Top Items:
New York Times:
Secret Memo Hints at a New Republican Target: Rod Rosenstein — WASHINGTON — A secret, highly contentious Republican memo reveals that Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein approved an application to extend surveillance of a former Trump campaign associate shortly after taking office last spring …
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David Leonhardt / New York Times:
An Article of Impeachment Against Donald J. Trump — There are good reasons to be wary of impeachment talk. Congressional Republicans show zero interest, and they're the ones in charge. Democrats, for their part, need to focus on retaking Congress, and railing about impeachment probably won't help them win votes.
Discussion:
The Week, New York Magazine and Daily Kos
Nicole Lafond / Talking Points Memo:
NYT: GOP Memo Reveals Rosenstein Approved Surveillance Of Carter Page — Republicans' secret memo — that they claim reveals evidence of an internal bias within the FBI and the Justice Department — reportedly shows that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein gave the green light …
Discussion:
Shakesville and Politico
Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:
Memo claims Rosenstein approved application to extend surveillance of Carter Page: report — approved an application last year to extend surveillance of former Trump campaign associate Carter Page, a secret Republican memo claims, The New York Times reported.
Discussion:
RedState
Susan B. Glasser / Politico:
Mark Warner: 'We've Had New Information That Raises More Questions' — Congress late last year received “extraordinarily important new documents” in its investigation of President Donald Trump and his campaign's possible collusion with the 2016 Russian election hacking …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Political Wire, Raw Story, USA Today and Progressives Everywhere
NBC News:
Meet the Press -January 28, 2018 — CHUCK TODD: — This Sunday the president, the special council and the Russia investigation. President Trump tries to fire Bob Mueller but his White House council refuses. Democrats react. — SEN. CORY BOOKER: — We've seen persistent attacks to try to undermine the credibility.
Discussion:
Althouse
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Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:
Republican House ‘leaders’ are complicit in obstruction … While an occasional voice of sanity pops up now and then — Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) (on a good day), retiring Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) (every day) — none of the voices urging strict oversight of President Trump …
Discussion:
New York Times and Althouse
Wall Street Journal:
Melania Trump's Military Flights Before Her Move to Washington Cost More Than $675,000 — First lady flew 21 flights in three-month period while living in New York after President Donald Trump's inauguration — First lady Melania Trump took 21 flights in a three-month period on Air Force jets …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Politicus USA and The Week
Katie Leslie / Dallas Morning News:
Beto O'Rourke outraises Cruz again, taking in $2.4M in latest quarter — Updated at 10:50 p.m. to include the latest fundraising figures from Sen. Ted Cruz. — WASHINGTON — The Texas Democrat hoping to oust Sen. Ted Cruz is posting his largest campaign fundraising haul yet: $2.4 million.
Discussion:
Weekly Standard
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Patrick Svitek / The Texas Tribune:
With $2.4 million haul, Beto O'Rourke easily outraised Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to close out 2017
With $2.4 million haul, Beto O'Rourke easily outraised Texas Sen. Ted Cruz to close out 2017
Discussion:
New Republic and The Week
Ezra Klein / Vox:
Trump is winning — Trump is making us a little more like him, and politics a little more like the tribal clash he says it is. — There are two Trump presidencies. — One of them is the official presidency of Donald Trump, leader of the Republican Party, driver of the legislative agenda, head of the executive branch.
Washington Post:
'He's not God': In the wake of porn-star allegations, most evangelicals stand by Trump … When news first broke this month about President Trump's alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels, it seemed the kind of story that would devastate a group of voters once known as “The Moral Majority.”
Discussion:
Political Wire and Raw Story
Brian Porreca / Hollywood Reporter:
Omarosa Goes From White House to Cast of ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ — The former ‘Apprentice’ star, and adviser to President Trump, was the shock addition to the new season of CBS' reality show. — Omarosa Manigault, who left the White House under dramatic circumstances at the tail end of last year …
Discussion:
Raw Story and twitchy.com
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Travis M. Andrews / Washington Post:
Omarosa Manigault Newman: From the White House to the ‘Big Brother’ house
Omarosa Manigault Newman: From the White House to the ‘Big Brother’ house
Discussion:
Washington Free Beacon and CBS Los Angeles
Leonid Ragozin / Bloomberg:
When Russian Officials ‘Nightmare’ Your Business, You Can Lose Everything—Even Your Life — If a well-connected rival wants somebody's law practice or tech startup, there's a fair chance he can get it. Here's the latest twist on these assaults. — Late last year, Moscow news media reported …
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Daniel Hoffman / Wall Street Journal:
The Steele Dossier Fits the Kremlin Playbook
The Steele Dossier Fits the Kremlin Playbook
Discussion:
Power Line
Jonathan Swan / Axios:
White House perjury panic — I can't overstate the level of anxiety among sources close to Trump after the president told the NYT's Maggie Haberman last week he was willing and eager to submit himself to a live interview under oath with Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Discussion:
Hullabaloo, CANNONFIRE and Raw Story
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Mike Allen / Axios:
Expect Trump's inside voice at tomorrow's State of the Union
Expect Trump's inside voice at tomorrow's State of the Union
Discussion:
Business Insider and AOL
Sydney Ember / New York Times:
Troubled Los Angeles Times Picking New Editor Amid Unrest — In an attempt to calm rising newsroom tensions at The Los Angeles Times, the paper was expected to name Jim Kirk, a veteran journalist and former editor and publisher of The Chicago Sun-Times, as its next editor in chief on Monday, according to two company officials.
Discussion:
Deadline and NPR, more at Mediagazer »
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Meg James / Los Angeles Times:
Jim Kirk to replace Lewis D'Vorkin as editor in chief of the Los Angeles Times
Jim Kirk to replace Lewis D'Vorkin as editor in chief of the Los Angeles Times
Discussion:
Politico and L.A. Times Guild
USA Today:
Trump abuses show we must turn traditions into laws: Bharara and Whitman — It's not enough to fret. We're launching a bipartisan project to mend the gaps in our system and make sure our government is competent and trustworthy. — One year into the Trump presidency …
NBC News:
Poll: Millennials say the country is on the wrong track, but they're not — Millennials think things in the country are off on the wrong track but at the same time, they're optimistic about their own futures, according to a new NBC News/GenForward survey. — Nearly two-thirds of millennials …
Discussion:
Political Wire and The Week
Nico Hines / The Daily Beast:
Trump Tower Russian Lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, Exposed in Swiss Corruption Case … LONDON—The Moscow operation behind the now infamous Russian-Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 included a direct attempt to enlist a foreign country's law enforcement official as a virtual double-agent, according to a court case in Switzerland.
Matt Shuham / Talking Points Memo:
Former Colorado GOP Chair Gets Probation For Voter Fraud — The former chair of the Colorado Republican Party was sentenced to four years of probation and 300 hours of community service on Friday for committing voter fraud and forging his ex-wife's signature on her 2016 ballot.
Axios:
New book by “Clinton Cash” author targets “vast corruption” in D.C. — Peter Schweizer, author of the bestselling “Clinton Cash,” is headed to Capitol Hill this week to tell senators and House members about his new book, out March 20, “Secret Empires: How Our Politicians Hide Corruption and Enrich Their Families and Friends.”
Discussion:
Breitbart and Political Wire
Victor Davis Hanson / American Greatness:
From Conspiracy Theories to Conspiracies — Not all conspiracy theorists are unhinged paranoids—even when they insist there was a loosely organized if not sometimes incoherent effort to destroy Donald Trump's candidacy beyond the bounds of “normal” politics and later a renewed and unprecedented endeavor to abort his presidency.
Tommy Christopher / Shareblue Media:
GOP congressman admits his party lies to change the narrative — Republicans are having a hard time letting go of their smears of the FBI, but House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) gave away the whole game on Sunday.
Discussion:
Fox News
Jonathan Tamari / Philly.com:
Before ‘soul mate’ comment, Rep. Pat Meehan ignored advice against interviews — WASHINGTON — Rep. Pat Meehan's sudden fall last week began with a revelation that he used taxpayer money to quietly settle a sexual-harassment claim brought by an aide — but it was his stunning public response …
Discussion:
Political Wire and Politico