memeorandum: Surviving Biden's Brain Freezes (Jonathan Alter/OLD GOATS with Jonathan Alter)

7:10 PM ET, February 10, 2024

Top Items:

The Real “Robert Hur Report” (Versus What You Read in the News) — How the Special Counsel report has been misinterpreted — The Special Counsel Robert Hur report has been grossly mischaracterized by the press. The report finds that the evidence of a knowing, willful violation of the criminal laws is wanting.

Discussion: PolitiFact and CNN

Jonathan Alter / OLD GOATS with Jonathan Alter:

Surviving Biden's Brain Freezes — As regular readers know, I've spent the last two years arguing here and in The New York Times that President Biden should not run for reelection. Doing so is selfish, short-sighted in terms of securing his legacy, and wrong-headed, as he has admitted …

Discussion: Talking Points Memo, New York Times, NPR, Washington Times, CBS News, The Guardian, Washington Examiner, New York Magazine, CNN, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, al.com and Robert Reich

Filip Timotija / The Hill:

Former FBI official: Similarities between Biden and Hillary Clinton reports ‘nauseating’ — Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe argued Friday that the special counsel's report on President Biden's retention of classified documents while vice president has “nauseating similarities” …

Discussion: Business Insider, The Moderate Voice, Mediaite, BizPac Review, Daily Caller News Foundation and Newsbusters

Rebecca Davis O'Brien / New York Times:

Why the Age Issue Is Hurting Biden So Much More Than Trump — Both Donald J. Trump and President Biden are elderly men. But voters are much less likely to worry that Mr. Trump is too old to serve. — Donald J. Trump has praised Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orban, for his leadership of Turkey …

Discussion: Joe.My.God., Raw Story and USA Today

Josh Meyer / USA Today:

Did special counsel cross the line in bashing Biden's memory? Even some Republicans think so — WASHINGTON - Did Special Counsel Robert Hur cross the line when he attacked President Joe Biden's mental acuity in a report that was supposed to be about the mishandling of classified documents?

Discussion: BizPac Review, Raw Story, Esquire, Washington Examiner, IJR, WHDH-TV, The Guardian and Politico

Heather Cox Richardson / Letters from an American:

February 9, 2024 — Yesterday, Special Counsel Robert Hur, appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland in January 2023 to investigate President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents before he was president, released his report. It begins: “We conclude that no criminal charges are warranted in this matter.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Associated Press and The Guardian

Ross Douthat / New York Times:
The Question Is Not If Biden Should Step Aside. It's How.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money, Israpundit, The Daily Caller, Al Jazeera, Washington Examiner, NBC News and The Hill

Politico: Can Biden emerge from his ‘cocoon’?

Lauran Neergaard / Associated Press:
Verbal gaffe or sign of trouble? Mixing up names like Biden and Trump have done is pretty common

Discussion: Business Insider, The Guardian, Boston Herald, Outside the Beltway, Newsbusters, NewsNation, Twitchy, El País, Fox News, Associated Press, Raw Story, The Atlantic and Politico

Natalie Allison / Politico:
Haley to troll Trump in South Carolina with mobile billboard highlighting his age

Discussion: Bloomberg, SC Daily Gazette, Washington Examiner, The Hill, KTSM 9 News, RedState, Cardinal News, WBTW-TV, Fox News and The Daily Beast

New York Times:
In Private Remarks to Arab Americans, Biden Aide Expresses Regrets on Gaza

Discussion: Breitbart, The Gateway Pundit, Sputnik News, HotAir, Mondoweiss, The Times of Israel, Eschaton, New York Post, 6abc, Associated Press, ABC News, Business Insider, CNN, Twitchy, Power Line and NBC News

Lauren Irwin / The Hill:
Trump argues he should ‘not be charged’ in classified docs case if Biden isn't

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Axios, Breitbart, Washington Post, Vanity Fair, New York Post, Florida Politics, Associated Press, Benzinga, Washington Times, MeidasTouch, Deseret News, Slate and Honolulu Star-Advertiser

David McAfee / Raw Story:
‘Yikes’: Internet erupts after ‘Dementia Trump’ makes several verbal slip-ups at NRA rally

Lauren Irwin / The Hill:

Wisconsin Rep. Gallagher will not seek reelection — Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.) announced Saturday that he will not seek reelection this fall after four terms in office. — Gallagher, the chair of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, released a statement via social media …

Discussion: Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal and Roll Call

Todd Richmond / Associated Press:
Mike Gallagher Won't Seek Reelection After Refusal To Impeach Homeland Security Chief

Discussion: Washington Times, Axios, Mediaite, Joe.My.God., Raw Story and Press Herald

Lawrence Andrea / Journal Sentinel:
U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, Wisconsin Republican and China hawk, will not seek re-election

Discussion: CNBC, NBC News, The Daily Beast, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, Washington Examiner, Fox News, RedState, Politico, The Gateway Pundit, WisPolitics and The Daily Caller

Ron Filipkowski / MeidasTouch:

Trump Says He Will Refuse to Honor NATO Treaty — Said enemies can “do whatever the hell they want” — At every rally, Trump loves to tell the story that references the only thing he knows about global security - the transactional relationship we have with our NATO allies.

Discussion: Joe.My.God.

Sara Boboltz / HuffPost:

Trump Says He Might ‘Encourage’ Russia To Attack NATO Allies — “You gotta pay your bills,” said the former president notorious for not paying his own bills. — LOADING — Former President Donald Trump delivered an alarming message to U.S. allies during a Saturday rally where he outlined …

Discussion: The Hill, Washington Examiner, Fox News and Reuters

Daniel Han / Politico:

Andy Kim sinks first lady Tammy Murphy in NJ Senate race's first Democratic convention — His victory shows he can get support of the rank-and-file Democrats he'll need to overcome Tammy Murphy's advantages. — LONG BRANCH, New Jersey — Rep. Andy Kim on Saturday won by a wide margin …

Discussion: New York Times, Washington Examiner, New Jersey Globe and New Jersey Online

NBC News:

As Biden's memory issues draw attention, neurologists weigh in — Forgetting the names of acquaintances or having difficulty remembering dates from the past doesn't affect decision-making or judgment, brain experts say. — Since a report released on Thursday by special counsel Robert Hur …

Discussion: Raw Story, Advocate, STAT, Greensburg Tribune-Review, Issues & Insights and El País

Alia Shoaib / Business Insider:

Trump bizarrely claims ‘they’ will change the name of the state of Pennsylvania if he loses it — Donald Trump claimed Pennsylvania's name will change if he loses the state. — Donald Trump seemed to allude to sites honoring historical figures that had been renamed.

Discussion: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Raw Story, UPROXX, Louisiana Illuminator, PoliticusUSA, Pennsylvania Capital-Star, HuffPost, The Hill, Breitbart and New York Times

Phillip Inman / The Guardian:

The hard truth is that Britain's entrepreneurs simply don't innovate — Billions in tax relief is showered on UK small businesses in the belief that they are transforming the economy. They aren't — Entrepreneurs are a false god. We offer them billions of pounds' worth of tax breaks and subsidies …

Tara Suter / The Hill:

Rosendale says he still loves Trump, despite endorsement of opponent — Matt Rosendale said he still loves former President Trump despite Trump's recent endorsement of Tim Sheehy, an opponent of the Montana Republican Senate candidate. — “I love President Trump,” Rosendale said in an interview …