Hilary Clinton flip-flops on controversial free-trade agreement deal

Hillary Rodham Clinton’s grounds for flip-flopping for supporting a controversial Columbian free-trade agreement in 2009 had been casted off by a majority of the Democrats who has voted against it in Congress.

Clinton is trying to prevent a confrontation with critics who is charging that she had changed her mind following the millions which poured into the Clinton Foundation. The former Secretary of the State has insisted that she changed her mind just because Columbia agreed to substantive changes in its handling of trade unionists.

Back in 2008, Clinton had quoted an appalling level of violence which includes murder as well, against union activists in opposing the deal. She said in 2008, “It doesn’t matter who talks to me. It doesn’t matter any circumstances. I have been against it. I am against it. I will be against it absent the kind of changes in behavior that I have been calling for from the Colombian government.”

She had been on board just a year after that, although trade experts say that the changes that had been crafted by Columbia had been small.

Brian Finnegan of the AFL-CIO (The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) said, “There’s no other country that had for many decades so many labor leaders being killed, shot at. People were very sensitive about it. Why are we signing a trade agreement with a country that has such a horrible human-rights record? ”

The issue now comes back to the same point as the critics pointed out, that this turnaround by Clintons has been triggered by the millions of dollars in contribution to her family’s foundation and speaking fees to her husband, the former president Bill Clinton.

The deal had eventually gone through Congress in 2011, after the Obama administration made negotiations on changes which most of the elected Democrats didn’t think went far enough. The trade deal has been voted by only 31 House Democrats passing 262-167.

 

 

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South Carolina is ready … to be courted, Democrats say at statewide Democratic Convention

Hillary Clinton in a file photo. Clinton did not attend the Democratic Convention in South Carolina but attendees were abuzz with her prospects. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

COLUMBIA — South Carolina Democrats have a message for their standard bearer and early primary favorite Hillary Clinton: we want some love.

Among the chattering classes, there are few who would say the behemoth that is the Clinton operation faces much of a real challenge so far. Lesser-known potential challengers such as former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley or Vermont independent U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, among others, are still on the fence about running and face fundraising and other stiff challenges.

As Democrats gathered for their annual convention Saturday — without Clinton herself but with several other potential candidates and surrogates — there was much to lament. The party, like others around the South, received a shellacking in last year’s mid-term election and face dwindling numbers in the Statehouse. But the state’s first-in-the-South primary is a bright spot that puts the state’s relatively few devoted Democrats in a position to potentially play king-maker for the highest office in the land.

Among at least some delegates who gathered, Clinton was seen as an inevitable if flawed candidate.

Rudy Williams, a convention attendee who was wearing a seer sucker suit and speaking loudly over the din of music at Friday night’s fish fry hosted by Rep. Jim Clyburn, said he believes Clinton can beat any Republican. But he said there are drawbacks.

“There’s always drama, drama, drama with the Clintons,” Williams said. “All the baggage, but it is what it is. She’ll get the votes.”

Other potential candidates hope, of course, that could mean an opening for them. O’Malley, perhaps the best known of the potential candidates who has long flirted with a run, delivered a speech that hit on several progressive cornerstones, including sustained funding for education, the minimum wage and improving childhood hunger. He also pointed to “far too many tragic videos” as evidence of the policing problems that needs to be addressed in N. Charleston and elsewhere.

O’Malley, in his second visit to South Carolina, didn’t mention his primary opponents by name but hit Republicans for what he said was extreme positions on climate change and other issues. “Give them a few more weeks and they’ll be shunning Copernicus,” O’Malley said.

O’Malley toured last year with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Vincent Sheheen. “People here want the same thing we all want,” O’Malley told reporters after his speech. “When we work hard we want to be able to get ahead. There’s this deep pessimism as people look over the horizon and wonder what its going ot be like if wages don’t go down. Thats very acute here in South Carolina. They know they’re working harder…other things are going up but not their paycheck.”

Asked about differences with Clinton, O’Malley noted that she wasn’t at the convention. “I guess it was different in every way,” he said.

A senior campaign official, according to remarks provided by the campaign, said in a conference call with reporters on Friday that Clinton was ready for the tough slog. “We understand one thing — we have to earn the support of everyday South Carolinians. That is the goal. That is the job. We’re going to fight hard for every single vote and take nothing for grant,” the official said.

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Democrats plan mayoral debate for Wednesday

“This will be a good opportunity to do that,” he said.

Burns is the city of Richmond’s deputy clerk while Scott is the disability services coordinator at Indiana University East. Snow is a former radio personality and now promotions manager at Richmond radio station G101.3.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face the Republican primary winner. In that race, Kyle Ingram is running against Diana Pappin.

Whoever wins the general election will replace Sally Hutton, who is finishing her 12th year as mayor.

Staff writer Bill Engle: (765) 973-4481 or bengle@pal-item.com. Follow him on Twitter at http://ift.tt/1HiF4qR.

 

 

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Pepperell Democrats to elect delegates to 2015 State Convention

Democrats in Pepperell will be holding a caucus on May 9 at the Charles F. Lawrence Library located at 15 Main St. at 2 p.m.

Six delegates and three alternates will be elected to represent the town at the 2015 Massachusetts Democratic Convention in Springfield at the MassMutual Center. It is a one-day event.

There will be an opportunity to meet fellow activists and hear from elected officials coming from across the Commonwealth.

State Party Chairman Tom McGee said, “This convention will be a unique opportunity as we build on experiences from many competitive elections these past few years and look to strengthen the party for the future. Caucuses are an important step in growing our party at the local level.”

The caucus is open to all registered Democrats in Pepperell and we welcome participation. Delegates will be evenly divided between men and women. All ballots will be written and secret. Youths, minorities and people with disabilities who are not elected as delegates may apply as an “add-on” delegate. The library is fully ADA-compliant. All rules for the caucuses and the 2015 convention can be found at www.massdems.org.

The next meeting of the Pepperell Democratic Town Committee will be held on May 19, at 6:45 p.m. at Lawrence Library (15 Main St.).

For information about the caucus and/or the Pepperell Democratic Town Committee, please contact Tom McGrath at 978-433-0092 or

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Three-Minute Briefing: Are Democrats More Energized for Elizabeth Than Ready for Hillary?

Welcome to Thursday, the 113th day of 2015 and the 10th anniversary of YouTube, the online video streaming service created by three former PayPal staffers who were trying to launch an online video dating service — which bombed. But the fallout from TuneIn Hook Up became the site we know today, one that’s indispensable for procrastinators, jihadists and aspiring politicians looking to easily dispense campaign videos and do opposition research. Today’s moment of meta: You can learn all about YouTube’s history in a YouTube video. Here’s your Three-Minute Briefing, all the News You Can Use in less time than it takes to find, clip and post a funny cat video:

Your Move, Mr. President: The day after Obama called her out on MSNBC as “wrong” in her opposition to the Trans Pacific Partnership trade deal, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren returned service on “The Rachel Maddow Show.” Warren, the liberal superstar, dished as good as she got, saying last night that if the deal’s so great the president should show it to everyone. Then, in case Obama missed the point, Warren followed up with a blog post and a bunch of tweets.

Her Lips Say No, Her Politics Say Yes: Progressives have done everything they can to persuade Warren to challenge Hillary Clinton for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination — including creating a tailor-made campaign-in-waiting. But, alas, Warren has repeatedly just said no. Her sparring with Obama, however, got Whispers thinking about a David Frum piece whichsays Warren ultimately will have to run: Clinton’s been mouthing the progressive agenda but Warren’s the real thing, and the Democrats just aren’t Ready for Hillary.

Political Climate Change? Not Likely: Obama’s Earth Day speech in the Florida Everglades was designed to put pressure on Florida Republicans — including Gov. Rick Scott and GOP presidential candidates Jeb Bush, a former governor, and Sen. Marco Rubio — for being climate-change deniers. But Brad Plummer, writing in Vox.com, suggests opinions on climate change are set in stone (the left decisively wants action, the right wants more oil) so nothing the president says will change many minds.

Big Gay Weddings? OK: Raise high the rainbow flag: Aa new Washington Post/ABC poll shows support for gay marriage at an all-time high, with 6 out of 10 respondents saying that they don’t mind married same-sex couples and disagree with laws that restrict marriage to heterosexual relationships. The poll comes ahead of Supreme Court cases that will determine whether the Constitution grants gays the right to marry — or gives states the right to stop it.

Clean Green: Analysts declare that the upcoming presidential election is likely to be the most expensive in history, easily eclipsing the $1 billion Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney spent (Clinton’s expected to raise that much alone, and not just by shaking the sofa cushions at the Clinton Global Foundation). But Capitol Hill Democrats say they want to close the campaign-finance floodgates opened by Citizens United; on Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others announced they want to jump-start a movement to get big money out of politics, starting now. Good luck with that.

Duly Noted: On this date in 1789, President-elect George Washington and his wife, Martha, moved into the first executive mansion, the Franklin House, in New York. In 1914, Chicago’s Wrigley Field, then called Weeghman Park, hosted its first major league game as the Chicago Federals defeated the Kansas City Packers 9-1. In 1954, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Braves hit the first of his 755 major-league home runs in a game against the St. Louis Cardinals; the Braves won, 7-5. In 1965, the Four Tops’ single “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” was released by Motown. In 1985, the Coca-Cola Co. announced it was changing the secret flavor formula for Coke and releasing New Coke; negative public reaction forced the company to resume selling the original version.

Happy Birthday, Taurus: Actors David Birney and Lee Majors, TV’s “Six Million Dollar Man” (both 76), hockey Hall of Famer Tony Esposito (72), actress Blair Brown of TV’s “The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd” (67), actress Joyce DeWitt of TV’s “Three’s Company” (66), filmmaker-author-liberal agent provocateur Michael Moore (61), actress Valerie Bertinelli (55), actor-comedian-talk show host George Lopez (54), actress Melina Kanakaredes (48), rocker Stan Frazier of the band Sugar Ray (47), rock star twins Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National (both 39), actor-writer-comedian John Oliver, host of HBO’s “Last Week Tonight,” actor Kal Penn of the “Harold and Kumar” movies and major-league baseball All-Star Andruw Jones (all 38).

 

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Democrats Went All In On Hillary; It’s Looking Like a Terrible Bet

New allegations that she did favors for foreign Clinton Foundation donors as secretary of State are more toxic than any that have come before.

By Josh Kraushaar, National Journal

Democrats didn’t fully appreciate the size of the gamble they’re taking on Hillary Clinton by assuming she’s their strongest 2016 candidate, but they’re sure finding out now.

Forget the email server. The latest revelation—that a Canadian mining company with close ties to the Clinton Foundation sold its uranium business to the Russians with approval from Clinton’s State Department—is more damaging than any of the previous controversies that have buffeted the campaign.

The story goes to the heart of several serious, growing vulnerabilities that Clinton will be facing, sooner or later. First, the perception of foreign entities paying the Clinton Foundation and later getting favorable treatment from the State Department raises the spectre of foreign governments buying access at the highest levels of the U.S. government—a politically potent allegation should any connection be proven. The fact that Clinton reportedly concealed the company’s donations to the foundation from the Obama administration only raises the reason for suspicion.

Second, it’s an unwelcome reminder that as secretary of State, Clinton viewed Russia as a trustworthy partner and didn’t see any national security consequences as a result of the transaction. Republicans will be raising questions about her foreign policy judgment on numerous hot spots that are currently deteriorating, including Libya, Ukraine, and Iran.

Third, it raises the question of what other actions she took as secretary of State that would have the consequence of enriching her family through the Clinton Foundation. Former President Bill Clinton made a half-million speaking to a Russian investment bank promoting the mining company’s stock shortly after the corporate takeover. That badly threatens to undermine her positioning as a populist fighter for the “everyday” American—an image her campaign has been assiduously pushing with her low-key launch.

Democrats are badly misreading the polls showing Clinton as a formidable Democratic force. Her strong numbers are as much a product of a lack of primary competition as a result of her political strength. She’s also benefiting from the country’s partisan polarization at a time when there aren’t many other Democrats offering themselves as an alternative and joining in on the criticism. But those benefits are looking awfully short-lived, as Clinton looks unprepared to tackle questions that undermine her credibility for higher office. The more Democrats bet on Clinton, the uglier the recriminations will get if things go wrong.

 

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Ten Republicans Join Democrats to Back Pro-Abortion Obama AG Nominee Loretta Lynch

Ten Republicans today joined Senate Democrats to approve the nomination of pro-abortion Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch. The Senate has had Lynch’s nomination pending for weeks but it has been held up because Senate Democrats were filibustering a bill that helps sex trafficking victims because they want funds in it to pay for abortions.

Lynch is the nominee to replace pro-abortion Attorney General Eric Holder. Holder, who is pro-abortion and who used his post in the Obama administration to target pro-life people, announced in September he would step down from his position when a replacement has been confirmed.

The Senate, by a 56-43 vote, confirmed Loretta Lynch to become the 83rd attorney general and first African-American woman to the position.

Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Thad Cochran (Miss.), Susan Collins (Maine), Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Orrin Hatch (Utah), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) joined Senate Democrats in approving her nomination.

During her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lynch admitted to pro-life Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina that she once signed onto a brief the Planned Parenthood abortion business submitted in its legal battle to overturn the Congressional ban on partial-birth abortions. The Supreme Court eventually sided against Planned Parenthood and upheld the ban on the gruesome abortion procedure.

Lynch signed on to an amicus brief in the Partial Birth Abortion case before the Supreme Court where she served as an amici in favor of Planned Parenthood.  She argued that the ban against the killing of partially born children was “unconstitutionally vague and threatens the integrity of the criminal justice system.” She defended the pro-abortion position against the ban saying the definition of a “living fetus” is “hopelessly vague.”

On April 18, 2007, the Supreme Court announced its opinion in Gonzales v. Carhart, holding that the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act was constitutional. The ban has stopped as many as 15,000 such abortions.

Casey Mattox of Alliance Defending Freedom, previously wrote at LifeNews that “The Gonzalesdecision held that the federal ban on partial-birth abortions, except where necessary to save a woman’s life, was facially constitutional – meaning that generally speaking the ban was constitutionally sound. Opponents of the ban, including Planned Parenthood and their allies, had argued strenuously that the law was unconstitutional because it lacked a “health” exception.”

“Hours after the decision, Planned Parenthood was still warning of its imminent negative impact on women’s health,” he said. “Over five years later, Justice Ginsburg and the nation still wait. Although women’s health was allegedly immediately harmed by the decision, we have not yet seen an as-applied challenge on behalf of one of these women, nor have we seen even one documented story of a woman whose health was impacted by the unavailability of a partial-birth abortion.”

Lynch, the U.S. attorney in Brooklyn, is in her second stint as U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of New York, appointed by President Obama in 2010 and also serving in the same post from 1999 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. She will face full confirmation in the Senate, where Republicans are in control

 

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