice, The Mahablog, IJR, NPR, Washington Free Beacon, Business Insider, CANNONFIRE, BuzzFeed, The Daily Banter and Nick Merrill

Peter Baker / New York Times:

Both Bush Presidents Worry Trump Is Blowing Up the G.O.P. — WASHINGTON — President Trump is not a favorite in the extended Bush household. Former President George Bush considers him a “blowhard,” only interested in feeding his own ego. Former President George W. Bush, his son …

Discussion: ABC News, zerohedge.com/fullrss2 …, The Guardian, Mediaite, bizpacreview.com, Politicus USA, Raw Story, New York Magazine, Mashable and The Week

CNN:

George H.W. Bush labels Trump a ‘blowhard’ in new book — (CNN)Former President George H.W. Bush has a blunt assessment of Donald Trump: “He's a blowhard.” And his son, former President George W. Bush, has harsh words for his Republican successor as well: “This guy doesn't know what it means to be president.”

Discussion: Washington Post, Axios, Business Insider, RedState and AOL

Brandon Carter / The Hill:

White House strikes back at Bushes over weak legacy — The White House fired back at former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush on Saturday, attacking their legacies after both Bushes expressed their displeasure with President Trump in a new book.

Discussion: CNBC, TheBlaze, Politicus USA and Axios

Brandon Carter / The Hill:
George H.W. Bush on Trump: He's a ‘blowhard’

Discussion: bizpacreview.com

New York Times:

Trump Campaign Adviser Met With Russian Officials in 2016 — WASHINGTON — Carter Page, a foreign policy adviser to the Trump presidential campaign, met Russian government officials during a July 2016 trip he took to Moscow, according to testimony he gave on Thursday to the House Intelligence Committee.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, CNN, Raw Story, The Daily Caller, Business Insider and Mediaite

Eliana Johnson / Politico:

Trump's year of anger, disruption and scandal — It was after midnight on Nov. 9, 2016, and Donald Trump was sitting at the kitchen table of his Trump Tower penthouse. — His win in the presidential race was so unexpected that his chief speechwriter, Stephen Miller, had only begun writing …

Washington Post:
Longtime Trump bodyguard to face questions about 2013 Moscow trip

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Shareblue Media and Mediaite

Julia Manchester / The Hill:
House committee to question former Trump bodyguard over Russia dossier: report

Discussion: RedState and Washington Post

Josh Gerstein / Politico:

Mueller braces for challenges to his authority — Robert Mueller is on an early winning streak. — Stacked with some of the country's premier prosecutors, the special counsel has beaten back a pair of preliminary attempts to block his subpoena power and limit who he can question as a potential witness.

Discussion: The Last Tradition, Politicus USA, Axios and New York Magazine

Gregory Wallace / CNN:

CIA memo: Oswald link ‘totally unfounded’ — Panel slams JFK assassination records dump — (CNN)The CIA concluded in the weeks after President John F. Kennedy's assassination that allegations that Lee Harvey Oswald worked for the agency were “totally unfounded.”

Brent D. Griffiths / Politico:

McConnell: No need to pass bills to protect Mueller — The Senate majority leader also expressed skepticism of legislation requiring social media companies to disclose the buyers of political ads. — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Saturday that special counsel Robert Mueller …

Discussion: The Week and Shareblue Media

Brad Plumer / New York Times:

A Climate Science Report That Changes Minds? Don't Bet on It — WASHINGTON — The Trump administration published a report Friday on climate change from its own scientists that left no doubt about its grim reality and its causes. — So now what? — With every new authoritative scientific study …

Discussion: John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Engadget, Splinter, The Daily Caller and The Daily Banter

Adam B. Vary / BuzzFeed:

A Pattern Of Abuse: How Kevin Spacey Used The Closet To Silence His Victims — Three new accusers shed light on the Oscar winner's history of abuse. “Being closeted has ... enabled him to use this privacy claim as a shield,” one of the men told BuzzFeed News.

Discussion: Deadline, PinkNews, The Week, TheBlaze, Refinery29, Axios, NBC News, bizpacreview.com, CBS New York, AOL, Mediaite and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

BuzzFeed:
Netflix Is Cutting Ties With Kevin Spacey After Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Discussion: New York Times, RedState and Variety, more at Mediagazer »

CNN:

Trump opened the floodgates. Now Democratic women are running for office in record-breaking numbers — Virginia Beach, Virginia (CNN)Kimberly Anne Tucker wanted to be part of a movement. To fight against the Donald Trump presidency that she saw as full of hateful rhetoric, much of it misogynistic.

Discussion: Axios

Courtney Crowder / Des Moines Register:

Mother says justice was served in Kedarie Johnson murder trial — KEOKUK, Ia. — It took a jury just 90 minutes Friday to return a guilty verdict in the murder of Burlington High School junior Kedarie Johnson, a gender-fluid teenager whose case attracted national attention.

Discussion: The Root

Hazel Cills / Jezebel:

Former ‘Male Feminist’ Columnist Faces Multiple Allegations of Assault — On October 6, Helen Donahue, who previously worked as a social media editor for Vice and also wrote for the website, posted photos of bruises on her upper body, neck, and face to Twitter. “sux men in media hate women …

Bret Stephens / New York Times:

The Sleazy Case Against Mueller's Probe — In the matter of Robert Mueller's investigation of the Trump-Russia connection, administration apologists make three significant claims in an effort to discredit the former F.B.I. director's work. Let's have a look at them:

Anne Applebaum / Washington Post:

Totalitarian ideologies never die. Not even in America. — Nothing is ever over. No historic trauma is ever resolved. No historic villain is ever buried, and no historic lessons are permanently learned. Everything and everyone can be revived, and anything can be unlearned — even in the most settled civilizations.

Discussion: Washington Examiner

Merrit Kennedy / NPR:

ICC Prosecutor Calls For Afghanistan War Crimes Investigation — The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is calling for an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan. — The scope of such an investigation isn't clear, but it has the potential to involve U.S. troops.

Discussion: Military.com, Axios and The Daily Caller