July 26, 2016


LATEST ON DEMS AND RELATED ISSUES


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5h7Cxz_vV9E

Bernie’s speech at Georgetown University, November 19, 2015 explaining and arguing for Democratic Socialism. Unlike the Right, who tend to be basically violent and undereducated, Sanders shows his extensive grasp of national and International issues that a good (shall I say GREAT?) US president in these times.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovp7NZyBSWc

Sanders rally NYC June 23, 2016, “Where We Go From Here” -- At these events you can’t miss the fact that even with the DNC doing their worst against him, he is a very, very popular man! Speaking the TRUTH is much more effective than lying and covering the lies up with a façade of democracy. Sorry, Hillary. I just don’t believe in you anymore. You talk the talk, but you don’t Walk the Walk. Go Bernie! This isn’t “a cult of personality.” It’s DEMOCRACY.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl7x3mefl1M

"Hell no! DNC! We won't vote for Hillary!”
Protesters Against Rigged DNC Primary For Hillary Clinton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiz2pKTIuMg

Must-watch: Bernie Sanders fans trash DNC, Hillary Clinton, and Tim Kaine
Breitbart News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3qhNNhXyHA

Jane Sanders to Bernie Sanders: "They don’t know your name is being put in nomination"



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3707580/Now-BERNIE-getting-shouted-desperately-tries-calm-supporters-telling-vote-Hillary-Clinton.html

By FRANCESCA CHAMBERS, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT FOR DAILYMAIL.COM IN PHILADELPHIA
PUBLISHED: 14:44 EST, 25 July 2016 | UPDATED: 09:36 EST, 26 July 2016

'Do NOT engage in any kind of protest!': Bernie Sanders urges weeping fans to rally behind 'outstanding' Hillary Clinton after chaotic convention is left divided over Wikileaks email scandal
Bernie Sanders was met with a rousing reception, and was drowned out by supporters for around three minutes
The Vermont Senator pleaded with his supporters to back Hillary Clinton so they can defeat Donald Trump
'Our revolution continues', Sanders declared as he ticked off some of his campaign's best achievements
Donald Trump took to Twitter to call him a 'sell-out' but Sanders dismissed the billionaire's taunts
The DNC has apologized for 'disrespectful' emails which suggest the group undermined his campaign
Sanders was earlier was booed by his own delegates at an event after he said: 'We have got to elect Hillary Clinton'
He's urging his supporters to give Clinton their backing so that Donald Trump doesn't win


Photo captions:

Indeed, the Democratic National Committee officially apologized to Sanders tonight for emails that they acknowledged were 'disrespectful.'
'On behalf of everyone at the DNC, we want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email,' DNC officials said Monday in a statement.
Incoming Interim DNC chair Donna Brazile and others who signed on said the behavior of party leadership was 'disrespectful' and they were taking 'appropriate action.'

Berners for life: Bernie Sanders was given a rapturous reception as he closed the first night of the Democratic National Convention with a call to his supporters to unite round Hillary Clinton so they can defeat Donald Trump

Simmer down: Sanders was unable to start his speech for several minutes, such was the reception he received, but he was eventually able to get down to business with a speech that echoed all his campaign pledges

This one's for you: Sanders said that the election didn't turn out the way they wanted, and no-one was more disappointed than him, but he hoped people took enormous pride in what they had achieved

'The choice is not close': After he endorsed Clinton, Sanders turned his attention to their familiar foe, Donald Trump, saying that the US needed 'leadership which brings our people together and makes us stronger. Not leadership that insults' various races and women

We still believe in you Bernie! Sanders may have disappointed some of his hardline fans by refusing to indulge them the chance to protest Hillary Clinton, but for many, it may have been seen as a fitting conclusion to an electrifying campaign

Thank you! Bernie was visibly overcome with emotion, and all he could say for the opening few minutes of his speech was 'thank you' to the delirious crowd at the Wells Fargo Center

Heavy is the heart! Sanders has galvanized a younger generation but conceded defeat to Hillary Clinton, who will take on Donald Trump in November in the General Election

Game changer: Bill Clinton applauds Bernie Sanders during his speech; Sanders praised Clinton for breaking precedent by 'changing the role a First lady should play with her campaign for universal healthcare'

A future to believe in? One Bernie fan on the left looks a little disappointed that their man wasn't targeting Hillary Clinton and instead urged unity for the sake of the future of the country

We will always love you Bernie: Sanders' fans have been the most loyal in a fractious election campaign but their leader urged them to back his yearlong rival now that she had won the nomination

Fun while it lasted: Supporters of Bernie Sanders listen intently as he closes out the first night of an entertaining Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia

No TPP! Bernie supporters wore their heart on their sleeve, in particular protesting the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which Sanders is determined to block from becoming law. Donald Trump also opposes the trade deal as a jobs killer


Story Text

Bernie Sanders addressed his supporters one last time tonight as a Democratic candidate for president, this time to urge them to vote for the woman he spent more than a year urging them to reject.

'Any objective observer will conclude that – based on her ideas and her leadership – Hillary Clinton must become the next President of the United States,' he said of the former first lady who he said would make an 'outstanding' president.

The progressive senator inspired a new generation of young Americans to cast their votes in the presidential election but fell short of winning his party's nomination.

Tonight he told the 1,846 pledged delegates he earned in the course of the primaries and caucuses that political revolution they began was not in vain.

'Together, my friends, we have begun a political revolution to transform America and that revolution – our revolution – continues,' he said.

The election didn't turn out the way they wanted, he acknowledged.

'I understand that many people here in this convention hall and around the country are disappointed....I think it’s fair to say that no one is more disappointed than I am.'

Still, he said to his supporters in the room and watching from home, 'I hope you take enormous pride in the historical accomplishments we have achieved.'

Together, my friends, we have begun a political revolution to transform America and that revolution – our revolution – continues

Bernie Sanders

'Election days come and go. But the struggle of the people to create a government which represents all of us and not just the 1 percent – a government based on the principles of economic, social, racial and environmental justice – that struggle continues,' he told them. 'And I look forward to being part of that struggle with you.'

After his endorsement of Clinton Sanders way to say, according to his prepared remarks, 'The choice is not close.' He began to, but gave up as his delegates interrupted the speech with shouts of his name.

Always slated for Monday, Sanders' speech took on extra significance for Democrats seeking to unite the party after an email leak over the weekend confirmed that DNC officials were engaging in exactly the kind of inappropriate behavior that was alleged in the primary process by the Sanders campaign.

'Let me be as clear as I can be. This election is not about, and has never been about, Hillary Clinton, or Donald Trump, or Bernie Sanders or any of the other candidates who sought the presidency,' he said Monday night.

His campaign was about the 'the greed, recklessness and illegal behavior on Wall Street,' he said, and 'the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality.'

'Yes, we have made progress, but I think we can all agree that much, much more needs to be done,' he said. This election is about which candidate understands the real problems facing this country and has offered real solutions – not just bombast, not just fear-mongering, not just name-calling and divisiveness.'

Sanders said the country needs 'leadership which brings our people together and makes us stronger...not leadership which insults Latinos and Mexicans and Muslims and women, African-Americans and veterans and seeks to divide us up.'

The section was a direct assault on Republican nominee Donald Trump. The businessman has been assailing Sanders since he endorsed Clinton and did so after the speech on Monday evening, saying in a tweet that he 'totally sold out to Crooked Hillary Clinton.

'All of that work, energy and money, and nothing to show for it! Waste of time.'

Sanders simply responded, 'Never tweet' following finished his late-night convention address that was shoved out of prime time and into the 11 pm hour.

The Vermont senator's curmudgeonly behavior was a hallmark of his run that took him to all 50 states and Puerto Rico to promote his message of economic parity.

He regularly drew crowds that topped 10,000 people at the height of his campaign.

On this night, his final night in the Democratic race, Sanders indulged his supporters, acquiescing to their cheers as he savored his time on the convention stage.

'Thank you,' he told them more than a dozen times. 'Thank you very much.'

He thanked the hundreds of thousands of Americans who volunteered with his campaign and the 2.5 million who financed his longshot bid.

'Anyone know what that average contribution was?' he asked delegates in the convention hall. '$27!' they called back.

He gave a special shout out his wife Jane, who served as a senior adviser to his campaign and was often at his side on the trail, four kids and seven grandchildren.

'Thank you very much for your love and hard work on this campaign,' he said.

Sanders sought to shore up support for Clinton among skeptical Democrats on Monday evening ,telling them that she'd work to raise the minimum wage and would appoint Supreme Court justices who would in turn vote to overturn Citizens United and defends workers' and womens' rights.

Furthermore, she'll pursue legislation to 'revolutionize higher education in America,' he said, reform the criminal justice system, make health care affordable for all and bring the price of prescription drugs down.

'It is no secret that Hillary Clinton and I disagree on a number of issues,' he told them. 'That is what this campaign has been about. That’s what democracy is about.'

'But I am happy to tell you that at the Democratic Platform Committee there was a significant coming together between the two campaigns and we produced, by far, the most progressive platform in the history of the Democratic Party.'

Sanders argued that the platform includes language in favor of breaking up the big banks and 'calls for strong opposition to job-killing free trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership,' which he said Democratic leaders must not allow to come up for a vote during the lame duck session after the election.

The 25-year-veteran lawmaker said he's known Clinton as long and fondly stated, 'I remember her as a great first lady who broke precedent in terms of the role that a first lady was supposed to play as she helped lead the fight for universal health care.'

'Hillary Clinton will make an outstanding president and I am proud to stand with her here tonight.'

While he was received even by Clinton's delegates, Sanders invited controversy Monday night when he said to his backers, 'I look forward to your votes during the roll call tomorrow night.'

A nod to the 22 contests and millions of votes he won, states will call out their preference for president.

Clinton's delegates looked displeased with Sanders as he seemingly encouraged another round of shenanigans Tuesday evening.

He issued a desperate plea to his supporters before his remarks not to demonstrate or disrupt the Democratic National Convention after they spent the afternoon shouting down speakers over their support for Clinton - himself included.

'I ask you as a personal courtesy to me to not engage in any kind of protest on the floor,' wrote Sanders in a text message.

'Its of utmost importance you explain this to your delegations.'

Terrified that any display of disunity will play into Donald Trump's hands, Sanders issued his frantic request saying 'our credibility as a movement will be damaged by booing, turning of backs, walking out or other similar displays.'

Although Sanders had already endorsed Clinton before today, his supporters were incensed after a Wikileaks release of emails from Democrat Party leadership revealed extremely disparaging remarks about his campaign to defeat her.

Indeed, the Democratic National Committee officially apologized to Sanders tonight for emails that they acknowledged were 'disrespectful.'

'On behalf of everyone at the DNC, we want to offer a deep and sincere apology to Senator Sanders, his supporters, and the entire Democratic Party for the inexcusable remarks made over email,' DNC officials said Monday in a statement.

Incoming Interim DNC chair Donna Brazile and others who signed on said the behavior of party leadership was 'disrespectful' and they were taking 'appropriate action.'



Excerpt -- “Although Sanders had already endorsed Clinton before today, his supporters were incensed after a Wikileaks release of emails from Democrat Party leadership revealed extremely disparaging remarks about his campaign to defeat her.”

When I heard about the despicable Emails I felt what I have heard described as “cold fury.” I was ready to fight. People in this country just don’t like child molesters and those who try to steal elections, or beat little old ladies for their Social Security checks.

I’m so glad the DNC apologized from the stage for the blatant statements of what Berners have been complaining about all along. They also moved immediately to fire Wasserman-Schulz, and said they are looking into further “appropriate action.” I think an official sanction at the very least should be her fate. It’s also possible for a House or Senate member to be bumped out of office and maybe jailed, I believe. Traficant, unfortunately a Democrat, is one such person. See Wikipedia below.

I just found a news headline titled “Wasserman Schultz left to defend House seat, $$ pours in for primary foe.” In the last couple of weeks Sanders threatened to back Tim Canova in vengeance, in order to force her off the DNC and out of office, and he did send me an email a day or so later asking for me to send money to Canova. I did. Canova himself, according to this article, took action as well. On the day of the Breakfast at which she was booed when she got up to speak he sent out a twitter to galvanize his followers. See the Dailymail’s description below.

“Soon after Wasserman Schultz was booed Monday during a Florida delegation breakfast in Philadelphia, Democratic primary foe Tim Canova wrote to his 20,000 Twitter followers, "It's time to end her political career for good," and shared a link to his campaign fundraising webpage. The tactic appears to be working. He said he's raised about $100,000 in the 72 hours since the scandal erupted, all without leaving south Florida or picking up a phone to dial for dollars.”

The Internet has revolutionized an unethical person’s ability to carry through on a deceitful act and actually get away with it.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Traficant

James Traficant
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Anthony Traficant Jr (May 8, 1941 – September 27, 2014) was a Democratic, and later independent, politician and member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. He represented the 17th Congressional District, which centered on his hometown of Youngstown and included parts of three counties in northeast Ohio's Mahoning Valley. He was expelled from the House after being convicted of taking bribes, filing false tax returns, racketeering and forcing his aides to perform chores at his farm in Ohio and houseboat in Washington, D.C.[1] He was sentenced to prison and released on September 2, 2009, after serving a seven-year sentence.

Traficant died on September 27, 2014 as the result of injuries sustained in an accident that occurred several days earlier when his tractor flipped over as he was driving it into his barn.



BANNER HEADLINES -- GREAT NEWS!!!



https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/democratic-national-convention-supporters-hope-to-reintroduce-clinton-to-skeptical-voters/2016/07/26/6e8d244a-52ec-11e6-88eb-7dda4e2f2aec_story.html

Politics
Democratic National Convention: Clinton, Sanders camps in talks about giving senator larger role tonight
By Ed O'Keefe, John Wagner and David Weigel
July 26 at 4:12 PM

Play Video 3:36, Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders chanted his name throughout the first day of the Democratic National Convention, frequently interrupting speeches. From first lady Michelle Obama's moving speech to many politicians slamming Donald Trump, here's what happened. (Nicki DeMarco/The Washington Post)
Photos from opening day of the Democratic National Convention
View Photos -- Follow along as Post photographers document the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.
[Complete live coverage of the Democratic National Convention]


PHILADELPHIA — Hillary Clinton is set to become the first woman to be nominated for president by a major political party on a night that her campaign is hoping will reintroduce her to voters still deeply skeptical of her candidacy.

By the end of the day, Clinton is poised to be the Democratic presidential nominee, but her campaign spent most of Tuesday in talks to give her vanquished opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders, a symbolic role in the formal nomination process in a bid to heal rifts in the party.

When the formal nomination process begins Tuesday evening, Clinton is set to be formally nominated by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), the dean of women senators; Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), the revered civil rights leader; and Na’ilah Amaru, a Clinton supporter who won an online contest to nominate the candidate.

How the nomination process ends is still up for discussion. The Clinton and Sanders campaigns are discussing having the Vermont delegation move to make her nomination unanimous by acclamation after all the states have had a chance to have their votes recorded, according to Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs.

“We’ve been talking about that with the Clinton campaign for weeks,” Briggs said. “We hope it works out.”

Briggs said the outcome could be similar to what happened at the 2008 Democratic convention, when Clinton came to the convention floor, interrupted the roll call vote and moved to unanimously nominate Barack Obama as the Democratic presidential candidate.

Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, deflected questions about a possible deal.

“I will let Sen. Sanders discuss what Sen. Sanders is going to do,” he said at a reporter lunched hosted [sic] by The Wall Street Journal.

Pressed about whether conversations are ongoing, Podesta insisted that the vote would speak for itself.

“I’m not going to preview this,” he said. “Wait for the vote!”

Podesta said earlier Tuesday that Democrats “need to move on” from infighting over the outcome of the primary, which saw Clinton soundly defeat challenger Sanders in both votes and delegates.

Tell us how the Democratic National Convention makes you feel, in emoji VIEW GRAPHIC
“We’ve got to get over it,” he told “CBS This Morning.”

The Clinton campaign appreciates Sanders’s endorsement and his decades of work on liberal causes, “but we need to move on and consolidate around Hillary,” Podesta said. “And I think the people watching television last night, not just the people in the hall but the people watching television, what did they see? They saw that full-throated endorsement by Bernie.”

Sanders doubled-down on his support for Clinton Tuesday morning. Speaking at a breakfast meeting of the California delegation, he dismissed the boos of supporters and urged them to back her.

“It is easy to boo, but it is harder to look your kids in the face” if Trump becomes president because Democrats didn’t support the ticket, he said.

But at a morning breakfast hosted by Bloomberg Politics, Sanders expressed befuddlement at the idea that he would release his delegates before the roll call.

“Why would I do that?” Sanders asked. “There’s an election. We’re gonna lose, but if you were campaigning for me for six months or eight months and knocking your brains out, and the roll call came, who do you think you’d vote for? You’d vote for Bernie Sanders. That’s what I would do. And then, the other side gets more votes.”

He also confirmed on Tuesday that he will return to the Senate as an independent, not a Democrat.

“I was elected as an independent so I’ll stay two years more as an Independent,” he told reporters. As the longest serving independent in U.S. congressional history, Sanders had only declared himself a Democrat when he entered the presidential race last year.

With the healing process among Democrats still underway, Clinton’s campaign manager Robby Mook said that Tuesday night’s programming is designed to remind Americans about the former secretary of state’s long public service career.

“A lot of people aren’t familiar with her accomplishments,” Mook told ABC’s “Good Morning America,” noting that former president Bill Clinton will give the night’s big speech.

The former president is poised to address a Democratic convention as a political spouse for the first time. Clinton — who could soon become the country’s first “first man” — has been a Democratic convention staple for more 40 years. His 1988 keynote address was widely panned as a meandering, boring speech, but his 1992 nomination acceptance speech buoyed his struggling campaign. In more recent years, the former president has served as a political character witness, most notably for Obama at his 2012 convention.

[Only the Clintons: Why Bill’s speech tonight will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen]

Hillary Clinton will not travel to Philadelphia to watch Bill Clinton’s address to the convention, but will instead watch the speech from her home in Chappaqua, N.Y., aides said. The candidate and her daughter, Chelsea, are scheduled to address the convention on Thursday.

While the former president headlines the evening, the convention is also set to hear from several others of the victims of gun violence or police-involved incidents, including Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who died after being put in a chokehold by a New York City police officer in 2014; Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, who was fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Fla. in 2012; and Lesley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown, who was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., in 2014.

Gun control has become a leading issue of concern for Clinton, but speakers are also set to remind Democrats of her work on health-care reform as first lady and a senator and foreign affairs as secretary of state.

Meanwhile, Sen. Timothy M. Kaine (D-Va.,), Clinton’s freshly minted running mate, planned to travel to Philadelphia on Tuesday ahead of his scheduled acceptance speech on Wednesday night.

Wasserman Schultz also remained in Philadelphia, showing up Tuesday morning at a brunch hosted by lobbyist Heather Podesta and packed with lawmakers and top Democratic players. She attended at least two other events honoring LGBTQ Democrats and a reception hosted by Donna Brazile, her interim successor.

At the Podesta event, Wasserman Schultz declined to be interviewed about the drama surrounding her, but stated unequivocally she was remaining in Philadelphia all week.

Louisa Loveluck, Abby Phillip, Lois Romano and Vanessa Williams contributed to this story.



Excerpts -- “And I think the people watching television last night, not just the people in the hall but the people watching television, what did they see? They saw that full-throated endorsement by Bernie.” Sanders doubled-down on his support for Clinton Tuesday morning. Speaking at a breakfast meeting of the California delegation, he dismissed the boos of supporters and urged them to back her. “It is easy to boo, but it is harder to look your kids in the face” if Trump becomes president because Democrats didn’t support the ticket, he said. …. By the end of the day, Clinton is poised to be the Democratic presidential nominee, but her campaign spent most of Tuesday in talks to give her vanquished opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders, a symbolic role in the formal nomination process in a bid to heal rifts in the party. …. John Podesta, deflected questions about a possible deal. “I will let Sen. Sanders discuss what Sen. Sanders is going to do,” he said at a reporter lunched hosted [sic] by The Wall Street Journal. Pressed about whether conversations are ongoing, Podesta insisted that the vote would speak for itself. …. Sanders doubled-down on his support for Clinton Tuesday morning. Speaking at a breakfast meeting of the California delegation, he dismissed the boos of supporters and urged them to back her. “It is easy to boo, but it is harder to look your kids in the face” if Trump becomes president because Democrats didn’t support the ticket, he said. …. “Why would I do that?” Sanders asked. “There’s an election. We’re gonna lose, but if you were campaigning for me for six months or eight months and knocking your brains out, and the roll call came, who do you think you’d vote for? You’d vote for Bernie Sanders. That’s what I would do. And then, the other side gets more votes.” He also confirmed on Tuesday that he will return to the Senate as an independent, not a Democrat. “I was elected as an independent so I’ll stay two years more as an Independent,” he told reporters.”


“And then, the other side gets more votes.” He also confirmed on Tuesday that he will return to the Senate as an independent, not a Democrat. “I was elected as an independent so I’ll stay two years more as an Independent,” he told reporters.” This is his answer to those who have scorned and pestered him about when he would give up his fight. Some implied that he is “delusional.” No, he’s just making the point that our government can and should be run in a democratic and honest manner. His view on the matter of giving up BEFORE the official nomination, “Why would I do that?” He’s just not a wimp of any kind or a totally group-formed personality; and being an underdog in this case doesn’t make him think that he has no right to put up a real fight. I agree with him. It’s just a totally different personality type. I do like personal courage and honesty.



http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/07/25/will-dnc-give-sanders-supporters-full-roll-call-vote-they-seek

Published on
Monday, July 25, 2016
byCommon Dreams

Will DNC Give Sanders Supporters the Full Roll Call Vote They Seek?
"If they skip it, I imagine there's going to be... a lot of anger," says Jeanne Harris, a nurse from Los Angeles

byDeirdre Fulton, staff writer

Photograph -- Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders does a walk-through of the convention stage before his speech Monday night. (Photo: Reuters)

Excerpts -- Bernie Sanders' name will be placed in nomination and there will be a full roll-call vote on the Democratic National Convention (DNC) floor on Tuesday night, according to reports. The Los Angeles Times noted Monday that Sanders supporters "fanned out across Philadelphia on Monday morning, collecting signatures to ensure the Vermont senator gets a roll call vote on the convention floor."


Indeed, RIFuture reported:

At the Rhode Island delegation breakfast this morning, a volunteer from Pennsylvania was circulating among the tables collecting some of the required 600 delegate names. "It's so that there can be a roll call vote, so people can actually say if they're for Bernie Sanders," said Lauren Niedel, a Sanders delegate and one of the leaders of the Sanders movement in Rhode Island.

According to a separate LA Times report:

Whether a roll call will be taken to nominate Clinton has been a topic of negotiations between the Sanders and Clinton campaigns. Eight years ago, after the last contentious Democratic primary, the vote was theatrically interrupted by Clinton, asking for unanimous support of then-Sen. Barack Obama.

Sanders backers are wary of attempts to prevent them from voicing their support for their chosen candidate.

"If they skip it, I imagine there's going to be... a lot of anger," Jeanne Harris, a nurse from Los Angeles, told the paper.

After Sanders spoke to roughly 1,900 delegates on Monday, his wife Jane Sanders approached the podium and was caught on the still-live microphone telling her husband: "They don’t know your name is being put in nomination, and that's the concern..."

Campaign spokesperson Michael Briggs clarified to MSNBC that Jane Sanders "means there will be a roll-call vote and the senator's name will be placed in nomination."

Even Brian Fallon, Hillary For America's national press secretary, told a media briefing on Monday morning: "We anticipate there will be a roll call vote tomorrow night and that every vote will be counted. We're happy to have it. It is exactly in keeping with our philosophy that every vote should count and that means every delegate being counted on the floor of the convention."

Still, according to the Associated Press on Monday, Sanders has "left open the possibility that Clinton could receive the nomination by acclamation—or unanimous nomination—at the end. That may not satisfy Sanders delegates. Some are ready to boo or even walk out if there is a unanimous nomination."

And Heavy reports that "earlier in the day, a Democratic official told NBC that Sanders would turn his delegates over to Hillary Clinton during the roll call vote and all 50 states would be counted. So there's a bit of confusion as to what's actually going to happen. This may be why Jane said something to Bernie after his speech."

Sanders will address the full convention in a prime-time speech on Monday night.

Meanwhile, several news outlets reported Monday afternoon that the independent Bernie Delegates Network, a group that includes 1,250 Sanders delegates, is "actively exploring a challenge to Sen. Tim Kaine's (Va.) vice presidential nomination," as The Hill put it.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License



“Meanwhile, several news outlets reported Monday afternoon that the independent Bernie Delegates Network, a group that includes 1,250 Sanders delegates, is "actively exploring a challenge to Sen. Tim Kaine's (Va.) vice presidential nomination," as The Hill put it.” This is what I’ve been hoping to see. It may not happen, but then it just may. The moment Sanders walked out on the stage on Monday for his speech, the applause and cheers were truly “thunderous.” He smiled broadly with obvious joy. He has such good ideas, and the conviction and boldness to carry them out, that he would make a great VP, and after that, maybe a great President. Let’s face it. Compared to Sanders, Hillary Clinton is cold soup.



http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/25/politics/democratic-convention-dnc-emails-russia/

Sources: US officials warned DNC of hack months before the party acted
By Evan Perez, CNN Justice Correspondent
Updated 6:22 PM ET, Mon July 25, 2016

(CNN)Federal investigators tried to warn the Democratic National Committee about a potential intrusion in their computer network months before the party moved to try to fix the problem, US officials briefed on the probe tell CNN.

The revelation raises questions about whether the DNC could have done more to limit the damage done by hackers suspected of working for Russian intelligence.

The DNC brought in consultants from the private security firm CrowdStrike in April. And by the time suspected Russian hackers were kicked out of the DNC network in June, the hackers had been inside for about a year.

A person briefed on the DNC's response says the warning from the FBI and other agencies wasn't specific, and that the extent of the problem wasn't clear when the initial warnings came. DNC officials hired outside help after additional indications surfaced that their systems were compromised.

The DNC breach occurred around the same time as breaches of US government systems at the State Department and the White House. Analysts from the National Security Agency found signatures in those breaches that led them to suspect there were other intrusions outside the government, including at the DNC.

"I talked to the general counsel of the DNC today and he assures me that every step along the way when we were notified of these issues that we changed systems, changed procedures," said DNC vice chairwoman Donna Brazile to CNN's Wolf Blitzer. "But these hackers are so sophisticated that they changed procedures. So yes, it went on for more than a year, but at no time did we ignore the warning from the FBI or any other federal officials."

Earlier on Monday, the FBI confirmed it was investigating a hack into the DNC, the first acknowledgment from the agency that they are probing the incident, which US officials suspect came from a Russian cyber attack.

Fallout over the emails led DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz to announce her resignation Sunday.

"The FBI is investigating a cyber intrusion involving the DNC and are working to determine the nature and scope of the matter," the agency said in a statement. "A compromise of this nature is something we take very seriously, and the FBI will continue to investigate and hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace."

The suspected Russian hack is part of a wave of Russian cyber attacks aimed at political organizations and academic think tanks in Washington, US officials briefed on the investigations say.

Over the weekend, Wikileaks began publishing emails from the DNC. The group didn't identify the source. But the campaign of presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton pointed the finger at Russia, saying the release of stolen emails was intended to help Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Wasserman Schultz resigning as party leader

The FBI has sent experts to meet with the Republican National Committee, as well as the major campaigns, to discuss their security measures, the officials say. No similar intrusions have so far been detected at the RNC or the campaigns of the two major party candidates, the officials say.

Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" Sunday about that "changes to the Republican platform to make it more pro-Russian," which could provide some of the motive behind the hacks.

"I don't think it's coincidental that these emails were released on the eve of our convention here, and I think that's disturbing," he said.

Trump told The New York Times in an interview last week, that if he's elected the US wouldn't defend NATO allies against Russian aggression if they haven't "fulfilled their obligation to us."

Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., denied that his father's campaign had anything to do with encouraging Russians to hack the DNC.

"I can't think of bigger lies, but that exactly goes to show you what the DNC and what the Clinton camp will do," Trump told Tapper on "State of the Union".

Even before the emails were posted on Wikileaks, the White House convened a security meeting to review what was known, US officials told CNN.

Democrats, including some in Congress, are trying to pressure the White House to publicly name Russia as the perpetrator, in the way the government named North Korea in the Sony hack and China for hacking various US companies. The Obama administration has resisted publicly naming Russia despite evidence gathered by US government investigators showing Russian behind cyber-attacks on U.S. government agencies and even the public release in 2014 of a hacked phone call between US diplomats in Ukraine that was caused embarrassment for the US.

At the State Department Monday, spokesman John Kirby refused to say Russia was responsible, citing the ongoing investigation.

"It goes without saying that issues of cyber security will be a topic of discussion between us and our Russian interlocutors on a continuous basis. I don't have any specific conversations to speak to and nor would I as this matter's under investigation by the FBI," Kirby said. "I think we need to let the FBI do their work before we try to form any conclusions here in terms of what happened and what the motivation was behind it. The FBI's spoken to this. We're going to respect that process."

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James Trainor, assistant director for FBI's cyber division, told CNN in a recent interview that the bureau has been working with political organizations and think tanks to put more resources into the security of their computer networks. He wouldn't discuss the DNC or the role of Russia, but spoke generally about the increased number of such intrusions.

"There's been aggressive targeting of that sector, the various campaigns, think tanks in the Washington, DC area," Trainor said.

The "targeting of any candidate or any party (that) has political intelligence," Trainor said. "There's value in information there if you're a nation state actor, so (it) shouldn't be surprising."

Wasserman Schultz resigning as party leader
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Private-sector cyber security investigators hired by the DNC concluded that hackers working for the Russian government were behind the year-long breach of the DNC. The investigation found intrusions by two Russian hacking groups.

At least one of the DNC intruders is believed to be behind other breaches of non-classified US government systems at the White House, State Department and other agencies, security experts believe, based on an analysis of malicious software in the breaches.

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The FBI and other US agencies involved haven't yet officially attributed the DNC attack to Russian government hackers. But evidence gathered by the FBI so far points to groups that are known to US counter-intelligence for carrying out intrusions for the Russian government, the officials briefed on the probe say.

The release of the emails over the weekend, however, raised new questions among government and private sector security officials.

What was in the DNC email leak?

It's possible that other hackers took advantage of the DNC's vulnerabilities and also stole information, US officials said. But the intrusion so far appears to bear the hallmarks of a Russian intelligence operation.

Foreign spy agencies routinely try to collect information on US elections, and there were some cyber attacks against political campaigns detected during the 2012 election cycle.

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Typically, spy agencies collect such information to try to better inform their governments about US politics. US spy agencies do the same overseas.

Russian spy agencies have published embarrassing information to try to influence political events in countries they consider part of their sphere of influence. But to publicly release vast troves of stolen data to try to influence a US election is beyond the scale of what US counterintelligence officials have seen.

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Whether Russian intelligence agencies provided the stolen information to Wikileaks, either directly or through middlemen, is now a top issue for US investigators to resolve, the US officials briefed on the probe say. The answer won't likely come until well after the election.

The impact of the release of the DNC hacked emails was almost immediate, prompting the ouster of the head of one of the two major political parties.

Since the hackers were in the DNC systems for about a year, US officials expect more data releases.



Excerpts -- “A person briefed on the DNC's response says the warning from the FBI and other agencies wasn't specific, and that the extent of the problem wasn't clear when the initial warnings came. DNC officials hired outside help after additional indications surfaced that their systems were compromised. …. Typically, spy agencies collect such information to try to better inform their governments about US politics. US spy agencies do the same overseas. Russian spy agencies have published embarrassing information to try to influence political events in countries they consider part of their sphere of influence. But to publicly release vast troves of stolen data to try to influence a US election is beyond the scale of what US counterintelligence officials have seen. …. The release of the emails over the weekend, however, raised new questions among government and private sector security officials. What was in the DNC email leak? It's possible that other hackers took advantage of the DNC's vulnerabilities and also stole information, US officials said. …. But the intrusion so far appears to bear the hallmarks of a Russian intelligence operation. The impact of the release of the DNC hacked emails was almost immediate, prompting the ouster of the head of one of the two major political parties. Since the hackers were in the DNC systems for about a year, US officials expect more data releases. …. Typically, spy agencies collect such information to try to better inform their governments about US politics. US spy agencies do the same overseas. Russian spy agencies have published embarrassing information to try to influence political events in countries they consider part of their sphere of influence. But to publicly release vast troves of stolen data to try to influence a US election is beyond the scale of what US counterintelligence officials have seen.”


On the one hand, I’m sorry that our security system is too open to hackers. On the other, I’m so glad that the news came out when it did, just in time to let the public know that the DNC has been very dirty about Sanders and much more. We need a reform of Party control of candidate choice. I’m naïve I suppose, but that’s what I have understood is the purpose of our Primary elections. We developed this system after the horrific 1968 nominations. Now, not surprisingly, we have slid back down this slippery slope to almost the same point again. I hope this Sanders/DNC fiasco will initiate another round of reform. Who knows, perhaps we can get nomination procedures enacted under FEDERAL law. All these issues that are administered at the discretion of state and local governments rather than national, tend to be tainted by classism, racism, money grubbing, and general all round corruption. Tammany Hall, ya know? People who have power over others should likewise be answerable for the things they do. Without that, democracy simply can’t function and, especially, remain free.