Tuesday, May 3, 2016
TRUMP READY TO CHECK IN AND UNPACK HILLARY'S BAGGAGE
As rosy exit polls began coming in from Indiana on Tuesday night, Donald Trump turned his attention to the next phase of his run for the White House — and his next opponent, Hillary Clinton.
The general election, he suggested in an interview, will not find him dialing back his scorched-earth approach to winning.
“Her past is really the thing, rather than what she plans to do in the future,” Trump said. “Her past has a lot of problems, to put it bluntly.”
Through this wild GOP presidential primary race, Trump has dispatched his opponents with insults, slurs and scornful nicknames.
“I haven’t devoted any time, effort, energy to Hillary yet. I haven’t started on that process because I’ve been focused on the nomination, which is probably wise,” he said. “With Hillary, I will be starting the process as soon as this is over.”
VOTERS (AND GOD) DUMP TED
Cruz’s decision came after losing overwhelmingly to Trump in the Indiana primary, all but ensuring that real estate mogul will claim his party’s mantle at the Republican National Convention in July.
“I said I would continue on as long as there is a viable path to victory. Tonight, I’m sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed,”
Cruz told a small group of supporters here Tuesday night. “Together we left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we got, but the voters chose another path.”
Cruz also said he would “continue to fight for liberty,” but did not address whether he would support Trump as the nominee.
The exit comes after a series of desperate moves to keep his candidacy afloat in recent weeks, including naming former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as his running mate in a bizarre announcement where Cruz spoke for a half hour and Fiorina sang to his young daughters.
Ted Cruz drops out of the Republican presidential race
“I said I would continue on as long as there is a viable path to victory. Tonight, I’m sorry to say, it appears that path has been foreclosed,”
Cruz told a small group of supporters here Tuesday night. “Together we left it all on the field in Indiana. We gave it everything we got, but the voters chose another path.”
Cruz also said he would “continue to fight for liberty,” but did not address whether he would support Trump as the nominee.
The exit comes after a series of desperate moves to keep his candidacy afloat in recent weeks, including naming former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina as his running mate in a bizarre announcement where Cruz spoke for a half hour and Fiorina sang to his young daughters.
Ted Cruz drops out of the Republican presidential race
Monday, May 2, 2016
THE LAND OF THE RICH AND HOMELESS
While 1% of Americans consume over 45% of the wealth there are millions of Americans who have literally no place to call home;
There are approximately 3.5 million homeless people in the United States, according to estimates from the Urban Institute. After the financial crisis that began in 2008, in which millions of people lost their homes, there were over 18 million empty American homes. Although theoretically there are more than enough houses in the United States to provide shelter for all of the nation's homeless people, there are many legal complexities relating to empty homes. Foreclosed houses are owned by banks, and because of the property taxes and the repairs required to make the homes safe, financial institutions generally opt to demolish them and sell or donate the empty lots.
More about the homeless:
According to 2009 figures, it is estimated that between 5% and 20% of Americans who end up homeless have lost their homes due to foreclosures.
About 90% of homeless women are thought to be previous victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.
On any given night, about a quarter of the homeless population are children under the age of 18.
Homelessness in the United States: Trends and demographics - Journalist's Resource Journalist's Resource
There are approximately 3.5 million homeless people in the United States, according to estimates from the Urban Institute. After the financial crisis that began in 2008, in which millions of people lost their homes, there were over 18 million empty American homes. Although theoretically there are more than enough houses in the United States to provide shelter for all of the nation's homeless people, there are many legal complexities relating to empty homes. Foreclosed houses are owned by banks, and because of the property taxes and the repairs required to make the homes safe, financial institutions generally opt to demolish them and sell or donate the empty lots.
More about the homeless:
According to 2009 figures, it is estimated that between 5% and 20% of Americans who end up homeless have lost their homes due to foreclosures.
About 90% of homeless women are thought to be previous victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.
On any given night, about a quarter of the homeless population are children under the age of 18.
Homelessness in the United States: Trends and demographics - Journalist's Resource Journalist's Resource
WHY AMERICA NEEDS BERNIE; Wealth Inequality in America
The most important chart about the American economy you'll see this year
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For a long time, most of the gains from economic growth went to the bottom 90 percent of the income distribution. And, after all, the bottom 90 percent includes the vast majority of people. Since 1980, that hasn't been the case. And for the first several years of the current expansion, the bottom 90 percent saw inflation-adjusted incomes continue to fall.
The data series ends in 2012 and we don't know how long the expansion will last, so that negative income trend may evaporate before all is said and done. But unless there's a massive break with the previous three expansions we will continue to have an economy where the typical family's living standards grow much more slowly than GDP growth per se would allow.
HILLARY; #1 AMONG THE RULING CLASS
“Far from being a candidate of the people, she’s the top pick of corporations to do the job of every president: to be the CEO of the empire.”
Clinton herself promoted an Islamophobic narrative during the 2008 election in an attempt to defeat Barack Obama, Martin noted.
She added that Clinton has “mastered media spin” and maintains close relationships with Washington insider journalists, and so the public is unlikely to hear many of these facts in the mainstream media.
Clinton a favorite of ‘fat cat banker’ donors, fossil fuel, big pharma & defense industries
Martin suggested that Clinton is a candidate tailor-made for the modern Democratic Party, thanks to the superdelegate system which allows the party to “vote against the people’s will.”
Many of the 712 Democratic superdelegates are industry lobbyists, and those same industries are often among the most generous donors to Clinton’s campaign and the Clinton Foundation, the controversial nonprofit operated by Hillary and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Martin highlighted Jeff Berman, a superdelegate who also helps organize Clinton’s delegate tracking efforts.
“A ‘top lobbyist’ at Bryan Cave LLP, Berman previously worked as a lobbyist for the private prison company Geo Group and as a lobbyist helping TransCanada build support for the Keystone XL,” The Intercept’s Lee Fang reported in a Feb. 17 investigation of superdelegates.
Private prison corporations, including Geo Group, have graciously opened their wallets to Clinton. And the same goes for the fossil fuel industry, which became the source of a tense confrontation at a rally on March 31. Other industries that support another Clinton presidency include the pharmaceutical industry, the defense industry, and, as Sanders supporters frequently point out, Wall Street banks.
“Bill and Hillary are quick to exploit themselves for corporate loot,” Martin said, adding that Hillary’s token objections to Wall Street’s unchecked power over American politics shouldn’t be taken seriously. “Her fat cat banker donors aren’t worried in the slightest.”
Sunday, May 1, 2016
HOW THE ESTABLISHMENT IS BESTING BERNIE
In a political campaign where democracy ruled and voter rights were center stage Bernie Sanders be the next president of these United States of America.
Unfortunately that's not the way it works in America where corruption rules the day and the system is "rigged" in favor of the ruling Establishment; to hell with the voters.
The recent New York primaries is the gold standard example of how this works;
To the Democratic establishment -- and to the mainstream media that obsesses about elections like a horse race -- Clinton's big win in New York on April 19 sealed the deal.
But for the tens of the thousands of people who attended the massive Sanders rallies before the primary, or the much larger numbers who were just inspired by his message, it came as something of a surprise that Clinton could win so resoundingly.
Voter disenfranchisement played a role, as many Sanders supporters have claimed.
Unfortunately that's not the way it works in America where corruption rules the day and the system is "rigged" in favor of the ruling Establishment; to hell with the voters.
The recent New York primaries is the gold standard example of how this works;
To the Democratic establishment -- and to the mainstream media that obsesses about elections like a horse race -- Clinton's big win in New York on April 19 sealed the deal.
But for the tens of the thousands of people who attended the massive Sanders rallies before the primary, or the much larger numbers who were just inspired by his message, it came as something of a surprise that Clinton could win so resoundingly.
Voter disenfranchisement played a role, as many Sanders supporters have claimed.
For example, more than 100,000 people were reportedly purged from the voting rolls in Brooklyn.
But the truth is that the Clinton campaign didn't have to break any rules to have a strong advantage going into the primary.
New York has some of the most restrictive voting laws in the country. There are no provisions for early voting, same-day registration or excuse-only absentee voting (in cases when voters are out of town or disabled). The voter registration deadline was 25 days before the primary -- and independent or unaffiliated voters, such as those registered as Green Party members, had to change their party registration 193 days before -- a full six months.
As a result, an estimated 3 million registered voters -- 27 percent of the total -- weren't able to vote in the primaries because they weren't already registered Democrat or Republican.
New York has some of the most restrictive voting laws in the country. There are no provisions for early voting, same-day registration or excuse-only absentee voting (in cases when voters are out of town or disabled). The voter registration deadline was 25 days before the primary -- and independent or unaffiliated voters, such as those registered as Green Party members, had to change their party registration 193 days before -- a full six months.
As a result, an estimated 3 million registered voters -- 27 percent of the total -- weren't able to vote in the primaries because they weren't already registered Democrat or Republican.
This had the biggest impact on Sanders supporters. Of the self-identified independents who did vote, around three-quarters supported Sanders, according to exit polls.
Among New Yorkers under 30 years old, 37 percent identify as independent, while 15 percent of African American voters and 22 percent of Latino voters are also unaffiliated with any major party, according to analysis by Prime New York.
Beyond the inbuilt advantage for Clinton of a so-called "closed" primary, the ability of the Democratic Party machine to get out the votes for its favorites can't be underestimated.
Among New Yorkers under 30 years old, 37 percent identify as independent, while 15 percent of African American voters and 22 percent of Latino voters are also unaffiliated with any major party, according to analysis by Prime New York.
Beyond the inbuilt advantage for Clinton of a so-called "closed" primary, the ability of the Democratic Party machine to get out the votes for its favorites can't be underestimated.
With the argument that she's the only viable choice to beat the Republicans, Clinton won three-quarters of Black voters and 63 percent of Latinos, according to exit polls.
On top of that, Clinton had "inevitability" itself on her side -- 72 percent of Democratic primary voters said they thought she would be the ultimate nominee, according to ABC News.
Is Bernie Sanders a Spoiler?
On top of that, Clinton had "inevitability" itself on her side -- 72 percent of Democratic primary voters said they thought she would be the ultimate nominee, according to ABC News.
Is Bernie Sanders a Spoiler?
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