1.04.17 News Clips

1.04.
17 News Clips
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On Capitol Hill, picture day at the start of 115th Congress
Ben Terris, Washington Post
On the first day of the new Congress, a teeming line of politicians,
spouses, grandparents, babies and press secretaries snaked through
Statuary Hall at the U.S. Capitol. The families had dressed up for this, and
no wait would keep them from getting their pictures taken with House
Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.). You know what, Ive seen worse, Rep.
Austin Scott, a Republican from Georgia said, his wife by his side. Its
moving pretty quick right now. Weve got 435 members of the House.
When you run the math, its not as bad as it seems. Scott, a conservative
who rode the tea party wave into Congress in 2010, isnt normally one to
compliment the efficiency of government operations. There were
parties sprinkled about the Capitol, a reception for Sen. Rob Portman (ROhio) in a hearing room, a reception for incoming Senate Democrats near
the chamber. Even Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), fresh off his gig as the
Democratic vice-presidential nominee and the stinging defeat that ended
it, said he was off to a party as he ducked into his office at the end of the
evening. Theres no time to feel sorry, he said, with so many people who
need us to fight for them. Im ready to fight. Day One featured very little
discord on the Senate side of things. During the official swearing-in on the
Senate floor, Sen. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.), an endangered Democrat, spoke
to every Republican he could find, with a friendly grab of the shoulder and
slap on the back.
First Day of New US Congress Overshadowed by Ethics Panel Spat
Michael Bowman, Voice of America
Chaos erupted on the first day of a new U.S. Congress on Tuesday as

majority Republicans in the House of Representatives first plotted to
change ethics oversight rules, then scrapped the plan amid outcry across
Capitol Hill and a scolding from President-elect Donald Trump. House
Republicans planned to establish congressional control over the
independent, nonpartisan Office of Congressional Ethics, a move that
could have limited the watchdog group's ability to investigate lawmakers
suspected of ethical or criminal breaches. Democrats are insisting on a
replacement plan that continues health care coverage for Obamacare
participants before the program is scrapped. "We're going to kick 30
million people off the health care rolls in this country with no plan about
how to replace it?" asked Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. "That's the
combined population of 19 [U.S.] states." "A [congressional] resolution
is not enough. I want to go after funding [for the United Nations],"
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told VOA. "It's
become a body that has lost its way. America's not going to invest in an
international body that singles out the only democracy in the [Mideast]
region." Democrat Kaine said he would reserve judgment until he saw
the text of the Senate resolution, but expressed frustration over the
stalled Middle East peace process. "I've been extremely disappointed over
the last years," Kaine said. "The U.S. has stood, and the U.N. has stood,
for the notion of two states, Israel and Palestine, living peacefully side by
side. What is the right role for the United States in trying to promote
progress? That's the thing that I'm looking at." Exposing the full extent of
Russian cyberattacks and taking steps to discourage them are rare points
of agreement among prominent Democrats and Republicans on Capitol
Hill. "There's going to be more material put out by the Obama
administration about what happened [during the election season]," Kaine
said. "I've been briefed on this. I think the intel [intelligence] is beyond
question that Russia attempted to influence the outcome of the election.
We have to get the facts on the table."
GOP plans to crush Democratic opposition to Trump Cabinet
Burgess Everett and Seung Min Kim, Politico
Senate Republicans have a plan to break the Democratic resistance to
Donald Trumps Cabinet: Make their delay tactics as excruciating as
possible. With Senate Democrats threatening to drag out the confirmation
process for weeks, the GOP is preparing to keep the chamber running
around the clock if thats what it takes to speedily confirm Trumps
Cabinet. Its the kind of retaliatory strategy that would bring all-night
sessions, 3 a.m. votes and a long slog through the first months of Trumps
presidency that could sap some of the GOPs legislative momentum.
And though GOP senators began meeting with the Cabinet hopefuls as
soon as they were announced a common courtesy during the
nomination process Democrats decided as a caucus not to meet with

any of Trumps picks until the new year, according to Senate Minority
Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). That decision was meant to allow freshman
senators to be involved in the process and to do it in an orderly manner,
Durbin said. Democrats are starting their meetings now: Coons will meet
with Tillerson on Wednesday, and Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of
California and Tim Kaine of Virginia, along with Durbin, are planning sitdowns with Sessions this week. But despite calls from Democrats to slow
down the process, Republicans are powering ahead with their plan to
launch confirmation hearings for several key Trump nominees starting
next week.
Bipartisan Mood as Congress Sworn in
Alex Gangitano, Roll Call
For many, their first day of work in Washington was dreary and puddlefilled, but in the Senate, there were no political parties for a brief moment.
During a full day of rain in the nations capital, Vice President Joseph R.
Biden Jr. returned to the Senate perhaps for the last time to swear in the
27 re-elected senators and seven newly elected ones. Tables turned for
Republicans, who had 12 freshmen senators at the 2015 swearing in, but
this year had just two: Indiana Sen. Todd Young and Louisiana Sen. John
Neely Kennedy. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Joe Manchin of West
Virginia arrived late and crossed the floor before the new group was called
to get in their seats. Manchin then proceeded to greet other senators on
both sides throughout the ceremony and rarely sat down. Former vice
presidential candidate Sen. Tim Kaine also arrived late. Minnesota
Democrat Al Franken also couldnt stay in his seat, his laugh audible
throughout the chamber as he spoke with Florida Republican Marco Rubio.
Former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was not present and
because his Vermont colleague Leahy was re-elected last year and
needed a symbolic escort down the aisle, California Democrat Dianne
Feinstein of California filled in for him.
Senate Democrats Strategy on ACA Repeal: What to Watch Today
James Rowley, Bloomberg
Lacking the presidents veto pen to squelch the Republican campaign to
undo the Affordable Care Act, Democrats plan to highlight the lack of a
replacement to win over the handful of Republicans they will need to head
off the repeal juggernaut. House and Senate Democrats are scheduled to
meet today with President Barack Obama on Capitol Hill to hear his ideas
about the risks of the Republican plan to pass a partial repeal measure
without immediately implementing a replacement. That discussion is set
to take place as the Senate begins debate on a fiscal 2017 budget
resolution that includes reconciliation instructions for the repeal and
replacement of the health-care law. Using the reconciliation procedure

would allow Senate Republicans, who have a 52-48 majority, to
circumvent a filibuster rule that usually requires a 60-vote super majority
to pass legislation. Those instructions call for action by relevant
committees of jurisdiction by Jan. 27. We have to tell the stories of 30
million people who are going to lose their health insurance, said Virginia
Democrat Tim Kaine. He cited an Urban Institute study that projects 29.8
million would lose their insurance in two years as a result of legislation
that repeals requirements that employers and individuals purchase
insurance and eliminates premium tax credits. By outlining the chaos
this is going to cause in peoples lives," Democrats may convince some
Republicans that it is better to have a replacement and reform discussion
before we have a repeal vote, Kaine, who was his partys vicepresidential nominee last year, said in an interview.
Digital Star Tyler Oakley Is Just Getting Started
Madeline Berg, Forbes
It's not going to happen overnight. And if you do go viral with your first
video, I would say that's more of a curse than a blessing, because there's
so much expectation of what you then have to keep doing, muses digital
star Tyler Oakley to those hoping to take the Internet worldand real
worldby storm with their iPhone cameras. With spiky bleached hair and
signature geek-chic glasses, Oakleya member of 2017's class of 30
Under 30 Hollywoodknows a thing or two about going viral. Ten years
ago, he posted his first clip on YouTube from his college dorm room to
keep in touch with far-away friends. DeGeneres, who has called Oakley
an amazing talent, was so excited by the YouTube star that she signed
him to her production company. He now hosts The Tyler Oakley Show on
her digital platform Ellentube. Oakleys uncensored talk show, which has
featured guests like singer Carrie Underwood, former vice presidential
candidate Tim Kaine and actor Seth Rogen, begs the question of whether
Oakley is being groomed to be the next DeGeneres. As part of the deal he
is also developing a show for linear television, which will be one of
Oakley's many forays offline.
Playbook: WELCOME TO OPENING DAY House Republicans gut
ethics watchdog RYANS NEW ROLE: SECOND FIDDLE Squad
goals: Schumers leadership style OBAMA, PENCE ON THE HILL
THIS WEEK CBC braces for Trump administration
Heather Caygle, Politico
Sen.-elect Kamala Harris has tapped Lily Adams as her communications
director. Adams most recently worked in the press shop for the Hillary
Clinton campaign and previously worked on the Hill for Sens. Tim Kaine
and Richard Blumenthal. Harris has also hired Dwayne Paige as her
administrative director.
Hampton Roads lawmakers reported to the Capitol on Tuesday.
Here's what they plan to focus on in Congress.
Bill Bartel, Virginian-Pilot
As Congress convened Tuesday, members of Hampton Roads five-man
delegation a mix of legislative veterans and rookies each were
pondering their own agendas as Republicans take control this month of
both chambers and the White House. The looming partisan fight over
repealing the Affordable Care Act was top of mind for most of them. But
all said they have individual plans for the coming months to focus on
wide-ranging issues including education and tax policies, investigating
Russian cyberattacks, and protecting the regions military assets. The
solution to automatic cuts, which amount to more than $1 trillion over a
decade in defense and domestic programs, have been difficult to find
given that many Democrats also want the domestic programs left
untouched and few are talking about raising more revenue. On the other
side of the Capitol, Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine share concerns
about defense spending but also expect to be in thick of actions regarding
health care and Russian hacking. Warner, a senior Democrat on the
Senate Intelligence Committee, expect to focus on national security
issues including an investigation of evidence that Russia attempted to
interfere with the U.S. presidential election. He is also working a complex
project to repair a capitalist economic system that he argues is out of
balance. Kaine, who recently joined the Senate Health, Education, Labor
and Pensions Committee, expects to have an early role in perhaps the
most divisive issue in the first days of the session: the battle over the
health care law championed by President Barack Obama. He and other
Democrats want to keep it intact. Taylor and other Republicans support
GOP efforts to abolish the new law.
Charles Colgan, longest serving VA senator, dies
Shawn MacLauchlan, WWBT
Charles J. "Chuck" Colgan, the longest serving State Senator in Virginia's
history, died on Tuesday at the age of 90. Colgan died while in hospice
care. He served for forty years in the Virginia Senate. U.S. Senator Tim
Kaine released the following statement: I am deeply saddened to hear of
the death of my friend Chuck Colgan, and I extend my condolences to his
family. Throughout his career as a businessman and public servant, Chuck
set an inspiring example of how we should do all that we can to serve our
community. There are few Virginians who have contributed as much to the
Commonwealth as he did.
Fishburne Military School prepares to march at Trump's

inauguration
WHSV
The cadets at Fishburne Military School will be spending a lot of time the
next couple of weeks mastering their march. On January 20th, the cadets
will make their premiere march in the inauguration parade for PresidentElect Donald Trump. Then they will add extra days of practice as
needed to learn anything new. The school received the support of both
Senator Tim Kaine and Congressman Bob Goodlatte, which they believe
helped their chances - tying the two political parties together for a good
cause.
Is the Democratic Party doomed to lose? (Op-Ed)
Richard Davis, Deseret News
It is easy to forget how quickly conventional wisdom reverses itself. After
the election of Barack Obama in 2008, pundits were suggesting the
Republican Party was dying. It was a party of old, suburban white people
who were unsuccessfully bucking the demographic changes occurring in
the nation. If the party did not change course it would become an
anachronism. Yet, those Republican dinosaurs struck back last
November, proving they were still electorally powerful. Today, the
Republican Party is on the verge of taking over all the branches of federal
government. A Republican will occupy the White House. The Senate and
House are controlled by Republicans. As well, the party controls 31 of 50
governorships and the majority of state legislatures. In fact, on the state
level, the Republican Party has made its greatest gains in the past eight
years. n minority status now, Democrats have the potential to do that.
Re-electing Pelosi as leader was a step in the wrong direction. Democrats
need to find new, fresh leadership in Congress and among potential
presidential candidates. These might include Sens. Tim Kaine (Virginia) or
Heidi Heitkamp (North Dakota). If the Democrats really wanted to shake
things up, they would recruit presidential candidates from among
independents Gov. Bill Walker (Alaska) or Sen. Angus King (Maine).
Embrace religious values shared by a majority of Americans. Similarly,
many of those blue-collar workers are religious, as are many white-collar
workers. The Democratic Party has had a difficult time straddling
increasing secularism among Democrats while still seeking to appeal to
religious-oriented voters. The party needs to stop straddling and
recognize the importance of faith in the lives of so many Americans. The
party needs more Tim Kaines who are both deeply religious and open
about their faith. Democrats have a long way to go to regain the trust of a
majority of voters. Will they do so? That is still an open question.
Court Square Protest Calls For Obamacare Reprieve
Nolan Stout, Daily News-Record

Valerie Serrels has struggled to pay for health care. The Bridgewater
resident and mother of five spent 10 years without health insurance
because I simply could not afford it. Two years ago, she received
coverage under the Affordable Care Act for herself and two of her children
who live at home. She wants congressional Republicans to know repealing
it will hurt her. The Affordable Care Act provided a way for the three of us
to get a good health care plan at an affordable cost, Serrels said. I cant
imagine moving back to a very vulnerable and uncertain place. Serrels
was one of about 65 people to rally Tuesday on Court Square in support of
the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, as the 115th
Congress began its first session. Jost said the law benefits 1,610
Harrisonburg residents and 3,765 Rockingham County residents, citing
numbers from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These
are our friends; these are our neighbors; these are people we go to church
with, he said. Organizers displayed signs with the phone numbers of
Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner and Rep. Bob Goodlatte, RRoanoke, and urged attendees to call and make their voices heard. Jost
said attendees hope Goodlatte, a fierce critic of the law, could be swayed
from repealing it.
Arlington Dems Chair Kip Malinosky Advocates Principled
Resistance to Trump
Lowkell, Blue Virginia
Democrats must be an effective, aggressive opposition party to Presidentelect Trump. When President Obama was elected eight years ago with
nearly 10 million more votes than Senator McCain, in the face of the worst
economic crisis in 80 years, Republicans settled on a strategy of total
congressional opposition to his agenda. When President Bush was elected
16 years ago, during a time of peace and prosperity, while losing the
popular vote by 500,000 votes, dozens of Democratic legislators voted for
Bushs tax cuts and the war in Iraq. Now thata Presidentelect Trump will
take office while losing the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes, what
will Democrats do? We need our entire Virginia Congressional
Delegation to know the breadth and depth of resistance to Trump.
Arlington Democrats have already initiated this process by approving a
resolution against the repeal of theAffordable CareAct and Medicare.And
you can call Senator Warners office at 703- 442-0670 and Senator
Kaines office at 703- 361-3192 and tell them to join usin resistance.
Finally, we need to win elections. In Virginia we have three special
elections to the General Assembly on January 10. If we win both state
senate races, we can flip control of the Virginia Senate. Please join usfor
one our Arlington Democratic phone banksinto these critical races. Full
details are posted at www.arlingtondemocrats.org For the New Year, lets

resolve to resist and to win.
Schumer now regrets the 'nuclear option'
David Freddoso, Washington Examiner
We're less than three weeks away from the Trump administration, and
Democrats who cheered on President Obama's various usurpations of
power are looking forward to a lot of regrets. But already, one major
Democratic abuse taken not by Obama but by Democrats hoping to
empower him has Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,
feeling some buyer's remorse: "I argued against it at the time," Schumer
said today of the so-called nuclear option, which abolished the 60-vote
requirement in the Senate to move most presidential nominations. But
some other Democrats were rather out-and-proud about their
accomplishment, and were threatening to expand their power further
right up to their recent stunning election loss. On Oct. 28, just a week
before the election, Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Tim Kaine was
threatening to expand the nuclear option to confirm Hillary Clinton's
Supreme Court nominees in 2017 and thereafter. "I was in the Senate
when the Republicans' stonewalling around appointments caused Senate
Democratic majority to switch the vote threshold on appointments from
60 to 51. And we did it on everything but a Supreme Court justice," Kaine
said. "If these guys think they're going to stonewall the filling of that
vacancy or other vacancies, then a Democratic Senate majority will say,
'We're not going to let you thwart the law.'" Democrats, Kaine ultimately
predicted, "will change the Senate rules to uphold the law." Once again,
what goes around really does come around. Thanks to Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid's D-Nev., decision, and the support of Kaine, Schumer
and others at the time, President-elect Trump will now be able to appoint
his entire cabinet without a single Democratic vote. He will also be able to
replace about 15 percent of the judges on the lower courts right off the
bat when he takes office, and thanks to the nuclear option Democrats'
input will be limited to whatever mercies the Republicans decide to give
them. Republicans, if they are wise, will take a lesson and give
themselves no more power than they would want Democrats to have.
GOP to combat Schumer nominee-stall with a public shaming
Susan Crabtree, Washington Examiner
Senate Republicans have launched a public shaming campaign to try to
shift public opinion against Democrats' threats to stall action on eight of
Donald Trump's Cabinet nominees until March. Democrats, led by new
Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., have repeatedly warned that
they will drag out confirmation votes with a series of procedural tactics.
They say they have no qualms delaying the Trump nominees if they feel
they don't receive adequate background information and financial records

and don't have enough time to review them. The Senate Republican
Communications Center, the messaging arm for Senate GOP leaders, on
Tuesday sent out a release quoting four Democrats, including Schumer,
on either the need to avoid gridlock or the importance of quickly
approving presidential nominees. "We have a moral obligation, even
beyond the economy and politics, to avoid gridlock and get the country to
work again We have to get things done," Schumer told Bloomberg one
day before Trump's surprising victory, when polls predicted a Clinton win.
Republicans also referred to remarks that Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., Clinton's
running mate, made during an Armed Services Committee hearing in
2013. "I think we owe deference to a president for choices to executive
positions, and I think that that is a very important thing to grapple with,"
he said at the time. "The American public chose someone to be president.
They're giving that individual a mandate to govern, and that mandate
includes the assembly of the team that the president feels is the
appropriate team."
Were Not Opposing Donald Trump with the Unified Fierceness He
Deserves
Shaun King, Common Dreams
A man who some believe to be a pretty terrible human being is scheduled
to become our next President in less than three weeks. I won't make yet
another rundown of all of the awful things he has said and done. I've done
that a dozen times. Pretty much every reputable news outlet in the
country has covered Trump's lies, deceit, failed commitments, his
unethical business dealings, and his personal admissions on mistreating
and sexually assaulting women. Maybe we are waiting for the
Democratic Party to rise up and oppose him for us? That simply isn't
going to happen. The Democratic Party is in shambles. Bill and Hillary
Clinton are not going to be opposition leaders. As she takes long walks in
the forest and as Bill calls Donald to wish him well, I think we've seen
clues of what they will be in a Trump administration. Vice Presidential
candidate Tim Kaine has all but faded into the abyss. Will Barack and
Michelle Obama, who opposed Trump so masterfully during the final
weeks of the election, and seemed to be speaking from the heart while
doing so, break tradition and vocally oppose his presidency? Or will they
operate like most other former first families and simply give Trump the
space to be himself?
Democrats Take Aim at Trump Nominees, Unlike Republicans
Speedy OK of Obama Cabinet
Rachel del Guidice, Daily Signal
Senate Democrats are mounting an aggressive effort to reject or delay

President-elect Donald Trumps choices for major Cabinet positions, in a
reversal of the deference Republicans showed in speedily confirming
President Barack Obamas nominees eight years ago. In January 2009, the
Senate confirmed 10 of Obamas Cabinet choices within his first week as
president, nine of them by voice vote, in which senators yes and no votes
arent recorded. Interestingly, the Senate used the voice vote more in
confirming Obamas initial Cabinet choices than it did in conforming Bush
or Clinton nominees. The Senate confirmed eight of Bushs initial Cabinet
picks by voice vote, and three of Clintons initial choices. McConnells
release of confirmation statistics for Obama includes a quote from Hillary
Clintons 2016 running mate, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va. I think we owe
deference to a president for choices to executive positions, and I think
that that is a very important thing to grapple with, Kaine said at a 2013
hearing held by the Armed Services Committee. In November, the release
from McConnells office reminded, Schumer suggested he would work
with Republicans to get things done in Congress and avoid needless
delays.
2016: A Year in Review
Michael Dashiell, Sequim Gazette
In 2016, Sequim news headlines included a big change at the helm of the
Sequim Police Department, a popular recreational facility revived under
new management, Sequim schools revamped its approach for new
construction after a fourth bond plan fell short, and Sequim-area voters
backed Democrats to legislative seats in Olympia but President-elect
Donald Trump in the general election. Here, by month, are some of the
highlights (and lowlights) of some of Sequims top news stories from the
past year: Based on general election voting data, Sequim seems to
favor president-elect Republican Party candidate Donald Trump,
particularly outside city limits. Across the county, 80.5 percent were cast,
with Trump and running mate Michael Pence finishing with 18,794 votes
(47.63 percent) over Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton and Tim
Kaines 17,677 votes (44.8 percent). In Sequim School District
boundaries, including the City of Sequim and greater Sequim in Clallam
County, Trump won 18 of 32 precincts and the local overall vote of 9,158
votes to 8,874, with the rest split among five listed candidates and writeins.
The Opposite of Privatize is Socialize
Peter Berllios, CounterPunch
The Democrats deserve the scorn theyre getting, and much more. Among
other things, they deserve scorn for helping to elect Trump. When Trump
said Make America Great Again, and Clinton responded by saying that its
already great, she dismissed the suffering of working people. By

abandoning the notion that the Democrats are the party working toward
social justice, she allowed Trump to play that card. That helped her to lose
to a vile opponent far more than when she described Trump supporters as
a basket of deplorables. Not only do the Democrats deserve scorn for
creating the conditions out of which Trump grew income inequality,
deeper levels of permanent unemployment, never-ending war, a way of
life thats not just stagnant for most but is slowly getting worse they
deserve scorn for not effectively stopping Trump. Clinton and the
Democrats didnt say they were going to fix these things and build a
better future. Clinton said Americas already great. She said shed be a
third Obama term, when Obama has no substance. Hes just an image.
Only the Bernie Sanders crowd (denigrated and libeled and cheated out of
so much by the Democrats) addressed the suffering that people are
experiencing. And what did the Democrats do in response to this? The
Democrats topped off their injuries with the insult of Tim Kaine. They
willfully abandoned the working class for suburban Republicans. And now
they cant stop blaming Russia for their loss. All along it was their politics
and their economics.
Warren, Sanders Lead List Of Top 15 Dems For 2020 White House
Race
John Michael Spinelli, Plunderbund (Blog)
Ohios senior U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown was vetted last year by Hillary
Clinton to be her running mate. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine got the call
instead. But if Clinton picked Sen. Brown, who has a long history of
fighting for workers and their issues, her economic message may have
been stronger in important states like Wisconsin and Michigan where
Donald Trump eked out wins by a very thin margin. As Democrats look
forward to 2020, the portfolio of potential presidential candidates is taking
shape now. If Sen. Brown can win in 2018, his name could be added to the
15 people already on a list released by The Hill, a long-standing
Washington insider publication, as prime suspects to take on the Donald.
So who are these 15 potential Democratic candidates that could save the
party in four years? 14. Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.) Hes now experienced
after running as Clintons VP pick. 15. Oprah Winfrey Shes a big
celebrity, like Trump. Shes a trusted celebrity, unlike Trump. Can she be
tempted into a race to defeat Trump?
Back to the Top
TV KAINE MENTIONS
WDBJ (CBS) - Roanoke, VA

Early Mornin'
Local Market Viewership: 12,021
Local Publicity Value: $481.12per 30s
WDBJ 1/4/2017 5:43:13 AM, 1/3/2017 11:18:39 PM:
...chance to participate in the event. mark black/ superintendent; "i want
the entire nation to see fishburne military school -- see what these cadets
are, and hoessiveve they are." the school recieved the support of both
senator Tim Kaine and congressman goodlatte, which they believe
helped their chances. the cadets start tomorrow and will be practicing
during their drill time and goodlatte sent out a tweet saying the vmi corps
of cadets is also marching a new name has been listed as the front-runner
for trump's agriculture secretary
WCAV (CBS) - Charlottesville, VA
Good Morning Charlottesville
WCAV 1/4/2017 5:38:20 AM:
...experience his senior year. "pretty excited. i think it's really cool, you
know. it's once-in-a-lifetime you get to go out and march in front of the
president. i mean, not many people can say they did that. it's such a big
honor to just do this." the cadets will practice for the next couple of weeks
during their regularly scheduled drill days to learn new formations.
practice.and add any extra this is the first time the school applied to
participate... and feels like senator Tim Kaine... and congressman bob
goodlatte are to thank ...both supported the decision for the school to
march
WAVY-NFK (NBC) - Norfolk, VA
WAVY News 10 Today @ 4:30am
WAVY 1/4/2017 4:48:05 AM:
...serving state senator passed away. charle "chuck" colgan served in the
state senate for 40 years while representing prince lawmakers including
william county. governor terry mcauliffe and senators mark warner and
Tim Kaine praised colgan for his service. he passed away yesterday in
hopsice care. colgan was 90 years old.
WWBT-RIC (NBC) - Richmond, VA
12 News at 11
Local Publicity Value: $2,524.73per 30s

WWBT 1/3/2017 11:05:17 PM:
...governor mcauliffe wrote, "his passionate and bipartisan approach to
getting things done should serve as an example for all of us as we
continue the work he and so many undertook and passed forward to us."
and for vice presidential candidate and senator Tim Kaine wrote, "chuck
set an inspiring example of how we should do all that we can to serve our
community. there are few virginians who have contributed as much to the
commonwealth as he did." heather colgan entered hospice care last week
and died today after a brief illness. he's survived by his wife and eight
childre senator chuck colgan was 90 years old.
WVBT-NFK (FOX) - Norfolk, VA
WVBT Local News
WVBT 1/3/2017 10:15:21 PM:
...new tonight - virginia's longest serving state senator has passed away.
charles "chuck" colgan served in the state senate for 40 years while
representing prince william county. lawamkers from governor terry
mcauliffe and senators mark warner and Tim Kaine praised colgan for his
service. he passed away today while in hospice care. colgan was 90 years
old.
WHSV (ABC) - Harrisonburg, VA
TV-3 News at 6
WHSV 1/3/2017 6:12:00 PM:
...the cadets will practice for the next couple of weeks during their
regularly scheduled drill practice.and add any extra days to learn new
formations.this is the first time the school applied to participate... and
feels like senator Tim Kaine... and congressman bob goodlatte are to
thank...both supported the decision for the school to march.the
inauguration is january 20th... and we will be sure to watch for fishburne
WHSV (ABC) - Harrisonburg, VA
TV-3 News at 5
WHSV 1/3/2017 5:15:05 PM:
...cadets will start their training tomorrow during their regularly scheduled
drill practice.then they will add extra days of practice as needed to learn
anything new. the school received the support of both senator tim
Kaine... and congressman bob goodlatte,,, which they believe helped

their chances
WTAG-AM - Springfield, MA
WTAG 1/3/2017 3:39:11 PM:
...list of everyone who rule and are year which featured several politicians
telenor former running mate virginia senator tim kane both made the list
the people if they would just don't get get over this demanded that really
they really psychologically unbalanced italia she said w bush's election
donald trump you belong in this list bakary said if clinton gq criticized
quinn for boise state wisconsin which voted democrat for the past 7
presidential elections
Fox News - U.S. Cable
America's Newsroom w/Bill Hemmer-Martha MacCallum
National Viewership: 1,559,470
National Publicity Value$103,782.73per 30s
FNC 1/3/2017 10:06:35 AM:
...were confirmed on january 20th, 2009. the day he was sworn into office.
five more were confirmed by the end of his first week. republicans are
noting the comments made by people like senator Tim Cain of rginia back
in february 2013 when mr. obama's second term was beginning saying,
quote, i think we owe deference to a president for choices to executive
positions. i think that is a very important thing to grapple with. the
american public chooses someone to be president. they're giving that
individual a mandate to govern and that mandate includes the assembly
of the team the president feels is the appropriate team. we have
republicans here in the senate essentially saying to the democrat
colleagues, let's show the same courtesy and seriousness with which the
senate considered mr. obama's inner circle.
WCYB (NBC) - Tri-Cities, TN
Today
WCYB 1/3/2017 8:57:42 AM:
...region for the legalization of we were in medical marijuana. clintwood,
virginia as people held signs and collected signatures for a petition.
protesting sunday... and will be out there the rest of the month. we're told
they're planning on giving the petition to tim Kaine and governor
mcauliffe. it's a billion dollar industry... and would be beneficial for our
area
Back to the Top
LEADING THE VIRGINIA NEWS

McAuliffe proposes criminal justice reforms
Laura Vozzella and Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post
If new DNA evidence turns up after trial, some convicted felons can ask a
court to review it and declare them innocent. But not all; those who
pleaded guilty are barred from later petitioning for a writ of actual
innocence. On Tuesday, Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) proposed a bill that would
make any felon eligible to petition the court based on new DNA evidence,
regardless of how he or she originally pleaded. The measure is an
acknowledgment that some plead guilty to crimes they did not commit,
said McAuliffe spokesman Brian Coy. If you pleaded guilty [falsely], which
happens at times, state law says even if new evidence arises, you are
barred [from seeking a writ of actual innocence], Coy said. A judge
would not consider it. Its kind of an arbitrary prohibition. McAuliffe
announced the bill as part of a package of criminal justice reforms
proposed for the General Assembly session that begins Jan. 11.
Virginia's flu level 'widespread,' officials say
Katie Demeria, Richmond Times-Dispatch
The first day of the year marked the second consecutive week that flu
levels in Virginia have been widespread, according to the states
Department of Health. But those levels are not necessarily worrisome yet,
said Sarah Fenno, the states influenza surveillance coordinator.
Widespread flu characterized by cases of influenza in at least half of
the regions in the state is pretty typical for this time of year. Around
December through March, we see a lot of increases in flu cases, and
especially around the holiday, Fenno said. Still, the spike in influenza
cases makes prevention all the more important, she said, and the flu
vaccination is the best way to ward off the illness.
Constituent Criticism, Trump Tweets Push Back Against Goodlatte
Ethics Changes
Associated Press
In a city bound by tradition, every president taps a legislative affairs
director to work with Congress. President-elect Donald Trump appears
ready to use a legislative whip like none other: Twitter. On the opening
day of Congress, Trump demonstrated the power of his 18.5-million
Twitter followers and the clout of his populist credentials. With just a
couple of tweets, the president-elect helped achieve what GOP leaders
could not the night before, successfully pressuring House Republicans to
reverse course on a plan to essentially scuttle an independent
congressional ethics board. ... The original rule's author, U.S. Rep. Bob
Goodlatte, R-6th, saw his Facebook and Twitter pages bombarded with
hundreds of critical messages.
Back to the Top
VIRGINIA NEWS
Decision on delaying Ricky Gray's Jan. 18 execution to come no
later than next week
Frank Green, Richmond Times-Dispatch
A federal judge on Tuesday said he will decide within a week whether to
delay Ricky Javon Grays scheduled Jan. 18 execution over concerns about
drugs the state intends to use if Gray dies by injection. Midazolam, a
sedative, and potassium chloride, which stops the heart, are the first and
third drugs used in Virginias three-drug procedure. The drugs were made
by a compounding pharmacy and not by pharmaceutical manufacturers,
which no longer provide drugs to states for executions. The state strongly
disputes that the compounded drugs tested by a state laboratory and
made by a licensed Virginia pharmacy and pharmacist are anything
less than suitable for use in an execution. The alleged problems are
wholly speculative, said Margaret Hoehl OShea with the state Attorney
Generals Office.
Virginia Says Lethal Injection Drugs Are Safe, Execution Should
Continue
Sarah Rankin, Associated Press
The drugs from a secret compounding pharmacy that Virginia plans to use
in a lethal injection this month were appropriately prepared and tested
and any argument that they are subpar is speculative, an attorney for the
state said Tuesday. Assistant Attorney General Margaret O'Shea asked a
federal judge to deny a request from attorneys for condemned inmate
Ricky Gray to put his execution on hold so they can challenge the state's
execution protocol. Gray's attorneys say there is a serious risk that
Virginia will "chemically torture" him by using midazolam and potassium
chloride made at a compounding pharmacy, facilities that are not as
heavily regulated as more conventional pharmacies.
James City County looks ahead on sea level rise
Mike Holtzclaw, Daily Press
James City County has the luxury of elevation and time. On the topic of
sea level rise, the great majority of the county is situated higher than
other neighboring cities and counties, allowing James City to observe and
learn. "It is not nearly the immediate issue here that it is in Poquoson or
Norfolk or Hampton, which are more low-lying areas," said John Horne,
director of the general services office, which oversees stormwater, flood
plain management and other relevant issues. "Our topography is very

different even from York County, just one jurisdiction down the Peninsula.
Those areas have to deal with recurrent flooding of developed areas, and
significant acreage that is getting more flooding from tides or storms
we're not in that situation yet." The operative word is yet. Horne notes
that sea level rise and shore erosion have been happening consistently
for millions of years, and with a noted increase in pace in recent
generations.
Reclusive 'Feathered Mouse' Disappearing From Virginia
TAMARA DIETRICH, Daily Press
As a species, the eastern black rail tops the list for avid bird-lovers the
world over who are eager to catch a glimpse of this reclusive, secretive
little creature. That's because most birders have never actually seen one
in the flesh. And most of them never will. Not only is the tiny bird that's
nicknamed the "feathered mouse" the most secretive of all the secretive
marsh birds and thus notoriously hard to spot, sea level rise is rapidly
robbing them of their habitat, stoking what one bird expert calls a
"catastrophic decline" in population.
Bill Would Give Localities Ability To Snuff Out Smoking In Their
Parks
Scott Mccaffrey, Sun Gazette
It could be a longshot in Richmond, but localities such as Arlington would
win the power to ban smoking in open spaces such as parkland if a
measure percolating in Richmond wins passage. State Sen. John Edwards
(D-Roanoke) has introduced the measure, which would give Virginia
counties, cities and towns the power to designate non-smoking areas
within outdoor public places, with those caught lighting up subject to a
$25 civil fine. Currently, Virginia localities are prohibited from banning
smoking in outdoor parks under their control.
Sen. Jill Vogel Embroiled In Email Scandal
Trevor Baratko, Loudoun Times
State Sen. Jill Vogel says she is horrified and upset by implications she
or her husband is involved in a smear campaign against a fellow
Republican state senator, but thus far evidence in the imbroglio doesn't
appear to be on Vogel's side. Both Vogel (R) and the GOP colleague
involved, state Sen. Bryce Reeves, are seeking the 2017 GOP nomination
for lieutenant governor. In September, an email circulated to Reeves'
supporters claiming Reeves had an affair with a campaign aide. After
court filings and subpoenas from the Reeves camp, the email was traced
to the Vogels.
Schapiro: Va.'s Goodlatte is first ethics casualty of new Congress

Jeff Schapiro, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Bob Goodlatte, the first ethics casualty of the new Congress and by his
own hand is supposed to be the political heir to M. Caldwell Butler, the
Virginia Republican who, as a newcomer to the House of Representatives
in 1974, voted to impeach President Richard Nixon for Watergate crimes.
A member of the House Judiciary Committee that Goodlatte now chairs,
Butler, who would hire Goodlatte fresh out of law school in 1977 to run his
district office, declared, For years, we Republicans have campaigned
against corruption and misconduct. But Watergate is our shame.
Back to the Top
VIRGINIA OPINIONS
On the judiciary, the GOP played ball
Editorial Board, Richmond Times-Dispatch
Republicans have refused to grant so much as a committee hearing to
Merrick Garland, President Obamas choice for the late Antonin Scalias
seat on the Supreme Court. Their obstinacy has enabled partisan critics to
paint the GOP as the Party of No and claim its obstructionism imperils the
operation of the third branch of government.
Hardly.
Presidential nominees deserve fair hearings, and Garland should have
been no exception. But thats just the point: He is an exception. As a
general rule, Republicans have been lenient toward Obamas judicial
picks. In fact, the GOP has shown more deference to Obama than
Democrats did to George W. Bush.
You can thank Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the chairman of the Judiciary
Committee, for running the numbers. In a new report, Grassley notes that
the committee held nomination hearings for 54 Obama appointees over
the past two years. During the last two years of Bushs term, the
Democrat-run committee held 57 hearings.
More importantly, Grassley notes that the full Senate confirmed 329 of
President Obamas judicial nominees. By comparison, the Senate
confirmed only 326 of President Bushs judicial nominees.
Indeed, a Politico piece in August pointed out that Obamas successful
appointments now account for more than one third of the judiciary. . . .
He (also) got two left-leaning women onto the (Supreme) Court: Sonia
Sotomayor, the first Hispanic justice, and Elena Kagan, his former solicitor
general. He also flipped the partisan balance of the nations 13 courts of
appeals; when he took office, only one had a majority of Democratic
appointees, and now nine do.
True, the number of judicial vacancies also has risen during Obamas
tenure and Republicans filibustered 20 district court nominees, which is
17 more than the number that had been filibustered under all previous
presidents. (That led to the nuclear option, eliminating the filibuster for
non-Supreme Court nominations a move Senate Democrats will repent
as soon as Donald Trump starts filling vacancies.)
Yet however much Republicans romp and rant so they can look good to
their voting bases back home, in the end Obamas nominees have moved
on to the bench. That will leave a lasting and powerful legacy and one
Trump will be powerless to undo.
About face on ethics in the swamp
Editorial Board, Virginian-Pilot
Those dreaming about a bright start in the new year from the 115th
Congress were smacked in the face by reality on Monday when word
filtered down that the Republican House conference had voted to neuter
an independent committee charged with ethical oversight of lawmakers.
Though on Tuesday Republicans reversed themselves after a flurry of
criticism, the initial decision remains troubling. The trouble comes as
much from what was done as from how.
By voting behind closed doors, while most of America was still enjoying a
holiday, and making the measure a part of the rules package that will
govern the House for the next two years, GOP members flouted the
wishes of every voter who sought an end to business-as-usual in
Washington.
Unsurprisingly, at the center of it was U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte. While not
the first elected official to bristle at the oversight that comes as part of
holding public office, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is
one of the few brazen enough to strike back at the institutions created to
keep lawmakers in line.
On Monday, Goodlatte offered an amendment to the package of rules
typically adopted prior to the start of the House session. The Virginia
Republican from the 6th Congressional District proposed to move the
independent, non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics under the
jurisdiction of the House Ethics Committee.
The change would have placed that citizen body under the direction of a
Republican-led committee. Its no stretch to imagine the effect would
have been to insulate House members from scrutiny or inquiry unless the
GOP majority on the Ethics Committee saw fit to investigate.
Recall that the OCE was created in 2008 after a rash of bribery and
corruption charges involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who used money and
gifts to curry favor with lawmakers and congressional staffers. The House
Ethics Committee was reluctant to investigate, prompting the creation of
an independent body where complaints could be lodged and considered.
In the years since its creation, the OCE has done reasonable work,
conducting preliminary investigations of lawmakers and staffers, and
forwarding the most serious for full deliberation. However that did not
keep it from running afoul of members of the GOP caucus.
The proposal would have prohibited the OCE from considering anonymous
tips, from having a spokesperson or from making its findings public. Yet, in
leading the charge, Goodlatte offered a laughable defense, perfect for the
post-truth era: The OCE has a serious and important role in the House,
and this amendment does nothing to impede their work.
The House Republican conference adopted the measure 119-74, but there
will be no roll call released for this vote because it happened behind
closed doors.
Not that it really matters. Many of those who would stand up for
eliminating an independent ethics review board do not fear voters,
insulated as they are by redistricting maps that keep them safe from
challenge.
To their credit, a good many Republicans objected, including House
Speaker Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. President-elect
Donald Trump, naturally, tweeted his displeasure on Tuesday.
That opposition, along with the immediate public outcry, led to the aboutface on Tuesday. Consider that one battle won.
But its hardly the end of an ongoing war between those, like Goodlatte,
who believe themselves above scrutiny and the rest of America, which
presumably believes that keeping elected officials in line requires
effective oversight in full view of the public.
Watchdogs need teeth
Editorial Board, Daily Press
How disappointing that a move to gut the U.S. House of Representatives'
independent ethics office should have come from a Virginian.
But the stealth attack on the Office of Congressional Ethics, approved
behind closed doors Monday, was the brainchild of Rep. Bob Goodlatte, RRoanoke County. Luckily, the House GOP caucus reversed itself yesterday.
You may remember Rep. Goodlatte, by the way, as the man who liked
term limits so much that he promised in 1992 to limit his own service to
just six terms in office. He's now beginning his 16th.
And you may remember that he hails, as do all of us, from the state with
about the most lax ethics oversight in the nation.
Maybe that's why Rep. Goodlatte says his proposal "builds upon and
strengthens" the office. He says his intent is to protect the rights of
people under investigation and to prevent leaks about the investigations
before they are complete.
He aimed to do that bringing the office, now overseen by seven citizens,
none a member of Congress (although one used to be), under the
authority and direction of the Committee on Ethics, and by barring it from

referring information it uncovers to the public or any other entity which
seems, on the plain language of Rep. Goodlatte's proposal, to cover law
enforcement agencies.
The ethics committee is the body that's been the stern watchdog
concerning House ethics for many years.
We're still waiting for the result of their followup to the Office of
Congressional Ethics' January finding that Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., may
have benefited from fees from legal proceedings involving the U.S.
government, may have omitted information about his outside business
interests from his financial disclosure statements, may have used official
resources for work for his hedge fund, may have benefited from interests
in partnerships that had contracts with the U.S. government and may
have used official resources in his political campaigns. All would be
violations of federal law.
To be fair to the urgency with which the Ethics Committee tackles its
work, we do have to note that they did reprove Rep. Ed Whitfield, R-Ky.,
last summer for failing to prohibit lobbying contacts between his staff and
his wife. Still, it wasn't really intentional, according to the committee's 18month follow-up to the Office of Congressional Ethics's finding of a
possible violation. Whitfield, who had said he was retiring after the
complaint went to the agency, resigned three months after the ethics
committee's harsh verdict.
Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ark., told CNN that numerous House members "were
falsely accused by this group" and "had to spend a fortune to get their
good name restored." Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, said the office was "out of
control."
That out-of-control bane of House members last year tagged a grand total
of four legislators that may have violated House ethics rules and therefore
merited a look by the Ethics Committee.
The committee is still mulling over these.
Now we would not want to suggest the members of Congress who went
along with Rep. Goodlatte are oversensitive. After all, it is a sacrifice to
serve your country for a salary of only $174,000 a year.
And we know that a big campaign contribution or plush freebie from a
lobbyist would never, ever, ever actually sway a legislator's vote. It's
hardly worth talking about, really.
Except for the fact that even members of the House of Representatives
transgress.
And manage, as in the cases of former Rep Chaka Fattah, D-Pa., former
Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, or former Rep. Duke Cunningham, R-Calif., to do so
without a peep from the ethics committee. The cases of Messrs. Fattah
and Cunningham emerged after newspaper reports that they obtained
cash and favors that violated federal ethics rules; Ney's case emerged
from a Senate investigation into the dubious activities of lobbyist Jack

Abramoff. Fattah, Ney, Abramoff were eventually convicted on a variety of
federal corruption charges.
It is simply not good enough to rely on elected officials to police
themselves. To rely only on financial disclosures, if they are not audited or
at least at risk of being audited, is not sufficient. It is, in fact, not fair,
either to the public that relies on its elected officials to put the public
interest first, or to officials like Rep. Grayson against whom allegations
arise.
It is not good enough to rely on elected officials to look at the acts of
colleagues whose votes they may rely upon when moving legislation, to
control the process that says when officials have crossed the line.
As Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., put it, after arguing against Rep. Goodlatte
on Monday and on Tuesday issuing a statement to say the change isn't
really a big deal:
"All members of Congress are required to earn the public's trust every
single day, and this House will hold members accountable to the people."
The way to start, as his caucus subsequently decided, is with an
independent ethics office.
How to fix the coalfields, part 2
Editorial Board, Roanoke Times
Today, we continue our thought experiment: What would it take to turn
Virginias coalfields from an economic loser to an economic winner?
We go down this road because last month the Democratic leader in the
state Senate Richard Saslaw of Fairfax County told a gathering in
Richmond: Coal is not going to save that region were going to have to
get involved.
By we he means the state government. We dont necessarily believe
Saslaw, mind you. Were skeptical that a state government so weighted
toward the urban crescent is ever going to do anything truly dramatic
enough to address the problems of far corner of the Virginia whose main
industry is withering away. (Yes, a Trump administration might spark a
temporary revival in coal, but the long-term trends are still grim no matter
who sits in the Oval Office. Global trends, and all that.)
But suppose, just suppose, the state was serious. What could it do? On
Tuesday, we advanced two radical notions: What if we make
community college free in the coalfields? That would help address
one of the fundamental problems a workforce whose educational levels
are well below that of the rest of the state. And what if we eliminated
(or at least drastically reduced) corporate taxes for any
companies that locate in the coal counties? Thats the old Ronald
Reagan idea of enterprise zones on a grand scale.
Today, we offer three more ideas. We concede at the outset: None of

these may be practical. Heck, some may not even be constitutional. But
we throw them out in the spirit of brainstorming and trying to expand
our range of thinking on the subject. So.
What if all the income taxes Virginia collects in the coalfields
were diverted from Richmond into a special redevelopment
fund? Based on the latest state reports, were talking $99.8 million
almost $1 billion. Yes, thats money wed have to take out of the state
budget but were talking about a state budget thats upwards of $52
billion. How much would Richmond really miss that? We bet an extra $1
billion to spend in the coalfields would sure have an impact perhaps
more impact than it would in the state budget.
Think of what $1 billion could buy: Maybe thats how we pay for that free
community college tuition for everyone in the coalfields. And still have
money left over to help fund coalfield schools whose state funding is
being cut as enrollment drops. And probably still have money left over to
lay broadband in counties being left behind by the information economy.
And offer some hard-to-beat incentives to companies to locate in the
coalfields, if youre into that sort of thing.
And. And.
Now, its true were engaging in some rhetorical sleight-of-hand here,
because were assuming the state would continue its regular
appropriations toward schools and everything else in the coalfields this
would be a way to squeeze out some extra money without raising
anybodys taxes. So, yes, were goring somebody elses ox to the tune of
$1 billion. Were just suggesting that maybe the urban crescent wouldnt
miss that money so much and we could have a bigger impact with it in
the coalfields. Its a different way of looking for solutions.
Think of it this way: Suppose we just had a program where for three
years and three years only the income taxes from the coalfields were
diverted into an endowment at the University of Virginias College at
Wise? Suddenly, it would have a bigger strategic fund than its parent
school in Charlottesville infamously assembled. How could that be used to
develop a new economy in the coalfields and ultimately wind up
creating more tax revenue for the state? This isnt a giveaway, this is an
investment.
If mucking with income tax collections the biggest source of the states
general fund revenues, at 68 percent is untenable then lets look at a
smaller source of revenue.
What if Virginia diverted its share of sales taxes collected in the
coalfields into a special fund? Then were talking $40 million a year,
not exactly chump change. Would the state really miss $40 million out of
a $52 billion budget? Thats still more than enough to pay for tuition for
every student at Mountain Empire and Southwest Virginia community
college and still have $32 million left over. You could still pay for free
tuition for every student at the University of Virginias College at Wise
and still have $12.7 million to spend on other economic development
projects. Each year.
How far would that go toward fixing one of the coalfields fundamental
problems? How long would it take to move the coalfields from having one
of the least-educated workforces in the state to one of the mosteducated?
If slicing off some sales tax revenue from the state isnt palatable, then
whats a way to raise additional revenue without resorting to taxes? Hand
me that scratch-off ticket.
What if Virginia had a special lottery game whose proceeds
were dedicated to the coalfields? This actually isnt a radical idea.
Maryland uses a special lottery game to pay off the bonds for the
stadiums for the Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Ravens. Back in the preWashington Nationals days of 1996, there was a proposal to build a
baseball stadium in Northern Virginia and pay for it through a special
lottery game. Why not apply that idea here?
Marylands stadium-dedicated lottery generates about $20 million per
year. By contrast, about $500 million still goes into the states general
fund. Virginias lottery generates about the same amount, so perhaps a
Southwest-dedicated game would also produce $20 million a year
which, as weve seen above, could pay for awful lot of education,
infrastructure and incentives.
Of course, its true that a Southwest-dedicated game might simply divert
existing lottery revenues away the state budget. Our response is pretty
provincial: So? Or maybe thats not provincial, after all. We have a state
leader albeit one in the minority party, though one who might have the
governors ear on the record saying its time the state needs to get
involved to fix the economy in the coalfields.
Here are some ways to do it without raising a single penny of taxes.
New mayor focuses on Richmond's schools
Editorial Board, Richmond Times-Dispatch
A sedate weekend ceremony saw Levar Stoney sworn in as Richmonds
new mayor. A more elaborate event will follow. Stoney opened the New
Year and his new job by visiting schools. The Times-Dispatchs K. Burnell
Evans captured the anticipation.
During interviews with the editorial board, the mayoral candidates
stressed the importance of education to the citys future. If Richmond is to
attract newcomers with school-age children and retain families with
youngsters in the school, then it must improve classroom results, the
candidates agreed. Although education falls under the direct authority of
the School Board, which hires and fires superintendents, the mayor plays
a crucial role in setting priorities. Richmonds mayor lacks the clout

exercised by New Yorks mayor, but the city still looks to the office for
educational leadership. The candidates expressed to us sentiments they
heard from the citizenry.
Stoney will deliver an inaugural address on Jan. 14. The Op/Ed page in the
Jan. 1 Commentary section featured a Stoney column that outlined his
five priorities. The mayor wrote:
Third, we must implement a new, collaborative approach to meeting the
needs of our children and families. Our schools and neighborhoods have
severe and legitimate needs. We have no hope of meeting those needs if
the mayor, City Council and School Board do not commit to work together.
The Education Compact I have proposed is, at its core, a public
commitment to strive toward shared goals, with shared metrics and
accountability measures, and a shared understanding of funding needs
and goals. We must address the needs of our schools, and we also must
address the needs of children and families outside the classroom. I am
encouraged by the discussions I have already had with members of the
incoming City Council and School Board who understand we cannot
succeed if we do not work together.
Relations between the school system and the mayors office have been
rocky for several years. Stoney has the potential to make a difference.
The Richmond School Board and City Council also experienced electoral
thunder. On Election Day, the voters said: Change the status quo. The
booster community took a drubbing. The Times-Dispatch endorsed Jack
Berry for mayor, yet we applaud Stoneys ascension. His start has
impressed us. We hope this is the first of numerous encouraging editorials
regarding Richmonds schools. We are ready to cheer.
Back to the Top
NATIONAL OPINIONS
Fake Ethics Reform Fiasco
Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal
The 115th Congress flopped into Washington on Tuesday with House
Republicans proposing and then dropping marginal changes to an internal
ethics office. The reversal is an unforced political error, but the GOP is
right that the investigative body has the power to destroy reputations
without due process.
By the way, Paul Ryan was re-elected Speaker Tuesday with one GOP
defection, while Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi lost four Democrats. But
that news was dwarfed as the House considered rules for the new
Congress, and Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte offered an amendment
to restructure the Office of Congressional Ethics.
The office is composed of political grandees, often former Members, and it

has no prosecutorial power. But it conducts investigations into Members
or staffers and makes recommendations to the House Ethics Committee.
The proposal limited what information can be released to the public and
barred the committee from having a press secretary. Also banned:
anonymous tips.
Mr. Ryan and other House leaders opposed the rule as badly timed. But
the rank and file adopted the idea Monday night anyway, only to dump it
on Tuesday after denunciations from the Democratic-media complex. The
left rounded up callers to deluge Republican switchboards for gutting
the outfit. Donald Trump couldnt resist piling on with a pair of tweets:
With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the
weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it may be,
their number one act and priority.
The reality is that the office is at best redundant and perhaps worse.
Democrats created the office in 2008 to deflect attention from a crush of
corruption scandals, including charges against at least three Members.
The left is pitching the place as an essential institution of selfgovernment, but the Senate manages to function without a similar office.
As it is, the ethics office is a roving investigator that can publish reports
with details that may not be accurate and can damage a reputation with
little or no proof of guilt. Evidence of wrongdoing in travel, campaign
finances and other matters can be handled by the House Ethics
Committee, and if necessary law-enforcement agencies. Both are
politically accountable, unlike the independent office.
Anonymous complaints are especially insidious, as subjects of an
investigation may not know who is accusing themand the accuser may
never have to press his case. Nixing the communications director is also
worthy: A press secretary is nothing but a designated leaker. The office is
a great tool for government watchdog groups that are progressives
posing as transparency enthusiasts, which renders the proceedings even
less fair.
The burning question in the media has been whether Mr. Trump or public
outcry deserve credit for the GOPs about-face. In any case, House
Republicans will pay a political price for trying, then failing, to rush
through ethics changesafter running on draining the D.C. swamp. By
caving so precipitously at the first sign of opposition, theyve also invited
more such pressure campaigns.
The upshot is an embarrassing start for a new GOP Congress that is
supposed to be stalwart for pursuing conservative reform no matter the
opposition. Progressives are elated that their Trump resistance project
notched a victory and will continue the fact-free outrage campaigns. If
you think the political pressure is intense on ethics rules, wait until the
left completes its nationwide talent search for the person most harmed by
the GOPs health-care proposals. Mr. Trump will also figure he can rout any
opposition with a tweet, not that hes known for restraint.
The shame is that a review of the ethics office is overdue, much as dueprocess rights have suffered under the Obama Administrationfrom
college campus show trials to bankrupting legal companies. Maybe
Congress can restore its own due-process guarantees after it does
something for everyone elses.
House Fires at Ethics and Shoots Self
Editorial Board, New York Times
Even before the new Congress was sworn in on Tuesday, House
Republicans made it clear that they had no real intention of draining the
Washington swamp. They voted in secret on Monday to gut the one quasiindependent office that investigates House ethics. President-elect Donald
Trump, who ran on a promise to drain the swamp, didnt demand that
they stop he merely asked them to wait awhile. And that they did.
Representative Bob Goodlatte of Virginia emerged as an architect of the
G.O.P. miasmic agenda with his attack on the Office of Congressional
Ethics. A rules change would have prevented the office, known as the
O.C.E., from investigating potentially criminal allegations, allowed
lawmakers on the House Ethics Committee to shut down any O.C.E.
investigation and, for good measure, gagged the offices staff members in
their dealings with the news media. When the public learned about this
plan, outraged constituents deluged House members with phone calls.
Mr. Trumps response was something altogether different. He didnt
condemn these Republicans for defying and undermining his drain-theswamp pledge. He asked them to address more urgent business first, like
destroying health care reform and passing tax cuts for the rich. Indeed,
while he was tweeting on Tuesday morning, Kellyanne Conway, the
incoming counselor to the president, had already been on
television supporting Mr. Goodlatte and his gang, saying House
Republicans had a mandate to curb overzealousness over ethics.
For Paul Ryan, the attack on the ethics office was certainly a milestone:
He hadnt even been re-elected House speaker when he was rolled by his
caucus. Afterward, his statement suggested he was more worried by how
bad this fracas looks for him than by his members effort to undermine
congressional accountability. The claim by Mr. Ryan and Mr. Goodlatte
(who, hilariously, leads the House Judiciary Committee) that gutting the
office would improve due process for accused lawmakers is a marvel of
Orwellian newspeak. So is Mr. Goodlattes insistence that dismantling the
O.C.E. builds upon and strengthens it.
The Office of Congressional Ethics was created in 2008, after a series of
bribery and corruption scandals tarred both parties and sent three House
members to jail. So guess who joined Mr. Goodlatte in calling to gut it?
Representative Blake Farenthold of Texas, who had been investigated by

the O.C.E. for sexual harassment. Representative Peter Roskam of Illinois,
who came under O.C.E. scrutiny after he and his wife took a $24,000
trip to Taiwan, which appeared to have been paid for, improperly, by the
Taiwanese government. Representative Sam Graves of Missouri, who was
the ranking member of the House Committee on Small Business in 2009
when he invited expert testimony on the renewable fuels industry from a
representative of a renewable fuels business in which his wife had a
financial stake, a potential conflict of interest. And Representative Steve
Pearce of New Mexico, who last year tried to eliminate the O.C.E.s entire
budget after it investigated one of his staff members.
None of these lawmakers or staff members were sanctioned, by the way
they just didnt like the scrutiny. The O.C.E. is the only House body that
investigates allegations from the public, including anonymous tips. Its
staff of independent, nonpartisan professionals must be private citizens,
not elected officials; most are lawyers and ethics experts. The O.C.E.
refers cases it finds substantial to the Ethics Committee with
recommendations. The committee is notoriously weak, but at least the
O.C.E., by making its work public, helps hold legislators accountable. No
wonder swamp dwellers of both parties have tried to put the O.C.E. more
completely under the thumb of Congress.
The public protests over the House move to weaken the office were
heartening. Even the conservative group Judicial Watch paused in its
pursuit of Hillary Clinton to decry the Goodlatte proposal as a poor way
to begin draining the swamp. The O.C.E. proposal has now gone back to
the House, which will likely take the rest of the session to study it.
Americans will be watching to see whether Mr. Trump, Mr. Ryan and other
lawmakers return to this rotten idea.
An ethics lesson for Trump from House Republicans
Editorial Board, Washington Post
WHAT HAPPENED this week among House Republicans carries a useful
and important lesson. The incoming GOP conference voted secretly to
emasculate the independent House ethics watchdog, and when the action
became public, a torrent of protests erupted. Even President-elect Donald
Trump expressed doubt, and the lawmakers backed down. People expect
their representatives to meet high ethical standards, no exceptions.
Rather quickly, House Republicans realized the folly of their secret vote to
end the independence of the Office of Congressional Ethics, which has the
power to probe malfeasance and has exposed numerous cases of
impropriety. The office does not sit in judgment, but its powers to
investigate wrongdoing have proved valuable. A good example was the
report in this newspaper in May 2015 revealing that the state-owned oil
company of Azerbaijan secretly funded an all-expenses-paid trip to a
conference in Baku for 10 members of Congress and 32 staff members,

who received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of travel expenses,
silk scarves, crystal tea sets and Azerbaijani rugs. It surely caused the
members heartburn when the facts were disclosed, but the story was
based on a 70-page report by the ethics office and performed a valuable
public service. As a new Congress begins, pressures on House members
by vested interests are as great as they have ever been, and an
independent watchdog serves as a bulwark against what otherwise might
become unfettered influence-peddling.
Mr. Trump, champion of drain the swamp in Washington, expressed his
concern in two tweets that said weakening the ethics watchdog was not
the number one act and priority of Congress right now. He also called
the ethics office unfair; his expressed doubts were about timing, not the
substance of the vote. But Mr. Trump should take a cue from the events of
the day and get serious about transparency and conflict of interest in his
own affairs.
Mr. Trump has yet to disclose his tax returns despite promises. He has not
provided sufficiently detailed disclosure of his far-flung commercial
empire, including ties to Russia, if any. Nor has he yet told the American
people how he intends to cut himself off from his business once he
becomes president. He must try to sever these ties because he will soon
be a public servant, working for more than 320million Americans, not for
his own gain. It is not to doubt Mr. Trumps probity to point out that a lot
of nations and private businesspeople would leap at the opportunity to
shower the president or his family with a fat gratuity or much more. Mr.
Trump should not leave himself exposed. If he does, he will get mired in
years of questions about conflict of interest, sapping his political capital
and hurting his presidency.
The Clock Is Ticking on Guantnamo
Editorial Board, New York Times
As the Obama administration makes a final push to reduce the number of
prisoners at Guantnamo Bay, President-elect Donald Trump is vowing to
halt transfers, saying that those remaining are extremely dangerous
people and should not be allowed back onto the battlefield.
Mr. Trumps latest Guantnamo remark, delivered in a tweet on Tuesday,
is consistent with his misguided campaign vow to keep the offshore prison
open and load it up with some bad dudes. He seems oblivious to the
risks and costs that keeping the prison open, and perhaps expanding it,
would entail.
This makes it imperative that the Obama administration spare no effort in
its remaining days to release the roughly 18 detainees who are cleared for
transfer to a handful of countries that have agreed to take them. That
would leave about 40 detainees, down from the 780 men who have been
held at the prison, which was created after the Sept. 11 attacks.
Among the detainees who would remain, three were convicted in the
military commission system and seven have charges pending before that
commission. Twenty-six are deemed too dangerous to release, but the
government has no plans to prosecute them; officials have concluded that
prosecuting them would be nearly impossible because they have been
held for years without trial and several were tortured while in custody.
That assessment needs to be revisited. Holding these prisoners at
Guantnamo forever is untenable for a nation that claims to adhere to the
rule of law, and can only fuel the enmity of extremist groups around the
world toward the United States.
Since 2009, Republicans in Congress have done everything possible
to thwart President Obamas goal of shutting down Guantnamo. They
opposed his plan to prosecute detainees in federal court and have
imposed unreasonable rules for the release of inmates whom national
security officials have cleared for transfer. They blocked a plan to move
the prisoners to a facility in the United States, where holding them would
be considerably cheaper. Operating the prison at Guantnamo, Cuba, has
cost taxpayers more than $5.6 billion over the years.
Republicans cloaked their opposition behind claims of national security,
but it was primarily driven by antipathy toward Mr. Obama. Even with him
leaving office, there is little reason to believe that the Republican-led
Congress will have any interest in hastening the end of Guantnamo.
This means that challenges in the courts by the prisoners to wartime
detention without trial is more important than ever. Federal courts are
going to be the last, best hope for the men at Guantnamo that Obama
leaves behind, said J. Wells Dixon, a lawyer at the Center for
Constitutional Rights, which represents Guantnamo detainees.
Unfortunately, a 2011 ruling by the Court of Appeals for the District of
Columbia Circuit made it significantly harder for Guantnamo detainees to
challenge their detention in civilian courts.
The courts ought to take a fresh look at new legal claims in light of how
long these men have been held, and the fact that soon, no one in the
executive branch will be working toward a sensible resolution.
How Iraq and Turkey could beat the Islamic State but still lose
A STRING of bombings in Baghdad and a gunmans bloody rampage in an
Istanbul nightclub over New Years weekend underlined the continuing
capacity of the Islamic State to strike beyond the borders of its shrinking
territory. In the past two years, the terrorist movement has lost some
50,000 fighters, according to U.S. estimates, as well as more than half of
the ground it once controlled in Syria and Iraq. But with offensives to
capture its two biggest remaining cities, Mosul and Raqqa, stalled or
moving slowly, the Islamic State retains the potential to inflict grievous
harm on the countries around it, as well as to target Western cities.
In particular, there is reason to worry that Iraq and Turkey, the targets of
the weekend attacks, are in danger of effectively losing their war with the
terrorists. Both dispatched their armies to capture Islamic State territories
last year and recorded significant gains. But both are at risk of political,
economic and social breakdown as a result of terrorist counterattacks and
of their own counterproductive measures.
Iraqi counterterrorism units advancing through Mosul, and the U.S.
advisers and air power backing them, deserve credit for tactics aimed at
protecting civilians: The humanitarian cost of the 2-month-old battle has
been small compared with the assault on Aleppo by Syrian, Russian and
Iranian forces. But the Iraqi troops have taken heavy casualties and,
having aimed for victory by the end of 2016, the government of Prime
Minister Haider al-Abadi says it may take months more.
Mr. Abadis government, meanwhile, is not delivering on his frequent
promises to promote political reconciliation among Iraqs sectarian
factions. On the contrary, the parliament in Baghdad recently took
measures that further alienated the Shiite-led government from Sunni and
Kurdish leaders. The danger is that even after the recapture of Mosul, the
countrys sectarian warfare will continue and perhaps even intensify as
the factions compete for control over liberated territories.
Turkey appears at risk of its own meltdown in spite of and because of
the authoritarianism of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Mr. Erdogan, who
avoided action against the Islamic State for several years, dispatched
troops to Syria in 2016, but he appears more intent on preventing the
consolidation of a Kurdish-controlled region there than on helping to
capture Raqqa. His brutal crackdown on Kurds and other political
opponents inside Turkey has polarized the country, driving a wedge
between groups that should be united against the terrorists. Some liberal
Turks pointed out that the assault early Sunday on Istanbuls Reina
nightclub, a secular and cosmopolitan refuge, came after government
religious officials criticized New Years Eve celebrations.
It remains likely that 2017 will see the elimination of the Islamic States
self-declared caliphate as a territorial entity. But what may be more
important to the security of the Middle East as well as the West is whether
Turkey and Iraq are further destabilized. That will depend in part on
whether the Islamic State can continue to mount devastating terrorist
attacks like those of last weekend. The decisive factor, however, will be
whether Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Abadi are able to embrace more
constructive domestic policies.
If Republicans play winner-takes-all, everyone will lose

FOR THE most part, Tuesdays opening session of the 115th Congress was
about pomp and circumstance. Still, the prepared speeches and swearingin ceremonies reminded everyone that for all the ferment over an
impending Donald Trump presidency there is also a legislative branch
of government in the United States. Republicans control the Senate and
the House as well as the presidency and are all but salivating over the
power to enact dramatic changes to the course President Obama charted
during the past eight years. But some wiser GOP leaders are at least
questioning whether exploiting their majority to maximum effect would be
good for the country or, for that matter, the party.
Of course, on the merits we oppose some GOP plans, such as repealing
Obamacare and replacing it with what? It could take months of grueling
legislative combat to answer that question; but we fear it could involve
curtailment of the Medicaid expansion that accounted for most of
Obamacares improvement in overall insurance coverage. The
Republicans also have the votes to populate federal agencies and the
Supreme Court with Mr. Trumps picks, many of whom already strike us
as doubtfully suited to their new positions.
Still, theres no denying that the Republicans won in November and that
they therefore have the right to enact as much of their agenda as they
lawfully can. In his first speech as Senate minority leader, Charles E.
Schumer (D-N.Y.) gamely promised to exercise vigilance over Mr. Trump
and to resist him when Democrats believe he has veered into
extremism. Yet even with the power to filibuster ordinary legislation and
Supreme Court picks, the minority party has limits to how much defense it
can productively play. In some instances, Mr. Schumer may do better by
standing aside and letting Republicans fight among themselves.
Unexpected victory has helped the party sublimate its factional quarrels
and the misgivings many still have about Mr. Trump, but those are bound
to flare up again.
Republicans have an opportunity for a more positive form of self-restraint,
however. GOP Senate leaders have pointedly reminded Democrats of how
Mr. Obamas party exploited its temporary control over Congress and the
White House to enact his agenda in 2009, noting that voters have been
electing Republicans to undo it ever since. That history could just as well
be construed as a reason for Republicans not to commit the same mistake
in the opposite direction.
Theyd certainly be smart to view it that way. Senate Majority Leader
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is the author of the resistance strategy that
helped the GOP thwart many of Mr. Obamas plans; it would be naive to
take his calls for comity and institutional stability at face value now. Since
the election, however, Mr. McConnell has stood out among Republicans
for his warnings against overreach. Its certainly no time for hubris,
because all majorities are never permanent, he said on a Kentucky

television program last month. Discussing the 2017 Senate agenda,
he has played down more polarizing issues such as immigration in favor
of potentially bipartisan ones such as tax and regulatory reform. If the
GOP Congress is willing to proceed with caution, Democrats should be
willing to respond in good faith.
Obama Cant Redefine Sex
Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal
Among President Obamas ironic legacies will be how frequently this
former teacher of constitutional law has been called out by the federal
courts for his aggressive abuse of executive power.
The latest rebuke came on the last day of 2016 in federal court in Texas.
Judge Reed OConnor sided with eight states and three private health-care
providers that sued to block a new Health and Human Services rule. This
rule defines the Affordable Care Acts prohibitions against sex
discrimination in a way that plaintiffs say will force doctors, hospitals and
insurers that take federal funds to cover or perform abortions and gendertransition procedures even when this runs against their best medical
judgment or religious beliefs.
The HHS rule rests on a bureaucratic redefinition of sexual discrimination
and the deliberate dropping of religious protections Congress included in
Title IX. As Judge OConnor noted, the Title IX prohibitions against sex
discrimination passed by Congress unambiguously referred to the
biological distinction between men and women. The HHS redefinition, he
found, deserved no deference because it was not grounded in a valid
grant of authority from Congress.
The other part of this injunction had to do with the claims by the religious
plaintiffsincluding a Catholic hospital system and a Christian society of
doctorsthat the rule violated their rights. Under the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act, the government can infringe on religious exercisebut
only where it has a compelling interest. Even when it does have a
compelling interest, it has to choose the least restrictive way of pursuing
it.
Judge OConnor conceded that a preliminary injunction is an
extraordinary and drastic remedy, not to be granted routinely. But he
noted that Congress had not granted HHS the authority to redefine sex
discrimination the way it had, and that the religious plaintiffs were likely
to succeed on the merits.
In sum, another federal court has found the Obama Administration guilty
of imposing its policy choices by fiat rather than doing the hard work of
democracy and persuading the elected representatives of the American
people. Donald Trump, please take note.
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1.04.

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Editorial Board, Washington Post

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