Hillary News & Views 2.18: Chicago Rally, White Privilege, "My Uterus is Not a Sentient Being"

[MrWendel]

http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/2/18/1487080/-Hillary-News-Views-2-18-Chicago-Rally-White-Privilege-My-Uterus-is-Not-a-Sentient-Being

By Lysis

Today’s Hillary News & Views begins with coverage of Clinton’s rally in Chicago yesterday.

Politico reports:

The rally quickly took on a solemn tone as the mother of Sandra Bland — a black suburban Chicago woman who was found dead in her jail cell following a traffic stop in Texas — briefly teared up as she spoke of meeting privately with Clinton to talk about her daughter.

“Now this, I know to be true. I was one of those mothers who met with her and was able to make it through,” Geneva Reed Veal said, crying through her words. “She has a plan on gun violence that is like none other. … As Sandra Bland’s mother, I know a little bit of frustration.”

Clinton knew her audience. Chicago has had more than 365 shootings since the beginning of the year, and January saw murders skyrocket. Clinton singled out the names of local children who were killed by gun violence, including the late Hadiya Pendleton.

“Nothing is more precious than a child’s life. While we’re knocking down those barriers, we have to do what we can to protect our children” and some 33,000 others killed each year by guns, she said.

"These stories cannot be ones that just provoke our emotions. They must lead us to action. They must motivate every one of us to take on these issues, reforming police practices and making it as hard as possible where people who get guns who shouldn’t have them in the first place,” Clinton said. “We owe it to the families of young men, like Laquan McDonald, and the other names we know all too well.”

“We have a governor, who I hear is giving his budget address today. This is material for some kind of sitcom. Because he’ll be speaking without a budget” from 2016.

Clinton skewered Rauner, saying he had “refused to take part” in negotiations with Democrats unless his turnaround agenda was advanced.

“His plan would turn Illinois around, all right, all the way back to the robber barons of the 19th century,” she said. She criticized the governor, laying the blame on the Republican for cuts to drug addiction programs as well as to higher education. For his part, Rauner has said he was willing to negotiate with Democrats but would not raise taxes without changes that would boost business and deplete union power.

Clinton ticked off reasons why President Barack Obama was well within his rights to nominate a successor to late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Clinton cited precedent and said the Constitution is clear. She called Republican opposition to the move politically motivated.

“This is pure, naked hostility, and opposition to the president of the United States,” said Clinton, drawing big cheers from the crowd.

(Much more in link)