Friday News: Trump At War With Nation He’s Supposed to Lead; “It’s Time to Freak Out”; Who Will “Save the Republic?”

by Lowell

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, May 15.

• Trump said he was thinking of Russia controversy when he decided to fire Comey (Trump needs to be impeached ASAP.)
• Whiplash in Washington as New Accounts Keep Surfacing
• In a Private Dinner, Trump Demanded Loyalty. Comey Demurred.
• The FBI must be protected — from the White House
• Trump is at war with the nation he is supposed to lead (“He seems to want to drag the United States down to the level of corruption that thrives in Russia.”
• Trump seems to be staging a coverup. So what’s the crime? (“The president appears to be displaying a ‘consciousness of guilt.'”)
• It’s impossible not to compare today to Watergate. And our officials are falling short.
• The real test of our tolerance for Trump comes now (“The president’s pick for the next FBI director could trigger a constitutional crisis.”)
• The Comey firing reminds us of a bigger danger (“The courts and the media should not let the president’s aberrations become the new norms.”)
• Krugman: Judas and Tax Cuts (“What isn’t often mentioned is that many of the most prominent America-firsters weren’t just isolationists, they were actively sympathetic to foreign dictators; there’s a more or less straight line from Charles Lindbergh proudly wearing the medal he received from Hermann Göring to Trump’s cordial relations with Rodrigo Duterte, the literally murderous president of the Philippines…But it’s time to face up to the scary reality here. Most people now realize, I think, that Donald Trump holds basic American political values in contempt. What we need to realize is that much of his party shares that contempt.”)
• Sessions issues sweeping new criminal charging policy (Horrendous.)
• Trump’s Know-Nothing Tour de Force (“The president is winging it, even on an issue that risks his entire presidency.”)
• Did Donald Trump just write his own articles of impeachment? (Yes, but will Republicans actually move to impeach him? I have zero confidence.)
• This Feels Like a Turning Point (“Nobody is in control of the narrative right now.”)
• Trump Is Trying to Control the FBI. It’s Time to Freak Out. (“Now that threat has arrived. And if Republicans in Congress continue to cover for his actions, the damage to the health of American government may be longstanding.”)
• The latest Trump interview once again reveals appalling ignorance and dishonesty (“He has no idea what he’s talking about.”)
• The Deputy White House Press Secretary says she’s in touch with ‘countless’ FBI officials. Really? (“Sarah Huckabee Sanders previously served as an adviser to the Trump campaign — which is currently under FBI investigation.”)
• Egan: Save the Republic (“Call out the names: Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, Richard Burr and Bob Corker, Ben Sasse and Lisa Murkowski. They have committees and investigators at their disposal. Their party impeached Bill Clinton for lying about sex. The least they can do is demand some accountability of a man whose entire presidency is a lie.”)
• Trump’s attempt to fix the Comey crisis made it worse (“The president’s interview contradicting the explanation his aides have given for the FBI director’s firing raised more questions than it answered.”)
• The 2020 Census was in trouble. Now, things look even worse.
• Acting F.B.I. Chief at Odds With White House Over Russia
• GOP senators rebuff calls for special prosecutor (“Democrats who believed the Comey firing would force Republicans to break with Donald Trump were wrong.” Duh!)
• The Presidential Advisory Commission on Voter Suppression (“The president’s new ‘election integrity’ group will find fraud where it doesn’t exist and make it harder for Americans to cast their ballots.”)
• The White House Declares War on the Specter of Voter Fraud (Appalling – voter suppression run amok.)
• Rod Rosenstein Is a Cautionary Tale (“Those who serve Donald Trump are abused and betrayed by Donald Trump.”)
• FBI raids Maryland GOP consultant over 2013 Virginia race
• Perriello sold financial stake in company linked to pipeline and Trump’s border wall (Good. Ralph Northam should do the same with Dominion Power.)
• State revenue growth loses steam in April as income tax payments lag
• Blue on Blue in Virginia (“An unexpected Democratic race.”)
• Agent in charge of Richmond FBI office under consideration to be FBI’s interim director
• Gillespie pitches spending cuts and attrition (Stupid.)
• Virginia House, Senate to stream some meetings (Amazing.)
• Editorial: Even in Fairfax, black job applicants don’t always get a fair shot (Not acceptable.)
• Panel seeks probe of potential racial hiring bias in Va. school system (“Fairfax County Public Schools has come under scrutiny for how it handles black teacher applicants.”)
• Alexandria schools superintendent to step down
• Henrico School Board gets earful from parents on middle school redistricting
• Gray and gloomy today, with rain increasing late and lasting into Saturday