memeorandum: If Shutdown Needed to Fix Washington, ‘So Be It,’ Mulvaney Says (Mark Niquette/Bloomberg)

2:40 PM ET, May 7, 2017

Top Items:

Christopher Dickey / The Daily Beast:

Did Macron Outsmart Campaign Hackers? … PARIS—It was the dog that didn't bark in the night, and its bite may be less impressive still. As a tale of hacking and political subversion unfolded in France on Friday and Saturday, it looked like a re-run of the American experience.

Discussion: Sputnik International, Balloon Juice, Joe.My.God. and The Intercept, more at Mediagazer »

Alissa J. Rubin / New York Times:

Macron, Well Ahead of Le Pen, Is Poised to Be President of France — PARIS — Emmanuel Macron, a youthful former investment banker with little political experience, was well ahead in France's presidential election on Sunday, suggesting that his call for a new centrist approach to politics …

Discussion: Political Wire

Susan Page / USA Today:

Condoleezza Rice: Don't be reassured by Marine Le Pen's expected defeat in France — WASHINGTON — Former secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warns against feeling reassured by the expected defeat of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the French presidential election Sunday.

Dave Lawler / Axios:

Exit polls from France show Macron landslide — live updates — Voting in the French presidential runoff will end at 2pm ET, and we'll know who won almost immediately. — Centre-left frontrunner Emmanuel Macron appears on course for a comfortable victory — exit polls showed him with 60-66% of the vote …

Discussion: ABC News

Alissa J. Rubin / New York Times:
France Chooses a Leader, and Takes a Step Into the Unknown

Discussion: Hot Air

Only A Game:

A Day (And A Cheeseburger) With President Trump — Three years ago, golf writer James Dodson was invited to play golf with Donald Trump. Rain cut short the outing, but Dodson came away with stories ... and a cheeseburger.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Talking Points Memo and The Guardian

Michelle Cottle / The Atlantic:

There's something about Mitch. Maybe it's the protruberant, pink-rimmed eyes. Or the phlegmatic drawl. Or the vaguely dyspeptic demeanor. Hard to say, really. But something about the Senate majority leader manages not to drive certain people wild. — Or, to be more precise …

Peter Suderman / New York Times:

The House Health Care Disaster Is Really About Taxes — I have been a critic of Obamacare since it became law, but the Republican alternative is worse in nearly every way. — The American Health Care Act, which was narrowly passed in the House last week, would worsen Obamacare's problems rather than fix them.

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Outside the Beltway, Washington Monthly, No More Mister Nice Blog and CNN

Ross Douthat / New York Times:
House Republicans Go Off the Cliff

Discussion: Outside the Beltway

Sarah D / Los Angeles Times: California politics updates: Every single House Republican from California voted for Obamacare repeal

Guy Benson / Townhall.com:
Fact Check: It's a Lie That the GOP Healthcare Bill Abandons People With Pre-Existing Conditions

Discussion: RedState and John Hawkins' Right Wing News

Rebecca Savransky / The Hill:

Ryan on Republicans not reading the bill: ‘Bogus attack’ from the left … (R-Wis.) on Sunday dismissed “bogus” criticism that Republicans in the House rushed their healthcare bill to a vote before some of its members read the bill. — “I think this is kind of a bogus attack from the left …

Discussion: ThinkProgress, Politico, Talking Points Memo and Joe.My.God.

Benjamin Siegel / ABC News:
Ryan says it's ‘a bogus attack from the left’ to claim health care bill was rushed

Discussion: Raw Story and Mediaite

ABC News:
‘This Week’ Transcript 5-7-2017: Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Susan Collins

Discussion: Politicus USA

Morgan Winsor / ABC News:
House Republicans face voters in home districts angry over health care bill

Discussion: Politico, Business Insider and Axios

Matthew Wright / Daily Mail:

Real Time host Bill Maher is accused of crossing the line with tasteless incest joke about Ivanka Trump — The political satirist made the joke on his HBO program Real Time while talking with New York magazine reporter Gabriel Sherman on Friday night — Political satirist Bill Maher …

Discussion: TheBlaze, The Gateway Pundit and Mediaite

New York Times:

Trump Looms as Kushners Court Investors in China — SHANGHAI — Like many American firms that come to China looking for money, Kushner Companies on Sunday tried to woo a Shanghai audience with promises of potentially big returns and a path toward living in the United States.

Tom Boggioni / Raw Story:
‘This is not the story we want’: Reporters chased out of meeting with Kushner family pitching Chinese investors

Discussion: New York Daily News, Washington Post, Balloon Juice, The Mahablog, Washington Monthly, Business Insider, Common Dreams, ThinkProgress, RedState, Joe.My.God. and Axios

CNNMoney:
Kushner family in Beijing: ‘Invest $500,000 and immigrate’ to US

Discussion: The Guardian and New York Times

Richard Fausset / New York Times:

Tempers Flare Over Removal of Confederate Statues in New Orleans — NEW ORLEANS — For Malcolm Suber, the Confederate monuments that dot this Deep South city stand for white supremacy, pure and simple. Instead of just taking them down, Mr. Suber, an African-American activist and organizer …

Michael Goodwin / New York Post:

Hillary's election loss excuse means one thing — she's running in 2020 — MORE FROM: … Even in politics, the rich get richer. Take President Trump. — Fresh off a big victory with the House passage of an ObamaCare repeal, Trump is also getting lucky again in his enemies.

Discussion: New York Times, BizPac Review, Outside the Beltway and Sputnik International

Mark Niquette / Bloomberg:

If Shutdown Needed to Fix Washington, ‘So Be It,’ Mulvaney Says — Budget director responds to Trump ‘good shutdown’ tweet — Democrats criticize Trump for seeming to advocate stoppage — If it takes shutting down the U.S. government to fix a broken budget appropriations process …

Discussion: Politico