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Segami
Segami's Journal
Segami's Journal
June 26, 2016
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday redoubled his efforts to ensure that despite his loss to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the legacy of his progressive campaign will endure in the party’s official platform. Sanders, who has yet to drop out of the race and formally endorse Clinton, told CNN that his campaign made “very, very important victories” in inserting aspects of its policy agenda into the first draft of the platform. But he is determined to make a bigger mark. “We have made some good gains,” he said. “We have more to do.” Over the weekend, members of the Democratic Party’s platform committee met in St. Louis to lay out the groundwork for the official policy agenda that party members will adopt at next month’s convention in Philadelphia. Making the cut were several of Sanders’ proposals, including a $15 minimum wage, the expansion of Social Security and stricter sanctions for Wall Street fraud, according to The Associated Press.
But the Vermont senator fell short in getting the broader hallmarks of his campaign into the draft — policies such as building a single-payer health care system, rejecting the Trans-Pacific Partnership and taking a stronger stance on climate change by taxing carbon emissions and banning fracking. Since Clinton sealed up the nomination in early June, Sanders’ chief objective has been advocating for the inclusion of his progressive policy agenda in the platform. In May, Democratic officials allowed him to name five of the platform committee’s 15 members, with Clinton getting six and DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz getting four. It was a concession to Sanders’ campaign, since typically, the DNC chair appoints all of the members. Sanders said on Sunday that he is determined to press on and reiterated his vow to take his campaign to the convention.
On Friday, Sanders affirmed that he will vote for Clinton in November and will work to make sure she defeats presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. But he is not yet prepared to endorse her until she adopts more of his progressive policy positions.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-dnc-platform_us_57701cf1e4b017b379f643a2
Bernie Sanders MOUNTS Democratic Convention Platform Fight
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Sunday redoubled his efforts to ensure that despite his loss to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, the legacy of his progressive campaign will endure in the party’s official platform. Sanders, who has yet to drop out of the race and formally endorse Clinton, told CNN that his campaign made “very, very important victories” in inserting aspects of its policy agenda into the first draft of the platform. But he is determined to make a bigger mark. “We have made some good gains,” he said. “We have more to do.” Over the weekend, members of the Democratic Party’s platform committee met in St. Louis to lay out the groundwork for the official policy agenda that party members will adopt at next month’s convention in Philadelphia. Making the cut were several of Sanders’ proposals, including a $15 minimum wage, the expansion of Social Security and stricter sanctions for Wall Street fraud, according to The Associated Press.
But the Vermont senator fell short in getting the broader hallmarks of his campaign into the draft — policies such as building a single-payer health care system, rejecting the Trans-Pacific Partnership and taking a stronger stance on climate change by taxing carbon emissions and banning fracking. Since Clinton sealed up the nomination in early June, Sanders’ chief objective has been advocating for the inclusion of his progressive policy agenda in the platform. In May, Democratic officials allowed him to name five of the platform committee’s 15 members, with Clinton getting six and DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz getting four. It was a concession to Sanders’ campaign, since typically, the DNC chair appoints all of the members. Sanders said on Sunday that he is determined to press on and reiterated his vow to take his campaign to the convention.
“We lost some very important fights. We’re going to take that fight to Orlando, where the entire committee meets in two weeks,” he said. “And if we don’t succeed there, then we’ll certainly take it to the floor of the Democratic convention.”
On Friday, Sanders affirmed that he will vote for Clinton in November and will work to make sure she defeats presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump. But he is not yet prepared to endorse her until she adopts more of his progressive policy positions.
“I hope very much that Secretary Clinton understands that not only is it good public policy, it’s the right thing to do,” he said on Sunday. “It is good politics to begin to move in that direction.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bernie-sanders-dnc-platform_us_57701cf1e4b017b379f643a2
June 26, 2016
PRESS RELEASE
Sanders Statement on Democratic Party Platform
JUNE 26, 2016
BURLINGTON, Vt. – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders issued the following statement on Sunday on a Democratic Party platform draft:
“The lesson of Brexit is that while the very rich get much richer, working people throughout the world are not seeing the global economy and an explosion of technology benefiting their lives. In fact, in the United States the middle class has been in decline for 35 years while there has been a huge increase in income and wealth inequality. Unfettered free trade has made multi-national corporations more profitable and their CEOs richer, but it also has led to the loss of millions of good-paying jobs in this country and a race to the bottom.
“The challenge for us today is to take on the greed and power of Wall Street and corporate America, and create a government and an economy that works for all of us and not just the 1 percent. In our anger and frustration, we must not succumb to the bigotry and divisiveness of Donald Trump and others like him.
“This is precisely what the struggle over the Democratic Party platform is about. We need to create a Democratic Party which fights for working families and not wealthy campaign contributors.
“I am glad that we have won some very important provisions in the platform drafting process so far, but much more needs to be done.
“There is very good language in the platform that calls for breaking up the largest Wall Street financial institutions and a 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act. I am glad that the platform drafting committee is on record to expand Social Security, to create millions of jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and to end the outrageous tax loopholes that enable the very rich and large profitable corporations to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
“Unfortunately, however, the platform drafting committee voted down some very important provisions. Despite Secretary Clinton’s opposition, as a candidate for president, to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, her supporters in St. Louis voted down a proposal to keep the trade deal from coming up for a vote in Congress. The Clinton delegates also voted down definitive language to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Despite the growing crisis of climate change, they voted against a tax on carbon, against a ban on fracking and against against a requirement for 100 percent clean energy by 2050.”
“The platform drafted in St. Louis is a very good start, but there is no question that much more work remains to be done by the full Platform Committee when it meets in Orlando on July 8 and 9. We intend to do everything we can to rally support for our amendments in Orlando and if we fail there to take the fight to the floor of the convention in Philadelphia. It is imperative that this platform be not only the most progressive in the history of the Democratic Party, but includes a set of policies that will be fought for and implemented by Democratic elected officials.”
Sanders also discussed the platform during an appearance Sunday on “State of the Union” on CNN.
To watch, click here.
https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-statement-democratic-party-platform/
Bernie Sanders Statement on Democratic PARTY PLATFORM
PRESS RELEASE
Sanders Statement on Democratic Party Platform
JUNE 26, 2016
BURLINGTON, Vt. – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders issued the following statement on Sunday on a Democratic Party platform draft:
“The lesson of Brexit is that while the very rich get much richer, working people throughout the world are not seeing the global economy and an explosion of technology benefiting their lives. In fact, in the United States the middle class has been in decline for 35 years while there has been a huge increase in income and wealth inequality. Unfettered free trade has made multi-national corporations more profitable and their CEOs richer, but it also has led to the loss of millions of good-paying jobs in this country and a race to the bottom.
“The challenge for us today is to take on the greed and power of Wall Street and corporate America, and create a government and an economy that works for all of us and not just the 1 percent. In our anger and frustration, we must not succumb to the bigotry and divisiveness of Donald Trump and others like him.
“This is precisely what the struggle over the Democratic Party platform is about. We need to create a Democratic Party which fights for working families and not wealthy campaign contributors.
“I am glad that we have won some very important provisions in the platform drafting process so far, but much more needs to be done.
“There is very good language in the platform that calls for breaking up the largest Wall Street financial institutions and a 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act. I am glad that the platform drafting committee is on record to expand Social Security, to create millions of jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and to end the outrageous tax loopholes that enable the very rich and large profitable corporations to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.
“Unfortunately, however, the platform drafting committee voted down some very important provisions. Despite Secretary Clinton’s opposition, as a candidate for president, to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, her supporters in St. Louis voted down a proposal to keep the trade deal from coming up for a vote in Congress. The Clinton delegates also voted down definitive language to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Despite the growing crisis of climate change, they voted against a tax on carbon, against a ban on fracking and against against a requirement for 100 percent clean energy by 2050.”
“The platform drafted in St. Louis is a very good start, but there is no question that much more work remains to be done by the full Platform Committee when it meets in Orlando on July 8 and 9. We intend to do everything we can to rally support for our amendments in Orlando and if we fail there to take the fight to the floor of the convention in Philadelphia. It is imperative that this platform be not only the most progressive in the history of the Democratic Party, but includes a set of policies that will be fought for and implemented by Democratic elected officials.”
Sanders also discussed the platform during an appearance Sunday on “State of the Union” on CNN.
To watch, click here.
https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-statement-democratic-party-platform/
June 26, 2016
1990 Bernie NAILED What's Wrong & Shows Why HE'S RIGHT To Fight
Bernie Sanders in 1990 on C-SPAN spoke about what's wrong with the American political system using much of the same language he uses today. The problems he identified then have only gotten worse and are why he's right to keep fighting for the progressive revolution.
June 25, 2016
Dem Platform Committee VOTES DOWN $15 Min Wage Amendment
Dem Platform Committee Votes Down $15 Min Wage Amendment
June 25, 2016
Clinton Side Gives Ground To Sanders on ABOLITION of Death Penalty
"...In some areas Clinton's side has given ground to Sanders. The panel approved language calling for the abolition of the death penalty, calling it "a cruel and unusual form of punishment which has no place" in the nation. Clinton said during a debate earlier this year that it should only be used in limited cases involving "heinous crimes," while Sanders said the government should not use capital punishment..."
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/democrats-begin-working-draft-party-platform-40107459
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/democrats-begin-working-draft-party-platform-40107459
June 24, 2016
Anyone who donated to the DNC after Bernie Sanders entered the race for the Democratic nomination, either directly or indirectly through third-party payment platforms like ActBlue, is eligible to join the lawsuit, along with anyone who donated to Bernie Sanders’ campaign throughout the course of the primaries and caucuses.
Jared Beck said whether or not a “class” in the lawsuit is deemed valid by the court will depend on a number of factors, but the number of class representatives in the lawsuit could be as high as the number of individual donors to Sanders’ campaign. Around two million people donated a combined seven million contributions averaging $27 apiece. Sanders accumulated more than $222 million in donations throughout the primaries and caucuses.
The basis for the lawsuit stems from DNC internal communications published by hacker Guccifer 2.0, who took ownership of the compromising of DNC servers and allegedly leaked their contents. Among other items, the leaks revealed emails showing the DNC had been actively working behind the scenes to boost Hillary Clinton’s profile in the media as early as May 26, 2015, nearly a month after Sanders had entered the race for the Democratic nomination.
cont'
https://usuncut.com/resistance/bernie-sanders-supporters-are-suing-dnc/
Thousands of Bernie Sanders Supporters Are Suing the DNC in a MASSIVE Class Action Lawsuit
Millions of Bernie Sanders’ donors may now have legal recourse against the Democratic primaries they saw as rigged. Beck & Lee Trial Lawyers, a civil litigation firm based in Miami, Florida, is announcing the filing of a class action lawsuit against the DNC early next week, alleging fraud and collusion with the Hillary Clinton campaign. While roughly one hundred people have officially signed on as plaintiffs, partner Jared Beck told US Uncut that thousands of requests for legal paperwork have come in within the last 48 hours.“Signed agreements are coming in steadily and we continue to get new requests by the minute,” Beck said.
Anyone who donated to the DNC after Bernie Sanders entered the race for the Democratic nomination, either directly or indirectly through third-party payment platforms like ActBlue, is eligible to join the lawsuit, along with anyone who donated to Bernie Sanders’ campaign throughout the course of the primaries and caucuses.
“We think that the DNC has been running absolutely out of control and completely disregarding their responsibilities, rights, and duties to the public,” attorney Elizabeth Beck told US Uncut.
Jared Beck said whether or not a “class” in the lawsuit is deemed valid by the court will depend on a number of factors, but the number of class representatives in the lawsuit could be as high as the number of individual donors to Sanders’ campaign. Around two million people donated a combined seven million contributions averaging $27 apiece. Sanders accumulated more than $222 million in donations throughout the primaries and caucuses.
“The way a class action works in civil litigation is that not everybody who is represented or is a member of the class needs to be a class plaintiff,” Beck said in a phone interview. “We’ll be seeking relief for everybody who falls into the class around the country.”
“Given the average donation of $27, that could be a lot of people, to say the least,” he added.
“Given the average donation of $27, that could be a lot of people, to say the least,” he added.
The basis for the lawsuit stems from DNC internal communications published by hacker Guccifer 2.0, who took ownership of the compromising of DNC servers and allegedly leaked their contents. Among other items, the leaks revealed emails showing the DNC had been actively working behind the scenes to boost Hillary Clinton’s profile in the media as early as May 26, 2015, nearly a month after Sanders had entered the race for the Democratic nomination.
cont'
https://usuncut.com/resistance/bernie-sanders-supporters-are-suing-dnc/
June 23, 2016
ON THE ROAD
What Do We Want?
JUNE 23, 2016
“As we head toward the Democratic National Convention, I often hear the question, ‘What does Bernie want?’ Wrong question. The right question is what the 12 million Americans who voted for a political revolution want,” Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote in an op-ed published by The Washington Post. “And the answer is: They want real change in this country, they want it now and they are prepared to take on the political cowardice and powerful special interests which have prevented that change from happening.”
To read the column, click here.
https://berniesanders.com/what-do-we-want/
What Do WE Want?
ON THE ROAD
What Do We Want?
JUNE 23, 2016
“As we head toward the Democratic National Convention, I often hear the question, ‘What does Bernie want?’ Wrong question. The right question is what the 12 million Americans who voted for a political revolution want,” Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote in an op-ed published by The Washington Post. “And the answer is: They want real change in this country, they want it now and they are prepared to take on the political cowardice and powerful special interests which have prevented that change from happening.”
To read the column, click here.
https://berniesanders.com/what-do-we-want/
June 20, 2016
Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn
A fun thought experiment: imagine Sanders winning but Clinton refusing to endorse unless he adopted her views, etc
-snip-
Sanders also won the hearts of Democratic voters – more so than his opponent, in fact, despite her 30-year head start. A recent Gallup poll found that Sanders “continues to be significantly more popular than Hillary Clinton” among members of the party he only joined last year. Sanders’ current net favorable rating among Democrats is 13 points higher than Clinton’s, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. The same poll found that 75 percent of Democrats want him to play a “major” role in their party. (Surprisingly, 44 percent of Democrats polled wanted Sanders to run as an independent, a fact that should give the Clinton team pause.)
Also, Sanders’ stunning margins among young voters tell us that he isn’t just speaking for a large percentage of the Democratic Party’s voters. He also speaks for its future. Clinton needs his supporters. As Nate Silver noted last month, “her lack of support from Sanders voters is harming her general election numbers.” A YouGov/Economist poll in late May found that “Only half (50 percent) of Sanders supporters pick Clinton over Trump in the general election trial heat.”
While those numbers are likely to keep falling, these voters can’t be handed off to Clinton and her party like a football. They are deeply skeptical about her, and not without reason. It will take concessions to win their support. And those concessions – especially on popular issues like tuition-free higher education, Wall Street reform, and Social Security – will make the Democrats a stronger party. I have no inside information, but it seems pretty obvious that Bernie Sanders isn’t positioning himself for another run. He’s not being stubborn; he’s negotiating. Nobody concedes while the negotiations are still going on. His negotiating partners should stop demanding that he fold his cards before the dealing’s done. They should also understand that they’re not just dealing with a candidate. They’re also talking to the representative of a movement, one that could decide the fate of this election and the future of their party. As leverage goes, that’s about as good as it gets.
cont'
https://ourfuture.org/20160620/bernies-leverage-isnt-going-anywhere-deal-with-it
Campaign For America's Future: Bernie Sanders’ Leverage ISN'T Going Anywhere. Deal With It.
Some politicians and commentators say that Bernie Sanders is losing leverage because he hasn’t conceded the Democratic primary to front-runner Hillary Clinton. To believe that is to misunderstand both the candidate and his supporters. Sanders received a mandate in “defeat” that most politicians never achieve in victory. The calls to surrender reached a fever pitch before the last primary even ended. We were told that Sanders was being stubborn, that he was rapidly losing influence. It was even said that all of the convention’s prime-time speaking spots would be taken soon if he didn’t concede soon, as if they were reservations at Nobu and he had no pull with the maître d’.
If Bernie were denied a prime-time slot at the convention, chaos would ensue. You can be sure that whenever and however the deal is struck, they’ll make room for him at a peak viewing hour. The Clinton team’s impatience is understandable, even if it lacks a certain grace. But they’re misreading both Sanders’ nature and the nature of the negotiations now underway. So is The New York Times’ Nate Cohn, who tweeted:
Nate Cohn @Nate_Cohn
A fun thought experiment: imagine Sanders winning but Clinton refusing to endorse unless he adopted her views, etc
-snip-
Sanders also won the hearts of Democratic voters – more so than his opponent, in fact, despite her 30-year head start. A recent Gallup poll found that Sanders “continues to be significantly more popular than Hillary Clinton” among members of the party he only joined last year. Sanders’ current net favorable rating among Democrats is 13 points higher than Clinton’s, according to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. The same poll found that 75 percent of Democrats want him to play a “major” role in their party. (Surprisingly, 44 percent of Democrats polled wanted Sanders to run as an independent, a fact that should give the Clinton team pause.)
Also, Sanders’ stunning margins among young voters tell us that he isn’t just speaking for a large percentage of the Democratic Party’s voters. He also speaks for its future. Clinton needs his supporters. As Nate Silver noted last month, “her lack of support from Sanders voters is harming her general election numbers.” A YouGov/Economist poll in late May found that “Only half (50 percent) of Sanders supporters pick Clinton over Trump in the general election trial heat.”
While those numbers are likely to keep falling, these voters can’t be handed off to Clinton and her party like a football. They are deeply skeptical about her, and not without reason. It will take concessions to win their support. And those concessions – especially on popular issues like tuition-free higher education, Wall Street reform, and Social Security – will make the Democrats a stronger party. I have no inside information, but it seems pretty obvious that Bernie Sanders isn’t positioning himself for another run. He’s not being stubborn; he’s negotiating. Nobody concedes while the negotiations are still going on. His negotiating partners should stop demanding that he fold his cards before the dealing’s done. They should also understand that they’re not just dealing with a candidate. They’re also talking to the representative of a movement, one that could decide the fate of this election and the future of their party. As leverage goes, that’s about as good as it gets.
cont'
https://ourfuture.org/20160620/bernies-leverage-isnt-going-anywhere-deal-with-it
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