The internet is buzzing with speculation that former Vice President Joe Biden will soon announce his presidential candidacy and tap rising Democratic star Stacey Abrams to be his running mate, as suggested by a CNN report earlier this week and stated a bit more explicitly in an Axios story Thursday. Jonathan Chait at New York Magazine thinks it’s a “brilliant idea.” Eric Lutz at Vanity Fair thinks the ticket could “save Biden from himself.” But there are a few things curiously missing from the mix, namely Abrams herself and what she thinks of this plan—and, more importantly, what she thinks of Biden.
Abrams’ historic but unsuccessful gubernatorial run in Georgia last year overlapped with the rise of the #MeToo movement, and when asked in a recent interview with Marie Claire if she had her own story to share, Abrams pointed to Anita Hill. She explained how formative it was to watch Hill be grilled about sexual harassment by an all-white male panel of senators, led by the one and only Joe Biden, then the senator from Delaware and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
“I remember the Anita Hill hearings vividly, watching those men in power deny her humanity,” Abrams told the magazine. “So to see women in this moment—especially in light of who occupies the White House—refuse to be dissuaded from demanding their equality, agency, and equity is a testament to the resilience we possess.”
NEW: @BernieSanders will not attend AIPAC conference. Policy director @joshorton tells @CNN: “Sen. Sanders has no plans to attend the AIPAC conference. He’s concerned about the platform AIPAC is providing for leaders who have expressed bigotry and oppose a two-state solution.”
After an effort led by progressive grassroots group MoveOn, at least 6 Democratic presidential candidates have said that they weren’t going to be attending this year’s AIPAC conference. They include former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, South Bend, IN, mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sens. Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders.
This is not the first time Sanders, who would be the first Jewish president in American history if he’s elected, has pointedly skipped an AIPAC conference. In 2016, while running for president and campaigning in Utah while the annual conference was going on, Sanders gave a speech markedly critical of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli settlements.
For others, however, this is a complete 180. Back in 2017, Harris gave a nearly 20-minute address at the conference, in which Harris said she said that “America’s support for Israel’s security must be rock solid,” and called for the U.S. to “stand with Israel” against both Iran and Hamas. “I am fully committing to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge,” she said. Last year, The Intercept reported that Harris appeared at the conference again, in an off-the-record breakout session for students.
O’Rourke, too, seems to be going on something of a sudden journey. He was friendly with AIPAC as recently as last year, during his run for Senate in Texas. But this week, he denounced Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying he has “openly sided with racists.”
enator Bernie Sanders continues to build out his Iowa Caucus team, one that will likely end up as one of the largest of the 2020 field. The campaign tells Starting Line that they have hired Michael Fasullo to serve as their Iowa field director and Tony Anthony as the deputy caucus director.
It’s a second round in the Iowa Caucus for Anthony, who filled the same role in Sanders’ 2016 Iowa team. In the time since, he ran DC Attorney General Karl Racine’s reelection race and managed Paul Pelletier’s congressional run in Virginia’s 10th District.
Fasullo also has some Iowa organizing experience on his resume, coming off of Cathy Glasson’s gubernatorial campaign here in 2018. Glasson’s former campaign manager, Misty Rebik, is Sanders’ new state director. Fasullo previously organized nursing home and hospital workers for SEIU, and ran Carlos Ramirez-Rosa’s Chicago city council race, as well as a Pennsylvania state house race that flipped a red district.
The two new hires continue a trend for Sanders of building a team with deep experience in organizing progressive communities for left-leaning campaigns. His Iowa operation pulls heavily from three major sources: his 2016 team, the Glasson campaign, and the progressive Iowa issue organization Citizens for Community Improvement.
As previously announced, Pete D’Alessandro has returned as a senior adviser; Evan Burger, who ran Sanders’ Iowa advance planning and worked at CCI, is the state caucus director; Jess Mazour, a former CCI organizer, is the political director. CCI endorsed Glasson in the 2018 primary, and their political arm helped organize for her. Glasson ended up with a second-place 21% finish to the eventual nominee Fred Hubbell.
Fasullo and Anthony will have their hands full with reactivating the extensive Sanders volunteer base. By far the biggest advantage that Sanders begins his Iowa run this time around is the massive volunteer infrastructure that remains from the 2016 cycle.
Leu2500
Just a reminder: phone in component to the caucus this time. No more worrying about weather, class schedule, work schedule, childcare, etc.
This Decision vacates 82 positions that Walker filled during the Dec lame duck session. Evers will have to act fast to fill them as he should have been allowed to do by winning the election. He also used this ruling to exit from the R’s Obamacare lawsuit. The judge did rule that the R’s used an illegal floor session when they rammed these laws and appointment’s thru. The R’s are going to appeal ASAP. The Vos -Fitzgerald cabal are not happy right now. They also rejected completely Evers first budget proposal for the 19-21 biennium budget before this ruling came down.
WASHINGTON — Israel’s three largest banks — Hapoalim Bank, Leumi Bank and Mizrahi Tefahot Bank — have all been ordered to pay record fines, which collectively are set to total over $1 billion, to the U.S. government after the banks were found to have actively colluded with thousands of wealthy Americans in massive tax-evasion schemes.
The scandal, though it has been reported on in Israeli media, has garnered little attention in the United States. The media black-out has been so surprising it was even directly mentioned by the Times of Israel, given that similar revelations about other banks and offshore tax-evasion schemes — such as those contained within the Panama Papers — led to global protests and even the resignations of some world leaders.
This week a Vox writer falsely claimed that @briebriejoy, Bernie Sanders' new press secretary, "thought the DNC and Clinton campaign hacks were an inside job." He ultimately retracted, but compare the reach of his retraction (20 retweets) to the viral spread of his false claim: pic.twitter.com/qkYBuuhmZh
Dovere: one source. Bragman: two sources, plus Dovere's original source, stating explicity that Dovere got the timeline wrong and that Sirota's opinion writing didn't overlap with his campaign job. "Facts" McKee: PROVE IT!!1!
Maryland lawmakers OK’d a bill on Wednesday that would increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The state’s Senate and House of Delegates, both controlled by Democrats, approved the Fight for 15 bill with enough votes to override a potential veto from Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican who opposes the proposed increase.
The legislation going to Hogan’s desk would raise the minimum wage from the current $10.10 per hour to $15 by 2025 for companies with 15 or more workers. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.
“People who are making at, or just around, the minimum wage don’t tend to put their earnings into long-term investments,” Sen. Delores Kelley (D) told The Baltimore Sun. “They spend that money on a daily basis. They spend it as quickly as they get it.”
This is a good thing but realistically, with inflation, $15 is going to be today’s rate at 10.10. And that’s still not enough to live in Maryland.
IIRC, if minimum wage had kept up with inflation the current minimum would be over $20/hr. While it is commendable that states are enacting fairer wages, it will not significantly address economic problems until the cost of medical care, child care and housing are brought into line.
Leu2500
But we’re disproving hillary’s “$15 is too much, can only do $12” AND we’re disproving that it costs jobs.
Every time there is a discussion about increasing the minimum wage that old argument of costing jobs comes up, even when it is only a 50 cent increase. The elite really need some new excuses.
The current increases are still half measures. There is a time table to get to $15 by which time inflation will require closer to $25. At some point, it will be what does it mean to make $100/hr if you still cannot afford the basic necessities. That is why I brought up the need to address the other issues that effect having an acceptable standard of living.
The theory that HRC really exists is still under consideration, much like alien spaceships.
The employees have sent an open letter to both the CEO and the president/chief legal officer of Microsoft. Here are some highlights:
■ “We are alarmed that Microsoft is working to provide weapons technology to the U.S. Military, helping one country’s government ‘increase lethality’ using tools we built. We did not sign up to develop weapons, and we demand a say in how our work is used.”
■ “In November, Microsoft was awarded the $479 million Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) contract with the United States Department of the Army. The contract’s stated objective is to ‘rapidly develop, test, and manufacture a single platform that Soldiers can use to Fight, Rehearse, and Train that provides increased lethality, mobility, and situational awareness necessary to achieve overmatch against our current and future adversaries.'”
■ “While the company has previously licensed tech to the U.S. Military, it has never crossed the line into weapons development. With this contract, it does. The application of HoloLens within the IVAS system is designed to help people kill. It will be deployed on the battlefield, and works by turning warfare into a simulated ‘video game,’ further distancing soldiers from the grim stakes of war and the reality of bloodshed.”
■ “Intent to harm is not an acceptable use of our technology. We demand that Microsoft: 1) Cancel the IVAS contract; 2) Cease developing any and all weapons technologies, and draft a public-facing acceptable use policy clarifying this commitment; 3) Appoint an independent, external ethics review board with the power to enforce and publicly validate compliance with its acceptable use policy.”
■ “. . . As employees and shareholders we do not want to become war profiteers. To that end, we believe that Microsoft must stop in its activities to empower the U.S. Army’s ability to cause harm and violence.”
This is what has to happen. And then people in the aerospace industry will likely have to take a pay cut if we’re really going to start walking out of our permanent war basis.
For sure. But the workers could start by moving into renewable jobs, for instance. I still want the workers to also exit, hopefully to something they can use their skills in.
The GND would help a lot. When people are dying in agony under bombs, I believe an employee does have to ask what he or she is doing.
This month, Eli Lilly and Company announced with some fanfare that it was manufacturing a generic version of its own best-selling insulin brand, Humalog, which it would sell for half off — $137.50 versus $275.
David Ricks, the chief executive of Lilly, said the company was making this seemingly beneficent gesture because “many patients are struggling to afford their insulin.”
But they’re struggling, in large part, because Lilly has raised the price of Humalog from $35 to $275 a vial since 2001. Other insulin makers have raised prices similarly.
In Germany, the list price of a vial of Humalog is about $55 — or $45 if you buy five at a time — and that includes some taxes and markup fees. Why not just reduce the price in the United States to address said suffering?
But they might well keep these two thoughts in mind: If the product being sold was electricity or gas for your car, a price rise of more than 600 percent over 15 years would be regarded as price gouging and wouldn’t be tolerated. And in Germany and many other developed countries, there is no need for a $137.50 vial of “authorized generic” for Humalog. At around $50 a vial, Humalog as Humalog costs far less
I was unfortunate enough to be standing outside the Old Senate Chamber watching VP Joe Biden as he swore Heidi Heitkamp in, and said to her: "Spread your legs, you're going to be frisked."
Everyone watching just looked at each other, like, jfc, what is with this guy
This is WRONG, Ryan! The video clearly shows that @JoeBiden was NOT directing that comment to her, and that it was in response to the photog asking HER HUSBAND to drop his hands to his side.
Not the smartest joke, but an innocent one that should not be misrepresented!
I do not like Joe “Anita Hill” Biden, but we need to make sure that our criticisms of him are valid. There is a LOT of fodder in his record to chew on.
There is another C-Span video that purports to show Biden touching the “breast” of a young girl (looks to be about 10), but on careful watching, the video has obviously been photoshopped. I expect that one to show up shortly. His touchy-feelie privileges are creepy enough without the additions.
wpDiscuz
Tip jar for the ususal suspects…esp AOC!
https://twitter.com/WendyYRN/status/1108783362754273280
Would she even accept Biden’s offer?
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/03/joe-biden-stacey-abrams-vice-president-rumors-anita-hill/
Boy the bile rose in my throat–hope Abrams see’s this for what it is.
M2. Will be very happy to be wrong.
Oh I think so. Rigging is in the air.
https://splinternews.com/2020-democrats-are-staying-far-away-from-aipacs-big-con-1833470362
All part of the the talk progressive walk centrist playbook. Not going this year. Wink wink.
Bernie Sanders Expands His Iowa Caucus Team
Just a reminder: phone in component to the caucus this time. No more worrying about weather, class schedule, work schedule, childcare, etc.
This Decision vacates 82 positions that Walker filled during the Dec lame duck session. Evers will have to act fast to fill them as he should have been allowed to do by winning the election. He also used this ruling to exit from the R’s Obamacare lawsuit. The judge did rule that the R’s used an illegal floor session when they rammed these laws and appointment’s thru. The R’s are going to appeal ASAP. The Vos -Fitzgerald cabal are not happy right now. They also rejected completely Evers first budget proposal for the 19-21 biennium budget before this ruling came down.
Here’s to a turn around!
Should the DOJ be reprimanded for anti-Semitism?
Media Blackout as Israel’s Largest Banks Pay Over $1 Billion in Fines for US Tax Evasion Schemes
Maryland General Assembly Approves Bill For $15 Minimum Wage By 2025
This is a good thing but realistically, with inflation, $15 is going to be today’s rate at 10.10. And that’s still not enough to live in Maryland.
IIRC, if minimum wage had kept up with inflation the current minimum would be over $20/hr. While it is commendable that states are enacting fairer wages, it will not significantly address economic problems until the cost of medical care, child care and housing are brought into line.
But we’re disproving hillary’s “$15 is too much, can only do $12” AND we’re disproving that it costs jobs.
Every time there is a discussion about increasing the minimum wage that old argument of costing jobs comes up, even when it is only a 50 cent increase. The elite really need some new excuses.
The current increases are still half measures. There is a time table to get to $15 by which time inflation will require closer to $25. At some point, it will be what does it mean to make $100/hr if you still cannot afford the basic necessities. That is why I brought up the need to address the other issues that effect having an acceptable standard of living.
The theory that HRC really exists is still under consideration, much like alien spaceships.
https://twitter.com/MikeGravel/status/1108782403781304320?s=19
From my email:
Subject: Microsoft Employees Refuse War Work
Message: Microsoft employees are refusing weapons contracts. Support them! https://act.rootsaction.org/p/dia/action4/common/public/?action_KEY=13620
This is what has to happen. And then people in the aerospace industry will likely have to take a pay cut if we’re really going to start walking out of our permanent war basis.
Not the workers…the CEOs, CFOs, etc. need a pay cut. The workers just need to be re-purposed (my word of the day).
For sure. But the workers could start by moving into renewable jobs, for instance. I still want the workers to also exit, hopefully to something they can use their skills in.
The GND would help a lot. When people are dying in agony under bombs, I believe an employee does have to ask what he or she is doing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/opinion/diabetes-insulin-generics-humalog.html
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https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
I do not like Joe “Anita Hill” Biden, but we need to make sure that our criticisms of him are valid. There is a LOT of fodder in his record to chew on.
There is another C-Span video that purports to show Biden touching the “breast” of a young girl (looks to be about 10), but on careful watching, the video has obviously been photoshopped. I expect that one to show up shortly. His touchy-feelie privileges are creepy enough without the additions.
Thanks!
Looks like it will be an interesting debate season *cough*: