Sanders Urges End to Federal Marijuana Ban:
As the Republican candidates prepared to debate in Colorado, the land of legal marijuana, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont told an audience of college students in Virginia that “in my view, the time is long overdue for us to remove the federal prohibition on marijuana.”
At the event at George Mason University, which was live-streamed to about 300 college campuses around the country, Mr. Sanders spoke in ominous tones about climate change, a rigged economic system and a broken criminal justice system. But as the live stream “stopped streaming,” as Mr. Sanders’s website put it, he focused on an issue that was a crowd-pleaser to the young audience.
Mr. Sanders, who often gets big cheers on the campaign trail when he calls for the decriminalization of marijuana, said that states should have the right to regulate marijuana the same way that state and local laws now govern sales of alcohol and tobacco.
“That means,” he said, “that recognized businesses in states that have legalized marijuana should be fully able to use the banking system without fear of federal prosecution.”
Inside Bernies Brain Trust:
In a series of interviews last weekend in Iowa and since, Sanders's lieutenants provided me with a wide-ranging and at times detailed account of their strategy for the three-month sprint to the first two must-win contests. That strategy is premised on the notion that their campaign has shifted into a new gear, moving from what Weaver calls “the introductory phase” into “the persuasion phase.” This new phase will be more aggressive, hard-edged, and focused on driving home contrasts between Sanders and Clinton. In other words, it will be more negative. Just how nasty things will get remains one of two central questions that will define the battle ahead. The other is whether Sanders, with his deep aversion to negative campaigning, is willing and able to do what is required to take down Clinton without tarnishing his brand as a different kind of politician.
It's worth recalling that a similar set of questions confronted Barack Obama eight years ago. In using the J-J as a pivot point, Sanders was mimicking Obama, who famously did the same thing in November 2007 with a speech that eviscerated the then-front-runner (“Triangulating and poll-driven positions because we're worried about what Mitt or Rudy might say about us just won't do”) without ever uttering the word “Clinton.”
But unlike Obama's assault on Clinton then, says Sanders's chief strategist, Tad Devine, his boss's attack last weekend was in part a defensive measure: a response to Clinton having gone after Sanders at the debate on guns and afterwards for suggesting that Sanders's comment that “all the shouting in the world” wouldn't fix the problem with gun violence was at once directed at Clinton and in some way sexist. (“I've been told to stop shouting about guns,” she declared at a rally last Friday in Virginia and again at the J-J. “Actually, I haven't been shouting, but sometimes when a woman talks, some people think it's shouting.”)
“We had to fire a shot across their bow, because they were going to start to have their way with us,” Devine told me. “I pushed [Sanders] hard to do what he did to let them know, if they're going to do this stuff that two of the 12,000 votes he cast in Congress about guns are the definitive votes of the election—and oh, by the way, she is yelling because she's a woman. If they are going to start going down that road, we are not going to take it. And it is going to be about a lot of issues where she's gone from one place to another. We did five of them [at the J-J] and we could do 15 more.”
A West Coast 'Enough Is Enough' Rally:
We have close to 25,000 RSVPs on Facebook and our fundraising for the event is also gaining momentum. With the support of members of Veterans for Bernie Sanders, we aim to host a family friendly politically charged event that draws grassroots groups from all over California converging on the SF Bay Area. The Enough is Enough West Coast Rally will likely turn out to be the largest grassroots organized event thus far in this election cycle.
Enough is Enough has sprung up from a growing grassroots revolution, inspired and invoked by Bernie Sanders and aimed at realising a government of and for ordinary Americans, not just billionaires. This rally aims to take one step on the path to that realization. We will bring together leading voices on issues such as climate change, social and economic justice, public policy and foreign affairs.
Even Republicans Respect Sanders:
On a conference call with reporters, Mr. McCain—chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee—and Florida Congressman Jeff Miller, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, lambasted Ms. Clinton for her claim last week that the 2014 Department of Veterans Affairs scandal was not “widespread.” The two Republicans recalled numerous cost overruns and countless members of the armed forces who did not receive vital medical care, and the Arizona senator touted his joint bill with Mr. Sanders to increase transparency at the VA and to allow vets to obtain treatment at private facilities.
Asked if he thought Mr. Sanders was a greater advocate for former servicemen and women, Mr. McCain—a Vietnam War veteran and former prisoner of war—said he did not wish to “engage in expressing favoritism.” But he remembered his fraught legislative negotiations with Mr. Sanders, who was then the chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, and praised his socialist colleague’s efforts.
“I will say Bernie Sanders worked very hard when he was chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, he, he and I had many disagreements, but we were able to come together, finally, after very spirited discussions—I think my reward will be in heaven, not here on earth for that exercise,” he said. “But the fact is we were able to come together and come and pass legislation that was nearly unanimous in both House and Senate. So he does have a record of advocacy for our veterans.”
Chalk The Block:
Members of UCSB-4-Bernie, a student group supporting Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders as he seeks the Democratic presidential nomination, is hosting “Chalk-the-Block” Thursday at 4 p.m. to imprint Isla Vista with images and words promoting Sanders’ campaign.
The goal of the event is to cover I.V. streets and sidewalks with slogans and pictures of Sanders to bring attention to his campaign. As of Oct. 27, the event’s Facebook page shows 243 people plan to attend. UCSB-4-Bernie strategically planned the event two days before Halloween to take advantage of the large crowds over the holiday weekend and maximize views of the chalk.
Third-year religious studies major Eric Daniel Villalobos said he helped plan the event and UCSB students who support Sanders plan to chalk phrases and questions relevant to Sanders’ campaign, such as, “Are the banks too big?”
“We’re going to be chalking — along with pictures and slogans — questions like, ‘Is education a right or only for a privileged few?’” Villalobos said. “Hopefully, all the people walking through I.V. during the weekend will stop and notice.”
Who Is Bernie Sanders?:
The question "who is Bernie Sanders?" is peaking at this point in the 2016 election cycle. It is absolutely delightful that the recent turn of political events has spun away the spotlight from the blowhard Donald Trump and onto the Democrats. Well, the simple answer about Bernie is that he is a statesman as opposed to a politician. In the 60s they used to often make this distinction between JFK and other politicians. Being a statesman means someone who does the right thing for all. When speaking about what a statesman is, John Adams said, "Always stand on principle even if you stand alone." A statesman is a person of politics who is prepared to make the moral move as opposed to the politically expedient one. Bernie clearly showed he is a statesman when he made the comment at the Democratic debate that "The American People are sick and tired of your damn emails". In this era of extreme politics and hyped-up media coverage, a statesman like Bernie is a welcome relief from the fray.
Not coincidentally, he is the only Democratic candidate to draw big crowds to his speeches. So what is making him so popular? Given, that he has drawn over 250,000 to his speeches, it must be something substantial. No other Democratic candidate comes close to that. The main reason for Bernie's popularity is that voters trust him. They trust him because he has given them good reason to trust. For example, he is the only non-billionaire candidate who does not have a Super PAC fund. He also has gained trust by never going negative in all of his campaigns. He is not a cheap shot artist. However, the biggest reason for his popularity is his passionate defense of working and middle class citizens. He is not afraid of the big bad wolves of Wall Street and other predators that exploit their leverage.
He is a man with a vision. His vision is Democratic Socialism. Of course the term needs a clear definition. Much to his credit, he has the guts to not run away from the word socialism. Democratic socialism is the combination of the best principles of capitalism with the best principles of socialism and making this hybrid work. Important parts of America are already utilizing the principles of democratic socialism. These include public schools, public libraries, police and fire departments, the post office, highways and roads, Social Security and Medicare.
Bill Gates On Socialism:
Bill Gates, the billionaire computer maven who owes his fortune to capitalism, recently made comments that appeared to endorse socialism – and it might be an inadvertent boon for Bernie Sanders.
In an interview with Atlantic that made headlines across the Internet, the former Microsoft CEO-turned philanthropist argued that "the private sector is in general inept" as a tool to manage climate change because "there's no fortune to be made," and that the only solution lies with government.
Governments, he said, must dramatically increase spending on research and development to combat climate change. Private companies should play a supporting role by paying the costs of rolling out those technologies.
“Yes, the government will be somewhat inept,” Mr. Gates said. “But the private sector is in general inept. How many companies do venture capitalists invest in that go poorly? By far most of them.”
To be sure, it was not a blanket condemnation of capitalism, nor a blanket endorsement of socialism. Still, in a country where socialism is seen by a generation of Americans as a negative, often associated with Communism and the Soviet Union, Gates' comments, combined with those of Vermont Senator Sanders, could open a new debate in America, and possibly signal a shift in American views toward capitalism and socialism.
The Candidates Stances On The Death Penalty:
Hillary Clinton affirmed her support for the death penalty in limited circumstances during an appearance Wednesday, in which she criticized the heavy-handed use of the punishment in some states.
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Both of Clinton’s rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Gov. Martin O’Malley (Md.) disagree. Sanders has regularly voted against the death penalty while in office, according to analysis by PolitiFact.
He added during an interview in May on the Thom Hartmann radio show, "I'm against capital punishment in general.
"With so much violence in this world today, I just don't think the state itself, whether the state or federal government, should be in the business of killing people. When you have people who have done terrible, terrible things, they are going to spend the rest of their lives in jail and that's a pretty harsh punishment."
Sanders Shares A Stage With Students:
Senn. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) invited a Muslim college student onstage with him during his speech in Fairfax, Virginia on Wednesday after she alluded to Islamophobic political rhetoric, Think Progress reported.
“As an American Muslim student who aspires to change the world currently majoring in International Conflict Analysis and Resolution — and I hope to be a human rights attorney — hearing the rhetoric that’s going on in the media makes me sick,” George Mason University senior Remaz Abdelgader told Sanders, adding. “As an individual, I’m constantly trying to raise awareness and make sure that everyone is treated equally in this country. As the next president of the United States, what do you think about that?”
As Abdelgader spoke, Sanders invited her toward the stage and hugged her. As she finished her question, the senator led her to his podium by the hand before delivering his answer.
“For many years in this country, you have had politicians — I’m old enough to know this — who have played black off against white. They told white workers who were earning pennies an hour, ‘Hey, you think you’re in trouble, but you’re better off than the blacks,'” he said. “And they told straight people, ‘You’re better off than those gay people.’ And they pitted men against women. We play one group off against another. The rich got richer [while] everybody else was fighting each other. Our job is to build a nation in which we all stand together as one people.”
If You Repeat The 90% Tax Rate Line... You Are Wrong:
Christie said that Sanders’s plan is "to raise your taxes to 90 percent."
Sanders hasn’t released an official tax plan, either for billionaires or for anyone else. But based on his previous comments and proposals, the tax policies Sanders is advocating are targeted at corporations and affluent Americans.
Sanders has dismissed the notion that he wants to set marginal tax rates for billionaires at 90 percent. And on the whole, his tax proposals so far do not envision raising "your taxes" -- that is, those of ordinary Americans -- to anything approaching 90 percent.
This is a grossly misleading characterization of the extent and scope of Sanders' plan, so we rate Christie’s claim Pants on Fire.
Why Bernies Pot Proposal Is A BFD
"The time is long overdue for us to take marijuana off the federal government’s list of outlawed drugs," he said in prepared remarks given to the Post by his campaign. "In my view, states should have the right to regulate marijuana the same way that state and local laws now govern sales of alcohol and tobacco."
Here are seven things that would change if marijuana were removed from the DEA's schedule:
1. The DEA would stop raiding marijuana businesses and customers.
Already, they're not supposed to be doing this when it comes to medical marijuana providers. Measures attached to last year's "cromnibus" spending bill were meant to prevent the Department of Justice from pursuing legal actions against medical marijuana businesses in compliance with applicable state laws. But the department has effectively ignored those guidelines this year, prompting a stern rebuke from a federal judge earlier this month.
Recreational marijuana businesses don't have the congressional protections afforded to medical providers. The Department of Justice has advised federal prosecutors to use discretion when pursuing marijuana cases, and to focus primarily on cases where marijuana is being distributed to minors, trafficked to states where it isn't legal, or other instances in clear violation of the law.
But this memo isn't legally binding. Essentially, federal authorities have offered a handshake agreement that they won't bother marijuana businesses in compliance with state laws. But under a new president or a new attorney general, that could change. Removing marijuana from the schedule of controlled substances would eliminate this grey area entirely.