memeorandum: Fetterman calls for Menendez to resign (Mia McCarthy/Politico)

5:30 PM ET, September 23, 2023

Top Items:

The Wrecking-Ball Caucus: How the Far Right Brought Washington to Its Knees — Right-wing Republicans who represent a minority in their party and in Congress have succeeded in sowing mass dysfunction, spoiling for a shutdown, an impeachment and a House coup.

Discussion: Politico and Raw Story

Paul Kane / Washington Post:

Was McCarthy distracted from governing by impeachment inquiry? — House Republicans pledge a slow, methodical pace on the Biden impeachment inquiry, but some rank-and-file believe that their leaders have missed the target on priorities — Congressional bureau chief

Discussion: Raw Story

Politico:

McCarthy stares into the shutdown abyss — The speaker has only one clear exit route away from a government closure: working with Democrats. It's a path he still refuses to take. — Speaker Kevin McCarthy has only one way out of next week's impending government shutdown: working with Democrats.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Associated Press, The Hill, Raw Story, CNN, Political Wire and The Guardian

Slate:

Clarence Thomas' Latest Pay-to-Play Scandal Finally Connects All the Dots — ProPublica released a new report on Friday detailing Justice Clarence Thomas' close relationship with the Koch brothers with previously undisclosed and extraordinarily damning new details.

Discussion: CNN, Fox News, USA Today, Washington Post, Washington Times, Breitbart, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo, The Mercury News, Wall Street Journal and NPR, more at Mediagazer »

Shan Wu / The Daily Beast:

Clarence Thomas' Koch Party Is Latest Shocking Ethics Breach — Thomas should be forced to recuse himself from hearing cases brought by groups that he helps fundraise for and who fly him on private jets. … Justice Clarence Thomas once championed the Supreme Court line of precedent giving deference …

Discussion: Raw Story and Twitchy

Mia McCarthy / Politico:

Fetterman calls for Menendez to resign — Menendez was indicted for accepting bribes Friday. — Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) called for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign from the Senate on Saturday, making him the first Democratic senator to call for his resignation.

Discussion: The Messenger, Political Wire, New York Post, The Hill, New Jersey Online, New Jersey Globe, Twitchy, HuffPost, acecomments.mu.nu, CNN, Roll Call, Associated Press, Reuters, Washington Times and The Post Millennial

Nick Robertson / The Hill:

New Jersey rep. announces challenge to unseat Menendez following indictment — Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) announced Saturday that he will primary Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) after the senator was indicted on corruption charges Friday. — “After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said 'I am …

Governor Phil Murphy / State of New Jersey:
Statement by Governor Murphy on Today's Indictment Against U.S. Senator Robert Menendez

CBS News:
Eye Opener: New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez indicted

Discussion: The Daily Caller, USA Today, CNN, NBC New York, Washington Examiner, Daily Kos and Crooks and Liars

Matt Friedman / Politico:
‘This is horrifying’: Top New Jersey Democrats call on Bob Menendez to resign after his second indictment

Washington Post:

Misinformation research is buckling under GOP legal attacks — An escalating campaign, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and other Republicans, has cast a pall over programs that study political disinformation and the quality of medical information online — Academics, universities …

Discussion: Raw Story and Political Wire, more at Mediagazer »

Carter Sherman / The Guardian:

US mother sentenced to two years in prison for giving daughter abortion pills — Jessica Burgess pleaded guilty in July to providing an abortion after 20 weeks and tampering with human remains — Jessica Burgess, a Nebraska mother accused of helping her teenage daughter use pills to end her pregnancy …

Discussion: Raw Story, Newsbusters, Eschaton, The Messenger and New York Daily News

Austin Svehla / The Norfolk Daily News:
Norfolk woman who facilitated daughter's illegal abortion sentenced to prison

Discussion: HotAir, Washington Examiner, New York Post, CNN, NBC News and Los Angeles Times

New York Times:

U.S. Provided Canada With Intelligence on Killing of Sikh Leader — American intelligence gave assistance, but communications intercepted by Canada were more definitive in linking India to the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. — American spy agencies provided information to Ottawa …

Discussion: The Intercept, Breitbart, Bloomberg and Al Jazeera

Mychael Schnell / The Hill:

McCarthy backtracks, says he will keep Ukraine aid in Pentagon funding bill — Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Saturday said he will keep Ukraine aid in the Pentagon funding bill, a reversal from his announcement one day earlier that he would strip the money out due to opposition from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

Discussion: Politico, Washington Times, The Georgia Star News and Washington Examiner

Lauren Irwin / The Hill:

Richard Branson to climate change deniers: 'it's a fact of life' — While in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson shared details of his next endeavor: combating climate change. — The billionaire British businessman announced Monday …

Discussion: NBC News

Robert Draper / New York Times:

Cassidy Hutchinson Reappears. She Has More Trump Stories to Tell. — “I would like not to be a hermit,” the former White House aide says upon the publication of a memoir about her journey down a political rabbit hole. — Cassidy Hutchinson dropped out of sight last year after she testified …

Discussion: Insider, Political Wire and CBS News

Tim Murphy / Mother Jones:

Joe Biden Is About to Go Where No President Has Gone Before — A picket line. — On September 15, the United Auto Workers began a targeted strike against Ford, GM, and Stellantis (the conglomerate that includes Chrysler) in an effort to secure higher wages, a four-day work week, and other protections in the union's next contract.