Bernie Sanders Gets a Boost in Indiana

Bernie Sanders just got the victory he desperately needed. The Democratic presidential candidate won in the Indiana Democratic primary on Tuesday, which will give him to the momentum he needs to stay in the race and fight on.

The victory does not not fundamentally change the trajectory of the Democratic race, in which Hillary Clinton holds a commanding lead in the all-important delegate count. But it offers some much-needed enthusiasm to the Sanders campaign at a crucial moment. After a string of defeats in Northeastern primary states last month, Sanders attempted to reframe the terms of the race, suggesting that even if he does not win the White House, he might still claim victory if he can leave a progressive stamp on the Democratic party platform. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/24qdOHK
via IFTTT

Democratic Chairman: I believe that we will retain the presidency

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE)- Democrats across the area kept an eye on several races, both national and local, at a Primary Election night watch party hosted by the Allen County Democrats. Dozens of local democrats showed up at the watch party  waiting for the results to roll in.

There were a few surprises on the democratic side but party chairman Jack Morris said overall he is confident that most of the candidates chosen will go all the way in November’s election.

Perhaps the most anticipated was the presidential race. Although Hillary Clinton has been the front-runner, there was a shake up with Bernie Sanders winning Indiana’s Democratic Primary.

Morris said he knew it would be a close race and even though he predicted Clinton would win, he wasn’t surprised to see Sanders take Indiana. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1Zc5BQC
via IFTTT

Defense Department’s Benghazi Letter Reeks Of Democratic Coordination

The Defense Department official who last week sent a pointed letter hammering the Benghazi Committee’s investigation into the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks, has deep connections to Democrats, as does the agency’s new liaison to the committee.

The direct tone of the letter, as well as the fact that it was leaked and publicized by committee Democrats, raises questions over whether the document was crafted in order to stymie the committee’s investigation.

In a letter to South Carolina Rep. Trey Gowdy 86% , Stephen Hedger, who serves as assistant secretary of defense for legislative affairs, accused Republicans on the committee of employing “unproductive” tactics and issuing “continuous threats” to subpoena Defense Department employees. For the full article click here 

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1Zc5Ef3
via IFTTT

Indiana Democratic Polls 2016: Clinton Has the Lead on Primary Day

With time running out in the 2016 primaries, it’s all coming down to the last few states. ThoughHillary Clinton has a substantial lead in the primary process, Bernie Sanders has provided enough of a challenge to potentially force a contested convention, where he can swing superdelegates in his favor.

Democratic Delegate Count (2,383 Needed)
Hillary Clinton	2,165
Bernie Sanders	1,357

Indiana’s 83 delegates make it one of the largest remaining primary contests, with Clinton expected to win the bulk of them according to the polls and forecasts. However, Sanders should be able to keep it close enough to avoid a knockout blow.

Here’s a look at the state of the race:

---

The Polls: Clinton on Top

The polls, as aggregated by polling website RealClearPolitics, show a single-digit lead for Clinton:

RealClearPolitics: Indiana Democratic Primary	Clinton	Sanders
NBC/Wall Street Journal/Marist	50%	46%
ARG	51%	43%
CBS/YouGov	49%	44%
IPFW/Downs Center	54%	41%
Fox News	46%	42%
RCP Average	50%	43.2%

---

The Forecasts: Clinton Expected to Win

FiveThirtyEight, which uses a polls-plus forecast utilizing factors like endorsements and previous results to give context to the polls, has Clinton as the overwhelming favorite in Indiana For the full article click here

from democratic dojo http://ift.tt/1SJZ5zT
via IFTTT

Poll: Majority of Democrats Want Sanders to Stay in Until Convention

After Hillary Clinton’s significant primary wins last week in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Connecticut, the Democratic front-runner is now up 14 points nationally over Bernie Sanders — the widest margin of support since early March. As the campaign moves into the final month of contests this week, Clinton’s campaign is slowly shifting focus away from beating Sanders to beating the Republican nominee in the general election in November.

Though the Clinton campaign and many in the party elite may be ready for a Sanders exit, a majority of Democrats and Democratic-leaners would like to see Sanders stay in the race through the Democratic convention in July. These results are according to the latest from the NBC News|SurveyMonkey Weekly Election Tracking Poll conducted online from April 25 through May 1 of 14,640 adults including 12,462 registered voters. For the full article click here

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

Under Longmeyer, Kentucky Department Heads Reliable Democratic Donors

During Tim Longmeyer’s four-year run as secretary of theKentucky Personnel Cabinet, giving money to Democratic candidates for state office was a gesture widespread among his so-called “non-merit” employees.

Of the 32 full-time non-merit employees — all politically appointed — 25 contributed to campaigns, a participation rate of 78 percent. Their money, $18,200 in all, went to Democrats, starting with the re-election bid of incumbent Gov. Steve Beshear in 2011.

But were they forced to donate? Four months after taking office, current Gov. Matt Bevin launched an investigation of what he called the “apparent coercion of employees at the Personnel Cabinet while Longmeyer was secretary there” to donate to Democratic candidates. Despite the lofty claim, his office won’t identify any such employees.

Richard Beliles, chairman of Common Cause of Kentucky, said the extent of political giving by non-merit employees “doesn’t look good.” For the full article click here

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

Democratic Senate candidates defend Obama during forum

FLORENCE, Ky. (AP) After years of being a political punching bag in Kentucky, President Barack Obama has gotten favorable reviews from several Democrats running for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Rand Paul.

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, the front-runner for the Democratic Senate nomination, said at a candidates’ forum Monday evening that Obama “deserves more credit than he gets for what he’s achieved.” Another Democratic candidate, Tom Recktenwald, said terror leader Osama bin Laden was killed during Obama’s presidency and the stock market has rebounded.

For several elections, Kentucky Republicans have made inroads while tying Democratic candidates to Obama, especially for his push for stricter federal pollution regulations for coal-burning power plants.

In a later question about energy policy, Gray said the state’s coal sector is struggling due to regulations and market trends. For the full article click here

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