memeorandum: Warren passes Biden in new nationwide poll (Quint Forgey/Politico)

5:50 PM ET, September 25, 2019

Top Items:

Acting director of national intelligence threatened to resign if he couldn't speak freely before Congress — The acting Director of National Intelligence threatened to resign over concerns that the White House might attempt to force him to stonewall Congress when he testifies Thursday …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, Politico, CNN, Townhall, Fox News, National Review, Axios, HuffPost, Deadline, KTLA, Occupy Democrats, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, POLITICUSUSA, Daily Kos, Hot Air, Raw Story, twitchy.com, Political Wire, Contemptor and The Week

David French / National Review:

The Trump-Ukraine Transcript Contains Evidence of a Quid Pro Quo — I haven't been a litigator since 2015. I haven't conducted a proper cross-examination since 2014. But if I couldn't walk a witness, judge, and jury through the transcript of Donald Trump's call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky …

Discussion: Washington Post, CNN, Lawyers, Guns & Money, New York Times, The Week, Commentary, Raw Story, The American Conservative, Power Line and Vanity Fair

Washington Post:

Trump offered Ukrainian president Justice Dept. help for Biden investigation, memo shows — President Trump told his Ukrainian counterpart to work with the U.S. attorney general to investigate Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and offered to meet with the foreign leader at the White House …

New York Times:

Trump Asks Ukraine's Leader to ‘Do Us a Favor’ and Also Urges Inquiry of Biden — WASHINGTON — President Trump urged the president of Ukraine to contact Attorney General William P. Barr about opening a potential corruption investigation connected to former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. …

Robert Costa / Washington Post:

Cracks emerge among Senate Republicans over Trump urging Ukrainian leader to investigate Biden — Several Senate Republicans were privately stunned Wednesday and questioned the White House's judgment after it released a rough transcript of President Trump's call with the Ukraine president …

Discussion: The Hill, Hot Air, The National Interest, The Mahablog, Political Wire and LewRockwell

Philip Klein / Washington Examiner:

The Ukraine transcript is not a dud, it is bad news for Trump — The release of the transcript President Trump's call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not the dud that Trump and his allies have been presenting it to be. It's very bad news for Trump.

Discussion: Washington Times, Mediaite, Townhall and CNN

Felicia Sonmez / Washington Post:

White House mistakenly sends Trump-Ukraine talking points to Democrats — In the hours after the release Wednesday of the rough transcript of President Trump's July phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the White House circulated an email with proposed talking points for Trump's defenders.

Discussion: Axios, New York Times, Breitbart, HuffPost, Raw Story, Mother Jones, The Week, Political Wire and Contemptor

Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai / VICE:

What Is CrowdStrike and Why Is Donald Trump Blabbering About It to Ukraine — Donald Trump talked about a cybersecurity firm in a phone call with the Ukraine President that is now the focus of an impeachment inquiry. — The White House released a memo that included a transcript …

Discussion: Vox, Lawfare, Mother Jones, Washington Post, New York Times and HuffPost

Ryan Lucas / NPR:

Trump Asked Ukrainian President For ‘A Favor’ On Biden; DOJ Says No Charges — President Trump told Ukraine's president that “a lot of people want to find out” about former Vice President Joe Biden family's activities in Ukraine — and asked him to be in touch with his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, and Attorney General Bill Barr.

Discussion: ABC News, Occupy Democrats, twitchy.com, Right Wing Watch, Reason, The Week, Breitbart and Common Dreams

Speaker Nancy Pelosi:

Pelosi Statement on Notes of Call Between President Trump and Ukrainian President — Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the White House's release of the notes of the call between President Trump and President Zelensky of Ukraine:

Discussion: RedState, Occupy Democrats, Talking Points Memo, Axios and Hot Air

Washington Post:

Pelosi, top Democrats favor quick, narrow Trump impeachment probe focused on Ukraine — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and senior House Democrats agreed in a private meeting Wednesday that they should narrow their impeachment investigation of President Trump to his dealings with the president of Ukraine …

Discussion: Townhall, Los Angeles Times, Splinter and Political Wire

Politico:

POLITICO Playbook PM: Today in impeachment madness — THE WHITE HOUSE released a summary of a 30-minute phone call between President DONALD TRUMP and Ukraine President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKY in which the following was said: — TRUMP: “The United States has been very, very good to Ukraine.

Discussion: New York Times and The Daily Beast

Guy Benson / Townhall:
The Transcript: Neither a ‘Quid Pro Quo’ Smoking Gun, Nor an Exoneration

Discussion: Axios, The Federalist, Washington Post and The Daily Caller

Mary Clare Jalonick / Associated Press:
AP sources: Lawmakers, staff to view whistleblower complaint

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

David French / TIME:
Trump's Damning Call With Ukraine's President Demands an Impeachment Inquiry

Discussion: HuffPost, Washington Post and New York Times

Addy Baird / BuzzFeed News:
Democrats Say Trump's Ukraine Call Was “Far More Damning” Than They Expected

Discussion: HuffPost, Washington Post, Shareblue Media and Political Wire

Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Lawmakers react to text of Trump's Ukraine call: ‘A classic mob shakedown’

Discussion: Shareblue Media, Townhall and Breitbart

Jonathan Landay / Reuters:
In seeking Ukraine favor, Trump was vulnerable to foreign spies: watchdog

Discussion: Political Wire

Tim Miller / The Bulwark:
About That ‘Favor’ Trump Wanted From Ukraine

Discussion: ABC News, CBS News and CNET

Josh Gerstein / Politico:
Barr is thrust back in harsh glare as Ukraine scandal grows

Discussion: Washington Post, Fox News, Raw Story and Breitbart

Heather Caygle / Politico:
Democrats look to narrow impeachment focus to Trump-Ukraine scandal

Discussion: Vox, Media Matters for America, Splinter, Fox News, IJR, The Week, TheStreet, RedState, Politico, American Greatness, Raw Story and New York Times, more at Mediagazer »

Zoe Tillman / BuzzFeed News:
5 Moments In Donald Trump's Phone Call To Ukraine That Could Fuel The Impeachment Investigation

Discussion: RedState, CNN, Splinter, KyivPost, Raw Story, electionlawblog.org and New York Times

Michael Calderone / Politico:
Washington Post editorial quietly broke open Trump's Ukraine scandal

Discussion: NBC News

Politico:
Q&A: What are the next steps on impeachment?

Discussion: Daily Kos

Charles Sykes / The Bulwark:
How to Do Impeachment Right (And How the Dems Could Blow It)

Discussion: Washington Post, Vanity Fair and HuffPost

Washington Post:
Live updates: Trump denies that he pressured Ukraine's Zelensky to investigate Biden

Discussion: RedState, The Atlantic, Townhall and Raw Story

Alex Pappas / Fox News:
Ukraine call transcript shows Trump sought Biden probe, asked about DNC server - but made no mention of US aid

Discussion: Washington Post, Bloomberg, Politico, Breitbart, Raw Story, Spectator USA, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Patterico's Pontifications and twitchy.com

Ryan J. Reilly / HuffPost:
DOJ Axed Probe Of Trump Asking Ukraine President For ‘Favor’ On Joe Biden

Discussion: Talking Points Memo and Daily Kos

Wall Street Journal:
White House to Release Transcript of Trump's Ukraine Call as Impeachment Efforts Begin

Discussion: Townhall, Foreign Policy, Splinter, The American Conservative, Slate, Fox News, Vox, Roll Call and The Daily Signal

NBC News:
Trump asked Ukraine leader to look into why investigation of Biden's son ended, text of call shows

Discussion: Townhall, Althouse, Raw Story and CNBC

QU Poll:

Release Detail — September 25, 2019 - Warren Continues To Climb While Biden Slips Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Democratic Primary Is Neck And Neck — Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is essentially tied with former Vice President Joe Biden in today's Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea-ack) University national poll.

Discussion: Vox, Slate, CNN, Fox News, The Guardian, National Review, The Daily Caller, Rolling Stone, RedState, Washington Times, New York Post, Washington Post and The Week

Marc Caputo / Politico:

Biden nosedives in early-state polls — Joe Biden's poll numbers are crumbling in the early nominating states that matter most. — Once the dominant front-runner in the Democratic primary, Biden is now marginally trailing Elizabeth Warren in the first caucus state of Iowa and the first primary state of New Hampshire.

Discussion: Fox News, Vanity Fair, Breitbart and USA Today

CNN:
Bernie Sanders plans to escalate campaign in Iowa and New Hampshire as top aides question strategy

Discussion: Political Wire

David Lauter / Los Angeles Times:
Warren takes Democratic presidential nomination lead in California, new poll finds

Discussion: Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, Fox News, Washington Times, The Federalist, Bloomberg and Salon

Quint Forgey / Politico:
Warren passes Biden in new nationwide poll

Discussion: Fox News, CNN, Breitbart and Lawyers, Guns & Money

Sheryl Gay Stolberg / New York Times:

Pelosi Tells Trump: ‘You Have Come Into My Wheelhouse’ — Speaker Nancy Pelosi was once the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee. She is drawing on that experience as she opens an impeachment inquiry into President Trump. — WASHINGTON — Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Trump …

Discussion: The Stranger

CNN:

Trump incredulous after his moves on transparency failed to stop Pelosi — Analyst: Impeachment is a black mark on a presidency — New York (CNN)President Donald Trump was incredulous Tuesday as he sat in Trump Tower and watched House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announce she was launching …

Discussion: KTLA, Splinter, KFOR-TV and Mediaite

Paul Brandus / USA Today:
Nancy Pelosi's impeachment waiting game paid off. Americans will turn on Donald Trump.

Discussion: Bloomberg, No More Mister Nice Blog and Reuters

Carl Hulse / New York Times:
Why an Impeachment Inquiry Now? Democrats Cite the Clarity of the Case

Discussion: The Week, Wall Street Journal, IJR, Politico, Fortune, ABC News, Common Dreams, Washington Post, Associated Press, Breitbart, The Guardian, Just Security and Foreign Policy

Max Burns / Alternet.org: Trump realized that on foreign policy, there are few constraints on his power — and it may be his undoing

Alex Isenstadt / Politico:
GOP cashes in on impeachment

Discussion: CNN, Washington Post, The Hill, The Daily Caller, Vanity Fair, Breitbart, Townhall, The Guardian, The Federalist, Rolling Stone, Balkinization, WinRed and twitchy.com

Daily Mail:

‘She should be getting treatment’: Leading Australian psychologist says he's worried about the mental well-being of ‘entitled’ autistic climate change poster girl Greta Thunberg — A leading psychologist has voiced his concern about the mental well-being of autistic teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg.