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I extend my hand . . .
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______________UPDATE_______________
Yesterday's fish, doing yesterday's politics yesterday's way. It lingers, like the odor of yesterday's fish.
The Intercept, April 26, 2018:
Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives, has for years been a prolific campaigner on behalf of current and potential members of Congress. It was no surprise, then, that December found him in Colorado, where the party has hopes of knocking off Republican incumbent Mike Coffman.
Before Donald Trump had even been inaugurated, local resistance groups began deluging Coffman’s public appearances, pressing him not to repeal the Affordable Care Act, and putting him back on his political heels. Levi Tillemann, an author, inventor, and former official with the Obama administration’s Energy Department, moved back home to make a run against Coffman.
He focused his campaign on clean elections, combatting climate change, “Medicare for All,” free community college, and confronting economic inequality and monopoly power. Another candidate for the nomination, Jason Crow, a corporate lawyer at the powerhouse Colorado firm Holland & Hart and an Army veteran, meanwhile, appeared to have the backing of the Democratic establishment, though it wasn’t explicit. In November, it became clearer, as Crow was named by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to the party’s “Red to Blue” list, which the committee specifies is not an endorsement but does carry symbolic weight.
With Hoyer in Denver, Tillemann met the minority whip at the Hilton Denver Downtown to make the case that the party should stay neutral in the primary and that he had a more plausible path to victory than the same centrism that Coffman had already beaten repeatedly.
Hoyer, however, had his own message he wanted to convey: Tillemann should drop out.
In a frank and wide-ranging conversation, Hoyer laid down the law for Tillemann. The decision, Tillemann was told, had been made long ago. It wasn’t personal, Hoyer insisted, and there was nothing uniquely unfair being done to Tillemann, he explained: This is how the party does it everywhere.
Tillemann had heard the argument before from D.C. insiders and local Democratic bigwigs, all of whom had discouraged him from challenging the establishment favorite. The only difference was that for this conversation, the candidate had his phone set to record.
The secretly taped audio recording, released here for the first time, reveals how senior Democratic officials have worked to crush competitive primaries and steer political resources, money, and other support to hand-picked candidates in key races across the country, long before the party publicly announces a preference. The invisible assistance boosts the preferred candidate in fundraising and endorsements, and then that fundraising success and those endorsements are used to justify national party support. Meanwhile, opponents of the party’s unspoken pick are driven into paranoia, wondering if they are merely imagining that unseen hands are working against them.
Hoyer bluntly told Tillemann that it wasn’t his imagination, and that mobilizing support for one Democratic candidate over another in a primary isn’t unusual. Rep. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., chair of the DCCC, has a “policy that early on, we’d try to agree on a candidate who we thought could win the general and give the candidate all the help we could give them,” Hoyer told Tillemann matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, I’m for Crow,” Hoyer explained. “I am for Crow because a judgment was made very early on. I didn’t know Crow. I didn’t participate in the decision. But a decision was made early on by the Colorado delegation,” he said, referencing the three House Democrats elected from Colorado.
“So your position is, a decision was made very early on before voters had a say, and that’s fine because the DCCC knows better than the voters of the 6th Congressional District, and we should line up behind that candidate,” asked Tillemann during the conversation.
“That’s certainly a consequence of our decision,” responded Hoyer.
A decision has been made, DCCC-wise, so fuck the opinion of voters. Steny, Steny, Steny. Getting taped being rude.
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Images of a tool used to enforce a consensus. Why this came to mind is unclear to me.
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The Intercept item contains much more of interest to voters who treasure democracy in fact rather than in rhetoric only, ending:
Hoyer has for years been a mainstay of House Democratic leadership, tantalizingly close to the speakership. Soon after being elected to Congress in 1981, he became a protégé of then-Rep. Tony Coelho, D-Calif., a business-friendly lawmaker who had just become chair of the DCCC. Coelho famously transformed the DCCC into the big-money operation it is today, rebuking the Democratic Party’s longstanding alliance with labor unions and activists in favor of raising millions of dollars from corporate lobbyists.
Under Coelho, one DCCC brochure assured donors “courteous and direct access to” Democratic lawmakers. The DCCC encouraged candidates to focus on raising cash from corporate PACs and building relationships with business executives as the easiest path to office. Coelho resigned in 1989 following an ethics scandal, but not before giving a boost to Hoyer, his lieutenant who was quickly rising through the ranks of leadership.
Hoyer, exploiting his own role as the caucus point person for K Street, won the election as House Democratic whip in 2002. According to reports in Roll Call and the Washington Post, Hoyer regularly invites corporate lobbyists for weekly lunches with the caucus and helps to headline private donor retreats for the party. During the 2006 midterms, he worked closely with the DCCC to raise prodigious sums of corporate PAC cash for party election efforts, further cementing his role as a power player in the party.
For the 2018 midterm cycle, the party has not only courted moderate Democrats and formed a renewed partnership with the conservative Blue Dog caucus for candidate recruitment, but has discouraged candidates from embracing populist ideas, such as single-payer health care.
For Tillemann, however, the party’s closeness with the corporate elite is the very reason why the DCCC continues to lose general elections.
“They squash progressive candidates. They destroy the diversity of ideas in their caucus. They keep ideas like ‘Medicare for All,’ free community college, or impeaching Donald Trump from having a significant role in the national conversation,” says Tillemann. “The issues that resonate most with voters are not the issues that the DCCC is telling candidates to focus on.”
Is he worried that even if he is successful in his campaign, that he’s already betrayed one of the most powerful Democrats, making him an outsider as soon as he arrives in Washington?
“To a certain extent, people like Elizabeth Warren and people like Bernie Sanders have been ostracized by the party, and they have been marginalized by the establishment to the extent that is possible,” says Tillemann. “But the fact of the matter is that the people are crying out for genuine leaders, and the people are crying out for a solution to inequality and systemic injustice, and to the extent that I am fighting for those solutions, then I think there will be a powerful constituency for that.”
“I’m proud to be on the side of truth,” he added. “I’m proud to be on the right side of democracy, and I’m proud to be on the right side of free and fair elections.”
So, the difference between Hoyer and a bag of dirt? We all know that old one, but if the shoe fits, Hoyer wears it.
LAST: Common Dreams sees little to like in Hoyer - AIPAC kissing up. A KOS writer says, "a jackass," but that judgment arguably shows too much kindness, by questioning only conduct apart from motivation.
________________FURTHER UPDATE________________
Arguably, an earlier KOS writer headlined things better, in a must-read, see also the truthout.org publishing of a full Democracy Now! interview with the candidate Hoyer pressured to drop out of the Colorado primary in deference to the DCCC anointed corporate lawyer, as linked to in the KOS item.
Worth a look about DCCC decision making, this Politico item, ending:
“I don’t know that a person can tape a person without the person’s consent and then release it to the press. That’s what I’m more concerned about,” Pelosi said.
But Colorado law doesn’t require both parties to consent to a recording.
Progressives are already fundraising off of The Intercept’s report.
The Progressive Change Campaign Committee sent an email Thursday morning encouraging donors to give to Tillemann and two liberal candidates in Nebraska and Pennsylvania the group says have been targeted by the DCCC.
PCCC and Democracy for America, a progressive PAC, later called on Hoyer to resign from Democratic leadership.
“Steny Hoyer and his corporate cronies already lost,” PCCC co-founder Stephanie Taylor said in a statement. “They don’t represent the future, and it’s time for them to step aside and make room for a new generation of leadership — one that inspires and motivates the base instead of depressing it.”
That Taylor statement is another way of saying "Yesterday's fish."
Next; a video. At seven and a half minutes, this video - Pelosi, "... if the Capitol were to crumble ...". At ten and a half minutes - Schumer "... he calls me all the time ..." plus extended remarks - watch the entire thing - from Schumer at the earlier time up to sixteen munutes - about we need a campaign for the young people. Telling statements, Saban being a wealthy regular contributor to Dem Party regulars; not to Ilhan Omar, not Bernie, not Warren; perhaps a token amount, I've not fully researched it. Readers are urged to comb over opensecrets.org. With the video of Dem leadership of both Houses of Congress speaking pro-Israel at a pro-Israel event, AJ publishes about AIPAC and spending dimensions of the Israel lobby. A spectrum of opinion is always best for open minds. Last thing about the video, at 34:30 Saban segues into it a question, "In one sentence ...", posed to two politicians; get what? What would you expect? Several sentences. WATCH THE VIDEO. APPROACH IT WITH AN OPEN, INFORMED MIND. (With Autoplay on, YouTube rotors to another video. It too is worth watching.)
One last thing that puzzles me, why Beto is not speaking at the AIPAC conference. Hoyer in a prettier, younger packaging? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But financing and then not inviting, wha's 'appening?
Actually, that and another last thing, this one wholly factual, having a factual answer, but where online is that answer published? The question, the Palestinians, the Arab Muslims between the Mediterranean and the Jordon River; are they exclusively or predominantly Sunni, or Shiite? Research it. Find an online answer if one exists. That the answer might be irrelevant seems fanciful. So why is the question not being a subject of interest to mainstream media? The geopolitics of the situation seems to hinge in some measure on the answer. Why a mystery?
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The unfairness of life. Beto, seventy-five grand ahead of Eliot Engel, No. 1 vs No. 5, on Isreal lobby 2018 giving. (It is hard to read that top of the chart wrongly.) And Engel's bound to show up at AIPAC 2019 to give a solidarity speech (Speakers: Members of Congress) while Beto is free to fart around Iowa giving cornier but easier speeches to mid-westerners. Moving around, no stifling meeting room with artificial lighting, instead getting fresh air, sunlight, cooking up his Vitamin D. Today's fish.
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Those two videos, Haim Saban. Not a favorite person, here. Fobbing Clinton off ahead of Bernie. Per CNN, here. Then knifing Ellison in the back with help from elsewhere in the Isreal lobby - advocacy bloc. E.g., again CNN, here, here and here. Even after Schumer had publicly signed off on Ellison to head the DNC. Schumer! So DNC had Tom Perez given a hand up and now DNC will take mega-PAC and mega-donor money. Something Ellison opposed to boost grassroots importance over fat wallet politics. Thank's a lot Haim. Progressives may think Haim's yesterday's fish, for all he's meant to them. Certainly the man can spend his money as he pleases, but then he's trusted by whom, for what, and how far? Ilhan Omar in an arguably inartful but public limelight way has shown a sincere will to help people who are having their civil rights as human beings beaten down with barely the hope of BDS helping level a severely tilted playing field - IDF occupation, forced settlement policy, grossly disproportionate use of force.
Fairness counts, and progressives are fair.
Bibi, how fair has he been? Ask Romney.
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Machiavelli wrote:
But when states are acquired in a country differing in language, customs, or laws, there are difficulties, and good fortune and great energy are needed to hold them, and one of the greatest and most real helps would be that he who has acquired them should go and reside there. This would make his position more secure and durable, as it has made that of the Turk in Greece, who, notwithstanding all the other measures taken by him for holding that state, if he had not settled there, would not have been able to keep it. Because, if one is on the spot, disorders are seen as they spring up, and one can quickly remedy them; but if one is not at hand, they are heard of only when they are great, and then one can no longer remedy them. Besides this, the country is not pillaged by your officials; the subjects are satisfied by prompt recourse to the prince; thus, wishing to be good, they have more cause to love him, and wishing to be otherwise, to fear him. He who would attack that state from the outside must have the utmost caution; as long as the prince resides there it can only be wrested from him with the greatest difficulty.
The other and better course is to send colonies to one or two places, which may be as keys to that state, for it is necessary either to do this or else to keep there a great number of cavalry and infantry. A prince does not spend much on colonies, for with little or no expense he can send them out and keep them there, and he offends a minority only of the citizens from whom he takes lands and houses to give them to the new inhabitants; and those whom he offends, remaining poor and scattered, are never able to injure him; whilst the rest being uninjured are easily kept quiet, and at the same time are anxious not to err for fear it should happen to them as it has to those who have been despoiled. In conclusion, I say that these colonies are not costly, they are more faithful, they injure less, and the injured, as has been said, being poor and scattered, cannot hurt. Upon this, one has to remark that men ought either to be well treated or crushed, because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries, of more serious ones they cannot; therefore the injury that is to be done to a man ought to be of such a kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge.
But in maintaining armed men there in place of colonies one spends much more, having to consume on the garrison all the income from the state, so that the acquisition turns into a loss, and many more are exasperated, because the whole state is injured; through the shifting of the garrison up and down all become acquainted with hardship, and all become hostile, and they are enemies who, whilst beaten on their own ground, are yet able to do hurt. For every reason, therefore, such guards are as useless as a colony is useful.
SO - Settlement policy is as old as Old Nick (That being Nicolo Machiavelli). Ditto, moving the Capital, apart from any biblical writings, just move there. Things stand as they are, as facts, rhetoric being cheap and hence plentiful. Including rhetorical name-calling at the slightest of offenses.
______________FINAL UPDATE_____________
Anything going beyond this will be a new post. It is a semi-screed against Haim Saban primarily, Haim, whose Hollywood fortune was made via god-awful scklock kids programming, e.g., the Mighty Morphing Power Rangers brand of crap, and who'd rather propagandize our nation and buy pliant fully-corporatized politicians like Steny Hoyer instead of exporting something of Israel that IS worth notice and praise and desirable by far over whining and lobbying against BDS and for continuation in perpetuity of $3+ billion in U.S. taxpayer money given annually to his favored nation-state when it could be used here for getting what Israel's got:
Israel’s public healthcare system is well-advanced by international standards. Israel spends 7.5% of its GDP on the public healthcare system, providing a universal healthcare coverage to its entire population via four health management organizations and a network of hospitals, community clinics and specialized doctors. Israeli healthcare facilities are modern and are open to adopt new, cost effective technologies and procedures. Many Israeli doctors receive training in the United States and maintain personal and professional relationships with U.S. colleagues at major medical centers. Israel’s healthcare policy makers have been focusing on promoting healthy nutrition and lifestyle, preventive medicine and screening.
Israel is a global technology research and development center. Its strength in this sector stems from inter-disciplinary capabilities, which bring together medicine, clinical expertise, materials science, electronics, software expertise and engineering know-how. Israeli development centers of multinational companies have an annual turnover of billions of dollars.
[emphasis added] The bastard's nation has a fine humane healthcare policy toward its citizens, and Haim, bless him, is perfectly happy with the politicians he buys shoveling on all of us a substandard sack of crap, courtesy of the U.S. of A. pharma-industrial complex.
What's fine and in place and humming along like bees making honey in Israel is too good for us; and in the course of propagandizing us, not worth mention because it might make the natives restless; or how else should that be explained?
If Netanyahu monkeys in our elections, and we get less citizen benefits from it than his Israeli citizens get from his government, Netanyahu, Saban, and their entire lobby can fuck themselves and each other until they behave better.
BOTTOM LINE: Haim, buy me a better set of politicians, or go away. If you are not going to be helpful to this nation, Haim, get the fuck out of the way of the progressives who have ideas beyond lapping up propaganda and taking campaign contributions and giving Israel annual free billions. Knifing Ellison in the back after Schumer had signed off on his heading DNC apparently was your top accomplishment over the years, and no thanks to you for that, bro. End of screed.