Thursday News: “Trump squanders chance to lead after day of fear”; “Trump blames opponents and media”; Brat Gets Four “Pinocchios”; “The con at the heart of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Thursday, October 25.

• Pipe bombs targeting Democrats leave U.S. on edge (“The bomber or bombers appeared to be targeting prominent figures on the political left, including former president Barack Obama and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. Officials described the devices as attempted acts of terrorism and cautioned that the number of pipe bombs — and intended victims — could grow.”)
• Trump decries ‘political violence’ after years of stoking it (Wow, actually a good headline by Politico!)
• Amid incendiary rhetoric, targets of Trump’s words become targets of bombs (Trump has been stoking violence and demonizing the press, Democrats like Hillary Clinton, etc. since he launched his campaign. Words matter.)
• Having divided us, Trump cannot unite us
• Trump squanders chance to lead after day of fear (“… there was no public acknowledgment that there can be consequences to the nation’s most conspiratorial rhetoric and demagoguery — violent, dehumanizing language he himself has spread as he lashes out at his opponents and whips up his supporters. Characteristically, he undermined his scripted invocations of unity with fresh attacks of his own, implicitly blaming people who criticize him, the media and Democrats for the nation’s dangerous political divides. In effect, the President chose not to rise above the tumult or even console or counsel those who opposed him.”)
• This isn’t fake news: CNN president Zucker blasts Trump for attacks on the media (“The scathing statement came after the president commented about pipe bombs sent to Democratic leaders.” Now it’s time for the rest of the corporate media to quit with the “both sides,” “partisanship” and other idiocy.)
• Explosive device sent to CNN featured parody ISIS flag, ‘Get Er Done’ inscription
• CIA director listens to audio of journalist’s alleged murder
• Dow erases gains for the year, tumbles more than 600 points as stocks extend October swoon
• What hath Trump wrought? (“The bully with the biggest megaphone is the one living in the White House.”)
• Police investigate suspicious package addressed to Robert De Niro
• Trump blames opponents and media (So much for his statement at the White House.)
• Trump places blame after bomb threats (“In listing ways the country can ease political hostilities, the president did not refer to any of his own repeated attacks on Democrats and the media, instead appearing to blame both for the current state of affairs.”)
• Trump rally chants ‘lock her up’ after bomb threats made to Clinton (They’re not even chastened. And no, the problem is NOT “both sides” or “excessive partisanship” or whatever.)
• Cuomo: Trump celebrates violence toward media
• Sarah Sanders responds to CNN chief’s criticism after bomb scare: ‘You chose to attack and divide’ (Yep, Trump et al are STILL blaming everyone but themselves.)
• House Republicans Launch New Anti-Soros Ad After Bomb Attempt on Billionaire Democrat Donor (Shameless. Disgusting. Republicans.)
• These Prominent Conservatives Think The Bomb Scares Were a Liberal Hoax (“Frank Gaffney, founder of an Islamophobic think tank
  Liberals did it because…they’re trying to ‘deflect attention from the Left’s mobs.'” Note that anti-Muslim fanatic and all-around nutjob/bigot Gaffney donated to Dave Brat.)
• Far-right media declare explosive devices sent to Obama and Clinton a false flag
• Words into bombs: Donald Trump’s violent rhetoric has consequences (“Three years of Trump’s hateful rhetoric and violent threats led to this terrorist attack. Why is anyone surprised?”)
• Don’t Ask How It Could Happen Here. We Know How It Could Happen Here (“We’ve seen demonstrations, at the rallies and in the streets, that it was bound to happen.”)
• Trump is inciting violence, and now we have a MAGAbomber (“We are not at war with them, but they’re at war with us and somebody is going to die”)
• Rhetoric, Mobs and Terror (“The explosive devices were released into a toxic atmosphere created by Trump.”)
• Republicans who remain silent on Trump’s rhetoric now outraged by attempted bombings (“You can’t have it both ways.”)
• Donald Trump sees terrorists everywhere, but not under his own nose (“The US president has been quick to paint the migrant caravan approaching America as a grave threat, but is muted on liberal figures being targeted”)
• Cruz’s response to bomb threats illustrates how Republicans are complete frauds about ‘civility’(When Republicans say “civility,” it means “be nice to us, while letting us do whatever we want to you.”)
• Trump lectures critics, media on civility after pipe bombs sent to high-profile Democrats (Trump’s completely demented. Just make sure you vote on 11/6, as if our country and our lives depended on it. Because it does!)
• Has age of Trump’s violent rhetoric brought ‘the awful’ back to US politics? (“Suspect devices sent to Obama, Clinton and other Trump critics raise hard questions about the president’s rhetoric”)
• Megyn Kelly’s show in doubt after blackface comments (Why would anyone hire her in the first place?)
• Megyn Kelly dropped from colossal talent agency CAA after blackface controversy
• How the Migrant Caravan Became a Trump Election Strategy
• New York sues Exxon Mobil over climate change (Maybe Virginia should consider suing Dominion and other polluters/climate deniers?)
• Democrats go all-in on clean energy
• Florida GOP candidate Ron DeSantis loses control when asked about speeches he gave to a racist organization(Yep, DeSantis has no defense whatsoever.)
• The White House Is Desperate to Prove the Emperor Still Has Clothes (“The Mad King says things. His staff scrambles to cook up policies, or lies, to back them up.” I’m reading “Fear” by Bob Woodward now, and there’s no question tha Trump is a “f***ing idiot,” among his many other fine qualities.)
• The Media Is Failing on The Caravan, Just Like It Failed on The Emails and The Great Ebola Panic (“This is not a crisis, and it’s not important in the homestretch of an election.”)
• Federal judge blocks Georgia from throwing out absentee ballots based on signature mismatches
• Gillum Scorches DeSantis In Florida Governor Debate: ‘Racists Believe He’s A Racist’
• Virginia AG Mark Herring Launches Clergy Abuse Hotline and www.VirginiaClergyHotline.com
• Virginia attorney general opens investigation of possible child sex abuse and coverup in the Catholic Church
• Suspicious packages sent around the country; Tim Kaine responds
• Senators Kaine, Warner React to Bombs Sent to Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, CNN
• Campaign Profile: Senator Tim Kaine taps Democratic energy in bid for second term
• Barbara Comstock, The Washington Region’s Sole Republican In Congress, Fights To Keep Her Seat
• Virginia lawmaker promises ‘honest truth’ in misleading ad (Pathological liar Dave Brat gets Four Pinocchios for his constant, wild lies about Abigail Spanberger.)
• Cockburn Hopes for a Blue Wave in the 5th Congressional District
• Abigail Spanberger hopes to beat Rep. Dave Brat — and stand up for the CIA
• Pence stumps for Taylor in Virginia Beach warning that electing Democrats is bad for the country (This says it all about Scott Taylor. Vote for Elaine Luria on 11/6!)
• The con at the heart of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (“The need for Dominion Energy’s 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline is far from proven — certainly not in Virginia — despite the propaganda piece extolling the virtues of the project that company CEO, president and CEO Thomas Farrell got published Sunday in the Richmond Times-Dispatch…In fact, the preponderance of evidence points to Dominion being well on its way to foisting a massive con on its 2.5 million ratepayers here, as opponents of the pipeline have warned all along.” SUPERB piece by Robert Zullo, a must read. I’m so glad he left the Republican Times-Disgrace…)
• Virginia officials scrambled to prep costly state shelters for Hurricane Florence. Was there a better way? (“Hurricane Florence was about 48 hours away when the Virginia Department of Emergency Management did something it had never done before, something a prior government report called costly and ‘unfeasible.'”)
• Editorial: Yes to both proposed amendments
• Bristol bigwigs pump $200,000 into Kirk Cox’s PAC amid casino push (Yep, that’s Virginia.)
• Region’s U.S. Senators join calls for Metro to keep its Riders’ Advisory Council (“The letter from Sens. Cardin, Van Hollen, Warner and Kaine puts additional pressure on the board to not eliminate its only direct link to riders.”)
• Editorial: Too many jobs in Manassas? Rural Virginia would love to have that problem. (The latest weird, rambling, discombobulated editorial from the Roanoke Times.)
• Sunny today but a rainy coastal storm spoils start of weekend