E Minus 27: One day after losing the public support of Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan, Donald Trump was whining that it was “hard to do well” without the backing of his own party, but also crowing that he’s been set free. Trump tweeted, “It is so nice that the shackles have been taken off me and I can now fight for America the way I want to.” Does that mean he’s been holding back?

Trump has been on defense since the release of an old Access Hollywood videotape on which Trump uses foul language to describe his treatment of women.

In another tweet, he turned against the party of which he is the figurehead. “Disloyal R’s are far more difficult than Crooked Hillary. They come at you from all sides. They don’t know how to win – I will teach them!” He called Paul Ryan “our very weak and ineffective leader.”

He also lashed out at Sen. John McCain, who rescinded his Trump endorsement. “The very foul-mouthed Sen. John McCain begged for my support during his primary (I gave, he won), then dropped me over locker room remarks!”

Trump has ratcheted up his personal attacks as well. In a new commercial listing the security and terrorism threats facing the US, Clinton is shown getting help climbing stairs, coughing, and nearly fainting during her recent bout with pneumonia. The narrator says, “Hillary Clinton doesn’t have the fortitude, strength or stamina to lead in our world.”

President Obama chimed in to the debate yesterday, saying, “The guy says stuff that nobody would find tolerable if they were applying for a job at 7-Eleven.”

From Russia With Love: This is a little complicated, but Trump this week has been reading to his audiences what he represents as a leaked Clinton Campaign “email” that purports to quote confidant Sidney Blumenthal saying the 2012 attack on the Benghazi consulate was preventable. But the words in the email are copied from a 2014 Newsweek article and were not Blumenthal’s. Amazing but true, the Russian news agency Sputnik also cited the leaked email and attributed the Benghazi statement to Blumenthal, causing some to question where Trump gets his information.

The federal government says Russia has been hacking campaign computers to sway the election. Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta said, “This definitely is the first campaign that I’ve been involved with in which I’ve had to tangle with Russian intelligence agencies who seem to be doing everything that they can on behalf of our opponent.”

Collateral Damage: As Trump campaigns on after the release of a devastating video of him talking crudely about women, NBC Today show host Billy Bush is getting the boot for his part in the 1995 recording. After 15 years at Access Hollywood, the 44-year-old Bush joined the third hour of the Today Show only this past summer, and NBC is negotiating his quick exit.

On the tape, Bush giggled while Trump talked about grabbing women by the crotch and pimped a hug for Trump from a soap opera actress who hadn’t heard the exchange. Bush joined is a glad-handing celebrity host, not a reporter, who was misplaced under the umbrella of NBC News. Some Hollywood PR agents have also turned on Bush, one of them calling him “lewd and rude.”

Tough: Arizona’s Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, is expected to be charged with criminal contempt of court today for violating a judge’s order to end immigration patrols that racially profile latinos, many of whom are US citizens. The legal troubles of the man who titles himself “America’s Toughest Sheriff” have cost Maricopa County $50 million.

Billy Goat: The Chicago Cubs scored four runs in the 9^th inning in San Francisco last night to win 6-5 and advance to the National League finals. The Giants burned through five relief pitchers trying to stop the onslaught.   

The Circus: Amid the rash of “creepy clowns” sightings, McDonald’s is limiting appearances of the original creepy clown, Ronald.

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