merrily
merrily's JournalPlease show some like (on Facebook) to Reps. Ellison, Grijalva and Gabbard
https://www.facebook.com/Keith.Ellisonhttps://www.facebook.com/Rep.Grijalva
https://www.facebook.com/RepTulsiGabbard
An easy, cost-free way to support Senator Sanders.
If you've been alive for almost ninety years, you could gain perspective about activism.
(An interviewer asked Noam Chomsky if humanity had progressed during Chomsky's lifetime)
There have been enormous changes. Just look here at MIT. Take a walk down the hall and take a look at the nature of the student body: it’s about half women, a third minorities, informally dressed, casual relations among people and so on. When I got here in 1955, if you’d walk down the same hall it would have been white males, jackets and ties, very polite, obedient, not posing many questions. That’s a huge change.
And it’s not just here — it’s all over the place. You and I wouldn’t have looked like this, and in fact you probably wouldn’t be here. Those are some of the cultural and social changes that have taken place thanks to committed and dedicated activism.
Other things have not, like the labor movement, which has been under severe attack all throughout American history and particularly since the early 1950s. It has been seriously weakened: in the private sector it’s marginal, and it’s now being attacked in the public sector. That’s a regression.
The neoliberal policies are certainly a regression. For the majority of the population in the US, there’s been pretty much stagnation and decline in the last generation. And not because of any economic laws. These are policies. Just as austerity in Europe is not an economic necessity — in fact, it’s economic nonsense. But it’s a policy decision undertaken by the designers for their own purposes. I think basically it’s a kind of class war, and it can be resisted, but it’s not easy. History doesn’t go in a straight line.
https://www.jacobinmag.com/2015/09/noam-chomsky-bernie-sanders-greece-tsipras-grexit-austerity-neoliberalism-protest/
Sanders's Tucson Rally October 9, 2015 - video
Sanders campaign estimated attendance at 13,000: http://www.politicususa.com/2015/10/09/bernie-sanders-rocks-southwest-drawing-11000-rally-tucson-az.html
Crowd pics posted by cal04 http://www.democraticunderground.com/128060302
The rally itself does not begin until about one hour and two minutes into the video, but the announcer from Denmark is very cool and his bit starts a little after 5 minutes into the video. Grijalva's introduction begins about 1;22 into the video. Don't miss it!
Let's see:
1. Tim Smith, a NH state rep who is either the chair or a chair of Bernie's NH campaign said, in response to questions from facebook posters, pressure to endorse "another candidate" has been enormous.
Yes, there has been enormous pressure to endorse a different candidate, but arm-twisting hasn't worked on me since middle school and did not influence my decision. Hopefully other legislators will see the enormous level of solidarity you have all given and be convinced that it's “safe” to do what's right instead of what's easy.
https://www.facebook.com/Rep-Timothy-Smith-235121411547/timeline/
2. The Clintons have been in politics for decades. During that time, he has been President and she has been a US Senator and Secretary of State. A lot of favors have been done, a lot of campaigning has been done, a lot of fundraising has been done. That = many chits that can be called in. Politicians in general certainly operate that way, and we know the Clintons in particular certainly operate that way.
3. The Clintons are power brokers within the Democratic Party and beyond. Anyone who plans to run for office in the future, esp. an office in which he or she is not currently an incumbent, would want their help. As an example, I give you Rep. Gutierrez, who supposedly wants to be Mayor of Chicago, who made scurrilous comments about Bernie early on (though he has since walked them back some).
4. She has had her eye on being the first woman President, IMO, since at least 1992 and certainly since 2006. I believe she and her supporters have been preparing specifically for this run since June 2008, getting loyalty oaths and commitments from politicians and potential voters alike. Take, for example, that letter from all the female members of Congress "urging" to run (snort),
5. Since at least the summer of 2012, every Democratic pundit and strategist and, then, every member of the msm, was saying that the nomination is hers, if she wants it, and no one will even bother to challenge her. After challengers appeared anyway, the universal meme became that she will surely defeat this sure-to-lose Nowhere Man who bizarrely decided to challenge his superior.
6. Each of Hillary, Bubba, the Clinton Presidential Library and the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton campaign employ many people, such as Barney Frank's sister, and have the millions and the fundraising ability to employ many more. They can also direct a lot of business someone's way.
7. If you don't need money, maybe you crave recognition from an organization like the Clinton Foundation or some other entity the Clintons can influence.
8. All else failing, how about a well-place phone call for whatever else you might want or need?
Grijalva's endorsement--before the rally.
As we all know, Grijalva is one of two co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which Bernie founded practically the day he first arrived in the House and chaired for its first eight years, while it became the largest caucus in Congress, aside, of course, from the Republican Caucus and the Democratic Caucus. http://www.democraticunderground.com/12778196
(Just imagine what Bernie might have accomplished if only he knew how to work and play well with others to get things done. 
)
Spoiler alert: Cuomo keeps trying to get Grijalva to diss Hillary, but Grijalva says he will not do that; he will stick only to issues.
Bernie has been consistent. Bernie did not put on these shoes yesterday morning.* Bernie has been consistent. No, no, no, I'm not saying anything at all about Hillary. Did I mention Bernie has been consistent?
I so wish Bernie would allow Grijalva to help Bernie prep for the debates.
Please see also: http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-10072015-htmlstory.html?update=84630991 and
http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/10/07/bernie-sanders-gets-first-congressional-endorsement-from-ral-grijalva/?_r=0
*I am SO stealing this expression.
Bernie Sanders to oppose Obama’s nominee to lead the FDA
Bernie Sanders to oppose Obama’s nominee to lead the FDA
By John Wagner October 8 at 11:00 PM
..............
“At a time when millions of Americans cannot afford to purchase the prescription drugs they need, we need a new leader at the FDA who is prepared to stand up to the pharmaceutical companies and work to substantially lower drug prices,” Sanders said in a statement. “Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that Dr. Califf is not that person.”
Califf, a prominent cardiologist and longtime researcher at Duke University, joined the FDA earlier this year as a deputy commissioner. When Obama announced his nomination for the top post, Califf drew praise from some health groups, but his close ties to the pharmaceutical industry have been a source of controversy.
A 2014 financial disclosure showed Califf’s salary at Duke was underwritten partly by funding from large drug makers such as Eli Lilly, Novartis and Merck. He also reported receiving fees from a range of other pharmaceutical companies.
..........
On the campaign trail, Sanders has been pushing a plan to curtail “runaway prescription drug prices,” a phenomenon he attributes in part to the hundreds of millions of dollars the pharmaceutical industry spends on lobbyists and campaign contributions. Sanders’s plan would allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies and reduce barriers to the importation of lower-cost drugs from other countries, including Canada. Sanders also wants to encourage wider availability of more generic drugs and impose tougher penalties on drug companies that commit fraud.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/08/bernie-sanders-to-oppose-obamas-nominee-to-lead-the-fda/
Inside Bernie Sanders Unorthodox Debate Prep
Inside Bernie Sanders’ unorthodox debate prep
He won’t run mock sessions and his attacks will be on policy, not persona.
By Gabriel Debenedetti
10/08/15 05:10 AM EDT
By Josh Zeitz
Hillary Clinton has had aides lined up to run her debate prep for months. A Washington super lawyer is mimicking Bernie Sanders, and her top policy staffer is acting as Martin O’Malley. Sanders started studying for next Tuesday’s event not even a full week ago. And that’s because his two top aides sat him down in Burlington on Friday and asked whether he had a plan.
Sanders has briefing books, a couple of meetings with policy experts and an abiding aversion to the idea of acting out a debate before it happens. He knows the stakes are high, his staff says. But the candidate, whose New Hampshire polling and fundraising prowess have put a scare into Clinton, is uninterested in going through the motions of typical debate practice. The Vemont senator’s debate preparations, in other words, don’t look a ton like debate preparations.
While CNN is billing the event as a showdown, Sanders’ team sees the first Democratic debate as a chance to introduce a fairly niche candidate to a national audience. So his team intends to let him do what he’s been doing. Far from preparing lines to deploy against Clinton — let alone O’Malley, Lincoln Chafee or Jim Webb — Sanders plans to dish policy details, learned through a handful of briefings with experts brought in by his campaign.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/bernie-sanders-democratic-debates-214538#ixzz3o4NHkxKq
(Hillary's Debate Prep at same link)
Sanders: Don't be shocked if my message resonates with Republicans.
Looks as though it is a re-telling of the interview on Morning Joe.
https://www.yahoo.com/politics/bernie-sanders-dont-be-shocked-if-my-message-160500542.html
Michael Walsh
Reporter
October 8, 2015
-----------------
Sanders, the longest serving independent member of Congress in U.S. history, said that people should not be surprised to see Republicans cross over to support his campaign.
Though they may disagree with Sanders’ position on certain issues — abortion, gun control, same-sex marriage, etc. — working-class Republicans still need to send their children to college or have been hurt by the outsourcing of factory jobs to China, he said.
DONATE FOR STUDENTS, OTHERS TO RECEIVE TICKETS TO JEFFERSON-JACKSON DINNER
Bernie Sanders for President
Dear merrily,
This campaign is about people coming together and standing up for each other to improve the lives of all Americans, and not just a handful of wealthy campaign contributors.
So when all of the presidential candidates speak at the Iowa Democratic Party’s Jefferson-Jackson dinner later this month, I am heartened to know that the crowd will be packed with the people who power our political revolution: working Americans who have had ENOUGH of billionaires and corporations buying our elections.
I’ve heard that so far supporters have helped us purchase over 1,350 tickets to the event for Iowa students with crushing debt, workers who need a raise, and the volunteers who work daily to help us win. But we still have about 500 more tickets we can buy for additional supporters who otherwise would never be able to attend an event like this.
Make a contribution towards an Iowa Jefferson-Jackson dinner ticket for one of our supporters and send a message to the national political media about our movement’s willingness to stand with each other.
Donate $10
(1/5 of a ticket)
Donate $25
(1/2 of a ticket)
Donate $50
(1 ticket)
Donate $100
(2 tickets)
Donate $250
(5 tickets)
On the night of the Iowa Jefferson-Jackson dinner, we’re going to send a powerful message to everyone watching that when we come together, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish. And that includes winning the Iowa Caucus, the Democratic Primary and the White House, and taking back our democracy from the billionaire class.
In solidarity,
Bernie Sanders
There are links in my email for each dollar amount that did not show up as links in this post. Using Omaha Steve's DU Act Blue link will not indicate that you are donating for tickets. I am not sure how to handle this. I'm so sorry.
Be Clear: Sanders opposes the TPP; Clinton does not oppose it.
First, let me say that studies have shown that many people read ONLY headlines.
http://macombpolitics.blogspot.com/2014/03/six-in-10-read-only-headlines.html
http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/headlines-change-way-think
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3037742/evidence/misleading-headlines-can-leave-lasting-impressions-even-if-you-read-the-article
Knowing that perfectly well, our blessed msm very often uses misleading headlines to push its agenda, even if the story does not support the headline.
The next thing people read without going further? The first or lede or lead paragraph of the story.
So, let's see what CNN, for example, did with its story yesterday about Hillary and the TPP:
Hillary Clinton comes out against TPP trade deal (false headline)
By Dan Merica and Eric Bradner, CNN
Updated 5:24 PM ET, Wed October 7, 2015 | Video Source: CNN
CNN)Hillary Clinton came out against the Trans Pacific Partnership in an interview Wednesday, breaking with President Barack Obama and his administration, which has forcefully promoted the deal. (false lede)
In an interview Wednesday with PBS's Judy Woodruff in Iowa, Clinton said, "As of today, I am not in favor of what I have learned about it."
The former secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential front-runner cited the "high bar" she set earlier in the year as the reason she was giving the deal a thumbs down. (false)
"I have said from the very beginning that we had to have a trade agreement that would create good American jobs, raise wages and advance our national security and I still believe that is the high bar we have to meet," Clinton said.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/07/politics/hillary-clinton-opposes-tpp/
Looking past the misleading headline and misleading lede, we learn that Hillary is very much in favor of a trans pacific partnership of some kind. However, she does not like everything she's learned about every provision of this particular trans pacific partnership agreement. However, you'd never know that from msm media coverage, would you?
See also: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/15/politics/45-times-secretary-clinton-pushed-the-trade-bill-she-now-opposes/
She worked on the TPP; she promoted the TPP; she called the TPP the gold standard; and she still favors a trans pacific partnership agreement, subject to some specifics that I don't believe she had identified yet. Bernie opposes the "giant sucking sound" of jobs going overseas.
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