memeorandum: Florida donors with state business fueled last months of DeSantis 2024 run (Washington Post)

5:10 PM ET, March 27, 2024

Top Items:

The Biden Campaign Is Quietly Preparing a Trump Ambush — LOW MALARKEY — The ingredients for a Biden comeback are falling into place at a moment in the 2024 campaign when Trump is mired in legal and financial problems. — Just a few months ago, it was hard to see the ingredients …

Discussion: Fox News, Digby's Hullabaloo, The Hill, WKBN-TV, inews.co.uk, Business Insider, WisPolitics, Associated Press, The Guardian and NBC News

Michael Gold / New York Times:

Trump Attacks R.F.K. Jr., a Third-Party Wild Card — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the independent presidential candidate, has asserted that he intends to be a “spoiler” for both Donald Trump and President Biden. — Former President Donald J. Trump attacked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. …

Discussion: New Republic, Washington Examiner, New Jersey Online, Washington Times, Daily Caller News Foundation and The Hill

David Corn / Mother Jones:
Will RFK Jr. and Other Third-Party Candidates Help Doom Democracy?

Discussion: Sacramento Bee and NewsNation

Quinnipiac University Poll:
Is Democracy In The U.S. Working? It's A Toss-Up, But Voters Don't See It Ending In Their Lifetimes, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds …

Discussion: The Hill

Chris Megerian / Associated Press:
Biden leans on his Democratic predecessors as Trump remains isolated from other Republican leaders

Discussion: USA Today, Washington Times, New York Post and New York Daily News

Associated Press:
AP-NORC Poll: Trump evokes more anger and fear from Democrats than Biden does from Republicans

Discussion: Raw Story, RedState, Talking Points Memo and Digby's Hullabaloo

Steve Peoples / Associated Press:
Trump slow to invest in states that could decide election as some in GOP fear ‘skeleton’ campaign

Discussion: Raw Story

Sahil Kapur / NBC News:
Biden's case for re-election is improving, but his polling against Trump is still shaky

Discussion: Washington Examiner, CNBC, Hopium Chronicles, Raw Story, Daily Mail, Fox News, Axios, Bloomberg and Daily Camera

CNN:
Obama jumps in to help Biden defeat Trump again

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Breitbart, The Daily Caller and New York Times

AP-NORC:
Few excited, many angry and fearful about Biden/Trump reelection

Discussion: The Hill and Fox News

Politico:

Playbook: Ronna strikes back — With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine — DRIVING THE DAY — ROLL TIDE — More evidence came in overnight that reproductive rights remains a potent issue for Democrats, at least in low-turnout contests: The party flipped an Alabama state House seat …

Discussion: HotAir, Outside the Beltway, Mediaite, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Blaze Media, Raw Story, Washington Examiner, New York Times and Instapundit, more at Mediagazer »

Tara Suter / The Hill:

Chris Cuomo rips NBC's reversal on Ronna McDaniel hiring — NewsNation host Chris Cuomo criticized NBC's News's decision to oust former Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Ronna McDaniel as a paid contributor. — “How is this not a '[former President Trump] and his people tried to rig the election …

Rachael Bade / Politico:

McDaniel eyes big payout after NBC drama — The former RNC chair is in talks with a prominent media talent lawyer about potential legal claims. — Will it be the $600,000 interview? — The ramifications of NBC's decision yesterday to part ways with former RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel …

Discussion: The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair, Business Insider, Breitbart, Diane Ravitch's blog and WBUR

Jeff Greenfield / Politico:

When an Operative Becomes a Journalist — and Why Ronna McDaniel Flopped — I made the move from political operative to media analyst. Here's how it can actually work. — In the years before I took the vow of journalistic purity, I was a political operative — or aide — or hack.

Discussion: Chicago Tribune

Ron Dicker / HuffPost:
Geraldo Rivera Saves Nastiest Barb For Rachel Maddow In Blasting NBC's McDaniel Firing

Discussion: Newsbusters, The Nation, The Hill, Fox News, Raw Story, Mediaite, Salon, Washington Post, PoliticusUSA, Daily Kos, New York Post, BizPac Review, Twitchy, Associated Press, The Daily Caller and Variety, more at Mediagazer »

Associated Press:

Settlement reached in lawsuit between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis allies and Disney — ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney reached a settlement agreement Wednesday in a lawsuit over who controls Walt Disney World's governing district.

Skyler Swisher / Orlando Sentinel:

Disney, Florida settle lawsuits over tourism district — DeSantis-appointed board ‘eager to work with Disney’; company sees ‘new chapter of constructive engagement’ — A Gov. Ron DeSantis-backed board and Disney settled lawsuits Wednesday over who controls the governing district of Disney World's theme parks and resorts.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Axios, CNBC, Politico, Florida Politics and UPI

Ed Morrissey / HotAir:
BREAKING: Disney Surrenders in Reedy Creek War

Discussion: Washington Examiner, Los Angeles Times, Breitbart, Law & Crime, The Gateway Pundit, WDW News Today, Variety, Florida's Voice, The Daily Caller, acecomments.mu.nu and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis

Lori Rozsa / Washington Post:
DeSantis tourism board and Disney reach settlement to end legal feud

Discussion: CNN, Raw Story and Florida Politics

Zoë Richards / NBC News:

Democrat wins Alabama special election in early test for IVF as a campaign issue — Marilyn Lands, who defeated Republican Teddy Powell, highlighted IVF and abortion rights in her campaign for a state House seat that had been held by the GOP. — Democratic candidate Marilyn Lands …

Discussion: Alabama Daily News, UPI, al.com, New Republic, Daily Kos, Axios, Alabama Reflector and The Hill

Liz Crampton / Politico:

Abortion proves winning strategy for Alabama Democrat — Marilyn Lands won a state House special election in a rare battleground race — An Alabama Democrat who campaigned aggressively on abortion access won a special election in the state Legislature on Tuesday, sending a message …

Discussion: Washington Post, The Status Kuo, Axios, Washington Examiner, The Guardian, Twitchy, Rolling Stone, Alabama Reflector, al.com, Mediaite, Balloon Juice and USA Today

Politico:
What the IVF fight means for the battle for control of Congress

Discussion: The Daily Beast, USA Today, al.com and Pluribus News

Howard Koplowitz / al.com:
Alabama Democrat Marilyn Lands, running on IVF ruling, flips Republican House seat

Arit John / CNN:
Democrat who made reproductive rights a campaign focus will win Alabama special election, CNN projects

Discussion: CBS News, Eschaton, Crooks and Liars, PoliticusUSA, The Hill, USA Today and Daily Kos

New York Times:

How Trump Moved Money to Pay $100 Million in Legal Bills — Former President Donald J. Trump has spent more than $100 million since leaving office, on lawyers and other costs related to fending off various investigations, indictments and his coming criminal trials, according to a New York Times review of federal records.

Discussion: Raw Story and Forbes

Lauren Sforza / The Hill:

Greene says she won't take blame if Jeffries becomes Speaker — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Tuesday that it is not her fault if House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is promoted to the House's top role after she filed a motion to vacate Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) from the position last week.

Discussion: Washington Examiner, KSN-TV, BizPac Review, Raw Story, IJR and Breitbart

Marianna Sotomayor / Washington Post:
The House GOP thought it was moving past internal drama. Then more showed up.

Discussion: Associated Press, Washington Examiner and MeidasTouch

Noah Berlatsky / Public Notice:

In MAGA world, there are no accidents — The Baltimore bridge disaster reminded us that these folks should be nowhere near power. … Donald Trump has been talking disconcertingly often on the campaign trail about a looming terror attack. All indications are that Tuesday's bridge collapse …

Discussion: New York Times, The Hill, No More Mister Nice Blog, NPR, Rolling Stone, The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Baltimore Sun, Raw Story and GovExec.com

Moira Donegan / The Guardian:

Even the US supreme court was baffled by conservatives' attack on abortion pills — The anti-choice case relies on outlandish legal leaps. And if they can't win there, they'll redouble efforts to win the White House — It is a testament to how weak the plaintiffs' case is that the justices seemed so skeptical.

Discussion: Reason, New York Times, KDFX-TV, New Republic, Vox and The Hill

Slate:
The Current Attack on Abortion Pills Will Fail. The Next One Will Be So Much Worse.

Discussion: Daily Kos, Law Dork, KDFX-TV, The Gender Justice Brief, Off the Kuff, KSDK-TV, New Republic, SCOTUSblog, The Hill, ABC News, NBC News, Mother Jones, Roll Call, BizPac Review, Alabama Reflector and New York Times

Jill Colvin / Associated Press:

Trump is selling ‘God Bless the USA’ Bibles for $59.99 as he faces mounting legal bills — Former President Donald Trump is now selling Bibles as he runs to return to the White House. Trump, who became the presumptive Republican nominee earlier this month, released a video on his Truth Social platform …

Politico:

He's just Ken: Ex-Rep. Buck talks Boebert and his Freedom Caucus firing — The Coloradan took plenty of intra-party heat as he left the House last week. He's trying to cool it down.

Kwan Wei Kevin Tan / Business Insider:

Mike Lindell's MyPillow is getting evicted from its Minnesota warehouse after the company failed to cough up over $200,000 in unpaid rent — Things aren't looking great for Mike Lindell. — The embattled businessman is now facing eviction for one of his warehouses in Minnesota.