Flake Retirement Spawns Chaos, Trump Attacks Flake And Corker, And DNC Partially Funded Research For Steele Dossier

October 25th, 2017 Top Stories --------------------------------------------------------------- [‘It Throws The Whole Thing Upside Down’: Flake Retirement Spawns Chaos]( The Gist: Sen. Jeff Flake’s (R-AZ) shocking decision to retire is the latest blow to Republicans willing to stand up to President Donald Trump — and leaves the Senate reeling and the race to replace him in utter chaos. His decision to leave rather than stay and fight, coupled with the retirement of Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), another top Trump GOP critic, and Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) ongoing serious health problems, mean the Senate is likely to see a dwindling of Republicans willing to stand up to Trump after the 2018 elections — and it’s unclear whether it improves Democrats’ slim prospects of winning back Senate control next election. [Trump: ‘Hurt And Wounded!’ Flake And Corker Knew They Couldn’t Get Elected]( The Gist: President Donald Trump wants everyone to know his relationship with Republicans is fine, “outside” Sens. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Bob Corker (R-TN), calling his meeting on the Hill Tuesday “a love fest.” The comments come after both Flake and Corker publicly blistered Trump Tuesday, demonstrating a rising rift in Trump’s party. [WaPo: DNC, Clinton Campaign Partly Funded Research Behind Trump Dossier]( The Gist: The Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s campaign partly funded research that resulted in the controversial dossier alleging ties between President Donald Trump and Russia, the Washington Post reported late Tuesday. From The Reporter's Notebook --------------------------------------------------------------- Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) ramped up his criticisms of President Donald Trump on Tuesday. The senator said that he won’t support Trump in 2020, lamenting that Trump “debases” the country by constantly telling “untruths.” While Corker and POTUS were feuding throughout the morning, [TPM's Caitlin MacNeal gathered]( seven of the Tennessee senator's top biting critiques of Trump. Agree Or Disagree? --------------------------------------------------------------- Josh Marshall: "I see no need to romanticize Jeff Flake. He has always struck me as having a personal decency that is recognized by many who don’t agree with his politics. He has also been much more willing than most of his colleagues to speak out against President Trump, even though he’s significantly more politically vulnerable than all but one of them. With all this said, he’s not just a conservative but a very conservative Republican. For all his criticism, he has been a very reliable vote for President Trump. [But I’m still pretty stunned by this turn of events](. We know Trump is a bull in a china shop. We know that he’s creating cross-cutting tensions within the GOP that are hard to navigate. We know that everyone around President Trump gets damaged. But Flake giving up his seat just makes the impact of Trump, the electoral carnage, palpable and visible in an entirely new way." Say What?! --------------------------------------------------------------- "Our big issue is black African gun crime against black Africans...Black young men are murdering each other by the bushel." - Former White House adviser Sebastian Gorka on Monday [saying]( that discussions on gun violence should focus on “black Africans” in Chicago, not mass shootings. BUZZING: Today in the Hive --------------------------------------------------------------- From a TPM Prime member: "Raw sewage stinks. Hiring a firm with two full time employees to do major work in disaster relief to restore energy = more than stinks. Costs more - highly inefficient as the company has no track record - and shows complete lack of concern/seriousness to the dire needs on the ground in Puerto Rico. I hope this story stays in the light for quite some time. This decision is horrendous - and the needs in Puerto Rico are tremendous." Related: [$300M Puerto Rico Contract Awarded To Tiny Firm Financed By Big Trump Donors]( Have something to add? Become a [Prime]( member and join the discussion [here](. What We're Reading --------------------------------------------------------------- Benghazi, Weinstein, And The Wages Of Fake Outrage ([Crooked Media]( Buildings Across U.S. Are Wrapped In Same Panels That Fueled Deadly London Fire ([The Wall Street Journal]( [unsubscribe from this list]( | [update subscription preferences]( | [view email in browser](