HOW LOW CAN MARCO GO? SELLING OUT HIS MOTHER TO THE ESTABLISHMENT

Wonder what Marco Rubio's mother thinks of him now?

Marco Rubio likes to talk about his family's story—his Cuban-born parents, a bartender and a maid, who could hardly have dreamed their son would be running for president one day. In fact, Rubio invoked his mother, Oriales García Rubio, twice during Thursday night's GOP debate. Once he noted that Donald Trump's hiring practices in Florida would have excluded his mother from his employment, then he mentioned that she still depends on Social Security and Medicare to get by.

That's probably why his mother, who grew up in Cuba sharing a one-room house with a family of nine, implored her son not to "mess with the immigrants" in 2012, aschronicled by Michael Grunwald.

[O]n the morning of Dec. 21, she called her youngest son, Marco Antonio Rubio, the 41-year-old Senator from Florida and great Hispanic hope of the Republican Party—or, as she calls him, Tony. She got his voice mail. “Tony, some loving advice from the person who cares for you most in the world,” she said in Spanish. “Don’t mess with the immigrants, my son. Please, don’t mess with them.” She reminded him that undocumented Americans—los pobrecitos, she called them, the poor things—work hard and get treated horribly. “They’re human beings just like us, and they came for the same reasons we came. To work. To improve their lives. So please, don’t mess with them.”

Rubio has placed political expediency over principle repeatedly on immigration:opposing the DREAM Act, running away from his own immigration bill in 2013, constantly emphasizing "border security first" on the campaign trail and promising to repeal Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) as president, and now exhibiting a certain nostalgia for the concept of self-deportation. Wonder what his mother might say now.

WILL HILLARY RELEASE TRANSCRIPTS ON SUPER TUESDAY?

Is Hillary waiting to see if she can lock up the nomination before being honest with American voters?

Clinton deflects calls to release Wall Street speech transcripts

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton defended her paid speeches to Wall Street, saying in an interview that aired on Friday that they would not soften her campaign pledges for tougher regulation.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton defended her paid speeches to Wall Street, saying in an interview that aired on Friday that they would not soften her campaign pledges for tougher regulation.

The former U.S. Senator from New York and secretary of state is under pressure from rival candidate Bernie Sanders, who has made her Wall Street ties a top campaign issue and called for her to release transcripts of her remarks. Clinton was reportedly paid millions in appearance fees after leaving the State Department.

Asked whether she could assure U.S. voters that the speeches would not undermine her calls to rein in the financial industry, Clinton told MSNBC: “Absolutely.”

WHY BERNIE LOST IN S. CAROLINA; LVT!

LOW VOTER TURNOUT! (LVT)

87% of registered voters in S. Carolina stayed away from the polls.

Around 370,000 votes were cast in the South Carolina Democratic primary, amounting to just over 12 percent of the overall vote. Of those votes, Sanders claimed around 100,000 while Clinton netted nearly three times more. Some of the least populated counties saw the best turnouts, though not a single county had more than a third of their registered voters hand in ballots. In Greenville County, the most populous in South Carolina, a paltry 10.35 percent of voters participated in the primary on Saturday.

Regardless of abysmal voter turnout, both candidates earned delegates. 53 delegates were up for grabs. Clinton got 39 while Sanders earned 14. Neither amount is enough to decisively confirm a Democratic presidential nominee, though Clinton's ever-widening lead has become all the more apparent. Sanders made it abundantly clear that he's focused on Super Tuesday and winning as many states as he can in the major election season event.



                                                                SC - Election Results

Registered Voters:	2,961,362
Ballots Cast:	370,719
Voter Turnout:	12.52 %

IS HILLARY A PAPER TIGER?

Hillary appears to be a strong candidate, but that's only if you look at her through colored glasses handed out by the Democratic Establishment.

A look at the Big Picture (the general election) reveals something much different.

The case against Hillary Clinton: This is the disaster Democrats must avoid - Salon.com

Contrary to conventional pundit wisdom, Hillary is not the stronger general-election candidate.

So far Clinton seems to have retained the status of favorite for the Democratic nomination. But there are strong signs that it’s Sanders who would fare better against the eventual GOP nominee.

Recent polling shows Sanders doing better than Clinton against each of the Republican contenders. One can question the relevance of early-stage match ups such as these, but as Princeton’s Matt Karp recently noted in his eye-opening piece on Sanders and Clinton’s comparative electability:

We may be skeptical about the predictive power of these findings, nine months before Election Day. But it’s wrong to call them “absolutely worthless” … In a comprehensive analysis of elections between 1952 and 2008, Robert Erikson and Christopher Wleizen found that matchup polls as early as April have generally produced results close to the outcome in November.

Even much earlier “trial heats” seem to be far from meaningless. As partisan polarization has increased over the last three decades, there’s some evidence that early polling has become more predictive than ever. In all five elections since 1996, February matchup polls yielded average results within two points of the final outcome.

Still skeptical? Consider the candidates’ favorability ratings: Sanders is the only one of the leading candidates—from either party—with a greater favorable than unfavorable rating. Hillary’s 53-percent unfavorable rating would, as Karp noted, “make her the most disliked presidential nominee in modern history.” (See all of the candidates’ ratings here.)

A look at party identification is also revealing: Independents now vastly outnumber Democrats or Republicans, and among independents, Sanders is far and away the favorite. Meanwhile, as statistician Joshua Loftus notes: “Dangerously, even Donald Trump and Ted Cruz get a much greater proportion of independent voters than Clinton.

A VOTE FOR BERNIE IS A VOTE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

Dr. Cornel West, one of the preeminent public intellectuals on issues of a race and inequality and an avid Sanders supporter, had harsh words for civil rights leaders supporting Clinton's campaign during an interview with VICE News as he toured South Carolina on Sanders' behalf last week.

West spoke at length of "Brother Bernie's" activism during the civil rights era, while questioning Clinton's commitment to the cause. When asked why some civil rights leaders were backing Clinton's campaign, including Rep. John Lewis, who marched in Selma in 1965, West replied that Lewis and others had lost their way.

Cornel West Says Civil Rights Leaders That Support Hillary Clinton Have Lost Their Way | VICE News

More broadly, West asserted that black politicians supporting Clinton lack the kind of "courage" it takes to support Sanders and to "pursue truth" and justice.

"Most black politicians these days are neoliberal politicians, so it's almost natural for them to side with Hillary Clinton," he said. "But with the neoliberal era coming to a close, four months from now [when the party picks its nominee], you watch how the shift sets in."

Neither Clyburn's office nor Lewis' responded to requests for comment for this story.

West's comments come just eight months after he praised Lewis at a Unitarian Universalists event honoring the congressman, who received a human rights award. At the time, West called Lewis a "moral titan" and suggested that the same young people he now says are more courageous than Lewis could learn something from the congressman.

HILLARY; DON'T WORRY - TRUST ME - PROMISE

Something smells fishy in Denmark; err ---- I mean Hillary's campaign.

If there's nothing to worry about, I promise, then why not just release the transcripts?

What is all the "I'll show you mine if you show me yours" about?

One thing for sure, Hillary does not want to make public what she said behind closed doors  that made her a cool $675,000.00

So, here's what I propose. How about someone in the audience that attended one of these very expensive speeches come out with their version of what was said? Maybe just the highlights? Or maybe selling it to the tabloids?

These are not highly classified government documents that need to be censured and redacted. Or are they?

Could this be a "Romney Moment" for Hillary?

Clinton Promises 'Absolutely, Absolutely' Nothing to Worry About in Wall Street Speeches | Common Dreams | Breaking News & Views for the Progressive Community

Hillary Clinton : 'I will release speeches when others do'

                         

Why Hillary Clinton Will NEVER Release Transcripts Of Her Paid Speeches

                       

FEELING THE BERN? VOTE!

On March 1, presidential candidates will be evaluated by voters in 12 states and one territory – that’s the largest number of primary elections to be held on any given day and also the day when the largest number of delegates are chosen. And because those states and territories are so different from one another, it’s also the first time in the electoral calendar that the presidential hopefuls will really have their national electability put to the test. No wonder it’s known as Super Tuesday.

Here, we give you a primer on all 13 locations that will, together, shape the rest of the race.

Alabama

Primaries held: Republican and Democratic presidential primaries

Delegates: 50 Republican delegates, 60 Democratic delegates

Things to watch out for: There is very little polling of Democrats in Alabama – just one poll so far in fact. Between February 14 and 16, Public Policy Polling (PPP) included Alabama in 12 states it looked at to see how the Democratic candidates were faring. PPP found that of the 500 primary-goers spoken to in Alabama, Hillary Clinton was leading Bernie Sanders 59% to 31%, and 74% of those polled said they were firmly committed to their choice. There is more polling data on the Republican side, the average of which points to a steady double-digit lead for Donald Trump, according toReal Clear Politics .

Demographics: The percentage of Alabama’s population that is black is twice as high as it is nationally. The PPP poll found that black Alabamians are much more likely to vote for Clinton than Sanders (67-22). However, economic concerns in the state may weaken Clinton’s advantage: the median household income in Alabama is almost $10kbelow the national median and 18.6% of Alabamians live below the poverty level (compared to 15.4% nationally). When PPP asked respondents which candidate they trusted to crack down on Wall Street, Clinton’s lead fell to 48-35 although Sanders was not necessarily trusted on broader economic competence. When asked which candidate they trusted for “raising incomes of average Americans” Clinton was ahead of Sanders 56-32.

Alaska

Primaries held: Republican presidential caucuses

Delegates: 28 Republican delegates

Thing to watch out for: Alaska has also been overlooked by the pollsters. Just one pollhas checked the temperament of Republican caucus-goers here and that was back in January so there is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen here on March 1. (The Democratic caucuses will be held later in the month, on March 26.)

Demographics: The smallest eligible voter population after Wyoming and Vermont, Alaska doesn’t have many delegates to play with. With a median household income of $70,760 (the national figure is$53,046 ), Alaska is one of the wealthiest states in the country.

American Samoa

Primaries held: Democratic presidential caucuses

Delegates: 10 Democratic delegates

Thing to watch out for: Well, just watching it would be a start. US territories often get forgotten during the electoral process, not least by the media.

Demographics: The 55,000 residents of this tiny group of islands near Australia are considered US nationals but not US citizens – as such, they can send delegates to nominating conventions but they are unable to vote in the national election itself.

Arkansas

Primaries held: Democratic and Republican presidential primaries

Delegates: 40 Republican delegates, 37 Democratic delegates

Thing to watch out for: Clinton won in 2008 in the state where her husband was governor and she looks set to do so again. Republican polling here is scarce though so any numbers should be treated with caution – just one poll has been conducted so far this year, which found Trump was four points behind Ted Cruz. In 2012, Mitt Romney won here (and went on to be the Republican Presidential nominee) but in 2008, Mick Huckabee won Arkansas but did not win the national vote.

Demographics: Compared to the rest of the country, voters in Arkansas are more likely to be white and less likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree.

Colorado

Primaries held: Democratic and Republican presidential caucuses

Delegates: 37 Republican delegates, 78 Democratic delegates

Things to watch out for: These caucuses are a little unusual since the Republican party will not vote here but will instead allow its 37 delegates to remain unpledged to a specific candidate. Last summer, it was decided that the state would forfeit its role in the early nomination process. Republican party officials in Colorado decided that theywanted delegates to be free agents rather than having their hands tied at the national convention in Cleveland in July. Votes will still take place just like at normal caucuses but they won’t be official and delegates won’t necessarily be bound by the results. It’s not yet clear whether that will work for or against Republican candidates that are doing well in Colorado right now. In fact, it’s not even very clear who is doing well in Colorado right now. There’s very little Republican polling here – just one survey conducted by Quinnipiac University in November which found that Ben Carson was leading by 6 percentage points over of Rubio.

Demographics: Voters here are more likely to have completed undergraduate studies than average American voters – they are also slightly wealthier and younger than the rest of the electorate. Many of those young voters are undecided – a fact which could prove important even once the primary process is over and done with.

Georgia

Primaries held: Democratic and Republican presidential primaries

Delegates: 76 Republican delegates, 117 Democratic delegates

Thing to watch out for: This was one of the only states that Newt Gingrich won in 2012. This time around, Trump is comfortably leading and Clinton looks almost certain to win, despite the fact that Obama beat her here in 2008.

Demographics: Almost one in three voters here are black. According to PPP, 70% of Democratic black voters here support Clinton over Sanders.

Massachusetts

Primaries held: Democratic and Republican presidential primaries

Delegates: 42 Republican delegates, 116 Democratic delegates

Thing to watch out for: This is one of the closest Democratic races to be held on Super Tuesday – Clinton and Sanders are just a few percentage points apart (although Clinton won here in 2008). Meanwhile, Trump is leading comfortably in Massachusetts.

Demographics: Voters in the state are whiter and wealthier than the national average. In the 2012 national election , the state leaned more toward Democrats by one of the widest margins in the country and had the 9th highest turnout of any state.

Minnesota

Primaries held: Democratic and Republican presidential caucuses

Delegates: 38 Republican delegates, 93 Democratic delegates

Thing to watch out for: In previous years, Minnesota has held its elections earlier.According toMinnesota Republican party chairman Keith Downey, holding their caucuses on March 1 “will make Minnesota more relevant in the process”.

Demographics: 86% of voters in Minnesota are white – although the age breakdown of voters here is broadly similar to the national picture.

Oklahoma

Primaries held: Democratic and Republican presidential primaries

Delegates: 43 Republican delegates, 42 Democratic delegates

Thing to watch out for: Both Clinton and Trump have a smaller lead here than they do nationally so this will be an interesting test ground for both candidates. According toReal Clear Politics ’ polling averages, for Republicans this could also be a close fight for second place since Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are less than two percentage points apart.

Demographics: In the last national election, Oklahoma had the 49th lowest turnout of any US state.Voters there are poorer and more likely to be white than the US electorate as a whole.

Tennessee

Primaries held: Democratic and Republican presidential primaries

Delegates: 58 Republican delegates, 75 Democratic delegates

Thing to watch out for: Be cautious of polling on this state because there’s little of it, which means a much bigger margin of error. However Clinton has been the clear winner of the two polls that have been conducted since November – she also won here in 2008.

Demographics: Voters here are more likely to be white and have a lower household income than the national average. Tennessee is the most religious of the Super Tuesday states. As the graphic below from Pew Research Center shows, 80% of adults here say religion is very important and Evangelical Protestants (a group which has been favorable to Ted Cruz in the past) make up 67% of Tennesseans.

Texas

Primaries held: Democratic and Republican presidential primaries

Delegates: 155 Republican delegates, 251 Democratic delegates

Things to watch out for: Just watch everything. With so many delegates, Texas will be an incredibly important state in determining the presidential candidates in this election. Cruz is leading in the polls in Texas; a win could help turn the candidate’s fortunes around at the national level. In 2008, Texans voted for Clinton, a fact which might still work in her favour eight years later.

Demographics: In the last national election, Texas had one of the lowest turnout rates in the country.After New Mexico , this is the most important Latino voting state in the country – 35% of voters here are Hispanic.

Vermont

Primaries held: Democratic and Republican presidential primaries

Delegates: 16 Republican delegates, 26 Democratic delegates

Thing to watch out for: Bernie Sanders is likely to clean up in this, his home state. But that’s unlikely to be a big help to him overall. Since Vermont is one of the least populated states in the country, only 26 Democratic delegates will have a say here.

Demographics: 96% of voters here are white and one in five are over the age of 65.

Virginia

Primaries held: Democratic and Republican presidential primaries

Delegates: 49 Republican delegates, 109 Democratic delegates

Thing to watch out for: This might not be the most exciting of the Super Tuesday races – Clinton looks like a sure thing and Trump’s got a pretty solid chance too according to the polls that have come out so far this year.

Demographics: Voters in Virginia are slightly wealthier and more likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree than the national average.

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THE GREATEST INTERVIEW OF ALL TIME (2015) - BERNIE SANDERS

WHY VOTE FOR AN OLD WHITE GUY FROM VERMONT?

Simply put; He's the real deal!

What you see and hear is what you get. What he says is what he believes, not what you want to hear  be he in New England, in the Deep South, Midwest, or Hollywood.

When he speaks he speaks from both the head and heart and that's unusual in American politics. It probably happens once in a few lifetimes.

His message is simple; Americans are being screwed and he wants them to join him in putting a stop to it.

His solution is also simple; in order to do that will require a "political revolution." No more putting band aids on a gushing wound. The revolution is not about torches and pitchforks, but about votes. One vote-one person, multiplied millions of times is a "yuuuuge" weapon if you make your vote count by using it.

His support comes from those who have been shut out of the political Establishment which is made up of the "Romney 47%", the "First-time voter", the "discouraged voter" who stopped going to the polls because there was no-one to vote for who represented them. Those who are members of the shrinking "middle class" and those who are waking up to the reality that the system is "rigged" against them.

That's who Bernie Sanders speaks to them (NOT Wall Street bankers) , and that's who will get him elected in November.





                        

REPUBLICANS BEGIN UNPACKING HILLARY'S BAGGAGE

It's starting. The Republicans are salivating knowing that Hillary comes to this presidential campaign with so much baggage they need to start early just to get through it all.

The Goldman-Sachs speech transcripts are most deserving of attention; not only by Republicans but Democrats as well.

This is an ethical issue, not merely a political one and demands being addressed by Hillary who wants to be trusted but not willing to earn it.


                    

BERNIE GIVES A SPEECH ON HILLARY'S $225,000 WALL STREET SPEECH(S)

VOTERS SAY; HEY HILLARY! SHOW ME THE TRANSCRIPTS!

Come on Hillary! Don't be one of those regular politicians who's afraid to be transparent by hiding something from the people she wants votes from. Voters deserve to know what Hillary told Wall Street bankers that was so valuable they paid her huge sums of money to deliver them.

Along with the $44.1 million the industry has donated to back her campaigns, she personally earned more than $3.7 million for delivering paid speeches to banks and other financial services firms since leaving the State Department in 2013, personal financial disclosures show.

Those payments have dogged her on the campaign trail. During the CNN forum Wednesday night, Clinton struggled to explain why she accepted $675,000 from Goldman Sachs to deliver three speeches to the bank.

“That’s what they offered,” she told moderator Anderson Cooper, adding: “They’re not giving me very much money now, I can tell you that much. Fine with me.”

Mrs. Clinton, Show Voters Those Transcripts - The New York Times

Even as Hillary Clinton has stepped up her rhetorical assault on Wall Street, her campaign and allied super PACs have continued to rake in millions from the financial sector, a sign of her deep and lasting relationships with banking and investment titans.

Through the end of December, donors at hedge funds, banks, insurance companies and other financial services firms had given at least $21.4 million to support Clinton’s 2016 presidential run — more than 10 percent of the $157.8 million contributed to back her bid, according to an analysis of Federal Election Commission filings by The Washington Post.

The contributions helped Clinton reach a fundraising milestone: By the end of 2015, she had brought in more money from the financial sector during her four federal campaigns than her ­husband did during his ­quarter-century political career.

In all, donors from Wall Street and other financial services firms have given $44.1 million to support Hillary Clinton’s campaigns and allied super PACs, compared with $39.7 million in backing that former president Bill Clinton received from the industry, according to campaign finance records dating back to 1974 that have been compiled by The Post.

Nearly half of the financial­sector donations made to support Hillary Clinton’s current presidential run have come from just two wealthy financiers: billionaire investor George Soros, who gave $7 million last year to the pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA Action, and hedge-fund manager S. Donald Sussman, who gave the group $2.5 million.

Most of their money was donated in December as Clinton was taking an increasingly tough stance toward the industry in an effort to blunt the populist appeal of her opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont.

“I believe strongly that we need to make sure that Wall Street never wrecks Main Street again,” she declared at a campaign stop in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan. 24, adding: “No bank is too big to fail, and no executive is too powerful to jail.”

[Inside the Clinton donor network]

Clinton’s success at raising millions from major Wall Street players — even as she blasts some of their most lucrative practices — shows how she continues to benefit from relationships she and her husband forged over decades.

As Sanders has put her on the defensive about her Wall Street contributions, Clinton has responded that the campaign money does not influence her approach to regulating the financial industry.

Clinton points to her proposals to rein in the sector — such as a new risk fee on large financial institutions and increased penalties for financial crimes — as evidence that she cannot be swayed.

“She believes that the measure of our success must be defined by how much incomes rise for hard-working families, not just CEOs and money managers,” said campaign spokesman Josh Schwerin. “The hundreds of thousands of people who have supported Hillary’s campaign know that’s what she’s fighting for.”

Earlier in the campaign, Clinton tried to explain her connections to the industry in part by noting that she “represented Wall Street” as a U.S. senator from New York. In one debate in November, she appeared to suggest that campaign donations she received from financial services firms came in response to her support for New York City after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

As Sanders’s excoriations of Wall Street have helped him gain traction, the former secretary of state has sought to ramp up her own rhetoric, matching his tone of outrage and indignation.

 “I’m really proud of my plan, that it is driving the Republicans and Wall Street crazy,” Clinton said in Dover, N.H., on Wednesday, adding: “They know that I know how to stop them from ever hurting us again.”

Clinton has called out specific companies such as Pfizer and Johnson Controls for conducting “corporate inversions” — a merger with a foreign counterpart for tax benefits.

“On the tax code, they call that an inversion; I call it a perversion,” she said Wednesday. “And I’m going to go right after that!”

At the same time, however, Clinton continues to collect money from financiers who are benefiting from some of the deals she decries. Among those who have raised at least $100,000 for her campaign is Blair Effron, a founding partner of Centerview Partners, a boutique investment firm that played a role in the Pfizer and Johnson Controls inversion negotiations. A Centerview spokesman declined to comment.

In December, Effron attended a joint fundraiser for Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee held at the Manhattan home of Blackstone Group President Hamilton “Tony” James and his wife, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The featured guest was legendary investor Warren Buffett, and attendees included Byron Wien, a vice chairman at Blackstone; Wesley Edens, co-founder of Fortress Investment Group; and Cliff Robbins, chief executive of Blue Harbour Group.

Clinton’s reliance on such figures for financial support alarms some on the left, who are already wary of the ties she and her husband have to Robert Rubin, the former Goldman Sachs co­chairman who became Bill Clinton’s treasury secretary.

Hillary Clinton’s tougher rhetoric and regulatory proposals are “commendable,” said Jeff Hauser, who leads the Revolving Door Project, a foundation-funded effort that has joined Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in calling for presidential candidates to commit to appointing independent regulators at the Treasury Department and other agencies.

But, Hauser said, she “has to decide whether she wants to fully commit or have one foot on the reform wing of the Democratic Party and another on the Wall Street wing.”

[From ‘dead broke’ to multimillionaires]

Clinton scooped up Wall Street donations during her first Senate run in 2000, turning to Rubin and investment banker Roger Altman, who served in her husband’s administration, to introduce her to key players.

Since that first race, the financial sector has been among the top industries that have supported her, a Post analysis found last year.

With the $21.4 million that Wall Street has given for her current White House bid, Clinton is on track to quickly exceed the nearly $23 million that she raised in her three previous campaigns combined from the PACs and employees of banks, hedge funds, securities firms and insurance companies, according to the latest Post analysis.

That’s in part because this is the first time Clinton is running in the era of super PACs, which can accept unlimited donations from individuals and corporations. So far, financial-sector donors have given $17.4 million to her allied super PACs, the analysis found.

But Clinton is also leaning on Wall Street to help finance her campaign directly as she tries to stay ahead of Sanders’s robust online fundraising operation, which brought in more than $20 million in January.

Sanders jabbed at Clinton for attending a fundraiser in Philadelphia at the office of investment firm Franklin Square Capital Partners days before the Iowa caucuses. The event included a special acoustic performance for donors by Jon Bon Jovi. A spokeswoman for the firm declined to comment.

Meanwhile, two other finance industry fundraisers that were set to take place before the New Hampshire primary have been rescheduled for later dates. The campaign declined to say why.

Clinton was originally supposed to attend an event in Boston organized by Jeannie and Jonathan Lavine, the managing partner of Sankaty Advisors, an affiliate of Bain Capital, according to details obtained by the Sunlight Foundation’s Political Party Time. The fundraiser has been rescheduled for a later date that the campaign would not reveal.

In addition, a New York fundraiser billed as a “Conversation With Hillary,” co-hosted by Matt Mallow, chief legal officer for the asset-management firm BlackRock, originally scheduled for Jan. 28 has been moved to Feb. 16.

The next day, Bill Clinton will headline a fundraiser in New York hosted by real estate investor Bal Das and Valérie Demont, a lawyer who heads the U.S.-India practice at Pepper Hamilton, specializing in international mergers and acquisitions.

BERNIE WANTS A BANK YOU CAN TRUST

Bernie Sanders makes the case for banking at post offices 

Bernie has sponsored legislation to let the Postal Service find innovative new ways to shore up its finances. Sanders proposed that the U.S. Postal Service offer banking services—“postal banking”—which was provided until 1967.

Simply put, the Post Office would offer basic banking services to customers—like low-interest savings accounts, debit cards and even some simple types of loans. The USPS already takes in more than $100 million in revenue each year by selling postal money orders.

“One of the ways that I think we can help not only the U.S. Postal Service, but help a lot of low-income people—if you are a low-income person, it is, depending upon where you live, very difficult to find normal banking. Banks don’t want you,” Bernie continued, “And what people are forced to do is go to payday lenders who charge outrageously high interest rates. You go to check-cashing places, which rip you off. And, yes, I think that the postal service, in fact, can play an important role in providing modest types of banking service to folks who need it.”

An estimated 68 million people live in “bank deserts,” areas without access to financial services. The banks don’t want to serve these people because they’re mostly poor, leaving them to be gouged by check-cashing shops and payday lenders.

Postal banking could save low-income families thousands of dollars per year, AND provide a new revenue stream for the Post Office.

HOW MANY ROBES DID SCALIA HAVE IN HIS CLOSET?

Justice Scalia spent his last hours with members of this secretive society of elite hunters  

When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died 12 days ago at a West Texas ranch, he was among high-ranking members of an exclusive fraternity for hunters called the International Order of St. Hubertus, an Austrian society that dates back to the 1600s.

After Scalia’s death Feb. 13, the names of the 35 other guests at the remote resort, along with details about Scalia’s connection to the hunters, have remained largely unknown. A review of public records shows that some of the men who were with Scalia at the ranch are connected through the International Order of St. Hubertus, whose members gathered at least once before at the same ranch for a celebratory weekend.

Members of the worldwide, male-only society wear dark-green robes emblazoned with a large cross and the motto “Deum Diligite Animalia Diligentes,” which means “Honoring God by honoring His creatures,” according to the group’s website. Some hold titles, such as Grand Master, Prior and Knight Grand Officer. The Order’s name is in honor of Hubert, the patron saint of hunters and fishermen.

Meet St. Hubertus, patron saint of rich guys with guns

HILLARY IS BEING PILLORIED

The Clinton dynasty have the same problems as the Bush dynasty. They both carry a lot of "baggage" and a sh-tload of it is being unpacked on social media. 

Fortunately for America, JEB! is in the wind and the Republican party continues it's free fall into wherever Donald Trump will take them. Republican voters are angry at the Republican Establishment and it shows at the polls. 

The Clintons, on the other hand still have the full support of the Democratic Establishment (big money) and both have joined forces (along with the mainstream media) to shore up defenses against any "grass root activists" that would threaten the status quo. 

Democratic voters are not so angry, but very passionate and that is also showing at the polls. Despite great odds Bernie Sanders has continue to eat away at the once dominant lead Hillary was endowed with and it's taking it's toll on her and her campaign. Early signs are her change in rhetoric which has now begun to morph into Sanders sound bites. 

It is also appearing in the ways some voters are calling Hillary out on her, and her ex-president husband's history when it comes to how they weakened the civil rights movement during Bill's POTUS years. 

Black Lives Matter activist Ashley Williams interrupted Hillary Clinton on Wednesday night at a lavish private fundraiser in South Carolina. The young woman accused the presidential candidate of hypocrisy for supporting “tough on crime” laws that led to mass incarceration of black Americans.







Williams held up a sign reading “We have to bring them to heel,” recalling a line from Clinton’s 1994 “super-predator” speech, which has been widely characterized as racist. Secret Service promptly forced the Black Lives Matter activist to leave the wealthy, almost all-white fundraiser.



Activists uploaded a video of the protest to YouTube under the name #NotASuperpredator, with a caption linking to the article “Why Hillary Clinton doesn’t deserve the black vote” by legal scholar Michelle Alexander, author of the prominent book “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness.”

On Thursday morning, the tag #WhichHillary began trending on Twitter, as thousands of people criticized Clinton for constantly shifting positions and for what they see as her hypocrisy.

#WhichHillary? Twitter trend calls out Clinton for hypocrisy on racism,  

BILLIONAIRE SAYS ECONOMY IS JUST FINE; SURPRISE!

Buffett, in Annual Letter, Rejects Candidates’ Message of U.S. Decline

Coming from Warren Buffett, one of the richest people on the planet (around $80 billion) I can't disagree with him. For him, and those wealthy enough to invest in his money pot I imagine everything is just fine.

Did Warren feel the effects of the 2008 crash? Did he lose his home(s)? Did his retirement nest egg vanish?

From where Warren and the rest of the 1% sit; all is well and continues to get better. Asking people to stop complaining is what any good capitalist would do. But, let's get down to earth now where the reality is not so bright.

Buffett remains optimistic despite campaign rhetoric

In 2015, Berkshire's net worth grew $15.4 billion, or 6.4%, the "Oracle of Omaha" said. In the wide-ranging letter, Buffett, who preaches investment in a diversified collection of companies rather than securities, remains an optimist despite complaints about the 2% pace of economic growth.

"It’s an election year, and candidates can’t stop speaking about our country’s problems (which, of course, only they can solve). As a result of this negative drumbeat, many Americans now believe that their children will not live as well as they themselves do," said Buffett, 85. "That view is dead wrong: The babies being born in America today are the luckiest crop in history."

He added that "for 240 years it’s been a terrible mistake to bet against America, and now is no time to start. America’s golden goose of commerce and innovation will continue to lay more and larger eggs. America’s social security promises will be honored and perhaps made more generous."

So, for the rest of Main Street America let's consider what Bernie Sanders has to say about our economy;

The more we listen to and read about Bernie Sanders, the clearer it becomes that there is one central theme we need to understand about him on which almost everything else rests. It is what he clarified in the last Democratic debate.

In all due respect, you’re missing the main point. And the main point in the Congress, it’s not the Republicans and Democrats hate each other. That’s a mythology from the media. 

The real issue is that Congress is owned by big money and refuses to do what the American people want them to do.

Notice that he didn’t say that “Republicans are owned by big money.” Sanders believes that ALL of Congress is owned by big money. That’s what he means when he says that the system is rigged. His view is that the gridlock we are witnessing right now is not a result of ideological differences. It is because big money is in charge and that makes Congress oblivious to the needs of the American people.  It’s why he thinks the only way to change things is via a revolution of the people.

When it comes to this central belief of Sanders, it is not something new for him. Thirty years ago when he was Mayor of Burlington, VT, here’s what he told the LA Times:

I think from one end of this country to the other people are ripe for political revolution. Fifty percent of the people do not bother voting in the presidential and statewide elections. The vast majority of those not voting are low-income people who have given up on America. The whole quality of life in America is based on greed. I believe in the redistribution of wealth in this nation.

We are demonstrating in Burlington the peoples’ contempt for conventional old-fashioned Democratic and Republican politics. The good news here is that the two-party system and corporate establishment are not invincible.

Bernie Sanders in Chicago: We need a 'political revolution' against wealthy status quo

WHO OWNS YOUR CANDIDATE?

The political Establishment and those that operate in it have for all intent and purpose been bought by those who operate the machine and you can be sure it's not representing the voters.



The following graph is stark and revealing because it is a forewarning to voters of who has been bought by special interests and who is representing the voters;

2016 Presidential Race | OpenSecrets

The 2016 race started early with a large field of potential candidates, some of whom acted very much like, well, candidates — making appearances in early primary states, vying for commitments from big donors and assembling teams that could quickly pivot and become campaign staff. Meanwhile, constellations of groups working on behalf of each of the most serious White House hopefuls – including leadership PACs, super PACs, 501(c)(4) dark money outlets and more – cropped up like spring flowers, all but inviting spending records to be broken.

Darker bar represents outside money; lighter bar represents candidate committee money)

	Hillary Clinton (D)	$57,748,407 $130,443,637
	Ted Cruz (R)	$46,726,605 $54,661,506
	Bernie Sanders (D)	$44,968 $96,311,423
	Ben Carson (R)	$13,807,549 $57,860,505
	Marco Rubio (R)	$34,313,903 $34,652,654
	Donald Trump (R)	$1,894,509 $25,526,319
	John Kasich (R)	$6,729,311 $8,648,890
	Jill Stein (3)	$0 $300,421

PRISONS; CLINTON BUILT THEM AND BUSH PRIVATIZED THEM

Bill and George were in office but it was the Establishment that forged the prison system we have today.

A system that is reserved for the majority of lower income; mostly minority while sparing the rich and connected. The rich exempt themselves by either being "too big" to jail of the classic "afluenza" defense where you just need to show you were spoiled and never taught to obey laws.


Under former President Bill Clinton's administration the number of incarcerated rose dramatically, the increase primarily being composed of young black males.According to the Los Angeles Times, "During Clinton's eight-year tenure, the total population of federal and state prisons combined rose by 673,000 inmates--235,000 more than during Reagan's two terms." As I wrote in one of the more popular pieces on incarceration, The Black Male Incarceration Problem Is Real and It's Catastrophic,

"... there are currently more African American men incarcerated in the U.S. than the total prison populations in India, Argentina, Canada, Lebanon, Japan, Germany, Finland, Israel and England combined. India alone is a country of 1.2 Billion people, the country in total only has around 380,000 prisoners."

Recently Bill Clinton admitted regret for his part in the incarceration increase stating, "... the president spoke a long time and very well on criminal justice reform,..But I want to say a few words about it. Because I signed a bill that made the problem worse and I want to admit it." But his words do little to correct the effects his legislative pen had on millions of black families. This is covered extensively in the documentary I served as a producer on "Freeway: Crack In The System", which details how lawmakers racialized the punishment of non-violent crimes, and the devastating impact that approach had on black homes across the nation. The increase in gangs and drugs that we covered in our film, resulted in Hillary Clinton calling those convicted 'super-predators', and stating they needed to be brought to heel. An action often reserved for breaking an animal, rather than rehabilitating human beings.

" They are not just gangs of kids anymore. They are often the kinds of kids that are called 'super-predators.' No conscience, no empathy. We can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel..." Hillary Clinton 1996

'Justice Is Not For Sale': Sanders Leads Charge Against For-Profit Prisons | 

"We cannot fix our criminal justice system if corporations are allowed to profit from mass incarceration."

—Senator Bernie Sanders

With a call to "end the private prison racket in America," a group of progressive lawmakers on Thursday introduced a bill that seeks to subvert the reigning "pro-incarceration agenda"by banning private prisons, reinstating the federal parole system, and eliminating quotas for the number of immigrants held in detention.

"It is morally repugnant and a national tragedy that we have privatized prisons all over America," said Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the legislation's lead sponsors along with Reps. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), and Rep. Bobby L. Rush (D-Ill.). "We cannot fix our criminal justice system if corporations are allowed to profit from mass incarceration. Keeping human beings in jail for long periods of time must no longer be an acceptable business model in America."

With the ultimate goal of reducing the inmate population in federal, state, and local facilities, the Justice Is Not For Sale Act (pdf) would, according to a fact sheet:

Bar federal, state, and local governments from contracting with private companies starting two years after the bill is passed;

Reinstate the federal parole system to allow "individualized, risk-based determinations regarding each prisoner and restore fairness in the system;"

Increase oversight to prevent companies from overcharging inmates and their families for services like banking and telephone calls; 

End the requirement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement maintain a level of 34,000 detention beds; and
End immigrant family detention.

"In a society dedicated to liberty and justice, for-profit prisons offend our bedrock principles," Ellison said in a statement. "Private prison corporations spend millions of dollars lobbying government for harsher sentencing laws and immigration policy that serves their bottom line, while taxpayers foot the $80 billion dollar a year bill to incarcerate 2.3 million people. Incarceration should be about rehabilitation, not profit. 

Now, more than ever, we need to restore confidence in our criminal justice system. Step one is taking the profit out of the punishment."