by Lowell
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, February 25.
- White House sought to enlist key intelligence officials, lawmakers to counter Russia stories (If Obama or Clinton had done this, Republicans would have started impeachment proceedings immediately.)
- CNN, New York Times, other media barred from White House briefing (Yep, this is how a country slides towards authoritarianism and away from democracy.)
- In December, Spicer said barring media access is what a ‘dictatorship’ does. Today, he barred media access.
- Trump Just Blacklisted Media Outlets. We Warned You This Would Happen. (Yet the idiot media was obsessed with Hillary Clinton’s emails, the Clinton Foundation non-“scandal,” blah blah blah. Plus, they gave Trump free airtime – Trump literally phoning it in – worth hundreds of millions of dollars. In sum, the greedy corporate media screwed itself, and the rest of us, “BIGLY.”)
- Anderson Cooper calls out Donald Trump for hypocrisy: You cite anonymous sources all the time (Trump’s always like “someone told me on Twitter” or “I heard it somewhere” or “I have sources but I can’t tell you who they are.” F*** him.)
- Hillary Clinton’s running mate Tim Kaine fears Donald Trump could trigger nuclear catastrophe (“The former Vice-Presidential candidate also says Team Trump contains members of the ‘club of the wacky’ who scare him to death “)
- Megadonor family that helped fund Trump’s rise is part owner of Breitbart News, CEO reveals
- Democrats brace for backlash as they vote on new party chairman
- Son of boxer Muhammad Ali detained at Florida airport because of his Arabic-sounding name (The history books on this period of American history, assuming we all survive it, are going to be brutal.)
- Trump’s stale CPAC ramble: Another airing of old grievances — that left the right-wing audience in rapture (“President Trump gave the perfect keynote speech for a corrupt and intellectually bankrupt conservative gathering”)
- Republicans take freedom away — in the name of freedom (Exactly; they say the word “freedom” like a mantra, but with Republicans it means the exact opposite.)
- Trump’s preposterous rationale for revoking transgender bathroom rights
- Trump’s takeover of conservatism is complete (“Kellyanne Conway is right: CPAC has become TPAC.” Not a pretty picture – at all!)
- CPAC attendees trolled into waving Russia flags during Trump’s speech (Geniuses.)
- Trump Is the Government (“His flap with the FBI—and his disregard for agencies in his own administration—reveals a presidency of dangerous self-centeredness and isolation.” Fortunately, the Republican-controlled Congress is doing its constitutionally mandated job of checks and bal…oh wait, of course they’re not.)
- The Trump Administration’s Not-So-Benign Neglect (“While we’re watching the scandals du jour, the president and his top advisers are dismantling the federal government.”)
- Grass-roots fury masks intense Democratic anxiety (“On the eve of electing a new chairman, the party is gripped by Trump-era angst.”)
- How to Know When a Trump Story Becomes a Scandal
- Trump can be impulsive. But his war with the press is strategic.
- The Islamophobic Huckster in the White House (“Sebastian Gorka is unqualified to be advising the president on counterterrorism strategy.”)
- Barring the White House Press Corps From the White House (“That First Amendment can be inconvenient for anyone longing for power without scrutiny. Mr. Trump might want to brush up on what it means, and get used to it.”)
- Editorial: Keep your gun close
- Rep. Comstock skips a town hall in her northern Virginia district (“An Indivisible group hosted the event Friday evening in Sterling” Democrats had better have a top-tier candidate in VA-10 in 2018.)
- Was that vote a tie or a bait-and-switch? (“State Senate Republicans seem to be pulling a little political stuntery in this election year, forcing Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam to break ties on controversial bills, only to redo the vote almost immediately and make his tie-breaker irrelevant for anything but a campaign ad.”)
- General Assembly passes legislation similar to “Beloved” bill; governor plans another veto (Just a reminder that these right wingnuts never stop, which is why we need a DEMOCRAT in the Governor’s Mansion.)
- Perriello campaigns where congressional Republicans won’t hold town halls (Smart move.)
- McAuliffe vetoes bill to disclose refugee records
- Virginia House honors hunting dogs and McAuliffe’s dead chicken in ‘sensitivity caucus’ awards (These people are hilarious, huh? Nope, didn’t think so.)
- Editorial: Jese Jackson comes to town and slams Republicans
- In Virginia governor’s race, Frank Wagner’s website is at odds with facts (“State Sen. Frank Wagner’s campaign website says he’s the only Republican candidate for governor who is a veteran and has started successful businesses. That’s not true.”)
- In Arlington, the opportunity to own a pet lion or crocodile may soon be caged (“County Board to weigh whether to ban ‘wild and exotic’ animals, which are already forbidden in most of the Washington area.’)
- Pr. William County executive proposes $3.1 billion budget for 2017
- Jury quickly convicted ex-Norfolk Treasurer Anthony Burfoot because was clearly guilty, prosecutors say
- Gusty showers and storms this afternoon, some could be intense
