pa28

pa28's Journal

February 5, 2016

Hillary denounced MoveOn at a private fundraiser but told a very different story in public.

Maybe this is why her high dollar donor class feels so comfortable when she employs populist rhetoric when speaking to the rest of us. It's just rhetoric.

Here's what she said about MoveOn at a private fundraiser in 2008 (that wasn't quite as private as she might have hoped).

I don't agree with them. They know I don't agree with them. So they flood into these caucuses and dominate them and really intimidate people who show up there to support me.

Here's what she told MoveOn during a public conference call.

You've been refusing to back down when any of us who are in political leadership are not living up the standards that we should set for ourselves. I think you have helped to change the face of American politics for the better - both online and in the corridors of power.

January 22, 2016

Here is one positive change both Sanders and Clinton can deliver even WITH a Republican congress.

Promise not to appoint "exit bonus" recipients to high level administration positions. Not familiar with exit bonuses? Here is a short article explaining the concept.

The Reverse Revolving Door: How Corporate Insiders Are Rewarded Upon Leaving Firms

In February of this year, news broke that Treasury Secretary Jack Lew received an exit package worth over $1 million from Citigroup shortly before joining the Obama administration in 2009. In fact Lew’s contract with Citigroup made explicitly clear that the banker’s eligibility for a special bonus was contingent on his securing a “full time high level position with the U.S. government or regulatory body.”

http://www.thenation.com/article/reverse-revolving-door-how-corporate-insiders-are-rewarded-upon-leaving-firms-congres/

And that's not all. Jack Lew and USTR Michael Froman each received multi-million dollar exit bonuses contingent on taking high level administration jobs.

Who are they working for exactly? By promising not to hire exit bonus recipients the next president can take a concrete, real world step toward ending the excessive influence of banks and corporations on policy.

Isn't that something both sides can get behind?

January 11, 2016

Sanders to launch campaign tour of historically black colleges and universities.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/265457-sanders-launching-hbcu-tour

As the Democratic presidential race tightens in Iowa and New Hampshire, Sanders is turning to the states that follow, including South Carolina, where he trails former secretary of State Hillary Clinton among the significant voting bloc of African Americans.

Sanders will kick-off his “Feel the Bern” tour at South Carolina State University in conjunction with Benedict College in the early-voting state.

Bernie is asking African American voters for a second look and some real in-depth talk about the issues. His strategy seems to be getting to know people one at time and creating a political base. That's how he wins.

January 6, 2016

Trans Canada to file $15 Billion NAFTA claim against US for Keystone XL rejection.

http://www.transcanada.com/news-releases-article.html?id=2014960&t=

CALGARY, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Jan. 6, 2016) - TransCanada Corporation (TSX:TRP) (NYSE:TRP) (TransCanada) announced today it has filed a Notice of Intent to initiate a claim under Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in response to the U.S. Administration's decision to deny a Presidential Permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline on the basis that the denial was arbitrary and unjustified.

This is how agreements like NAFTA and TPP can force Americans to pay foreign corporations for our own environmental laws and policies. Remember, TPP is just days away from it's vote under the fast track law and NOBODY in the media is talking about it.

UPDATE: Sorry misread the original press release. It's a $15 Billion claim. Not 2.9 billion.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/transcanada-files-lawsuit-over-keystone-pipeline-rejection/article28038526/

November 14, 2015

Former Citi CEO admits: Big bank model doesn't work. Repeal of Glass-Steagall was wrong.

Former Citigroup CEO: Big banks don't work
http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/12/investing/citigroup-john-reed-glass-steagall/

In an op-ed published in the Financial Times, John Reed says large banks like the one he used to run are now "inherently unstable and unworkable."

The man who was one of the chief architects of the "Big Bank" model now says the United States never should have repealed the Glass-Steagall banking act in 1999.

That's exactly what Democratic presidential hopefuls Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley have been arguing on the campaign trail. They want the law reinstated. Hillary Clinton and the Republican candidates do not.

Here is more from the complete OP-ED which can be seen here.

As I have reflected about the years since 1999, I think the lessons of Glass-Steagall and its repeal suggest that the universal banking model is inherently unstable and unworkable. No amount of restructuring, management change or regulation is ever likely to change that.

Breaking up the big banks by reinstating Glass-Steagall or something close to it is not a right/left issue. It is simply good public policy for those living outside of Wall Street. It's supported across the political spectrum from left wing economist Joseph Stigletz to right wing opinion magazines like the Weekly Standard.

Why is it framed in some political circles as a pet issue of the radical left that doesn't really matter?

November 5, 2015

In '08 Hillary advocated stronger urban gun laws and locally weaker laws in rural areas.

In 2016 she now claims that position means you have a "black problem". A charge apparently directed at Bernie Sanders but almost exactly her own position during the 2008 campaign.

Here is Clinton at the April 16 2008 debate:

SENATOR CLINTON: What I favor is what works in New York. You know, we have a set of rules in New York City and we have a totally different set of rules in the rest of the state. What might work in New York City is certainly not going to work in Montana. So, for the federal government to be having any kind of, you know, blanket rules that they're going to try to impose, I think doesn't make sense.

Transcript link

Video, skip to approximately 8:00

?t=8m

October 30, 2015

Hillary is open to raising the retirement age? Retirement is for losers anyway.

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/say-it-aint-so-hillary-clinton-youre-open-idea-raising-retirement-age

Sheesh. What a freeloader!

October 14, 2015

Prosecution of Corporate Crime Has Plummeted Under Obama Administration: Report

Nope. Didn't see it! Analysis released by Syracuse University yesterday shows prosecution of corporate criminal activity sinking by 29% in the last ten years. Read the whole report here.

The analysis by Syracuse University finds that the government’s criminal prosecution of corporations has dropped 29 percent in the past decade -- particularly remarkable as the decline not only followed headline-grabbing scandals at financial, accounting and energy firms but also occurred even as the number of corporate crime cases referred to prosecutors has increased.

....................

In 1999, the Clinton administration’s deputy attorney general Eric Holder issued a memo telling federal prosecutors that when they contemplate whether to issue charges against corporations, they should consider “collateral consequences, including disproportionate harm to shareholders and employees not proven personally culpable.” That message was amplified by the Bush administration’s Deputy Attorney General Mark Filip, whose 2008 directive to federal prosecutors told them to "take into account the possible substantial consequences to a corporation's employees, investors, pensioners and customers.”

With Obama administration officials echoing the same themes -- and with critics calling the concept “too big to jail” -- prosecutions plummeted: Syracuse researchers found that there were almost 22 percent fewer corporate prosecutions in the five years after the Filip memo than in the five years before.

http://www.ibtimes.com/political-capital/prosecution-corporate-crime-has-plummeted-under-obama-administration-report

For some additional background on Eric Holder's philosophy on white-collar justice:

Eric Holder Admits Some Banks Are Just Too Big To Prosecute
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/06/eric-holder-banks-too-big_n_2821741.html

And the point of all this?

Holder returns to law firm that lobbies for big banks. 7-8 figure compensation
https://theintercept.com/2015/07/06/eric-holder-returns-law-firm-lobbies-big-banks/

September 12, 2015

First they ignore you . . . socialist Corbyn dominates centrist neolibs in UK leadership election.

Jeremy Corbyn is somewhat crusty guy given to wrinkled up old shirts and neglected hair who walks to work by himself. Sound familiar?

Despite beating his three Westminster establishment opponents with a whopping majority of 59% of rank and file Labour membership he only made the ballot because several MP's agreed to add his name to the ballot to "expand the debate". One of these MP's called herself a "moron" for doing so.

Some admitted nominating Mr Corbyn to ensure the contest represented the full spectrum of voices in the party and hoped members would dismiss the crazy views of the left in favour of a more mainstream candidate.

Then they laugh at you . . .

JEREMY CORBYN’S A ‘LAUGHING STOCK’
Have his rivals dreams come true?

Here’s Corbyn as his Labour rivals might like to see him — safely under lock and key.
The grinning leftie was snapped in the stocks for his local paper in 1994.

http://www.sunnation.co.uk/jeremy-corbyns-a-laughing-stock/

Then they fight you . . .

Jeremy Corbyn poses national security threat, says George Osborne

“For the new unilateralists of British politics are a threat to our future national security and to our economic security. We’re going to take on their dangerous arguments and defeat them.”

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/aug/31/jeremy-corbyn-poses-national-security-threat-george-osborne

Tony Blair: Jeremy Corbyn’s politics are fantasy – just like Alice in Wonderland

There is a politics of parallel reality going on, in which reason is an irritation, evidence a distraction, emotional impact is king and the only thing that counts is feeling good about it all.
..............................................

The explanation for this parallel reality is something to do with people feeling empowered by their ability through it, to “fight back” against “the system”, the traditional ways of thinking about politics with all its compromises, hard decisions and gradual increments. It is the clarity of full-throated opposition versus the chin-stroking nuance of: “What would we do if we were in government?”

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/29/tony-blair-labour-leadership-jeremy-corbyn

SIDE NOTE: Jeremy Corbyn wants Tony Blair to be tried for war crimes. They aren't buddies.

Fury as Jeremy Corbyn backs extremist Muslim charity that supported Jihadi John

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/603319/Fury-at-Jeremy-Corbyn-backing-for-extremist-Muslim-charity

Jewish Labour MP Slams Jeremy Corbyn for anti-Semitic’ Ties

National Post View: The spectre of anti-Semitism

Corbyn has endorsed terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, and has lent his support to Dyab Abou Jahjah, founder of the Arab European League, which promotes Holocaust denial and obscenely anti-Semitic cartoons on its website. Corbyn’s support is strongest amongst youth who have no memory of the Holocaust and who have grown up in an environment in which constant condemnation of Israel by leftists is the norm.

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/national-post-view-the-spectre-of-anti-semitism

And then you win . . .

August 3, 2015

Hillary and Bernie are both holding events in Portland this week.

If you happen to live in the Portland area I've included the details for both FYI.

Bernie Sanders

TIME: Sunday, August 9, 2015 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM PDT

LOCATION: Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, OR)
300 N Winning Way
Portland, OR 97227

HOST: Bernie Sanders

RSVP: Click the link or visit https://go.berniesanders.com/page/event/detail/rally/4jgdq
The venue has a capacity of nearly 13,000 and the campaign is claiming 9,000 have already RSVP'd so hurry!

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION: Economic and social injustice, income equality and the corrosive influence of money in politics.

COST: Free. However, I'm sure donations will be welcome.

Hillary Clinton

TIME: Aug. 5th, 2015

LOCATION: The Dunthorpe home of Win McCormack and Carol Butler

GUEST: Hillary Clinton

RSVP: Hillary for America

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION: Things of vital interest to $2700 per place donors.

COST: $2700 per place.

Have fun. Be sure to let us know which one you attended.

Profile Information

Gender: Male
Hometown: Sisters, Oregon
Member since: 2003 before July 6th
Number of posts: 6,145

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