memeorandum: Republicans consider Clinton over Trump (Eli Stokols/Politico)

2:40 AM ET, May 5, 2016

Top Items:

Donald Trump Won't Self-Fund General-Election Campaign — Presumptive Republican nominee plans to create ‘world-class finance organization’ to back campaign — Donald Trump won't self-fund his general-election campaign, and will instead create a “world-class finance organization,” …

Discussion: Tallahassee Democrat, The Resurgent, The Week, Guardian, Mediaite, Mike Huckabee, CNN, Political Wire, New York Daily News, New York Post and Fox News

Seth Masket / Vox:

We are witnessing the most massive failure of a political party in generations — The recent withdrawal of Ted Cruz and John Kasich from the Republican presidential nomination race makes Donald Trump the party's assured nominee for 2016. This represents the most colossal failure of an American political party in modern history.

Discussion: Politico and Outside the Beltway

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:

Spoiler: They can't. — Suppose the Republican Party's elites could go a year back in time and act with perfect foresight and perfect coordination. (At the risk of making this hypothetical even more outlandish, let's also grant them functioning strategic brains.) What would they do to avoid their current predicament?

Discussion: BuzzFeed and Politico

Mark Hensch / The Hill:

Trump: I'm open to Cruz as VP — on Wednesday said that he would consider making Sen. Ted Cruz — (R-Texas) his running mate. — “I respect Ted,” he told host Bill O'Reilly on Fox News's “The O'Reilly Factor.” “He was a very strong competitor. He really competed hard and tough.

Discussion: Politico and Little Green Footballs

Jamelle Bouie / Slate:

Donald Trump Isn't Going to Be President — He'd have to win unprecedented shares of the very kinds of voters who hate him: blacks, Latinos, and women. — Now that Donald Trump is just a few delegates away from the Republican nomination, conversation among commentators has turned …

Discussion: Washington Post, Mother Jones, CNBC, Raw Story and Business Insider

Bloomberg:
In Reversal, Donald Trump to Seek Donations to Fund Campaign

Discussion: ABC News

Andrew Kaczynski / BuzzFeed:
Susan Collins: I'll Be Able To Back Trump If He Stops “Gratuitous Personal Insults”

Discussion: Washington Post, National Review, Politico, Hot Air, Talking Points Memo and ABC News

Alexander Bolton / The Hill: McConnell will support Trump

Eli Stokols / Politico: Republicans consider Clinton over Trump

Fox News:

Romanian hacker Guccifer: I breached Clinton server, ‘it was easy’ — Marcel Lazar Lehel, 40, is escorted by masked policemen in Bucharest, after being arrested in Arad, 337 miles west of Bucharest. (Reuters) (REUTERS/Mediafax/Silviu Matei) — EXCLUSIVE: The infamous Romanian hacker known as …

Discussion: NBC News, Business Insider, Hot Air, The Lid, The Daily Caller, LawNewz, Washington Free Beacon, National Review, Power Line, Fox News Insider and The Gateway Pundit

Julian Hattem / The Hill:

Federal judge opens the door to Clinton deposition in email case — A federal judge on Wednesday opened the door to interviewing Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton — as part of a review into her use of a private email server as secretary of State.

Discussion: New York Magazine, Washington Post, ABC News, Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion and Hot Air

New York Times:

Donald Trump Discusses How He'll Select a Running Mate — Donald J. Trump said on Wednesday that he expected to reveal his vice presidential pick sometime in July — before the Republican National Convention in Cleveland — but added that he would soon announce a committee to handle the selection process …

Daniel Strauss / Politico:
Kasich drops out of presidential race

CBS News:
What Donald Trump is looking for in vice presidential pick

Discussion: Western Journalism

John Gibson Show / FOX News Radio:
Trump Supporter Dr. Ben Carson: Donald, Do Not Pick Me As Your Running Mate!

Discussion: Politico

CNN:
John Kasich drops out

Discussion: Hot Air, Western Journalism, The Atlantic, RedState, The Hill, Townhall.com, LifeNews.com, Politico, The Last Refuge, whorunsGov, neo-neocon, BizPac Review, NBC News, AOL, WWBT-TV, Trail Blazers Blog, rubber hose and CBS News

Everett Rosenfeld / CNBC:
John Kasich suspending campaign: Source tells NBC News

Jim Morrill / The Charlotte Observer:

US Justice Department: HB2 violates federal Civil Rights Act — Ruling could ultimately lead to the loss of millions in federal education money — RALEIGH — U.S. Justice Department officials Wednesday notified Gov. Pat McCrory that House Bill 2 violates the U.S. Civil Rights Act.

Josh Feldman / Mediaite:

Trump Blames Hillary for Birtherism, Wolf Blitzer Summarily Fact-Checks Him — Original birther Donald Trump today tried to push birtherism on Hillary Clinton, but Wolf Blitzer didn't go to commercial break without fact-checking that little claim. — Blitzer brought up a clip of Clinton bringing …

Discussion: Guardian and Raw Story

Mark Krikorian / National Review:
NeverHillary — Donald Trump is unfit to be president.

Discussion: Vox and alicublog

Daniel Halper / Weekly Standard:
Hillary Calls on Press to Toughen Up on Trump

Discussion: The Gateway Pundit

Rush Limbaugh:

My Gut: Trump Beats Hillary in Landslide — RUSH: Hold your horses, Trump supporters. Hold your horses. When I say, “We'll examine what went wrong,” come on. You know exactly what I'm talking about, from the standpoint of Cruz supporters. They're the ones trying to figure out what went wrong today.

Discussion: New York Post, The Gateway Pundit, John Hawkins' Right Wing News, Taylor Marsh, Hot Air, Western Journalism, The Daily Caller and The Last Tradition

Katie Van-Syckle / Variety:

MSNBC's Chris Matthews Caught on Hot Mic Ogling Melania Trump … ‘Hardball’ anchor has long history of sexist comments — During the network's coverage of Donald Trump's Indiana primary victory speech, MSNBC's Chris Matthews was caught on a live microphone commenting on the appearance of Melania Trump, the Republican nominee's wife.

Discussion: The Daily Beast, Politico, Washington Free Beacon and Mediaite

Jordan Rudner / The Texas Tribune:

Bush 41, 43 Have No Plans to Endorse Trump … For the first time since his own presidency, George H.W. Bush is planning to stay silent in the race for the Oval Office — and the younger former president Bush plans to stay silent as well. — Bush 41, who enthusiastically endorsed every Republican nominee …

Discussion: Balloon Juice, AOL, Trail Blazers Blog, Political Wire, Mediaite and The Week

Philip Rucker / Washington Post:
Donald Trump takes the reins of a divided Republican Party

Discussion: Politico and AOL

William A. Jacobson / Le·gal In·sur·rec· tion:

Trump is the Nominee, What Now? Legal Insurrection Authors Debate — #NeverTrump, #FineWithTrump, and everything in between — Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican nominee. Presumably he will face off against Hillary Clinton. — Given the intense feelings and turmoil resulting …

Discussion: The Huffington Post, The San Diego Union … and Morning Consult

Betsy Woodruff / The Daily Beast:
When #NeverTrump Becomes #ImWithHer

Discussion: The Resurgent, Right Wing Watch, Bloomberg, Associated Press, Fox News, Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, Washington Post, The Daily Caller, The Atlantic, Liberal Values, JP Updates, Western Journalism, CANNONFIRE and Slate

Dana Rose Falcone / Us Weekly:

Caitlyn Jenner to Pose Naked With Gold Medal for ‘Sports Illustrated’ — Now that's a patriotic streak! — Caitlyn Jenner will appear on a summer cover of Sports Illustrated wearing “nothing but an American flag and her Olympic medal,” a source reveals in the latest issue of Us Weekly.

Discussion: WNEP-TV, Independent Journal …, myfox8.com, AOL, CBS New York and The Daily Caller

Los Angeles Times:

LAPD hacked into iPhone of slain wife of ‘Shield’ actor, documents show — Actor Michael Jace is flanked by his attorneys Peter L. Carr IV, left, and Jason O. Sias during a 2014 proceeding in Los Angeles County Superior Court. — Los Angeles police investigators obtained a method to open …

Los Angeles Times:
L.A. sees another sharp rise in homelessness and outdoor tents

Discussion: KTLA

Breitbart:

Exclusive: President Fox Apologizes, Invites Trump to Mexico — SANTA MONICA, California — During an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, former Mexican President Vicente Fox apologized Wednesday for the vulgar language he has used regarding GOP frontrunner Donald Trump's proposal …

Leon H. Wolf / RedState:

Republicans Should Confirm Merrick Garland ASAP. — Now that Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee, this is not even a close call. There is absolutely no reason to drag this out any longer. Garland is not a great choice, but he is not a terrible one, either.

Discussion: The Resurgent, Politico, The Moderate Voice, The Atlantic, Hot Air, New York Magazine, Washington Post, Vox, The Week, Althouse, NBC News, Talking Points Memo and Media Matters for America

Ian Millhiser / ThinkProgress:
RedState: ‘Confirm Merrick Garland Before It Is Too Late’

Discussion: Booman Tribune, The Week and Washington Post

Ana Marie Cox / New York Times:

Milo Yiannopoulos Doesn't Have Feelings — You're one of the loudest, most provocative voices at Breitbart News, and you're currently on a speaking tour of college campuses, railing against “P.C. culture.” You once admitted in a profile that your public persona started out as a comedy character …

CBC News:

Fort McMurray wildfire remains out of control after city evacuated — 60,000 flee as wildfire leaps highway and into city — Flames are seen from the Sawridge Motel in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Tuesday. The entire city of 60,000 has been ordered evacuated. (Terry Reith/CBC)

Discussion: NBC News and Washington Post

David Chanen / Star Tribune:

Prince died amid frantic plans for drug addiction treatment — California doctor specializing in opioid addiction had been called to help with a ‘grave medical emergency.’ — Prince was found dead one day before he was scheduled to meet with a California doctor in an attempt to kick …