The Blurb Heard Around the World-Bill Press

It's the kind of publicity every author dreams of: In the heat of the 2016 primaries, a leading candidate for president mentions your new book in a nationally-televised debate. Unfortunately, it involved a Democrat, attacking her Democratic opponent for endorsing it.

That happened to me last Thursday, when Hillary Clinton accused Bernie Sanders of writing "a foreword for a book that basically argues voters should have buyer's remorse when it comes to President Obama's leadership and legacy."

I'm torn between sending Secretary Clinton flowers for all the free publicity or criticizing her for misrepresenting the facts.

The truth is: Senator Sanders did not write the foreword for my book, Buyer's Remorse: How Obama Let Progressives Down. He only provided a blurb for the back of the book. So did Congressman Keith Ellison and former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich.

The truth is: While giving him credit for the good things he's done, my book is, indeed, critical of President Obama. But Senate Sanders' blurb is not. In it, he merely repeats a point he makes in every campaign speech:

However Vermont Votes, Leahy Says His Superdelegate Vote Is Clinton's

Sen. Patrick Leahy, one of Vermont’s nine superdelegates for this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, is steadfast in his support for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton despite strong backing for fellow Sen. Bernie Sanders in New Hampshire and Iowa.

Leahy was early to announce his support for Clinton, and said Monday that she can expect his support as long as she’s in the race. He said he would not change his mind, even if Sanders won his home state in the March 1 primary.

“You know, the Leahys have been in Vermont since the 1800s,” Leahy said when asked about the possibility of changing his support. “One of the touchstones of our family – I learned it from my grandparents, I learned it from my parents, and I’ve tried to teach my children – is you keep your word. Long before Sen. Sanders ever said he was going to run, I urged then-Secretary Clinton to run and told her I’d support her. I think anybody who knows me, anybody who knows my years as state’s attorney or my years in the Senate, know that I’d never break my word. And certainly Sen. Sanders would never ask me to break my word, nor has he. If Sen. Sanders is the nominee, I’ll happily campaign all over the country for him. We’ve worked together, he’s a good friend of mine, our wives are friends, and ... I’m proud of a lot of the issues he’s raised. But first and foremost I always keep my word. Nobody, especially Sen. Sanders, would ever ask me to break my word.”

EMU's Convocation Center. (photo from Reddit)

How Bernie pays for his proposals

In Nevada, Sanders volunteers campaign with rag-tag enthusiasm

Where to Invade Next

My brother and I saw this movie yesterday. We didn't realize it's
basically Bernie's points. We thought it was about the military.
Not so. Enjoyed it. My brother wore his Bernie T-shirt and I wore a Bernie
button. We received a lot of positive reaction. People wanting to know where
my brother bought his T-shirt etc. This is the biggest reaction we've received.
That's Claremont, Ca. Granted a liberal college town in southern California but great feeling. The ages of
the people approaching us were young and old alike!!!

Hundreds Pack South Loop Bar For Sanders' Illinois Campaign Launch

The air may have been frigid outside, but inside Bar Louie in the South Loop, the temperature was practically sweltering as hundreds filled the bar for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders official state campaign launch. Plenty of well known Chicago Democrats and progressives turned up Saturday morning for the kickoff, and some supporters of the Vermont Senator's bid for the Democratic nomination came from as far away as suburban Aurora, Rockford and Kankakee.

“We’re going to wage a comprehensive vigorous campaign across Illinois as we work to earn every single vote,” said Clem Balanoff, the Illinois Director for the Sanders campaign.
Balanoff told the tightly packed crowd of supporters offices would be opening in the coming weeks in at least a dozen areas across the state including Evanston, Dekalb, Rockford, Springfield, and more. The Chicago campaign headquarters will be located on Jefferson Avenue in the South Loop, across the street from Manny’s Deli.

“This is about bringing the people into the White House,” said Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, a delegate for Sanders, who highlighted Sanders’ immigration platform and willingness to consult with and include input from undocumented immigrants on his campaign as a reason for his support. “He’s not just saying I’m going when the polls say it’s time to take a stance I’m going to take a stance, he’s saying I’m going to build power for working people alongside you.”

FULL INTERVIEW: Jeff Gillan sits down for one-on-one interview with Bernie Sanders

The Real News Room - Bern Edition - 2.15.2016

Sanders and Supporters Wooing Superdelegates to Join Revolution

Outrage over Democratic superdelegates is growing among Bernie Sanders' supporters, as the presidential candidate and his backers work to combat a system they decry as "undemocratic and fundamentally unfair to primary voters."

Discontent began percolating last week, after Sanders and rival Hillary Clinton walked away with the same number of New Hampshire delegates despite the Vermont senator's decisive win in the Granite State primary on Tuesday. The counter-intuitive distribution of delegates was attributed to Clinton's lead among so-called superdelegates—state party elites and elected officials empowered to line up behind the candidate of their choosing.

Now, "Sanders supporters are fighting back," Politico reports:

Pro-Sanders threads on Reddit have been burning up with calls for action, with some supporters even reaching out to superdelegates (who are typically Democratic governors, members of Congress, and top state and national party leaders) to lobby them on the Vermont senator’s behalf. Progressive groups are also taking a stand: There are currently two petition campaigns designed to urge superdelegates to reflect the popular vote, rather than the sentiment of party elites.

Sanders said Sunday on Face the Nation that he'd "just met with a couple [superdelegates] last night" in an effort to woo them to his side.