Top Items:
Wall Street Journal:
A Real Attorney General — Bill Barr gets smeared for refusing to duck and cover like Loretta Lynch. — By The Editorial Board — Washington pile-ons are never pretty, but this week's political setup of Attorney General William Barr is disreputable even by Beltway standards.
Discussion:
Instapundit
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National Review:
The Incredibly Dumb Bill Barr Scandal — Is it already August? That's usually the Beltway silly season appropriate for such a ridiculous non-scandal as the Great Bill Barr Summary of Findings Outrage of 2019. — As everyone knows, Bill Barr released a brief letter summarizing …
Discussion:
Althouse
Charles Sykes / The Bulwark:
We Should Not Have Been Surprised About Bill Barr — William Safire had his number 27 years ago. — William Barr has turned out to be a surprise to many observers, who seem taken aback that the attorney general has been so disingenuous, misleading, and apparently willing to act as President Trump's personal attorney.
Discussion:
Washington Post
Burgess Everett / Politico:
Moderate Democrats fret they made a ‘big mistake’ backing Barr
Moderate Democrats fret they made a ‘big mistake’ backing Barr
Discussion:
ABC News, Associated Press, Raw Story, Splinter, Breitbart, Vox, The Week, twitchy.com, The Gateway Pundit, FiveThirtyEight, Townhall and The Daily Beast
Neal K. Katyal / New York Times:
Why Barr Can't Whitewash the Mueller Report
Why Barr Can't Whitewash the Mueller Report
Discussion:
The American Spectator and PBS NewsHour
Greg Miller / Washington Post:
With Mueller silent, Barr interprets the special counsel's report — to the advantage of Trump
With Mueller silent, Barr interprets the special counsel's report — to the advantage of Trump
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Mercury News, IJR and Talking Points Memo
The Daily Beast:
The Trump White House Is Loving Itself Some Bill Barr: He ‘Dismembered’ Democrats
The Trump White House Is Loving Itself Some Bill Barr: He ‘Dismembered’ Democrats
Discussion:
Just Security
New York Times:
Bob Mueller's Extraordinary Letter to Bill Barr
Bob Mueller's Extraordinary Letter to Bill Barr
Discussion:
Simple Justice, American Greatness, New Republic, Washington Press and The Week
E.J. Dionne Jr / Washington Post:
William Barr has shamelessly corrupted the debate over the Mueller report
William Barr has shamelessly corrupted the debate over the Mueller report
Discussion:
RealClearPolitics, swampdrain.com, The Bulwark, The Daily Signal and Florida Politics
Rich Lowry / National Review:
No, Bill Barr Didn't Lie or Mislead
No, Bill Barr Didn't Lie or Mislead
Discussion:
American Greatness, Contemptor, Washington Post and Tampa Bay Times
Carol D. Leonnig / Washington Post:
Barr puts Trump's actions in best light, despite ‘substantial evidence’ of obstruction cited by Mueller
Barr puts Trump's actions in best light, despite ‘substantial evidence’ of obstruction cited by Mueller
Discussion:
Balloon Juice, The Week, Vox, Daily Wire, Fox News, Townhall and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion
Washington Post:
William Barr torched his reputation. His testimony compounded the damage.
William Barr torched his reputation. His testimony compounded the damage.
Discussion:
New York Times, The Daily Caller, The Week, The Daily Beast, Rolling Stone, Hullabaloo, Boston Globe and Axios
Aaron Blake / Washington Post:
William Barr's ‘snitty’ slip-up gives away his game
William Barr's ‘snitty’ slip-up gives away his game
Discussion:
Fox News, swampdrain.com, Raw Story, The Guardian and New York Post
Chad Day / Associated Press:
Key takeaways from AG Barr's testimony, Mueller's letter
Key takeaways from AG Barr's testimony, Mueller's letter
Discussion:
Associated Press and Bangor Daily News
Julie Turkewitz / New York Times:
Michael Bennet, Senator From Colorado, Is Running for President — DENVER — Michael Bennet, the moderate, studious Democratic senator from Colorado known for his work on education and immigration reform, announced his candidacy for president on Thursday. — He joins a field so packed …
Discussion:
NBC News, Bloomberg, Vox, The Daily Caller and The Week, more at Mediagazer »
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Michael Scherer / Washington Post:
Sen. Michael F. Bennet of Colorado becomes the latest Democratic presidential candidate — Sen. Michael F. Bennet of Colorado, a champion of political moderation, announced Thursday that he would join the crowded Democratic presidential race. — Bennet announced in April that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Politico, Fox News and Political Wire
Ellen McCarthy / Washington Post:
Chasten Buttigieg has been a homeless community-college student and a Starbucks barista. Now, he could be ‘first gentleman.’ — “Are you going to write about my meal?” Chasten Buttigieg asks, scanning the breakfast menu of a Manhattan cafe last month. — He had oatmeal with a side of fresh fruit.
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Charlotte Alter / TIME:
Mayor Pete Buttigieg's Unlikely, Untested, Unprecedented Presidential Campaign — As Pete Buttigieg addressed supporters off a back porch in Marshalltown, Iowa, the Devil was whispering his name. “Pete,” the Devil hissed into a microphone. “You're sooo smart, Pete.”
Rosie Gray / BuzzFeed News:
A Former Alt-Right Member's Message: Get Out While You Still Can — If you remember Katie McHugh, it's probably because of the tweets. — A short selection: “British settlers built the USA. ‘Slaves’ built the country much as cows ‘built’ McDonald's. Amateur...”
Politico:
Trump attacks Biden despite Kushner directive to lay off Dem field — Kushner told campaign officials to not attack 2020 Dems — but that rule doesn't seem to apply to the candidate himself. — As the 2020 Democratic presidential field began to form earlier this year …
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, Reuters, Washington Post and ABC News
RELATED:
Cynthia Fodor / KCCI-TV:
Biden calls on US attorney general to resign amid criticism
Biden calls on US attorney general to resign amid criticism
Discussion:
Talking Points Memo, The Daily Dot and Washington Times
New York Times:
Biden Faces Conflict of Interest Questions That Are Being Promoted by Trump and Allies — WASHINGTON — It was a foreign policy role Joseph R. Biden Jr. enthusiastically embraced during his vice presidency: browbeating Ukraine's notoriously corrupt government to clean up its act.
Discussion:
Daily Wire and Political Wire
New York Times:
With Maduro Still in Power, Questions About the U.S. Role in Venezuela — WASHINGTON — Nobody said regime change was going to be easy. — President Trump's top advisers woke up Tuesday believing that a rebellion in the Venezuelan military that day would galvanize a popular uprising …
Discussion:
Foreign Policy, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, Washington Free Beacon and Slate
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Max Boot / Washington Post:
How conservatives rationalize their surrender to Trump — Former FBI director James Comey has published in the New York Times the most insightful analysis I have read of how President Trump corrupts those who work for him — such as Attorney General William P. Barr and Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein.
Discussion:
Rolling Stone, Fox News, CNN and Lawyers, Guns & Money
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James Comey / New York Times:
How Trump Co-opts Leaders Like Bill Barr
How Trump Co-opts Leaders Like Bill Barr
Discussion:
Rolling Stone, Hullabaloo, No More Mister Nice Blog, CNN, The Root, Spectator USA, Fox News, Vox, The Hill, The Atlantic, Slate, Raw Story, POLITICUSUSA, Washington Press, RedState, Washington Post, Splinter, The Mahablog, The Daily Caller, Washington Monthly, Mediaite, Politico, Axios, The Gateway Pundit and emptywheel
Julia Harte / Reuters:
Exclusive: Foreign government leases at Trump World Tower stir more emoluments concerns — WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department allowed at least seven foreign governments to rent luxury condominiums in New York's Trump World Tower in 2017 without approval from Congress …
Discussion:
Political Wire, Raw Story and Mediaite
Jacob Soboroff / NBC News:
Emails show Trump admin had ‘no way to link’ separated migrant children to parents — “What you are requesting,” said a top ICE official, “is not something that we are going to be able to complete in a rapid fashion.” — LOS ANGELES — On the same day the Trump administration …
Discussion:
Slate, The Hill, Axios, Splinter and Political Wire
Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: What Trump is saying behind closed doors about the Democratic field — DRIVING THE DAY — TIGER COMING TO TOWN ... Trump administration sources tell us that TIGER WOODS is coming to the White House on Monday for a ceremony to celebrate his Masters win.
Discussion:
Raw Story
John Wagner / Washington Post:
Hillary Clinton: 'China, if you're listening, why don't you get Trump's tax returns?' — At a news conference in July 2016, then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump famously called for Russia's assistance in finding Hillary Clinton's missing emails.
Discussion:
Breitbart and Political Wire
John Solomon / The Hill:
Nellie Ohr's ‘Hi Honey’ emails to DOJ about Russia collusion should alarm us all — First came the text messages between FBI lovebirds Peter Strzok and Lisa Page, which gave us a painful glimpse at potential political bias inside America's most famous crime-fighting bureau.
Discussion:
RedState, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Daily Wire, The Gateway Pundit, twitchy.com and Forbes
Tom Vanden Brook / USA Today:
Military sexual assaults rise by almost 38%; alcohol involved in nearly two out of three — At the Marine Corps' Mountain Warfare Training Center near Lake Tahoe, commanders are training troops for a more capable, high tech enemy like Russia, North Korea or China.
CNN:
This UNC Charlotte student knocked the shooter off his feet and saved lives — (CNN)When a gunman walked into his classroom at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte campus, Riley Howell rushed toward him, police and Howell's family said. — Howell, 21, was shot “point blank” …
Discussion:
CBS News, US News, New York Post, The Week, ABC News, The Daily Caller and Talking Points Memo
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Jon Swaine / The Guardian:
Stephen Moore: Trump's Fed pick underpaid ex-wife's alimony for years — New finding may present an additional obstacle for Moore's selection for a position on the world's most powerful central bank — Stephen Moore, Donald Trump's embattled pick for the Federal Reserve board of governors …
Discussion:
Political Wire