DNC, Biden Announce 2024 Convention Site..and the Winner is Chicago

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Tuesday April 11, 2023 · 8:17 AM PDT

2023/04/11 · 08:17

Both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times are reporting Chicago will be hosting the DNC Convention in 2024. New York and Atlanta were the other finalists.

In announcing Chicago as the host city, the DNC cited the Midwestern “blue wall” of states — Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota — as crucial to Biden’s 2020 victory and to Democratic midterm victories last year.

”Chicago is a great choice to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention,” said Biden said in a statement.

Governor JB Pritzker and the IL Dems lobbied extensively for the spot since Pritzker took over the governor’s chair in 2019. He appeared confident to land the DNC Convention location after Brandon Johnson’s historic mayoral victory last week. Women’s reproductive rights are upfront and center in Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Moreover, Pritzker believes the city can underwrite the $100M cost, not to mention he collaborated with other midwestern governors, mayors, and elected officials in Congress.

“The combination of Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois has voted to send a Democrat to the White House since 1992 with only one exception: In 2016, Donald Trump’s unexpected victory relied upon 80,000 votes in just three states, including fewer than 34,000 votes combined in Michigan and Wisconsin,” the letter said. “That single exception proves the rule: When the future of the country hangs in the balance, we cannot afford to overlook the Midwest.”

In addition to Pritzker, letter signatories included Govs. Tony Evers of Wisconsin, Tim Walz of Minnesota, Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, Illinois’ Democratic congressional delegation and mayors from Kansas City, St. Louis, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Detroit and Louisville.

This will be an opportunity for many progressives to debut on a national stage, including Johnon and Pritzker, who has been dropping hints of a 2028 run.

Chicago will be a good venue, lots to offer attendees. Congrats to the city of Chicago!

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UPDATED:Booker,Dems call on Biden to Apologize for his Comments; Biden says Booker should apologize

benny05

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Wednesday June 19, 2019 · 6:54 PM PDT

2019/06/19 · 18:54

As reported in the NYT and other places, including this rant at DK this morning, Joe Biden really stepped into the muck last night at a NYC fundraiser last night:

Biden also referenced working with Georgia Senator Herman Talmadge "one of the meanest guys I ever knew"--and another big segregationist. "We didnÃ¢ÂÂt agree on much of anything. We got things done. We got it finished. But today, you look at the other side and youÃ¢ÂÂre the enemy."
Ã¢ÂÂ Edward-Isaac Dovere (@IsaacDovere) June 19, 2019

Biden’s comments drew fire from some of his rivals, including Kamala Harris, John Delaney, and Bill DeBlasio. From the NYT:

Senator Kamala Harris of California, who is also black, said she found Mr. Biden’s comments concerning. “If those men had their way, I wouldn’t be in the United States Senate and on this elevator right now,” she said, referring to Mr. Eastland and Mr. Talmadge, according to ABC News.

Other presidential candidates weighed in as well. Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York posted a photo of his multiracial family on Twitter and cited a racial epithet that Mr. Eastland used.

“It’s 2019 & @JoeBiden is longing for the good old days of ‘civility’ typified by James Eastland,” Mr. de Blasio wrote. “It’s past time for apologies or evolution from @JoeBiden. He repeatedly demonstrates that he is out of step with the values of the modern Democratic Party.”

The sharpest rebuke was from Cory Booker, who released the following statement:

“You don’t joke about calling black men ‘boys.’ Men like [Sen.] James O. Eastland [(D-Miss.)] used words like that, and the racist policies that accompanied them, to perpetuate white supremacy and strip black Americans of our very humanity,” Booker said in a statement Wednesday.

“And frankly, I’m disappointed that he hasn’t issued an immediate apology for the pain his words are dredging up for many Americans. He should,”

Bernie Sanders concurred:

I agree with Cory Booker. This is especially true at a time when the Trump administration is trying to divide us up with its racist appeals. https://t.co/VyVcG6srQM
Ã¢ÂÂ Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) June 19, 2019

Even Connie Schultz and her spouse, Senator Sherrod Brown did not mince words about Biden’s out of step remarks:

I add this: My first thoughts, after learning of Biden's comments, were of my black friends, neighbors and colleagues: How would they hear this? What do they deserve to hear from us? Soon enough, they were letting me know.

We're either allies, or we're not.
Ã¢ÂÂ Connie Schultz (@ConnieSchultz) June 19, 2019

Ms. Schultz expanded her thoughts in this Medium essay, “He Never Called Me Boy”:

He never called me "boy." No mention of how "boy" was a common term of derision and disrespect for black men in the Jim Crow south, or how Biden's white skin determined Eastland's willingness to work with him. Instead, we're supposed to see Biden's ability to get along with a man who called black people "an inferior race" as a model for how to engage with civility in 2019.

snip

There were countless ways for Joe Biden to illustrate his willingness to work with those with whom he disagrees. This week, he chose to talk about his relationship with a white supremacist.

I've been writing about race throughout my journalism career, so I knew to expect criticism from some white people. Too many of them want to explain away the potential harm of Biden's comments for people who don't look like us. This defensiveness illustrates an enduring blind spot for many white liberals: No matter how committed we are to civil rights, we will never know what it feels like to be black or brown in America.

We [white people]don't have to think about our skin color the minute we walk out of our home. We never worry that we will enter a store and immediately become a suspect. We don't have to warn our children that one instance of racial profiling could lead to their deaths.

We never have to endure the daily assault of racism, and we need to stop acting like we do.

“Politicians should never speak positively of segregationists. Period,” Brown said on Capitol Hill to HuffPost.

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BERN: Reaching Out, Reaching Forward for Justice in the Deep South

benny05

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Tuesday May 21, 2019 · 10:01 AM PDT

2019/05/21 · 10:01

BerniewithPamHarrisathermobilehomeinLowndesCountyALMay202019.JPG — Bernie Sanders Meets with Pamela Rush in Lowndes County, AL, May 2019. Catherine Flowers, Founder of ACRE Is next to Sen Sanders. Photo attribution: Josh Crandall

I am running for president because with you, I think the time is now to transform our country and create the kind of nation we know we can become. ---Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders has been on the move on a southern journey—for environmental, educational, and health justice.

Follow us and the campaign as it explored environmental, educational, health care, and other types of justice in the southern states of the Carolinas, Georgia, and Alabama.

benny05

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Friday May 17, 2019 · 9:25 AM PDT

2019/05/17 · 09:25

Bernie Sanders Speaks at Road to GND sponsored by the Sunrise Movement, May 13, 2019

Senator Bernie Sanders has a busy campaign. Today, he’s in Asheville, NC for a rally. He’s the first Dem Candidate to visit Ashville in this cycle. Ahead of the rally, he penned an OP piece in Ashville’s Citizen-Times about the dwindling funding for public education:

Bernie Sanders: 65 years after Brown vs Board of Ed, segregation remains in our classrooms

In North Carolina over the last decade, there has been a 61 percent increase in the number of schools that are segregated by race and income. And Republicans in the legislature just passed a bill that empowers wealthy white school districts to create their own publicly-funded, privately-administered charter schools. That’s a recipe for resegregation.

It’s the same story when it comes to funding. North Carolina has one of the lowest public education funding rates in the country. North Carolina public school teachers make at least 26 percent less than comparable college graduates. And Republicans in the legislature have passed major corporate tax cuts, while trying to block Gov. Roy Cooper’s proposed increases in school funding.

This is Robin Hood in reverse, and it is happening on the national level too. After giving huge tax cuts for the very rich, President Trump is proposing to cut after school programs that serve 34,000 North Carolina students and is proposing to eliminate funding for the major grant program for teacher development.

Trump and billionaire Education Secretary Betsy DeVos plan to pump $500 million into “expanding access” to charter schools, which have been draining money out of traditional public schools and exacerbating educational segregation. Indeed, a 2017 Associated Press report found that “while 4 percent of traditional public schools are 99 percent minority, the figure is 17 percent for charters.” The report added that “In cities, where most charters are located, 25 percent of charters are over 99 percent nonwhite, compared to 10 percent for traditional schools.”

I will soon announce a comprehensive plan to reform and reinvest in America’s public education system to combat racial and economic segregation. I will stand with groups like the NAACP in calling for a ban on for-profit charter schools and a moratorium on federal funding of new charters until we can ensure they’re operating with transparency and accountability.

You can click the title of the article to read more.

OK, perhaps you are wondering: what does this have to do with the Daily Kos?

As we saw in the past 3 days, some diaries on the FP brought the circular firing squad upon Sanders, in which “what will Sanders do if he loses the youth vote” to Sanders (as well as Buttigieg, Gillibrand, and Klobuchar — somehow Castro got omitted as he too accepted an invitation) was desperate to go on Fox Channel to garner attention, and wondered out loud, if he would also attend Klan Rallies to garner more attention.

I’m certain the Sanders campaign was well aware of what was happening here. Twitterverse reported the new low of standards (not to mention violation of the Rules of the Road, which is to make an argument, not attack such as calling Sanders’ appearance on Fox an “an asshole” move).

This is a pretty terrible take even for the low standards of @dailykos.

You honestly think Buttigieg, Klobuchar, & Gillibrand would attend a Klan rally for headlines, @markos?

Disgusting attack on these Democratic candidates for POTUS. pic.twitter.com/6l3IMtTOvo
— NY For Sanders #Bernie2020 (@NYforSanders) May 15, 2019

Taking that insight for a moment: why would a Jewish man, a gay man, or a woman appear at a Klan Rally? We know the Nazis annihilated Sanders’ paternal relatives who weren’t able to escape the Holocaust, not to mention Sanders grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in which many Holocaust survivors still had identification numbers on their arms.

.@BernieSanders address to the Islamic Center of Southern California is unusually personal.

He reflects on growing up Jewish & crying while reading about the Holocaust.

In the wake of the New Zealand Ã°ÂÂÂ³Ã°ÂÂÂ¿ shooting, he says itÃ¢ÂÂs abhorrent we havenÃ¢ÂÂt learned more from history. pic.twitter.com/HvC6JmhjN1
— Elex Michaelson (@Elex_Michaelson) March 23, 2019

If you didn’t know that, now you do. One cannot erase Senator Sanders’ family or friends’ memories of what happened to Jews in World War II.

Anyone knows that the GOP can pick up this kind of commentary and use it against the nominee in the GE. Trump relishes it, as we know from the 2016 election.

But Sanders is classy and stays above the fray. Instead, his campaign retweeted a DK sponsored tweet yesterday:

The abortion ban in Alabama is not about protecting life. It is about controlling women's bodies. https://t.co/oWTWDrDzVf
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) May 16, 2019

Sanders has strong feelings about a woman’s right to choose, as well as being against the death penalty. The campaign could have tweeted out something he said in the recent past or from his last campaign; instead, it chose Laura Clawson’s diary, a good one about the hypocrisy of denying women the healthcare they need under the guise of being “pro-life” when Alabama continues to implement executions of those on its death row.

My grievance is the hyperbole (as someone in the comments called it) used as a cudgel against the a Jewish candidate, not to mention other negative ways to raise attention to the blog by bashing Sanders.

Sanders plans to fight for everyone, even when they call his actions “an asshole move”. His main raison d’etre is justice.

UPDATE: Laura Clawson scribed a diary about Bernie Sanders calling for a Ban on For-Profit Charter Schools.

Bernie Sanders & Pete Buttigieg Aren't Afraid of Fox News. Why is the Daily Kos Afraid?

benny05

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Friday April 05, 2019 · 1:28 PM PDT

2019/04/05 · 13:28

TONIGHT: @BernieSanders is here! pic.twitter.com/3a5Xw5vREN
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) April 4, 2019

Senator Bernie Sanders was a guest on The Daily Show last night. Among the several topics briefly discussed was Sanders’ invitation to go on a townhall hosted by Faux Snooz on April 15.

Here’s the segment embedded in a TDS tweet:

.@BernieSanders is doing a Fox News town hall. But why?

Full interview: https://t.co/aS7j3DmNQh pic.twitter.com/EIwTgEGh6I
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) April 5, 2019

To borrow from a diary from earlier today:

The segment began with Trevor Noah asking why Sanders would go on Fox News after the DNC so righteously denounced them. He replied:

Trust me, I know Fox News. I know who they are and I know the role that they are playing. On the other hand, during the last campaign I did a town meeting with a fellow named Bret Baier who did it pretty fairly. He did it straightforwardly, and believe me, we went over the ground rules before and they kept their word. So to me it is important to distinguish Fox News from the many millions of people who watch Fox News.

The diarist in her/his post slammed Sanders for potentially poor judgement of accepting this invitation due to the nature of Fox News and how they parse the video into segments then twist them to fit their propaganda. Daily Kos’ political editor Carolyn Fiddler voiced protestations (to the WaPo): she didn’t understand how anyone could lend such presence to a network that pushes sexist and racist tropes about progressives. Much of that assessment is pretty accurate in how FNC runs their not so “fair & balanced” network, and when WaPo published the report which included Fiddler’s concerns, the story was filed under the topic of entertainment.

However, Sanders is correct in how the last TH played out. Here’s one question that Baier asked Sanders and how it was answered, as reported by the Washington Post:

Can you name a single circumstance at any point in a pregnancy in which you would be okay with abortion being illegal?” Baier asked Sanders.

“It’s not a question of me being okay,” Sanders said, thanking Baier for the question. “… Let me be very clear about it. I know not everybody here will agree with me. I happen to believe that it is wrong for the government to be telling a woman what to do with her own body. I think, I believe, and I understand there are honest people. I mean, I have a lot of friends, some supporters, some disagree. They hold a different point of view, and I respect that. But that is my view.”

Sanders was just getting started.

“I’ll tell you something which I don’t like in this debate,” he added. “There are a whole lot of people out there who tell me the government is terrible, government is awful, get government off our backs. My Republican friends want to cut Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare — Medicaid, education. But somehow on this issue, they want to tell every woman in America what she should do with her body.”

Baier: “I guess the genesis of the question is that there are some Democrats who say after five months, with the exception of the life of the mother or the health of the baby, that perhaps that’s something to look at. You’re saying no.”

Sanders: “I am very strongly pro-choice. That is a decision to be made by the woman, her physician and her family. That’s my view.

For the record, Sanders is consistent with his answer. Nearly every rally or talk, Sanders repeats that view.

My opinion about his upcoming appearance is similar to what The New Republic’’s Alex Shephard thinks in this piece, Bernie Sanders Isn’t Scared of Fox News. Why Is the Democratic Party?

Just as many Democrats believe that appearing anywhere on Fox legitimizes the network’s most offensive bloviators, many believe that courting Trump voters will require legitimizing the president’s views. Both fears are understandable, but quite overblown. If Democrats want to win back white voters—and that’s a big “if”—they need to meet those voters where they are.

The Daily Beast reports the DNC is fine with candidates going on Fox News. Pete Buttigieg did appear on March 17th on Chris Wallace’s show. I didn’t see anyone here hammering Buttigieg (or they did, I may have overlooked it) about it. However, as Shephard points out, it doesn’t make sense to have a debate of 10 Democratic candidates for two nights in a row on FNC:

Letting Fox News host a Democratic debate doesn’t make sense for the DNC, given the network’s antipathy toward the party. But there’s no reason for candidates to cower, either. Pete Buttigieg’s appearance on Fox News Sunday last month certainly didn’t hurt his standing within the party, which has rocketed upward in recent weeks. Sanders’s town hall is a low-risk, and probably low-reward, move. He might produce a viral moment or two. He might even convert an Obama-to-Trump voter or two. But he won’t suddenly make Fox News seem legitimate. Sanders has accomplished a lot in the past three years, but even he isn’t capable of that.

Buttigieg is willing to speak to working class voters, especially in the Midwest and the South. So is Bernie Sanders. You can’t win a general election without some hope that some of the Obama voters who went for Trump in 2016—the indies—could return if they were given something to vote for, which is government being part of the solution to their problems.

Fearless. That’s a trait requisite for leadership.

This is the long game.

Update: if you don’t want to watch Bernie on FNC on April 15, you can watch him in Davenport, IA tonight:

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NASA Cancels All Female Space Walk Due to Lack of Women's Suit Sizes. HRC Says Make Another One.

benny05

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Tuesday March 26, 2019 · 9:35 AM PDT

2019/03/26 · 09:35

Christina Koch.JPG — Christina Koch, one of the astronauts slated for a space walk on March 29th (photo : NASA)

Matthew Cantor at The Guardian writes:

Nasa announced that Christina Koch and Anne McClain would take part in the first-of-its kind mission on 29 March, walking outside the international space station (ISS) to install new batteries. In the past, missions have been all-male or male-female.

But in a press release on Monday, Nasa said its plans had changed, “in part” due to a shortage of outerwear. McClain had “learned during her first spacewalk that a medium-size hard upper torso – essentially the shirt of the spacesuit – fits her best.” Only one such top can be made by Friday, the agency said, and it will go to Koch.

NASA has scrapped its first all-female space walk this month. Why?

Nasa’s plans for the first all-female spacewalk have fallen through – at least in part because the agency doesn’t have enough spacesuits that fit the astronauts.

What should have been a giant leap for womankind has turned into a stumble after Nasa said on Monday night that they will only have access to one correctly sized spacesuit top by Friday when the walk was scheduled. One of the two women on the mission, Anne McClain, will now have to give up her place to a male colleague.

She thought a large-sized suit would be fine but after a spacewalk last week found that the medium-sized was a better fit and would be the most appropriate suit to wear to venture back outside the International SpaceStation.

“Anne trained in ‘M’ and ‘L’ and thought she could use a large but decided after [last] Friday’s spacewalk a medium fits better,” a Nasa spokeswoman, Stephanie Schierholz, announced on Monday.

“In this case, it’s easier (and faster!) to change space-walkers than reconfigure the spacesuit.”

This is quite embarrassing to admit for a very anticipated event in Women’s History month.

Hillary Clinton came up with the best solution:

Make another suit. https://t.co/mu9w13xsi0
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 26, 2019

Why not?

Freeway in Los Angeles renamed 'President Barack H. Obama Highway'

benny05

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday December 21, 2018 · 7:45 AM PST

2018/12/21 · 07:45

Drivers Have Something to Cheer About While Commuting to Work in LA

The Hill is reporting that one of the freeways in LA has been renamed to honor POTUS 44. Drivers started seeing the signs yesterday.

The Associated Press reported on Thursday that the signs renaming the freeway as the President Barack H. Obama Highway had been installed throughout a section of State Route 134 that runs from the Eagle Rock area of Los Angeles to Interstate 210 in Pasadena.

Obama went to Occidental College in Eagle Rock in the 1970s and also previously resided in Pasadena, according to the news agency.

LA commuters have something to cheer about when driving to work. Cheers to California state Sen. Anthony J. Portantino last year after having getting bipartisan support for the legislation.

I would imagine many wish Obama were still in the WH after all of the disastrous news this week.

Obama Says Dems have some new ideas: "Medicare for All is a Good Idea". I was in a clinic listening.

benny05

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Friday September 07, 2018 · 12:01 PM PDT

2018/09/07 · 12:01

Obama Gives Inspiring Speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

President Obama visited my town today in Central Illinois. I was not among the 1300 who drew from a lottery and got to see him in person, but I did watch parts of the livestream. Jen Hayden has posted the most sharp jabs at the GOP, which was pretty amazing. But what I didn’t expect was this:

From the Hill:

"Democrats aren't just running on good, old ideas like a higher minimum wage. They're running on good, new ideas like Medicare for all," Obama said.

And where was I when I heard this part of the speech? In a clinic, getting a stage 1 (slightly less) cancerous mole removed from my back. I’m lucky because I have a decent HMO through my state insurance plan. But not everyone does and I think they should have quality healthcare in a timely manner as I do.

Obama and establishment Democrats rejected the premise of Medicare for all and single payer health care during his eight years in the White House. But Obama previously supported single payer when he was a senator from Illinois.

The idea has gained momentum in the party following the insurgent presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in 2016.

Now, 16 Democrats in the Senate are co-sponsors on Sanders's Medicare for all legislation.

I’m hoping more Dems running in this midterm will go heed Obama’s call for that good idea. Andrew Gillum’s on board. So are Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Kevin DeLeon, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Merkley, Kamala Harris, Kristen Gillibrand and Cory Booker. Healthcare is a right, not just a privilege as Bernie Sanders and Kristen Gillibrand have said on more than one occasion.

This headline would have been politically unthinkable just a few years ago. Grassroots organizing + kitchen table conversations have changed the tide on Medicare for All.

This is the power of movements: supporting change and advancing tenets of a modern + moral society. https://t.co/JS2KCiDB7S
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) September 7, 2018

Let’s move that train down the tracks and show the voters that we are all in this fight together for our lives.

Rand Paul Blocks Bernie's Senate Resolution to Back IC's Findings, Says It is Crazy Trump Hatred

benny05

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Thursday July 19, 2018 · 11:37 AM PDT

2018/07/19 · 11:37

sanders.wisconsin.jpg — Bernie Trying to Get to the Bottom of the Mueller Investigation (photo credit Eric Tadson)

Senator Rand Paul has stepped up to become Trump’s more vigorous defender when it comes to Russian interference in the US Election process. Today he blocked Bernie Sanders’ unanimous consent to back the Intelligence Community’s findings that Russia had meddled in the 2016 election. The resolution also demands that Trump speak with Mueller directly.

From the Hill:

The Congress must make it clear that we accept the assessment of our intelligence community with regard to Russian election interfering in our country and in other democracies," Sanders said during a Senate floor speech.

Under Senate rules, any one senator could block his request.

Sanders's resolution would also demand already passed sanctions legislation be fully implemented, move to protect the election system and "not accept" interference in Mueller's investigation, including the firing of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Well, Mr. Paul just thought it was plain crazy and promoted Trump Derangement Syndrome.

"The hatred for the president is so intense that partisans would rather risk war than give diplomacy a chance," he said.

Paul questioned why senators would not want to have relations with Russia.

"We should stand firm and say 'Stay the hell out of our elections,' but we should not stick our head in the ground and say we're not going to talk to them," he said.

But Sanders fired back that Paul's objection was unrelated to his resolution, which he noted doesn't push for cutting off talks with the Russians.

"What the senator said is totally irrelevant to what is in this resolution," Sanders said.

As we know no w, Trump has known about Putin’s orders to interfere in the 2016 election for over 18 months. Even before he was inaugurated. So why does he continue to doubt his own DNI? And while Paul doesn’t want wars and wants diplomacy, this block is indefensible.

When will the GOP put country over party?

Bernie Sanders: Violence in Charlottesville was not caused by the "Alt-left"(or whatever it may be)

benny05

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Tuesday August 15, 2017 · 5:06 PM PDT

2017/08/15 · 17:06

Our Progressives Standing Together -- Clearly not the Alt Left

This afternoon, as reported by Daily Kos, Donald J Trump doubled down on “both sides” for causing violence in Charlottesville. I am pasting the text Politico has provided just so Kossacks can see what POTUS45 said in responses at his Trump Tower presser.

REPORTER: Steve Bannon --

TRUMP: I never spoke to Mr. Bannon about it.

REPORTER: Can you tell us broadly about – do you still have confidence in Steve?

TRUMP: Well, we’ll see. And look, look, I like Mr. Bannon. He is a friend of mine, but Mr. Bannon came on very late. You know that. I went through 17 senators, governors and I won all the primaries. Mr. Bannon came on very much later than that, and I like him. He is a good man. He is not a racist – I can tell you that. He is a good person, he actually gets very unfair press in that regard. We'll see what happens with Mr. Bannon. He’s a good person, and I think the press treats him frankly very unfairly.

REPORTER: They have called on you to defend your national security adviser H.R. McMaster against these attacks.

TRUMP: I did that before. Senator McCain? Senator McCain. You mean the one that voted against Obamacare? Who is Senator McCain? You mean senator McCain who voted against us getting good health care?

REPORTER: Senator McCain said that the alt-right is behind these attacks, and he linked that same group to those that perpetrated the attack in Charlottesville.

TRUMP: Well, I don't know. I can't tell you. I'm sure Senator McCain must know what he is talking about, but when you say the alt-right, define alt-right to me. You define it. Go ahead. Define it for me, come on, let's go.

REPORTER: Senator McCain defined them as the same group.

TRUMP: Okay, what about the alt-left that came charging at [indiscernible] – excuse me – what about the alt-left that came charging at the, as you say, the alt right? Do they have any semblance of guilt?

REPORTERS YELL INDISTINCTLY

TRUMP: What about this? What about the fact that they came charging – they came charging with clubs in their hands swinging clubs? Do they have any problem? I think they do.

REPORTERS YELL INDISTINCTLY

TRUMP: As far as I’m concerned, that was a horrible, horrible day. Wait a minute, I'm not finished. I'm not finished, fake news. That was a horrible day.

REPORTERS YELL INDISTINCTLY

TRUMP: I will tell you something. I watched those very closely, much more closely than you people watched it. And you had, you had a group on one side that was bad. And you had a group on the other side that was also very violent. And nobody wants to say that, but I'll say it right now. You had a group – you had a group on the other side that came charging in without a permit, and they were very, very violent.

REPORTER: Do you think what you call the alt left is the same as neo-Nazis?

TRUMP: Those people – all of those people, excuse me – I've condemned neo-Nazis. I've condemned many different groups, but not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists by any stretch.

Trump co-opted a term that was used by the Establishment media and even FPers at this blog: alt-left. I’ve seen it at other center-left websites, but I will limit my remarks to this one.

Anyone still pretending last year's election was about "economic anxiety" anymore? I mean, outside of the alt-left that is.

--Markos

https://twitter.com/markos/status/896747477428314112

Folks here seem to have amnesia about how Trump can turn a phrase and co-opt it for his own purposes to feed the beast (the media).

Bernie Sanders, Jane Sanders, Our Revolution, and others wasted no time in denouncing Trump in his despicable commentary:

x
The violence in Charlottesville was not caused by the "alt-left," (whatever that may be). It was caused by Neo-Nazis and white supremacists.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 15, 2017

x
.@realDonaldTrump, you are embarrassing our country and the millions of Americans who fought and died to defeat Nazism.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 15, 2017

Bernie released another update just moments ago:

x
The violence in Charlottesville was caused by Neo-Nazis and white supremacists attempting to spread their hateful and racist ideology. pic.twitter.com/eUGliACgwn
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) August 16, 2017

Jane Sanders also tweeted her thoughts:

x
Protestors were there to oppose the nazis, KKK. Most non-violent, representing our principles. Otherwise, we all might need 2 fight someday https://t.co/gaW7D0gVuc
— Jane O'Meara Sanders (@janeosanders) August 15, 2017

The People for Bernie have posted a tweet to the Indivisible Guide for Standing in Solidarity for Charlottesville.

From Indivisible’s Guide:

This weekend, hate groups and domestic terrorists of all stripes went to Charlottesville, VA to push their hateful message of white supremacy, fascism, anti-Semitism, and bigotry.

When they got there they waged violence on unarmed anti-racists, killing one and injuring many others. We mourn for the life that was lost, and we will honor all those under attack by congregating against hate in our own communities.

Tonight and tomorrow, Indivisible groups, along with our friends at Democratic Socialists of America, Women’s March, Democracy for America, Working Families Party, Resist Here, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Mi Familia Vota, OurRevolution, Million Hoodies Movement for Justice, People's Action, Courage Campaign, Greenpeace, #AllOfUs, #Resist, 350.org, OFA, United We Dream, Win Without War, Voto Latino, MoveOn.org, Sierra Club, Pantsuit Nation, Town Hall Project, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, iAmerica, National Immigration Law Center, #MarchForTruth, Color of Change, UltraViolet, IfNotNow, People Power, Faith in Public Life, CREDO, Center for American Progress Action Fund, Bend the Arc Jewish Action, Brand New Congress, South Asian Americans Leading Together, NARAL Pro-Choice America, RootsAction, SEIU, Hip Hop Caucus, CODEPINK, Peoples Climate Movement, T’ruah, Public Citizen, Daily Kos, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, CPD Action, Stand Up America, American Federation of Teachers, Emerge America, Jewish Voice for Peace, National Domestic Workers Alliance, Moms Rising, RISE Stronger, Democracy Spring, FIRM, Demos, Sunrise Movement, Spread The Vote, Stand.earth, Our Climate, People for the American Way, Food & Water Watch, NextGen America, Fast Food Justice, Action Together Network, Jews United for Justice, New Leaders Council, Run for Something, Corporate Accountability International, Moms Demand Action, Beyond the Choir, Friends of the Earth, Jobs with Justice, League of Conservation Voters, Truman National Security Project, Progressive Democrats of America, Natural Resources Defense Council, People for Bernie, Common Defense, National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, #VOTEPROCHOICE, Emily's List, Sister District, American Association of University Professors, Network NOVA, Climatetruth.org, National Education Association, National LGBTQ Task Force, Quaker Voluntary Service, Toxics Action Center, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, and others will come together in solidarity with our brave friends in Charlottesville who put themselves at risk to fight against white supremacy.

Plan an event in your community to show that you’re standing with Charlottesville.

Click here to search for events in your area.

Did you see that? Daily Kos is on that list.

We need to stop beating up the progressive left here at the Daily Kos. We do not have time to waste with the Man in the High Castle. And let’s retire “Alt-Left”, at least in the sense of our community because Trump has now smeared Heather Heyer, the woman murdered at Charlottesville, and the others killed trying help the victims of hate.

I’m with Bernie & Jane Sanders...and Indivisible.

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Update: Senator Jeff Merkley just retweeted this beautiful scene in Portland courtesy of Indivisible Oregon:

.@IndivisibleTeam #Portland #charlottsville #pdx pic.twitter.com/u95unNjtvR
— IndivisibleOregon (@Indivisible_OR) August 14, 2017

Bernie Sanders Gives Shout Out to Daily Kos at "Care Not Cuts" Rally in Morgantown

benny05

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday July 09, 2017 · 7:10 PM PDT

2017/07/09 · 19:10

Senator Bernie Sanders Calls to Arms for Mountaineers to Tell Sen Sally Capito to Keep ACA & Improve It (photo by Dominion Post)

Bernie Sanders fired up a crowd at Morgantown, WV this afternoon, slamming the Trumpcare Bill. He appreciated everyone who came out to the rally and standing up for justice, decency, and dignity. He also thanked them for standing up for democracy, to demand to have a government that represents everybody, not just the 1%.

Before getting to the centerpiece of the speech, he thanked several organizations for putting on the event: Mountaineers for Progress, Credo, Our Revolution, MoveOn, and the Daily Kos.

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(video courtesy of Our Revolution, shout out to DK is at 28:49 mark)

Sanders spoke about 45 minutes, also thanked the four speakers for their courage to speak out about their own personal and professional issues related to the provision of health care before he took the stage. According to the Dominion Post, one of them was Emily Chilko, an addiction counselor.

Emily Chilko, an addiction counselor at Chestnut Ridge, said the ACA made getting treatment easier. Prior to the bill, many drug users seeking treatment were turned away simply for not being poor enough to qualify for Medicaid or because their insurance did not cover addiction treatment.

“When the ACA passed it was like a life preserver in the middle of the opioid crisis,” Chilko said.

Sanders pointed out that their stories were similar to millions of others in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and other places, and what this terrible legislation would do to them if it were passed. From the Dominion Post:

Sen. Sanders Slams GOP Health Care Bill at Morgantown Rally

Twenty-three million Americans would lose insurance coverage if the bill were to pass, Sanders said. In West Virginia alone, 122,000 would lose coverage. It would bring the total number of uninsured Americans to over 50 million, almost doubling the number.

He urged Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., to vote against the bill, which he called a “deeply immoral piece of legislation.”

“This is not a health care bill,” Sanders said. “What is amounts to, is a massive transfer of wealth from the working class of this country to the wealthiest people in America.”

Sanders said that Republican leadership in Washington, D.C., is scrambling to get the 50 required votes to pass the bill. He asked Capito not to fall for it. Her vote could make all the difference, only three Republican senators need to vote no to kill the bill, he said.

He also admonished the way the bill was crafted in secret, and the fact that no doctors or health officials were consulted regarding the bill.

Half of Americans don’t know what’s in the bill, according to polls.

This rally was significant because he ventured into a state that carried Trump by 42 points. But that’s not the only reason. From the Associated Press, as carried by Island Packet:

Sanders, an independent and former presidential candidate who caucuses with Democrats, ventured into a stronghold for President Donald Trump in making his case against the GOP health care bill. His appearance came as Congress prepares to reconvene after its July 4 recess.

Sanders acknowledged that Obama's signature health care law "is far from perfect," but said Congress should focus on improving it, not destroying it.

Trump, who carried West Virginia by 42 points in last November's election, has been outspoken in wanting to repeal and replace Obama's health care law. But West Virginia is also one of the poorest and sickest states in the country, relying heavily on Obama's 2010 health overhaul.

Capito played a role in halting the GOP health care plan before the holiday recess. She was among at least a dozen Republican senators who publicly opposed or expressed qualms about it, forcing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to abruptly postpone a vote.

Sanders echoed a similar message to Mitch McConnell in Covington, KY a couple hours later to a crowd of 2000 while 235K watched on Facebook. From the Cincinnati Inquirer:

More than 2,000 people showed up at the Northern Kentucky Convention Center, including the Covington Mayor, who introduced Sanders, I-VT.

Sanders and the crowd wanted to send a message to Republicans, particularly Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in his home state.

That message: Don't destroy the Affordable Care Act.

Sanders lambasted the proposed Republican health care bill that would repeal the ACA, also known as Obamacare.

"I beg Sen. McConnell to listen to the organizations at the forefront of medicine who oppose this disastrous legislation," Sanders said on Sunday.

x
How could it be that @SenateMajLdr could be working so hard to destroy legislation which benefited his own state more than any other?
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 9, 2017

“We’re here today to say that we’re going to do everything possible to make sure this legislation never passes,” Sanders said. It is immoral to throw millions off health insurance just to give a tax break to the rich who don’t need it.

I’m glad Bernie Sanders has West Virginians and Kentuckians’ backs. And the Daily Kos has his.

Happy 75th Birthday, Sir Paul McCartney, Companion of Honour and Rock & Roll Revolutionary

benny05

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday June 18, 2017 · 12:31 PM PDT

2017/06/18 · 12:31

Sir Paul Cartney, now a Companion of Honour awardee

British Rocker Sir Paul McCartney has a birthday today. He turned 75 years young and it’s been a remarkable weekend as well as month for him and his fans.

The Associated Press reports that Sir Paul was elevated to “companion of honor” for his services to music last night. This is no small thing as very few artists get that accolade from the Queen.

Twenty years after he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Paul McCartney is being upgraded with a Companion of Honor award for services to music, alongside J.K. Rowling for her services to literature and philanthropy, in the queen's Birthday Honors list.

The former Beatle and the Harry Potter author join a raft of heroes, luminaries and other notables being recognized for their contributions to life in Britain.

"I'm very happy about this huge honor and with the news coming on my birthday weekend and Father's Day it makes it colossal!" McCartney said.

In case you are wondering, there are only 62 companions of this particular Order, but there can be up to 65. From Wikipedia:

The Order of the Companions of Honour is an order of the Commonwealth realms. It was founded in June 1917 by King George V as a reward for outstanding achievements and is "conferred upon a limited number of persons for whom this special distinction seems to be the most appropriate form of recognition, constituting an honour disassociated either from the acceptance of title or the classification of merit."^[1]

Founded on the same date as the Order of the British Empire,^[1] it is sometimes regarded as the junior order to the Order of Merit.^[2] Now described as "awarded for having a major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, or government lasting over a long period of time",^[3] the first recipients, were all decorated for "services in connection with the war" and were listed in The London Gazette in August 1917 with the award taking effect from 4 June 1917.^[4]

Indeed, there is much to celebrate about Sir Paul’s accomplishments: 21 Grammies, Academy Award (Let It Be), Two-time Rock & Roll Inductee (band and solo), OBE, Knighted, Gershwin Prize, Kennedy Center Honors, Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Legion d’Honneur, Fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors, and one other one I wasn’t aware of: a named planet. Yes, planet 4148 is called “McCartney”. (Source: Wikipedia)

Sir Paul has been very busy in the past month. On May 18th, Sirius XM launched the Beatles Channel (also #18 on the dial), and it has been very well received. It was timed for the 50th anniversary of the release of Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. PBS Stations have been running a new BBC documentary entitled “Sgt Pepper’s Musical Revolution” about the revolutionary engineering behind that album (and the genus producer, George Martin), which took several months to record and was released on June 1, 1967. I saw the show and I highly recommend it. It goes beyond what Rolling Stone says about the album.

Sgt._Pepper's_Lonely_Hearts_Club_Band.jpg — Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, photo courtesy of Wikipedia, released June 1, 1967

I for one have the Beatles channel on my list of favorites in my car and seldom do I stray from listening to it when I’m doing chores around the domicile. It has so many interesting interviews by people familiar with the band during the 60’s and other artists inspired by the Beatles, such as Peter Asher. I also like the “covers” of the songs, such as Cheap Trick’s version of “Ticket to Ride”.

I have so many Beatles tunes and albums I enjoy, but I still think the Beatles’ White album is still my favorite. Of his solo career, I love “Band on the Run”, but think I would have to pick one that isn’t performed that often, Here Today” (from Tug of War) , which also serves as a bookend to “Yesterday” as both use a quartet and are only a little over 2 min long. I empathize with the lyrics because not long ago I lost a sibling (sudden death) that I had not spoken for several years and I didn’t get to say goodbye. I agree with McCartney when he says that it’s very important to tell your loved ones/mates (in his case, John Lennon) how much you loved them before they pass away.

The Beatles were played very often in my house growing up and my parents, who weren’t much for British rock at the time, came to appreciate them as their kids were Beatlemaniacs. “Let It Be” was my mom’s favorite.

Sir Paul has an upcoming US tour, starting on July 7th. I wish I could go see him perform, but confess I saw him play in 1989 on the Tripping the Light Fantastic tour, so I’m fine if I don’t get to go this time around.

So “Happy Birthday” to Sir Paul McCartney, celebrating 75 years and more on Father’s Day. And for that, here’s a YT of one of my favorite songs on the White Album, “Birthday Song”.

What’s your favorite Beatles or McCartney tune—and why? Please share below!

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