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House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) announced on April 19, that he won't run for office in 2018, amid speculations of higher political ambitions. Here's a look back at the rocky year Chaffetz has had since Trump took office. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

There are two House Republican chairmen tasked with possibly investigatingPresident Trump. One of them Rep. Devin Nunes (Calif.) messed it up so badly that he had to step aside. And now the other is retiring from Congress.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz's retirement announcement Wednesday came as a surprise. Talk quickly turned to whether it was because liberals successfully berated him at town hall meetings, whether he feared a well-funded opponent in 2018,and/or whether he was just trying to get a head start on the 2020 Utah governor's race.

The last of these makes complete sense, as The Fix's Amber Phillips notes.But the first feeds into an emerging reality of 2017: Trump is giving the people charged with investigating him fits.

Because Republicans are in the majority, those people happen to be fellow Republicans. And that's creatingsome impossible choices.

Through Trump's reluctance to quash potential conflicts of interest and his penchant for making wild accusations and then pawning them off on investigators, jobs such as Chaffetz's House Oversight Committee chairmanship have become completely thankless. Less than three months into the Trump administration, Chaffetz was forced to repeatedly shrug off Democrats and watchdogs' calls for him to investigate Trump's possible conflicts of interest. He also had to answer for Trump's allegation that millions of people voted illegally in the 2016 election. He was even pressed to investigate Nunes's conduct, which led the House Intelligence Committee chairman to hand off hisRussia investigation.

The only investigation Chaffetz has actually leaned into, it turns out, was the one Trump really wanted him to: rooting out leaks in the federal government.

McKay Coppins sums it up well:

Even before Chaffetz announced his abrupt exit, his political luck had suffered a steep decline when Trump was elected. As oversight chairman, he was preparing to spend four years investigating President Hillary Clintons alleged scandals and misdeeds. Then the Republicans unexpectedly seized control of the White House, leaving Chaffetz with the unenviable task of policing his own party. It was a fraught job to begin with, and his casual attitude toward the Trump familys potential conflicts of interest demonstratedin his interview with melast month has only increased the pressure on him.

Aside from Trump and Clinton, one Utah Republican told me last month, nobodys fortunes changed more on presidential election night than Jason Chaffetz.

It's one thing to shrug off clearly partisan efforts to get you to investigate a president, and most presidents are careful to avoid doing the kinds of things that put you in that position. But Trump has no such compunction. He's not afraid to saddle you with investigating his wild, evidence-free claims. And not only that; he will gladly take you on publicly if you run afoul of him.

For Chaffetz and Nunes, that leads to decisions between giving in to extraordinary and in many cases, legitimate public pressure to investigate Trump and doing what your president and party want you to.

Nunes erred way too much toward the latter and paid the price. Andyou can bet an ambitious and smart politician like Chaffetz knows this whole thing is a lose-lose situation for him.

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Jason Chaffetz and Devin Nunes were both faced with investigating Trump. Now both are stepping aside. - Washington Post

BBC News

Dissident republican parade held in Derry BBC News About 2,000 people have attended a dissident republican parade in Londonderry. It was organised by Saoradh. The parade started in the Bogside at Free Derry Corner and made its way into the Creggan estate where a wreath was laid at a republican ... Dissident republicans march through DerryBelfast Telegraph Dissident republicans parade through Derry's BogsideIrish Times all 6 news articles »

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Dissident republican parade held in Derry - BBC News

It wasnt all that long ago that Erich Reimer, 26, was an active member of the Democratic Party. Today, hes a conservative Republican.

As early as in high school, Reimer was a member of his schools High School Democrats in his hometown ofAlbany, New York. After high school, Reimer spent two years at Johns Hopkins University, where he majored in international studies. He then transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied economics. At both colleges, Reimer was involved with College Democrats.

In 2008, Reimer worked as an unpaid staffer for former President Barack Obamas re-election campaign. Four years later, as Reimer watched the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, he said there was one particular moment that began his personal journey from a Democratic activist to a staunch Republican ally.

Specifically, Reimer told TheBlaze that the jaw dropping moment that would shift his politics forever was when the Democratic Party held a vote to reinsert the mention of God back into the partys platform and recognize Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel, a proposal that garnered loud boos in the convention hall after the attendees voted three times, due to the first two voice votes being too close to call.

It was that moment that the party Reimer had been actively involved with more than four years was no longer recognizable to him.

It felt like traditional Democrats, traditional liberals simply were not the dominant force anymore, let alone the centrist moderates, Reimer said. It was definitely a noticeable hard shift to the left. It was very disappointing, shocking, as well as bad for the country as a whole to have that become normalized.

This year, the Democratic Party has lost its way. An ideologically progressive agenda has replaced the diversity of viewpoints that previously reflected the partys composition and style for so many years, Reimer wrote in a September 2012 opinion editorial for the Daily Pennsylvanian newspaper.

Reimer said the moment was not just a stunning moment for him politically, but also personally.

Faith is definitely a very important foundation of my life, said Reimer, a devout Lutheran.

He also added that faith is a very important foundation of our American civil society, since our founding, essentially.

Reimer said it was the God moment at the 2012 DNC, combined with the Lefts increasing acceptance of progressively liberal positions that eventually led him to seriously ponder his future with the party.

As the Obama era went on and especially as became evident during the 2012 election, the Democrats became both more tolerant as well as embracing more hard-left positions that I felt were beyond simple, liberal things, Reimer told TheBlaze. They were more like, instead of say, like a liberal who might advocate raising the minimum wage a little, to a vengeful, justice against Wall Street and corporations.

So in 2013, Reimer officially switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.

This was no easy decision, Reimer wrote in a February 2016 opinion editorial for the Hill. I had spent years in the Democratic Party. I had always been passionate about politics and had given the Democratic Party my all. By switching, I was putting on the line not only much of my lifes work but also the connections with countless thousands of comrades-in-arms I had met through this work.

Switching parties wasnt the only major event of Reimers life in 2013. It was also the year that he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a political science degree. He went on to enroll at the University of Virginia School of Law, where he is currently a J.D. candidate scheduled to graduate in May 2017.

In Virginia, Reimer has continued his political activism. He was one of two statewide electors in the 2016 presidential campaign. He was one of the first prominent Republicans in Virginia to endorse Donald Trump as the partys nominee, even though he supported Ohio Gov. John Kasich throughout the primaries.

In May 2016, when it became clear that Trump would be the nominee, Reimer wrote in an opinion editorial for the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Its time for Republicans to unite behind our nominee. Trump won it fair and square, and the voters have spoken. Trump has re-energized many disillusioned and apathetic Americans in a way that can do a lot of good for the publics trust in our institutions and help us build a healthier republic. We have a Supreme Court vacancy to fill, executive branch departments to staff, policies to correct, and laws to be enacted. Its going to be tough, thats for sure. But our party will be better off with the renewal Trump has brought to it.

Despite the fact that he disagreed with many of Trumps policies, not to mention Trumps unique style of speaking, Reimer made the case for Trump in a piece for the Loudoun Tribune newspaper in Loudoun County, Virginia, in September 2016, urging his fellow Republicans to not get bogged down in ultimately irrelevant, even if distasteful, distractions.

Trumps rhetoric and actions over the course of the primary and general campaign have been at many times disappointing, Reimer wrote.

However, he added that over the course of the campaign, Trump improved greatly when it came to making fewer controversial comments.

That, Reimer concluded, was enough to give Republicans enough hope that a President Trump would act appropriately.Reimer then urged his fellow Virginians in swing Loudoun County, just outside Washington, D.C., to vote for Trump on Election Day.

Even the most liberal among us certainly must agree that a revolving door of power is something naturally American and beneficial in keeping the excesses of one party in check, Reimer wrote.

The Democratic Party has been able to deeply shape the course of this nation over the past decade. Maybe now its time to give the Republican Party a turn, Reimer said.

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Millenial opens up about his remarkable journey from Democratic activist to Republican stalwart - TheBlaze.com

Jim Siegel The Columbus Dispatch @phrontpage

State Rep. Candice Keller compared Planned Parenthood to Nazis on her Facebook page last week, drawing fire on social media from supporters of the organization and others who felt it was inappropriate.

Keller, R-Middletown, posted a meme that included the statement, One day we will look back at this with an arrow pointing to the Planned Parenthood logo, and then the same way we look back at this, with an arrow pointing to the Nazi swastika.

Keller, who is in her first full term, is defending the post.

Just as the Nazis took the lives of millions of innocent people and sold their valuables for profit, Planned Parenthood has done likewise as we have seen in hidden camera videos, she said in a written statement. Planned Parenthood is a horrific industry that profits from the innocent and the American people should be appalled at their unconscionable activities.

Kellers Facebook page has been placed into an unpublished status. She said Facebook is investigating violations of its community standards policy by others.

The Republican-controlled legislature have taken steps in recent years to block Planned Parenthood from certain funding, based on objections to the abortions it provides along with other health care services for women. But House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, R-Clarksville, did not support Kellers comparison.

Speaker Rosenberger understands that there is a lot of passion around the issue of protecting the unborn and Planned Parenthood, said spokesman Brad Miller. That being said, he does not believe that using such comparisons is an appropriate way to convey that passion or to advance the public discourse.

Keller tweeted on Monday: I support Life from Conception to Natural Death. I ran on that platform as a Republican and I'll never be sorry.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio declined to comment.

A group called TWW (Together We Will) East Cincy tweeted at Keller that it donated to Planned Parenthood in her honor. She replied: How much did you give? We have donors that will dbl. match it to Pro-Life Org.

jsiegel@dispatch.com

@phrontpage

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Republican lawmaker compares Planned Parenthood to Nazis - The Columbus Dispatch

Here is a quick look at the people who want to be mayor of Rochester. Brian Sharp, Carlos Ortiz

Tony Micciche(Photo: Provided)

Monroe County Legislator Tony Micciche announced his mayoral bid on Monday the first Republican to officially campaign for the office in more than a decade.

Miccichekicked off his campaign in a parking lot of the former Piehler Pontiac at Lake Avenue and West Ridge Road, highlighting the loss of business and jobs in that corridor and challenging what he called the "legacy of failed progressive Democrat philosophy."Citing the city's rising poverty, failing schools, crime, high taxes and what he said was overregulation by a Democratic-run City Hall, Micciche asked: "Had enough yet?"

The 59-year-old property investor ran a write-in campaign for mayor in 2009, andfirst was elected to the county Legislature in 2011, unseating Democratic incumbent legislator Stephen Eckel. His district covers portions of Gates, Greece andin Rochester; the Charlotte and Maplewood areas.He was re-elected in 2015, winning 51 percent of the city vote; 53.5 percent of the district vote overall.

His is a compelling story, having come from a poor family andgrown up in foster care. He was on his own atage 13, he said, "sleeping in cars, working full-time." As an adult, he worked 25 years at a General Motors plant, only to be "downsized" and forced to reinvent himself. Thus he began buying, flipping or holding properties. He has been a union member for more than 40 years.

"I am one of you," he told the more than two dozen supporters gathered Monday. "And I am the American Dream."

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But he is a Republican, running for the top office in a city where enrolled Democrats outnumber Republicans 6-to-1. The last time Miccichereported his campaign finances, in January 2016, he had just more than $500 on hand, records show. He has reported no activity since.

Mayor Lovely Warren, by comparison, had nearly $240,000 in her campaign account to start the year. Warren, along with Democratic challengers James Sheppard and Rachel Barnhart; even Green Party candidate Alex White, all have a head-start in the campaign. Lori Thomas, an independent, has also announced a run.

I'm trying to put a fire under their butt.

"I don't underestimate Tony," said Monroe County GOP chairman Bill Reilich, who joined Miccichefor his announcement and, in a later interview, touted the candidate'scity campaign wins. "He is going to be dedicated to this race."

Lawyer John Parrinello was the last GOP candidate on the ballot, back in 2005. He received at least $50,000 from the party and got16 percent of the voteto Robert Duffy's 72 percent.Reilich said all candidates must meet certain benchmarks to trigger party support, including their own fundraising, the work and commitment shown and other measures.

"I know it's a different race," Miccichesaid of the mayoral campaign. "And I know the odds are that I probably won't win."

But he has come out firingwith a litany of proposals, taking stances counter to prevailing Democratic positions, and painting himself as a common man with common-sense ideas. Said Micciche: "I'm not hiding behind fancy words like 'collaborative' and 'transparency.'"

His issues include:

Schools: He would give the City School District one year to restructure, cut the ratio of administrative to instructional staff, raise graduation rates to 65 percent and take other actions, including the creation of a "detention school" to remove troublemakers. If those conditions are not met, he pledged toput the entire $119 million in city aid to the district in escrow until matters improved. Pressed on whether such a move is legal, he answered: "I will try."

"Why are we paying for failure?" he asked. "It would force the school district to start to perform. I'm trying to put a fire under their butt."

Public safety: He would establish the planned but yet-to-be-located police precincts in the former Charlotte, Franklin, Wilson Magnet (the old West High), and East High schools. This, he said, would save money not having to rent new facilities, while improving school safety, truancy enforcement and support neighborhoods as well as police-community relations.

He pledged a realreduction in crime, noting the city is boasting of a 30-year-low in the crime rate while the number of murders, robberies and rapes are up year-over-year.

Business: He would "unshackle" property and business owners from "redundant, expensive, wasteful and unneeded regulations," citing complications faced by Nick Tahou Hots, L&M Lanes and others. He pledged to install a "business hot line" in the mayor's office, resurrect the late Jake Kemp's urban enterprise zones to fight poverty, encouraging reuse of existing buildings in exchange for expedited approvals, reduced property taxes and fees.

He would dump the city's sanctuary city policy, seek to cut taxes by 10 percent and said in prepared remarks that he would "advocate for drug testing and DNA testing to hold accountable those that misuse taxpayers money." Asked to clarify, he said he was referring to those who repeatedly seek drug rehabilitation services, and the children of mothers on public assistance who do not or cannot identify the father, who could then be held accountable for assistance.

"Most of the people who are committing crimes tend I won't say all tend to be on some kind of assistance," he said, noting similar measures have been pushed at the county level and that the matter would be a county and state issue, primarily.

"Some of these proposals are just that, they are things to look at, to throw on the table," he said.

In the legislature, Miccicheserves as chairman of the public safety committee and vice chairman of the transportation committee.

BDSHARP@Gannett.com

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Republican Tony Micciche to run for Rochester mayor - Rochester Democrat and Chronicle