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MrWendel

MrWendel's Journal
MrWendel's Journal
April 8, 2016

Obama warns Dems against 'Tea Party mentality'

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/275546-obama-warns-dems-against-tea-party-mentality

By Jordan Fabian



President Obama on Thursday warned Democrats against adopting a “Tea Party mentality” that could lead to deep divisions within the party and harm its chances of winning national elections.

Following the rise of the Tea Party and Donald Trump, Obama said infighting within the Republican Party is much worse than it is on the Democratic side.

But he urged his party’s voters to be mindful of that danger in the midst of a heated primary battle between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

“The thing Democrats have to guard against is going in the direction that the Republicans are much further along on, and that is this sense 'we are just going to get our way, and if we don’t, then we’ll cannibalize our own, kick them out and try again,' ” he said at a town-hall meeting with law students in Chicago.

In that scenario, Democrats could “stake out positions so extreme, they alienate the broad public,” Obama added. “I don’t see that being where the Democrats go, but it’s always something we have to pay attention to.”

Obama’s comments come amid a major dustup between Clinton and Sanders that has Democrats concerned about keeping their party unified.

Sanders on Wednesday accused Clinton of being not “qualified” to serve as president because of her willingness to use a super-PAC and support for the Iraq War and free trade agreements.

The president did not name Clinton or Sanders. But he offered a staunch defense of his incrementalist view of politics, which has sometimes come under fire from the Vermont senator.

"That’s how change generally happens,” he said, citing the example of his signature healthcare law.

“It’s not perfect. There is no public option, not single-payer,” he said. “If I was designing a system from scratch, it would have been more elegant. But that’s not what was possible in our democracy."

The president also sought to downplay the divisions between Clinton and Sanders.

He said the debate among Democrats is “is a little bit more about means, less about ends,” noting that both candidates broadly agree on issues like the need for universal healthcare and combating climate change.

Obama said he understood the populist sentiment that has driven Sanders’s candidacy. But he said the answer is not to abandon a compromise approach.

“The danger, whether for Democrats or Republicans, is in a closed-loop system where everybody is just listening to the people who agree with them,” he said.

“And that anybody who suggests there is another point of view ... well, then you must be a sellout or you must be corrupted or you must be on the take or what have you," he added. "That is not, I think, useful.”

Obama could be a unifying figure for Democrats in this fall's election.

His approval ratings are at 50 percent or higher in most opinion polls, making him the most popular figure in his party.

(More in link)
April 8, 2016

NYT‘s Krugman: ‘Bernie Is Becoming a Bernie Bro’

http://www.mediaite.com/online/nyts-krugman-bernie-is-becoming-a-bernie-bro/

by Sam Reisman



New York Times columnist and prominent lefty Paul Krugman has run out of patience with Bernie Sanders.

“Mr. Sanders is starting to sound like his worst followers,” Krugman writes in a column published Friday. The senator from Vermont, he adds, has become a “Bernie bro,” a pejorative term for Sanders’ (male) supporters that usually implies some ugly cocktail of misogyny, petulance, and self-righteousness.

But Krugman’s column, entitled “Sanders Over the Edge,” is less about the candidate’s temperament and more about his the paltriness of his proposals.

He writes that “pounding the table about big banks misses the point,” and yet “going on about big banks is pretty much all Mr. Sanders has done. On the rare occasions on which he was asked for more detail, he didn’t seem to have anything more to offer. And this absence of substance beyond the slogans seems to be true of his positions across the board.”

Even if one overlooks the scantness of his platform, Krugman writes, “the way Mr. Sanders is now campaigning raises serious character and values issues.” He points to Sanders’ recent streak of hostility aimed at Hillary Clinton, emulating elements of his supporters that have forsworn ever voting for her should she become the nominee.

Is Mr. Sanders positioning himself to join the “Bernie or bust” crowd, walking away if he can’t pull off an extraordinary upset, and possibly helping put Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in the White House? If not, what does he think he’s doing?


NYT Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/opinion/sanders-over-the-edge.html
April 8, 2016

NYT‘s Krugman: ‘Bernie Is Becoming a Bernie Bro’

http://www.mediaite.com/online/nyts-krugman-bernie-is-becoming-a-bernie-bro/

by Sam Reisman



New York Times columnist and prominent lefty Paul Krugman has run out of patience with Bernie Sanders.

“Mr. Sanders is starting to sound like his worst followers,” Krugman writes in a column published Friday. The senator from Vermont, he adds, has become a “Bernie bro,” a pejorative term for Sanders’ (male) supporters that usually implies some ugly cocktail of misogyny, petulance, and self-righteousness.

But Krugman’s column, entitled “Sanders Over the Edge,” is less about the candidate’s temperament and more about his the paltriness of his proposals.

He writes that “pounding the table about big banks misses the point,” and yet “going on about big banks is pretty much all Mr. Sanders has done. On the rare occasions on which he was asked for more detail, he didn’t seem to have anything more to offer. And this absence of substance beyond the slogans seems to be true of his positions across the board.”

Even if one overlooks the scantness of his platform, Krugman writes, “the way Mr. Sanders is now campaigning raises serious character and values issues.” He points to Sanders’ recent streak of hostility aimed at Hillary Clinton, emulating elements of his supporters that have forsworn ever voting for her should she become the nominee.

Is Mr. Sanders positioning himself to join the “Bernie or bust” crowd, walking away if he can’t pull off an extraordinary upset, and possibly helping put Donald Trump or Ted Cruz in the White House? If not, what does he think he’s doing?


NYT Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/opinion/sanders-over-the-edge.html
April 7, 2016

Sanders Blames The Media For His 'Unqualified' Tiff With Clinton

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sanders-blames-media-unqualified-tiff-clinton

ByCAITLIN CRUZ

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) blamed the media at a press conference on Thursday morning for instigating and perpetuating the disagreement between himself and rival Hillary Clinton about their respective qualifications for the highest political office in America.

"So when, you have headlines in the Washington Post, 'Clinton questions whether Sanders is qualified to be president,' my response is well, you know, if you want to question my qualifications, let me suggest this," Sanders said. "That maybe the American people might wonder about your qualifications, Madam Secretary, when you voted for the war in Iraq, the most disastrous foreign policy blunder in the modern history of America."

The Washington Post article he referenced pulled together numerous interviews in which Clinton said Sanders was ill-prepared for an interview with the New York Daily News and questioned his commitment to the Democratic Party. In those interviews, Clinton didn't explicitly say Sanders was unqualified for the presidency.

Sanders stressed that he was not willingly entering this "type of politics."

"This is not the type of politics that I want to get in, I know it's what the media loves," Sanders said in reference to Clinton and Sanders trading barbs. "It is not the type of politics that I want to get in, but let me also be very clear. If Secretary Clinton thinks that I just come from the small state of Vermont, we are not used to this, we will get used to it fast."

Sanders vowed that his campaign would not "get beaten up and lied about." He later pivoted to saying voters should question Clinton's qualifications after she raised "millions of dollars from Wall Street."

"I don't think I have to explain to the American people what Wall Street did to this economy," Sanders said. "Are you qualified to be president of the U.S. when you're raising millions of dollars from Wall Street, an entity whose greed, recklessly and illegal behavior helped destroy our economy?"

Sanders added he respects Clinton, though.

"What I just said is that she has attacked me for being unqualified. And if I am going to attack for being 'unqualified' I will respond in kind," he said, adding he hopes to move away from personal attacks.
April 7, 2016

Sanders Blames The Media For His 'Unqualified' Tiff With Clinton

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/sanders-blames-media-unqualified-tiff-clinton

ByCAITLIN CRUZ

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) blamed the media at a press conference on Thursday morning for instigating and perpetuating the disagreement between himself and rival Hillary Clinton about their respective qualifications for the highest political office in America.

"So when, you have headlines in the Washington Post, 'Clinton questions whether Sanders is qualified to be president,' my response is well, you know, if you want to question my qualifications, let me suggest this," Sanders said. "That maybe the American people might wonder about your qualifications, Madam Secretary, when you voted for the war in Iraq, the most disastrous foreign policy blunder in the modern history of America."

The Washington Post article he referenced pulled together numerous interviews in which Clinton said Sanders was ill-prepared for an interview with the New York Daily News and questioned his commitment to the Democratic Party. In those interviews, Clinton didn't explicitly say Sanders was unqualified for the presidency.

Sanders stressed that he was not willingly entering this "type of politics."

"This is not the type of politics that I want to get in, I know it's what the media loves," Sanders said in reference to Clinton and Sanders trading barbs. "It is not the type of politics that I want to get in, but let me also be very clear. If Secretary Clinton thinks that I just come from the small state of Vermont, we are not used to this, we will get used to it fast."

Sanders vowed that his campaign would not "get beaten up and lied about." He later pivoted to saying voters should question Clinton's qualifications after she raised "millions of dollars from Wall Street."

"I don't think I have to explain to the American people what Wall Street did to this economy," Sanders said. "Are you qualified to be president of the U.S. when you're raising millions of dollars from Wall Street, an entity whose greed, recklessly and illegal behavior helped destroy our economy?"

Sanders added he respects Clinton, though.

"What I just said is that she has attacked me for being unqualified. And if I am going to attack for being 'unqualified' I will respond in kind," he said, adding he hopes to move away from personal attacks.
April 7, 2016

Not Good, Not Good At All (TPM EDITOR'S BLOG)

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/not-good-not-good-at-all--2

By JOSH MARSHALL

As you no doubt saw, last night Bernie Sanders launched a pretty blistering attack on Hillary Clinton, calling her unqualified to be president because of various past positions, relationships and votes. The attack was premised on Sanders' claim that Clinton had said that he was unqualified to serve as president. Only she didn't say that. The sorry tale tracks back to what was simply a false story in The Washington Post. The Post published a story that put together various Clinton interviews and recent statements and summed it up as 'Clinton questions whether Sanders is qualified to be President.' As I said last night, I'm willing to believe, actually assume that Sanders was told the story was true. But the fact is that it wasn't.

This morning he half blamed the press for the false claim but also doubled down on it. "So when, you have headlines in The Washington Post, 'Clinton questions whether Sanders is qualified to be president,' my response is well, you know, if you want to question my qualifications ..."

All candidates, by definition, say that they're more qualified than their opponent. Various things Clinton said can be reasonably interpreted as questioning whether Sanders is up to the job of the presidency. But it is an entirely different matter when an opponent, in his own voice, says flatly his challenger is "unqualified" to serve as President of the country. That's something that cannot be unsaid. If Clinton is the nominee, it will undoubtedly be a staples of GOP stump speeches in the Fall. These are simple realities of political campaigns. Primaries that drag on get intense. Especially in the venomous and kinetic New York media environment. The Clinton operation has plenty of sharp elbows themselves. But it is incumbent on both candidates to fight hard and yet not say things that can't be unsaid - not always as easy thing to manage. Because it matters a lot on various fronts, what the candidate him or herself says, says explicitly.

The scuffle got more intense and more cynical later this morning when Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver came on MSNBC and now explicitly doubled down, actually doubly double-down. He says the Post was right. Clinton did say Sanders was unqualified. So they'll say it about her. So there!

Now, as I've watched this campaign unfold, I've increasingly had the sense that Weaver is a, maybe the key source of toxicity and cynicism in the Sanders camp, and I suspect doesn't care terribly about the November election if Sanders isn't the standard bearer. Obviously Sanders is responsible for his own campaign. And it's difficult to overestimate the mix of exhaustion, frustration and intensity that gets churned up in a hotly contested race like this. People get mad. On both sides. No crying in baseball, of course. Campaigns can and do do what they feel they need to do. But the consequences are ones all should understand and absorb.

This is cynical. It's a lie. And it's playing with fire.
April 7, 2016

Not Good, Not Good At All (TPM EDITOR'S BLOG)

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/not-good-not-good-at-all--2

By JOSH MARSHALL

As you no doubt saw, last night Bernie Sanders launched a pretty blistering attack on Hillary Clinton, calling her unqualified to be president because of various past positions, relationships and votes. The attack was premised on Sanders' claim that Clinton had said that he was unqualified to serve as president. Only she didn't say that. The sorry tale tracks back to what was simply a false story in The Washington Post. The Post published a story that put together various Clinton interviews and recent statements and summed it up as 'Clinton questions whether Sanders is qualified to be President.' As I said last night, I'm willing to believe, actually assume that Sanders was told the story was true. But the fact is that it wasn't.

This morning he half blamed the press for the false claim but also doubled down on it. "So when, you have headlines in The Washington Post, 'Clinton questions whether Sanders is qualified to be president,' my response is well, you know, if you want to question my qualifications ..."

All candidates, by definition, say that they're more qualified than their opponent. Various things Clinton said can be reasonably interpreted as questioning whether Sanders is up to the job of the presidency. But it is an entirely different matter when an opponent, in his own voice, says flatly his challenger is "unqualified" to serve as President of the country. That's something that cannot be unsaid. If Clinton is the nominee, it will undoubtedly be a staples of GOP stump speeches in the Fall. These are simple realities of political campaigns. Primaries that drag on get intense. Especially in the venomous and kinetic New York media environment. The Clinton operation has plenty of sharp elbows themselves. But it is incumbent on both candidates to fight hard and yet not say things that can't be unsaid - not always as easy thing to manage. Because it matters a lot on various fronts, what the candidate him or herself says, says explicitly.

The scuffle got more intense and more cynical later this morning when Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver came on MSNBC and now explicitly doubled down, actually doubly double-down. He says the Post was right. Clinton did say Sanders was unqualified. So they'll say it about her. So there!

Now, as I've watched this campaign unfold, I've increasingly had the sense that Weaver is a, maybe the key source of toxicity and cynicism in the Sanders camp, and I suspect doesn't care terribly about the November election if Sanders isn't the standard bearer. Obviously Sanders is responsible for his own campaign. And it's difficult to overestimate the mix of exhaustion, frustration and intensity that gets churned up in a hotly contested race like this. People get mad. On both sides. No crying in baseball, of course. Campaigns can and do do what they feel they need to do. But the consequences are ones all should understand and absorb.

This is cynical. It's a lie. And it's playing with fire.

April 7, 2016

Bernie Sanders’ Campaign Manager Just Blamed Hillary For ISIS

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/bernie-sanders-campaign-manager-just-blamed-hillary-for-isis/

by Tommy Christopher



Well, this might be a tough one to walk back. In the aftermath of a feud that started when Bernie Sanders thought he heard Hillary Clinton say he was “quote-unquote not qualified to be president,” Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver isn’t just doubling down on the attack, he’s flipping over the table and slapping the pit boss. In an interview with CNN’s Carol Costello Thursday morning, Weaver stood by the Senator’s “not qualified” attacks on Hillary Clinton, and added a new item to the list that Sanders ticked off last night: the rise and expansion of ISIS.

Yes, that happened:

(More with vid in link)
April 7, 2016

Bernie Sanders’ Campaign Manager Just Blamed Hillary For ISIS

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/bernie-sanders-campaign-manager-just-blamed-hillary-for-isis/

by Tommy Christopher



Well, this might be a tough one to walk back. In the aftermath of a feud that started when Bernie Sanders thought he heard Hillary Clinton say he was “quote-unquote not qualified to be president,” Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver isn’t just doubling down on the attack, he’s flipping over the table and slapping the pit boss. In an interview with CNN’s Carol Costello Thursday morning, Weaver stood by the Senator’s “not qualified” attacks on Hillary Clinton, and added a new item to the list that Sanders ticked off last night: the rise and expansion of ISIS.

Yes, that happened:

(More with vid in link)
April 7, 2016

BUSTED: Bernie Disqualifies Hillary but Supported Obama and Kerry Despite Same Positions

http://bluenationreview.com/busted-bernie-disqualifies-hillary-but-supported-obama-and-kerry/

Over the past 24 hours, Bernie Sanders and his campaign have shed any pretense that they are running a positive campaign and have embraced low-ball GOP-style tactics. But along with desperation comes a loss of message control and Bernie is now contradicting his own positions.

Here are Bernie’s deplorable remarks about Hillary not being qualified for the presidency:

I don’t believe that she is qualified–if she is, through her super PAC, taking tens of millions of dollars in special interest funds! I don’t think that you are [makes air quotes] qualified if you get fifteen million dollars from Wall Street through your super PAC! I don’t think you are [air quotes] qualified if you have voted for the disastrous war in Iraq! I don’t think you are qualified if you’ve supported virtually every disastrous trade agreement, which has cost us millions of decent-paying jobs!


Bernie supported John Kerry for president even though Kerry voted for the AUMF.

(More in link)

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