memeorandum: National Conservatism's Fatal Conceit (Kai Weiss/Law & Liberty)

5:45 PM ET, September 13, 2019

Top Items:

Think Castro was ‘mean’ to Biden? Get ready for an absolute bloodbath. — Joe Biden's Democratic rivals have now begun to raise questions about his age and mental competence. But they are doing so ever so gingerly, and even apologetically. — President Trump is not being nearly as cautious or circumspect.

Discussion: Inquirer.com, Rolling Stone, PJ Media Home, No More Mister Nice Blog, WHYY, The Federalist and Vox

Dan Balz / Washington Post:

For most of the night, Biden weathers a volley of attacks — HOUSTON — With all the leading Democratic candidates on the same stage for the first time this year, former vice president Joe Biden on Thursday delivered the kind of performance his supporters have been waiting for …

Brian Schwartz / CNBC:
Kamala Harris' debate performance fails to sway big money donors

Discussion: Vanity Fair and Fox News

Yaron Steinbuch / New York Post:
Joe Biden struggles to keep his teeth in his mouth during Democratic debate

Discussion: Spectator USA

James Hohmann / Washington Post:
The Daily 202: Castro's kamikaze mission makes Biden more sympathetic - and six other debate takeaways

Discussion: U.S. Political News …, Slate and Mercury News

Matt Welch / Reason:
There's Only 1 Democrat Talking About the Constitution, and It's (Shudder) Joe Biden

Discussion: Washington Post, Splinter, New Yorker, Slate, Townhall, Raw Story, Patterico's Pontifications and PJ Media Home

Tess Bonn / The Hill:
Sanders spokeswoman: A lot of candidates will have to answer for their past

Discussion: Washington Post and Breitbart

Maggie Astor / New York Times:
Who Won the Debate? Experts Weigh In

Discussion: Axios and The Week

Frank Bruni / New York Times:
Up, Up, Up With Elizabeth Warren

Discussion: CNN, Fox News, National Review and Daily Wire

Wall Street Journal:

Trump, Awaiting Egyptian Counterpart at Summit, Called Out for ‘My Favorite Dictator’ — Quip drew attention to uncomfortable facet of U.S.-Egypt relationship — Inside a room of the ornately decorated Hotel du Palais during last month's Group of Seven summit in Biarritz, France …

Discussion: Axios, The Independent, The Week, Mediaite and Raw Story

Lawfare:

On the Mystery of the McCabe Grand Jury — Did a federal grand jury refuse to hand up an indictment of former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe? — No media organization has reported that this is what happened Thursday, but something clearly happened when the grand jury met …

Discussion: POLITICUSUSA, New York Times and TheBlaze

New York Times:

Andrew McCabe Asks Justice Dept. Whether Grand Jury Rejected Charges — WASHINGTON — Lawyers for the former F.B.I. deputy director Andrew G. McCabe, a frequent target of President Trump's, have asked federal prosecutors whether a secret grand jury refused to indict him …

Discussion: CANNONFIRE, Power Line, The Daily Caller, Salon, Hullabaloo, The Crime Report, American Greatness and Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion

Washington Post:

Andrew McCabe's legal team asks Justice Dept. if grand jury rejected charges in his case — The legal team for Andrew McCabe has asked federal prosecutors in D.C. whether a grand jury had rejected their bid to indict the FBI's former acting director on charges of lying to investigators …

Discussion: CNN, BizPac Review, Raw Story and CNBC

BostonGlobe.com:

METRO SPORTS BUSINESS OPINION RHODE ISLAND POLITICS LIFESTYLE MARIJUANA ARTS MAGAZINE CARS REAL ESTATE EVENTS — Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the young liberal icon from New York, has endorsed Senator Ed Markey's reelection bid next year, as Representative Joe Kennedy III considers …

Discussion: Townhall and Political Wire

Ed Markey / YouTube:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez endorsement — “I'm here to say that I'm proud to enthusiastically support and endorse Senator Ed Markey for re-election to the United States Senate. — Ed Markey is a proud and strong progressive champion for working families. Not just in Massachusetts, but across the country.

Discussion: Washington Post and CBS Boston

Jennifer Medina / New York Times:
Elizabeth Heng Ad, Targeting Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Draws a Backlash

Discussion: Townhall, Shareblue Media, RedState, OpenSecrets.org, Axios, Talking Points Memo and Common Dreams

Matt Naham / Law & Crime:

U.S. Court of Appeals Brings Emoluments Lawsuit Against Trump Back to Life — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on Friday brought back to life an emoluments-related lawsuit against President Donald Trump. The lawsuit filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington …

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Post and Breitbart

Bloomberg:
Trump Finances Closer to Scrutiny as U.S. Court Revives Suit

Discussion: Fox News, Deseret News, Politico, Raw Story, The Week, Axios and Political Wire

Chris Dolmetsch / Bloomberg:
Fox Must Face Suit by Seth Rich's Parents Over Stories on His Death

Discussion: Political Wire and Mediaite, more at Mediagazer »

David A. Fahrenthold / Washington Post:
Appeals court revives lawsuit saying Trump is violating the Constitution by doing business with foreign governments

Discussion: Vox and Common Dreams

Courtney Kube / NBC News:

Trump's plan to pay for border wall with Air Force funds risks national security, report says — The report, compiled by the U.S. Air Force and obtained by NBC News, details the importance of each of the 51 military projects chosen by the Trump administration to lose their funding.

Discussion: Raw Story, Politico, Axios, Task & Purpose, Shareblue Media, Daily Kos and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »

Maggie Astor / New York Times:

The Times and CNN Will Host the Next Democratic Debate in Ohio — The Democratic National Committee has announced that the next debate will be held on Oct. 15, with a possible second night on Oct. 16. — The New York Times and CNN will co-host the next Democratic debate near Columbus …

Discussion: Fox News, Talking Points Memo, Axios, Political Wire, The Daily Caller and Variety

CNN:
CNN and New York Times to co-host next Democratic presidential debate

Discussion: The Daily Caller, KTLA and WPIX 11 New York

Nancy Cook / Politico:

Ivanka tells donors she got her moral compass from her dad — At a mid-August fundraiser in Jackson Hole, Wyo., Ivanka Trump was asked to name the personality traits she inherited most from her parents. — Without much of a pause, Trump told the crowd of roughly 120 high-end donors …

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Washington Post, Raw Story, Splinter, Talking Points Memo, Mediaite, The Week and Political Flare

Erik Wasson / Bloomberg:
House GOP to Run in 2020 on Reducing the Debt They Helped Grow

Discussion: The New Civil Rights Movement and Political Wire

Matt Fuller / U.S. Political News …:
Trump Gives A Rambling Mess Of A Speech At The GOP's Baltimore Retreat — And He's A Hit

Discussion: New York Times, Daily Kos, Mother Jones, Vox and ABC News

Boris Kachka / New York Magazine:

Among the Moderate Chic at Bari Weiss's Book Party The embattled Establishment assembles to celebrate the Times Op-Ed columnist's book on antisemitism. — Bari Weiss — editor, Times columnist, Twitter piñata, extrovert, and now author — began the launch party for her first book …

Discussion: Splinter and Eschaton

Washington Post:

House Democrats pursue Sessions for testimony in impeachment probe of Trump — Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are negotiating for Jeff Sessions's testimony in their impeachment investigation of President Trump, an appearance they hope could bolster their inquiry given …

Discussion: Raw Story

Sam Brodey / The Daily Beast: House Dems Leaning Against Calling Stormy Daniels as a Witness

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

What If the Only Democrat Who Isn't Too Radical to Win Is Too Old? — Here is a science-fiction scenario: Imagine a strange new virus that incapacitates everybody below the age of 75. The virus wipes out the entire political leadership, except one old man, who has survived on account of his age …

globalnews.ca:

RCMP intel director charged in major case was top adviser to former force head: sources — ABOVE: A high-level official with the RCMP has been arrested and is facing several charges under both the Criminal Code and Security of Information Act, according to multiple sources. Mercedes Stephenson reports.

Discussion: Fox News

Sarah Maslin Nir / New York Times:

Giuliani Divorce: It's Ugly, It's Operatic. What Did You Expect? — The marriage of Rudolph and Judith Giuliani is coming to an end, and despite a judge's urging, the wreckage is being laid bare for all to see. — On a spring afternoon in 2000, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani used a news conference …

Discussion: Splinter

Edward Ongweso Jr / VICE:

Famed Computer Scientist Richard Stallman Described Epstein Victims As ‘Entirely Willing’ — Stallman, a pioneer of the free software movement, argued about the definition of “sexual assault” on an MIT email listserv about the university's connections to Jeffrey Epstein.

Discussion: New York Post, The Daily Dot and Financial Times

Brian Stelter / CNN:

ABC's ratings show that interest in the Democratic primaries is still high — New York (CNN Business)If you're wondering whether interest in the Democratic primary process has cooled off, check the Nielsen ratings and stop wondering. — Thursday night's debate featuring ten presidential candidates brought a big audience to ABC.

Discussion: FiveThirtyEight and Axios

Phil Helsel / NBC News:

Trump: I look orange, but so do you because of energy-efficient light bulbs — “The light is the worst,” Trump said. His administration earlier this month announced it would roll back regulations for increased energy efficiency. — On a night that featured the Democratic debate …

Discussion: The Hill, The Daily Beast, Raw Story, Breitbart and The Root

Dan Desai Martin / Shareblue Media:

Collins cast deciding vote to let Trump take money from military families for his wall — Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) claims she is opposed to Trump stealing money from the military to build a wall, but she doesn't vote that way. — At Senate Appropriations Committee meeting Thursday …

Discussion: U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy … and Bangor Daily News

Stefanos Chen / New York Times:

One in Four of New York's New Luxury Apartments Are Unsold — A quarter of the new condos built since 2013 in New York City have not yet found buyers, according to a new analysis of closed sales. — Picture an empty apartment — there are thousands in Manhattan's new towers …

Discussion: Curbed NY

Alex Paterson / Media Matters for America:

OANN host Liz Wheeler: “Transgender penguins” are a liberal ploy to get Americans to rely on the government — Wheeler melts down over “transgender penguins,” claims they could lead to the destruction of gender, traditional marriage, and family … One America News Network (OANN) …

Samantha Lock / The Sun:

MAKE TATTOOS GREAT AGAIN Donald Trump superfans show off their tattoos of president in eye-popping gallery — DONALD Trump certainly isn't short of adoring patriotic superfans who have pledged themselves with the president in a bid to ‘make America great again’.

Jamie Goldberg / Oregonian:

Portland Thorns fans boo Donald Trump during halftime military swearing-in ceremony — A United States Armed Forces swearing-in ceremony at Wednesday's game between the Portland Thorns and North Carolina Courage drew boos from fans at Providence Park after enlistees were asked to pledge to obey the orders of President Donald Trump.

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit, Fox News and Raw Story