memeorandum: 'You can't take any of them for granted': The voters who will sway 2020's swing states (USA Today)

10:55 AM ET, December 2, 2019

Top Items:

Molly Jong-Fast / The Daily Beast:

Lisa Page Speaks: 'There's No Fathomable Way I Have Committed Any Crime at All' — STRIKING BACK — The former FBI lawyer and ongoing Trump target breaks two years of silence in this exclusive interview. And she has quite a lot to say. — It's not often that you interview a subject who has no interest in being famous.

Kenneth Garger / New York Post:
Lisa Page says Trump tweet attacks are ‘like being punched in the gut’

Discussion: Washington Post, The Gateway Pundit and Mediaite

Simon Shuster / TIME:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Speaks Out on Trump, Putin and a Divided Europe — 'I don't trust anyone at all'

Discussion: NBC News, Fox News, The Independent, The American Independent, IJR, Mediaite, Political Wire, Raw Story, Contemptor and War Room

David Weigel / Washington Post:

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock drops out of presidential race — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who pitched himself to Democratic voters as a campaign finance reformer who could win in red states, is ending his bid for the party's presidential nomination. — “While there were many obstacles …

Discussion: Associated Press, Politico, The Hill, Axios, Political Wire, Outside the Beltway, Daily Kos and Lawyers, Guns & Money

New York Times:
Steve Bullock Drops Out of 2020 Presidential Race

Discussion: UPI

Ella Nilsen / Vox: Montana Gov. Steve Bullock has dropped out of the 2020 race, and says he won't run for Senate

Steve Bullock / Medium:
Thank you. — Today, I announced that I'm suspending my campaign for President.

Discussion: Townhall, CNN, Vanity Fair, NBC News, Slate, New York Post, The Daily Caller, UPI and The Guardian

Ken Moritsugu / Associated Press:

China to suspend US Navy visits to Hong Kong over new law — 1 of 6 — HONG KONG (AP) — China said Monday it will suspend U.S. military ship and aircraft visits to Hong Kong and sanction several American pro-democracy and human rights groups in retaliation for the signing into law …

Helen Raleigh / The Federalist:
Unprecedented Leaks Underscore Deep Discontent Inside China

Discussion: Instapundit

Fred Hiatt / Washington Post:
China is harassing journalists reporting on Uighurs. They cannot be stifled.

Discussion: National Review

Bloomberg:
China Spares Trade in First Retaliation to U.S.'s Hong Kong Law

Discussion: National Review and Political Wire

Rachel M. Cohen / The Intercept:

Nancy Pelosi Pushes the House to Pass USMCA, but Neglects a Bill With Broad Support to Strengthen Unions — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has made no secret of her desire to pass the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement by the end of the year, telling reporters recently that it would be her goal for the House to vote on it before Christmas.

Byron York / Washington Examiner:

The bad-faith impeachment — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says Democrats are trying to remove President Trump from office “prayerfully,” and “sadly,” and “with a heavy heart.” In fact, as anyone who has been watching knows, many Democrats have been itching to impeach Trump since the day he took office.

CBS News:

300+ Trump ads taken down by Google, YouTube — 60 Minutes finds over 300 video ads for President Trump were taken down, mostly over the summer, for violating company policy — How to handle political ads on social media has become a growing concern as the 2020 U.S. presidential election approaches.

Discussion: The Hill, IJR, Washington Times, Political Wire, Townhall, Sean Hannity and Althouse, more at Mediagazer »

Angus King / USA Today:

Ukraine scandal: I know why Trump top dogs — Mulvaney, Pompeo, Perry & Bolton — won't bark — Because it would be so easy for these people to clear the president, it's hard to escape the conclusion that their silence is part of a cover-up. — One of Sherlock Holmes' most famous cases …

Discussion: Raw Story

Washington Post:

Ukraine's Zelensky is making headway against corruption. But the fight risks angering Trump. — KYIV, Ukraine — By the end of this month, more than 500 Ukrainian prosecutors will be out of their jobs as part of sweeping professional reviews under Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo

John Wagner / Washington Post:
Impeachment hearings live updates: Trump heads to London for NATO meeting ahead of pivotal week …

Discussion: Associated Press and Outside the Beltway

Politico:

Georgia governor set to buck Trump on Senate appointment — In defiance of Trump, Brian Kemp has begun informing fellow Republicans that he will appoint business exec Kelly Loeffler to the soon-to-be-vacant seat. — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has been getting pressure about his prospective Senate pick.

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, National Review and The Dispatch

Politico:
POLITICO Playbook: Washington's December nightmare

Discussion: New York Times

Kyle Cheney / Politico:

White House won't take part in first House Judiciary impeachment hearing — The White House informed House Democrats on Sunday that it will not participate in the Judiciary Committee's first impeachment hearing, excoriating Democrats' impeachment inquiry as a “baseless” and “partisan” …

Discussion: Raw Story, Common Dreams, The Daily Caller, Redstate, Breitbart, New York Times, HuffPost, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion, The Last Refuge, Reuters, UPI, The Hill, Axios, Mediaite and Townhall

Mike Allen / Axios:
The House GOP's next impeachment move

Discussion: ABC News, Political Wire and Raw Story

Washington Post:

Trump will reimpose steel and aluminum tariffs on Brazil and Argentina, opening new trade war fronts — The White House says the two nations are “presiding over a massive devaluation of their currencies. which is not good for our farmers.” — President Trump announced tariffs …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Daily Kos, The Guardian, Sputnik International, Political Wire, New York Times and New York Post

Quint Forgey / Politico:
Trump announces restored tariffs on Argentina, Brazil

Discussion: Axios, The Hill and Financial Times

Dexter Filkins / New Yorker:

Blood and Soil in Narendra Modi's India — The Prime Minister's Hindu-nationalist government has cast two hundred million Muslims as internal enemies. — On August 11th, two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent soldiers in to pacify the Indian state of Kashmir …

Jennifer Rubin / Washington Post:

What to do about the Kremlin's propagandists — Sen. John Neely Kennedy (R-La.) once before walked back an assertion that maybe Ukraine was responsible for meddling in the 2016 election. That has not deterred him from repeating the Kremlin's propaganda. Appearing on “Meet the Press” on Sunday, he was at it again.

Discussion: The Independent, Balloon Juice and Daily Kos

NBC News:
Meet the Press - December 1, 2019

Discussion: Washington Post

R.J. Lyman / The Bulwark:

This Is the Single Best Argument For Why Trump Should Be Impeached and Removed — He tried to meddle in the 2020 election. It's crazy to say that you have to let him participate in the 2020 election in order to render a verdict on his attempt to cheat in it.

Associated Press:

Legal reckoning: New abuse suits could cost church over $4B — 1 of 9 — NEW YORK (AP) — At the end of another long day trying to sign up new clients accusing the Roman Catholic Church of sexual abuse, lawyer Adam Slater gazes out the window of his high-rise Manhattan office …

Niall Stanage / The Hill:

The Memo: Trump faces uphill 2020 climb — President Trump is a slight underdog to win a second term with less than a year to go before the 2020 election. — The president is saddled with low approval ratings nationally and weaknesses with key voting groups.

Cheyenne Haslett / ABC News:
Young voter asks Elizabeth Warren emotional question about acceptance

Discussion: Blue Virginia

Elisabeth Egan / New York Times:

‘Free, Melania’: 6 Takeaways — A new unauthorized biography of Melania Trump gets into the first lady's relationship with Ivanka, “Be Best” and that “I really don't care” jacket. — Where the first lady, Melania Trump, is concerned, theories abound. — From morning-show hosts …

Discussion: The Root

Kate Bennett / CNN: ‘Free, Melania’ offers new details about the life of a private first lady

Bob Bauer / New York Times:

Trump Is the Founders' Worst Nightmare — The very conduct that necessitates presidential impeachment also supplies the means for the demagogue to escape it. — Mr. Bauer served as a White House counsel under President Barack Obama. — Donald Trump's Republican congressional allies …

Tim Baker / London Evening Standard:

Apostrophe society shuts down because ‘ignorance and laziness have won’ — ES News email — The latest headlines in your inbox Enter your email address Continue — Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account.

Noa Landau / Haaretz:

Netanyahu Calls Off Visit to NATO Summit After U.K. Cites ‘Logistical Problems’ — Sources say Merkel and Macron hadn't responded to attempts to arrange meetings in London with the Israeli leader, who was set to meet with Pompeo — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu won't attend the NATO summit …