Got post-election debriefing from Sestak in 'Sliberty this afternoon.

It's all about Schumer's push to be Dem. Senate leader

Whether it's as Majority Leader or Minority Leader. Got a post-election de-briefing this afternoon in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood from primary Pennsylvania Dem. Senate candidate, former Admiral & Congressman, Joe Sestak.

Schumer is Mr. Wall Street. He is a power broker, not a leader, and he has the Wall Street money men in his pocket. Washington insiders have shared with Sestak what Schumer has done behind Sestak's back. At one point Sestak met with Schumer. Schumer demanded to place one of Schumer's people as Sestak's campaign manager. Sestak agreed and welcomed the assistance. Then Schumer spelled it out that Schumer expected his guy to have the final say on all campaign decisions. Sestak said, "No, but if we have a disagreement, I'll call you to discuss it." Schumer agreed to Sestak's face, but behind Sestak's back began calling others in Pennsylvania, including Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, to recruit someone to run against Sestak. Schumer promised $4 million in backing. Fitzgerald refused and his staffer called Sestak to give him a heads up. Sestak called Schumer and said "We had an agreement." Schumer replied, our agreement is whatever I say it is now."

Bottom line: No one can be allowed to get by with saying "No" to Schumer. Sestak has done so twice - once in the 2010 Senate race, and now again in 2016. All of D.C. knew that. If Sestak would have won the primary, others would be emboldened to run for Senate without promising total, unthinking, unchallenging allegiance to Schumer.

As one powerful insider explained it to Joe, "At first it was personal because you said no to Schumer. No one ever says no to Schumer. Then, when you were able to raise so much money on your own, and were so far ahead in the polls (16%) of Schumer's hand-picked candidate, it became professional."

Schumer has said that his path to Senate leadership runs through Pennsylvania. Schumer told everyone that he recruited someone to run against Sestak in the primary because Sestak couldn't win. So now Schumer has to pump in as much money as is necessary to make sure that his choice - 3rd way, pro-fracking, censored-for-ethics-violations/censure confirmed by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, funneled millions of dollars in state contracts to her fracking lobbyist husband's employer, Katie McGinty - actually wins. The first 8 people Schumer solicited with his promise of $4 million in backing in the Dem primary, either turned him down flat, or were very quickly exposed as having potential criminal charges/ethical problems of their own. McGinty was his NINTH choice!

Current expectations are that Schumer will have to put $20 million into the Pennsylvania senate race, in addition to the $4 million he's already poured in to fund his Democratic primary choice. Think about that, everyone who has donated to the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee! If you have a candidate running for Senate in your state, give the money directly to them, NOT the Dem. Senate Campaign Committee! That's $25 million going into backing Schumer's very flawed candidate in Pennsylvania, which should have been allocated among all the Dems running for Senate.

They did NOT fuck each other indiscriminately!

Jeffrey Epstein was VERY discriminating in first screening which powerful men (cough/Bill/cough) were invited to fly on his Lolita Express. It was only after these men and the underage teen "masseuses" were on board that the indiscriminate "massaging" began.

Bill Clinton a Frequent Flyer on Pedophile Billionaire's 'Lolita Express'
And Bill was careful enough to bring his 4 secret service agents with him as well! Why should my taxes go to some federal programs like LIHEAP, public defenders or education when there are ex-presidents in need of protection while being "massaged".

According to news reports, the former president took several flights on the jet to the Epstein's island, and at least on one was accompanied by "4 secret service," according to a flight logbook first reported on by Gawker.com.
http://gawker.com/flight-logs-put-clinton-dershowitz-on-pedophile-billio-1681039971

Bill Clinton took repeated trips on the " Lolita Express"—the private passenger jet owned by billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein—with an actress in softcore porn movies whose name appears in Epstein's address book under an entry for "massages," according to flight logbooks obtained by Gawker and published today for the first time. The logs also show that Clinton shared more than a dozen flights with a woman who federal prosecutors believe procured underage girls to sexually service Epstein and his friends and acted as a "potential co-conspirator" in his crimes.

Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 in Florida to one count of soliciting underage girls for sex (and one count of adult solicitation), for which he served just over a year in county jail. But sprawling local, state, and federal investigations into the eccentric investor's habit of paying teen girls for "massages"—sessions during which he would allegedly penetrate girls with sex toys, demand to be masturbated, and have intercourse—turned up a massive network of victims, including 35 female minors whom federal prosecutors believed he'd sexually abused. He has reportedly settled lawsuits from more than 30 "Jane Doe" victims since 2008; the youngest alleged victim was 12 years old at the time of her abuse.

As compared to Bill's 11 trips on the Lolita Express

The taxpayer watchdog group Judicial Watch announced Tuesday that it filed suit for the costs of U.S. Secret Service protection of former President Bill Clinton when he rode on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's private jet, dubbed the "Lolita Express."

The group filed suit after the Department of Homeland Security failed to comply with a prior Freedom of Information Act request from earlier this year.

According to news reports, the former president took several flights on the jet to the Epstein's island, and at least on one was accompanied by "4 secret service," according to a flight logbook first reported on by Gawker.com.

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--8lxTGpfN--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/wvoyfgwzetlpbojxt8l1.jpg



“Flight logs on pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet puts Bill Clinton sharing a ride with a pornstar, as well as a woman who procured underage hookers for the billionaire.”

Bill Clinton has been snared in the Jeffrey Epstein pedophile sex scandal. Flight logs from Epstein’s private jet, dubbed the “Lolita Express,” showed Clinton to be a frequent flyer along with a madame who allegedly hooked up Epstein with underage girls.

Clinton allegedly was on board at least a dozen flights with a woman whom federal prosecutors believe procured underage girls to sexually service Epstein and his friends, according to Gawker, which unearthed the flight logs.

Among other names unearthed in the flight logs are former Treasury Secretary and Harvard president Larry Summers, supermodel Naomi Campbell and scientist Stephen Pinker, according to Gawker.

If Clinton had sexual relations with an underage girl he could face severe penalties, even if the sex act took place outside the United States.

Mid-day report, Penn. primary/2x normal turnout by 12:30

I'm a judge of elections in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania, taking my 1/2 hour break to check in on line.

Our polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. As of 12:30 p.m., (5.5 hours) our voter turnout was more than double the entire, 13 hour day's turnout for our last primary and that goes for both Dems and Reps. Have noticed a significant increase in Democratic, white male voters over previous elections. At this rate, we'll exceed the turnout for the last two general presidential elections.

Are they motivated to turn out to vote for Hillary? Not according to the polls as to which candidate is the favorite of white males.

Lo-o-o-o-o-ng day!

If you're pro-barely-regulated fracking, McGinty's your gal!!!

While she was Rendell's appointed secretary of the state's Department of Environmental Protection,
she awarded millions of dollars of state contracts to corporate employers of her husband (a fracking lobbyist). She was investigated and censured by the state ethics commission, which warned her if she did it again, she would spend 10 years in prison. Her boss, Fast Eddie Rendell, then the governor and now a fracking lobbyist himself, appealed that ruling to the Pennsylvania State Supreme Court. The Court upheld the ruling against Katie McGinty.

My latest email from Senate candidate, retired Admiral/former congressman, Joe Sestak:

Nancy,
There is a lot at stake in this election, including clean water and people's health.

Just recently, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Health Review [/b]discovered that living near a Marcellus shale fracking well may increase pregnant women’s risk of giving birth prematurely:
“Environmental epidemiologist Brian Schwartz analyzed birth data from nearly 11,000 babies in 40 counties in Pennsylvania. He and fellow researchers compared that data with data on nearby fracking wells—there are more than 8,000 in the state. Living in the most active drilling regions was associated with a 40 percent increase in the likelihood of a pre-term birth and a 30 percent increase in the chance that the pregnancy was designated high-risk.” - Johns Hopkins Health Review, Spring/Summer 2016 edition

Nancy, I have been a longtime, consistent supporter of a moratorium on Marcellus shale fracking – until we can prove we can get it right. The EPA is forbidden from examining what they are putting into the ground, and we know that lead is used by frackers.

Despite this and other studies, my primary opponent unfortunately continues to support hydraulic fracking as Pennsylvania's “secret sauce,” and her campaign is partially funded by executives in the fracking industry.


In fact, in Congress I introduced legislation to close the Halliburton Loophole that allows fracking companies to keep secret the chemicals used in fracking fluid.

So when my opponent talks about fracking as Pennsylvania’s “secret sauce,” it reinforces why I am running: to be a leader who is accountable to people above anything else.

There is a lot at stake in this election, Nancy. Please pitch in today to ensure that your next Senator is looking out for you, not special interests, and not the fracking industry.

Warmly,
Joe

The Invisibility of U.S. Oligarchs: The Case of Penny Pritzker

From BBC: "Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy"

2 U.S. professors (Princeton/Northwestern) have conducted exhaustive research/multivariate analysis of 21 years of data to support this conclusion. I think they'll get the Nobel prize for their work. Here's how they explain it:

In Pennsylvania, it's a fight for the soul of the Democratic party.

Here's my last email from Joe Sestak, candidate for Senate in the PA primary. He is a wonderfully ethical, well educated, superbly experienced and unbribeable candidate - quite rare! I knew the 3rd way & state machine dems hated him because he is not a yes man - and I was disgusted to learn that a large part of the corrupt state dem machine's opposition to him comes from the fact that in the last campaign he refused to fork over half a million in "street money", traditionally used in Philadelphia to pay registered Dems to vote. They were notorious for that back in the 90's & the 00's - turns out they are still doing that.

So please take a few minutes to read this to learn about what is going on in PA. Please vote for Joe Sestak in the primary, and if you can spare even $5, you can give on line. Go to joesestak.com

Thank you for your time and consideration.

When I announced our Senate campaign, I said “We are in a fight for the soul of America.” But I believe we are also in a fight for the soul of the Democratic Party.

I do not take being opposed by my party’s D.C. leadership lightly, and last year requested several meetings with key U.S. Senators.
DC was uneasy I had refused to sit down in the 2009/2010 Senate race after Senator Specter switched parties, even though they had initially asked me to run against Specter while he was still a Republican.

A senior Senator made it clear what was at stake for them: “Sestak, whenever I tell you anything, the only answer is to be ‘yes.’”

It may be unnerving to some that almost the entire DC and PA Democratic establishment seem opposed to me, but I understand the political challenge most are under, as one Senator called last week to say, “Joe, I want you to know a lot of us are pulling for you down here.”

So what is really at stake is something different for the Democratic Party than “just say yes” – and it is what is also ailing America. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Philadelphia Inquirer underscored it in their endorsement of me for my “independence… accountability... integrity,” “willingness to put principle above party,” but with “deep understanding of government and foreign policy.”

Similarly, Admiral Vern Clark, the last Chief of Naval Operations I worked for in the U.S. Navy, told The Philadelphia Inquirer about me: “Incredible moral courage, the courage to take the independent stand. When everybody else was saying, ‘This is what we ought to do,’ he would stand up and say, ‘I don't see it that way.’” “He was an incredible officer, the best I've ever seen.”

Which brings us to our “soul” … and DC’s lack of accountability for it.

On the one hand, it may seem small. My 2010 refusal to give half a million dollars in “street money” still remains upsetting to certain PA Democratic politicians. But I had seen as I flew into Afghanistan with someone who had millions in cash to buy “loyalty” from the tribes, that even this more serious “street money” doesn’t buy loyalty or accountability; nor would there have been any for those who contributed to me here at home.
Bigger yet, millions of dollars have been given to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and other outside interest groups for it to be used to defeat Republicans. Now, because of the personal direction/whim of one Senator, with no discussion or concurrence of the Democratic donors, $4 million of it is being used at his sole, unaccountable discretion against me, a fellow Democrat – and not Pat Toomey or Donald Trump.

I am now out-funded by more money from my party than the first year of Citizens United when I ran against Pat Toomey and came within 2 percent – yet, I am still leading in today’s polls.

But the real issue is that our DC party leaders, in having become power brokers instead of leaders, have permitted the corruption of our purpose, our mission.

DC Democratic money is now used without asking donors whether it can be contrary to the original purpose of the contribution: not against Republicans, but against another Democrat…and in support of the DC-chosen candidate (their 7th choice to run against me) who got 8% of the vote in the race for governor.

Trust is the biggest deficit in America today; sadly, we have permitted it to erode our Democratic soul. Help me begin to restore that trust by supporting my willingness to put “principle” first…and win. Please contribute $25, $40, $60, $125, $200, or whatever you will – to have a warrior for integrity in service for you.

Warmly,
Joe Sestak

Pope Francis’ Popularity Bridges Great Divides

He may be the world’s foremost Catholic, but to his fans, Pope Francis is more the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. than Pope Benedict XVI. He speaks, and millions listen — whether they are Muslim or Baptist, Hindu or atheist. “I believe he’s a world leader more than a religious leader,” said Sasha Datta, a practicing Hindu who was planning to try to see Francis in Washington. “His openness, his ability to not shy away from real issues — I see a lot of hope when I see people like Pope Francis.”

Two years after his papacy began, Francis — the pontiff with the common touch and the tolerant embrace — is a lodestar to both the spiritual and secular worlds, a global celebrity to those who admire his warmth and a rudder to those who share his concerns about climate change, social justice, poverty and more.

The breadth of his appeal can be traced, in part, to the role he has carved out as a champion of causes beyond the scope of church doctrine. A New York Times/CBS News poll conducted in early September found that 45 percent of respondents saw Francis more as a leader and humanitarian spokesman for all people, regardless of their religion, than as simply the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

A Pew Research Center poll in February found that his approval rating among white mainline Protestants was 74 percent. Among those with no religious affiliation, it was 68 percent.[/div

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/24/us/pope-francis-popularity-bridges-great-divides.html?_r=0