September 11, 2015


News Clips For The Day


http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-try-derail-iran-nuclear-deal-house-115350724.html

Iran nuclear deal survives: Democrats block disapproval vote
Associated Press
By ERICA WERNER and DEB RIECHMANN
September 10, 2015

Play video -- House Republicans revolt against Iran nuclear vote


WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate voted to uphold the hard-fought nuclear accord with Iran on Thursday, with Democrats overcoming ferocious Republican opposition and delivering President Barack Obama a legacy making victory on his top foreign policy priority.

A disapproval resolution for the agreement fell two votes short of the 60 needed to move forward as most Democratic and independent senators banded together against it. Although House Republicans continued to pursue eleventh-hour strategies to derail the international accord and Senate Republicans promised a re-vote, Thursday's outcome all but guaranteed that the disapproval legislation would not reach Obama's desk.

As a result the nuclear deal will move forward unchecked by Congress, an improbable win by Obama in the face of unanimous opposition from Republicans who control Congress, Republican candidates seeking to replace him in the Oval Office and the state of Israel and its allied lobbyists in the U.S.

Beginning next week, Obama will be free to start scaling back U.S. sanctions to implement the agreement negotiated by Iran, the U.S. and five other world powers. The accord aims to constrain Iran's nuclear ambitions in exchange for hundreds of billions of dollars in relief from international sanctions.

"This vote is a victory for diplomacy, for American national security and for the safety and security of the world," the president said in a statement. "Going forward, we will turn to the critical work of implementing and verifying this deal so that Iran cannot pursue a nuclear weapon."

Frustrated Republicans railed against Democrats for using a procedural vote to block final passage of the disapproval resolution, and issued grim warnings about a deal they contend could serve only to enrich Tehran and leave it closer to building a bomb when constraints begin to ease in 10 or 15 years. They promised that Thursday's vote would not be the Senate's last word, and moments after it was over Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set the stage for another next week.

"No amount of saying this issue is over makes it over," McConnell declared, adding that if a Republican wins the White House next year, "I say to Iranian observers of the debate, (the deal) will be looked on anew."

But Democrats led by Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada promised that any further votes would have the same outcome "and are just simply a waste of time."

"People around the world should know today's outcome was clear, decisive and final," Reid said.

In the House, Republicans had not given up on blocking the deal against all odds. After backtracking on plans to vote on the disapproval resolution when it began to look short of support in the Senate, House Republicans lined up votes on several related measures.

Late Thursday they agreed on a party-line 245-186 vote to a measure specifying that Obama had not properly submitted all documents related to the accord for Congress' review, and therefore a 60-day review clock had not really started.

That will be followed Friday by votes on a bill to approve the accord — which is doomed to fail, but Republicans want to force Democrats to go on record in favor of the agreement — and on a measure preventing Obama from lifting congressionally mandated sanctions on Iran.

"This debate is far from over, and frankly, it's just beginning," said House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican. "This is a bad deal with decades-long consequences for the security of the American people and our allies. And we'll use every tool at our disposal to stop, slow, and delay this agreement."

Underscoring the fierce politics, the National Republican Senatorial Committee sent out press releases within moments of the Senate vote criticizing Democratic senators for their votes.

Some House Republicans, buoyed by a favorable ruling this week in a lawsuit they filed over Obama's health care law, have begun suggesting a lawsuit to stop the accord. Boehner called that "an option that is very possible."

Yet the House Republican maneuvers seemed to have little chance of bearing results, and White House officials sarcastically branded them the "Tortilla Coast Gambit," a reference to a Capitol Hill restaurant where tea party lawmakers plan their moves. Even before the Senate voted, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was boasting of the administration's success.

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Nancy Benac, Alan Fram and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

Related Stories:
Senate Democrats block effort to kill Iran nuclear deal
Democrats clinch critical votes for Iran nuclear deal Associated Press
Democratic support piles up for Iran nuclear deal in Senate Associated Press
A guide to Congress' upside-down vote on Iran Associated Press
US Senate to vote on Iran deal Thursday AFP




“A disapproval resolution for the agreement fell two votes short of the 60 needed to move forward as most Democratic and independent senators banded together against it. …. As a result the nuclear deal will move forward unchecked by Congress, an improbable win by Obama in the face of unanimous opposition from Republicans who control Congress, Republican candidates seeking to replace him in the Oval Office and the state of Israel and its allied lobbyists in the U.S. …. "This vote is a victory for diplomacy, for American national security and for the safety and security of the world," the president said in a statement. "Going forward, we will turn to the critical work of implementing and verifying this deal so that Iran cannot pursue a nuclear weapon …. They promised that Thursday's vote would not be the Senate's last word, and moments after it was over Senate Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell set the stage for another next week. …. " McConnell declared, adding that if a Republican wins the White House next year, "I say to Iranian observers of the debate, (the deal) will be looked on anew." But Democrats led by Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada promised that any further votes would have the same outcome "and are just simply a waste of time." …. Late Thursday they agreed on a party-line 245-186 vote to a measure specifying that Obama had not properly submitted all documents related to the accord for Congress' review, and therefore a 60-day review clock had not really started. That will be followed Friday by votes on a bill to approve the accord — which is doomed to fail, but Republicans want to force Democrats to go on record in favor of the agreement — and on a measure preventing Obama from lifting congressionally mandated sanctions on Iran. …. Underscoring the fierce politics, the National Republican Senatorial Committee sent out press releases within moments of the Senate vote criticizing Democratic senators for their votes. Some House Republicans, buoyed by a favorable ruling this week in a lawsuit they filed over Obama's health care law, have begun suggesting a lawsuit to stop the accord. Boehner called that "an option that is very possible." Yet the House Republican maneuvers seemed to have little chance of bearing results, and White House officials sarcastically branded them the "Tortilla Coast Gambit," a reference to a Capitol Hill restaurant where tea party lawmakers plan their moves.”

It’s business as usual. Both parties want to approach all issues from THEIR perspective only. Playground politics. Unfortunately I am not neutral, either. I usually believe the actions of the Democrats will produce the better results. I was proud of the Dems and the Independents for working together in this fight.





http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/crime/2015/09/10/prosecutors-announce-federal-terror-arrest-orange-park-man/72027082/

Orange Park man, 20, indicted in 9/11 memorial bomb plot
Garrett Pelican, WTLV
September 10, 2015

Play Video -- Orange Park man arrested in alleged terror plot


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 20-year-old Clay County man has been arrested on federal charges surrounding an alleged plot to bomb upcoming 9/11 memorial ceremonies in Kansas City, Mo., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Joshua Ryne Goldberg, 20, of Orange Park, is charged with distribution of information relating to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction, according to a criminal complaint.

He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Reached at home, Goldberg's father told First Coast News he was "shocked" by the allegations against his son.

Between July and September, Goldberg had been in contact online with an individual, who -- unbeknownst to Goldberg -- was actually an informant. Goldberg had allegedly provided the individual with details on how to construct a bomb and instructed him to fashion a pressure cooker bomb and fill it with nails, metal and other shrapnel dipped in rat poison.

According to the complaint, Goldberg directed the individual to place the bomb at a memorial in Kansas City, Mo. that was commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Goldberg surfaced on the FBI's radar after he claimed to have inspired the May 3 attack in Garland, Texas on the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest. That's where two gunmen -- later identified as Elton Simpson and Nadir Hamid Soofi -- wearing body armor and carrying rifles opened fire on a police officer and security officer before they were shot and killed by police.

Ahead of that attack, Goldberg's Twitter account -- Australi Witness -- posted tweets calling for an attack on the art show, posting a map of the Curtis Culwell Center where the show was staged and urging anyone nearby to attack "with your weapons, bombs and knives," the complaint said.

The day of the attack, Twitter user @AusWitness 3 tweeted, "I'M BACK KUFFAR! DIE IN YOUR RAGE!" On the morning of the attack, Simpson's account -- Shariah is Light -- retweeted that message.

In late July, the FBI told an informant to reach out to the social media user calling himself "Australi Witness" and "AusWitness," who had posted messages on pro-Islamic State websites and claimed to be a Lebanese refugee living in Australia. In fact, it was Goldberg living in his parents' home on Pine Road in Orange Park, according to the complaint.

In a conversation Aug. 17, Goldberg told the informant, "Hopefully there will be some jihad on the anniversary of 9/11." Days later, when the source suggested he was willing to take part in an attack, Goldberg allegedly provided him with detailed plans to make explosives, including pipe bombs.

The instructions, according to the FBI, were "accurate" and would actually work.

On Aug. 20, Goldberg elaborated. "Have you decided what kind of attack you want to carry out on 9/11, akhi? I was thinking a bombing. ... We could make pipe bombs and detonate them at a large public event... It needs to be big," he's quoted as saying in the indictment.

Afterward, Goldberg lobbied for his informant to fashion a bomb out of a pressure cooker, akin to the device used in the Boston Marathon bombing, the complaint said. He allegedly suggested his contact fill the device with shrapnel and poison to inflict maximum damage, saying his contact should use "shards of metal and nails. ... Broken glass would probably work too. Just put as much sharp stuff as you can in there."

He also picked out a location to stage the attack, a stair climbing event on Sept. 13 in Kansas City in which firefighters and first responders honor those who died in the Sept. 11 attacks, calling it "the perfect place," according to the complaint. He selected the event because it would attract the largest number of people on 9/11

At some point in the discussion, Goldberg allegedly told his contact, "...Get FAR away from the bomb, brother. There's going to be chaos when it goes off. Shrapnel, blood, and panicking Kuffar will be everywhere."

"If you can, dip the screws and other shrapnel in rat poison before putting them in. That way, the kuffar who get hit by them will be more likely to die," Goldberg told the informant.

Agents raided Goldberg's home Wednesday. While speaking with investigators, he allegedly acknowledged using social media to call for attacks in Garland, Texas and providing an associate with instructions on how to produce a pressure cooker bomb.

First Coast News is reviewing the 30-page indictment. We'll update this developing story as we learn more.

ABC News contributed to this report.




“A 20-year-old Clay County man has been arrested on federal charges surrounding an alleged plot to bomb upcoming 9/11 memorial ceremonies in Kansas City, Mo., according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. Joshua Ryne Goldberg, 20, of Orange Park, is charged with distribution of information relating to explosives, destructive devices, and weapons of mass destruction, according to a criminal complaint. He faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. …. Between July and September, Goldberg had been in contact online with an individual, who -- unbeknownst to Goldberg -- was actually an informant. Goldberg had allegedly provided the individual with details on how to construct a bomb and instructed him to fashion a pressure cooker bomb and fill it with nails, metal and other shrapnel dipped in rat poison. According to the complaint, Goldberg directed the individual to place the bomb at a memorial in Kansas City, Mo. that was commemorating the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Goldberg surfaced on the FBI's radar after he claimed to have inspired the May 3 attack in Garland, Texas on the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest. That's where two gunmen -- later identified as Elton Simpson and Nadir Hamid Soofi -- wearing body armor and carrying rifles opened fire on a police officer and security officer before they were shot and killed by police. …. In late July, the FBI told an informant to reach out to the social media user calling himself "Australi Witness" and "AusWitness," who had posted messages on pro-Islamic State websites and claimed to be a Lebanese refugee living in Australia. In fact, it was Goldberg living in his parents' home on Pine Road in Orange Park, according to the complaint. …. Days later, when the source suggested he was willing to take part in an attack, Goldberg allegedly provided him with detailed plans to make explosives, including pipe bombs. The instructions, according to the FBI, were "accurate" and would actually work. On Aug. 20, Goldberg elaborated. "Have you decided what kind of attack you want to carry out on 9/11, akhi? I was thinking a bombing. ... We could make pipe bombs and detonate them at a large public event... It needs to be big," he's quoted as saying in the indictment. …. Agents raided Goldberg's home Wednesday. While speaking with investigators, he allegedly acknowledged using social media to call for attacks in Garland, Texas and providing an associate with instructions on how to produce a pressure cooker bomb.”

My local news show is rarely really exciting, but yesterday evening and this morning it was full of police activity and this man’s father saying he knew nothing about his illegal computer use. At times like this I see the usefulness of government involvement in the Internet because he had described himself as living in Australia, while he was actually all the way across the world from there. His photo on the news showed a bemused smile like so many of these killers have, long unruly very curly hair hanging down his back, and he looked basically “soft” and flabby rather than “angry,” energetic or athletic looks. So many of these people who do something really dangerous look babyish rather than demonic. If you talk to the neighbors they will always say he was “quiet” and not aggressive. A person who is very much involved in his own thoughts all the time does tend to be either timid and “quiet” or simply highly introverted with what may be an intricate fantasy life. Some level of introversion is just a part of a spectrum of normality, but the extreme cases like this one are often schizophrenic or have some other severe mental illness. I always think of the Son of Sam killer, or the man with orange dyed hair who recently shot up a movie theater with that loopy grin on his face. They get away with it because they don’t “look dangerous.” They just look “simple.” We need more long-term to permanent mental hospitals for the dangerous people. They don't belong in prison, but in a hospital.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/silence-turns-to-screaming-in-an-eastern-kentucky-town/

Silence turns to screaming in community at heart of same-sex marriage showdown
CBS/AP
September 10, 2015

Photograph -- Kim Tabor, a clerk at the judicial center in Morehead, KY., wears a T-shirt to work claiming she is not Kim Davis, the Rowan County clerk, Wednesday Sept. 9, 2015. AP PHOTO/ DYLAN T. LOVAN
Play VIDEO -- Legal troubles may not be over for Kentucky county clerk freed from jail

MOREHEAD, Ky. - Kim Tabor sometimes wears a bright orange T-shirt bearing a slogan she's found herself repeating for weeks: "Hello my name is not Kim Davis."

Tabor works for the Rowan County Circuit Court Clerk, the office that handles court filings. Across the street is the Rowan County Clerk, where Kim Davis licenses marriages and has ignited the passions of religious conservatives around the world with her objections to same-sex marriage.

Tabor said people all over the country, confusing the two offices, have called the circuit court and asked for Kim. When she answers they start screaming.

The T-shirt keeps things light.

"Most people smile and laugh," she said. "It has broken the tension in all of this chaos that's going around."


In the eastern Kentucky town at the center of the national conflict over same-sex marriage, screaming has too often replaced quiet conversation - or, more often, silence - on a subject that's deeply personal to both sides. But a lot of people who will be here after the television trucks go away wonder what will happen once the furor fades.

Most of them know there's more to the story than the high-decibel discussion that's been playing out lately.

"There are no winners. Everybody's been hurt," said Lois Hawkins, a Morehead native who works as executive secretary to the county's top elected official. "It's going to be different. It can't go back the way it was."

Until two months ago, people in this small Appalachian town had an unspoken agreement to tiptoe around each other's sexual identities and religious beliefs. But that uneasy truce was shattered after Davis, an Apostolic Christian, cited God's authority as she defied a federal judge's order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The judge threw her in jail, prompting a swarm of protesters and satellite trucks to invade the courthouse lawn. The turmoil forced deeply held beliefs out into the open, some for the first time.

In what was once a bustling hub of railroad traffic between Winchester and Ashland, the trains stopped running in 1974, preserving Morehead's small-town feel. The university has attracted a diverse population of religious and social viewpoints in an otherwise conservative swath of eastern Kentucky. And its programs for students have shaped a generation of political leaders, including Walter Blevins, the county's top elected official.

Blevins spent his summers attending the university's academic prep program, which he said changed him "politically and perhaps morally as well."

"It was the first time I've ever been around any black people in my life," said Blevins, a Democrat. "It kind of awakened you to, 'Hey, we're all human beings.'"

The university's influence has frustrated some religious conservatives, including Randy Smith, an evangelist who has lived in Morehead since he was 12. Without it, he said, the community would have no issues with Davis and her actions. Now, he says, the conflict is "forcing people to address an underlying issue that's been here for a long time."

"I think ... a lot of it is the community wants things to go back to normalcy. But oftentimes if things go back to normalcy it means somebody has got to give up something," he said. "I think you will see more same-sex people out and they won't be as discreet as they once were in this community. And I think you will probably have more Christians that will possibly look upon that with some disdain."

For months, a group of Morehead citizens have held protests in front of Davis' office, calling themselves the Rowan County Rights Organization. Most of its members "live here, work here and have kids that go to school here," spokeswoman Nashia Fife said. Some in the group have health problems, and Fife said Davis and her staff would often bring them water.

"This has been pretty hard because a lot of us are friends with Kim Davis and her family," said Fife, whose husband works with Davis' daughter. "I mean, we don't talk about this stuff."

Protesters and supporters alike have come to Rowan County. Ante Pavkovic, a pastor from North Carolina, stood in the lobby of the county clerks' office on Wednesday with a sign demanding the deputy clerks be fired for issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

"Thinking of what the sodomites have done should make you sick," he said to the clerks, who mostly kept their heads down while a sheriff's deputy watched.

Mark Shrayber and Allen Corona, a gay couple from San Francisco, traveled to Morehead to get married, saying they wanted to make a statement against discrimination. Shrayber said he's not upset that Davis was released, but he's disgusted that she is being treated as a martyr.

"We are in 2015. We are not burning witches anymore," he said.

Davis, who plans to return to work on Monday, has said any marriage licenses issued without her authority are not valid. Deputy Clerk Brian Mason said Wednesday that if he has to, he will disobey his boss and continue issuing licenses rather than refuse the orders of U.S. District Judge David Bunning.

CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan reported Wednesday that although Davis is free, her legal troubles may not be over. Davis' lawyers have said she has no plans to violate her conscience.

"I think we're back to square one. That's why nothing has been resolved," Davis' attorney Mat Staver said.

According to him, she could end up right back in jail.

In the meantime, Tabor, the Rowan County Circuit Court Clerk who often is mistook for Davis, said she now dreads filing past the television cameras each morning as she comes to work. She hates what the world might think of her hometown.

"I hope people keep an open mind and just come and see for themselves. We are so much more than what's going on today," she said. "I have been taught that it's God's place to judge and the Holy Spirit's place to convict. It's my place to love."




“Tabor said people all over the country, confusing the two offices, have called the circuit court and asked for Kim. When she answers they start screaming. The T-shirt keeps things light. "Most people smile and laugh," she said. "It has broken the tension in all of this chaos that's going around." …. But a lot of people who will be here after the television trucks go away wonder what will happen once the furor fades. Most of them know there's more to the story than the high-decibel discussion that's been playing out lately. "There are no winners. Everybody's been hurt," said Lois Hawkins, a Morehead native who works as executive secretary to the county's top elected official. "It's going to be different. It can't go back the way it was." Until two months ago, people in this small Appalachian town had an unspoken agreement to tiptoe around each other's sexual identities and religious beliefs. But that uneasy truce was shattered after Davis, an Apostolic Christian, cited God's authority as she defied a federal judge's order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The judge threw her in jail, prompting a swarm of protesters and satellite trucks to invade the courthouse lawn. The turmoil forced deeply held beliefs out into the open, some for the first time. …. The university has attracted a diverse population of religious and social viewpoints in an otherwise conservative swath of eastern Kentucky. And its programs for students have shaped a generation of political leaders, including Walter Blevins, the county's top elected official. Blevins spent his summers attending the university's academic prep program, which he said changed him "politically and perhaps morally as well." "It was the first time I've ever been around any black people in my life," said Blevins, a Democrat. "It kind of awakened you to, 'Hey, we're all human beings.'" …. "I think ... a lot of it is the community wants things to go back to normalcy. But oftentimes if things go back to normalcy it means somebody has got to give up something," he said. …. For months, a group of Morehead citizens have held protests in front of Davis' office, calling themselves the Rowan County Rights Organization. Most of its members "live here, work here and have kids that go to school here" …. "Thinking of what the sodomites have done should make you sick," he said to the clerks, who mostly kept their heads down while a sheriff's deputy watched.” …. She hates what the world might think of her hometown. "I hope people keep an open mind and just come and see for themselves. We are so much more than what's going on today," she said. "I have been taught that it's God's place to judge and the Holy Spirit's place to convict. It's my place to love."

“Mark Shrayber and Allen Corona, a gay couple from San Francisco, traveled to Morehead to get married, saying they wanted to make a statement against discrimination. Shrayber said he's not upset that Davis was released, but he's disgusted that she is being treated as a martyr. "We are in 2015. We are not burning witches anymore," he said.” I am glad to see that there is an active and lively liberal group in that small Southern town, and a liberal arts college. Education is the basis of a democracy. From it comes fairness, gentleness and some other good things like those. Racism and, in this case, sexually related hatred rarely thrives among the educated. There is nothing wrong with believing Jesus, but there is something wrong with trying to take away a whole group of people’s rights on the basis of a religious bias. Methodists vs Baptists and Catholics vs Protestants has been going on under cover down through history, but some are now trying to elevate it to the law of the land, and that makes me very stubbornly angry. I personally am not gay and have no interest in being, but they need to be treated equally with heterosexuals.






http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iowa-poll-sanders-and-clinton-in-virtual-tie/

Iowa poll: Sanders and Clinton in virtual tie
By REBECCA KAPLAN CBS NEWS
September 10, 2015

A new Quinnipiac University poll shows Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton in a virtual tie among likely Democratic caucusgoers in Iowa.

Sanders has made huge gains since Quinnipiac's July 2 poll, when he had just 33 percent support to Clinton's 52 percent. In the most recent poll, taken from August 27 to September 8, he picked up eight percentage points to threaten Clinton, with 41 percent to her 40 percent, a difference within the margin of error.

Vice President Joe Biden, who is considering a presidential bid, also moved up in this poll, netting 12 percent support, compared to seven percent in June. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley had three percent support, and another three percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers say they're undecided.

Sanders' upward momentum stems from his message, which is "more in line with disproportionately liberal primary and caucus voters," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll. A greater portion of voters who describe themselves as "very" liberal picked Sanders (59 percent) over Clinton (29 percent).

Sanders also did better among men, winning 49 percent of their support to Clinton's 28 percent. Clinton, on the other hand, did better among women, leading Sanders 49 percent to 35 percent.

He pulled ahead of Clinton in a NBC/Marist poll of New Hampshire last week, beating Clinton 41 percent to 32 percent.

While Clinton's numbers on personality traits are still fairly strong - 78 percent rated her as favorable, and 64 percent said she was honest and trustworthy - Sanders and Biden both had lower negatives. While 20 percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers did not have a favorable impression of Clinton, just six percent said the same of Sanders and nine percent of Biden. A full 30 percent of voters said Clinton is not honest and trustworthy, but just five percent said that of Sanders and Biden.

Clinton scored better than both on strong leadership qualities, with 92 percent for Clinton, versus 76 percent for Sanders and 81 percent for Biden, and 92 percent said she has the temperament and personality to handle an international crisis. Just 65 percent said the same of Sanders and 81 percent of Biden.


Some of Sanders' strongest supporters are college-aged voters and young adults. Sixty-seven percent said they'd vote for him, versus just 29 percent who said they would vote for Clinton. Yet those voters can't exactly be counted on to show up to caucus. Take Mr. Obama's 2008 victory in Iowa: 17 percent of caucus attendees were between the ages of 17 and 24 years of age, while sixty percent of all Democratic caucusgoers that year were older than 45 years old.

Jherron Sutton, a 19-year-old student at Grinnell College who is originally from Maryland but is now a registered voter in Iowa, explained why Sanders appealed to him.

"[H]e came across as genuine, and he has not been made into a celebrity like people such as [Donald] Trump and possibly even Clinton," she told CBS News political digital journalist Kylie Atwood. She also liked Sanders' message about helping middle-class families and making college education affordable when she heard him speak at Grinnell last week.

Still, Sutton said she hasn't figured out whether she will caucus in February.

The poll surveyed 832 likely Iowa Democratic caucus participants and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.




“Sanders' upward momentum stems from his message, which is "more in line with disproportionately liberal primary and caucus voters," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac poll. A greater portion of voters who describe themselves as "very" liberal picked Sanders (59 percent) over Clinton (29 percent). …. Sanders also did better among men, winning 49 percent of their support to Clinton's 28 percent. Clinton, on the other hand, did better among women, leading Sanders 49 percent to 35 percent. He pulled ahead of Clinton in a NBC/Marist poll of New Hampshire last week, beating Clinton 41 percent to 32 percent. While Clinton's numbers on personality traits are still fairly strong - 78 percent rated her as favorable, and 64 percent said she was honest and trustworthy - Sanders and Biden both had lower negatives. While 20 percent of likely Democratic caucusgoers did not have a favorable impression of Clinton, just six percent said the same of Sanders and nine percent of Biden. A full 30 percent of voters said Clinton is not honest and trustworthy, but just five percent said that of Sanders and Biden. …. Some of Sanders' strongest supporters are college-aged voters and young adults. Sixty-seven percent said they'd vote for him, versus just 29 percent who said they would vote for Clinton. Yet those voters can't exactly be counted on to show up to caucus. …. "[H]e came across as genuine, and he has not been made into a celebrity like people such as [Donald] Trump and possibly even Clinton," she told CBS News political digital journalist Kylie Atwood. She also liked Sanders' message about helping middle-class families and making college education affordable when she heard him speak at Grinnell last week.”

This issue of people who don’t show up in person being unable to vote by any other means is a real problem. It creates an unfair situation wherever it exists. Here in Jacksonville black and Hispanic people sometimes struggle with the photo ID problem, but when I go to vote I see long lines of voters who are black and Hispanic so many of them are making it there. Standing in line for a long time and scrambling around to get the required card is better than being unable to get to the voting place for whatever reason in a caucus state. Sometimes it’s just because there is a rain storm, or a voter is homebound due to illness or advanced age.

Many of the people who are liberal are black or Hispanic, so we as a party need to help would-be voters with getting their documentation lined up and helping provide transportation to the polls. There is a great interest according to the news reports this year in our liberal candidates, which includes Sanders, Biden and Clinton. They need to get a party platform together and work together, so that black/Hispoanic issues, severe economic divisions, gender and religious issues will be addressed by all three. Clinton is well ahead in some ways, but she isn’t speaking out about liberal issues as much as I would like to see. Biden hasn’t really either. I personally feel Sanders is a superior candidate, but he has the “baggage” of being in some people’s eyes an economic radical rather than a mere liberal. Clinton “doesn’t bake cookies” and has an indelible email problem. Both she and Biden, however, may be more “known” to the party faithful and the average US citizen than Sanders, and produce less fear of their being “unelectable” among the general US population. I am simply rooting for all Democrats and trying to find and point up the rascally behavior of the Republicans. This is going to be a hard-fought election in 2016, I feel sure, with the very possible result of a liberal victory. I say that because people who still don’t have jobs, a decent pay scale with good benefits or who are losing their house are very concerned now, and a candidate who resembles FDR or JFK might very well win.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tiger-cub-found-roaming-streets-in-southern-california/

Tiger cub found roaming streets in Southern California
CBS NEWS
September 4, 2015

Photograph -- The tiger was driven 70 miles to Phelan, where it's being held at Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary.
CBS LOS ANGELES


PHELAN, Calif. -- A three-month-old tiger cub was found roaming neighborhoods in the Inland Empire on Thursday and has been taken to an animal shelter, CBS Los Angeles reports.

The two-foot-long tiger was turned into the Ramona Humane Society in San Jacinto by a woman who found it in her neighborhood in Hemet. It was not immediately clear where the tiger had come from.

"It was an exciting day today at Ramona Humane Society. As an open admission shelter we [accept] all animals including this tiger found in our community," Ramona Humane Society said on its Facebook page.

The group posted a clip of the cub, which could be seen roaming, and drinking water from a plastic bin.

The tiger was driven 70 miles to Phelan, where it's being held at Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary.

The animal sanctuary has several tigers, including a white tiger. According to the sanctuary owner, a person must have a special permit or license to own a tiger.

One social media user posted online: "Glad he will be properly taken care of," while another said: "Why is a tiger cub roaming around in the US? When are we going to outlaw these animals as pets?"

The owner of the sanctuary says the baby tiger is in good condition, but is a little feisty from all the attention. Thursday night, staffers planned on bottle feeding it and putting him to bed.




“The two-foot-long tiger was turned into the Ramona Humane Society in San Jacinto by a woman who found it in her neighborhood in Hemet. It was not immediately clear where the tiger had come from. "It was an exciting day today at Ramona Humane Society. As an open admission shelter we [accept] all animals including this tiger found in our community," Ramona Humane Society said on its Facebook page. The group posted a clip of the cub, which could be seen roaming, and drinking water from a plastic bin. …. Forever Wild Exotic Animal Sanctuary. The animal sanctuary has several tigers, including a white tiger. According to the sanctuary owner, a person must have a special permit or license to own a tiger. One social media user posted online: "Glad he will be properly taken care of," while another said: "Why is a tiger cub roaming around in the US? When are we going to outlaw these animals as pets?"

It is, of course, ridiculous that a tiger can be bought in a legally operated US store to be used as a pet. There should be no pythons, apes, tarantulas, piranhas, bears, wolves, etc. either. I don’t want us to become too conservative as a society – I enjoy a lot of choices in my pleasures – but we do need some common sense. Baby tigers and lions are adorable, but they are going to outweigh me by 300 pounds when they grow up. It’s just entirely too dangerous.





Donald Trump should be in an insane asylum. Here he goes again!


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-insults-carly-fiorinas-appearance/

Donald Trump insults Carly Fiorina's appearance
By ELLEN UCHIMIYA CBS NEWS
September 9, 2015

Presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to test the limits of what he can say and still retain his poll-topping popularity. His derogatory comments about opponent Carly Fiorina's looks were published in a magazine piece Wednesday.

In his Rolling Stone profile of Trump, writer Paul Solotaroff, who traveled with Trump for his story, described a scene on the billionaire's plane, in which Trump provided a running commentary of the television news onscreen. Scott Walker appeared on screen, and Trump's staffers laughed as he made fun of the Wisconsin governor. And then, Carly Fiorina appeared.

As Solotaroff writes it:

When the anchor throws to Carly Fiorina for her reaction to Trump's momentum, Trump's expression sours in schoolboy disgust as the camera bores in on Fiorina. "Look at that face!" he cries. "Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!" The laughter grows halting and faint behind him. "I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not s'posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?"
Fox News' Megyn Kelly, who has herself been on the receiving end of some of Trump's insults, had Fiorina on her show "The Kelly File" as a guest Wednesday night. She read part of Trump's quote to Fiorina and asked for her reaction.

"I think those comments speak for themselves and all the many, many thousands for voters out there that are helping me climbing in the polls - yes, they are very furious," Fiorina responded, adding, "I won't spend a single cycle wondering what Donald Trump means - but just maybe I am getting under his skin a little bit because I am climbing in the polls."

This was not the first time Trump has mocked Fiorina - in August, he tweeted about the lone woman in the GOP presidential field:

Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
I just realized that if you listen to Carly Fiorina for more than ten minutes straight, you develop a massive headache. She has zero chance!
3:06 PM - 9 Aug 2015 • New Jersey, USA, United States

CBS News' Sopan Deb and Philomena Bubaris contributed to this story.




“Presidential candidate Donald Trump continues to test the limits of what he can say and still retain his poll-topping popularity. His derogatory comments about opponent Carly Fiorina's looks were published in a magazine piece Wednesday. In his Rolling Stone profile of Trump, writer Paul Solotaroff, who traveled with Trump for his story, described a scene on the billionaire's plane, in which Trump provided a running commentary of the television news onscreen. Scott Walker appeared on screen, and Trump's staffers laughed as he made fun of the Wisconsin governor. And then, Carly Fiorina appeared. As Solotaroff writes it: When the anchor throws to Carly Fiorina for her reaction to Trump's momentum, Trump's expression sours in schoolboy disgust as the camera bores in on Fiorina. "Look at that face!" he cries. "Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!" The laughter grows halting and faint behind him. "I mean, she's a woman, and I'm not s'posedta say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?" He’s really talking about the fact that “she’s a woman.” He’s not bright in the human interaction sphere. We are long past that as a society. “A woman” Hillary Clinton, is very likely to beat him if she gets the Democratic nomination.





https://www.yahoo.com/politics/jindal-takes-on-the-trump-carnival-act-in-a-way-128802124696.html

Jindal takes on the Trump 'carnival act' in a way Bush hasn’t
Jon Ward
Senior Political Correspondent
Yahoo Politics
September 10, 2015

Photograph -- Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal blasts Donald Trump at the National Press Club in Washington. (AP Photo/Molly Riley)


A senior Democratic political operative told me this week that he thought Jeb Bush’s strategy toward Donald Trump was all wrong.

Bush, like some others including former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, has been attacking Trump from the right, hitting him over his past positions on taxes, health care and other issues important to the conservative base.

Bush’s approach should be simpler, more straightforward, the Democrat said. Why doesn’t he just call Trump crazy and ridiculous — attacking him in his own terms and with the same directness that Trump employs?

An hour later, I ran into a Republican operative who said he was equally confused by Bush’s strategy and agreed with the Democrat that Bush was taking the wrong approach.

Well, Bush wasn’t listening, but maybe somebody else was. On Thursday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal took that playbook and ran with it, going straight at Trump in personal terms that put questions of maturity and judgment ahead of party or ideological orthodoxy.

“He’s a nonserious carnival act,” Jindal said in a speech at the National Press Club. “Here’s the truth about Trump that we all know, but have been afraid to say. Donald Trump is shallow. Has no understanding of policy. He’s full of bluster but has no substance. He lacks the intellectual curiosity to even learn.”

Jindal, who has been stuck at the back of a 17-candidate primary field, called Trump a “narcissist and an egomaniac” who is “insecure and weak.”

“And that’s why he is constantly telling us how big and how rich and how great he is, and how insignificant everyone else is. We’ve all met people like Trump, and we know that only a very weak and small person needs to constantly tell us how strong and powerful he is,” Jindal said.

Jindal’s most ad hominem attack on Trump came in an interview with CBS News, when he mocked Trump’s personal appearance in response to a question about Trump ridiculing former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who is also running for the Republican presidential nomination.

“Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that?” Trump said recently to a Rolling Stone reporter while watching Fiorina on television.

Jindal pounced. “I think it’s pretty outrageous for him to be attacking anybody’s appearance when he looks like he’s got a squirrel sitting on his head. I think he should stop attacking other people’s appearances,” Jindal told CBS.

In his speech, Jindal did echo the criticisms of Trump as a false conservative — though that wasn’t his main thrust — and threw in an accusation of being a phony Christian.

“He hasn’t ever read the Bible. But you know why he hasn’t read the Bible? Because he’s not in it,” Jindal gibed.

But Jindal’s speech used substantive debating points in service of a larger argument: that Trump is (to use one of his own favorite putdowns) a joke, and that he will hand the election to Hillary Clinton if Republicans nominate him.

Jindal spokesman Henry Goodwin crystallized it well on Twitter.

“Others have attacked him for conservative heresy. We’re attacking him for being a clown,” Goodwin wrote.

There is some irony in the fact that Jindal is making this argument. He has “not exactly been a paragon of seriousness” himself, as the Democrat put it. The 44-year-old former Rhodes scholar’s appeals to the conservative grassroots have spawned countless “What happened to Bobby Jindal” pieces as well as rebukes from conservative writers such as Peter Wehner and Matt Lewis, who have taken him to task for playing “pitchfork populist” by, for example, pressing for Republicans to shut down the government over President Obama’s executive order on immigration.

But Jindal and his advisers were aghast at Trump’s continued success, said adviser Tim Teepell.

“We were increasingly frustrated that nobody else was saying it,” Teepell said.

Jindal is just the latest to step into the ring with Trump, making a bid to be the giant-killer following Perry, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and even recently retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson. But he is the first to go after Trump in this way.

Jindal’s campaign followed up his speech with a witty video mashup of all the people and things Trump has said he loves, from children to Iowa to Hispanics to the Bible to Kanye West and walls. They mocked him by adding a clip from the Will Ferrell movie “Anchorman,” from the scene in which a dimwitted weatherman played by Steve Carell says, without any sense of why he is doing so, “I love lamp.”

The implication is that Trump is both dimwitted and that his words are meaningless.

Perhaps the next candidate to try this move could use a clip from the film “Idiocracy,” in which a greeter at Costco has been told to welcome customers by flattering their emotions to put them in the mood to spend money. “Welcome to Costco. I love you,” the young man says over and over, staring off into space — taking a statement of the most profound emotion and debasing it by using it to sell groceries.

The presidency ain’t groceries, but that would be a more direct critique of Trump’s overuse of the word “love.”




"Bush, like some others including former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, has been attacking Trump from the right, hitting him over his past positions on taxes, health care and other issues important to the conservative base. Bush’s approach should be simpler, more straightforward, the Democrat said. Why doesn’t he just call Trump crazy and ridiculous — attacking him in his own terms and with the same directness that Trump employs? …. Well, Bush wasn’t listening, but maybe somebody else was. On Thursday, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal took that playbook and ran with it, going straight at Trump in personal terms that put questions of maturity and judgment ahead of party or ideological orthodoxy. “He’s a nonserious carnival act,” Jindal said in a speech at the National Press Club. “Here’s the truth about Trump that we all know, but have been afraid to say. Donald Trump is shallow. Has no understanding of policy. He’s full of bluster but has no substance. He lacks the intellectual curiosity to even learn.” …. Jindal, who has been stuck at the back of a 17-candidate primary field, called Trump a “narcissist and an egomaniac” who is “insecure and weak.” “And that’s why he is constantly telling us how big and how rich and how great he is, and how insignificant everyone else is. We’ve all met people like Trump, and we know that only a very weak and small person needs to constantly tell us how strong and powerful he is,” Jindal said. …. Jindal pounced. “I think it’s pretty outrageous for him to be attacking anybody’s appearance when he looks like he’s got a squirrel sitting on his head. I think he should stop attacking other people’s appearances,” Jindal told CBS. In his speech, Jindal did echo the criticisms of Trump as a false conservative — though that wasn’t his main thrust — and threw in an accusation of being a phony Christian. “He hasn’t ever read the Bible. But you know why he hasn’t read the Bible? Because he’s not in it,” Jindal gibed.”

Bobby Jindal is one of the cleverest Republicans running now in my opinion, and he’s taking Trump’s broadside insults as the slap across the face with a leather glove which 150 years ago meant the challenge to a duel. He is standing up and fighting him in the same ruthless way that Trump employs. I think Jindal’s popularity will rise in the next poll. Most people in this country have no respect for Trump, and his outright abusiveness enrages many, including myself.





http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-if-tom-brady-needs-a-union-americans-do-too/

Obama: If Tom Brady needs a union, Americans do too
By REBECCA KAPLAN CBS NEWS
September 7, 2015

Play VIDEO -- Tom Brady wins suspension fight against NFL

Politicians take aim at public sector labor unions

President Obama invoked New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady in his Labor Day speech Monday to argue that everyone needs unions to protect them in the workplace.

"Even Brady's happy he's got a union! They had his back. So you know if Brady needs a union, we definitely need unions," the president said.

A judge recently lifted a four-game suspension the NFL imposed on Brady in response to a scandal over deflated footballs. The NFL Players Association is the union that fought to overturn the suspension.

Mr. Obama marked the holiday with a speech at the Greater Boston Labor Council Labor Day Breakfast. On the way to the speech, he signed an executive order that will require federal contractors to earn up to seven days of paid sick leave each year. The president said the move will offer paid sick leave to 300,000 people who currently receive no paid leave for an illness, and it will expand the amount of paid sick leave for other workers.

As he praised cities and companies that have led the way in expanding their paid leave policies, the president slammed Republicans in Washington and some of the GOP's 2016 presidential candidates for "wrecking the economy for a long time" by trying to limit workers' rights.

"In their world the only way to help the country grow and to help people get ahead is to cut taxes for millionaires and billionaires, loosen up rules on big banks and polluters, and then you just wait and you look up at the sky and prosperity will come raining down on us from the top of the whatever high rise is in your city," the president said.

Without naming names, Mr. Obama called out three Republican candidates in particular: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who "is bragging about how he destroyed collective bargaining rights in his state and says that busting unions prepares him to fight [the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria];" Carly Fiorina, who has blamed unions for the gender pay gap; and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who said that a union "deserves a punch in the face."

"They oppose raising the minimum wage, they're doing everything they can to bust unions, and then they want to claim to be the party of the American worker," he said.

That's not to say he wishes he were running again. As he referenced the start of the 2016 campaign season, Mr. Obama said, "I'm so glad I'm not in the ballot."

The president also called on Republicans in Washington to pass a budget by the end of the month to avert a government shutdown, a move he said would be "an unforced error" or "a ground ball slipping through somebody's legs," a reference to a famous flub by former Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner.

"You guys have won a couple since that time so I can make that joke," Mr. Obama said as the audience sounded its displeasure. "If you hadn't had so many World Series wins I wouldn't make that joke." Still, he may have struck a sore spot in Boston, since the Red Sox are currently in last place in their division.


The president said he would sign a budget that did away with the mandatory spending cuts in the sequester and invested in families and military readiness, but he complained that Republicans are threatening to shut down the government over things that have nothing to do with the budget (some members of the GOP want to cut off federal funds to Planned Parenthood in the next budget).

Earlier Monday, Vice President Biden delivered a fiery speech in Pittsburgh where he railed against what he says is an unfair tax code that allows the wealthy to avoid paying their fair share. He also praised unions for securing things like the 40-hour work week and paid sick leave for American workers.

"You built the middle class. That's not an exaggeration," Biden said of unions. "And as you've declined, the middle class has declined, so there's a simple correlation. Build labor, we build America. Build labor, we build the middle class."




“President Obama invoked New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady in his Labor Day speech Monday to argue that everyone needs unions to protect them in the workplace. "Even Brady's happy he's got a union! They had his back. So you know if Brady needs a union, we definitely need unions," the president said. …. Mr. Obama marked the holiday with a speech at the Greater Boston Labor Council Labor Day Breakfast. On the way to the speech, he signed an executive order that will require federal contractors to earn up to seven days of paid sick leave each year. The president said the move will offer paid sick leave to 300,000 people who currently receive no paid leave for an illness, and it will expand the amount of paid sick leave for other workers. …. Without naming names, Mr. Obama called out three Republican candidates in particular: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who "is bragging about how he destroyed collective bargaining rights in his state and says that busting unions prepares him to fight [the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria];" Carly Fiorina, who has blamed unions for the gender pay gap; and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who said that a union "deserves a punch in the face." …. The president said he would sign a budget that did away with the mandatory spending cuts in the sequester and invested in families and military readiness, but he complained that Republicans are threatening to shut down the government over things that have nothing to do with the budget (some members of the GOP want to cut off federal funds to Planned Parenthood in the next budget). …. "You built the middle class. That's not an exaggeration," Biden said of unions. "And as you've declined, the middle class has declined, so there's a simple correlation. Build labor, we build America. Build labor, we build the middle class."

Go, Dems! We need some more fiery rhetoric. The Party has been essentially passive for years now, and the Republicans more radical and aggressive all the time. The American public does not respect anything that resembles timidity, and that includes me. This is an election when we need to surge forward rather than trying constantly to avoid offending anyone. Follow the behavior of Bobby Jindal in the article above. Thank you, President Obama, for persistently continuing to make more and more useful executive orders that improve the plight of workers, etc. I don’t think the Republicans’ attempts to sue will win. All presidents have issued executive orders, and it’s well within their rights.