Blog of the month.

http://www.thehubbellpew.com/

From Franklin Roosevelt onward, . . .

. . . the best President we never had.

Nothing to fear but fear itself? A TV happening worth your time? A FOX one-on-one because . . . but then, a two-for.

First, Salon reported, "Friday, Mar 4, 2016 1:55 PM UTC -- Bernie prepares to go into the belly of the beast: Sanders to do Fox News town hall without Clinton," see similar reporting, here. Whether the prospect of an hour of Sanders on prime-time FOX without her there upset the Clinton scheduling conflict is unclear, but then Clinton acquiesced to attend; see, e.g., reporting here and here. Salon had reported:

Baier will moderate the 6 p.m. special [note: timezone ambiguity]in front of an audience in Detroit, Michigan. Baier announced during “Special Report” on Thursday that Sanders had agreed to do the town hall without Hillary Clinton, who Baier said, was invited, but “is unable to attend due to a conflict in her campaign schedule.”

Sanders and Clinton are already scheduled to appear at the CNN debate in Flint on Sunday. The Michigan primary is on Tuesday.

According to Politico, “Fox has been on a mission to get Clinton to appear on its airwaves”:

She was last on the network in 2014 interviewed by Baier and Greta van Susteren. “Fox News Sunday” anchor Chris Wallace challenged Clinton to come on his show last month, posting photos of some of her top aides as part of a bid to get them to answer his phone calls and emails.

[links in original, italics added] Reporting of Clinton's relenting, locally in advance of Michigan voting, The Detroit News:

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will join Bernie Sanders in a one-hour town hall event Monday hosted by Fox News Channel on the eve of Tuesday’s Michigan primary at Detroit’s Gem Theatre.

Clinton and Sanders will answer questions from Fox News anchor Bret Baier during Baier’s “Special Report” show at 6 p.m. Monday.

Baier had said Thursday that Clinton could not attend the event because of a “scheduling conflict.”

But late Friday, Fox News announced Clinton has agreed to join Sanders at the event in front of an audience of Michigan voters.

Clinton hasn’t appeared on the Fox cable news network in two years since a 2014 joint interview with Baier and Greta Van Susteren to promote her 2014 book.

Fox News will replay the Sanders-Clinton town hall show at 11 p.m. Monday.

[... Again, note the time zone ambiguity] Sanders is planning a rally Saturday night at Macomb Community College’s southern campus in Warren.

Clinton will attend the Michigan Democratic Party’s pre-debate reception Saturday night at the MGM Grand casino and hotel in Detroit.

Former President Bill Clinton will be in Detroit midday to kickoff an event for campaign volunteers at noon at the AFSCME Council 25 labor union’s state headquarters on Lafayette.

[italics added] Differences in pre-election venue selection are clear; and the lack of AFSCME impartiality is also clear. Make of that what you will, but is it a mystery that Bernie seems to be pushing uphill against established forces?

LAST: Not being a FOX viewer, reader help on time ambiguity resolution would be appreciated, via a comment. Alternatively, readers are on their own, timewise - they have notice of the event and venue and channel; so let them pin down timing unless a helpful comment appears.

____________UPDATE_____________
The Hill citing NY Times on the Sanders "town hall" with Fox and Clinton having a scheduling conflict; which, as noted, evaporated to the credit and benefit of both campaigns. An hour of Bernie alone would have had great merit, more so than an hour of Clinton which would have been an endurance contest for viewers, but it now is pinned as a two-for.

Also, The Hill, on the other event ducking, Newt's approval of Trump staying in the hustings instead of punching his ticket at CPAC. It is only a personal impression but it seems idiots concentrate at CPAC so it is to Trump's honor to skip the thing, although it is not as though he's inexperienced at talking to idiots. Either way, bet on talking to idiots; some having upcoming votes that matter, some feeling self important; with the sets having overlapping Venn diagrams.

__________FURTHER UPDATE__________
Noam Chomsky, a short interview, a longer one.

Why the CD6 DFL needs a credible challenger to Tom Emmer, and why it cannot afford to alienate Bernie Sanders grassroot will.

Briefly, two screencaptures, the thumbnails below respectively from here and here. Click either or both, or seek out the original linked items.

And do YOU want Emmer replaced from the Cruz [that's Cross, in English] side of the fence?



Reader help requested: In English, "cross" is both a verb and a noun, as well as an adjective as in "He has a very cross manner." Is it so for "cruz" in Spanish?

The gauntlet has been thrown. March 1 result: Minnesota Democrats decisively vote for rectitude and decency for citizens; and Minnesota's Democratic superdelegates starting with Klobuchar, Franken and Dayton must pay heed to the will of the people and not the will of the money machine. Unless they are as bought and owned and corrupted as the Clintons. Which they might be. Time will tell.

How it is - Minnesota's DFL - the people if not the machine - is not as dumb or into corrupt machine politics as the deep south, which appears to be a Democratic lost cause.

The message is clear. Remove this obscene blight. Immediately could not be too soon:

Rage against that machine.

We are sick and tired of being fucked.

Pure and simple.

We feel the BERN.

Politicians please do pay heed.

It would be reprehensible for the DFL if you do not.

_____________UPDATE______________
There is ONLY one other thing to add:

__________FURTHER UPDATE____________
With the understanding that proportional delegate allocation on the Minnesota GOP side based on yesterday's results is binding but not so with the DFL implying that by the time the DFL has gone through the Senate District convention and State DFL convention Bernie may see his popular appeal - the appeal of his message - trodden under by Minnesota DFL establishment heels; such an outcome would be joyous to the Clinton faction, but very, very, very bad for faith and trust within DFL rank and file caucus attendees. It should not happen in a moral world, but this is political, where money talks, etc. If it happens, the DFL will suffer very much down ballot. Sanders support is based on the anger the political status quo entails, and people might stay home if angry, some even crossing over if a Trump insurgency prevails while, hypothetically, the Sanders insurgency gets flummoxed by DFL inner party intrigue. I know I'd consider it, given the Clinton aura as it is. I doubt I would be alone.

__________FURTHER UPDATE____________
If the Sanders insurrectionist mood is hampered or trampled by inner party elitist will, the Nolan CD8 seat is at risk as is the Angie Craig effort in CD2. DFLer inner party folks, put that in your pipe and smoke it. The entire down ticket stance is in peril, at risk, on the line, however you care to phrase it; don't piss us off. Be fair. If national delegate nose counts sidetrack Bernie, fairly, it will be as it is.

__________FURTHER UPDATE____________
Also, beltway boffos, please feel the rain. Back home. It does not only rain on cororate constituencies. People may want little beyond ability to read and trust a label.

It stinks.

AP, Big Story, this link, this opening screen capture:



Otherwise known as damn the citizenry, party establishments know best. Brought to you by our wonderful two party US of A, politics for plutocrats. Click the image or read the full story.

Sanders has been in Minnesota. Caucus packing is a fine tradition, so why leave it tonight to the two party insiders?

Strib, here, on Bernie's effort in state; these concluding paragraphs, simply stating a view many may hold:

Also on hand to see Sanders — and meet privately with him for a few minutes before the rally — was former Gov. Jesse Ventura, whose own unconventional background and penchant for flamboyance has inspired comparisons to Trump.

Ventura said he’s politically closer to Sanders than Trump, specifically mentioning Sanders’ strong antiwar views and noninterventionist foreign policy. But he had encouraging words for Trump too.

“I’m fine with Donald. I’m not a Democrat or a Republican, and I would endorse him on the Republican side,” Ventura said. Of Sanders and Trump, he added: “These are the two candidates that are not owned by special interests.”

Whether you were happy with Ventura as governor, or happier with Pawlenty, the man spoke the truth, "These are the two candidates that are not owned by special interests."