Wednesday News: GOP Follows Trump’s “Disastrous Example” on Ethics, “Shoots Self” in Foot; Rep. Bobby Scott Blasts GOP Rules Changes

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, January 4. Also check out Rep. Bobby Scott speaking out against the Republicans’ proposed rules package that “would pave the way for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act without a viable replacement.”

• Donald Trump’s Disastrous Example (“The mess over a congressional ethics office reflects the muck of his own behavior.”)
• Shoots Self (“A G.O.P. plan to gut an ethics office fell apart, but it revealed to an outraged public that Republicans never intended to drain the swamp.” Republicans ARE “the swamp.”)
• Saving the congressional ethics office isn’t as big a victory as it seems (“The fight wasn’t won by norms. It was won by power.”)
• The media’s Trump ethics failure: Crediting the president-elect for an anti-corruption stand he didn’t make
• Trump Questions US Intelligence as Governing Challenges Loom (And we question Trump’s intelligence!)
• Senate Republicans just introduced an Obamacare repeal plan Democrats can’t stop (This is appalling, callous and stupid.)
• Replacing Obamacare Will be Difficult, Repealing it Could Be Just As Hard
• A day of chaos at the Capitol as House GOP backs down on ethics changes (Pathetic as usual.)
• If Republicans play winner-takes-all, everyone will lose (“Including them. The GOP Congress should proceed with caution.”)
• Trump opponents find an ally: Republican incompetence (“As the ethics office debacle proved, the GOP definitely doesn’t have the hang of life in the majority.”)
• NAACP protesters were just arrested during a sit-in to oppose one of Trump’s major Cabinet nominees (“The civil rights group has a good reason for its protests against Jeff Sessions, Trump’s attorney general nominee: He’s consistently opposed voting rights protections.”)
• Trump just showed that he will throw House Republicans under the bus to make himself look good (Did anyone not know this?)
• Sen. Graham on GOP move to gut ethics panel: ‘Dumbest fricking thing’
• Jeff Sessions says he handled these civil rights cases. He barely touched them. (“We worked in the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, which brought those lawsuits, and handled three of the four ourselves.”)
• Kelly’s Move to NBC Will Test Her, and the Networks (“Megyn Kelly’s departure from Fox News will test her ability to connect with a broader audience, but the most significant implications concern the larger television news industry.”)
• Megyn Kelly’s Big Mistake (“Why the Fox News star will regret her move to NBC.”)
• Megyn Kelly’s Departure Is a Big Clue About the Future of Fox News (“That Murdoch might choose to align his news network with Trump shouldn’t come as a surprise. Throughout his career, Murdoch has tended to support the officeholder in power, whether it was Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, or George W. Bush. He even flirted with endorsing Barack Obama in ‘08, but at the time backed off when Ailes complained.”)
• Democrats to Fight Almost Any Trump Supreme Court Nominee: Schumer
• The Ethics Fuss Pitted the GOP’s Shamelessness Against Trump’s (“We learned something about the Republicans’ priorities—and even more about the new president’s indifference to them.”)
• Clean energy will be a $50-trillion industry, but Trump policies mean the U.S. won’t benefit (“2016’s year in charts shows that clean energy revolution is unstoppable.”)
• Ford Isn’t Adding American Jobs Because of Donald Trump (“The company is doing what’s made sense for years—and what the Bush and Obama administrations made possible.”)
• Donald Trump’s latest job con: Ford’s “vote of confidence” is a hollow sham (“Here’s Trump’s plan to make America great: Roll back regulations, save a few jobs, get good headlines. Repeat!” And the media keeps falling for it, of course.)
• Desperate Democrats scramble for an Obamacare strategy (“They’re mobilizing grassroots support — and looking to inflict as much GOP pain as possible.”)
• Virginia Obtains Execution Drugs in Secret, Death Row Inmate Appeals (In secret? Really?)
• Schapiro: Va.’s Goodlatte is first ethics casualty of new Congress (“Goodlatte, with his last-minute maneuver, seems to be saying that when it comes to the Washington swamp, the water is just fine.” BADlatte is definitely in contention for worst member of the House.)
• Virginia governor vows to veto 20-week abortion ban bill (This is exactly why we need to keep a DEMOCRAT in the Governor’s mansion when we vote in November.)
• McAuliffe proposes criminal justice reforms
• Charles J. Colgan, longest-serving member of the Virginia Senate, dies at 90 (RIP and condolences to his family and friends…)
• McAuliffe: Ease up on small thefts, no more license suspensions for unpaid fines
• Editorial: How to fix the coalfields, part 2 (Bottom line: time to move on from coal, it’s not coming back for economic and environmental reasons.)
• Democratic progressives seize control of Arlington Board leadership (“Independent Vihstadt snubbed in his bid for vice-chairmanship”)
• Hampton Roads lawmakers reported to the Capitol Tuesday. Here’s what they plan to focus on in Congress.
• Roanoke Valley law enforcement agencies work to improve community policing
• This anaconda was found in a toilet in an Arlington apartment
• Peake Makes Final Push for VA State Senate in 22nd District
• Editorial: New mayor focuses on Richmond’s schools
• As new Richmond City Council president, Hilbert promises to ‘face the uglier parts of our history’
• City Council gives Virginia Beach arena developer one last extension to secure loan for project
• Milder today then colder tomorrow, with snow chances tomorrow night and Saturday