January 19, 2016

Both Clintons are wrong. The CFMA was highly instrumental in near economic collapse

of several nations in 2008. Gramm, Leach, Blilely, aka repeal of Glass Steagall, also played a role. Both were lobbied for by the Clinton White House so that Clinton could later claim a so-called "veto proof majority." Bill refuses to take responsibility, which usually works for him.

Sanders voted against Gramm, Leach Bliley. When he voted for the CFMA in the House, the language that caused the problems in the economy was not in the bill. That language was added later, in a Senate compromise. Ultimate, the bill was wrapped into several appropriations bills, totaling 11,000 pages and rammed through.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12778045

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1277&pid=9158

Democratic members of Congress later described a period in late September through early October during which they were excluded from negotiations over reconciling the three committee versions of H.R. 4541, followed by involvement in reaching an acceptable compromise that left some Republicans unhappy with the final version of the bill and some Democrats upset over the "process", particularly the involvement of Sen. Gramm and House Republican leadership in the negotiations.[58] Despite indications no agreement would be reached, on October 19, 2000, the White House announced its "strong support" for the version of H.R. 4541 scheduled to reach the House Floor that day.[59] The House approved H.R. 4541 in a 377-4 vote.[60]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_Futures_Modernization_Act_of_2000 (The entire wiki is instructive.)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-blumenthal/how-congress-rushed-a-bil_b_181926.html (2009 article)

January 15, 2016

While a Senator, she had zero success working with Republicans to get bills she wrote passed,

except for strictly ceremonial bills, such as re-naming a post office, remembering Harriet Tubman's birthday and remembering the anniversary of the American Revolution. She could not even get her two unconstitutional flag desecration bills passed.Since then, she has been gratuitously disrespectful to Republicans, calling them the enemy of which she is most proud and acting a certain way during the Benghazi hearings. (For that matter, she could not even get Billarycare through a Democratic Congress when her husband was head of the Democratic Party.)

Contradistinctively, Bernie and McCain worked on a veterans' bill that passed. The Brookings Institute made a case study in working across the aisle. http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/07/how-bernie-sanders-fought-for-our-veterans-119708 See also, http://www.nationaljournal.com/s/71225/bernie-sanders-is-loud-stubborn-socialist-republicans-like-him-anyway

Your turn: you tell me what evidence you have that Hillary can get things done with Republicans better than Bernie can.

January 8, 2016

It's been a while since my last Host/Group Appreciation Thread.

Once again, I thank the outstanding hosts of this group, living and dead, active, AWOL and otherwise occupied.

1 Autumn (head host and doing a great job)
2 Puglover (doing a great job)
3 smokey nj (doing a great job)
4 woo me with science (AwayWithout Leave and greatly missed)
5 hootinholler (doing a great job)
6 wakemeupwhenitsover (doing a great job)
7 Jackpine Radical (mourned greatly)
8 QC (doing a great job)
9 marym625 (doing a great job administering Jackpineradicals.org)
10 Prism (doing a great job)

You do an outstanding job and I/we really appreciate it.

Thanks too, to my fellow supporters of Bernie Sanders. Keep volunteering for Bernie, keep donating through OS's actblue link, here or at Jackpineradical.org and keep standing up for yourselves and for each other.

I love you.

December 28, 2015

The simple truth: The people with lots of money don't want leftist government.

The people with money control the media and a number of other things that the 99% don't control, which things are very useful in winning elections and controlling politicians.

Unless and until you find a way impact the prior two sentences, the transfer of wealth to the top 10% will continue.

December 21, 2015

Question submitted by merrily

December 19, 2015

TWm Testing, one, two, three. Testing, one, two, three.

I, for one, am downright thrilled about the tombstoning of one MannyGoldstein.

While I have a secret crush on his cousin, Third Way Manny, I have always found MannyGoldstein repugnant. He was outspoken, often sarcastic and uber, far, far left, radical liberal. I had nothing in common with him at all.

Third Way Manny, on the other hand, was plain spoken, meant what he said and had his heart in the right place--right at the DNC--and I do mean right. The exception, of course, was when it was at the Brooklyn, NY headquarters of the Hillary campaign (genuflects). I hope we hear from TWM, even though his disagreeable cousin, MannyGoldstein is gone (and may I add, good riddance!).

If I do get wind of anything from Third Way Manny, I'll keep you all posted, so to speak.



Third Way merrily (aka TWm)

December 19, 2015

"Reputational injury" So much for the lies that Sanders admitted wrongdoing.

If the Sanders' campaign had admitted wrongdoing, then a court would consider true a claim that the Sanders campaign had been guilty of wrongdoing. Telling the truth about the Sanders' campaign is not the basis for a claim for "reputational injury" in a lawsuit by the Sanders. Making that claim in court would be considered "frivolous." The court could fine both the Sanders campaign and its attorney for raising a frivolous claim in court.

December 18, 2015

Can't say for sure, but I doubt marym625 is more concerned with Sanders than with your rights.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1251&pid=908415

I can't speak with certitude about mary or manny or anyone else. However, I know I personally am not for Sanders first and human rights issues later. Rather, I am for Sanders because of his stands on human rights issues first and foremost, but also because of his stands other issues.

Bernie Sanders took the stands he took when they were very unpopular and might have cost him something--took them because he believed in them, not because they were polling well. That is what triangulation is about--taking a mid point between the Republican position and a center left Democratic position for the purpose of getting yourself elected and re-elected. Its not about fighting for what is best for Americans and America.

The very reason the the DLC came into existence in the first place was that Reagan had won, not that the DLC had some vision for Americans and America. Al From, DLC founder, approached Clinton with "I have a plan that I believe would make you President," not with, "How would you like to do great things for your fellow Americans?"

I have zero desire to vote for someone's personal ambition to be elected and re-elected. I am voting for a set of principles. While Bernie Sanders has not always fought for every one of the principles that comprise my ideal set, he is about principles and not about his personal well-being and ambition. Maybe he is not perfect in that respect either, but he sure comes a heck of a lot closer to it than either of the triangulating Clintons.

December 17, 2015

Okay, Bernie Supporters, I promise not to tell anyone. Just whisper in my ear.

How did we and our fellow Bernie supporters who do not post at DU manage to get control of the internet?

Apparently, Bernie supporters on and off DU are the only ones who have had access to the internet during the last several months.

I am the first to admit I am no whiz when it comes to things like this. How did we manage it? Did you all take up a collection without including me and hire Anonymous to pull this off?

December 12, 2015

Three major neworks, one of which owns MSNBC, colluding. That's a lot of sponsors.

NPR and PBS haven't exactly been all over Bernie, either. NPR said they would cover him when something newsworthy happened.

Here's a man running on small donations who, before his run for POTUS remained independent so that he would not have to be beholden to donors. That's a sea change, but apparently not newsworthy. Here's a man running on free education at public institutions of higher learning, also a sea change. Here's a man who walks picket lines while running for President. Here's a man who, while being shunned by the the Party, media, etc. draws in overflow alone numbers other candidates can only dream of. Nothing newsworthy, my a$$.