This new story about Michael Flynn possibly negotiating to kidnap a legal American resident and exfiltrate him to Turkey is wild and really requires close attention. We had heard some time ago that this idea of kidnapping Fetullah Gulen had been discussed or perhaps hypothesized. But now we are hearing that Michael Flynn and perhaps his son were actively negotiating with Turkish interests about doing this during the transition. Read More

Jim Zeigler is the Alabama State Auditor who has recast the core narratives of the Gospels as a sort of barely legal dime novel as a way to justify the alleged actions of Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore. “Zechariah was extremely old to marry Elizabeth and they became the parents of John the Baptist. Also take Joseph and Mary. Mary was a teenager and Joseph was an adult carpenter. They became parents of Jesus.” Read More

Hannity and Fox Legal Analyst Mercedes Colwin discuss harassment and assault and money.

“Few and Far Between” … this is quite a segment. Watch pic.twitter.com/rN9PPZYBH5

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) November 10, 2017

CNN is now reporting that Robert Mueller’s Russia probe has now interviewed young White House advisor Stephen Miller. The focus seems to be on Miller’s knowledge of and possible involvement in the firing of James Comey. With this news, I want to remind everyone of Miller’s role on that pivotal weekend with Trump before the Comey firing and that still unexplained Air Force One incident on the Sunday night flight back to Washington. Here’s my report.

I’m going to set to the side for the moment the substance of the new story about Roy Moore. It speaks for itself and we have initial reporting on the political impact here. But what also seems clear is that while the GOP can disown him it really can’t replace him. Read More

President Trump’s bodyguard Keith Schiller told Congressional investigators that a Russian did offer to “send five women” to Trump’s hotel room at the Miss Universe Pageant back in 2013. Yes, that’s the event that that notorious part of the dossier is about. Schiller says he told the Russian they weren’t interested.

This is a wild story. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke is reportedly going to resign after Chief of Staff John Kelly (her former boss as DHS Secretary) called her from Asia to complain that she wasn’t expelling Honduran immigrants quickly enough. Read More

Some background (sub. req.) on today’s must read by Tierney Sneed.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY) laments that the GOP tax bill as currently written is a political disaster and Tuesday’s results prove it: “To me it’s about the most obvious message you can get. I just hope people listen. It’s just common sense. These aren’t [just] tough votes, they’re votes that go right against our constituents.”

Cameron Joseph on why the tax bill is now a heavier lift for vulnerable suburban GOPers.

I think the weirdness over Trump’s interference in the AT&T/Time Warner acquisition is about to blow up. Here’s my backgrounder (sub req).