Abbreviated Pundit Round-up: Embracing Putin might just be a bridge too far

Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, which is frightening.We must make sure his hateful rhetoric does not even come close... Donald Trump has gone too far with his attacks on Gold Star parents Khizr and Ghazala Khan, whose son Army Capt. Humayun Khan... A Donald Trump White House would be a disaster, and this goes way beyond any ideological difference.

Q of the Week: What Book Should Congress Read?

Congress returned to Capitol Hill this week, and Candice and I posed a new question to our Politics & Policy Daily readers: What book should be required reading for every senator and representative? We got an overwhelming number of responses, but here are a few of our favorites: Martha Allen was the first of many to suggest Just Mercy , Bryan Stevenson's widely acclaimed memoir detailing his career as a young lawyer, fighting against injustice in America's criminal-justice system. Another popular submission was The Prince , Niccolo Machiavelli's 16th-century manual on manipulating your way to power.

In key states, voters poised to split their tickets between GOP, Democrats

After more three decades of decline, ticket splitting voters appear ready for a comeback. Officials in both parties hope the unpopularity of their presidential candidate won't depress votes for their other candidates on the ballot.

Obama urges unity on eve of 9/11 anniversary

US President Barack Obama has urged Americans to remain united in the face of terrorist attacks, in a barely-veiled jab at Republican White House nominee Donald Trump 15 years after 9/11. "In the face of terrorism, how we respond matters," Mr Obama said in his weekly radio and online address, delivered on the eve of the 15th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks in the United States.

Clinton, Trump tangle on security

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at the Cleveland Arts and Social Sciences Academy in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., September 8, 2016. Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton clashed over national security again on Friday, with Trump calling his Democratic rival "trigger-happy" and Clinton arguing his proposals would make the world a more dangerous place.

Hillary Clinton pegs half of Donald Trump’s supporters as a…

Hillary Clinton received mixed reactions on Friday night over some remarks she made at a campaign event in New York City. At the LGBT for Hillary gala, the Democratic presidential nominee said "you could put half of Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables ... The racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic - you name it."

Texas congressman calls Clinton ‘mentally impaired’

Rep. Louie Gohmert, never known for holding his tongue, made clear Friday morning that his disdain for Hillary Clinton runs deep. The Texas Republican called the Democratic nominee for president "mentally impaired," a line that drew approving laughter Friday at a gathering of religious conservatives.

North Korea nuke test becomes election weapon

The test -- Pyongyang's fifth and most powerful -- had enough force to "rip the heart out of a city," one expert said. It marks one more step in North Korea's efforts to develop the missiles and miniaturized warheads needed to reach its perceived enemies.

Clinton: Time for ‘rethinking’ of US approach to North Korea

Hillary Clinton said Friday it was time for a "rethinking" of America's strategy for North Korea following the regime's latest test of a nuclear weapon. Donald Trump and his campaign chief, meanwhile, refused to outline the Republican presidential candidate's plans for defusing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The Latest: Streisand sings of Trump, ‘sad, vulgar clown’

At an LGBT fundraiser Friday for Hillary Clinton, the singer performed a parody of the Stephen Sondheim song "Send in the Clowns" with lyrics about the Republican nominee. "Is he that rich, maybe he's poor, 'til he reveals his returns, who can be sure?" Streisand sang to an applauding crowd.

Trump chief won’t reveal North Korea plan as tensions mount

Hours after North Korea tested new nuclear technology, Donald Trump's campaign chief refused Friday to outline the Republican presidential nominee's approach to rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula as both White House contenders increasingly focus on national security. Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, pressed repeatedly on Trump's plan, said only, "He wouldn't do what's being done now."

How Clinton and Trump aim their minority outreach speeches at multiple audiences

Top left, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton ; right, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump ; bottom, the White House south facade. On Thursday, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton went to Charlotte, N.C.'s Johnson C. Smith University, a historically black university with financial challenges of debated origin .

Conway’s Pathetic Defense Of Trump “He Told Me He Didn’t Support Iraq War, So There”

In the category of 'you can't make this up" and "the jokes write themselves," Trump's campaign manager tried to deflect her boss's denials of supporting the Iraq war when he clearly did by claiming he was a "private citizen who was against the Iraq war." Conway said.

Campaign manager defends Trump on Iraq war, Putin praise

Donald Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway challenged recent criticisms of her candidate's positions on the Iraq war and other foreign policy issues early Friday, defending Trump in a live interview with "CBS This Morning" hosts. When asked by co-host Charlie Rose about Trump's past support support of the Iraq war, Conway said the GOP nominee has always been against what he now calls a "disaster" in the Middle East.

Giuliani says Trump dropped birther theory

Rudy Giuliani said Thursday that Donald Trump does believe President Barack Obama was born in the United States, seeking to end criticism of the Republican presidential nominee for his ongoing refusal to put the issue to rest. Appearing on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews," the former New York City mayor was asked whether Trump still believes the incendiary claims about Obama's citizenship that, in part, fueled his entrance into politics.

Morning Digest: James Zadroga’s father slams Scott Garrett for opposing aid to 9/11 responders

Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, which is frightening.We must make sure his hateful rhetoric does not even come close... Donald Trump has gone too far with his attacks on Gold Star parents Khizr and Ghazala Khan, whose son Army Capt. Humayun Khan... A Donald Trump White House would be a disaster, and this goes way beyond any ideological difference.

Daily Kos Elections 2016 presidential forecast: New bells and whistles

Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, which is frightening.We must make sure his hateful rhetoric does not even come close... Donald Trump has gone too far with his attacks on Gold Star parents Khizr and Ghazala Khan, whose son Army Capt. Humayun Khan... A Donald Trump White House would be a disaster, and this goes way beyond any ideological difference.

Trump Campaign Manager: We Should Take Him at His Word That He Would’ve Opposed Iraq War

Donald Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway insisted Friday that her boss should be taken at his word that he would have opposed the Iraq War if he were in the Senate in 2003, because Barack Obama was given the same courtesy in 2008. Conway was confronted on CBS This Morning with audio of Trump from before the Iraq War speaking with radio host Howard Stern and being asked if he supported the war.