December 28, 2017


News and Views


CENTER VS LEFT

HOWARD DEAN WANTS TO BE ONE OF THE TOP POWER PLAYERS, AS HE USED TO BE, BUT HE HAS MOVED OVER TO THE CENTER/RIGHT JUST LIKE HILLARY, AND THAT POSITION IS NOT AS POPULAR AMONG THE REAL PEOPLE AS SHE THOUGHT IT WAS. SHE WAS WRONG ABOUT WHAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS AND WANTS. THAT’S REALLY WHY SHE LOST. WE NEED TO JUST DROP THE 2016 ELECTION AND MOVE ON TO MORE FERTILE FIELDS.

DEAN IS RIGHT ON THIS ONE THING, THOUGH: THE GRASSROOTS DEMS ARE NO LONGER DEAD CENTER, BUT HAVE MOVED LEFT. LOOK AT WHAT OCCURRED IN ALABAMA. JONES WAS SPONSORED BY BERNIE SANDERS IN A NEWS STATEMENT NOT LONG AGO. SANDERS HAS BROUGHT MORE THAN A WILD-EYED MOB OF MILLENNIALS WITH HIM. HE BROUGHT A FRESH AND BOLD VIEWPOINT AND THE SIMPLE COURAGE TO STAND UP FOR IT IN UNMISTAKABLE TERMS. IF WE WANT TO BE THAT DEMOCRATIC BOAT, WE’D BETTER GO WITH THE TIDE.

IF DEAN HAD SIMPLY “STUCK TO HIS GUNS” WHEN HE HAD THAT PAINFUL EPISODE SO LONG AGO, RATHER THAN SLINKING AWAY IN EMBARRASSMENT, HE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE REGAINED THE CONFIDENCE OF THE VOTERS, AND PERHAPS WOULD BE UP THERE WITH BERNIE SANDERS RIGHT NOW. HE WAS A VERY POPULAR GUY AT THAT TIME – AN “IDEAS MAN.” HE CALLS HIMSELF A PROGRESSIVE IN THIS ARTICLE, BUT I THINK HE’S BECOME A MODERATE THESE DAYS; AND IN MY BOOK, THAT MEANS A CONSERVATIVE. ROY MOORE ISN’T A CONSERVATIVE. HE’S ALT-RIGHT. THE SPECTRUM HAS SHIFTED IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE. WE DEMS HAVE A SPECTRE TO FACE NOW, AND MANY OF US ARE GOING TO STAND AND FIGHT.

DEAN IS TRYING TO UNSEAT SANDERS FROM HIS POSITION OF INFLUENCE, ALONG WITH TWO OR THREE OTHER DEMS WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT HE WON’T BE ABLE TO DO THAT, I DON’T THINK. BERNIE SANDERS MAY BE IN HIS 70S, BUT HE IS STILL STRONG – NEITHER SENILE, IN POOR HEALTH, AND CERTAINLY NOT A WIMP -- AND THE PEOPLE KNOW THAT. JUST WATCH HIM SPEAK. PEOPLE WANT A LEADER, NOT A COMPROMISER. OUR SITUATION IN THIS COUNTRY AS A DEMOCRACY IS PERILOUS, AND WE REALLY NEED SOMEBODY LIKE HIM WHO ISN’T AFRAID OF THE WORDS, “SOCIAL DEMOCRACY.”

WHY? BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY HAVE CAUGHT ON TO THE IDEA THAT MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, SANDERS CAN WIN AND CAN BRING IN THAT UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE, FREE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION OF SOME GENUINELY ACCEPTABLE SORT AND EVEN THE $15 MINIMUM WAGE. WHILE WE’RE AT IT, WHY NOT A “LIVING WAGE?” HALF A DOZEN STATES HAVE ALREADY ENACTED $15 AN HOUR VOLUNTARILY, AND AS MANY PROSPEROUS EUROPEAN NATIONS HAVE A “GUARANTEED INCOME.” IT JUST MAKES SENSE IN THIS JOBLESS ERA. SANDERS PROPOSED IT STRONGLY AND CLEARLY, NOT LIKE A WIMP, AND SHOWED PEOPLE BY HIS OWN EXAMPLE THAT IMPORTANT IDEAS LIKE THAT CAN, INDEED, FLY AND WIN TODAY. THIS ISN’T ABOUT POLITICAL IDEOLOGY, BUT ABOUT NEED AND FAIRNESS.

FOR INSTANCE, THE AFFORDABLE CARE PLAN HAS HAD ROUGH SPOTS, BUT MANY OF THOSE WHO HAVE HAD HEALTHCARE UNDER OBAMA’S PLAN, AND ESPECIALLY AFTER HAVING HAD NONE AT ALL BEFORE, ARE IN FAVOR OF HAVING IT CONTINUE. THE REASON IS SIMPLE. THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE HABIT LATELY OF GOING TO THE DOCTOR AND GETTING CARE IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT GOING BANKRUPT, AND THEY LIKE THE FEELING.

HILLARY SAID, “WE CAN’T DO THAT – IT WON’T PASS” AND BOTH OBAMA AND BERNIE SAID “OH, YES WE CAN.” BERNIE ALSO MADE CLEAR THAT IF WE REARRANGE OUR FEDERAL FINANCES IN SUCH A WAY AS TO MAKE THE 1% PAY UP, AND STOP GIVING THAT CORPORATE WELFARE AWAY TO PEOPLE WHO OBVIOUSLY DON’T NEED ANY HELP, IT WILL BE BOTH FISCALLY “RESPONSIBLE” AND “SANE.” SANDERS ISN’T INSANE. HE’S JUST ENLIGHTENED AND BOLD.

THIS REPUBLICAN LINE THAT “TAX CUTS PAY FOR THEMSELVES” – PUREST BILGEWATER -- IS NO LONGER BEING BELIEVED OUTSIDE THE DNC AND THE RNC. BOTH PARTIES ARE RUNNING INTO TROUBLE WITH THEIR OWN MEMBERS OF LESSER WEALTH AND RANK. IN 2016, SANDERS SAID TO HIS PEOPLE AROUND THE COUNTRY, “RUN FOR OFFICE – ANY OFFICE.” SOUNDS NUTTY? NOT REALLY. THE WAVE OF BLUE THAT WE ARE SEEING IS BECAUSE PROGRESSIVE AFTER PROGRESSIVE HAVE STEPPED FORWARD TO GIVE IT A TRY. THE RESULT IS NOT BLACK MAGIC OR CHEATING. IT’S GOOD MATHEMATICS. AFTER A LITTLE LONGER THAN ONE YEAR, THE NATURE OF POLITICS IS ALREADY CHANGING APPRECIABLY. SANDERS ISN’T LOONY TUNES. HE’S SAVVY, CREATIVE AND BOLD. HE’S A LEADER.

AS YOU MAY BE ABLE TO TELL, I’M ANNOYED WITH HOWARD DEAN. THE SANDERS PROGRESSIVES “TAKING OVER THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY?” YOU BETCHA. IN FACT, THEY ARE REBUILDING IT, USING NEW FACES, AND THE OLD CLASSIC NEW DEAL DEMOCRATIC VIEWPOINTS. DOWN WITH CORPORATIST DEMOCRATS. THERE IS A REAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MIDDLE OF THE ROAD OR RIGHT-LEANING DEMS, AND PROGRESSIVE DEMS. WE PROGRESSIVES STAND FOR BOTH AN OPENING OF THE DOORS TO THE PARTY, AND A TOTAL REFUSAL TO BACKTRACK ON SOCIAL ISSUES SUCH AS HUMAN RIGHTS. THAT’S HOW WE WILL KEEP THE TRUST OF THE WORKING CLASSES. GO, BERNIE !!!

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/howard-dean-my-generation-needs-to-get-the-hell-out-of-politics/
Howard Dean: ‘My Generation Needs to Get the Hell Out of Politics’
by Lawrence Bonk | 9:36 am, December 28th, 2017

Howard Dean, former DNC chair and guy whose presidential campaign was ruined because he got excited once, was on Morning Joe today, to talk President Donald Trump and the future of progressive politics, particularly in the 2018 midterm elections.

He talked of the coming “blue wave,” as expected, but also made an interesting point about the shifting demographics of the Democratic party.

“I actually think the progressives are in the process of informally taking over the Democratic party,” he said. “I think the country has moved to the left. It’s shocking to me, but a majority of Americans think Medicare for all is a good idea.”

Dean gave Sen. Bernie Sanders much of the credit for boosting the idea of universal healthcare, but stopped short of saying he should be the party’s nominee 2020. Why? He’s too old, as is Dean himself.

“I’m very much for someone who is younger. I think my generation needs to get the hell out of politics,” he said. “Start coaching and start moving up this next generation who are more, I think, fiscally sane.”

“Neither Republicans or Democrats can claim they are fiscally responsible anymore.”

The former Vermont governor continued to pile on his fellow boomers, saying “This young generation is going to pay for that if we don’t get the hell out of the way and have somebody who is 50 running the country.”

Guest host Willie Geist suggested that would rule out Joe Biden, who is 75, and Dean consented, noting that he would “be supporting someone who is younger, in the next generation.”

So who is on Dean’s list of “terrific” potential 2020 candidates? He named Sen. Chris Murphy, Sen. Kamala Harris and, even, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, among others, citing that he “would not be surprised if there are 17 people running.” Yikes.

[image via screenshot]

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HERE IS ANOTHER CASE OF DEMOCRATIC IDEAS BEING WINNERS. DEMS HAVEN’T REALLY TRIED HARD ENOUGH TO WIN IN SO LONG THAT THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN HOW. I HAD ALL BUT GIVEN UP ON THE PARTY. ALL DEMS SHOULD GIVE BERNIE SANDERS A ROUSING “HIP-HIP-HOORAY!” FOR JUST WAKING THE PARTY UP FROM IT’S 20 YEAR LONG SLEEP. SUDDENLY WE HAVE AWAKENED, AND A NEO-NAZI IS IN THE PRESIDENCY. OH, DEAR, OH DEAR, HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT THOSE ENERGIZED NEW DEMOCRATS ARE STEPPING UP TO BAT NOW, AND GUESS WHAT! THEY’RE WINNING!

http://time.com/5080986/roy-moore-lawsuit-alabama-senate-election-fraud/
POLITICS ALABAMA
Doug Jones Declared Winner as Judge Rejects Roy Moore Lawsuit
By KIM CHANDLER / AP Updated: December 28, 2017 2:39 PM ET

(MONTGOMERY, Ala.) — Democrat Doug Jones’ historic victory over Republican Roy Moore was declared official Thursday as Alabama election officials certified him the winner of the special Senate election earlier this month, despite claims of voter irregularities from his opponent.

Jones says his victory marks a “new chapter for our state and the nation” and said he is looking forward to “going to work for the people of Alabama.”

Jones defeated Moore on Dec. 12 by about 22,000 votes in a stunning victory in a deeply red state. It was the first Democratic Senate victory in a quarter-century in Alabama. Moore was dogged by accusations of sexual misconduct involving teenage girls that occurred decades ago.

The state’s former chief justice refused to concede and even filed a last-ditch lawsuit hours before the certification, but a judge rejected his claims. Alabama election officials also found no evidence of voting irregularities.

A spokesman for Jones earlier called Moore’s lawsuit a “desperate attempt … to subvert the will of the people.”

“The election is over. It’s time to move on,” Sam Coleman wrote in an email.

Jones will be sworn in on Jan. 3, narrowing the GOP’s advantage in the U.S. Senate to 51-49. He takes over the seat previously held by Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The term expires in January 2021.

Jones is a former U.S. attorney best known for prosecuting two Ku Klux Klansmen responsible for Birmingham’s infamous 1963 church bombing.

Moore’s campaign was deeply wounded by the sexual misconduct accusations. Moore denied the accusations and said in the lawsuit that he had passed a polygraph test to prove they are false.

Moore’s attorney wrote in the wide-ranging complaint that he believed there were irregularities during the election, including that voters may have been brought in from other states. He attached a statement from a poll worker that she had noticed licenses from Georgia and North Carolina as people signed in to vote.

The complaint also noted the higher-than-expected turnout in the race, particularly in Jefferson County, and said Moore’s numbers were suspiciously lower than straight-ticket Republican voting in about 20 Jefferson County precincts. The complaint asked for a fraud investigation and eventually a new election.

“This is not a Republican or Democrat issue as election integrity should matter to everyone,” Moore said in a statement Wednesday.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill said he had not found any evidence of voter fraud, but that his office will investigate any complaint Moore submits.

Rick Hasen, an election law expert and professor at the University of California, Irvine, said Moore’s complaint did not raise the sort of issues that lead courts to overturn an election. He said Moore’s complaint might just be a way for him to fundraise and throw “red meat to his loyal supporters.”

Moore has sent several fundraising emails to supporters asking for donations to investigate claims of voter fraud.