‘Morning Joe’ Responds To Trump Tweet, The GOP’s Awkward Family Week, And Movies Replaced Athletes With Businessmen

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May 9, 2016

Top Stories


GOP Reportedly Telling Candidates They Are Free To Skip Convention

The Gist: An official at the National Republican Senatorial Committee told lobbyists and donors on Thursday that candidates are welcome to skip the Republican convention in July and instead focus on their own races, according to a New York Times report citing anonymous sources.

‘Morning Joe’ Responds To Trump In Real Time: Your Attacks Are ‘Cute!’

The Gist: MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” hosts, long dogged by criticism that they’ve too chummy with Donald Trump, responded to the presumptive GOP nominee’s barbed tweets in real time during their Monday morning broadcast.

The GOP’s Awkward Family Week Is About To Commence 

The Gist: As Hill Republicans stagger back to the Capitol this week, many are coming to terms with what still hadn’t sunk in when they recessed 10 days ago: Donald Trump is their nominee. 

From The Reporter’s Notebook


Donald Trump said Sunday that he can see why former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) wouldn’t vote for him after the way he treated Bush on the trail, TPM’s Sara Jerde reported. “Well, I understand Jeb Bush. I was rough with Jeb Bush. And I think if I was Jeb Bush, I wouldn’t vote for me either, if you want to know the truth, George,” Trump said. “But, you know, they should do that. They’re Republicans.”

Agree or Disagree?


Josh Marshall: “What it all amounts to is that the great bulk of elected officials (for these purposes we’re just including members of Congress and Governors) are not really willing to support Trump’s candidacy. At least not yet. I’ve been saying for months that Republicans were fooling themselves if they thought they could deny Trump the nomination if he was the clear winner of the primary process. For the moment, the collective decision of the GOP seems to be something like you won the nomination, now go see what you can do with it. My read is that all these folks besides the outright endorsers are bidding their time at least to the convention, hoping things clarify in some fashion or other options open up. The finality of the convention and formal nomination will make the yes or no question much harder to avoid.”

Say What?!


“His warning is, what happens when the next person tries to do this and tries to use the bully pulpit of the presidency to sell something that is not in the nation’s interest?Where are the media? Where are the reporters? They are not there and I can’t say I disagree with him. I don’t.”

-One of the most infamous media cheerleaders of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Judith Miller, derided young journalists for failing to critically cover the rise of Donald Trump.

BUZZING: Today in the Hive


From a TPM Prime member: “I agree HRC should join with Sanders in a pledge to reign in Wall Street excesses and to craft wise regulation — but where we differ is that I think the tone should change from firebrand populist to emphasizing common goals — positive steps to assure financial stability and health for individuals, the markets and the country. Punishment of a certain class of people and/or redistribution is a message that can backfire because middle class moderates will see themselves as the target, not the recipients of relief. Just about everyone is invested in the stock market now through pensions and retirement funds, so its in all our interests that the market thrives. People first need to feel more stable economically — not less if we want progressive policies to be supported. I think expanding Medicare and access to college can be done incrementally. Rather than medicare for all — I’d like to see us start with offering a public option through the ACA and free or very low cost tuition for community college when working towards a GED and/or AA degree — or comparable vocational programs.”

Related: Clinton: Sanders would “end all the kinds of health care we know.”

Have something to add? Become a Prime member and join the discussion here.

What We’re Reading


In popular culture, businessmen and managers have ousted teams and players as dramatic heroes. (The Atlantic).

Half of your friends probably don’t think of you as a friend (New York Magazine).


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