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otohara's JournalDU Called Out - Progressive Sites
Digital Reconstruction: Evaluating "Progressive" Websites in the Wake of a Hillary Clinton Nomination
So when Bernie Sanders, a candidate known for his criticism of Barack Obama, chose to run for president, a number of sites jumped onboard his campaign much like several opportunistic critics of the president including Thom Hartmann, Cornel West, and Bill Press had chosen to do. After nearly a year on the campaign trail, the list of sites with a pro-Sanders slant has grown quite long with Salon, The Nation, Huffington Post, Raw Story, AlterNet, US Uncut, Democratic Underground, and Daily Kos remaining the most viable progressive sites to have gone full-in on Sanders' campaign but even neutral sites like Crooks and Liars have allowed themselves to be overrun by Bernie Sanders supporters. For the most part, these sites' pro-Sanders views have caused a self-exodus for the majority of Hillary Clinton supporters but these sites still have had to find ways to deal with some brave stragglers. At Digital Underground, the site has made the most of its "jury system" where pro-Clinton or anti-Sanders articles are randomly censored with no explanation given as to how or why a decision was reached. At Daily Kos, site founder Markos Moulitsas begged his site's community to unite behind Clinton after Super Tuesday. However, after a series of Sanders wins, the site has once again become overwhelmed by Bernie Sanders supporters and Moulitsas seems both unable and unwilling to enforce his plea for fear of losing out on an overwhelming part of his site's audience.
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/main/2016/4/22/digital-reconstruction-evaluating-progressive-sites-in-the-wake-of-a-hillary-clinton-nomination
Texas Democrats defend Julián Castro From You Know
The Texas Democratic Party fired back Tuesday to defend Julián Castro after a number of progressive groups targeted the secretary of housing and urban development's fitness to be on the presidential ticket.
“Julian Castro has been a progressive champion for our families for years," Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement (all emphases in the original). "From championing Pre-K for San Antonio so every child -- even those in the poorest barrios of San Antonio -- can get ahead to passing a non-discrimination ordinance so that every person can feel safe and welcome in their city, Castro has a long-standing and indisputable record of progressive accomplishment."
POLITICO reported Tuesday on a coalition of groups, many of which are supporting Bernie Sanders, launching a preemptive campaign against Castro to disqualify him from consideration as Hillary Clinton's running mate.
“He’s been working hard to revitalize cities across America and making sure everyone has a shot at the American Dream," Hinojosa's statement continued. “Julian’s story and that of his brother Joaquin is a uniquely American story and one we should all be proud of," Hinojosa said, referring to the Castro's brother, who represents Texas' 20th congressional district. "Texas Democrats would be honored to stand by Julian Castro as the next Vice President. Que dios los bendiga.”
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Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/julian-castro-defended-texas-democrats-221846#ixzz461mu1SpB
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Sanders Trails Clinton for Different Reasons Than He Claims
The Democratic candidate cites "conservative" Southern states that vote early as the reason he's trailing.
Bernie Sanders has a problem with the Democratic primary process.
On Comedy Central's "Nightly Show," the Democratic presidential candidate complained that southern states vote early in the calendar, suggesting it as a reason he trails Hillary Clinton in the primary.
"People say, 'Why does Iowa go first, why does New Hampshire go first,' but I think that having so many Southern states go first kind of distorts reality as well," Sanders told Larry Wilmore after he was asked Wednesday if the primary system is rigged. "We started off this campaign having to run in the Deep South," he said. "We didn't do all that well—it's a conservative part of our country. But since we've been out of the South, we're doing pretty well."
It has become a recurring talking point for Sanders. After winning Utah in late March, Sanders told supporters, "We knew from day one that we were going to have, politically, a hard time in the Deep South. That is a conservative part of our country. But we knew things were going to improve as we headed west."
Large victories—first in South Carolina on Feb. 27, then in Texas, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia on March 1—have helped propel Clinton to a lead of about 250 pledged delegates, according to an Associated Press count.
But does Sanders' argument hold up?
http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-04-14/sanders-trails-clinton-for-different-reasons-than-he-claims
Why Obama Will Go Down as One of the Greatest Presidents of All Time (Barack Obama Group)
Already missing our soon-to-be-former POTUS.
something is dawning on us—it’s almost too soon for us to admit, but it’s there, a half-considered thought only now blooming in our brains. Maybe we dismiss it with one of those quick cognitive fly swats. Nah, too early to say or I hate that guy. But the truth is coming, and it sounds like this: Barack Obama will be inducted into the league of Great Presidents.
Wait. One of the Greatest? you ask, your thumb emoticon poised to turn up or down on me. The guy haters love to hate with their very best hate game? Like 20-Dollar Bill great? Like Mount Rushmore great?
Yep. (We just won’t build Mount Rushmores anymore.) In so many ways, Obama was better than we imagined, better than the body politic deserved, and far, far better than his enemies will ever concede, but the great thing about being great is that the verdict of enemies doesn’t matter.
In fact, and I say this as a Bill Clinton fan, I now feel certain that, in the coming decades, Obama’s star will rise higher than Clinton’s, and he’ll replace Bill in the public mind as the Greatest Democrat since FDR.
This has to do with the nature of Obama’s leadership, which is to play to legacy (and Clinton’s impulse, which is to play to the room). Bill Clinton will long be revered because he’s charismatic, presided over an economic revival, and changed and elevated the view of the Democratic Party. Barack Obama will long be revered because he’s charismatic, presided over an economic revival, and changed and elevated the view of the presidency. He’s simply bigger than Bill.
More to the point, Obama’s legacy is the sort that gets canonized. Because the first rule of Hall of Fame-dom: The times have to suck for the president not to. Civil wars, World Wars, depressions and recessions. You got to have ’em if you wanna be great. That’s why we rate the Washingtons, Lincolns, and Roosevelts over That Fat Guy with the Walrus Mustache. Like Obama, these Great Men were dealt sucky hands, won big, and left the country better off than it was before.http://www.gq.com/story/obama-greatest-president-legacy
In Release of Journalists, Both Clintons Had Key Roles NYT's - Laura Ling
WASHINGTON — Former President Bill Clinton left North Korea on Wednesday morning after a dramatic 20-hour visit, in which he won the freedom of two American journalists, opened a diplomatic channel to North Korea’s reclusive government and dined with the North’s ailing leader, Kim Jong-il.
Mr. Clinton departed from Pyongyang, the capital, around 8:30 a.m. local time, along with the journalists, Laura Ling, 32, and Euna Lee, 36, on a private jet bound for Los Angeles, according to a statement from the former president’s office.
The North Korean government, which in June sentenced the women to 12 years of hard labor for illegally entering North Korean territory, announced hours earlier that it had pardoned the women after Mr. Clinton apologized to Mr. Kim for their actions, according to the North Korean state media.
President Obama contacted the families of the women on Tuesday evening, according to administration officials, but the White House said it would withhold public comment until the former president landed on American soil.
Mr. Clinton’s mission to Pyongyang was the most visible by an American in nearly a decade. It came at a time when the United States’ relationship with North Korea had become especially chilled, after North Korea’s test of its second nuclear device in May and a series of missile launchings.
It ended a harrowing ordeal for the two women, who were stopped on March 17 by soldiers near North Korea’s border with China while researching a report about women and human trafficking. They faced years of imprisonment in the gulaglike confines of a North Korean prison camp.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/world/asia/05korea.html?_r=0
Super Delegate Bob Mulholland writes a blistering open letter to Bernie Sanders
Senator Sanders - Stop the Harassing Phone Calls
April 6, 2016
Dear Senator Bernie Sanders
I have heard many complaints from other unbound Delegates to our National Convention in Philadelphia (my hometown), about getting harassing emails, Facebook postings and phone calls, even to one woman at 10:30 at night, from some of your supporters demanding that we support you. We would expect this type of bullying tactics from Trump supporters. Roger Stone threatened on April 5th- he will send angry Trump supporters to the hotel rooms (Cleveland) of any delegates who betrays Donald. Do you have a similar Plan?
I have seen you on TV stating (demanding to many of your supporters) that Superdelegates should vote for the candidate that won their state. Really? Where is that in the National Delegate Plan that former Vermont Governor Howard Dean must vote for you? Congressman Raul Grijalva, a supporter of yours, who represents the 3rd district in Arizona, a state that voted 58% for Clinton and Grijalva's own district voted 61.7% for Clinton has not switched. Where is your letter to Congressman Grijalva, instructing him to shift his support to Clinton? Look in the mirror- you'll see a political hypocrite! From what I hear, Congressman Grijalva, when asked if he is shifting his support to Clinton, his response- drop dead. That is his right- he is a Congressman, thus a delegate.
Society has been trying to deal with High School bullies and the same Rule should apply to your campaign and your supporters. Us active Democrats enjoy healthy discussions and debates at meetings, Caucuses and Conventions but it is unacceptable for us to get harassing communications from bullies. As a Clinton supporter, I have not received harassing phone calls but it does appear women DNC Members are getting the brunt of the threats. Professionally, campaign staff and representatives should be the ones calling delegates. A 12 year old child answering the phone at home should not be hearing threats. https://word-view.officeapps.live.com/wv/mWord.aspx?Fi=SDD4A32C37577B181F%21335&H=emul&C=5_810_BAY-SKY-WAC-WSHI&ui=en-US&rs=en-US&wdo=2&wde=docx&wdp=7&su=-3124605100262483937&ad=en-US&sc=host%3D&cy=canary&ak=t%3D0%26s%3D0%26v%3D%21AIETS4qnv3c9IhA%26aid%3D0a47350e-ab31-4930-8402-7c7e5272f70e%26m%3Den-us&wdMobileHost=2
https://onedrive.live.com/view.aspx?resid=D4A32C37577B181F!335&ithint=file%2cdocx&app=Word&authkey=!AIETS4qnv3c9IhA
Thom Hartmann Can't Understand Backlash
Blames HRC supporters and links to HRC forum.
Now I know where all the twitter attacks are coming from...
http://hillaryclintonsupporters.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=8459 …
https://twitter.com/Thom_Hartmann
BS supporters follow up with the usual comments.
Sorry I don't know how to post pics and he deleted this tweet too.
From the Guys Who Brought You George W. Bush
If the cast of celebrities and surrogates supporting Bernie Sanders looks familiar, it’s because many of them were steadfast cheerleaders for another insurgent candidate: Ralph Nader.
The team that brought you the George W. Bush administration in 2000 has gathered behind a new candidate: Bernie Sanders.
A host of prominent Ralph Nader backers has joined team Sanders in 2016, excited by his message discipline and aggressive fight against the establishment powers that be.
In the Democratic socialist from Vermont, they see a flag-bearer for the same issues while the Democratic establishment views him as a persistent pest who is raking in money by the fistful without a clear and obvious path to the nomination.
And the same way that Nader’s staunchest supporters had no kind words for the eventual nominee then-Vice President Al Gore, some of Sanders’s surrogates are spending their time bashing Hillary Clinton, making it even more difficult for the party faithful to rally around him.
Throughout Nader’s consecutive failed presidential bids, he picked up a cadre of high-profile endorsers ranging from actress Susan Sarandon to academic Cornel West. The rest of the roster backing both men includes actor Danny Glover, former National Nurses United Executive Director RoseAnn DeMoro, musician Ani DiFranco, country singer Willie Nelson, and Ben Cohen, one of the founders of Ben & Jerry’s, just to name a few
“There are some pretty obvious parallels,” Oliver Hall, Nader’s lawyer and long-time friend said in an interview with The Daily Beast.
While the players on the bench supporting these candidates are remarkably similar, so far Sanders hasn’t drawn the collective ire of the Democratic Party quite nearly as much as Nader did. His campaign did not respond to a request for comment from The Daily Beast.
After all, many personally blamed Nader for pulling Democratic votes away from Gore in 2000—ushering in Bush.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/05/bernie-sanders-from-the-guys-who-brought-you-george-w-bush.html?via=desktop&source=twitter
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