May 6, 2016


News and Views


Trump Support Today – Two Articles


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/former-bush-chief-of-staff-a-donald-trump-presidency-scares-me/

Former Bush chief of staff: A Donald Trump presidency scares me
By REENA FLORES CBS NEWS
May 6, 2016, 8:47 AM

Play VIDEO -- Ryan "not ready" to support Trump as GOP takes sides


Andy Card, who served as chief of staff to President George W. Bush, said on "CBS This Morning" Friday that the idea of Donald Trump as president worries him, citing the billionaire's "emotional" reactions as cause for concern.

"Yes, he scared me," Card said. "I will admit, when Donald Trump entered the race, I didn't think he had a chance."

"I want him to succeed, but he's gotta make the move to show me that he's worthy of my support, worthy of my vote," he added. "I will vote for a candidate -- right now I will probably write in a name, but I will vote. But I want him to really pay attention to the responsibility of being a president. Presidents do not have the luxury of making easy decisions. They make brutal, tough decisions."

Card, now the president of Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire, was also an adviser to President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush. Card was the White House chief of staff on Sept. 11, 2001, and headed the younger Mr. Bush's White House Iraq Group.

Joining other prominent Republicans who have said they could not back Trump, both Bush presidents said earlier this week that they would not endorse the Manhattan business mogul in his bid for the Oval Office.

The former White House adviser told the "CBS This Morning" co-hosts that Trump would have to change his behavior toward the Republican Party if he wants to win in a general election.

"He's gotta demonstrate that he cares about everybody in the party," Card said. "He has to change how he will be perceived to do the job. It's not all about Donald Trump now."

Of some Trump policies, Card dismissed them, saying "he's just giving a quick response."

"He's not tasting his words before he spits them out, and there are consequences to that," he continued. "He should actually think, how will these words be heard? Will they allow me to build a bridge so that I can earn respect and earn support?"

Card said he was "not sure" that Trump has completely converted to a "listener," adding that the billionaire, now the Republicans' presumptive presidential nominee, was "probably not" interested in hearing advice from experts and other former government officials.

Still, Card said, "I hope that he will find the courage to acknowledge that he needs advice and listen to it."



"He's gotta demonstrate that he cares about everybody in the party," Card said. "He has to change how he will be perceived to do the job. It's not all about Donald Trump now." Of some Trump policies, Card dismissed them, saying "he's just giving a quick response." "He's not tasting his words before he spits them out, and there are consequences to that," he continued. "He should actually think, how will these words be heard? Will they allow me to build a bridge so that I can earn respect and earn support?" …."Yes, he scared me," Card said. "I will admit, when Donald Trump entered the race, I didn't think he had a chance." "I want him to succeed, but he's gotta make the move to show me that he's worthy of my support, worthy of my vote," he added. "I will vote for a candidate -- right now I will probably write in a name, but I will vote. But I want him to really pay attention to the responsibility of being a president. Presidents do not have the luxury of making easy decisions. They make brutal, tough decisions." …. Still, Card said, "I hope that he will find the courage to acknowledge that he needs advice and listen to it."



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-to-meet-with-paul-ryan-other-gop-leaders-next-week/

Donald Trump to meet with Paul Ryan, other GOP leaders next week
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS
May 6, 2016, 2:49 PM


Donald Trump will head to Capitol Hill next week to meet with Speaker Paul Ryan, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and other GOP leaders.

Ryan's office said in a statement Friday that he has invited the presumptive GOP presidential nominee to Washington next Thursday to meet at the RNC.

"Having both said we need to unify the party, Speaker Ryan has invited Donald Trump to meet with members of the House Republican leadership in Washington on Thursday morning to begin a discussion about the kind of Republican principles and ideas that can win the support of the American people this November. The Speaker and Mr. Trump will also meet separately, along with RNC Chairman Reince Priebus."

Trump acknowledged on Fox News Friday morning that he would be meeting with Ryan but said "I have absolutely no idea" what they would discuss.

This comes just a day after Ryan said he's "not ready" to support Trump for the presidency because he needs to first unify the GOP and convince skeptical Republicans that he shares their conservative principles and values.

"To be perfectly candid with you, Jake, I'm not ready to do that at this point," Ryan said in an interview with CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper" when asked if he is ready to back the presumptive GOP presidential nominee on Thursday.

In response, Trump said, "I am not ready to support Speaker Ryan's agenda" and also issued several tweets Friday morning.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, who spoke to Ryan and Trump on Thursday, expressed confidence that Ryan would eventually get to a point where he could back Trump, who became the presumptive nominee this week after his remaining opponents dropped out of the race.

Congressional Republicans have been wary about a Trump nomination. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, is the only GOP senator to endorse and only a few members in the House have done the same.



“Ryan's office said in a statement Friday that he has invited the presumptive GOP presidential nominee to Washington next Thursday to meet at the RNC. "Having both said we need to unify the party, Speaker Ryan has invited Donald Trump to meet with members of the House Republican leadership in Washington on Thursday morning to begin a discussion about the kind of Republican principles and ideas that can win the support of the American people this November. The Speaker and Mr. Trump will also meet separately, along with RNC Chairman Reince Priebus." …. Congressional Republicans have been wary about a Trump nomination. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, is the only GOP senator to endorse and only a few members in the House have done the same. ....
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus, who spoke to Ryan and Trump on Thursday, expressed confidence that Ryan would eventually get to a point where he could back Trump, who became the presumptive nominee this week after his remaining opponents dropped out of the race."

It seems to me that a few courageous dissenters in the Republican Party are still a hopeful possibility for the future of America. Most politicians in BOTH parties, however, are being most reluctant to rock the boat, partly because they don’t want to lose votes in November, and partly because Koch and other members of the Big Money camp can be very threatening to a mere politician. Go, True Americans, Go!



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/docs-church-murder-victim-terri-missy-bevers-received-creepy-linkedin-message/

May 5, 2016, 7:03 PM
Docs: Church murder victim received "creepy" LinkedIn message
By ERIN DONAGHUE CBS/AP
May 5, 2016, 7:03 PM

Photograph -- Terri Bevers CBS DFW
Play VIDEO -- Texas woman's family worried about her safety before murder
Play VIDEO -- Police release more video in search of Texas church murder suspect


MIDLOTHIAN, Texas -- The fitness instructor found murdered inside a Texas church last month received a "creepy" LinkedIn message in the days before her death, new search warrant documents reveal. The warrants also say Terri "Missy" Bevers, 45, was having marital and financial problems, and that messages between her and her husband referred to extramarital affairs.

Previous police documents revealed the mother of three died of multiple puncture wounds to her head and her chest at the Creekside Church in Midlothian on April 18. Bevers was seen on surveillance video arriving at the church at 4:18 a.m. She was scheduled to teach a fitness class at 5 a.m. Less than an hour later, she was found dead.

Her suspected assailant was also seen on surveillance video walking the hallways of the church early that morning, using a hammer to break windows, while wearing a helmet and tactical gear. Bevers' wounds were "consistent with tools the suspect was carrying throughout the building," documents said.

Police have not said if they have suspects in the case, although they previously indicated that there was a list of persons of interest.

The new warrants seek Bevers' communications over LinkedIn, a social networking service for professionals. The documents say she was a regular user of the site. Less than three days before her murder, a friend told law enforcement, Bevers showed the friend a private Linked In message she had received.

The message "was from a male unknown to them both, and they both agreed that the message was creepy and strange," the warrant says.

The friend told police she couldn't recall the name on the account from which the message had been sent.

The warrant also says police contacted a "person of interest" who admitted communicating with Bevers over LinkedIn -- beginning in January up until the time of her death -- in messages that "ultimately turned flirtatious and familiar."

Police were able to recover only a portion of the messages using cell data because they had been deleted. The communications they recovered, according to the warrant, appeared "intimate in nature."

In another new warrant requesting cell tower data, police say that Bevers may have been in communication with her killer. The warrant alleges the suspect may have used a cell phone to check social media for workout schedules Bevers posted and possibly to record Bevers' murder.

Police also obtained warrants for cell information for several members of the Bevers family and others. Those documents say several phone messages uncovered by investigators confirm tips of financial trouble, struggles within the Bevers' marriage and extramarital affairs. They say police have received several tips on the possible identity of the suspect pictured in tactical gear in the surveillance footage -- some of them specific as to the person's build and walk. Police say the suspect had a "feminine sway" and a walk that may indicate an injury to the right leg or foot.

Police have said they haven't been able to determine the suspect's gender.

A previously released warrant revealed that authorities seized a blood-stained shirt that Bevers' father-in-law dropped off at a laundromat. He told police it was the result of a fight his dog had with another dog.

The Oak Farms Dairy has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and grand jury indictment of the person or persons responsible.



“The fitness instructor found murdered inside a Texas church last month received a "creepy" LinkedIn message in the days before her death, new search warrant documents reveal. The warrants also say Terri "Missy" Bevers, 45, was having marital and financial problems, and that messages between her and her husband referred to extramarital affairs. …. Bevers was seen on surveillance video arriving at the church at 4:18 a.m. She was scheduled to teach a fitness class at 5 a.m. Less than an hour later, she was found dead. Her suspected assailant was also seen on surveillance video walking the hallways of the church early that morning, using a hammer to break windows, while wearing a helmet and tactical gear. …. The warrant also says police contacted a "person of interest" who admitted communicating with Bevers over LinkedIn -- beginning in January up until the time of her death -- in messages that "ultimately turned flirtatious and familiar." …. In another new warrant requesting cell tower data, police say that Bevers may have been in communication with her killer. The warrant alleges the suspect may have used a cell phone to check social media for workout schedules Bevers posted and possibly to record Bevers' murder. -- They say police have received several tips on the possible identity of the suspect pictured in tactical gear in the surveillance footage -- some of them specific as to the person's build and walk. Police say the suspect had a "feminine sway" and a walk that may indicate an injury to the right leg or foot. …. A previously released warrant revealed that authorities seized a blood-stained shirt that Bevers' father-in-law dropped off at a laundromat. He told police it was the result of a fight his dog had with another dog.”


I do hope this doesn’t turn out to be a father/daughter sexual involvement, because that really is “creepy.” Psychologists do sometimes say that being stabbed “multiple” times indicates great anger or hatred, and is usually not a random assault. I probably won’t see the follow-up articles, however. Whatever it was, it is insane for someone to “stalk” another in that way. As few as fifteen or twenty years ago the mere act of “stalking” or voyeurism was not a punishable crime. In recent years, however, psychologists began to call it a prelude to murder or rape, which is exactly what it seems to me to be. I hope this person is caught pronto!



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/police-pennsylvania-man-killed-man-who-insulted-his-brother/

Police: Pennsylvania man killed man who insulted his brother
By CRIMESIDER STAFF AP
May 6, 2016, 11:01 AM

Photograph -- generic murder crime scene police tape chalk outline CBS/AP


ARCADIA, Pa. -- State police say a western Pennsylvania man shot another man in his sleep, apparently because the victim repeatedly insulted the suspect's brother.

Troopers say 61-year-old David Yingling told them he killed Ellwood Skillman because Yingling "was tired of him calling my brother a retard."

Yingling, who doesn't have an attorney, was jailed Friday in Indiana County on a charge of criminal homicide. Police say the killing occurred Monday but wasn't discovered until Thursday.

That's when a Cherry Tree police officer working security at a high school was tipped off about the killing at Yingling's Montgomery Township home. That's about 70 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.

Troopers found Skillman dead in an upstairs bedroom and Yingling told them he "had no idea what to do with the body."

Police planned a news conference later Friday.



“Troopers say 61-year-old David Yingling told them he killed Ellwood Skillman because Yingling "was tired of him calling my brother a retard." Yingling, who doesn't have an attorney, was jailed Friday in Indiana County on a charge of criminal homicide. Police say the killing occurred Monday but wasn't discovered until Thursday.”


Very sad and to me understandable, but it’s still illegal. In the old days (150 years ago) vengeance was an accepted way of responding to a slight to the family or one of its’ members. Dueling was a “gentlemanly” response to an insult. In this case, however, he was shot in his sleep when he was defenseless, and it’s NOT “gentlemanly, but cowardly.”


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-commutes-prison-sentences-of-58-drug-offenders/

Obama commutes prison sentences of 58 drug offenders
By REBECCA SHABAD CBS NEWS
May 5, 2016, 11:57 PM

Photograph -- U.S. President Barack Obama delivers the keynote speech at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies' (APAICS) 22nd annual awards dinner at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington May 4, 2016. REUTERS/JAMES LAWLER DUGGAN


President Obama on Thursday commuted the prison sentences of 58 inmates serving in federal prisons across the country who have been convicted of drug crimes, just over a month after commuting the sentences of 61 other inmates.

The inmates were convicted of drug-related crimes such as possessing and intending to distribute cocaine or methamphetamine. Eighteen of the people receiving commutations were sentenced to life in prison.

Their sentences are set to expire on Thursday or on September 2.

This comes only about a month after the president commuted the sentences of 61 people who were convicted of similar crimes. Most of that group will be released from prison at the end of July.

Mr. Obama has commuted more prison sentences than the past six presidents combined. He has commuted the sentences of 306 people while George W. Bush commuted 11 and Clinton commuted 61. At the same time, Obama has only pardoned 70 people, the fewest of any president since President James A. Garfield in the early 1880s.


“The inmates were convicted of drug-related crimes such as possessing and intending to distribute cocaine or methamphetamine. Eighteen of the people receiving commutations were sentenced to life in prison. …. Mr. Obama has commuted more prison sentences than the past six presidents combined. He has commuted the sentences of 306 people while George W. Bush commuted 11 and Clinton commuted 61. At the same time, Obama has only pardoned 70 people, the fewest of any president since President James A. Garfield in the early 1880s.”


http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2000/12/whats_the_difference_between_a_pardon_and_a_commutation.html

Explainer
Answers to your questions about the news.
Dec. 27 2000 4:51 PM

What's the Difference Between a Pardon and a Commutation?

President Clinton has granted a spate of them recently, although not many by historical standards as this piece explains. So how do pardons and commutations differ? For that matter, how do they differ from clemency and amnesty?

President Clinton this month granted clemency to 62 people--clemency is the overall term for official forgiveness of a violation. Three of those people received commutations of their sentences. That is, they were released from prison where they were currently serving time. The rest received pardons, or forgiveness of their crimes after their sentence was served. Pardons come in two forms: full or conditional. A full pardon is a formal forgiveness by the government that restores certain liberties, such as the right to vote or own firearms. It does not imply innocence, nor does it expunge a criminal record. Nor can any fines that were imposed in sentencing be recouped. But it does make those pardoned feel better about themselves. A conditional pardon has some strings attached, such as serving a lesser punishment. A pardon can be granted in anticipation of conviction of any crimes, as in Gerald Ford's 1974 pardon of Richard Nixon. It can also be granted posthumously. Last year Clinton pardoned Henry Flipper, who died in 1940, a former slave who was the first black West Point graduate and who was dishonorably discharged for racial reasons. An amnesty is an official "forgetting" (the word has the same root as amnesia) of actions against the state by a class of people. An amnesty can come with certain requirements. For example, Ford made amnesty available to men who refused to serve in Vietnam, but required community service. But in 1977 Jimmy Carter proclaimed a blanket amnesty for them.



I do think a life sentence for possessing or even the intention to distribute is way too harsh, unless they have committed assaults or murder connected to the crime. See the Slate article explaining the various terms applicable to a President’s right to give relief to individuals.

There are too many people who need mental health treatment – or who happen to be black – in prison for similar offenses. If violence is also a part of the crime, that is different. The loss of voting rights is unfair and illogical as a punishment, to me, and is often used as an attempt to disenfranchise voters who might make a choice in the polls that would displease some government officials. I understand fighting, and it is actually necessary sometimes, but underhanded ways to weaken ones' opposite party just to reach a goal such as getting elected to office should be illegal. Votes are the meat and bread of our governmental system.




5http://www.cbsnews.com/news/woman-gets-jail-in-complaints-over-loud-sex-threatening-neighbors/

Woman gets jail over complaints of loud sex, threatening neighbors
CBS/AP
May 5, 2016, 7:43 AM


Photograph -- This undated photo provided by the York County Prison shows Amanda Marie Warfel of Red Lion, Pa., who pleaded guilty in April 2016 to disorderly conduct and harassment charges stemming from having loud sex, blasting loud music and responding to a neighbor's requests to quiet down with threats. YORK COUNTY PRISON VIA AP


YORK, Pa. -- A Pennsylvania woman is in jail after pleading guilty to charges stemming from having loud sex, blasting loud music, and responding to a neighbor's requests to quiet down with threats.

Amanda Marie Warfel pleaded guilty last week to disorderly conduct and harassment charges. She is in York County jail until June 20, and has one more count pending.

Warfel's lawyer Michael Fenton didn't immediately return a call for comment Wednesday.

A neighbor, Tanya Saylor, told the York Daily Record that her family has dealt with the noise through their Red Lion rowhouse wall for two years. She said she sometimes put headphones on her children to block the noise.

"It's pretty pathetic when you have to have a protocol due to your neighbor's actions," Saylor told York Daily Record.

She says Warfel called her daughters slurs and threatened them, and described her sex acts loudly. Police reports say the Saylors' furniture shook. [Really ??]

Saylor told the York Daily Record that her husband is terminally ill and one of her five children has cancer.

Warfel's criminal history includes drug, theft and assault charges.


“A Pennsylvania woman is in jail after pleading guilty to charges stemming from having loud sex, blasting loud music, and responding to a neighbor's requests to quiet down with threats. …. A neighbor, Tanya Saylor, told the York Daily Record that her family has dealt with the noise through their Red Lion rowhouse wall for two years. She said she sometimes put headphones on her children to block the noise. …. She says Warfel called her daughters slurs and threatened them, and described her sex acts loudly. Police reports say the Saylors' furniture shook. …. Warfel's criminal history includes drug, theft and assault charges."


It really sounds to me as though Warfel is a dyed in the wool sociopath. Her mugshot looks just like an angry five year-old. Her lips are all puffed out in a pout and her face and eyes hold an expression of hostility at the interference with her activities. This article, thank goodness, doesn’t say that the police treated her roughly, either. The truth is that women just don’t usually commit very many crimes of the type that she has – they fight in more subtle and sneaky ways.

PS: My Microsoft Word program is insisting that “more subtle” is incorrect, but I learned in school that if there are two or more syllables in the word being used, the term “more subtle” should be used. However, according to the “Quick and Dirty Tips” information below, I was right in general, but if a two syllable word ends in “le” it gets the comparison ending “er.” As for what popped up when I queried the question, I found the following humorous comments from visitors to the texags.com site, and they are so much fun that I can’t help including them. The second more explanatory site below (quickanddirtytips) gives the RULES so it’s much more informative. My favorite reader suggestions from texags are “Subtletereree” and “obviouslessness.”

See: http://texags.com/forums/12/topics/1460326, more subtle vs subtler:

Tree Hugger 10:45a, 8/13/09 LAG
Subtletereree

IIIHorn 10:48a, 8/13/09 L
"more subtler"?

CBattBQ87 11:09a, 8/13/09 LAG
Correct english, I believe, is "more subtle".
TexAgs english is "subtler".

NeuroticAg 11:10a, 8/13/09 LAG
According to the dictionary, it's the opposite way, with "subtler" being the correct form.

backintexas2013 11:18a, 8/13/09 LAG
I just say "more f$#%$%g subtle." Since I am going to hell anyway, based on the divorce thread I try to use as many f-bombs that I can.

Sticks&Stones 11:32a, 8/13/09 HAG
I think it's subtler to say "more subtle"

CBattBQ87 12:21p, 8/13/09 LAG
Quote:
According to the dictionary, it's the opposite way, with "subtler" being the correct form. Well...screw me.

NeuroticAg 12:33p, 8/13/09 LAG
No thanks. I'd rather not.

metaltim 2:21p, 8/13/09 H
i just say it's not obvious.

CBattBQ87 3:15p, 8/13/09 LAG
So you would say there is a certain obviouslessness?



THE REAL SCOOP: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/better-versus-best

One-Syllable Adjectives

One-syllable adjectives use the suffixes “-er” or “-est” on the end of the adjective. For example, “tall” has one syllable, so, if you wanted to compare the height of your family members, you might say, “I am taller than my sister, but I’m not the tallest in the family.” It would sound odd to say, “I am more tall than my sister, but I’m not the most tall in the family.”

Two-Syllable Adjectives

When it comes to two-syllable adjectives, it seems a bit arbitrary whether you use the suffixes or the words in front. I did find one rule to help guide you: two-syllable adjectives that end in “-y,” “-ow,” and “-le” can take the suffixes “-er” and “-est” - See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/better-versus-best#sthash.mP0D74aH.dpuf

Sometimes, though, no rule will help you determine which way to make a comparison. Some two-syllable adjectives can go both ways. You can say, “commoner” or “more common,” “tranquilest” or “most tranquil,” “stupider” or “more stupid,” and “naivest” or “most naive.”

According to the source that listed these two-way adjectives, “The terminational forms are usually older, and some of them are becoming obsolete” (3), so “tranquilest,” which sounds a bit odd to me and raises a flag in Microsoft Word’s spell checker, is moving out of favor. If you have a two-syllable adjective that doesn’t end in “-y,” “-ow,” or “-le” (it's not yowlier), you’ll need to rely on your ear or your dictionary, and Garner's Modern American Usage states that “if a word ordinarily takes the -er or the -est suffix—and that formation sounds more natural—it’s poor style to use the two-word form with more or most” (3).



http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bernie-sanders-threatens-convention-fight-in-letter-to-dnc/

Bernie Sanders threatens convention fight in letter to DNC
AP May 6, 2016, 2:07 PM

Photograph -- Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addresses a town hall campaign event at the Five Loaves and Two Fishes Food Bank in Welch, West Virginia, U.S. May 5, 2016. REUTERS
Play VIDEO -- Sanders vows to stay in race until convention
Related: DNC vice chair resigns, endorses Bernie Sanders


LOS ANGELES -- Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders threatened a floor fight over rules and platform planks at the party's summer convention on Friday, warning the Democratic National Committee not to stack the convention's standing committees with supporters of Hillary Clinton.

Sanders wrote in a letter to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz that the makeup of the standing committees that consider the party's platform and rules should reflect the level of support that he and Clinton have received during the 2016 primaries and caucuses.

"If the process is set up to produce an unfair, one-sided result, we are prepared to mobilize our delegates to force as many votes as necessary to amend the platform and rules on the floor of the convention," Sanders wrote. The letter came after Sanders spoke with the chairwoman by phone earlier this week.

Sanders said if the party is going to be unified in the fall, it can't have a convention in which the views of millions of people are "unrepresented" in the committee membership.

Pointing to the 9 million voters who have supported him, Sanders wrote, "I will not allow them be silenced at the Democratic National Convention."

Luis Miranda, a spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said "because the party's platform is a statement of our values, the DNC is committed to an open, inclusive and representative process. Both of our campaigns will be represented on the drafting committee, and just as we did in 2008 and 2012, the public will have opportunities to participate."

Clinton holds a sizable lead of more than 300 pledged delegates and has received about 3 million more votes than Sanders during the primaries. Including superdelegates - the elected party leaders and officials who can choose the candidate of their choice - Clinton is more than 90 percent of the way to clinching the nomination.

In the letter, Sanders notes that Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy will be in charge of the convention's platform committee and former Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank will run the rules committee. He calls both "aggressive attack surrogates on the campaign trail" for Clinton.

Sanders said he submitted the names of more than 40 people to serve on three standing committees and only three of his recommendations were selected by Wasserman Schultz. He said none of his supporters were assigned to the rules committee.

The Vermont senator has vowed to campaign through the end of the primary season in mid-June and advocate at the convention for his policy goals, which include fighting wealth inequality and overhauling the campaign finance system. He has also criticized states that do not allow independents to participate in Democratic contests or states that do not allow same-day registration.


http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dnc-vice-chair-rep-tulsi-gabbard-resigns-endorses-bernie-sanders/

DNC vice chair resigns, endorses Bernie Sanders
By REENA FLORES CBS NEWS
February 28, 2016, 10:35 AM

Photograph -- In this Dec. 27, 2014 file photo, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii speaks in Ahmadabad, India. AP
Play VIDEO -- Is Bernie Sanders in trouble after South Carolina loss?


Democratic National Committee vice chair and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is stepping down from her post at the DNC and throwing her weight behind Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign.

"First of all, I am resigning from the DNC so I can support Bernie Sanders for president," Gabbard said early Sunday during NBC's "Meet the Press" panel.

Gabbard, one of the first two female combat veterans to ever serve in Congress, stressed the importance of a leader with a "military mindset," which she described as a candidate who knows "importantly, when we don't use [U.S.] military power."

She pointed to Sanders, a Vermont Independent, as the White House hopeful with that knowledge.

"As a veteran and as a soldier, I've seen first-hand the very high human cost of that war," said Gabbard, who served two tours of duty in the Middle East. "I think it's most important for us, as we look at our choices as to who our next commander-in-chief will be to recognize the necessity to have a commander-in-chief who has foresight, who exercises good judgement."

DNC Chair, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, accepted Gabbard's resignation Sunday.

"Congresswoman Gabbard is a role model who embodies the American ideal that anyone can dream big and make a difference," the Florida congresswoman said in a statement. "She is also a colleague in Congress and a friend, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside her when our Party unites behind whoever emerges as our nominee."

The surprise announcement Sunday is not the first time Gabbard has split with the DNC. In November, the top committee official said that she had been disinvited from the first Democratic presidential primary debate in Nevada, after she had publicly called out for more debates.

Gabbard's endorsement of Sanders comes just a day after Hillary Clinton notched a big victory in South Carolina's primary Saturday night.

But looking to the long term, the Hawaii Democrat emphasized Sanders' electability over the former secretary of state.

"You've seen the groundswell of support that he's gotten -- not only in our or two states but in states across the country -- I think this where there's a hunger for a leader, a commander-in-chief who is honest, who has integrity, who exercises good judgement," Gabbard said.



May 6 -- Sanders wrote in a letter to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz that the makeup of the standing committees that consider the party's platform and rules should reflect the level of support that he and Clinton have received during the 2016 primaries and caucuses. …. "If the process is set up to produce an unfair, one-sided result, we are prepared to mobilize our delegates to force as many votes as necessary to amend the platform and rules on the floor of the convention," Sanders wrote. The letter came after Sanders spoke with the chairwoman by phone earlier this week. …. Both of our campaigns will be represented on the drafting committee, and just as we did in 2008 and 2012, the public will have opportunities to participate." …. Sanders said he submitted the names of more than 40 people to serve on three standing committees and only three of his recommendations were selected by Wasserman Schultz. He said none of his supporters were assigned to the rules committee. The Vermont senator has vowed to campaign through the end of the primary season in mid-June and advocate at the convention for his policy goals, which include fighting wealth inequality and overhauling the campaign finance system. He has also criticized states that do not allow independents to participate in Democratic contests or states that do not allow same-day registration.


February 28 -- Democratic National Committee vice chair and Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard is stepping down from her post at the DNC and throwing her weight behind Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign. "First of all, I am resigning from the DNC so I can support Bernie Sanders for president," Gabbard said early Sunday during NBC's "Meet the Press" panel. Gabbard, one of the first two female combat veterans to ever serve in Congress, stressed the importance of a leader with a "military mindset," which she described as a candidate who knows "importantly, when we don't use [U.S.] military power." …. DNC Chair, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, accepted Gabbard's resignation Sunday. "Congresswoman Gabbard is a role model who embodies the American ideal that anyone can dream big and make a difference," the Florida congresswoman said in a statement. "She is also a colleague in Congress and a friend, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside her when our Party unites behind whoever emerges as our nominee." …. In November, the top committee official said that she had been disinvited from the first Democratic presidential primary debate in Nevada, after she had publicly called out for more debates. …. I think this where there's a hunger for a leader, a commander-in-chief who is honest, who has integrity, who exercises good judgement," Gabbard said.”


This picture of insider politics is discouraging. I want to believe in the Democratic Party as I did up to the last 15 or so years, but it does look to me that the right leaning members are in almost total control. If Sanders, Warren, Gabbard and others whom I'm unaware of, were to form a Social Democrats party, I really might approve of it and switch my membership. The problem, though, would be whether or not they could get enough members to win any elections.

It’s interesting that Gabbard was “disinvited” to the Nevada debate after, and presumably because, she made a public request for more debates. Why shouldn't she be able to do that? Maybe they just don’t like for people who are not at the top of the ladder to speak their mind, or maybe the DNC is actively trying to push out the more liberal leaning members as the Republicans have been doing for around ten years. It also is a bad sign that only three of Sander’s 40 suggestions for committee members on the Platform and Rules committees have been chosen to serve. Bernie says he will fight, though. We’ll see how this all goes.