Establishment vs Bernie by Nancy OhanianI would love to know the motivations behind the decisions of who went where but unless someone tells, it's a waste of time to speculate. The DNC insists it was all random. You believe them? The women candidates are equally divided and the African-American candidates are as well. But it's the political motivations I'd rather see.
In 2008, just as Biden was about the launch another of his 5 or 6 aborted presidential runs, the Texas Monthly asked him-- on video tape (above)-- where he stands on abortion. First words out of his mouth: "It's going to be very difficult [for him as a slimy politician]. I do not view abortion as a choice and a right... I think we should be focussing on how to limit the number of abortions." That's always been his position and that is still his position. "I'm a bit of an odd man out in my party. I do not vote for funding for abortion.
The 10 most recent polls that measured the public's feelings about voting for Congress next year all came up with the same conclusion-- that the Democrats have this one. The polling average is about 6 points in the Democrats' favor with a Morning Consult poll from this week showing the Democrats ahead by 12 points, enough the flip the 50 seats we're looking for.
There's another primary going on-- for who will dominate the conservative lane in the Democratic primary. In the end, there aren't going to be 24 candidates-- probably just 3: a progressive (Bernie, maybe Elizabeth Warren), an identity politics candidate (likely Kamala Harris) and a conservative/establishment/status quo candidate (likely Biden). But entitled multimillionaires John Delaney and John Frackenlooper aren't giving up.
A few weeks ago a media outlet in London used a few seconds of an interview I did with Paul Simenon of The Clash and I got a $260 or so royalty payment. I donated it to the Bernie Sanders campaign. It makes me sad that Beto's not running for the Texas Senate seat in 2020. If he changes his mind and does I'll send him the same amount.
Norman Solomon wrote a friendly open letter to Status Quo Joe yesterday, published by Common Dreams: Why an "Apology Tour" Is Needed. Addressing Biden directly, he wrote that "News outlets are reporting that you’re determined to prevent your campaign from turning into an 'apology tour' this summer.
Before the much anticipated speech from Bernie on how Democratic Socialism is the way-- probably the only way-- to defeat oligarchy, Oregon Republican Greg Walden ran to Fox to warn Republican voters that Bernie's policies would be disastrous. "When government takes things over," he wrote, "it seldom gets less expensive or more efficient. And there’s going to be an enormous bill for taxpayers. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, as we know.
The Hill headline yesterday, Biden World Shell-Shocked Amid Hyde Furor, exposes the giant crack in the Biden dam, as we mentioned, happily, on Thursday. Biden's being beaten up on the right, on the left and in the center.
God forbidYesterday, we took a look at the potential of Democratic primary voters making the fatal error of nominating an anti-Choice corporate conservative to go up against Trump. Wetalked mostly about Biden's decades-long support for the hideously discriminatory Hyde Amendment.
