Hillary's Scorched Earth Tactics are Damaging our Party.

[Blue State Bandit]

In light of the recent events surrounding the endorsements by PP, HRC, and NAREL leadership, I thought a few things needed clarification.

I'm willing to bet that the ONLY reason Bernie Sanders is not willing to peruse this line is because (as he has made clear in the past) he is unwilling to fracture the democratic base just to win... something Hillary and her Establishment friends seem more than willing to do. But this needs to be said.

You name ONE Democratic primary endorsement from Planned Parenthood in the past 100 years, and I will vote for Hillary. Lily Adams, daughter of Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards has been Hillary's Iowa Communications Director since before September.

So, PP leadership did not poll their members, has no history of picking sides in a democratic primary, and it's president has a huge conflict of interest on this matter since her daughter is a paid operative of the campaign she is endorsing.

I would have no problem with Cecile Richards making her personal endorsement known. It's her choice. But to wade into a democratic primary, with out polling PP membership, in a closed door meeting with a few board members and announce it as an organizational endorsement is disingenuous at best, and blatant cronyism on its face. It is no different in my eyes than President Obama making an early primary endorsement, or the head of the DNC picking sides too early (D'oh).

Planned Parenthood is a well established centurion organization, with a profoundly deep connection to democratic politics. So yes. It is establishment. It's our establishment. But by intervening in an intra-party contest without polling its membership, (and I'm willing to bet) at the behest of the Clinton campaign, Cecile Richards has jeopardized PP's universal support within the democratic party, for a political favor. That is how "Thee Establishment" works. That is not, and should never be, how the Democratic Party works.

The Clinton family is part of "Thee Establishment" a group beyond our democratic establishment (two different entities that occasionally work together for common cause because... politics) and the PP endorsement by Cecile Richards is a gross misappropriation of the support PP has enjoyed from progressive and liberal organizations for a century. It threatens PP's universal democratic support for personal gain, and in my view, weakens PP at a time when it need all the support it can get. It is self serving, calculated, and dangerous to the Democratic party and Planned Parenthood. And there is no way it helps anybody involved, except Hillary.

In my view, the actions of the leadership of PP, HRC, NARAL, in coordination with the Clinton campaign has unduly, and knowingly jeopardized these organizations, their missions, messages, and the unity within the Democratic Party in support of "Thee Establishment" at the expense of the Progressive/Liberal establishment, and while it may help Hillary in the primaries, it will cost her votes, and possibly the margin of victory in the General election.

Hillary has a long track record of dabbling in the "politics of personal destruction", and "political expedience in the face of popular democratic support". Hillary has done what the Republicans have been unable to do for decades, fracture Planned Parenthood's support within the Democratic Party. If anybody is doing the Republican's work for them, it's Hillary. And I find it harder every day to hold my nose if she's our nominee.

And don't even get me started with this Red Baiting shit.

Just so my position is clear on this, my family has been supporting PP since the '60's. My mother worked for PP for 10 years, and I have marched with them multiple times.

[Jackilope]

1. This has never been for the good of the Democratic Party

If she wins the nomination, she loses the general. This is simply doing their job for the 1% and throwing crumbs for us lowly folk.

This is HRC deranged because her idea of a crown snatched not once, but twice. She was a hot mess the first time, this is gonna be a full on train wreck.

[DanTex]

2. "Scorched Earth" LOL.

Unless you're referring to the constant stream of Hillary bashing from the far left, throwing progressive groups like PP and HRC under the bus.

[Blue State Bandit]

3. Hillary threw them in front of the bus.

HRC waited till June to endorse Obama. So why would they endorse now, before a single vote has been cast?

[Politicub]

5. Must be a conspiracy

There's no other explanation for it. Well, maybe that Hillary has spoken truth to power while Bernie just yells.

[Blue State Bandit]

8. By speaking truth to power did you mean...

wagging her finger at Wall Street with one hand, and cashing their Honorarium checks with the other?


Seems legit.

[virtualobserver]

34. The truth that she speaks to power is.... "I'm on your side"

[snoringvoter]

17. You're not fooling anybody.

"Far left" is a Republican term.

[TIME TO PANIC]

24. What far left? n/t

[MNBrewer]

42. Human Rights Campaign is a creature of The Establishment, and has been for some time

Reminder:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/keyraces98/stories/ny102398.htm

[Politicub]

4. DU is an absolute hoot today

Honestly. The Sanders campaign has become a farce and the humor value is nearing the sublime. I think that's what Hillary was laughing at.

[Blue State Bandit]

6. Laugh it up. Mee's thinks that's a nervous laugh though.

[Le Taz Hot]

7. OH look! I missed one.

I have 30 seconds . . . so, any comment on the, you know, content of the very well written OP or are the orders of the day to kill the messenger (a.k.a. as a redirect)?

[Blue State Bandit]

9. Snowed in, day off.. let them try.

But far be it from me to turn down some help.

[asuhornets]

38. I agree with you n/t

[Blue State Bandit]

41. Keep agreeing with him...

it helps to get those post numbers up so no one can call you a sock puppet.

Signed...

Patiently waiting to hear how this OP is Red Baiting.

[asuhornets]

44. Just because I have..

low post numbers does not mean anything. If I was a Bernie supporter, I am sure I would have been welcomed with open arms by Bernie Supporters.

[Blue State Bandit]

45. Then explain that Red Baiting comment....

and assuage my disbelief.

[Armstead]

10. Hit the nail on the head. Excellent OP.

Especially this

"I would have no problem with Cecile Richards making her personal endorsement known."

She is certainly entitled to that. But she is not entitled to speak for the entire organization.

Just as Carol Browner, an operative for Clinton, should not hijack the environmental organization she leads in an attempt to scuttle Clinton's primary opponents.

[Blue State Bandit]

14. Just one more case of the Clinton Brand appropriating progressives...

when it suits them, and casting them aside when it doesn't.

[farleftlib]

11. Very well said

I find this unprecedented PP, HRC, NARAL development curiouser and curiouser.

You really nailed it with this:
Hillary has done what the Republicans have been unable to do for decades, fracture Planned Parenthood's support within the Democratic Party. If anybody is doing the Republican's work for them, it's Hillary. And I find it harder every day to hold my nose if she's our nominee.

K & R

[TriplD]

18. Amen

A lot of these endorsers are trying to cash in the moral authority that these organizations had earned over the years for their personal benefit, leaving these organizations tarnished by Hillary's amorality. It's a shame.

[m-lekktor]

12. excellent post! nt

[livetohike]

13. So no one can question Sanders' policies, positions or loyalties?

He, who wasn't even a member of the Democratic Party until it suited his purpose, is not to be criticized. Wait until the Republicans "bern" him. He can't even make it through a debate without welling with anger.

[Blue State Bandit]

19. Question away. But all Camp Hillary is doing is using "Dog Whistles"...

baseless accusations, and false innuendo to attack Sanders.

1) Guns on Trains - prior to 9/11 it was legal to transport secured firearms in the luggage compartment of Amtrak Trains. Bernie voted to re-instate that right, provided 24 hour notice is given, and the station supports checked baggage. Not a vote to allow people to carry on a train.

2) Un-electable because he's a "Socialist" - Excuse me, a Democratic Socialist, running for president of a democratic-socialist republic, If you hate Socialism so much, give up your Social Security, and stay off our socialist highways.

3) "Who's he calling Establishment?" asks Hillary - the wife of the "Triangulation President" and founding member of the DLC, who used personal connections to convince her friends to use their positions to offer organizational endorsement of her her campaign without regard for the thoughts of the memberships of, or the possible ramification to said organizations' regarding their involvement in primary politics.

[cascadiance]

49. And FDR, a "democratic socialist" in practice, was reelected three times...

... and therefore had the Republicans push us to pass a constitutional amendment to restrict presidents to two terms.

Unelectable?

MY ASS!!!

If they are just trying to make it sound like we're tied to the Soviet communist system when someone uses the socialist label, well, I'm sorry, but taking Koch money and influence for the Republicans and DLC Democrats show MORE connections to communist dictator Joseph Stalin as a label than "socialist" as a label is tied to the Soviets...

[Metric System]

15. Scorched earth? What we've seen is mild for primary battles.

[Blue State Bandit]

23. Compared to the Republicans? Or are you talking about '08?

[BlueMTexpat]

16. "Our" party?

99% of the posts bashing Dems in general, top Dems, the DNC, and everyone who supports Dem institutions are coming from those who say that they support Bernie Sanders. Many of those admit that they lean Libertarian or Independent. Sheesh!

Until 2015, Bernie refused to become a member of the Democratic party. I personally am glad that he is running as a Dem candidate and think that he is a great one. But posts like this do him no service whatsoever, IMO.

You are preaching to the converted. Those who do not share your opinion will not change their minds because of such posts. In fact, it is more likely than not that they will be/remain quite turned off.

[Armstead]

20. I think the OP was very reasonable.....You may disagree with the content but it is not "bashing"

[beltanefauve]

43. I'm so tired

of facts and valid criticism being trotted out as bashing. Jeez!

[tk2kewl]

21. You're right...

All Hillary is doing is trying to finally close the deal on the complete erasure of people's party and hand it over to Wall St and the corporations. How dare the 99% pretend the Democratic Party is somehow "their's."

[Blue State Bandit]

22. Because it's those "Top Dems" and the DNC leadership that decided...

to attack Bernie Sanders, and engage in distasteful tactics to promote a 3rd Way ideology that has incrementally distanced the Democratic Party from it's Democratic base. Bernie, as an independent, has a better voting record with the Democratic base than many of those "Top Dems" you speak of.

I appreciate your point, but if we just sit by and say nothing, we will find "Our Party" unrecognizable in short order, as many have already found it.

[BlueMTexpat]

52. Thanks for your courteous reply.

Here is an article that I am going to post in a separate OP (unless I see that it has already been posted). It's not about "sitting by and saying nothing." All Dems are saying plenty. The article reflects today's political reality. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/01/radical-right-policy-changes-are-realistic.html

All-or-nothing tactics simply will not work for Dems because GOPers have much more leverage in today's political reality. Even if against all statistical odds such tactics work during the campaign, they will not work in the WH; compromise is an absolute necessity. Yet once Bernie compromises, he will lose his "purists" because he then effectively becomes the "Establishment."

It is imperative that we elect a Dem (and we have three excellent options in the primaries) in 2016. If not, there literally may not be a USA that any Dems would recognize in another four years. I love Bernie Sanders both as a candidate and as a person. But he is simply not the strongest Dem candidate in a national election against today's radicalized GOP and that is a statistical reality, not just my opinion.

The GOP are quite gleefully hoping to derail Hillary's candidacy through him. The mere fact that they are concentrating their attacks on her and haven't yet trotted out their big guns against him is quite telling. Even if the Dem candidate were Jesus Christ (which none is), they would make sh** up as usual. GOPers have never been fazed by telling outright lies.

[Blue State Bandit]

53. Nice to have a real debate.

Today's GOP is a fractured mess. Their base want anybody but Hillary. Their establishment is freaking out because none of their candidates have gotten any traction, and the only weapon they have against Bernie is the "Socialist/Pinko Commie" brand.

Independents have a major streak of "anybody but Hillary" as well, and will vote for Trump or Cruz just to keep the Clintons out of the White House.

This is a change election my friend. This is going to be bigger than '06 or '08. Incrementalistic agendas proposed by the usual suspects are not going to get the souls to the polls.

The mass of the GOP base will vote for Trump/Cruz no matter what. Our house is clearly divided, but not fractured (yet). The battleground will be for Independents and Moderate Republicans. While I do believe that Hillary has a slim shot in the GE, she by no means has the potential to pull the Indy/ModRep votes in the same numbers that Bernie can. That's the down ticket candidates' bread and butter, and the only thing that overcomes any attempts to hack the vote.

The GOP has spent some 30 years instilling that "anybody but Hillary" meme deep into the mass psyche of the Republican/Independent electorate. And the Clintons themselves have fostered the same sentiment from within the Democratic base by hitching the our collective cabooses to Wall St./3rd Way/NewDem/DLC philosophies, and their treatment of Obama in 2008. And lets not forget the unforced errors like home-brewed servers and exorbitant honorariums from Wall St. for speeches that she refuses (with a dismissive chuckle) to release that the GOP will be more than happy to exploit.

I am under no illusions about how difficult the job will be for Bernie once he gets to the White House. He may not get 10% of what he wants to accomplish in his first term. But even 1% when reaching for the stars can get you to the Moon. And he won't be alone. Inspiration brings votes, and votes build coat-tails.

[BlueMTexpat]

54. Thanks for your courtesy.

May the best candidate win! We just differ on which candidate we think is best. But we certainly have the same goals.

[TIME TO PANIC]

25. K & R !

[whereisjustice]

26. Hillary and Jeb and Trump are what you get when Democracy starts coughing up blood.

[ejbr]

27. Chris Hayes directly asked the NARAL spokeswoman

if they polled their members or was it leadership's decision. She replied that they communicated feedback from members before making a decision. For all we know then, everyone they "communicated with" supported Sanders, but in their ignorance was convinced by the powers that be that everyone else supported Hillary. A legitimate vote is the only way to really determine what the organization wants.

[Blue State Bandit]

46. In a group w/ millions of members...

it wouldn't be to hard to find a few to make that statement "plausible". Her answer left this gaping hole:

- "everyone they communicated with" was probably in the room that the decision was made.

[ypsfonos]

28. K&R Stick a fork into her

Bernt toast

[Faux pas]

29. K N R

[HereSince1628]

30. Here's the thing...they truly believe they hold the base hostage

as Rahm made -profanely- clear.

Under that belief, well supported by the commonly stated myth that any democrat is better than all republicans, they have no consideration of the base at all.

They -can't- seriously divide the base and the party. The base, is in their thinking afterall the damage is assessed, just a somewhat unruly tail. It -must- follow wherever they go.

[TryLogic]

31. Thank you for this.

It is my perception that the Clintons have perfected quid pro quo politics, and many of Hillary's endorsements seem quite consistent with this perception. And I believe Wasserman-Schultz is part of the Clinton team.

[Locrian]

32. this is the election

you know - it occurs to me that THIS is the election right now. Between progressive Bernie (representing what is left of the democratic party) and the corporate party HRC (representing the "new democratic/more corporate party). Winner of this primary will likely become president.

[draa]

33. Damn right is is.

But I'm not going to stop them at this point because from what've seen the Party needs to die. Swiftly.

A bunch of ass kissers and brown nosing sycophants who protect the 1% every time. The Democrats are no better than the GOP, and in many ways they're far worse. At least the Republicans don't pretend to care.

Everyone knows they're assholes and they make no excuses for it. But you know what? They will TRY and TRY and TRY. Even if they know they're going to fail they never stop trying. Over 62 attempts by the GOP to repeal the ACA and ZERO attempts by the Democrats to improve it. What the hell is wrong with my party?

[99th_Monkey]

35. There you go, trashing PP et. al. Why do Bernie supporters hate progressive organizations?

I'm waiting for this ^ to show up from the Hillarian Hit Brigade.

[Blue State Bandit]

36. had me there for a sec...

rabble, rabble. :shoots own foot:

[asuhornets]

37. Oh plz..

Planned Parenthood endorsed the better candidate. Simple as that. Your post is red baiting. You acted as if Hillary is not qualified---she is qualified. Bernie Sanders is not a Democrat.

[Blue State Bandit]

40. Bwaaaaa!

Cecile Richards endorsed her daughter's boss. And Hillary barely qualifies as a Democrat.

Thanks for playing.

[TheFarS1de]

50. I will go with Nepotism

for $500 Alex

[KoKo]

39. Good Points...

Leads one to be assured that it is always and always will be about what's good for "The Clintons" and their operatives and not what is good for the Democratic Party as a whole going forward.

[Odin2005]

47. Hillary and her corporate puppet-masters would rather lose the the Republicans...

...than let a socialist win the Democratic nomination.

Hillary and the GOP are on the same side AGAINST THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

[corkhead]

55. I was about to post nearly the same thing.

[nashville_brook]

48. very well said.

[Bonobo]

51. Great post! Bravo! nt