Wednesday News: Comey Firing “Trump’s Watergate Moment?”; “Moment of Truth” for GOP; U.S. Rule of Law “Into the Abyss?”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, May 10.

• The Firing of James Comey (“Despite claims to the contrary, the F.B.I. director was clearly ousted for leading an investigation into Russian ties that could threaten the president.”)
• Trump Is Lying Again (“There is no reason to believe the president on the firing of James Comey.”)
• There’s no reason to believe Donald Trump’s rationale for firing James Comey (“It’s past time for Republicans to recognize Trump is dangerous.”)
• Why the Comey firing could be Trump’s Watergate moment (“The FBI chief may have deserved to lose his job over how badly he bungled the Clinton probe — which included breaking with historical precedent and disclosing, just 11 days before the election, that he was reopening the probe into her email servers — but imagine if he had been fired by a President Hillary Clinton. Republicans across Capitol Hill would be making immediate calls for her impeachment.”)
• 3 reasons Trump’s excuse for firing Comey doesn’t add up
• Echoes of Watergate in Trump’s Decision (“Mr. Trump’s move drew instant comparisons to President Richard M. Nixon’s firing of the special prosecutor looking into the burglary that would eventually bring him down.”)
• Behind Comey’s firing: An enraged Trump, fuming about Russia (“The president deliberated for more than a week before ousting the FBI chief who was investigating Trump associates.”)
• Comey’s Firing Is a Crisis of American Rule of Law (“Trump’s actions are constitutional but violate powerful political norms.”)
• CNN exclusive: Grand jury subpoenas issued in FBI’s Russia investigation
• The Comey debacle only magnifies the Russia mystery (“Trump’s firing of the FBI director looks like it will backfire.”)
• Comey’s dismissal may turn the anti-Trump wave into a tsunami (“The timing of his firing of James Comey proves he’s a tin-pot tyrant.”)
• Trump pulls from Nixon’s playbook (“The president is the first since Watergate to fire an official in the middle of investigating potential misconduct by his own campaign.” Congress should start impeachment hearings today, but of course Ryan, McConnell et al won’t do it, because they put power and party over patriotism.)
• Calls for Independent Investigator, Even From G.O.P. (“Republicans are joining Democrats who have long called for an investigation into links between Trump staff and Russia.” I’ll believe it when I see it.)
• Sen. Tim Kaine Blames Comey Firing On Russia Investigation
• CNN’s Jeffrey Toobin: Trump’s Firing Of FBI Director Comey Is “A Grotesque Abuse Of Power” ( “This Is The Kind Of Thing That Goes On In Non-Democracies. That When There Is A Investigation That Reaches Near The President Of The United States, Or The Leader Of A Non-Democracy, They Fire The People Who Are In Charge Of The Investigation.”)
• Conservative Rick Wilson begs GOP to get off the ‘mindless, soulless Trump Cult Train’ after Comey firing
• Comey Firing Coverage Shows Right-Wing Media Has Lost Its Grip On Reality (“Right-wing media praised the Trump administration’s egregious decision to fire FBI director James Comey. Conservatives trumpeted the move as long overdue, while other media outlets lamented Trump’s move as ‘obstruction’ and called his rationale for the firing ‘implausible.'” The right-wing media will excuse literally anything done by a Republican president, while blasting a Democratic president for the most trivial of “offenses,” usually imagined.)
• More Than 100 Lawmakers Respond to Comey Firing by Calling for Independent Russia Probe (“Among those calling for an independent probe are at least three Republicans—Sen. John McCain of Arizona, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, and Rep. Carlos Curbelo of Florida—as well as nearly every senior Democrat in the House and Senate, including Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the vice chair of the Senate intelligence committee”)
• Trump Goes Full Watergate—and Threatens Russia Investigation (“His Nixonian firing of FBI Director James Comey creates a crisis.”)
• Into the Abyss: Trump Fires Comey (“It’s speaking clearly: the only reasonable explanation is that the President has something immense to hide and needs someone in charge of the FBI who he believes is loyal. Like Jeff Sessions. Like Rod Rosenstein. This is a very dark and perilous moment.”)
• Trump Wanted a Public Execution (“The president fired James Comey via letter, while the FBI director was giving a speech.”)
• Comey’s Firing Is the Moment of Truth for the GOP (“They can finally find the courage of their convictions—or let Trump destroy the republic.”)
• This Is Not a Drill (“The firing of FBI director James Comey poses a question: Will the law answer to the president, or the president to the law?”)
• Tuesday night firing of Comey: ‘Nixonian’ or uniquely Trumpian? (“…the yearning to find comfort in terrible chapters of American history that the country nonetheless survived runs up against Trump’s lifelong desire to be provocative and unpredictable — and against unprecedented allegations in which a president’s campaign stands accused of possible collusion with a foreign adversary.”)
• Warner calls Comey firing ‘shocking,’ urges special counsel in Russia probe
• The Great American Ass-Covering (“With James Comey’s firing, the entire Justice Department is now hopelessly compromised.”)
• Let’s Call ‘Cultural Anxiety’ What It Is (“And voter suppression, too.”)
• Trump walks back bizarre comments on funding black colleges — but this administration’s racism is no mistake
• New anti-immigrant law in Texas is so bad the ACLU issues a travel advisory (This is the law Corey Stewart loves!)
• Editorial: Trump’s ignorance of history (“Trump is not always receptive to contradictory opinion, but he should heed these warnings: The Pentagon thinks drilling off the Virginia coast is a mistake. His advisers should stress it to him, and this executive order should be amended to reflect it.”)
• Raucous, angry crowd grills Virginia Rep. Brat at town hall
• Is populism popular? These Virginia candidates are banking on it (“In first big test of politics in the Trump era, insurgents in governor’s race take on ‘the system.'”
• Virginia Democrats Northam and Perriello trade barbs but are in sync when it comes to Trump
• Northam, Perriello, fight over liberal street cred at union hall debate
• Schapiro: Virginia’s national state election (” Perriello not only has to woo these additional voters, he has to peel away Northam voters. Crushing an ambulance is about salvaging Perriello’s campaign — and wrecking Northam’s.”)
• At Henrico debate, Northam and Perriello trade blows over Democratic loyalty
• Tom Perriello to Speak at Site of ICE Raid in Alexandria
• ACA exchange premium rates could rise by an average of 20 percent in Virginia next year
• McAuliffe, Hogan, Bowser call for sharing data on opioid prescribers (“A joint database would help Va., Md. and D.C. identify doctors who prescribe too many opioids, contributing to national overdose epidemic.”)
• Garrett holds town hall in Moneta(“Tensions ran high at Rep. Tom Garrett’s town hall Tuesday, where constituents demanded to know why the freshman congressman voted for the Republican health plan designed to replace the Affordable Care Act.”)
• Longtime delegate Albo to join Richmond lobbying practice after leaving House seat in fall (Again, we need stronger ethics laws – or ANY serious ethics laws! – in Virginia.)
• Editorial: Time for Southwest Virginia to disrupt Virginia politics
• Another nice one today, rain likely late Thursday into Saturday (Pet peeve: meteorologists using subjective, adjectival drivel like “nice” to describe the weather. Just stick to the facts, like “dry/sunny today, cloudy/rainy tomorrow” or whatever.)