March 30, 2016

Has Hillary really been vetted?

A lot has happened since 2008, and let's face it, Bernie has really been pretty kind to her in this campaign. There is SO much the GOP can go after in a general election. Putting the Benghazi nonsense aside, her tenure as SoS and the associated email/Clinton foundation issues raise a lot of serious questions. Then there are her strong connections to Wall St and her general reputation for dishonesty.

You can imagine the attack lines from the GOP. Granted, a lot of it may ring hollow since Republicans can be charged with a lot of these things themselves. The attacks could be quite devastating though from an outsider like Trump. The good thing at least is that Trump seems to be self-destructing now.

I guess mainly I'm wondering how the campaign would have gone if Bernie (or O'Malley) had gone after her on everything that could be raised against her.

March 28, 2016

Why do labor unions support Hillary?

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2016/3/27/18454/3777

A good read.

"Here are the words of Hillary Clinton, as quoted yesterday in the New York Times, when she spoke to Boeing workers in Everett:

With Mr. Sanders’s focus on income inequality and taking on Wall Street, Mrs. Clinton has continued to reach out to working-class voters, including holding a rally on Tuesday at a machinists and aerospace workers union hall at the Boeing factory in Everett, Wash.

“I was made an honorary machinist some years ago, so I feel a particular connection here to my brothers and sisters in the machinists,” she told the crowd. “I am no person new to this struggle. I am not the latest flavor of the month. I have been doing this work day in and day out for years.”

She feels "a particular connection" to her "brothers and sisters" in the machinists. She proclaims that she is not the flavor of the month. She's says she has been working hard for the working class for years. A lovely sentiment and a compelling argument, if true. But to me, when you look at her record, the fruit she bears smells of disease and decay:

For example, her persistent efforts promoting the Trans-Pacific Partnership (until she decided to oppose it after declaring her candidacy) does not strike me as good fruit for the working class, especially the union members."

March 27, 2016

Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I've long felt in my heart of hearts that Bernie

would pull it out in the end.

There is something magical about his campaign. Now the momentum is really gaining speed. There's no denying the power of those 3 huge wins.

It's a beautiful Easter morning!!!

March 26, 2016

Dems have a chance to take back the House, if they can field the right candidates

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/03/trump-gop-house-majority-jeopardy-221004

Democrats already had reasonable odds of flipping a dozen or so House seats. But DCCC Chairman Ben Ray Luján recently started highlighting “reach” districts, like those of Rep. John Mica in Florida and Rep. Steve Knight in California, that broaden Democrats’ target list enough to take back the chamber — if local candidates can take advantage of the sudden opportunity. Strategists are now turning their attention to moderate suburbs around Detroit, Minneapolis, Washington and other areas where House Democrats have struggled in recent years but Trump has already shown weakness.

(snip)

One major question mark for Democrats is whether they have the candidates to ride a wave, if Trump generates one in their favor. With the filing deadline approaching in Colorado, Democrats still don’t have a candidate in GOP Rep. Scott Tipton’s district, which the party targeted as recently as 2012 and which has a substantial Latino population. Bill Phillips, the Democratic candidate in Mica’s Florida district — one of the seats Luján mentioned last week — had less than $20,000 in his campaign account to start the year. In key California districts, Democrats face primaries and feuding between local activists and the national party.

(snip)

Democrats need to net at least 30 seats to retake the House — the same number they flipped to take the majority in the 2006 wave. But John Lapp, who ran the DCCC’s independent expenditure program that year, said this year was starting to feel familiar. “The type of people who came in during 2006 — when the campaign broke late and they were able to ride that wave — I think it’s the early stages of that,” Lapp said.

A potential path toward 30 seats, once thought to be outside the realm of possibility, has become clearer for Democrats in recent days. Luján ducked when asked whether Democrats could win back the House at a news conference last week, but his committee is actively preparing to compete in districts that weren’t on the radar months ago. Democrats are targeting seats with “high numbers of independent voters, socially moderate voters, millennials and minority voters,” Luján said.
“We are going to keep recruiting through filing day because of this momentum that has been created by Donald Trump,” Luján added.

---

Let's see if the Dems can actually snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for a change. Everyone knows the current GOP-led congress is a disaster and needs to go.

March 18, 2016

I happen to think Trump is unelectable

which means both Hillary and Bernie are very viable candidates.

In another year, both candidates might not survive their various weaknesses.

But from my perspective is that this one is one year where a real progressive anti-corporate Democratic Socialist candidate can get elected. It's quite exciting to have a real shot at getting meaningful change.

Hillary can get elected, but it will be the same shitty politics we've had for the past 24 years.

Bernie is the candidate for real progressive change.

March 14, 2016

"I am f*cking white"-- acid-dropping Trump supporter freaks out

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/i-am-fcking-white-acid-dropping-trump-supporter-descends-into-a-fck-filled-freakout-in-chicago/

Holy mother of god. What a freaking weird and disturbing election year. Too bad Hunter S Thompson is not around.

March 14, 2016

Is it just me, or do others really feel the momentum for Bernie growing?

Plus, he just keeps getting better and better on the campaign trail. I'm excited!

March 14, 2016

"How Bernie Sanders has built a multi-racial anti-austerity campaign"

Great interview with Donna Murch, and it's an interesting point about anti-austerity. We really haven't heard much about austerity in this election year, but austerity is killing this country.

https://shadowproof.com/2016/03/13/sanders-multiracial-presidential-campaign/

March 14, 2016

Bernie calls out Trump's birtherism at Dem Townhall March 13

Bernie rocks it! Great stuff, about 45- 80 min in

Birther comments at 1hr17min in

March 11, 2016

Abortion restriction bill based on fetal gender, disability advance to Indiana Gov. Mike Pence

http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2016/03/09/abortion-restrictions-based-fetal-gender-disability-advance-gov-mike-pence/81552240/

This got very little attention and moved very quickly.