Monday News: “Trump, Grand Wizard of Birtherism”; Christie Lies; Preibus Threatens; Media Fails (in Covering Trump)

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, September 19. Also, check out the video of JEB Bush mocking the idea that (Republican) voters will make the right choice if you just run a positive campaign.

• Blow: Trump, Grand Wizard of Birtherism
• Krugman: Vote as if It Matters (“But don’t vote for a minor-party candidate to make a statement. Nobody cares.”)
• Carl Bernstein on CNN: Cable Media Have Been “Positively Awful” In Covering The “Real Biography” Of Trump
• Sunday News Shows Omit Coverage Of Trump Foundation Investigation, Conflicts Of Interest (“Earlier this month, cable news programs devoted 13 times more coverage to Clinton’s pneumonia diagnosis as The Washington Post’s reporting about the Trump Foundation. This week, both the Trump Foundation and Trump Organization stories were given short shrift by the broadcast news programs in favor of coverage of Donald Trump’s Dr. Oz stunt.”)
• Christie’s claim that Trump did not ‘on a regular basis’ spout birther nonsense after 2011 (Trying to decide who’s the worst, most dishonest Republican – Donald Trump, Reince Preibus, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Rudy Giulani…or Chris Christie in this case, is very difficult.)
• RNC Chairman: Party could penalize former GOP candidates who don’t endorse Donald Trump (So, not only is the GOP not disowning their neo-fascist candidate or condemning his outrageous remarks – suggesting violence against Hillary Clinton, for instance – they’re doubling down on him!)
• The liberals’ media pushback (“Burned long ago for a supposed link to the left, the media is too quick to let Donald Trump slide and to pile on criticisms of Hillary Clinton.” Big time.)
• Trump surrogate accuses Obama of ‘otherness’ — and then scrambles to walk it back (Translation: Obama’s not white. Racist Trump supporters, shocker eh?)
• Authorities probe ties between blasts, devices in two states
• Trump Is On A Crusade To Influence The Presidential Debate Moderators
• Playing by different rules: The media lets Trump “get out of jail free” but won’t let Clinton “pass go’(“The press slams Clinton based on pre-2016 political standards, while Trump is judged on a much lower bar”)
• Trump campaign manager says Trump’s pre-campaign positions do not matter (“She also suggests Trump was only kidding when he talked up his new DC hotel on Friday”)
• Kasich camp bashes Priebus, warns of national GOP ‘wipeout’
• Jill Stein: Trump may have “memory problem” (“The physician turned Green Party candidate sees signs of health, mental, cognitive issues in the man atop the GOP ticket.” For once Jill Stein is right about something?)
• McAuliffe Is Using His Pardon Power Properly (“When the Constitution gives power to the governor to do something, it is not tyranny for him to use it.” Correct. Also, this is to give people their fundamental rights back, not to take any rights away as Republicans keep trying to do!)
• Del. Sam Rasoul files top-two primary legislation (I kind of like this, at least for local and state legislative elections.)
• Right-to-work amendment will be on ballot in Virginia this November (Vote N-O on this crapola.)
• Gas industry seeks regulations delay, FOIA exemption for fracking (Absolutely unacceptable. No.)
• Virginian-Pilot editorial: Divisions grow in Virginia and everywhere
• Candidates for Leesburg mayor face off in public forum
• UVa’s Rotunda poised to reopen, with more spaces for students to study
• 6th Congressional District candidates debate in Oct.
• Areas of heavy rain today, then dry and warm for fall’s debut