memeorandum: Battleground Dem senators consider bucking Biden on border, Iran (Politico)

9:00 AM ET, October 23, 2023

Top Items:

Playbook: Inside Tom Emmer's Trump problem — Presented by With help from Eli Okun and Garrett Ross — DRIVING THE DAY — CORRECTING THE RECORD — “Hamas Fails to Make Case That Israel Struck Hospital,” by NYT's Patrick Kingsley and Aaron Boxerman in Jerusalem

Dan Ladden-Hall / The Daily Beast:

Trump Claims He Never Spoke to Billionaire ‘Red Haired Weirdo’ About Nuke Subs — ‘FAKE NEWS!’ — Donald Trump lashed out at explosive reports Sunday alleging that he had discussed sensitive information concerning U.S. nuclear submarines and conversations with world leaders with Australian billionaire Anthony Pratt.

Peter Wade / Rolling Stone:

Listen: Billionaire Brags About Trump Sharing Secret Information With Him — “I hadn't even heard it. It hadn't even been on the news yet and [Trump] said, ‘I just bombed Iraq today,’” Australian multibillionaire Anthony Pratt said on a recording aired by 60 Minutes Australia

Discussion: Crooks and Liars, Insider, HuffPost and Political Wire

New York Times:
A President, a Billionaire and Questions About Access and National Security

Discussion: HuffPost, The Messenger, CNN, The Guardian, BizPac Review, Axios, The Daily Beast, Washington Post, Washington Examiner and TMZ.com

Sudiksha Kochi / USA Today:
Liz Cheney doesn't rule out presidential bid, calls Donald Trump ‘the single most dangerous threat’

Discussion: The Guardian, BizPac Review, Fox News, Rolling Stone, HuffPost, CBS News, The Hill, New York Post, RedState, The Gateway Pundit, NBC News, The Messenger, PoliticusUSA, Election Law Blog and Daily Kos

Politico:
Playbook: Slumping GOP field makes case for consolidation

Discussion: HuffPost, The Messenger and The Hill

Noah Berlatsky / Public Notice:

The House GOP's unlikely resistance fighter — Public Notice just celebrated its second birthday. Click the button to take advantage of our special anniversary offer. — Click to redeem PN 2nd anniversary offer — The ongoing GOP House speakership debacle has been a clownish …

Discussion: The Hill

Lauren Sforza / The Hill:

How each Speaker candidate voted in overturning 2020 election results — With nine candidates in the running for Speaker, some Republicans are raising questions over whether their votes on overturning the 2020 election results should be a factor in electing the next leader.

Discussion: CBS News and Washington Examiner

Miranda Nazzaro / The Hill:

Gingrich says House GOP poses ‘very real danger’ of electing Speaker, then going ‘back into the same mess’ — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) warned that the House GOP conference poses a “very real danger” of electing a Speaker and then in a few weeks going “back into the same mess.”

Discussion: Political Wire

New York Times:

Republicans Grapple With Being Speakerless, but Effectively Leaderless, Too — With a speaker fight in the House, concerns about an aging Senate leader and a 2024 front-runner who has the party in a vise grip, some G.O.P. members worry the turmoil could have long-term effects.

Discussion: American Prospect and RedState

USA Today:

Cut it out, Americans by more than 2-1 tell the House: Elect a speaker, already — Susan Page Sudiksha Kochi Savannah Kuchar — The soap opera that has consumed members of Congress for nearly three weeks over electing a new speaker is testing the patience of the voters who sent them to Washington …

Discussion: The Hill, Punchbowl News, The Messenger and National Review

Scott Lemieux / Lawyers, Guns & Money:

If you have nine candidates for Speaker you have no candidates for speaker — I would call this the political equivalent of a “let's remember some guys” blog except that you would have had to ever have known who they were to remember them: — The House GOP's enormous speaker field is officially set …

Discussion: CNN, Axios, NPR, al.com, Agri-Pulse Communications … and Political Wire

Politico:
GOP speaker chaos: 9 Republicans will battle for top post

Discussion: Washington Post and The Texas Tribune

CNBC:
House Republicans say the speaker race stalemate is ‘embarrassing’ for the GOP

Discussion: The Guardian, CNN, Los Angeles Times, Washington Times, The Daily Beast, ABC News, The Hill, Washington Examiner, USA Today, Political Wire and New York Post

Politico:

Battleground Dem senators consider bucking Biden on border, Iran — Joe Manchin has already signed on to two bills that would freeze $6 billion in assets to Iran, countering the White House. Sherrod Brown and Jon Tester may join him. — Battleground Senate Democrats are weighing a break …

Discussion: Washington Examiner and The Messenger

Judd Legum / Popular Information:

The $14 billion question — After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, which killed 2,977 victims, there was a tremendous and justifiable desire for the government to take action against those responsible. On October 7, 2001, the United States and its allies launched “Operation Enduring Freedom.”

The White House:

Joint Statement on Israel — Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada, President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom spoke regarding …

Discussion: New York Times and TASS

Jenny Goldsberry / Washington Examiner:

Leaked audio captures Sheila Jackson Lee disparaging staffer — Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX), who is running for mayor of Houston, was allegedly caught in an audio recording cursing at her staffer while calling him names. — The audio was given to Texas outlet Current Revolt Saturday …

Discussion: The Messenger, Mediaite, Fox News, HotAir, RedState, Current Revolt and The Gateway Pundit

Mirna Alsharif / NBC News:

Michigan State University ‘deeply sorry’ for Hitler image displayed on video boards before football game — Hitler and his birthplace, Austria, were broadcast on video boards as part of a pregame quiz. — Michigan State University apologized for images of Adolf Hitler that were displayed …