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Denying discrimination: Clintonian Political Calculus and the Culture of Hooey
By Linn Washington, Jr.
Hooey –- silly talk/nonsense –- frequently has slimy characteristics and slime is slippery.
Former President Bill Clinton recently slipped on some silly talk when trying to dance around a slime trail oozing from his presidency during the 1990s.
Focus: New York and the Closed Primary System - Apr 18, 2016
Election fraud: Why are voter registrations changing? - Heavy.com
As registration mix-ups are reported, should NY Democrats switch to open primaries? - inquisitr.com
Meet the people barred from voting In New York's presidential primary - ThinkProgress
N.Y. must do more to reverse state’s bad voter rate - NY Daily News
Primary rules test American democracy, How convoluted has the presidential selection process become? - CNN
Trumps closest confidants can’t vote for him because they’re still Democrats - World News Highlights
Donald Trump couldn’t vote in 2012 Republican primary - NY Daily News
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VIDEO: Trump to RNC: Change rules or you’re going to have a rough Convention. People want their vote, to be represented properly - Grabien
VIDEO: Trump convention manager Paul Manafort: "This Week" ABC full Interview - YouTube
Republican leaders consider rewriting convention rules - POLITICO
RNC Chair Preibus urges against changing convention rules before Cleveland - usatoday.com
Priebus blasted for 'major breach of trust' by top RNC officials - Washington Times
Donald Trump: Cruz staged ‘attack' in Georgia to steal delegates - breitbart.com
Donald Trump fans protest as Miami Republicans pick convention delegates - Miami Herald
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Focus: Hillary Clinton and Honduras - Apr 15, 2016
Death squads are back in Honduras, activists tell Congress - theintercept.com
Hillary Clinton needs to answer for ‘regime change' in Honduras - huffingtonpost.com
Hillary Clinton's emails and the Honduras coup - CEPR
ARCHIVE: Obama says coup in Honduras is illegal - Reuters
ARCHIVE: Legitimizing the Illegitimate: The Honduran show elections and the challenge ahead - NACLA
ARCHIVE: Hounduras: After the coup - Human Rights Watch
Tough questions about Haiti for Hillary Clinton - counterpunch.org
Hillary Clinton and Haiti: extract from Seitenfus’ book - counterpunch.org
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Focus: New York and the Closed Primary System - Apr 13, 2016
Independents make last-ditch effort to vote In NY's primary - Gothamist
College students flock to see Bernie Sanders, but can they vote for him? - buffalonews.com
New York's closed primary could be Bernie Sanders' Achilles' heel - MSNBC
Could New York's closed primary cost Bernie Sanders? - globalcomment.com
NY State Assembly Bill A9661: Motion to make NY primary an open primary which permits persons registered, but not enrolled in a party, to vote - nysenate.gov
A guide to the Clinton-Sanders New York primary, by region - POLITICO
An early tableau of the New York primary - counterpunch.org
Prospects are bright for Hillary Clinton in closed primaries ahead - CSMonitor.com
Hillary Clinton’s secret weapon against Bernie Sanders: Democratic voters - The Washington Post
The fight for open primaries - openprimaries.org
'This system is so rigged': Sanders won 8 of the 9 past primary contests by double digits but Hillary got more delegates factoring in superdelegates - Salon.com
Consultant: Superdelegate system is ‘cushy patronage' - The Daily Caller
VIDEO: Dark money, lobbyists serving as superdelegates could decide the 2016 race - Democracy Now!
Clinton aide: Sanders 'trying to rig the system' by wooing superdelegates - CNNPolitics.com
Some Democrats accuse Sanders supporters of harassing convention delegates - Washington Post
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Donald Trump blasts 'crooked shenanigans' in primary process - AP
VIDEO: Trump: The system is rigged, it's crooked - YouTube
Colorado protest planned after Trump loss - usatoday.com
Donald Trump confirms that his children will not be voting for him in New York - The Independent
Donald Trump's support deeper than it looks - POLITICO
POLL: Donald Trump wins in ‘Real New Yorker’ category - WSJ
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Clinton has a delegate lead thanks to 6 Deep South states: The Democratic Convention Pledged Delegates Story Nobody Talks About
By Dave Lindorff
Bernie Sanders is behind Hillary Clinton in the number of pledged delegates he has amassed over the course of just under two and a half weeks of primaries and caucuses. Her advantage in pledged delegates has fallen over the last month and a half from a high point of just over 300 to a current 213.
The problem’s that Clinton IS qualified for president: Is Bernie’s ‘Political Revolution’ the Real Thing or a Pathetic Joke?
By Dave Lindorff
Bernie Sanders had a shining moment last week at a massive rally in Philadelphia at the Temple University Liacouras Sports Center. The high point came when he mentioned that his opponent, Hillary Clinton, had implied that he was “not qualified” to be president -- a charge that she has continued to make in a tense campaign for the April 19 Democratic primary in New York state.
Focus: New York and the Closed Primary System - Apr 11, 2016
The ‘wacky’ delegate rules: a New York primary primer - The Buffalo News
New York election fraud? Voters have reported problems with their registrations - Heavy.com
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Trump: Primary process 'corrupt' on both Republican and Democratic sides - TheHill
ARCHIVE: Why Trump wins: Open primaries, maybe? - nbc.com
ARCHIVE: Arizona’s closed primary part of reason for long lines - AP
ARCHIVE: Sick of political parties, unaffiliated voters are changing politics - NPR
LIST: Presidential primary or caucus type (closed or open) by State - FairVote
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Focus: Hillary Clinton and Campaign Finance - Apr 8, 2016
How 'Citizens United' Is helping Hillary Clinton's White House bid: Report - NBC News
RADIO: Interview with The Center for Public Integrity senior reporter Dave Levinthal: Clinton camp taking mega money from Super PACs - wben.com
See how much the 2016 presidential candidates have raised so far - Center for Public Integrity
Pro-Hillary Clinton PAC spending on TV and radio ads surges (GRAPHS) - AdAge
How Hillary Clinton bought the loyalty of 33 State Democratic parties - counterpunch.org
Dem House super-PAC reserves $12M in TV airtime - TheHill
Union Effort to Create Super PAC Stalls - WSJ
Understanding political committees, 101 - Center for Public Integrity
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Sanders: Clinton ‘hustling money from the wealthy and the powerful' - POLITICO
Sanders links Clinton to Panama Papers scandal - Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders outlines plan to pare down big banks - WSJ
FBI director James Comey: No rush to finish Hillary Clinton email probe before convention - POLITICO
#HillarySoQualified gets hijacked, used against Clinton - NY Daily News
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Something’s happening in the presidential race: Clinton’s Crumbling, Bernie’s Surging ‘Political Revolution’ is in the Air
By Dave Lindorff
Philadelphia -- Something “YUGE” is happening in the Democratic presidential campaign, and perhaps in the broader American body politic. It’s hard to put your finger on it, but like that feeling of your neck hairs rising off your skin as a big thunderstorm approaches, you know it’s big and it’s coming.
Heartfelt message or political gamesmanship?: WTF! John McCain Saluting an American Communist?
By John Grant
New TCBH! poem: 'Fishing the Red Herring'
We were at Shelby’s at the bar and Jeff,
Who was watching Fox News,
Slams down his empty bottle
And says,
I’m so sick of hearing about damn red herrings
Focus: Pew Poll on Campaign Issues, Values and How Life Has Changed in the U.S. - Apr 2, 2016
Note: Only 30 percent of Democratic or Democratic-leaning voters say that the primary process has been a good way of determining "the best-qualified nominees.” Among Clinton voters 37 percent have a positive opinion of the primary and among Sanders voters 25 percent. The Independents, which account for the majority of the voters, were not polled as a separate group; I guess that, given the limited role assigned to them by the primary system, their percentage would be even lower than the Democrats.
POLL (Pew Research): Support for border wall with Mexico drops to … 38/58 - Hot Air
POLL (Pew Research): Poll shows most Americans oppose bans on Muslims - The Arab Daily News
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Focus: Donald Trump and the Polls - Mar 30, 2016
POLL: NBC News/SurveyMonkey weekly election tracking full results - scribd.com
POLL (Public Policy Polling): Trump Most Acceptable Candidate to GOP - Public Policy Polling
POLL: In New York poll Trump leads Cruz by 33 points - Examiner.com
POLL: New poll shows Trump leading Cruz in California by 7 points - KCRA Home
POLL: Kasich trails Trump by 3 points in latest Pennsylvania poll - Examiner.com
POLL: Trump and Cruz in tight race in Wisconsin - Realclear Politics
The vast majority of Republican politicians aren't even trying to stop Donald Trump - Vox
Trump, Cruz and Kasich back away from their pledge to support GOP nominee (VIDEOS) - CNNPolitics.com
VIDEO (Full): CNN Republican Town Hall: Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, John Kasich - YouTube
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New poem by TCBH! resident poet Gary Lindorff: 'One day, in the asylum'
We were having a bad day in the asylum,
A bad 8 years, a bad sixteen years,
Oh, heck, a bad era,
Well, let’s face it, a bad history.
But we had a good leader for a change,
Hot time in the old town of Philly in July?: Washington, Alaska and Hawaii Blowout Wins Boost Sanders Nomination Odds
By Dave Lindorff
Focus: Clinton, Sanders and the Polls - Mar 25, 2016
The Independents are the largest segment of the American voters. According to the Gallup Historical Trends of Party Affiliation, 38% consider themselves independents while 32% are Democrats and 26% Republicans. Also Democrats and Republicans are not solidly behind their own parties: the Fox News poll shows that 38% of the Democrats and astonishingly 68% of Republicans 'feel betrayed by politicians from their political party'.
Unlike the November elections, primaries privilege the Democrats and Republicans compared to the self-identified Independents and are skewed toward the two established parties. Many states require voters to affiliate with a party in order to take part in presidential primaries and caucuses. The Fox News poll find that only 21% of the Independents vote for the Democratic party and 33% of Independents vote for the Republican party during the primaries. Moreover the presence of the superdelegates at the Democratic Convention strengthen the party establishment offsetting the influence of the grassroot movement. While the Independents play a limited role in the primaries, they will be a key factor in electing the President in November because Democrats and Republicans do not have enough votes.
Independents are a major political force behind the popularity and success of the Bernie Sanders candidacy. While Clinton so far has the backing of the majority of the Democrats, according to the Quinnipiac poll 46% of Independents and 80% of Republicans say they would never vote for her in the presidential election. In contrast Sanders is opposed by only 19% of Independents and 58% of Republicans. With his campaign Sanders is potentially in a position to build a large coalition of a majority of Independents, Democrats and Republican swing voters. That is the reason why Sanders has a much better chance than Clinton to beat Trump. The Quinnipiac poll shows that in a November matchup Sanders beat Trump 52% to 38% while Clinton beat Trump 46% to 40%.
Below are the latest polls:
POLL: Clinton leads Sanders by 6 in Wisconsin - TheHill
POLL: Polls give Trump and Clinton huge leads in NY Primary ⋆ Hudson Valley News Network
POLL: California poll: Trump leads GOP; Clinton, Sanders close - POLITICO
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Stolen primary in Arizona?: Questioning Hillary’s Tuesday Primary Win Amid Widespread Evidence of Voter Suppression in Phoenix
By Dave Lindorff
It sure looks like there was some voter fraud committed in the Democratic primary in Arizona on Tuesday.
Focus: Hillary Clinton - Mar 23 , 2016
New emails highlight interaction between State, Clinton Foundation - TheHill
Ex-Im Bank beneficiaries are heavy Clinton Foundation donors - The Daily Caller
Clinton Foundation discloses $40 Million in Wall Street donations - Breitbart
Clinton Foundation hires H-1B guest workers in place of American graduates - Breitbart
REPORT: Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation - discoverthenetworks.org
Hillary Clinton campaign's foreign fundraisers under scrutiny - Examiner.com
WikiLeaks publishes searchable archive of Clinton emails - Washington Examiner
POLL: Trump, Clinton score historic unfavorable ratings - CNNPolitics.com
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Uproar over Hillary's role in Honduran coup grows as her campaign denies connection - Alternet
The Clinton-backed Honduran regime is picking off indigenous leaders - The Nation
Hillary Clinton needs to answer for her actions in Honduras and Haiti - The Washington Post
High hopes for Hillary Clinton, then disappointment in Haiti - The New York Times
Haitians protest Hillary Clinton’s ‘destruction’ of country - freebeacon.com
7 articles to read uncovering Hillary Clinton’s Haiti record - The Haitian Times
The mysterious gap in Hillary Clinton’s Haiti emails - haiti-liberte.com
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Focus: Donald Trump and the GOP Establishment - Mar 21, 2016
VIDEO: Donald Trump Interview at 'ABC This Week' - YouTube
RNC chair says GOP prepping for possible brokered convention - NY Daily News
VIDEO: RNC chair Reince Priebus: Nothing nefarious about an open convention - YouTube
Republican leaders map a strategy to derail Donald Trump - The New York Times
Trump to huddle with influential Republicans in D.C. ahead of AIPAC speech - The Washington Post
Conservatives call for anti-Trump unity, hint at a Cruz-Kasich ticket - POLITICO
Kasich responds to anti-Trump forces ‘split the map’ strategy - WTKR.com
Graham: Trump is a "demagogue of the greatest proportion” (VIDEO) - CBS News
PAC Club for Growth nets $4 million for fight against Trump - POLITICO
Anti-Trump super-PAC Our Principles raises $4.8 Million in February - Bloomberg Politics
Here's Everything the Republican party is doing to try to stop Donald Trump - People.com
Donald Trump's campaign threatens to steal tea party thunder - LA Times
Democrats beware: Donald Trump is finding success well outside the Republican fringe - LA Times
POLL: Trump still holds 15-point lead over Cruz nationally - Rasmussen Reports
Donald Trump Owes At Least $250 Million to Banks - WSJ
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Man charged with allegedly punching and kicking anti-Trump protester at rally - ABC News
VIDEO: Protester punched and kicked at Donald Trump rally - YouTube
VIDEO: Violence and pepper spray at anti-Trump rally in New York - YouTube
Anti-Trump protester April Foster charged with hitting police horse in Kansas City - Breitbart
Donald Trump's campaign to add rally security amid violence - Bloomberg Politics
Donald Trump says protesters are violating his First Amendment rights - yahoo.com
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Why I won’t be voting for Hillary in November: A Neolib Posing as a Progressive vs. a Reality TV Star Posing as a Fascist
By Dave Lindorff
I won’t be voting for Hillary Clinton if she wins the Democratic Party nomination for president, and I won’t heed Bernie Sanders if, as he has vowed to do, he calls on his supporters to “come together” after the convention, should he lose, to support Clinton and prevent Donald Trump or another Republican from becoming president.
Hillary Is A Neocon
She has the record and the vision
"For this former Republican, and perhaps for others, the only choice will be to vote for Hillary Clinton. The party cannot be saved, but the country still can be." —Robert Kagan
"I have a sense that she's one of the more competent members of the current administration and it would be interesting to speculate about how she might perform were she to be president." —Dick Cheney
"I've known her for many years now, and I respect her intellect. And she ran the State Department in the most effective way that I've ever seen." —Henry Kissinger
Nobody Beats This Record
- She says President Obama was wrong not to launch missile strikes on Syria in 2013.
- She pushed hard for the overthrow of Qadaffi in 2011.
- She supported the coup government in Honduras in 2009.
- She has backed escalation and prolongation of war in Afghanistan.
- She voted for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
- She skillfully promoted the White House justification for the war on Iraq.
- She does not hesitate to back the use of drones for targeted killing.
- She has consistently backed the military initiatives of Israel.
- She was not ashamed to laugh at the killing of Qadaffi.
- She has not hesitated to warn that she could obliterate Iran.
- She is not afraid to antagonize Russia.
- She helped facilitate a military coup in Ukraine.
- She has the financial support of the arms makers and many of their foreign customers.
- She waived restrictions at the State Department on selling weapons to Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar, all states wise enough to donate to the Clinton Foundation.
- She supported President Bill Clinton's wars and the power of the president to make war without Congress.
- She has advocated for arming fighters in Syria.
- She supported a surge in Iraq even before President Bush did.
Further Reading
Neocon Kagan Endorses Hillary Clinton.
Dick Cheney Heaps Praise on Hillary Clinton.
Kissinger: Clinton "Effective" at State.
Wall St. Republicans' Dark Secret.
Hillary Clinton and the Weaponization of the State Department.
Clinton Foundation Donors Got Weapons Deals From Hillary Clinton's State Department.
The Left Ought to Worry About Hillary Clinton, Hawk and Militarist, in 2016.
Hillary Clinton Pitched Iraq As "A Business Opportunity" For US Corporations.
For Hillary Clinton and Boeing, a Beneficial Relationship.
Videos
http://hillaryisaneocon.com/node/3
https://www.facebook.com/hillaryisaneocon
https://twitter.com/Hillary_Neocon
Promote Democracy Without Bombs
Demand Democratic Superdelegates Represent Their Constituents at the National Convention.
Kick the War Habit
Know anybody who just doesn't get it? Forward this to them!
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What No One in the Media Has Asked the Candidates About War
If you can get presidential candidates in the Democratic or Republican parties to answer any of these, please let me know.
1. President Obama's 2017 budget proposal, according to the National Priorities Project, devotes 54% of discretionary spending (or $622.6 billion) to militarism. This figure does not include care for veterans or debt payments on past military spending. Is the percentage of discretionary spending now devoted to militarism, as compared to what you would propose for 2018,
_______too high,
_______too low,
_______just right.
Approximately what level would you propose? ______________________.
2. The United States budgets approximately $25 billion per year for non-military foreign aid, which is less per capita or in relation to the nation's economy than many other countries. Is the percentage of discretionary spending now devoted to non-military foreign aid, as compared to what you would propose for 2018,
_______too high,
_______too low,
_______just right.
Approximately what level would you propose? ______________________.
3. Does the Kellogg-Briand Pact forbid war? _____________________.
4. Does the United Nations Charter forbid war that is neither actually defensive nor authorized by the United Nations Security Council? _________________.
5. Does the U.S. Constitution require a Congressional declaration of war? __________________.
6. Do the anti-torture and war crimes statutes in the U.S. code ban torture? _________________.
7. Does the U.S. Constitution forbid imprisoning people without charge or trial? ________________.
8. The United States is the leading weapons supplier, through sales and gifts, to the Middle East, as to the world. In what ways would you reduce this arms trade?_______________________ _________________ ______________________ _________________________ _________________________ ___________________ _________________ _________________ ____________________.
9. Does the U.S. president have the legal authority to kill people with missiles from drones or manned airplanes or by any other means? Where does that legal authority originate? _____________ ____________ __________ ___________________ _________________ ______________ ___________________ __________________.
10. The United States military has troops in at least 175 countries. Some 800 bases house hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops in some 70 foreign nations, not including numerous "trainers" and participants in "non-permanent" exercises that last indefinitely, at a cost over $100 billion a year. Is this,
_____ too many,
_____ too few,
_____ just right.
What level would be appropriate? ___________ ________________ ________________ _______________ ____________.
11. Would you end U.S. war making in
_____ Afghanistan
_____ Iraq
_____ Syria
_____ Libya
_____ Somalia
_____ Pakistan
_____ Yemen
12. Does the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty require the United States to pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race at an early date and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control? ________.
13. Would you sign and encourage ratification of,
________ the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
________ the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction
________ the Convention on Cluster Munitions
________ the Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
________ the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture
________ the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
________ the proposed treaty on Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space
14. Should the U.S. government continue to subsidize
______ fossil fuels
______ nuclear energy
15. How, and how much, would you propose to invest in bringing renewable, green, non-nuclear energy to the United States and the world? ______________ _______________ _____________ ________________ _____________ ________________ ____________ ______________ ___________________ _________________.
Focus: Bernie Sanders - Mar 17, 2016
Following the results of yesterday’s primaries, the odds are against Bernie Sanders winning the Democratic nomination at the convention according to the delegate and superdelegate math. There are primaries in the coming weeks that will give a clearer picture. More than half of the delegates are yet to be chosen and the next races may favor Sanders campaign while the past primaries have been in Clinton territory. Clinton is winning the Democratic nomination thanks to the super Pac and rich donor money which finances her campaign and the campaigns of the Democratic congressmen that endorsed her. The Democratic party machine and a sympathetic media coverage promote her candidacy notwithstanding her domestic failures, foreign policy blunders and revelations about her private email server and the Clinton Foundation dealings.
It may come the time for Sanders to consider the option of running as an independent for President if he does not collect enough delegates to win the nomination, which is likely unless there is a political earthquake such as Hillary Clinton indicted by the FBI or else. There are more than seven months to the November elections, an arc of time long enough to turn events around. Sanders and the movement, which he represents, deserve to make their case until the November elections given the crucial issues facing the nation. As shown in several polls Clinton won the majority of Democrats in most primaries and Sanders won the independents and the new voters, two groups that will have more weight in the November elections than in the primaries which are slanted in favor of the political parties.
If Sanders runs as an independent for President chances are he will not be a “spoiler,” the label used against third-party candidate Nader when Gore lost to Bush in 2000. On the contrary Sanders may attract Trump low-income supporters who share his same concerns on the issues of jobs, trade, economic inequality, health insurance, college tuition, etc. On the other end Hillary Clinton may lose in a matchup with Trump or Cruz because of her political past and a majority of Americans think she is not honest and trustworthy. Personally I think that Sanders has a chance to win a three way contest between him, Clinton and Trump (or Cruz.)
Time will run out to be an independent candidate for President if Sanders wants to go this route. There are deadlines for gaining ballot access to run as an independent or 3rd party candidate in every state starting with Texas on May 9, North Carolina June 9, Illinois June 27, Indiana and New Mexico June 30 and so on. Here are filing deadlines and signature requirements for independent presidential candidates in all states.
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THIS IS WHAT DEMOCRACY LOOKS LIKE
By Robert C. Koehler
The snaking line was more than a mile long. Thousands of us had been waiting for hours in the bitter cold to get into Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre to hear Bernie Sanders speak. It was Monday night. The Illinois and four other state primaries were the next day and, as has been the case for the last three weeks now, the fate of the country — and the planet — seemed to hang in the balance.
Signs were everywhere: A FUTURE TO BELIEVE IN, of course. And FEEL THE BERN, and variations thereof. BERNIE: PROPHET, HILLARY: PROFIT. And my favorite: SHAMANS FOR SANDERS.
The elevated train — Chicago’s L — rattled and clattered overhead at regular intervals, adding random noise to the windy, exhilarating night. Cheers erupted here and there for no apparent reason. The camaraderie was joyous. Even the police were friendly.
What if Trump people showed up and tried to start something? That rumor had been hovering for several days, but here in the midst of this crowd nothing seemed more preposterous. “If Trump people show up we need to show them love,” a woman standing nearby said. “Welcome them! Invite them to be one of us!” This was the sort of energy that infused the crowd. If nothing else, it flooded the cold March night with warmth.
And people chanted: “This is what democracy looks like!”
Oh Lord.
What I thought was: Maybe they’re right. A day and a half later, as I write, I’m still transfixed by those words, even though all the energy has scattered. Democracy is about depth of participation, not about winning and losing. And something is happening this election cycle that is opening up a participatory consciousness I haven’t felt, at least at the national level, in four decades.
What I want is more than a fleeting image of democracy on a bitter Chicago night. I want a lasting sense of social involvement and participation in crucial change. This is what democracy looks like. Democracy is the precondition of social evolution. And for this to occur at the national and global level — for society to reorganize itself in a way that defangs the four horsemen of social collapse: war, poverty, racism and climate change — we have to be engaged not as spectators but at the level of every human soul.
The doors opened. A huge segment of the waiting crowd did not get in, but I made it. Wow. A burst of light and warmth in the historic old theater. Jill Sobule is on stage with her guitar. “When they say they want America back . . . America back . . . what the fuck do they mean?”
Speakers address the crowd. Someone says: “The only thing that’s been able to trump hatred and fear is beauty and love.” Old rock music fills the air. Twentysomethings get up and start to dance. A mom in front of me is holding a month-old baby and I can hardly contain my emotions.
The candidate himself didn’t step onto the stage till 11 p.m. He went nonstop for about 40 minutes, addressing, by my count, 15 issues, none of which — of course! — were part of the media coverage of the primaries. Here are a few highlights:
· “This is the wealthiest country in the history of the world. We need to invest in our children. Get our priorities right. We are not going to be shutting down schools while Wall Street makes huge profits. . . . No more water systems that poison children.”
· “This should be a country with the highest voter turnout, not one of the lowest.”
· “Together we are going to repair a broken criminal justice system. . . . We need to demilitarize the police.”
· “Substance abuse is a health issue, not a criminal issue. We need to rethink the so-called war on drugs.”
· “There are 11 million undocumented people in the U.S. living in fear: We need comprehensive immigration reform.”
· “The way we have treated Native Americans for centuries is an absolute disgrace.”
· “Barack Obama’s father was born in Kenya. My father was born in Poland, but no one is asking me for my birth certificate. Maybe it has something to do with the color of my skin.”
· “I’m opposed to death penalty. In a world where there is so much violence, the state should not be a part of that.”
Finally and, it almost seemed, reluctantly, Sanders brought up the matter of war. He condemned the Iraq invasion as one of the worst blunders in American history and added: “I will do everything I can to see that the men and women in the military do not get sucked into perpetual war.”
Yeah, this is what democracy looks like, on both the inside and the outside. I hear the words of the one major-party candidate who dares to question America’s militarized relationship with the rest of the world. I also hear the wiggle room. I wish Sanders’ stance on war and the unfathomable U.S. military budget had the certainty of most of his other policy positions; and I wonder if his momentum — his reach into the soul of the electorate — would be more powerful if that were the case.
I know this much. When I hear someone dismiss Sanders’ social programs, such as free college tuition, on the grounds that “the money’s not there,” I will ask why nobody ever says: “We can’t develop the next generation of nuclear weapons; the money’s just not there!”
When it comes to militarism, I have yet to see what democracy looks like.
Robert Koehler is an award-winning, Chicago-based journalist and nationally syndicated writer. Contact him at koehlercw@gmail.com or visit his website at commonwonders.com.
© 2016 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, INC.
Focus: Donald Trump - Mar 13, 2016
I think Bernie Sanders should refrain from calling Trump names like evil, fascist, racist, bigot, etc. Although Trump's words are hash, extreme, sometimes offensive, criticizing his views on the issues should not equal to insulting him. This means waging a positive campaign and not indulging in personal attacks. We must avoid to debase the political debate to a brawl.
Trump's political positions should be criticized for what they really are and not distorted. For instance he said that the worst criminal elements of the Mexican society cross the border to enter U.S.. This statement is wrong but does not necessarily mean that Trump is anti-Mexican. He said that he would "temporarily" block all Muslim to enter U.S. due to the spread of the Islamic State. This measure is wrong but it does not necessarily mean that he is anti-Muslim. Finally, contrary to the hawkish attitude of Republican opponents and Hillary Clinton, Trump's foreign policy towards Russia, Syria, Libya and Ukraine is remarkably dovish, advocating against violent regime change which is at the root of the current world crisis.
Trump's supporters are mostly low income people who, in the future, may support Sanders' policies directed at addressing social reforms and economic inequality, i.e. the scandalous accumulation of wealth in the hands of the rich at the expense of the whole nation. Insulting Trump is perceived as insulting his supporters and may generate sympathy towards him. Sanders should not endorse or justify the Chicago protest that forced Trump to cancel the rally over security concerns when protesters clashed with his supporters inside an arena where he was to speak. "We came in here and we wanted to shut this down”, said a protester. Trump and his supporters must be allowed to freely speech and assemble with no threats.
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Time for Sanders to play hardball: With Clinton Stumbling Following His Big Michigan Win, Bernie Should Attack Her Integrity
By Dave Lindorff
Bernie Sanders, whose campaign for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination is on a roll following a stunning if narrow win in last Tuesday’s Michigan primary, where he embarrassed pollsters who were predicting a double-digit rout by Hillary Clinton only a day before the voting, has famously said he’s “not interested” in the issue of his opponent’s exclusive use, during her five years as Obama’s Secretary of State, of a private, instead of government email account and server.
Profile in lack of courage: Sen. Warren has Betrayed the Cause the Put Her in the Senate and Once Made Her a Hero to Millions
By Dave Lindorff
Sen. Elizabeth Warren just had a chance to turn the tide in this rigged Democratic primary season last Tuesday, and she ran away from it.
How a Hillary or Bernie Government Would Relate to the World
By David Swanson, teleSUR
By world standards, a U.S. government led by President Bernie Sanders would be exceptionally militarized and very much an outlier in terms of its disregard for the standards of international law and its lack of respect for the sovereignty of other nations.
By comparison to a U.S. government led by a hyper-militarist President Hillary Clinton, a Bernie government would be the peaceful, law-abiding, and humanitarian Age of Aquarius.
Senator Sanders has been unwilling to propose any significant reduction in military spending, despite the boon it would be to his campaign, which faces criticism over planned taxes to pay for desired domestic programs. Just stating "I would cut aggressive and counterproductive military weapons and operations," would eliminate the need to ever raise taxes on a non-billionaire to pay for anything ever again, but Sanders won't state that. I've communicated with his campaign, which has declined thus far to tell me what level of military spending Sanders favors, but it seems clear it would not be dramatically different from the world-record levels of spending now current.
Candidate Sanders tells us he would continue to kill people with drones, he would continue the wars but seek more partners and funders abroad. He rather grotesquely wants Saudi Arabia to "get its hands dirty." He also has a long history of justifying military spending as a jobs program, and of merging his support for the needs of veterans with glorification of war making. While he eventually opposed the Gulf War and then the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Sanders supported wars in Yugoslavia and Afghanistan.
Sanders lacks any transformative vision of peace, international cooperation, the rule of law, or transition to a peaceful economy. He does not propose to eliminate nuclear weapons or join the International Criminal Court or ban weapons in space or stop antagonizing Russia. He's offered no proposal for a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, or other diplomatic initiative in Syria / Iraq. There's reason to hope only that a Sanders White House would be a bit less bellicose than Obama's -- and the chief reason to hope that is that Sanders would almost certainly not include Hillary Clinton in his cabinet.
Hillary Clinton lost the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 largely because she'd been in the Senate in time to vote for the Iraq invasion, while Barack Obama had not. That they'd both later voted repeatedly to fund that war seemed lost both on those defending Clinton's vote and those claiming Obama for the peace movement.
Prior to 2008 we already knew Clinton's history. She had pushed her husband in a militaristic direction throughout his presidency, including on Yugoslavia and Iraq. The 1998 Iraq Liberation Act had laid the groundwork for the war to come. She's urged Bill Clinton to bomb Kosovo in violation of the U.N. Charter and against the will of Congress. She'd not only voted for the war on Iraq, and against an amendment to pursue inspections first, but she'd promoted all of Bush-Cheney's lies as her own, despite having been well informed of the facts. She'd then continued to defend her actions for years, and to argue for continuing and escalating the war.
In 2006, Democrats had won Congressional victories principally on the public demand to end the war on Iraq. Clinton protégé and future despot of Chicago Rahm Emanuel openly told the Washington Post that the Democrats would keep the war on Iraq going in order to run against it again in 2008, and that's what Hillary Clinton did. In time for the 2008 primaries, she turned against the Iraq war and began lying that she'd never supported it and only ever wanted inspections pursued, a lie she has articulated in recent weeks as well.
None of this has changed in the past 8 years. On top of it we can add the following. Hillary Clinton turned the U.S. State Department into an arm of the military, redefined "diplomacy" to mean the communication of threats of violence, made diplomats work as marketing staff for weapons companies, waived restrictions on arms sales to brutal governments that donated to her personal foundation, led the advocacy for escalation in Afghanistan, led the lobbying for a war to overthrow the government of Libya creating the disaster now found there, backed a military coup in Honduras, defended dictators and torturers in Tunisia and Egypt until the last possible moment, and in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia until the present moment, threatened assault on Iran and lied about Iranian nukes even after finally being compelled to support the nuclear agreement with Iran, supported the Moroccan occupation of Western Sahara, opposed opportunities for peace in Syria at every turn, and much much more. Clinton had in fact joined Republicans in pushing for the disarmament of Syria as early as 2004. On Afghanistan, Libya, and the attack on Osama bin Laden, Secretary of State Clinton was more hawkish than Secretary of "Defense" Robert Gates.
Much of the additional information we know comes from WikiLeaks which exposed the Clinton State Department as a cynical Machiavellian club for contemptuous rogues out to dominate the world for the sake of corporate profits. The fault here lies not with Chelsea Manning for exposing these outrages, but with Clinton for leading them. But her attitude toward whistleblowers like Manning and Edward Snowden has exposed another difference with Sanders, to Sanders' advantage. A Hillary Clinton administration promises to be as secretive and vindictive as Obama's.
A Sanders White House would not cut off the free weaponry and legal immunity for Israel, but a Clinton White House would expand on those policies, offer unlimited support to openly racist Israeli assaults on and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Sanders has proposed normalizing relations with Iran, while Clinton has denounced that idea and demanded that all (meaning nuclear) options be "on the table." If peace should come to Syria with Assad still in power, Clinton can be expected to continue the line she has already promoted, namely that Obama should have overthrown Assad with massive force long ago. Sanders, in contrast, could be expected to breathe a sigh of relief and focus on domestic matters until the next crisis develops.
While Clinton has accused Sanders of heresy for disagreeing with Obama's disastrous domestic policies, she herself has frequently criticized Obama's foreign policies for being insufficiently militaristic. Clinton does not hide who she is. She's fear mongered 9/11 in a debate. She's giggled jubilantly while bragging about the murder of Muamar Gadaffi. She's suggested the possibility of "obliterating" Iran. She talks up her dedication to the Israeli rightwing in public as well as behind closed doors with donors. Donors like Boeing have successfully hired her, while Secretary of State, to personally market their products to foreign governments.
I've asked the Clinton campaign what her military budget proposal would be, and have thus far heard nothing back, but it's hard to imagine how she could do what she would do without raising it, and it's easy to imagine that her election would boost the campaign to add young women to the selective service draft registry.
Pollsters imagine that Donald Trump's negatives make him easily defeatable, but they imagined that in the primaries as well. Polls also suggest that Hillary would be weaker than Bernie in a general election and that many Bernie supporters might not support Hillary. Imagine an election in which the mad militarist with the comb-over fear mongers Muslims but accurately accuses Clinton of lying about Iraq and helping to create ISIS. Would she counter with the promise of another bigger, better war? Would such a situation create a new opportunity to move public opinion against war? What would peace advocates do? How many would hold their nose and flee the country? What would Henry Kissinger advise?
DNC defection: Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s Surprise Endorsement Gives Sanders a Chance to Change the Whole Primary Game
By Dave Lindorff
Just as the media, in the wake of Hillary Clinton’s landslide win in South Carolina’s Democratic primary Saturday, are predictably writing the obituary for Bernie Sanders’ upstart and uphill campaign for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) has handed him an opportunity to jolt the American people awake.
