by LowellHere are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, November 18. As for that conference call yesterday with Ted Cruz and E.W. Jackson, it was as extremist and insane as you'd expect. To listen, if you can stomach this crap, click here. Also, I'd argue that anyone appearing with raving bigot EW Jackson - let alone agreeing with him, as Cruz does! - automatically proves themselves to be unfit to hold public office in America.
- At least 2 terror suspects dead in French police raid ("Alleged ringleader of Paris attacks may have been target, official says")
- Obama calls GOP rhetoric on Syrian refugees a potent recruitment tool for ISIS (There's no question the Republicans' wildly inflammatory, irresponsible anti-Muslim rhetoric is harmful to the United States and helpful to Daesh/ISIL. Stupid, stupid, stupid.)
- The GOP’s new strategy to fight the Islamic State: Kill them with clichés (It's truly cringe-inducing.)
- Mr. Trump spreads dangerous lies about Syrian refugees (It's most definitely NOT just Trump, but other 2016 Republican candidates as well. This demagoguery and bigotry should be automatic disqualifiers for all of them.)
- The GOP’s magnificent post-Paris breakdown: Guns, religion & an ideology that has completely gone off the rails ("Conservatives have gone nuclear in the days since the Paris attacks, doubling down on their incoherent agenda")
- Paul Ryan joins the refugee panic: A political response to a trumped-up issue
- Ted Cruz’s refugee McCarthyism: Why his bigoted crusade is so dangerous ("Joined even by 'moderate' Republicans like Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz calls for discrimination of the ugliest order")
- Kasich Proposes New Government Agency To Promote Judeo-Christian Values (Unconstitutional, crazy, etc. So much for any respect I had for John Kasich. Ugh, no.)
- Sen. Tim Kaine Calls on Congress to Get Aggressive Against ISIS
- Why won’t Chris Christie lead? ("Why the governor of New Jersey is a political wimp." Bully/coward combo, how attractive.)
- Louisiana Gov. Jindal ends bid for GOP nomination in 2016 (Good riddance to the epitome of the "stupid party" he once railed against. Now, hopefully, the next governor of Louisiana will be a Democrat.)
- With U.S. agencies in control, Virginia has little power to stop Syrian refugees
- Hinkle: Candidates courting the fringe ("Yet while Republican presidential contenders — or Democratic ones, for that matter — would never appear at a conference led by Islamic extremists, they apparently have no qualms about a conference led by Christian extremists.")
- In Richmond, cousin of Syrian president calls for U.S. and Russia to destroy ISIS
- Congressional delegation meets new Metro chief
- ABC seeks dismissal in Martese Johnson lawsuit (Of course they do, because they know they did something wildly wrong.)
- Thiele: McAuliffe should shift his energy from pipeline to renewables (Absolutely, McAuliffe is making a huge mistake on this.)
- Virginia’s lieutenant governor makes it official: He’s seeking state’s top job
- State: Election workers lack understanding of photo ID requirement (How about we get rid of these completely unnecessary requirements?)
- Montgomery County School Board votes to ban Confederate, hate group symbols
- Tolls could be slated for busy Peninsula highway networks
- Expert proposes congressional maps that would alter districts of Scott, Forbes
- Weighing Virginia Beach proposal for an arena
- Fairfax, Arlington at odds on aspects of I-66 toll plan
- Fairfax to control increasing presence of outfits offering high-interest loans ("County board restricts where title loan companies and payday lenders can operate in affluent suburb" Good!)
- Arlington endorses multimillion-dollar financing for Ballston Mall
- D.C. area forecast: Rain late tonight into tomorrow; winter chill arrives by Sunday
