Clinton, pivoting to the general, sees boost in fundraising

San Francisco (CNN)Hillary Clinton’s pivot to the general election has been good for her campaign bank account.

Clinton-headlined fundraisers have brought in close to $34 million this month, according to a CNN estimate based on ticket prices and attendance numbers provided by the Clinton campaign.

Clinton has headlined 18 fundraisers in eight states, including four Tuesday in Colorado and California that raised more than $4 million dollars.

This fundraising haul, which does not include money raised online and in fundraisers headlined by other Clinton surrogates, puts the former secretary of state’s campaign on track to raise more than what she has raised in other months this year.

The reason is two-fold: Clinton, dispatching with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders earlier this month, is now fundraising for the general election, meaning donors who maxed out their primary contributions with a $2,700 donation are now able to donate up to another $2,700. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/292QR2c
via IFTTT

Democrats: Where was sponsor Sen. Blunt during Zika negotiations?

WASHINGTON The Missouri Democratic Party on Wednesday increased attacks on Republican Sen. Roy Blunt over the failure of a $1.1 billion bill he’d helped craft to combat the Zika virus.

Blunt is in a tighter-than-expected fight to defend his Senate seat against Democratic Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander, and the state’s Democrats were quick to implicate Blunt in the implosion of bipartisan talks on the Zika bill.

They accused him of skipping out on negotiations to attend two fundraisers the same night that Republicans filed a final version of the bill.

That version included provisions that Senate Democrats said they couldn’t support, including language that would impose restrictions on Zika funds going to Planned Parenthood, soften regulations on pesticide use and cut funds for Obamacare and Ebola research.

Democrats in the Senate voted to block the final bill Tuesday, effectively ending hope that Congress would allocate money for Zika prevention or research before the height of mosquito season. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/292QLYk
via IFTTT

Obama and Sanders battle over TPP and the Democratic platform

As he faced the press in Ottawa today, flanked by other leaders of NAFTA signatories, President Obama argued that both the right and left were misleading people about the challenges of global trade. It was true, he said that workers left out of economic growth were growing angrier. As they did so, “the social cohesion and political consensus needed for liberal market economies starts breaking down,” as seen in the Brexit vote. But their anger was being misdirected.

“The prescription of withdrawing from trade deals and focusing solely on your local market, that’s the wrong medicine,” he said. “You are right to be concerned about the trends, but what you’re prescribing will not work.”

There was no mystery about who on the right and left Obama was talking to. At a rally in Pennsylvania, Donald Trump said that the president and presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton were wrong to back the Trans Pacific Partnership. In an op-ed published in today’s New York Times, Sen. Bernie Sanders told readers that Trump was wrong about the solution but right about the threat. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/292Rg4S
via IFTTT

Wright Still Not Conceding Democratic Primary to Succeed Rangel in Congress

Keith Wright still isn’t conceding the primary race to succeed Congressman Charles Rangel despite Adriano Espaillat holding a seemingly insurmountable lead. But as NY1’s Bobby Cuza explains, there are signs of party unity.

Tuesday night, Keith Wright said, “This ain’t over. Every vote’s going to be counted.”

Officially, Wright is still not throwing in the towel. He made no public statements Wednesday, instead leaving the talking to campaign advisors.

“This is a very difficult decision on how to proceed,” said Wright campaign strategist Charlie King. “It’s a razor-thin race. He spent 13 months of his life working for this. And you want to make sure that every vote is counted.”

But after a race marred by personal attacks in its final days, the bitterness appears to be easing, perhaps helped along by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who reached out to both camps in an effort to broker a peace.

“We need to have a climate of coming together, and not of acrimony and rancor that pits communities against communities inside the district,” Sharpton said.

While Sharpton did not endorse Wright or any other candidate in this race, he did speak out forcefully here last weekend after Espaillat supporters circulated a memo that made reference to suppressing the African-American vote. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/29aQGpf
via IFTTT

Democratic Leaders Rally At San Francisco General For Gun Control

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Building on a sit-in staged by House Democrats in the nation’s capitol last week, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and members of the Bay Area congressional delegation Wednesday gathered in San Francisco to call for House Republicans to allow a vote on gun control bills.

The rally at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Wednesday afternoon brought Pelosi and U.S. Reps. Barbara Lee, Mike Thompson, Mike Honda and Eric Swalwell together with gun control advocates, gun violence survivors and local leaders as part of a national day of action on gun violence prevention.

The event is one of many held around the country today calling for a vote on federal bills that would expand background check requirements for gun purchases and prohibit those on the federal “no fly” list from buying guns, according to event organizers. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/292QNiN
via IFTTT

Bernie’s win on the Democratic platform, lefties for Brexit, and other notable commentary

City Hall preview: Is Quinn the One to Beat?

She’s taken no overt steps to prepare a candidacy, but Eddie Borges in Crain’s New York suggests former Council Speaker Christine Quinn may be Mayor de Blasio’s strongest possible challenger next year. “With the passage of time and de Blasio’s fund-raising under investigation, Quinn’s close relationship with [former Mayor Mike] Bloomberg would presumably not hurt her candidacy, the way it did in 2013.” And while her mentor, Gov. Cuomo, has been making quiet moves for Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, “that could be a Machiavellian move that helps Quinn by peeling off Puerto Rican and Dominican support from de Blasio.” Asked if she’s prepared to run again, one unnamed senior Quinn advisor said, “Absolutely!”

Crunching numbers: US Safety Net Isn’t Shrinking

Forget the rhetoric about how GOP budget cuts are shrinking the safety net for those who rely on government benefits. A new Manhattan Institute study shows the opposite is true: According to Senior Fellow Oren Cass, “America’s safety net is thicker and wider than ever. It costs twice what it did at the time of welfare reform [in 1994] and reaches tens of millions more people.” In fact, “rapid growth in other forms of cash support — the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit — increased by $58 billion.” Yes, there has been a reduction in cash assistance to “able-bodied, non-working adults,” but this has been “an effort to more effectively fight poverty.” For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/29eWywQ
via IFTTT

Hillary Clinton Clears a Few Hurdles–Mostly–Ahead of Democratic Convention

Six weeks ago, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton faced a summer that looked to be dominated by news of a Federal Bureau of Investigation of her handling of classified material, a civil lawsuit in which she and her aides were likely to be called to testify, a looming report about her culpability in preventing a terrorist attack, and a government-watchdog investigation on her email practices.

Today, several of those key challenges are mostly behind her as she is set to become the Democratic nominee for president at the party’s convention in Philadelphia in late July.

On Tuesday, the House Benghazi Committee released its long-awaited report on the 2012 terrorist attacks on two American facilities in Libya, faulting Mrs. Clinton and the Obama administration for their failure not to recognize the deteriorating security situation in the country. But the report did not fundamentally change the understanding of the attack, and did not point to any specific wrongdoing by Mrs. Clinton. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/29eWpd4
via IFTTT

Progressive Icon Zephyr Teachout Wins Democratic Primary In New York

Zephyr Teachout on Tuesday breezed to victory in the Democratic primary for New York’s 19th Congressional District, setting the stage for a November face-off against John Faso, a Republican and former member of the New York state Assembly.

“I am running for Congress to break down those doors in Washington, D.C.; the doors that are keeping the people of America — the real people, the citizens of America — locked out,” Teachout said in an email to supporters after her win. “I’ve been fighting well-paid lobbyists on behalf of working families my entire life. I will fight until we win — for the people of NY 19. For the American people.”

Teachout is one of the top progressive recruits in the 2016 field, a law professor who specializes in the study of corruption and corporate power. Teachout’s campaign has focused on money in politics, denouncing the ease with which big business is able to distort both consumer markets and the political process. She garnered national attention with her 2014 primary challenge to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), a race in which she secured over a third of the vote with a shoestring operation. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/294VzCF
via IFTTT

Misty Snow Makes History By Winnning Democratic Nomination For U.S. Senate

Utah Democrats have chosen Misty Snow as their nominee to challenge Republican Senator Mike Lee. With the win, Snow becomes the first transgender person to be nominated by a major political party for a U.S. Senate Seat.

The results from Tuesday’s primary election show Misty Snow winning the race by nearly 20%. Snow is a first-time candidate with no previous political experience, but her message resonated with the more progressive side of the party.

“I feel pretty good,” she says. “You know, once we got out of convention we were expecting to win just ‘cause my opponent He’s a self-described conservative in a Democratic primary which, you know, that’s not going to help you much For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/29eWCge
via IFTTT

Democratic lawmakers plan gun control sit-in in Providence

Democratic lawmakers across the country are planning to continue their protests for better gun control in a series of local sit-ins Wednesday.

The protests are a part of what’s being called a “National Day of Action” to continue the discussion of tough gun control legislation during the congressional summer recess.

Both Congressmen David Cincilline and Jim Langevin will hold a local sit-in at the Providence Public Safety Complex at 3 p.m.

The protests come one week after dozens of Democrats gathered in the House of Representatives and sat on the ground refusing to go to recess unless more gun legislation was passed. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/29eWHkb
via IFTTT

Elizabeth Warren Campaigns With Hillary Clinton, Goes After Donald Trump

There was a time when it wasn’t even clear Sen. Elizabeth Warren would endorse Hillary Clinton. That time has passed.

As they took the stage together Monday in Cincinnati, the two politicians locked arms, waved (the old half hug-half wave move) and smiled widely. Warren is among the names buzzed about as a possible pick for vice president on a Clinton ticket. Any questions about chemistry were answered today.

“I’m here today, because I’m with her, yes her,” Warren said, alluding to a popular slogan of support for Clinton, to roaring applause from a capacity crowd at the Union Terminal.

Clinton, though, said she wouldn’t be “making any news today” when asked whether she would consider Warren for VP. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/2992U3W
via IFTTT

First Read: A Democratic Wave Isn’t Coming — at Least Not Yet

A Democratic wave isn’t coming — at least not yet

Four months to go until Election Day 2016, and Hillary Clinton holds the early advantage in the presidential race. Our national NBC/WSJ poll shows her ahead of Donald trump by five points; the Washington Post/ABC poll has up 12; and this morning’s NBC|SurveyMonkey online tracking poll shows her leading by eight, Clinton’s largest advantage in that survey. So that’s the good news for Democrats. The bad news? It doesn’t look like that advantage is translating into the building of a significant wave — at least not yet, according to our NBC/WSJ poll. On a generic presidential ballot, 45% of voters prefer a Democrat to win the White House, versus 42% who want a Republican. (At this same time in 2008, by comparison, Democrats held a 16-point edge on this question, 51%-35%.) What’s more, voters are split, 46%-46% over which party they’d prefer to control Congress. (It was 52% Democrat, 33% Republican in June 2008, though 45%-44% in June 2012.) So best-case scenario for Democrats, per our poll, is that 2016 is shaping up to look more like 2012 (when Democrats won a handful of House and Senate seats) than 2008 (when they routed Republicans up and down the ballot). And consider these final numbers from the NBC/WSJ poll: By a 40%-16% margin, voters say they’d be less inclined to back a Republican who endorses Trump. And the margin isn’t that different for a Democrat who endorses Clinton — 32% less inclined, 15% more inclined. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/291Wr6U
via IFTTT

Senator Elizabeth Warren is Being Vetted for Hillary Clinton’s Vice President Pick

Senator Elizabeth Warren is being formally vetted as a possible vice presidential pick for the presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. If chosen, this would be the first time in history two women would run together as a major party’s presidential and vice presidential nominees.

“I got into this race because I wanted to even the odds for people who have the odds stacked against them,” Hillary Clinton said during a joint campaign event on Monday in Cincinnati. “To build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top, we have got to go big and we have got to go bold.”

Today was the first time the two Democrats have campaigned together onstage. But one thing is for certain: both are united against the common enemy, presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump.

The prominent Democratic Senator from Massachusetts ignited a feud with Trump in May, calling him out for his “racism, sexism and xenophobia.” Recently she called him a “small, insecure money grubber” who would “crush [people] into the dirt.” Obviously you can see whose side she’s on. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/2992MkJ
via IFTTT

Hillary Clinton’s email story continues to get harder and harder to believe

On Monday night, the Associated Press published a piece noting the release of an additional 165 pages of emails Hillary Clinton sent from her private email address while serving as secretary of state. These were emails that had never been previously released and only were made public because of a court order in response to a request from a conservative group.

And  yet again, the emails poke holes in Clinton’s initial explanation for why she decided to exclusively use a private email server for her electronic correspondence while serving as the nation’s top diplomat.

Let’s start with this from the AP story: “The emails were not among the 55,000 pages of work-related messages that Clinton turned over to the agency in response to public records lawsuits seeking copies of her official correspondence.” For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/2992XwB
via IFTTT

Hillary Clinton celebrates Supreme Court abortion ruling as “victory for women across America”

Hillary Clinton is cheering the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday to strike down a Texas law that would have curbed abortion access in the state, arguing the Texas law risked ending “every woman’s right to safe, legal abortion, no matter where she lives.”

Clinton has been an advocate for abortion rights since her earliest days in politics, and has become a target for pro-life groups who fear the expansion of abortion access under another Democratic presidency. Indeed, Clinton has not just defended the status quo of abortion rights, but also called for repealing the Hyde amendment, which would allow low-income women to use federal funds for abortion under Medicaid.

She doubled down on her firmly pro-choice stance in response to the court’s ruling inWhole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.

“We need a president who will defend women’s health and rights and appoint Supreme Court justices who recognize Roe v. Wade as settled law,” Clinton said in a press statement. “We must continue to protect access to safe and legal abortion — not just on paper, but in reality.” For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/291WqQp
via IFTTT

Donald Trump Slips Further Behind Hillary Clinton in New Polls

Weeks of provocative and outlandish behavior have hurt Donald J. Trump’s standing in two new national polls of registered voters, which showed the presumptive Republican presidential nominee falling further behind Hillary Clinton.

A Washington Post-ABC News survey had Mrs. Clinton with a double-digit lead: 51 percent to 39 percent.

A Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll had Mrs. Clinton with a smaller advantage of five percentage points.

Both polls, released on Sunday, showed Mr. Trump in worse shape than he had been a month ago, as voters in the latest polls expressed doubts about his preparedness and qualifications to lead the nation.

Nearly two in three Americans say they think Mr. Trump is unqualified to be president and are anxious about the idea of him in the White House, the Post-ABC poll found. In contrast, 61 percent think Mrs. Clinton is qualified.

Mr. Trump is coming off two particularly damaging weeks for his campaign — a period in which he personally attacked a Mexican-American judge hearing a lawsuit against Trump University, gloated about predicting attacks like the Orlando massacre that left 49 dead, and fired his embattled campaign manager. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28YOCQw
via IFTTT

Meet the man who sparked the Democratic revolt on guns

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) was at his college reunion in Massachusetts when he heard the devastating death toll from Orlando. Forty-nine people.

He recalled immediately dreading the moments of silence, the calls to action and the “thoughts and prayers” he knew would follow, and decided then he wouldn’t let the nation’s deadliest mass shooting pass by without a real debate in Congress. “I just couldn’t do it again. I just couldn’t live through that same script again,” Murphy said.

Three days later, Murphy launched a 15-hour filibuster that spurred an emotional debate on gun laws in both chambers of Congress — and nationwide — for nearly 10 days.

House Democrats said Murphy’s move directly led to their unprecedented 25-hour “sit-in” protest that included 170 members — a show of support from the party for gun control that would have been unimaginable even before the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in 2012.

Days after Murphy’s stand, GOP leaders agreed to hold votes on bills to prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms. One of those bills, a compromise from a moderate Republican, earned support from eight Republicans from states like Arizona, Tennessee and South Carolina.  For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28YO5ya
via IFTTT

How The Democratic Convention Will Boost Philadelphia’s Economy

What is the real economic impact of national party conventions? For every Presidential election cycle cities woo the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee to bring their quadrennial confabs (and dollars) to town. But do the promises hold true?

We will find out when the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC) rolls into Philadelphia next month. This convention promises to be an even larger revenue producer since the Republican National Convention in 2000, with an economic multiplier effect five times greater – and providing a much larger economic punch than last September’s historic visit by Pope Francis.

The City of Philadelphia and DNC officials estimate an influx of $350 million for the area, but that figure is exaggerated – it will be lowered after the fact, just as Charlotte’s and Denver’s estimates were wildly off target. City officials always try to sell the economic impact package to their taxpaying constituents and the local business community with larger estimated numbers than actual numbers.

This year, the DNC should boost the gross regional product in the Delaware Valley by at least $130 million from the lead-up to the convention to after it ends on July 28. Both retail and wholesale merchandise, hospitality, food and liquor, lodging, transportation will all benefit, but not at the projected levels given by the DNC committee or the City. What will be more difficult to measure is the positive long term economic impact years after the DNC has left the City, and the presumed enhancement of Philadelphia’s reputation and image. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/29gEzoz
via IFTTT

GOP Response To Democratic Sit-In Shows Paul Ryan Is Not A Political Savior

As I posted two weeks ago, Paul Ryan (R-WI) has already shown that he’s not the great legislator many people thought he would be when he replaced John Boehner (R-OH) as speaker of the House of Representatives and promised something new. In his eight months on the job Ryan has been as incapable as Boehner was in dealing with the various factions in the Republican caucus and getting things done.

The result has been “regular disorder” rather than the regular order Ryan promised when he ascended to the Iron Throne in the House.

There had been some hope that Ryan’s problems within his own party would lead him to become some kind of statesman who would consider compromising. That would make him a political savior  who could end the political warfare that has frozen Washingtonover much of the past two decades.

But Ryan clearly demonstrated last week that those hopes were wrong. Rather than the political messiah, he is nothing more than a speaker who can’t or won’t respond to a difficult situation in anything but an extreme one-sided manner that sabotages all efforts at bipartisanship. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/29gEiC1
via IFTTT

Sanders vows to continue Democratic platform fight

Washington (CNN)Bernie Sanders claimed some “very, very important victories” in the initial draft of the Democratic platform — but vowed to continue fighting for the inclusion of progressive causes.

Sanders, who has yet to officially suspend his Democratic presidential campaign, said he’ll continue pressing for the policies that animated his failed presidential bid before the party’s 2016 platform is locked in at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia next month.

“We lost some very important fights,” Sanders told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.” “We’re going to take that fight to Orlando, where the entire committee meets in two weeks. And if we don’t succeed there, then we’ll certainly take it to the floor of the Democratic convention.”

Sanders press secretary exists campaign

Sanders’ victories in the platform include a $15-an-hour minimum wage, efforts to curb “Wall Street greed” and hiking taxes on multi-millionaires. But it does not line up with Sanders’ positions on trade, a carbon tax and a Medicare-for-all single-payer health insurance system.

“We have made some good gains,” Sanders said. “We have more to do.” For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/29gEnFU
via IFTTT

56 Successful Business Leaders, Including Republicans, Now Back Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump likes to promote himself as a rich, successful businessman — but it’s increasingly clear the many of the country’s richest, most successful businessmen and women don’t see him that way. On Thursday, the Hillary Clinton campaign put out a list of more than 50 business leaders who are officially endorsing her.

More astonishingly, the list contains a number of executives who have previously endorsed and even worked for GOP candidates. Several expressed concerns that a Trump presidency would imperil the country.

“I’ve supported every Republican Presidential candidate since 1976, and was honored to work for two of them,” said Jim Cicconi, senior executive vice president of AT&T Services, Inc., in a statement released by the Clinton campaign. “But this year I think it’s vital to put our country’s wellbeing ahead of party. Hillary Clinton is experienced, qualified, and will make a fine President. The alternative, I fear, would set our Nation on a very dark path.” For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28Q9ubv
via IFTTT

Bernie Sanders vows to continue campaign, even though Hillary Clinton will likely win Democratic nomination: ‘We’ve got to keep the vision of transforming this country’

Donkeys painted for Democratic National Convention

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — They’ve begun painting the donkeys in Philadelphia.

Fifty-seven fiberglass donkeys representing the delegations to the Democratic National Convention are being painted with iconic images and will be placed on display starting July 1 at city landmarks.

Twenty-eight artists were selected to custom-design each donkey, symbol of the Democratic Party.

They were given six symbols to inspire each work.

The donkeys will stand in for each state, territory and Washington, D.C. The Pennsylvania donkey features the Liberty Bell and the state bird, flag, flower, and coat of arms. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28Q9t7q
via IFTTT

Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump: Your Thursday Evening Briefing

In New York Speech, Sanders Eyes Democratic Party Reform

As Bernie Sanders continues to remind us, he’s still in the running for the Democratic nomination. And although he admitted on Wednesday that it “doesn’t appear” he’s going to be the nominee, he’s refusing to fade quietly into the background. He said as much during a speech to supporters in New York on Thursday evening titled “Where We Go From Here,” which in many ways echoed the one he gave via live webcam last week.

“Election days come and go, but what is much more important is that political and social revolutions continue,” he said, nearly parroting last week’s statements. “Our goal from day one has been to transform this nation, and that is the fight we are going to continue.”

He then listed a number of positions he would like to see on the Democratic Party platform, such as killing the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, banning the sale of assault weapons, and expanding background checks for gun sales — all familiar echoes of what he’s said so far on the campaign trail. He promised his supporters that he would fight for issues like these when the Democrats convene for their convention in July. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28Q9okl
via IFTTT

The scandal over the Hillary Clinton donor tapped for a national security board, explained

The Clintons are no strangers to scandal, both real and imagined.

Earlier this month, a new one emerged: ABC News reported that Hillary Clinton’s staff tapped a top Clintonworld donor in 2011 for the International Security Advisory Board, which is tasked with giving the State Department advice about nuclear weapons and national security issues.

The donor in question, Rajiv Fernando, didn’t really have extensive experience in either national security or nuclear weapons, which would seem like important qualifications for the position.

But Fernando, a Chicago securities trader, had given millions to the Clinton Foundation and fundraised extensively for Clinton’s presidential campaigns. ABC News revealed in a recent report that Fernando was added to the International Security Advisory Board at the request of Cheryl Mills, Clinton’s chief of staff at state. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28YAOE3
via IFTTT

Hillary Clinton coming to Cincinnati Monday with Elizabeth Warren

Hillary Clinton will campaign Monday in Cincinnati with progressive U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts – marking Clinton’s first public appearance in Cincinnati this election cycle and her first campaign stop with Warren, a possible vice presidential pick.

Clinton will also appear Sunday night without Warren at a twice-postponed fundraiser at Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley’s home, with contribution levels ranging from $1,000 to $33,400.

On Monday, Clinton and Warren will appear at 10:30 a.m. at the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal. The two women “will discuss their shared commitment to building an America that is stronger together and an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top,” Clinton’s campaign said in a statement. Tickets to the event are available at http://ift.tt/1InlXOW. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28YAx41
via IFTTT

Democrats hold all-nighter in Congress over gun control, Republicans adjourn

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives held an all-night sit-in into Thursday morning in their disruptive push for gun control legislation after the gay nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida, even though Republicans went home for a holiday break.

After a raucous day that nearly erupted into a fistfight, the majority Republicans retook control of the House in the predawn hours on Thursday, adjourned the chamber after forcing through several unrelated measures and said there would be no more votes until after the July 4 holiday. The protesting Democrats stayed behind and vowed to continue their protest.

Scores of Democrats had flooded the House floor at 11:25 a.m. on Wednesday and still occupied it as of Thursday morning. They sat in the aisles, often chanting and singing, and brought business to a halt, demanding Republican leaders allow a vote on gun-related legislation after the June 12 shooting in which a gunman killed 49 people.

“We are going to hold the floor of the House of Representatives … until we can get the majority to do their jobs and give us a vote,” Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz told CBS “This Morning.” For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28Spy0f
via IFTTT

Democrats should consider changing rules for presidential contest

The California Democratic Party is calling for a major overhaul to the party’s presidential candidate nomination process, and the national party should pay attention.
The June 19 resolution isn’t binding, but since it was unanimously approved, it would certainly behoove the Democratic National Committee to listen to the largest state Democratic party in the country.

The resolution calls on the party to eliminate caucuses, greatly reduce the number of unpledged voting delegates (known as superdelegates), change the primary calendar to allow for enormous, diverse states such as California to have a larger say in the nominating process, and schedule the national convention to include weekend days “so that working people are better able to participate in the event.”

This year, many of these changes were sought by Sen. Bernie Sanders’ supporters after complaints from the candidate. But most of these issues aren’t new, and they’re shared by a wide swath of California voters. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28YADZz
via IFTTT

The Democratic Party’s Israel Crack-Up

The full weight of the Democratic Party is rallying behind Hillary Clinton in an effort to mow down her Republican opponent Donald Trump. But while Bernie Sanders will no longer try to flip superdelegates to his side, he has yet to formally concede. He’s holding on to his leverage, intent on taking his fight about the party’s platform to the floor of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, the site of the Democratic National Convention. One of the fights will be over the language in the party’s platform on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The wrangling between allies of Sanders and Clinton has already started in animated, public hearings about the platform’s language on Jerusalem, settlements, and the use of the word “occupation.” The discussions highlight the divergent trends inside the Democratic Party on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute — one driven primarily by support for Israel, and another more in tune with Palestinian needs. The wider debate about the Middle East also reflects the different relationships Clinton and Sanders have with the concept of American power. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28YAF3u
via IFTTT

Clinton casts Trump as dangerous — this time, on the economy

Columbus, Ohio (CNN)Hillary Clinton’s campaign is going all in on what it believes is a winning political strategy against Donald Trump: Paint him as a dangerous menace to the country.

After slamming Trump for days as a disaster on national security in the aftermath of last weekend’s Orlando massacre, Clinton unleashed a similar attack on her Republican rival — this time, on the economy.

The former secretary of state delivered her first general election economic speech in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday morning, in remarks that once again attempted to dismantle Trump’s policy prescriptions and cast the businessman as a danger to the U.S. economy. For the full article click here

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28OlYEy
via IFTTT

Democratic convention plan: Bring in the celebrities

Donald Trump has gotten a lot of flack for running a reality-TV influenced campaign but the Democrats are working to make sure they have plenty of A-list entertainers at their convention in Philadelphia next month. Politico reports:

Democratic operatives planning next month’s national convention in Philadelphia have reached out to Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Tony Award-winning writer and star of the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton,” about performing at the Wells Fargo Center, sources told POLITICO.

It’s part of an ambitious plan to generate excitement and boost television viewership for the party convention after what Democrats expect to be a four-day reality show at the Republican convention in Cleveland.

Again, note the framing here. Democrats, who routinely tout endorsements and feature performances from Hollywood stars, are suddenly concerned the other guy turning politics into a TV show. And that means they are going to do the same thing only with bigger stars, starting with Barack Obama and moving down the long line of liberal celebrities:

Clinton has no shortage of celebrities to choose from. Pop stars like Katy Perry, Demi Lovato and Christina Aguilera have performed at fundraisers and campaign rallies…

Beyoncé has also attended a Clinton fundraiser. Hollywood power brokers like Steven Spielberg, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Rob Reiner are all backing Clinton. Oprah Winfrey announced her endorsement last week. And comedians like Amy Schumer and Lena Dunham have acted as stalwart campaign surrogates.

“They won’t have a lack of entertainment,” said a close Clinton ally.

The LA Times has actually created a list of celebrity endorsements for various candidates. As of May 13th the paper lists 72 celebrities who have endorsed Clinton. If she wanted, Clinton could have Beyonce sing a duet with Lady Gaga with Elton John on keys, Jon Bon Jovi on guitar and Sting on bass. Midway through Kanye West could interrupt and promise to let them finish. And that still wouldn’t put a dent in the number of big stars who are vocally on Clinton’s side. For the full article click here

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28Om0ws
via IFTTT

Philadelphia: No Crackdown on Democratic Convention Protests

Officials in Philadelphia say they have no plans to crack down on protesters lacking permits during the Democratic National Convention next month.

City officials tell the American Civil Liberties Union in a letter that permit requirements will remain in effect for the July 25-28 convention, but “there is no intended ‘crackdown’ on un-permitted protesting.”

The letter says the city is “committed to ensuring that people can exercise their First Amendment rights.”

Officials say no permits will be granted for demonstrations in Philadelphia’s Center City during rush hour.

But they say permits will be considered for marches down Broad Street, Philadelphia’s major north-south artery that runs past City Hall to the sports complex miles away where the convention is to be held. For the full article click here

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28OlZZl
via IFTTT

Harmony and Dissonance: Two Meetings of the Democrats and the Left

For Democrats and progressives concerned about whether their disparate forces can come together this November to defeat Donald Trump, and whether they can continue to prod the Democrats leftward in the coming months and years, two conferences held this past weekend offered some hopeful signs.

In Chicago, the “People’s Summit” convened by National Nurses United and attended by 3,000 Bernie Sanders partisans, focused its attention not on this year’s Democratic divisions but on how to build a left-liberal infrastructure over the next several years. In Long Beach, at a meeting of the California Democratic Party’s executive committee, backers of both Sanders and Hillary Clinton signed on unanimously to a compromise resolution that called for reducing the number and power of super-delegates in future Democratic presidential contests, and for electing all future delegates in primaries rather than caucuses.

As the Chicago conference, which I attended, wound down on Sunday, George Goehl, the executive director of National People’s Action (NPA), a community organizing group that had been one of the conference’s key sponsors, noted with satisfaction that, “It wasn’t about Bernie. It wasn’t about Hillary. It was about what we’re going to do.” For the full article click here

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28Nm8IK
via IFTTT

Marco Rubio leads Democratic candidates in would-be Florida Senate match-ups

Sen. Marco Rubio leads two Democratic contenders in hypothetical match-ups in the U.S. Senate race in Florida, as the senator faces a deadline this week on whether to change his mind and run for re-election.

Mr. Rubio led Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy by 7 points, 47 percent to 40 percent, and he led Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson by 8 points, 48 percent to 40 percent, in the Quinnipiac University polling released Wednesday.

“With Republican national leaders worried about keeping control of the U.S. Senate, Sen. Marco Rubio might ride to their rescue if he decides to reverse field and seek re-election,” said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

Mr. Murphy, meanwhile, led businessman Carlos Beruff by 12 points; he led Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera by 9 points; he led GOP Rep. Ron DeSantis by 10 points; and he led former CIA officer Todd Wilcox by 10 points.

Mr. Grayson also held leads against all the other GOP contenders, though by narrower margins. For the full article click here

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28TiOet
via IFTTT

Exclusive — Secret Service Agent Book: Raging Hillary Clinton Threw Bible at Agent’s Colleague

Hillary Clinton once threw a Bible at the back of a Secret Service agent’s head, part of a pattern of unhinged rage that the now-presumptive Democratic nominee exhibited, as exposed for the first time in former Secret Service agent Gary Byrne’s grueling insider account of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Byrne’s forthcoming book Crisis of Character—in which he details how the Clintons operated during his time in the U.S. Secret Service, where he protected the first couple for eight years in the White House in the 1990s. During three of those years, he was posted right outside the Oval Office. The book comes out next week.

“The First Lady had a different sort of liveliness,” Byrne writes in an excerpt obtained exclusively by Breitbart News. “She once threw a Bible at an agent on her detail, hitting him in the back of the head. He bluntly let her know it wasn’t acceptable. He told me that story himself.”

Byrne goes on to report that for Secret Service agents, being assigned to Hillary Clinton’s detail “was a form of punishment handed down by passive-aggressive middle management.” For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28KJeNG
via IFTTT

Hillary Clinton to Target Donald Trump’s Economic Policy in Ohio Speech

Hillary Clinton plans to give a speech Tuesday excoriating Donald Trump’s proposals for the economy and his business record, continuing a series of targeted speeches this month aiming to define the real estate mogul before the general election campaign begins in full swing.

Speaking in Columbus, Ohio, Clinton will argue that as president, Trump “would very likely drive us off a cliff and working families would bear the brunt of the impact in terms of lost jobs, lost savings, and lost livelihoods,” Jake Sullivan, senior adviser to the campaign, said in a statement.

“That’s the natural conclusion you reach when you look at Trump’s policy proposals, his rash and reckless temperament, and his record in the private sector of doing harm to working families and small businesses,” Sullivan said.

It will be the third carefully planned speech Clinton has given this month that portrays Trump as unfit to be president: in early June, she criticized his foreign policy proposals as “dangerously incoherent,” and last week, Clinton attacked his proposed ban on refugees and Muslim immigration, calling him “temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified” to be president. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28KJex6
via IFTTT

Democrats running for Congress agree on most issues in Syracuse TV debate

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The three Democrats running for Congress in the Syracuse area’s June 28 primary staked out similar positions on key issues Monday night in their firsttelevised debate of the campaign.

Colleen Deacon, Eric Kingson and Steve Williams said they support a bill in Congress banning gun sales to suspected terrorists, an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, increased spending on roads and bridges, a ban on fracking for natural gas, and replacing the elevated portion of Interstate 81 in Syracuse with a boulevard.

The Democrats vying for a chance to challenge U.S. Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus, in the November election rarely sparred with each other in the one-hour debate, recorded Monday afternoon and broadcast at 7 p.m. on Time Warner Cable News in Syracuse.

But the three candidates seeking the Democratic ballot line in the 24th Congressional District underscored their differences when it came to a question about the influence of money in politics. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28KJb5z
via IFTTT

Bernie Sanders wants to make the Democratic Party more democratic — or does he?

What is Bernie Sanders up to? Even fervent Sanders fans realize that an election with Donald Trump on the ballot is coming up, but Sanders himself still has some demands he’d like to make of the Democratic Party. Some of these are about policy, but others are about process — how the Democrats will choose their presidential nominee in the future. The simple way to look at it is that the scrappy outsider candidate would like to make the system more open and democratic, so that scrappy outsider candidates might have a better shot next time around. But some of what Sanders suggests may not be quite as democratic as it looks.

The two main components of Sanders’ proposal are to eliminate superdelegates, those high-falutin’ party insiders who horde power for themselves at the expense of the people, and to make more (or all) of the primaries “open,” meaning that you wouldn’t have to be a Democrat to vote in them. About half the states have open primaries, and Sanders didslightly better in those than in closed primaries, but not enough that if all the primaries had been open he would have won the nomination. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28LgDwO
via IFTTT

Bernie Sanders Has Lost the Democratic Nomination but He Isn’t Done Fighting

Bernie Sanders can no longer win enough delegates to become the Democratic nominee for president. But he isn’t done fighting.

The self-described socialist senator from Vermont intends to build on his popular support, particularly among younger voters, to advance issues that were core to campaign: namely creating a society that is fairer and juster for the lower and middle classes. Sanders, who has yet to officially drop out of the race, clashed repeatedly with presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over her seeming reticence to challenge major financial institutions that he considers the root cause of social inequality.

But over the past 10 days, Sanders has emphasized his commitment to defeating presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump. He and Clinton share similar views on a number of issues. Those include limiting the power of large financial services firms and opposing a major trade bill that President Barrack Obama has strongly favored.  For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28KJays
via IFTTT

ICIT Analysis: The Wound Collectors – Profiling the Self Radicalized Lone-Wolf Terrorist

Acts of domestic terrorism in the West are escalating at an alarming rate. Lone wolf attacks and attackers have sparked public, political and law enforcement curiosity due to the, seemingly, random and independent action of a self-radicalized extremist with modest or no ties directly to the group in which they proclaim the action to be dedicated. In order to combat the escalation of this profound domestic threat, a more comprehensive understanding of the perplexing composition of the lone wolf is urgently needed.

This report, entitled “ICIT Analysis: The Wound Collectors: Profiling the Self Radicalized Lone-Wolf Terrorist” delves into the early and late stage development of the Lone Wolf while explaining the various stages of development and contributing factors that go into breeding this new and malicious threat.  Authors James Scott (Sr. Fellow, ICIT) and Drew Spaniel (Researcher, ICIT) shed light on the telltale characteristics of the domestic, homegrown, lone wolf who carries out acts of terror in the name of extremist groups including For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28JuvGf
via IFTTT

The Hillary Clinton Doctrine

With last week’s massacre in Orlando, Florida, the dread of terrorism and the anxiety of national security threats across the unstable globe broke through to the surface of our grim-enough electoral politics. The mass shooting also offered a preview of how the two parties’ presumptive candidates might handle a crisis.

The Republican, Donald Trump, proved himself an empty suit with a loud mouth, a set of dangerously shallow ideas, and an ego enormous enough to mistake them for wisdom. Hillary Clinton delivered a very different sort of speech. She was measured and thoughtful, unifying in places and aggressive in others, scrupulous about getting the analysis and the action right. You might call it a “presidential” address.

But what kind of president—what kind of commander in chief—did it suggest she might be, and how did it align with her long-standing positions on national security issues? How would her approach differ from the legacy of Barack Obama or the specter of Trump? How would those differences—not just in general rhetoric but in specific actions—shape American policies and the world they touch? Can one detect in her response to Orlando the outlines of a “Hillary Clinton doctrine”? For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28JMZFU
via IFTTT

How Should Hillary Clinton Choose a Running Mate? Start With Chemistry

In a college gymnasium this month in Newark, Senator Cory A. Bookerintroduced Hillary Clinton to the crowd.

It took him nearly 13 minutes. He piled praise on her and bashed her Republican rival, quoting Thomas Jefferson, Maya Angelou, Abraham Lincoln and even a 1980s song by Jon Bon Jovi, a New Jersey native.

“I hate to contradict Bon Jovi,” Mr. Booker said. “But dear God, Hillary Clinton, you give love a good name.”

Mrs. Clinton waved her arms in the air, as if marking the end of a tent revival that lasted a touch too long. She patted Mr. Booker on the back, a much less effusive embrace than the one she had given to Mr. Bon Jovi, who was standing nearby.

Ambitious Democrats like Mr. Booker have started to audition as their presumptive presidential nominee considers who should join her on the national ticket. There is much for Mrs. Clinton to consider, including competence, agreement on policy and geography. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28JcYia
via IFTTT

Idaho Democrats endorse move to presidential primary

Idaho Democrats could ditch their problematic presidential caucus and join state Republicans in adopting a primary instead, following a vote by party rank-and-file Saturday.

A resolution endorsing the change won easy approval from the nearly 400 delegates at the party’s state convention at Boise’s Riverside Hotel. The vote instructs the party’s state committee to explore options for a selection process “at least as inclusive” as a primary.

Conventioneers were working Saturday evening to wrap up final business by adopting the party platform, electing delegates to the party’s national convention, and picking national committee members.

Occasionally disorganized and often divided, the three-day meeting saw passionate but largely civil debate among members of a state party working to embrace a broad spectrum that, based on the March caucus, has moved left politically.

The vote on the election format change comes after huge turnout at the party’s March caucus caused significant delays and other logistical problems. More than 9,000 people overwhelmed the Ada County venue at the Boise Centre and adjacent CenturyLink Arena. While most tolerated up to two-hour delays to enter, hundreds of others gave up and left.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders overwhelmed Hillary Clinton in the March 22 caucus, winning by a nearly 4-1 margin. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28J3EIz
via IFTTT

In California Senate Race, Will Business Groups Back a Democrat?

Loretta Sanchez’s campaign against Kamala Harris in the Democrat-on-Democrat California Senate race looks like a long shot.

She’s underfunded, didn’t win even 20 percent of the vote in last week’s primary, and is running against a candidate endorsed by the likes of Jerry Brown and Elizabeth Warren .

But the congresswoman from Southern California might find an unlikely ally in her bid to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer: the business community.

Business leaders who generally favor the Republican Party in California say they are considering backing Sanchez over Harris, convinced that the “Blue Dog” Democrat Sanchez would be a better ally in the Senate than the more liberal Harris, the state’s attorney general.

Their support would be a major help to Sanchez, whose campaign has spent months searching for a base of support. The Democratic Party, including many progressive activists and groups like EMILY’s List, have almost uniformly lined up behind Harris.   For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28J3p0c
via IFTTT

Essential Politics: California Democrats certify Sanders delegates to convention

i’m Christina Bellantoni, and this is Essential Politics. Here we go.

It might be two weeks after the California primary, but the Golden State is still making political news.

California Democrats gathered Sunday in Long Beach to certify delegates attending next month’s Democratic National Convention. More than 200 delegates for Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has transitioned to a new phase of his campaign that is more about defeating Donald Trump than Hillary Clinton, are headed to Philadelphia. California’s group makes up more than 10% of Sanders’ delegation, Seema Mehta reports.

The group already showed its clout in California, pushing a resolution the party passed unanimously on Sunday urging the DNC to overhaul the presidential nominating process for the 2020 race, including reducing the number of superdelegates.

The California resolution calls for Democratic governors and members of Congress to lose their status as superdelegates and instead attend the nominating convention as nonvoting guests. Members of the Democratic National Committee would remain superdelegates, but would be required to vote for the candidate who won their constituency. The resolution also calls for replacing all state caucuses with state primaries. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/28J3np2
via IFTTT

HILLARY CLINTON, AFTER THE CLINTONITES

The past ten days have emphasized the long arc of Hillary Clinton’s campaign. On June 9th, President Obama’s endorsement bound her candidacy to his Presidency, and bound the three major figures of recent Democratic Party history (one Obama, two Clintons) together, too. “I don’t think there’s ever been someone so qualified to ever hold this office,” Obama said. Then, on Tuesday, the President gave a blistering speech against Donald Trump at the Treasury Department, and Clinton, speaking at the same time, in Pittsburgh, echoed him, nearly word for word. Obama promised himself as an eager surrogate, and Clinton’s staffers quickly made use of the White House photo archives: two leaders together, confronting crises.

This isn’t usually how it goes—in past few election cycles, the outgoing President has been shunned by his Party’s candidate. On the eve of the 2000 election, Bill Clinton lamented that Al Gore never called; George W. Bush appeared at exactly one campaign event with John McCain in 2008. During the 2008 election, Obama and the Clintons seemed to represent two distinct Democratic camps, but over the past eight years the distance between them has collapsed—in staff, in policy, and in the relationship between the President and the successor he wants. If Clinton wins the election, the ideas that moved through the Administrations of Bill Clinton and Obama will have dominated American politics for almost three decades. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1ZYmRcB
via IFTTT

Kansas Democratic lawmakers come up with funding plan

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The clock continues to tick for lawmakers to meet a Kansas Supreme Court mandate to equitably fund schools in the state.

Friday, Democrats rolled out their school finance plan that includes going back to the previous school finance formula in order to equalize the local option budget.

Democrats want to appropriate a little more than $39 million from several revenue sources to make that happen.  Democratic leaders say that includes freezing the virtual school funding for full-time students at the 2014-2015 funding level.

“We have very few options, we have very few alternatives, but for this list, this is the last straw so to speak for what’s available to us,” said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Democrat.

However, lawmakers on the other side of the aisle say they know some of the policy items on the list won’t pass. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1UCfhUO
via IFTTT

Democratic Candidates for Rangel’s Congressional Seat Get Set for Live Televised Debate Next Week

New York’s most competitive congressional race is about to take center stage, as NY1 gathers the seven leading Democratic candidates for a live, televised debate next week. NY1’s Bobby Cuza filed the following report.

At City University’s Hostos Community College, the stage is being set. Monday night, seven Democrats vying for Charles Rangel’s congressional seat will face off just eight days before the primary.

“I think it’s important for all of New Yorkers to pay attention, not just the residents of the 13th Congressional district but all of us. Because indeed, this is a district that has a lot of history,” said Adam Clayton Powell IV, a candidate for Congress.

That history includes former Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell’s father, the famed Adam Clayton Powell Jr., who lost his seat in 1970 to Rangel, who is now retiring after nearly a half-century.

“It’s been 46 years of one representative in congress and more than 70 years with two people representing this district,” said Michael Gallagher, a candidate for Congress. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1UoN4Q9
via IFTTT

Candidates’ contest for the state Democratic Party’s chairmanship reflects the national race

The future of the Nebraska Democratic Party is on the line today, as two of the state’s most prominent Democrats — Jane Kleeb and Chuck Hassebrook — battle for control of the state party.

Kleeb and Hassebrook are vying for the chairmanship in one of the most competitive Democratic leadership races in decades, if not longer. Both candidates and their supporters have been actively lobbying state delegates, who will decide the race today at the Democratic State Convention in Kearney.

“This is a very tight race, it’s a tough race,” said Hassebrook, who ran for governor in 2014.

It is a race that has clear ties to the Democratic primary battle between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. It is also a race that pits — in some perspective — newcomers to the party who support Sanders against old-guard Democrats who are backing Clinton.

Kleeb is a Sanders supporter, while Hassebrook endorsed Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/263xrpW
via IFTTT

Sanders calls for supporters to back Clinton, “transform” Democratic Party

On Thursday, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders delivered a speech to his supporters live over the Internet in which he laid out the next stage of his “political revolution” in the aftermath of the Democratic Party primaries. The speech exposed the real political content of his campaign: channeling the leftward political radicalization of workers and youth into the Democratic Party, one of the two main parties of American capitalism.

The speech was doubtlessly coordinated closely with the highest levels of the Democratic Party establishment. It followed by barely a week Sanders’ closed-door meeting with President Barack Obama after the California primary, and by only two days Sanders’ meeting with Hillary Clinton, the party’s presumptive nominee.

Sanders began his speech by noting the widespread support for his campaign: 12 million votes including huge majorities among young voters, victories in 22 state primaries and caucuses, rallies and meetings that attracted 1.5 million people and contributions from 2.7 million people, averaging $27 a piece. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/263wDS2
via IFTTT

Hillary’s Hypocrisy Over Trump’s Tax Returns

Let’s be clear about something: Donald Trump should release his tax returns.

However, Hillary Clinton of all people is now railing against Trump for not doing this—and well, this is a good reminder that at every turn this election boils seemingly boils down to the evil of two lessers. Here’s the New York Times report from a few days back, “Hillary Clinton Mocks Donald Trump Over Not Releasing Tax Returns“:

“Because when you’re running for president and you become the nominee, that’s kind of expected,” said Mrs. Clinton, who, with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, has released annual tax returns since 1977 and posted eight years of returns on her campaign website.

“So you’ve got to ask yourself, why doesn’t he want to release them?” Mrs. Clinton said with a slightly dark edge to her voice. “Yeah, well, we’re going to find out.”

The tax filings are a ripe target for the Clinton campaign given that Mr. Trump has been portraying her as the candidate with something to hide, attacking her for using a private email server as secretary of state and earning millions of dollars for paid speeches that have not been made public. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1XZlywK
via IFTTT

Hillary Clinton Pushes the DNC Into General Election Mode

In a sign that Hillary Clinton has fully engaged in the general election, the Democratic National Committee has brought on a union official who will play a key role in coordinating campaign activities with her campaign ahead of November.

Brandon Davis, the former national political director of the Service Employees International Union, will be appointed to the position of general election chief of staff at the DNC as well as reporting to Clinton’s campaign. Four people familiar with the situation confirmed Davis’ appointment to TIME, first reported by CNN.

“We are grateful for the incredible work that our National Political Director Brandon Davis has done to drive this program in the primary season and know that the DNC team will benefit greatly from his talent as he joins their senior general election team,” said SEIU President Mary Kay Henry.

Davis’ appointment marks the end of a long and arduous Democratic primary. And it reflects just how ready Clinton and the Democratic Party are to move on and begin planning an organized campaign against Trump—even as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has so far refused to concede the race. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1XZljSz
via IFTTT

Hillary Clinton is reportedly targeting Elizabeth Warren — not Bernie Sanders — as a potential running mate

Hillary Clinton is considering Sen. Elizabeth Warren for her running mate for the Democratic presidential ticket, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing several people familiar with the process.

Warren, a leading progressive voice among Democrats, is among those whom Democratic presidential candidate Clinton is vetting for the vice presidential position, the newspaper reported. Clinton’s rival Bernie Sanders is not, it added.

Sources told Reuters earlier this month that Warren, who represents Massachusetts, is considering the potential role.

Representatives for Clinton, Sanders, and Warren did not immediately reply to requests for comment on the report.

Clinton is the Democratic Party’s presumptive nominee for the November 8 presidential election, having won the last primary contest this week in the District of Columbia. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1XZlFsc
via IFTTT

Bernie Sanders says he will work with Clinton to transform Democratic Party

BURLINGTON, VT.—Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said Thursday in an address to his supporters that he will work with Hillary Clinton to transform the Democratic Party, adding that his “political revolution” must continue and ensure the defeat of Republican Donald Trump.

Sanders said in a capstone livestream address to his political followers that the major task they face is to “make certain” Trump is defeated. The Vermont senator said he plans to begin his role in that process “in a very short period of time.”

“But defeating Donald Trump cannot be our only goal. We must continue our grassroots efforts to create the America that we know we can become,” Sanders said, pointing to his 1,900 delegates at the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1PybKRP
via IFTTT

Texas Democratic Convention in SA for first time in 50 years

SAN ANTONIO – For the first time in 50 years the state Democratic Convention is being held in the Alamo City. Fifteen-thousand Democrats from all over Texas are expected to pour into San Antonio for events over the next few days.

The kickoff event was Thursday night. It was about mingling and having fun but also about serious issues.

Bexar County Democratic Party President Manuel Medina felt pride standing among a cheering crowd of Democrats, whose voices sounded through San Antonio.

“Stand up, shout out and pitch our democratic party candidates, starting this weekend,” Medina said.

The main candidate coming up in conversation, Hillary Clinton. For the full article click here 

 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1Pyciao
via IFTTT

Poll: Clinton leads Trump by double digits

Washington (CNN)Hillary Clinton has a 12-point lead over Donald Trump nationally, a new Bloomberg Politics poll shows.

Clinton has 49% support to Trump’s 37%, with Libertarian Gary Johnson at 9%, according to the poll of 750 likely voters. The poll was conducted Friday through Monday and released Tuesday evening, meaning many of those polled were surveyed before the Orlando terrorist attack.

Particularly damaging for Trump: 55% of those surveyed said they would never vote for him, compared to 43% who said they’d never back Clinton.

It’s a much larger lead than Clinton held in national polls conducted in May and early June, prior to Trump’s accusation that the federal judge in the Trump University lawsuit is biased because his parents were born in Mexico and Trump is advocating a U.S.-Mexico border wall. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1W1yEYs
via IFTTT

Hillary Supporters Can Now Go Public on Facebook

They have names like “Wise Women for Clinton,” “Cool People for Hillary,” “Bros 4 Hillary — #GiveEmHill” and one that rhymes with witch.

Some are small, with just a couple of hundred members, while others number into the thousands. All of them began as a “secret” — or, as secret as one can be with an invite-only Facebook group.

The groups are “safe spaces,” members say: a way to discuss policy and celebrate good news without having to defend; a place to bring up doubts about their candidate — What’s the deal with the emails? What about her changing stance on gay marriage? — and work through them together with a nuance not typically afforded on the internet.

In some, members strategize about how to respond to criticisms, keeping spreadsheets of articles that correspond with each. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1W1yQa4
via IFTTT

Democratic platform may focus more on gun control, LGBT protections after Orlando, lawmaker

COLUMBUS, Ohio—This year’s national Democratic platform will likely place a greater emphasis on gun-control and anti-hate crime measures because of the Orlando shootings, according to an Ohio lawmaker helping to draw up the document.

“I think they will always be big issues, but I think it’s even going to be bigger, in terms of our platform being very bold, being clear,” said state Rep. Alicia Reece, a Cincinnati Democrat serving on the DNC’s platform drafting committee.

Reece didn’t say what specific proposals might appear in the Democratic platform, which outlines the party’s stances and policy goals on key issues.

But she said gun control would be “a huge push in our platform,” as well as expanding the definition of hate crimes to protect victims targeted because of their sexual orientation. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1UAValX
via IFTTT

Democratic candidates endorsed by Reid succeed in Nevada primary

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid might not be running this cycle, but he scored a broad victory in the Nevada primary on Tuesday when congressional candidates he supported — state Sen. Ruben Kihuen and synagogue leader Jacky Rosen — landed decisive wins.

Victories in an easy Senate primary and two more-competitive House races underscore the influence that five-term, lame-duck Reid still wields in his home state. It also shows limits on anti-establishment fervor among Democratic primary voters: candidates who were open about their breaks with the retiring senator lost badly.

“He’s the leader of our party and we look to him for leadership,” said Roberta Lange, chairman of the Nevada State Democratic Party. “His voice is important. I think that people respect his opinion.”

Kihuen talked often about his endorsement from Reid, whom he called a mentor and friend. His campaign in the 4th Congressional District focused much of its money into frequently running a TV commercial that featured Reid. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1UAVt04
via IFTTT

The Democratic Filibuster to Demand a Vote on Gun Control Just Scored a Powerful Victory

After a nearly 15-hour filibuster filled with impassioned speeches from 44 Democrats to demand increased gun control, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced early Thursday morning that he had secured a promise by Republican leaders to hold a vote on gun control measures. Murphy, who represents the state where the 2012 Newtown shooting occurred, led the filibuster—the eighth longest in history—on Wednesday, announcing he had “had enough” of Congress’ inaction on the issue.
The reported agreement will allow lawmakers to vote on two pieces of gun control legislation: one to expand background checks and another to block individuals listed on terrorist watchlists from obtaining guns. The development comes in the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in American history, which killed 49 people inside a gay nightclub in Orlando on Sunday. For the full article click here

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1UAWpSd
via IFTTT

Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump in national poll

Hillary Clinton has a double-digit lead over Donald Trump in a new national poll released Tuesday.

The survey, from Bloomberg Politics, finds Clinton leading Trump by 12 points (49 percent to 37 percent) among likely voters nationally. Nine percent of likely voters chose Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.

Many likely voters also had strong views about whether they could support the other candidate in the race. Of those surveyed overall, 55 percent said they could never support Trump; 43 percent said the same of Clinton.

And in a smaller sample of likely voters taken Monday night, after the mass shooting in Orlando, voters said by a small margin–45 percent to 41 percent–that they’d choose Trump when asked which candidate they’d have more confidence in if a similar attack took place next year.

Overall, voters see Trump as better on combating terrorism: they chose him over Clinton on the issue 50 percent to 45 percent. Still, 61 percent did not agree with Trump when he said President Obama “hasn’t taken forceful enough action” to combat terrorism in the U.S. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/262mKAD
via IFTTT

Democrats warn Rubio: Lose re-election and you’ll never recover

Washington (CNN)Top Democrats are plotting a new effort to derail Marco Rubio if he seeks re-election to his Senate seat, saying they will pour millions to defeat the Florida senator in the hopes that a defeat would end his once-rising political career.

With Rubio now reconsidering a run for the Senate, Democratic leaders have sharpened their focus on Florida, piecing together an anti-Rubio campaign that attacks the Florida senator for skipping hearings and voting against a high-profile gun bill — and tying him to presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. But above all else, Democrats say, their donors and supporters will be motivated by the expectation that a Rubio loss would end the senator’s chances of ever becoming president.

“If Marco decides to run, it’s going to be tough,” Montana Sen. Jon Tester, head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told CNN Tuesday. “If he gets beat twice in one year, it’s not good for him,” he added, a reference to Rubio’s defeat in his home state during the Republican presidential primary fight.

“Democrats are going to really go after him,” said one high-ranking Democratic source who asked not to be named discussing internal strategy. “Because if he loses this time, he’s gone for president in 2020.” For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1XphXHA
via IFTTT

Jonathan Swinton seeking Democratic nomination in U.S. Senate race

SALT LAKE CITY — Politics were always a topic of discussion in the Jeffrey and Heidi Swinton home as they reared their four boys.

A lawyer and a journalist, respectively, and strong Republicans, the two parents read the papers, watched the news and talked about world and national events with their sons.

Mom and Dad weren’t surprised when Jonathan Swinton, 35, decided to run for U.S. Senate. But they were shocked that he threw his hat into the ring as a Democrat.

“They still haven’t quite figured me out on the Democrat thing,” Jonathan Swinton said, quickly adding that his parents support his campaign.

Heidi Swinton said her son has carved his own path in terms of his interests and allegiances and built a strong foundation in what he believes, even in the face of challenges.

“I don’t share all of his political ideals, but certainly respect why he stands where he stands,” she said.

Her motherly advice to the first-time candidate: “I said, ‘Jonathan, don’t be so mean,’” as she lamented the nastiness that has marked the national political scene. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1Xpjiyb
via IFTTT

Hillary Clinton wins final Democratic primary, meets with rival Sanders

Hillary Clinton brought a close to the U.S. presidential primary season with a win Tuesday in the District of Columbia and a meeting with dispatched rival Bernie Sanders, hoping to set a tone of Democratic unity heading into next month’s party convention in Philadelphia.

Clinton’s win in the District of Columbia, the final primary of 2016, had no bearing on her role as the presumptive nominee, but it nevertheless marked a transition in the lengthy primary fight between the two rivals.

In virtually identical statements released after meeting for more than 90 minutes, the Clinton and Sanders campaigns said the two rivals discussed their primary campaign, “unifying the party and … the dangerous threat that Donald Trump poses to our nation.”

Neither spoke to reporters after the session at a Washington, D.C., hotel a few blocks from the White House.

Clinton told Sanders she appreciated his commitment to stopping Trump in the general election and the two discussed issues in which they share common goals, including “raising wages for working families, eliminating undisclosed money in politics and reducing the cost of college for students and their families.” Both candidates agreed to work together on the development of the platform at the upcoming Democratic National Convention. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1XphXr4
via IFTTT

Bernie Sanders’s Democratic Party reforms focus on things that would’ve helped Bernie Sanders win

Those proposals are as follows, given in the order Sanders presented them.

1. Get new leadership at the Democratic National Committee.
2. Approve “the most progressive platform ever passed” at the Democratic convention in July.
3. Enact “real electoral reform” within the Democratic Party.
4. Get rid of superdelegates.

If you don’t live in D.C., it’s sort of easy to forget that Sanders offered his list on the last day of voting in the Democratic primary. As promised, Sanders stuck with the race until the voting was done, which it was by 9 p.m. Tuesday night. On Thursday, he’s hosting a video chat with supporters, during which, one assumes, he’ll concede the race to Hillary Clinton. While the eventual outcome of the contest has been obvious for a long time, Sanders’s campaign had insisted that they would spend the next month trying to convince superdelegates to switch to their side and thereby gain a majority of the delegates up for grabs. This was never going to happen and is not currently going to happen, for a variety of reasons, including that Clinton won more votes, pledged delegates and, if you care about such things, contests. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1XpjJIN
via IFTTT

Why Does the Democratic Party Need to be United?

I’m not convinced the Democratic Party needs to unite. Look what that has meant for the G.O.P. model.

Democrats are diverse and often contentious. It’s healthy, and this year the specter of a Donald Trump win — which, in my view, would be the worst crisis this nation has faced since the Civil War — will ensure that all but the most rigid ideologues will vote for the nominees (some voters admittedly holding their noses).

Party unity should NOT be the goal. Instead, the Democratic Party should lead by offering the country ethical, effective policies on issues of education; antipoverty; full enfranchisement of all; working infrastructure; campaign finance reform; social benefits for the most vulnerable; accessible health care; jobs; civil, human and women’s rights; a good economy; etc. This is the proper objective. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1rnOyzK
via IFTTT

Democrats Want ‘Major Role’ for Sanders in General Election, Poll Shows

REUTERS – Bernie Sanders may have lost his bid to become the Democratic nominee for the White House, but party members don’t want the U.S. senator from Vermont to step off the stage.
More than three-quarters of Democrats say Sanders should have a “major role” in shaping the party’s positions, while nearly two thirds say Hillary Clinton – who beat him for the nomination – should pick him as her vice-presidential running mate, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
In a sign that Democrats hope their party can unite after a fierce primary season, two-thirds also said that Sanders should endorse Clinton, a former secretary of state and senator who appears bound for a showdown with Republican Donald Trump in November’s presidential election. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/25V48Wn
via IFTTT

What Time Do The Polls Close In Washington, D.C.? The Last Democratic Contest Will Be A Big One

After last week’s “Super Tuesday” primary elections in California, New Jersey and four other states, it’s easy to forget that there’s still one more primary in our nation’s capital. As the District of Columbia prepares to undergo the final primary in this year’s explosive primary season, Democratic voters in the capital need to know: When do the polls close in D.C.?

Voters will be able cast their ballots in D.C. until 8 p.m. ET as the sun sets on the east coast and this year’s primary season. The Democratic primary, which is closed (meaning only people registered as Democrats in the District) marks the final standoff between presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton and underdog candidate Bernie Sanders before the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia on July 25.

The vote is largely symbolic, as only 20 delegates are up for grabs (Clinton currently has 2,202 pledged delegates; Sanders has 1,829) and Clinton declared herself the presumptive Democratic nominee the night of last week’s Super Tuesday primaries. All the same, Sanders is still working the campaign circuit. In a statement and briefly during an appearance in D.C.,Sanders came out in support of D.C. statehood, saying that it’s “morally wrong for American citizens who pay federal taxes, fight in our wars and live in our country to be denied the basic right to full Congressional representation.” For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1rnOTlW
via IFTTT

Live Coverage of the D.C. Presidential Primary

When Hillary Clinton gave her victory speech last Tuesday, after securing the title of presumptive Democratic nominee, she embraced the historic nature of the moment. Clinton had just become the first woman ever in line for a major-party nomination, and her remarks cited the generations of Americans who “struggled and sacrificed” on behalf of women’s rights. “In our country, it started right here in New York, a place called Seneca Falls, in 1848. When a small but determined group of women, and men, came together with the idea that women deserved equal rights, and they set it forth in something called the Declaration of Sentiments, and it was the first time in human history that that kind of declaration occurred,” Clinton said. “So we all owe so much to those who came before, and tonight belongs to all of you.”

But while Clinton reveled in breaking ground last week, most Americans surveyed in a new Morning Consult poll don’t think she made much history at all. Just four in 10 classified Clinton’s victory as a “historic moment,” including 42 percent of women. Those positive respondents fall along a spectrum. Twelve percent say she’s the “most historic” nominee, and 30 percent say her presumptive nomination is “one of the most historic.” In many voters’ eyes, President Obama, the first black man to win a major-party nomination, takes the “most historic” prize. More than 1,300 voters were polled over two days last week, and the findings have a margin of error of 3 percentage points. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1rnP2FT
via IFTTT

10 Resolutions to Watch at the Texas Democratic Convention

The Texas Democratic Convention will spill into San Antonio at the end of the week, when Lone Star State Democrats will choose who to send to the national convention where Hillary Clinton is expected to beat Bernie Sanders for the presidential nomination.

But that’s not all that goes on at the convention. Texas Democrats will also vote on resolutions to shape the party’s state platform.

With that said, here is our pick of 10 resolutions recommended by the party to keep an eye on:

10. The Equality Act of 2015

As the country mourns for the 49 victims killed at a popular gay bar in Orlando by a gunman just weeks before the anniversary of the historic U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirming the right of same-sex couples to marry, Texas Democrats will likely back a resolution supporting the Equality Act of 2015. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/25V539p
via IFTTT

Bernie Sanders Refuses to Concede Nomination to Hillary Clinton

Senator Bernie Sanders said on Sunday that he would “take our campaign for transforming the Democratic Party into the convention,” refusing to concede the presidential nomination to Hillary Clinton though not explicitly saying he would challenge her for it.

Mrs. Clinton earned enough delegates to clinch the nomination last week, but Mr. Sanders has declined to end his campaign. He has contended that he could persuade enough superdelegates, the party leaders who have overwhelmingly backed Mrs. Clinton, to switch their support to him by arguing that he would be the stronger candidate against Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

That plan became more improbable last week as high-profile Democrats supported Mrs. Clinton. President Obama endorsed her on Thursday, calling her the most qualified candidate ever to seek the White House and imploring Democrats to unite behind her. Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts also endorsed Mrs. Clinton. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the only senator to endorse Mr. Sanders, told CNN on Friday that he now supports Mrs. Clinton. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1U3NMjq
via IFTTT

Commentary: Let’s return democracy to citizens

Across New York and the nation, people are fed up. They are anxious about the economy and what the future holds for them and their families. They are frustrated by the partisan political paralysis that has gripped Washington.

Most of all, a growing number of Americans feel disenfranchised and fear the democratic process has been eclipsed by the wealthy and the powerful. They are not wrong.

While there are many factors at play, one single event has caused much of the harm. The 2010 Supreme Court case Citizens United vs. the Federal Elections Commission effectively disenfranchised millions of citizens. With the stroke of a pen, the verdict prohibited government from restricting people and corporations from creating unlimited independent expenditure campaigns, allowing these groups to funnel billions of dollars into elections each year. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1sBOcXe
via IFTTT

Lots to do in Philadelphia for political junkies during Democratic National Convention

Underneath a blue glow, political junkies making the pilgrimage to Philadelphia will be able to engage with the Democratic National Convention in a multitude of ways this year, even though they are restricted from entering the event itself.

Local storefronts will don red, white and blue decorations and high rises along Philadelphia’s skyline, including the FMC Tower, the Cira Center and the Penn’s Landing Hilton Hotel, will be illuminated blue at night during the July 25-28 convention.

The convention serves as the formal event to nominate a Democratic candidate for president and vice president. Party officials also adopt an official platform and decides on rules and procedures for the 2020 convention. This year’s convention is being held at the Wells Fargo Center.

“With less than 50 days left to go, our convention is coming together for we, the people.” Rev. Leah Daughtry, the Democratic National Convention Committee CEO, said in a statement. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1sBOoWD
via IFTTT