thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-06--Sanders Hits Biden Over Social Security, Trade, As Next Primary Races Loom

Bernie Sanders launched a full-throated attack against Joe Biden on Friday , assailing his Democratic presidential rival over his record on trade , abortion , gay rights and Social Security , as the pair faced a slew of crucial nominating contests next week .
Sanders , until recently the front-runner in the party ’ s race to face Republican President Donald Trump in November , now trails in delegates and is desperate to regain momentum after Biden ’ s strong Super Tuesday showing this week .
At a hastily arranged news conference in Phoenix , Sanders , a U.S .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s 40-year record .
He criticized Biden for having opposed the rights of gay people to serve in the U.S. military and for voting against federal funding for abortions , stances the former vice president has since rejected .
“ I was there on the right side of history , and my friend Joe Biden was not , ” Sanders said .
Sanders lambasted Biden for supporting trade deals he said had been “ a disaster for Michigan ” and accused Biden of trying in the past to cut Social Security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden , who denies ever advocating cuts to Social Security , snapped back in a tweet on Friday : “ Get real , Bernie .
The only person who ’ s going to cut Social Security if he ’ s elected is Donald Trump .
Maybe you should spend your time attacking him.
” The exchange reflects mounting tension between the two White House hopefuls in what has become a tight two-way race since U.S .
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ended their White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Super Tuesday primaries .
Sanders , 78 , said he would support Biden , 77 , if he becomes the Democratic nominee but insisted that only he , not Biden , could “ energize the American people ” enough to beat Trump .
Warren ’ s exit meant that what had been hailed as the most diverse field of candidates in U.S. history narrowed to a race for the nomination between two white , septuagenarian men .
Tulsi Gabbard , a congresswoman from Hawaii with virtually no chance of winning , is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Friday , the Democratic National Committee , which oversees the party ’ s presidential debates , released new qualifying thresholds for the next debate in Arizona on Mar .
15 .
Candidates will need at least 20 % of delegates awarded so far , essentially excluding Gabbard , who has won less than 1 percent .
Biden ’ s Super Tuesday turnaround benefited as the Democratic Party establishment mobilized to try and stop Sanders , a democratic socialist , with former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg and U.S .
Senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the race and endorsing Biden .
continued to rack up more endorsements on Friday , as many Democrats continued to coalesce behind him to stop a Sanders nomination .
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois are expected to soon announce endorsements of Biden , according to a source familiar with the matter .
Illinois and Arizona vote on March 17 , along with Florida and Ohio .
A big win for Biden in delegate-rich Michigan on Tuesday would deal another major blow to Sanders ’ hopes of becoming the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hold primary elections on Tuesday : Idaho , Mississippi , Missouri and Washington state .
North Dakota will hold caucuses .

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Bernie Sanders launched a full-throated attack against Joe Biden on Friday, assailing his Democratic presidential rival over his record on trade, abortion, gay rights and Social Security, as the pair faced a slew of crucial nominating contests next week.
Sanders, until recently the front-runner in the party’s race to face Republican President Donald Trump in November, now trails in delegates and is desperate to regain momentum after Biden’s strong Super Tuesday showing this week.
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At a hastily arranged news conference in Phoenix, Sanders, a U.S. Senator from Vermont, dug deep into Biden’s 40-year record. He criticized Biden for having opposed the rights of gay people to serve in the U.S. military and for voting against federal funding for abortions, stances the former vice president has since rejected.
“I was there on the right side of history, and my friend Joe Biden was not,” Sanders said.
Sanders lambasted Biden for supporting trade deals he said had been “a disaster for Michigan” and accused Biden of trying in the past to cut Social Security, the government-run pension and disability program.
Biden, who denies ever advocating cuts to Social Security, snapped back in a tweet on Friday: “Get real, Bernie. The only person who’s going to cut Social Security if he’s elected is Donald Trump. Maybe you should spend your time attacking him.”
The exchange reflects mounting tension between the two White House hopefuls in what has become a tight two-way race since U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and billionaire former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ended their White House bids after disappointing showings in the Super Tuesday primaries.
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Sanders, 78, said he would support Biden, 77, if he becomes the Democratic nominee but insisted that only he, not Biden, could “energize the American people” enough to beat Trump.
Warren’s exit meant that what had been hailed as the most diverse field of candidates in U.S. history narrowed to a race for the nomination between two white, septuagenarian men. Tulsi Gabbard, a congresswoman from Hawaii with virtually no chance of winning, is the only other remaining Democratic candidate.
On Friday, the Democratic National Committee, which oversees the party’s presidential debates, released new qualifying thresholds for the next debate in Arizona on Mar. 15. Candidates will need at least 20% of delegates awarded so far, essentially excluding Gabbard, who has won less than 1 percent.
Biden’s Super Tuesday turnaround benefited as the Democratic Party establishment mobilized to try and stop Sanders, a democratic socialist, with former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota dropping out of the race and endorsing Biden.
Biden has continued to rack up more endorsements, as many Democrats continued to coalesce behind him to stop a Sanders nomination.
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Onetime Democratic presidential rivals Deval Patrick, the former Massachusetts governor, and John Delaney, a former congressman from Maryland, announced their support for Biden.
Ahead of Michigan’s primary, the state’s lieutenant governor, Garlin Gilchrist II, backed Biden, as did part of the state’s United Food and Commercial Workers Union, and former U.S. Senator Carl Levin of Michigan.
Biden also received endorsements in other states with upcoming primary contests, including from Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, in Washington state, and Ruben Gallego, an Arizona member of Congress.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois are expected to soon announce endorsements of Biden, according to a source familiar with the matter. Illinois and Arizona vote on March 17, along with Florida and Ohio.
A big win for Biden in delegate-rich Michigan on Tuesday would deal another major blow to Sanders’ hopes of becoming the Democratic nominee. Four other states will hold primary elections on Tuesday: Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri and Washington state. North Dakota will hold caucuses.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-07--GOP Group Hits Donald Trump With Supercut Of His Offensive, Ridiculous Statements

The Lincoln Project — a group of anti-Trump Republicans ― on Friday hit the president with a montage of his most insulting , offensive and ridiculous gaffes .
The group — of which prominent Trump critic George Conway is a member — released the supercut that contrasts Trump ’ s speeches to those of previous presidents in response to a similar GOP attack on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden over his own gaffes .
“ Every day is a new chance for Trump to debase himself further and embarrass Americans of all political stripes , ” Republican strategist Rick Wilson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ footage .
Check out the video here : Wilson said “ the hardest part ” of making the ad was fitting all of Trump ’ s “ own gaffes , abuse of the English language , insults , lies ” and “ crazy talk ” into “ 30 or even 60 seconds.
” “ We will not allow Trump and his propaganda machine to gaslight America into believing he ’ s anything other than the most unserious , indecent , least inspiring president we ’ ve ever had , ” he concluded .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand .
”

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The Lincoln Project — a group of anti-Trump Republicans ― on Friday hit the president with a montage of his most insulting, offensive and ridiculous gaffes.
The group — of which prominent Trump critic George Conway is a member — released the supercut that contrasts Trump’s speeches to those of previous presidents in response to a similar GOP attack on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden over his own gaffes.
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“Every day is a new chance for Trump to debase himself further and embarrass Americans of all political stripes,” Republican strategist Rick Wilson wrote in a fundraising email featuring the footage.
Check out the video here:
Wilson said “the hardest part” of making the ad was fitting all of Trump’s “own gaffes, abuse of the English language, insults, lies” and “crazy talk” into “30 or even 60 seconds.”
“We will not allow Trump and his propaganda machine to gaslight America into believing he’s anything other than the most unserious, indecent, least inspiring president we’ve ever had,” he concluded. “Do not let a single lie stand.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-06--U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Rises To 17 As Virus Prompts Cancellations, Closures

As more cases of coronavirus are confirmed daily around the globe , the death toll in the U.S. rose to at least 17 late Friday , with two new deaths reported in Florida .
There have been at least 14 reported deaths from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the new coronavirus , in Washington state , with many of these connected to an outbreak at a nursing home in the Seattle area .
There was one death confirmed in California earlier this week .
A cruise ship with over 3,000 people is now being held off the coast of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 71-year-old man who died had been on a previous trip on the ship in mid-February .
Vice President Mike Pence said in a news briefing Friday that 21 people on the Grand Princess cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19 , including 19 crew members and two passengers .
Pence said they will be testing everyone onboard and quarantining people “ as necessary.
” A previously announced COVID-19 patient in Santa Rosa County and another in Lee County , both in Florida , have died , the Florida Health Department reported Friday .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the Herald-Tribune .
Across the U.S. , there have been over 160 confirmed cases of the virus , according to the Centers for Disease Control .
Reported cases so far span more than 20 states .
The number of cases are growing daily around the world , reaching nearly 100,000 reported cases across at least 85 countries , per the World Health Organization .
More than 3,000 people have died .
“ We are calling on every country to act with speed , ” he said , adding he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of additional countries reporting cases .
“ This is not a drill .
This is not the time to give up .
...
This is a time for pulling out all the stops.
” The WHO repeated its calls for governments to educate the public on symptoms and ways to protect themselves , as well as to increase testing and train health workers .
FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a news briefing Friday that , in response to high demand from states for more tests , the CDC had developed a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shipped out 900,000 of these across the country yesterday .
They plan for over 1 million more to go out by early next week .
As cases increase across the U.S. , institutions and companies are taking extra precautions , with some canceling in-person events in an attempt to minimize virus spread .
The University of Washington announced Friday that it would hold classes remotely until the end of March amid a rise in cases around Seattle , including one “ presumptive positive ” case involving a staff member .
Big companies like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have pulled out of attending the annual tech conference South by Southwest in Austin next week amid fears of coronavirus ’ spread .
Dr. Sonia Angell , the state ’ s public health director , suggested basic precautions to reduce people ’ s risk : Cover your mouth when you cough , wash your hands frequently and , if you don ’ t feel well , stay home .
If you ’ re concerned about your own symptoms , you should call your health provider or county health officials before going to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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As more cases of coronavirus are confirmed daily around the globe, the death toll in the U.S. rose to at least 17 late Friday, with two new deaths reported in Florida.
Most of the deaths have been in Washington state.
There have been at least 14 reported deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, in Washington state, with many of these connected to an outbreak at a nursing home in the Seattle area.
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There was one death confirmed in California earlier this week. A cruise ship with over 3,000 people is now being held off the coast of San Francisco after it was confirmed that the 71-year-old man who died had been on a previous trip on the ship in mid-February.
Vice President Mike Pence said in a news briefing Friday that 21 people on the Grand Princess cruise ship tested positive for COVID-19, including 19 crew members and two passengers. Pence said they will be testing everyone onboard and quarantining people “as necessary.”
A previously announced COVID-19 patient in Santa Rosa County and another in Lee County, both in Florida, have died, the Florida Health Department reported Friday. Both became ill after an international trip, according to the Herald-Tribune.
Across the U.S., there have been over 160 confirmed cases of the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Reported cases so far span more than 20 states.
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The number of cases are growing daily around the world, reaching nearly 100,000 reported cases across at least 85 countries, per the World Health Organization. More than 3,000 people have died.
WHO director Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged in a Thursday news briefing for countries worldwide to take a “collective, coordinated” approach to tackling the virus.
“We are calling on every country to act with speed,” he said, adding he was “deeply concerned” about the number of additional countries reporting cases. “This is not a drill. This is not the time to give up. ... This is a time for pulling out all the stops.”
The WHO repeated its calls for governments to educate the public on symptoms and ways to protect themselves, as well as to increase testing and train health workers.
To protect yourself from #COVID19, avoid being exposed to the virus and use everyday prevention action to prevent the spread of respiratory virus:
1) cover your cough
2) wash your hands
3) stay home when sickhttps://t.co/uArGZTrH5L pic.twitter.com/6KgyMnpoUW — CDC (@CDCgov) March 5, 2020
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FDA commissioner Stephen Hahn said in a news briefing Friday that, in response to high demand from states for more tests, the CDC had developed a “very high quality” swab test and shipped out 900,000 of these across the country yesterday. They plan for over 1 million more to go out by early next week.
As cases increase across the U.S., institutions and companies are taking extra precautions, with some canceling in-person events in an attempt to minimize virus spread.
The University of Washington announced Friday that it would hold classes remotely until the end of March amid a rise in cases around Seattle, including one “presumptive positive” case involving a staff member.
Big companies like Netflix, Apple, Amazon and others have pulled out of attending the annual tech conference South by Southwest in Austin next week amid fears of coronavirus’ spread.
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Dr. Mark Ghaly, California’s health and human services secretary, noted Wednesday that most people who contract the coronavirus have only mild symptoms.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-06--Now 6 Wrestlers Say Jim Jordan Knew Of Doctor's Sex Abuse When He Was Coach: Report

A total of six former college wrestlers have now accused Donald Trump defender Rep. Jim Jordan ( R-Ohio ) of knowing about sexual abuse by the team doctor when he was an assistant coach at Ohio State University , CNN reports .
The six told CNN they were present when Jordan either heard or responded to sexual misconduct complaints about university doctor Richard Strauss .
Eight others told the network that the physician ’ s conduct was an open secret in the university ’ s athletic department and that Jordan couldn ’ t have not known .
Jordan has repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his athletes when he was assistant coach from1987 to 1995 .
The university stated in its annual crime report last year that Strauss committed at least 1,429 sexual assaults and 47 rapes during his 20-year tenure .
Strauss was never charged and died by suicide in 2005 .
Former OSU wrestler Tito Vazquez , now a public school teacher , told CNN : “ When these complaints come and he [ Jordan ] pretends now that he had no knowledge of it , that ’ s betrayal in the highest level.
” Vazquez @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that he knew about the sexual abuse convinced him to come forward .
He said when he complained to Jordan , he said : “ I have nothing to do with this.
” Onetime wrestling captain Adam DiSabato warned last month that things would “ get worse ” for Jordan as others would come forward to accuse him of doing nothing once he knew of the misconduct .
DiSabato said on MSNBC last month that Jordan called him repeatedly to plead with him to contradict DiSabato ’ s own brother ’ s account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sexual abuse .
Not only did the behavior affect his brother , but the sexual abuse was “ blatant knowledge throughout our wrestling team , ” DiSabato said .
DiSabato testified before the Ohio House Civil Justice Committee last month that Jordan was not only aware of allegations of sexual abuse but that the congressman begged others to cover for him .
He said then that Jordan “ called me crying , groveling ... begging me to go against my brother , ” adding : “ He ’ s a coward.
” WATCH @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begging me to change my story .
To go against my brother .
I had to get my lawyer to tell him to stop .
That ’ s the kind of cover up it is .
He ’ s a coward.
” Trumpist Rep. @ Jim_Jordan won ’ t outwrestle the sex abuse scandal demons .
pic.twitter.com/M41CzBGbQq — The Tennessee Holler ( @ TheTNHoller ) February 13 , 2020 DiSabato testified as the state House of Representatives considers a bill that would lift the statute of limitations for Strauss ’ s victims and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ OSU .
Jordan told CNN : “ The idea that I wouldn ’ t stand up for these athletes is ridiculous .
I feel sorry for these guys , the fact that they aren ’ t telling the truth.
” Several athletes have filed lawsuits against the university for ignoring allegations of sexual abuse .
One suit cites instances of Strauss “ drugging and raping athletes , ” and claims Strauss preyed on underage boys who participated in athletic events on campus .
A referee stated in a lawsuit filed late last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a shower after a wrestling match at the university — and that he reported the encounter to Jordan .
“ Yeah , that ’ s Strauss , ” Jordan and then-head coach Russ Hellickson responded , according to the lawsuit .

A total of six former college wrestlers have now accused Donald Trump defender Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) of knowing about sexual abuse by the team doctor when he was an assistant coach at Ohio State University, CNN reports.
The six told CNN they were present when Jordan either heard or responded to sexual misconduct complaints about university doctor Richard Strauss. Eight others told the network that the physician’s conduct was an open secret in the university’s athletic department and that Jordan couldn’t have not known.
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Jordan has repeatedly denied knowing anything about sexual abuse of his athletes when he was assistant coach from1987 to 1995.
The university stated in its annual crime report last year that Strauss committed at least 1,429 sexual assaults and 47 rapes during his 20-year tenure. Strauss was never charged and died by suicide in 2005.
Former OSU wrestler Tito Vazquez, now a public school teacher, told CNN: “When these complaints come and he [Jordan] pretends now that he had no knowledge of it, that’s betrayal in the highest level.” Vazquez said that Jordan’s repeated denials that he knew about the sexual abuse convinced him to come forward. He said when he complained to Jordan, he said: “I have nothing to do with this.”
Onetime wrestling captain Adam DiSabato warned last month that things would “get worse” for Jordan as others would come forward to accuse him of doing nothing once he knew of the misconduct.
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DiSabato said on MSNBC last month that Jordan called him repeatedly to plead with him to contradict DiSabato’s own brother’s account in 2018 that he told Jordan of sexual abuse. Not only did the behavior affect his brother, but the sexual abuse was “blatant knowledge throughout our wrestling team,” DiSabato said.
DiSabato testified before the Ohio House Civil Justice Committee last month that Jordan was not only aware of allegations of sexual abuse but that the congressman begged others to cover for him. He said then that Jordan “called me crying, groveling ... begging me to go against my brother,” adding: “He’s a coward.”
WATCH: “Jim Jordan called me, begging me to change my story. To go against my brother. I had to get my lawyer to tell him to stop. That’s the kind of cover up it is. He’s a coward.”
Trumpist Rep. @Jim_Jordan won’t outwrestle the sex abuse scandal demons. pic.twitter.com/M41CzBGbQq — The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) February 13, 2020
DiSabato testified as the state House of Representatives considers a bill that would lift the statute of limitations for Strauss’s victims and clear the way for them to sue OSU.
Jordan told CNN: “The idea that I wouldn’t stand up for these athletes is ridiculous. I feel sorry for these guys, the fact that they aren’t telling the truth.”
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Several athletes have filed lawsuits against the university for ignoring allegations of sexual abuse. One suit cites instances of Strauss “drugging and raping athletes,” and claims Strauss preyed on underage boys who participated in athletic events on campus.
A referee stated in a lawsuit filed late last year that Strauss masturbated in front of him in a shower after a wrestling match at the university — and that he reported the encounter to Jordan. “Yeah, that’s Strauss,” Jordan and then-head coach Russ Hellickson responded, according to the lawsuit.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-06--Bernie Sanders Calls Swastika Flag Displayed At His Rally 'Horrific'

Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) denounced the man who unfurled a swastika flag at his campaign rally Thursday night , calling it “ unspeakable ” during a press conference on Friday .
“ I speak not only as a Jewish American ; I think I can speak for the families of some 400,000 American troops who died fighting Nazism , fighting fascism , that it is horrific , ” said Sanders , who would be the first Jewish president if elected .
As someone whose family was wiped out by Hitler and as an American , to have in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detestable symbol in modern history is unspeakable .
pic.twitter.com/0TySmmxhgh — Bernie Sanders ( @ BernieSanders ) March 6 , 2020 “ It is beyond disgusting to see that in the United States of America there are people who would show the emblem of Hitler and Nazism , and I was shocked to learn about that later , ” he continued , calling it a display of “ the most detestable symbol in modern history.
” Sanders was speaking at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Thursday when the man unfurled the flag with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , whom Sanders is running against for the Democratic nomination , also denounced the incident .
“ I don ’ t care who you ’ re supporting , attacks like this against a man who could be the first Jewish President are disgusting and beyond the pale , ” Biden tweeted .
“ Hatred and bigotry have no place in America — and it ’ s up to all of us to root out these evils wherever they ’ re found .
”

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders addresses the media in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday. Lucas Jackson / Reuters
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) denounced the man who unfurled a swastika flag at his campaign rally Thursday night, calling it “unspeakable” during a press conference on Friday.
“I speak not only as a Jewish American; I think I can speak for the families of some 400,000 American troops who died fighting Nazism, fighting fascism, that it is horrific,” said Sanders, who would be the first Jewish president if elected.
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As someone whose family was wiped out by Hitler and as an American, to have in this country somebody bringing forth the most detestable symbol in modern history is unspeakable. pic.twitter.com/0TySmmxhgh — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 6, 2020
“It is beyond disgusting to see that in the United States of America there are people who would show the emblem of Hitler and Nazism, and I was shocked to learn about that later,” he continued, calling it a display of “the most detestable symbol in modern history.”
Sanders was speaking at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Thursday when the man unfurled the flag with the swastika, sparking boos from the crowd.
HE BROUGHT THE NAZI FLAG. pic.twitter.com/qIH788j5n5 — Macrö (@hayxteci) March 6, 2020
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Former Vice President Joe Biden, whom Sanders is running against for the Democratic nomination, also denounced the incident.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-07--Flight Attendant Union Chief Slams Trump 'Chaos' Over Coronavirus

Sara Nelson , the president of the Association of Flight Attendants union , on Friday criticized the Trump White House over its haphazard response to the coronavirus outbreak , warning it was putting “ both my members and the traveling public in harm ’ s way.
” Nelson , whose union represents nearly 50,000 attendants from 20 airlines , contrasted the messy way in which the Trump administration is tackling the spread of the coronavirus to how the Obama White House dealt with the Ebola crisis .
Speaking on MSNBC ’ s “ The Last Word , ” Nelson recalled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , under Obama ’ s so-called “ Ebola Czar ” Ronald Klain , she and other industry leaders were repeatedly brought together to discuss action both on the frontlines and in the U.S .
But , with the Trump White House amid the coronavirus outbreak , she said , “ we can ’ t even talk here about what we can do in a coordinated way with good information in this country to be able to contain this.
” .
@ FlyingWithSara tells @ Lawrence that President Donald Trump is not taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ putting `` my members at risk , my members ' jobs at risk and the economy at risk .
`` https : //t.co/gMVb1g3obw pic.twitter.com/fYJk0bv3wE — The Last Word ( @ TheLastWord ) March 7 , 2020 As of early Saturday morning , at least 17 people in the U.S. and 3,400 people worldwide had died from the outbreak .
“ For most of the American public , who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time , the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low , ” the Centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its website .
But Trump has stoked anxieties with his repeated peddling of falsehoods about the virus and by downplaying its possible threat , prompting suspicion given the president ’ s penchant for telling lies while in office .
Critics have accused Trump of trying to manage the publicity aspect of the crisis over the crisis itself in a bid to boost his 2020 reelection chances .
“ I can ’ t even believe where we are today and I ’ m extremely disheartened that the president of the United States is putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ jobs at risk , our entire economy at risk and not taking this seriously , ” Nelson added .
“ We can take this on as Americans but not with this kind of chaos from the White House .
”

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Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants union, on Friday criticized the Trump White House over its haphazard response to the coronavirus outbreak, warning it was putting “both my members and the traveling public in harm’s way.”
Nelson, whose union represents nearly 50,000 attendants from 20 airlines, contrasted the messy way in which the Trump administration is tackling the spread of the coronavirus to how the Obama White House dealt with the Ebola crisis.
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Speaking on MSNBC’s “The Last Word,” Nelson recalled to host Lawrence O’Donnell how, under Obama’s “Ebola czar” Ronald Klain, she and other industry leaders were repeatedly brought together to discuss action both on the front lines and in the U.S.
But, with the Trump White House amid the coronavirus outbreak, she said, “we can’t even talk here about what we can do in a coordinated way, with good information in this country, to be able to contain this.”
.@FlyingWithSara tells @Lawrence that President Donald Trump is not taking the Coronavirus outbreak seriously and that he is putting "my members at risk, my members' jobs at risk and the economy at risk."https://t.co/gMVb1g3obw pic.twitter.com/fYJk0bv3wE — The Last Word (@TheLastWord) March 7, 2020
As of early Saturday morning, at least 17 people in the U.S. and 3,400 people worldwide had died from the outbreak.
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More than 100,000 cases have now been reported globally.
Federal health officials maintain the overall risk to the general public is still low.
“For most of the American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states on its website.
But Trump has stoked anxieties with his repeated peddling of falsehoods about the virus and by downplaying its possible threat, prompting suspicion given the president’s penchant for telling lies while in office.
Critics have accused Trump of trying to manage the publicity aspect of the crisis over the crisis itself in a bid to boost his 2020 reelection chances.
“I can’t even believe where we are today and I’m extremely disheartened that the president of the United States is putting my members at risk, my members’ jobs at risk, our entire economy at risk and not taking this seriously,” Nelson added. “We can take this on as Americans, but not with this kind of chaos from the White House.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-06--South Bend, Indiana, Officer Is Not Charged In Fatal Shooting Of Black Man

“ The misconduct was objectively unreasonable and undertaken with willfulness and reckless indifference to the rights of others , ” their lawsuit stated .
“ In addition , the misconduct and excessive force , including use of deadly force … shocks the conscience.
” Court documents obtained by HuffPost last year show that O ’ Neill ’ s fellow police officers previously accused him of making racist and derogatory comments in front of other officers .
Though the city will not charge O ’ Neill in the fatal shooting , the former sergeant was charged Friday with official misconduct and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a prostitute a month before killing Logan , The New York Times reported .
Additionally , O ’ Neill faces two felony charges of official misconduct and ghost employment .
O ’ Neill is accused of being nude and fondling “ his genitals or the genital of another person ” in May 2019 .
Indiana has a “ ghost employment ” rule that bans state officers and employees from engaging in work other than their official duties during work hours .
Harvey Mills , president of the South Bend Fraternal Order of Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prosecutor ’ s decision not to charge O ’ Neill for the shooting by noting in a statement that “ police officers never want to be put in the position where they have to use deadly force to defend their life.
” “ They want to come to work , protect their community and go home to their families , just like everyone else , ” Mills said .
Mills added that the other charges , “ if true , are disappointing and would certainly be against department policy .
South Bend police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the trust of our community and are always held responsible for their actions .
”

“The misconduct was objectively unreasonable and undertaken with willfulness and reckless indifference to the rights of others,” their lawsuit stated. “In addition, the misconduct and excessive force, including use of deadly force … shocks the conscience.”
Court documents obtained by HuffPost last year show that O’Neill’s fellow police officers previously accused him of making racist and derogatory comments in front of other officers.
Though the city will not charge O’Neill in the fatal shooting, the former sergeant was charged Friday with official misconduct and public indecency over accusations that he solicited a prostitute a month before killing Logan, The New York Times reported.
Additionally, O’Neill faces two felony charges of official misconduct and ghost employment. O’Neill is accused of being nude and fondling “his genitals or the genital of another person” in May 2019. Indiana has a “ghost employment” rule that bans state officers and employees from engaging in work other than their official duties during work hours.
Harvey Mills, president of the South Bend Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 36, reacted to the special prosecutor’s decision not to charge O’Neill for the shooting by noting in a statement that “police officers never want to be put in the position where they have to use deadly force to defend their life.”
“They want to come to work, protect their community and go home to their families, just like everyone else,” Mills said.
Mills added that the other charges, “if true, are disappointing and would certainly be against department policy. South Bend police officers know they have to constantly earn the trust of our community and are always held responsible for their actions.”


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-07--Trump Reportedly Weighs Tax Breaks For Travel Industry, Social Security Cuts For Us

The White House is considering tax breaks for travel and tourism businesses amid the devastating coronavirus outbreak , reports The Washington Post .
The news comes a day after President Donald Trump said at a Fox News town hall meeting that he ’ s also planning to cut entitlement programs for Americans that include Social Security , Medicaid and Medicare .
The Post , citing unnamed sources , said that talks about deferring taxes for airlines , hotels and cruise businesses are “ fluid ” and haven ’ t been determined .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tax breaks under consideration .
“ Perhaps on a large scale , some of the sectors might need some temporary assistance , ” Kudlow said on Fox Business .
The travel and tourism industry is suffering its worst downturn since the 9/11 terror attacks , the Post noted .
The break for business is in stark contrast to Trump ’ s revelation Thursday about social program cuts for Americans .
Fox News host Martha MacCallum told the president that if “ you don ’ t cut something in entitlements , you will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump responded : “ Oh we ’ ll be cutting.
” He then pivoted to the U.S. economy , noting its strong “ growth.
” He has raised that point previously concerning social program cuts , perhaps suggesting that people are so much wealthier in a strong economy that they can pay for their own retirement income and health insurance .
Trump promised when he was campaigning not to cut Medicare and Social Security .
But he also indicated in a CNBC interview in January that he was ready to shave benefits .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at some point at the World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland in January .
Put he backpedaled with a tweet Friday , vowing to “ protect your Social Security and Medicare.
” White House counselor Kellyanne Conway claimed he was talking about cutting the federal debt he has blown up , and not social programs .
Trump promised to balance the budget when he was campaigning to be president , but the national debt has now reached an all-time American record of more than $ 23 trillion .
( “ Who the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump asked donors at a fundraiser in January . )
I will protect your Social Security and Medicare , just as I have for the past 3 years .
Sleepy Joe Biden will destroy both in very short order , and he won ’ t even know he ’ s doing it !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) March 6 , 2020

The White House is considering tax breaks for travel and tourism businesses amid the coronavirus outbreak, The Washington Post reported.
The news comes a day after President Donald Trump said at a Fox News town hall meeting that he’s also looking to cut so-called entitlement programs for Americans that include Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare.
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The Post, citing unnamed sources, said that talks about deferring taxes for airlines, hotels and cruise businesses are “fluid” and haven’t been determined. It wasn’t immediately clear if Trump’s own hotels would be beneficiaries of tax breaks under consideration.
“Perhaps on a large scale, some of the sectors might need some temporary assistance,” Kudlow said on Fox Business.
The travel and tourism industry is suffering its worst downturn since the 9/11 terror attacks, the Post noted.
The break for business is in stark contrast to Trump’s statement Thursday about cutting social programs for Americans.
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Fox News host Martha MacCallum told the president that if “you don’t cut something in entitlements, you will never really deal with the debt.” Trump responded: “Oh, we’ll be cutting.” He then pivoted to the U.S. economy, noting its strong “growth.”
He has raised that point previously concerning program cuts, perhaps suggesting that people are so much wealthier in a strong economy that they can pay for their own retirement income and health insurance.
🚨 Trump says “we’ll be cutting” entitlements like Medicare and Social Security 🚨 pic.twitter.com/6XRKE9joYz — Pod Save America (@PodSaveAmerica) March 6, 2020
Trump promised when he was campaigning in 2016 not to cut Medicare and Social Security. But he also indicated in a CNBC interview in January that he was ready to shave benefits. He also said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January that he would do so at some point.
Put he backpedaled with a tweet Friday, vowing to “protect your Social Security and Medicare.” White House counselor Kellyanne Conway claimed he was talking about cutting the federal debt he has blown up through massive tax cuts, and not social programs.
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Trump promised to balance the budget when he was campaigning to be president, but the national debt has now reached an all-time American record of more than $23 trillion. (“Who the hell cares about the budget?” Trump asked donors at a fundraiser in January.)
I will protect your Social Security and Medicare, just as I have for the past 3 years. Sleepy Joe Biden will destroy both in very short order, and he won’t even know he’s doing it! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 6, 2020


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-06--About Half Of Working Americans Say They Went To Work Sick In The Last Year

Forty-seven percent of Americans who work part- or full-time say they ’ ve gone to work sick in the last year because they couldn ’ t take time off or because they felt they shouldn ’ t do so , according to the poll .
That could be a particular cause for concern now , with health officials urging sick Americans to stay home as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus .
There is no federal paid sick leave law in the United States , though a few states and cities have their own mandatory minimums .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardest : 70 % of the lowest paid workers in the U.S. do not have access to sick leave .
It ’ s a particularly troubling datapoint as the U.S. struggles to contain a communicative disease : Those low-income workers are more likely to work in service industries where they regularly come in contact with consumers .
“ When you ’ re talking about paid leave and who should stay home , it ’ s the ones who need it most that don ’ t have access to it , the ones showing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , touching your bags , coming into everyday contact with your direct life , ” Kris Garcia , an airport worker in Denver , told The New York Times .
Workers with more stringent sick leave policies are far more likely to feel pressured to go to work while sick , the HuffPost/YouGov survey finds : 66 % percent of workers whose jobs offer five or fewer paid sick days say they ’ ve felt compelled to go into work while sick , compared to 36 % of those who have more generous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremely popular .
Three-quarters of Americans favor requiring companies to provide all full-time employees with paid sick days if they or an immediate family member gets sick , with just 11 % opposed .
The idea is supported by two-thirds of Republicans and more than eight in 10 Democrats .
Congressional Republicans have never cottoned on to the idea .
On Friday , House Democrats proposed an emergency paid sick leave law to deal with the coronavirus , but its chances of making it through the Republican-majority Senate are slim .
Even if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs of health care create another roadblock .
Twenty-seven percent of Americans say that , in the last year , they ’ ve avoided going to the doctor when they were ill because they couldn ’ t afford to do so .
There ’ s also the issue of even getting an appointment with a health care provider .
While 63 % of Americans say that last time they needed medical attention , they were able to get an appointment in three days or less , 8 % had to wait between four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waited a week or more with 3 % reporting they were never able to get an appointment .
Once again , lower-income Americans are harder hit : 35 % of those in households making under $ 50,000 have put off a doctor ’ s visit for financial reasons , compared to 20 % of those in households making $ 100,000 or more .
Fifty-six percent in the lowest household income bracket were able to get medical attention within three days , compared to 77 % in the highest one .
Use the widget @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the HuffPost/YouGov survey , using the menu at the top to select questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroup : The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 interviews conducted between March 3 and 5 among U.S. adults , using a sample selected from YouGov ’ s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population .
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls .
You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the polls ’ methodology is available here .
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors .
YouGov ’ s reports include a model-based margin of error , which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling .
If these assumptions are wrong , the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate .
Click here for a more detailed explanation of the model-based margin of error .

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Roughly half of working Americans say they’ve gone to work sick within the past 12 months, a new HuffPost/YouGov survey finds.
Forty-seven percent of Americans who work part- or full-time say they’ve gone to work sick in the last year because they couldn’t take time off or because they felt they shouldn’t do so, according to the poll. That could be a particular cause for concern now, with health officials urging sick Americans to stay home as a measure to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Advertisement
There is no federal paid sick leave law in the United States, though a few states and cities have their own mandatory minimums. This policy failing hits low-income workers the hardest: 70% of the lowest paid workers in the U.S. do not have access to sick leave.
It’s a particularly troubling datapoint as the U.S. struggles to contain a communicative disease: Those low-income workers are more likely to work in service industries where they regularly come in contact with consumers.
“When you’re talking about paid leave and who should stay home, it’s the ones who need it most that don’t have access to it, the ones showing up at work sick touching your food, touching your bags, coming into everyday contact with your direct life,” Kris Garcia, an airport worker in Denver, told The New York Times.
Workers with more stringent sick leave policies are far more likely to feel pressured to go to work while sick, the HuffPost/YouGov survey finds: 66% of workers whose jobs offer five or fewer paid sick days say they’ve felt compelled to go into work while sick, compared to 36% of those who have more generous policies.
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Paid sick leave laws are extremely popular. Three-quarters of Americans favor requiring companies to provide all full-time employees with paid sick days if they or an immediate family member gets sick, with just 11% opposed. The idea is supported by two-thirds of Republicans and more than eight in 10 Democrats.
Congressional Republicans have never cottoned on to the idea. On Friday, House Democrats proposed an emergency paid sick leave law to deal with the coronavirus, but its chances of making it through the Republican-majority Senate are slim.
Even if Americans have sick leave, the high costs of health care create another roadblock. Twenty-seven percent of Americans say that, in the last year, they’ve avoided going to the doctor when they were ill because they couldn’t afford to do so.
There’s also the issue of even getting an appointment with a health care provider. While 63% of Americans say that last time they needed medical attention, they were able to get an appointment in three days or less, 8% had to wait between four and six days. And 10% waited a week or more with 3% reporting they were never able to get an appointment.
Once again, lower-income Americans are harder hit: 35% of those in households making under $50,000 have put off a doctor’s visit for financial reasons, compared to 20% of those in households making $100,000 or more. Fifty-six percent in the lowest household income bracket were able to get medical attention within three days, compared to 77% in the highest one.
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Use the widget below to further explore the results of the HuffPost/YouGov survey, using the menu at the top to select questions and the buttons at the bottom to filter the data by subgroup:
The HuffPost/YouGov poll consisted of 1,000 interviews conducted between March 3 and 5 among U.S. adults, using a sample selected from YouGov’s opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population.
HuffPost has teamed up with YouGov to conduct daily opinion polls. You can learn more about this project and take part in YouGov’s nationally representative opinion polling. More details on the polls’ methodology is available here.
Most surveys report a margin of error that represents some but not all potential survey errors. YouGov’s reports include a model-based margin of error, which rests on a specific set of statistical assumptions about the selected sample rather than the standard methodology for random probability sampling. If these assumptions are wrong, the model-based margin of error may also be inaccurate. Click here for a more detailed explanation of the model-based margin of error.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-07--As Americans Continue To Get Coronavirus, Trump Shows He Doesn't Really Care

“ It ’ s going to disappear , ” Trump said of the coronavirus last month .
“ One day it ’ s like a miracle , it will disappear.
” The virus , of course , has not just disappeared .
And Trump ’ s pick of Vice President Mike Pence to lead the administration ’ s response to the health crisis isn ’ t exactly instilling confidence in the American public .
Pence ’ s record on public health is best represented by the role he played in an HIV outbreak while he was governor of Indiana .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ office slashing the budgets of government agencies responsible for responding to the exact problem the country now faces .
Congress finally stepped in this week when the Senate approved an $ 8.3 billion emergency funding bill to combat the virus , a day after it passed the House .
But Trump seemed less impressed with the bipartisan passage and more impressed with television ratings .
“ As of the time I left the plane with you we had 240 cases , that ’ s at least what was on a very fine network @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t you love it ?
” he said to a Fox News reporter during his meeting with CDC officials .
“ That ’ s what I happened to be watching , and how was the show last night ?
Did it get good ratings by the way ?
” “ Oh , really , I heard it broke all ratings records , but maybe that ’ s wrong , ” Trump said .
Lives are on the line .
Americans are getting sick and some are dying .
And the president continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really care .

“I think the 3.4% is really a false number,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity on Wednesday. “Now, and this is just my hunch, and — but based on a lot of conversations with a lot of people that do this.”
In a meeting with health experts on Monday, Trump asked why doctors don’t just administer the flu vaccine to combat the virus.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-07--Matt Gaetz Wore Gas Mask To Mock Coronavirus Concerns. One Of His Constituents Just Died From It.

Rep. Matt Gaetz ( R-Fla. ) mocked coronavirus concerns by wearing a gas mask on the House floor just days before an infected man from his district died .
“ Reviewing the coronavirus supplemental appropriation and preparing to go vote , ” he said in a tweet Wednesday before the Senate approved an $ 8.3 billion emergency funding bill to combat the virus .
In the tweet , Gaetz is seen wearing a gas mask .
Just two days later , Gaetz released a statement saying a death from COVID-19 , the disease caused by the virus , had occurred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m extremely saddened to learn of the first fatality in our district from coronavirus , a Northwest Floridian residing in Santa Rosa County , ” he said .
“ Our prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.
” Florida officials announced two deaths from the virus on Friday , including the Santa Rosa County man , as well as two new cases in Broward County .
That brings the total number of confirmed cases in Florida to seven , according to CBS News .
So far there have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the U.S. , with hundreds more infected across the country .
At least 3,000 people have died worldwide .
The situation has been further exacerbated by a lack of CDC testing kits for the virus and by an administration that continues to downplay the growing threat .

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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) mocked coronavirus concerns by wearing a gas mask on the House floor just days before an infected man from his district died.
“Reviewing the coronavirus supplemental appropriation and preparing to go vote,” he said in a tweet Wednesday before the Senate approved an $8.3 billion emergency funding bill to combat the virus.
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In the tweet, Gaetz is seen wearing a gas mask.
Reviewing the coronavirus supplemental appropriation and preparing to go vote. pic.twitter.com/wjJ4YY4VZz — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 4, 2020
Just two days later, Gaetz released a statement saying a death from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, had occurred in his district.
“I’m extremely saddened to learn of the first fatality in our district from coronavirus, a Northwest Floridian residing in Santa Rosa County,” he said. “Our prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Florida officials announced two deaths from the virus on Friday, including the Santa Rosa County man, as well as two new cases in Broward County. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in Florida to seven, according to CBS News.
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So far there have been 17 documented deaths from the virus in the U.S., with hundreds more infected across the country. At least 3,000 people have died worldwide. The situation has been further exacerbated by a lack of CDC testing kits for the virus and by an administration that continues to downplay the growing threat.
UPDATE: March 9 ― Gaetz announced Monday that he will self-quarantine for 14 days after he was notified by Conservative Political Action Conference organizers that he came in contact last month with an attendee who has tested positive for the coronavirus.
He tweeted that he is not experiencing symptoms and is awaiting test results. His Washington office will remain closed during the quarantine process.
While the Congressman is not experiencing symptoms, he received testing today and expects results soon.
Under doctor's usual precautionary recommendations, he'll remain self-quarantined until the 14-day period expires this week. — Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) March 9, 2020
Hayley Miller contributed reporting.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-07--Nina Turner Invited Back To CNN After Hilary Rosen Drew Criticism For MLK Exchange

Former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner , a co-chair of Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ ( I-Vt. ) presidential campaign , has been invited back to CNN ’ s “ Cuomo Prime Time , ” following her heated exchange with Hilary Rosen , a political commentator for the network .
″ [ Chris Cuomo ] has invited me back on his show @ CuomoPrimeTime to have a deeper discussion , ” Turner tweeted on Friday .
“ I look forward to this opportunity .
Getting understanding is so important .
Thank you Cuomo !
!
!
!
” Rosen , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for president , was widely criticized for attempting to “ whitesplain ” Martin Luther King Jr. to Turner during a segment of the show on Thursday .
While discussing the Vermont senator ’ s progressive policies , Turner noted that they were “ in the spirit ” of King , who “ warned us — us being the Black community — about white moderates , ” she said .
Turner referenced King ’ s famous 1963 “ Letter from Birmingham Jail , ” in which the late civil rights icon wrote that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white moderate ” in a letter to eight white Alabama clergy members .
Rosen , when asked to address criticisms directed toward Biden , took the opportunity to attempt to correct Turner ’ s King reference , saying , “ That ’ s actually not what Martin Luther King said.
” The Democratic strategist went on to tell Turner she didn ’ t have the “ standing ” to invoke the late civil rights icon , after Turner correctly referenced King ’ s mention of the Ku Klux Klan in his letter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community ’ s “ great stumbling block ” is instead “ the white moderate , who is more devoted to ‘ order ’ than to justice.
” ( Read King ’ s letter in full here . )
Rosen later apologized on Twitter — which drew further criticism because she used the term “ angry Black women ” ( a racist trope ) in her apology .
“ On air Thursday I said my colleague @ ninaturner didn ’ t have standing to use MLK Jr. That was wrong .
I am sorry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote in a since-deleted tweet .
“ Pls no need to defend me and attack angry black women .
They have standing .
I always need to listen more than I talk .
We rise together .
” Rosen apologized again on Friday , saying that she wasn ’ t calling Turner an “ angry Black woman , ” and was “ getting tons of ugly messages to keep fighting her using that phrase.
” “ I was trying to tell people to STOP .
Cause I KNEW I needed to apologize , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
@ JoeBiden must accept responsibility for his surrogate telling our campaign co-chair Senator @ NinaTurner that she does n't have standing to invoke the words of Dr. King .
That is unacceptable and Joe must apologize to Nina and all the people of color supporting our campaign .
— Bernie Sanders ( @ BernieSanders ) March 6 , 2020 ″ @ JoeBiden must accept responsibility for his surrogate telling our campaign co-chair Senator @ NinaTurner that she doesn ’ t have standing to invoke the words of Dr. King , ” Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unacceptable and Joe must apologize to Nina and all the people of color supporting our campaign.
” Discussing Sanders ’ call for an apology with Mehdi Hasan , a columnist at The Intercept , Cuomo noted on air on Friday that Rosen doesn ’ t work for the Biden campaign ; she has just endorsed the presidential candidate .
“ A lot of the ‘ Bernie bros , ’ who are rightly accused of being toxic or using bad language , they don ’ t work for Bernie either , but the media @ @ @ @ @ @ @ insisted Bernie take responsibility for them ...
So I ’ m not sure why there ’ s a double standard in play here , ” Hasan responded .

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Former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, a co-chair of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-Vt.) presidential campaign, has been invited back to CNN’s “Cuomo Prime Time,” following her heated exchange with Hilary Rosen, a political commentator for the network.
″[Chris Cuomo] has invited me back on his show @CuomoPrimeTime to have a deeper discussion,” Turner tweeted on Friday. “I look forward to this opportunity. Getting understanding is so important. Thank you Cuomo!!!!”
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Rosen, who has endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president, was widely criticized for attempting to “whitesplain” Martin Luther King Jr. to Turner during a segment of the show on Thursday.
While discussing the Vermont senator’s progressive policies, Turner noted that they were “in the spirit” of King, who “warned us — us being the Black community — about white moderates,” she said.
Turner referenced King’s famous 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” in which the late civil rights icon wrote that he had been “gravely disappointed with the white moderate” in a letter to eight white Alabama clergy members.
Sanders Co-Chair and Dem Strategist Clash in Explosive Debate: ‘How Dare You as a White Woman’ Tell Me What I’m Supposed to Feel! https://t.co/HhbMWLbWBW — Mediaite (@Mediaite) March 6, 2020
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Rosen, when asked to address criticisms directed toward Biden, took the opportunity to attempt to correct Turner’s King reference, saying, “That’s actually not what Martin Luther King said.”
The Democratic strategist went on to tell Turner she didn’t have the “standing” to invoke the late civil rights icon, after Turner correctly referenced King’s mention of the Ku Klux Klan in his letter, in which he wrote that the Black community’s “great stumbling block” is instead “the white moderate, who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice.” (Read King’s letter in full here.)
Rosen later apologized on Twitter — which drew further criticism because she used the term “angry Black women” (a racist trope) in her apology.
“On air Thursday I said my colleague @ninaturner didn’t have standing to use MLK Jr. That was wrong. I am sorry for saying those words,” she wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “Pls no need to defend me and attack angry black women. They have standing. I always need to listen more than I talk. We rise together. ”
Rosen apologized again on Friday, saying that she wasn’t calling Turner an “angry Black woman,” and was “getting tons of ugly messages to keep fighting her using that phrase.”
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“I was trying to tell people to STOP. Cause I KNEW I needed to apologize,” she added in the tweet.
.@JoeBiden must accept responsibility for his surrogate telling our campaign co-chair Senator @NinaTurner that she doesn't have standing to invoke the words of Dr. King. That is unacceptable and Joe must apologize to Nina and all the people of color supporting our campaign. — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 6, 2020
On Friday, Sanders called on Biden to apologize to Turner for Rosen’s remarks on “Cuomo Prime Time.”
″@JoeBiden must accept responsibility for his surrogate telling our campaign co-chair Senator @NinaTurner that she doesn’t have standing to invoke the words of Dr. King,” Sanders said on Twitter. “That is unacceptable and Joe must apologize to Nina and all the people of color supporting our campaign.”
Discussing Sanders’ call for an apology with Mehdi Hasan, a columnist at The Intercept, Cuomo noted on air on Friday that Rosen doesn’t work for the Biden campaign; she has just endorsed the presidential candidate.
“A lot of the ‘Bernie bros,’ who are rightly accused of being toxic or using bad language, they don’t work for Bernie either, but the media and a lot of the Democratic candidates insisted Bernie take responsibility for them ... So I’m not sure why there’s a double standard in play here,” Hasan responded.
Cuomo noted earlier in the segment on Friday that both Rosen and Turner have been invited to return to “Cuomo Prime Time.”
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thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-07--How Elizabeth Warren Lost

How Elizabeth Warren Lost

The New York Times , AOC and Pete Buttigieg

It was Memorial Day weekend, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren was telling a crowd in Ottumwa, Iowa, that the Democratic Party had a choice.
She said the party could nominate a Democratic candidate who would “scoop up all the money in the world and hold it there to run a bunch of television ads right at the end.”
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“But that candidate sure isn’t going to help the team,” she said, referring to the Democratic Party.
There was another option, though: “You could spend the time right now building the grassroots operation. You can spend it on the face-to-face, person-to-person, neighbor-to-neighbor reaching out to people.”
She said such an operation would make a campaign resilient, able to weather nearly any storm the media or Republicans could throw at it.
“Every time the crazy news comes in, every time there’s some big dust-up that’s not true, we’ve got our grassroots operation already in place,” she told a crowd of 200 in the ballroom of the Hotel Ottumwa.
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More than any other time, on that day in Ottumwa, Warren got explicit about her plan to win the Democratic nomination and the presidency by running what her aides often called a campaign they could be proud of.
That meant shunning traditional media consultants and pollsters, whose high fees had often drawn scorn from the leftists who doubted their effectiveness. It meant forgoing traditional fundraisers and big-money politics in favor of collecting millions of dollars from small donors online. It meant building a massive, unionized organizing operation to knock on doors and make personal connections with voters. It meant winning earned media by focusing on her policy plans, not on campaign tactics or the up-and-down of the polls.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren speaks at a town hall in Ottumwa, Iowa. It was the most explicit Warren ever got regarding her plans to win the Democratic nomination. Rachel Mummey / Reuters
Parts of this plan were successful, even wildly so: Warren’s core promise to combat corruption connected with voters, and she steadily climbed in the polls throughout the summer, becoming one of the leading candidates for the Democratic nomination in the early fall and peaking in October. And her decision to stop attending big-money fundraisers didn’t harm her campaign’s ability to rake in cash. She raised more than any candidate except two billionaire self-funders and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who also forgoes high-dollar fundraising.
Some elements of her plan, however, ended up being more fashionable than effective, or simply ill-suited for a fast-moving, chaotic primary in which undecided voters were jumping from candidate to candidate, often at the last minute. The high costs of Warren’s field operation ate into the budget for paid media. Her campaign’s desire for discipline sometimes meant missing a chance to win a news cycle. And a lack of polling meant the campaign seemed to see-saw from message to message during the final portion of the campaign in search of something that would stick, with messages that sometimes drifted away from Warren’s core image as a fighter.
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And, as a candidate who could have been designed in a lab to set off alarm bells about electability — she was a woman like Hillary Clinton, a liberal like George McGovern, an intellectual like Adlai Stevenson, from Massachusetts like Michael Dukakis — Warren and her campaign struggled to pivot from talking about her ideas to proving she was Democrats’ best hope to tame and defeat Trump.
“I think that both [the] campaign and [Warren] put together a plan and a strategy that in almost any other election cycle would’ve been a winning strategy,” said Doug Rubin, a top official on billionaire Tom Steyer’s presidential campaign who helped lead Warren’s Senate bid in 2012. “The X factor in all of this is Donald Trump. What they didn’t take into account is the intense, overwhelming desire of Democrats, above anything else, to beat Donald Trump in 2020.”
“Warren and her campaign struggled to pivot from talking about her ideas to proving she was Democrats’ best hope to tame and defeat Trump.”
Warren’s campaign confronted many variables far outside its control. Both a former vice president and the runner-up for the last presidential nomination joined a crowded field, instantly laying claim to large chunks of the vote. The electability obsession created even more barriers for a female candidate than usual, and Warren’s campaign rarely felt comfortable letting her go on the attack, fearing a sexist backlash. Her focus on plans meant she had to supply a level of policy detail the other candidates did not. A slump in the latter part of 2019 hurt her fundraising at a crucial point, and an impeachment trial froze the race and limited possibilities for a comeback.
This cycle, more than 20 campaigns tried to lift someone to the Democratic presidential nomination. All but one of them will lose, and Warren’s campaign was one of a handful that gave its candidate a true chance at victory. Interviews with more than a dozen Democratic operatives and elected officials nationally and in the early states, along with Warren allies and staffers, reveal how the senator’s most important plan came excruciatingly close to working, then heart-breakingly fell apart.
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Putting Together The Plans
Elizabeth Warren’s performance at the She The People Forum in Houston in April was considered a key moment in her rise to the top tier of the race. Loren Elliott / Reuters
Warren was the first major candidate to enter the Democratic race, sending out a video to supporters and announcing an exploratory committee on New Year’s Eve 2018. For the first few months of the race, her campaign teetered. Her decision to release a DNA test aiming to prove she had Native American heritage went poorly, with her poll numbers sinking as Democrats wondered if she could bat away Trump’s “Pocahontas” attacks.
She quickly began building a large field staff in both Iowa and New Hampshire, hiring dozens of operatives and organizers in the first two states to vote. The cost of the campaign quickly grew, but her online fundraising did not, at least initially. Operatives chattered that she would run out of money and be forced to drop out in the summer.
Warren raised just $500,000 on the first day of her campaign, one-third of what California Sen. Kamala Harris brought in on the day of her campaign’s launch, and one-twelfth of what former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke raised. She raised just $6 million in the first quarter of the year while spending over $5 million.
Warren changed this by talking about policy, incessantly. Her plans ― to wipe out most (but not all) student debt, to impose a wealth tax on fortunes over $50 million, to break up major tech companies, to limit the influence of lobbyists ― drove the news cycle for months, leaving candidates with less of a policy focus grasping for ways to butt in.
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Her team emphasized the plans were all based on a single idea. “America’s middle class is under attack,” Warren said in her launch video ― and those attacks were coming from corporations and the lobbyists who guaranteed their power in Washington.
The strategy worked. Voters, especially the college-educated, slowly moved to Warren, providing her with both their support in polling and their small-dollar donations. In the second quarter of the year, she banked $19 million, enough to expand her already expansive campaign. Slowly and steadily, she surpassed Harris, O’Rourke and even Sanders in polling, prompting her supporters to put turtle emojis into their Twitter handles. Warren drew jaw-dropping crowds in urban hubs ― 20,000 people in New York City, 12,000 in Minneapolis, and 5,000 in Austin.
“For the first 10 months, they ran the most disciplined communications operation I’ve ever seen,” said Rebecca Katz, a progressive Democratic strategist.
Warren’s position peaked with a late October Quinnipiac University survey showing her with the type of coalition necessary to win the nomination. She had 28% of the vote, seven percentage points ahead of former Vice President Joe Biden and 13 points ahead of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, her fellow progressive. She won a near-majority of very liberal voters, was even with Sanders with voters under the age of 35 and had double the support of any other candidate among white voters with a college degree, and even led among white voters without one. (One weakness, which would later severely restrict her hopes of a comeback: She was in second place among Black voters, 22 points behind Biden.)
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The New York Times, AOC and Pete Buttigieg
Buttigieg’s attacks on Warren over health care at the October debate damaged her standing in the race. Andrew Yang did not play a role. Shannon Stapleton / Reuters
There is considerable debate about exactly how and precisely when things turned sour for Warren. But most of her allies and outside observers point to some combination of two people and one newspaper: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Pete Buttigieg and The New York Times.
Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was competing with Warren for white college-educated voters, and smartly took advantage of Warren’s weaknesses. While she had released plans on relatively obscure topics like limiting the influence of military contractors on the Pentagon and revitalizing the diplomatic corps, she had been vague on the most important issue for both Democratic primary voters and general election voters: health care.
Warren had tried to split the baby on the issue, saying she preferred Sanders’ “Medicare for All” plan but was open to other ideas on health care. “I support a lot of plans,” she said after the debate in September, a position that directly contrasted the specificity of her ideas on seemingly every other topic.
“Your signature is to have a plan for everything, except this,” Buttigieg said on the debate stage in Westerville, Ohio, an attack echoed by Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
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Warren’s team had actually been working on a detailed health care plan since early in the summer but had been unable to reach a consensus on the best ideas. Warren adjusted and then readjusted in the weeks after, first releasing a detailed plan on how to pay for Medicare for All, then releasing a plan to focus on more popular health reforms first and push for Medicare for All later in her first term.
But Buttigieg and Biden, buoyed by extensive health insurance industry advertising in Iowa, managed to convince moderate voters a candidate who backed a Medicare for All plan that banned private insurance could not win. (After the attacks, public polling showed voters continued to trust Warren on health care issues but thought she was less likely to beat Trump.)
The same night, The Washington Post reported that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an icon for younger progressives, was backing Sanders. Warren’s team had hoped to sway the 30-year-old Ocasio-Cortez, who had volunteered for Sanders in 2016, or at least persuade her to keep neutral. But Ocasio-Cortez, inspired by Sanders’ recovery from a heart attack, endorsed him at a massive rally in New York City the next weekend.
“There is considerable debate about exactly how and precisely when things turned sour for Warren. But most of her allies and outside observers point to some combination of two people and one newspaper: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Pete Buttigieg and The New York Times.”
Around the same time, Buttigieg and Sanders both began airing television ads in Iowa, which helped inflate their poll numbers even further, quickly creating a narrative that they were ascendent.
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The Warren team, with much of its money tied up in a large staff and skeptical of the final impact of television ads months out from the election date, stuck to its plan and didn’t respond with ads of its own.
The combined effect was to eat away at the two key portions of Warren’s base: Buttigieg began pulling away white college-educated voters, while Sanders started consolidating the party’s left wing, especially among young voters.
A survey of college students conducted by the textbook rental company Chegg showed Warren’s support peaked Oct. 15 with 30% of the vote, just ahead of Sanders. By the time of the Iowa caucuses, Sanders was winning a majority.
A few weeks later, The Times released a poll showing Warren performing worse than Sanders or Biden in the three Midwestern states key to an Electoral College win over Trump. It didn’t matter that the results in Wisconsin or Pennsylvania were within the margin of error or that the result in Michigan was an outlier. The survey — and questions about Warren’s electability — dominated discussion on cable news and Twitter, two sources frequented by the highly informed, highly educated voters Warren did well with.
That meant the conversation was shifting to one of Warren’s least favorite topics: polls.
‘I Don’t Do Polls’
Elizabeth Warren speaks to reporters following a town hall in Keene, New Hampshire, in the run-up to the state’s primary. Warren spoke to reporters nearly every day she was on the campaign trail, but did not answer their questions about polls. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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Warren and her team avoided poll conversations like a single mention of crosstabs would give them coronavirus. This was meant to insulate them from having to discuss the up-and-down, day-to-day swings of a primary. They didn’t talk about polling when they were winning; they didn’t talk about polling when they were losing.
One of the few times Warren did talk about polls was to swear them off. On that Memorial Day weekend in Ottumwa, Warren proudly told the crowd she hadn’t conducted a single national survey since starting her presidential run.
“I don’t do polls. You want to know how many polls I did before I ran for president?” Warren, who had used a polling firm during her two runs for Senate, asked rhetorically. “You want to know how many polls I’ve done since I started running for president? I know what I believe in, what I’m going to fight for.”
Warren’s position was an odd one, especially for an academic who used data to determine what was wrong in the American economy and how to fix it. Politicians in both parties rarely actually use polls to determine their stances on issues. Instead, they use surveys to figure out the best way to pitch their policy preferences to the electorate, how to persuade voters, and where to invest their campaign’s time and money.
“She was saying the right stuff, and if you ran a poll, the polling would confirm that,” said Matt Canter, a pollster at Global Strategy Group who worked at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee when Warren first ran in 2012. “But polling would’ve helped answer a lot of the questions around her campaign, including why voters didn’t close ranks around her when she was driving the conversation.”
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Instead of an outside polling firm, Warren had an eight-person in-house data and analytics team, some of whom had previously worked for prominent polling companies. And the campaign did conduct phone surveys ― just not through a polling firm. The surveys measured Warren’s favorability, standing in the race and the popularity of her various plans ― but only after those plans were released.
Still, the campaign sometimes seemed slow to react to bad political news. Even though Buttigieg’s health care onslaught against her began in October, it took her until December to actually fight back. She called on Buttigieg to release his bundlers, immediately putting him on the defensive about his donors.
The Electability Question
Warren’s team quickly recognized concerns about her ability to beat Trump and tried to address them early on, releasing a memo highlighting her triumph over GOP Sen. Scott Brown in May and working to weave arguments for her ability to beat Trump into her day-to-day message. But her campaign didn’t address the concerns in a broad way with paid media until a week before the Iowa caucuses, when they released a television ad featuring talking heads on MSNBC and CNN discussing the Trump campaign’s fear of running against Warren.
“He’s done everything he can for the wealthy and well-connected,” Warren said of Trump at the end of the ad. “I’m Elizabeth Warren and I approved this message because I’m going to beat him.”
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That ad aired just 942 times on broadcast television in Iowa, according to a Democrat tracking media buys. Another ad, narrated by the author Roxanne Gay and contrasting Warren and Trump’s life stories, aired just 517 times.
Meanwhile, an ad about how Warren would refuse to hand ambassadorships over to wealthy donors aired more than 2,000 times. The ad, meant to highlight how EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland had enabled Trump’s corruption in the Ukraine scandal, baffled the other campaigns, which believed it raised issues far removed from voters’ daily lives. The Warren campaign, however, believed it was the only ad in the race that spoke to a news cycle dominated by talk of impeachment.
Many Democratic operatives think Warren needed a heavier focus on her biography, including her upbringing in Oklahoma and how anger at the treatment of American families drove her switch from academic to politician.
“She was one of the only candidates who hadn’t been running for president since they were in kindergarten, and she clearly came to this decision much more recently,” Canter said. “I think illuminating that decision, and what led up to it, would’ve been very compelling to voters.”
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In general, Warren spent a far smaller portion of her budget on paid media than the other campaigns. Of her television spending, the campaign says more than half went toward highlighting her biography, and a fifth went toward pushing her corruption message. Just 1% went toward arguing she could defeat Trump.
And though her team was open about its skepticism toward television ads, it didn’t make up the gap with digital ads.
In the two-month run-up to Iowa, Warren spent $185,000 on digital ads in the state, according to a Bully Pulpit Interactive tracker, compared to $200,000 from Buttigieg and $430,000 from Sanders. In New Hampshire, she spent even less, just $80,000 against Buttigieg’s $115,000 and Sanders’ $151,000.
Though the Warren campaign insists it did not have to deviate from its Iowa plan, it blamed a six-week fundraising downturn following the October debate for restricting plans to spend more in the remaining early states and Super Tuesday. Before Warren’s donors responded to a last-second plea for funds before the New Year, her top aides were fearful she would raise just $17 million in the fourth quarter. (She ended up raising $21 million.)
And team Warren stuck to its approach of exclusively discussing the candidate’s plan and message, which contrasted sharply with the Biden and Sanders campaigns. Biden talked at nearly every event about how well-positioned he was in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and about how polls showed him defeating Trump. The Sanders campaign seemed obsessed with metrics ― number of donors, number of video views, polling ― proving how popular the Vermonter was.
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While Warren’s team eventually highlighted the Trump campaign’s worries, it did little to promote the idea that the president feared Warren’s populism when the first reports on the topic popped up in July.
And when the chair of the Democratic Party in Michigan’s Macomb County ― arguably the quintessential swing county in American politics ― endorsed Warren less than two weeks before the caucuses, the campaign never even sent out a release about it.
“Many Democratic operatives think Warren needed a heavier focus on her biography, including her upbringing in Oklahoma and how anger at the treatment of American families drove her switch from academic to politician.”
The Warren campaign had planned to address the electability question once and for all with a rally in Madison, Wisconsin, in the run-up to the caucuses. Other campaigns had used similar visits to swing states to show they could generate the excitement needed to beat Trump, but Warren had mostly ignored the Blue Wall states in favor of visiting key Super Tuesday states like Texas and California.
But the impeachment trial intervened, consuming a majority of Warren’s time and forcing the campaign to abandon plans for the rally.
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The campaign’s electability pitches would get more explicit — by the end, Warren would open her rallies by pledging to defeat Trump — but it was clear in the run-up to Iowa that she had not completed the sale.
“That’s the big elephant in the room,” said Patrick Peacock, a Davenport city council member who is Black and endorsed Warren a week before the caucuses. “I’m going to be honest with you: The question is whether or not white men will vote for her. Will white men cross over and vote for a white woman?”
Unity And Disunity
Former presidential candidate Julián Castro’s endorsement of Warren set off the campaign’s “unity candidate” push. Warren hoped but failed to secure the backing of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, also a former candidate. Carlo Allegri / Reuters
The final weeks before Iowa saw Warren try a mishmash of messages in order to regain the footing she had lost. At one point in December, she delivered three different major campaign speeches in as many weeks, eventually settling on a pitch as a “unity candidate” who could bridge the divide between Sanders and Biden backers.
An endorsement from former candidate Julián Castro helped drive home the message, and Warren began playing up the fact that she had adopted ideas and hired staffers from the defeated campaigns of Harris, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and others.
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Warren aides were confident they would eventually secure the endorsement of Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee to give the pitch additional heft. But Inslee, wary of looking like he had his eyes on a gig in the other Washington as he ran for reelection as governor, ultimately never offered it.
A portion of Warren allies disliked the “unity candidate” message, which they felt downplayed Warren’s history as a fighter who was willing to hold even her own party accountable.
And soon after, the campaign would be faced with a fight it swears it did not want. CNN reported that Sanders had told Warren in a private meeting late in 2018 that a woman could not win the presidency in 2020. The next night on the debate stage, Sanders denied saying it, and Warren confronted him afterward.
“I think you just called me a liar on national TV,” Warren told her ideological ally in a curt exchange picked up by the network’s microphones.
While operatives in both campaigns and unaligned progressives pushed to downplay the fight, tensions had been escalating for months before. Warren staffers eventually assembled a more than 40-page research document chronicling what they saw as unfair attacks on the senator from Sanders staffers and surrogates.
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“I was told at the beginning of this whole undertaking that there are two lanes: a progressive lane that Bernie Sanders is the incumbent for and a moderate lane that Joe Biden is the incumbent for and there is no room for anyone else in this,” Warren said after the end of the campaign. “I thought it was possible that that wasn’t the case, that there was more room, and more room to run another kind of campaign. But evidently that wasn’t the case.”
The showdown between Sanders and Warren was one of the last stories to break through before the three-week impeachment trial began dominating the news cycle, leaving little chance for any campaign to change the narrative before voting began in Iowa.
Early Decisions and Late Deciders
A young supporter at the final event of Elizabeth Warren’s campaign, in Detroit on Super Tuesday. Brian Snyder / Reuters
In late January, the Warren campaign’s earliest decisions were finally put to the test. It had hired more than 1,000 staffers across 31 states, some of which aren’t scheduled to vote until mid-March, with 80% of the staffers dedicated to field organizing. Warren spent as much on payroll every five days as Klobuchar spent every month, according to FEC records. The campaign paid out biweekly, and with three paydays in January, needed to take out a line of credit at the end of the month.
The biggest operation was in Iowa, where polls showed Warren with a chance at victory.
But the plan had a problem. The point of field organizations is to identify committed supporters and bring them out to polls and caucus sites on Election Day. But a large portion of voters, especially the educated voters who had made up Warren’s base, were still undecided.
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The entrance polls showed 36% of Iowa voters made up their minds in the final days of the election, compared to 16% in the 2016 race and 20% in the 2008 race.
“In a world where 50% of people are waffling on their decision until the day before an election, field organizations are less effective,” said Addisu Demissie, a Democratic operative who built a similarly large Iowa field operation as the campaign manager for New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s presidential bid.
The trend continued in New Hampshire, where 51% of primary voters decided in the final days.
Warren won 19% of the raw vote and finished third in Iowa, but struggled mightily in New Hampshire, turning in a middling debate performance and failing to net delegates.
Those two states were critical for Warren ― her campaign operations there were considered top-notch, and her brand of progressive politics was thought to be a good fit for both. And her struggles with voters of color meant she was likely to underperform in both Nevada and South Carolina, the next two states to vote.
“In a world where 50% of people are waffling on their decision until the day before an election, field organizations are less effective.” - Addisu Demissie, Democratic operative
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Warren, a senator for a state that is more than 80% white, tried to reach out to voters of color by centering racial inequality in her plans and engaging activists, many of whom gushed about her to reporters with regularity. But it never translated to votes.
When Warren was at her peak, her campaign began discussing spending more time in South Carolina, wooing Black voters. But her standing in Iowa and New Hampshire grew worse, and the pivot never happened. It’s not clear it would’ve helped, considering Biden’s decades worth of ties to South Carolina.
“One campaign’s worth of outreach is not going to be able to overcome 40 years’ worth of relationships,” Demissie said. “Booker and Harris dealt with the same thing, even as African Americans.”
A brief ray of hope appeared in Las Vegas, where Warren essentially dismantled Michael Bloomberg and his $600 million campaign over the course of a two-hour debate. It also enabled her to aim more attacks at other candidates, with Warren strategists believing voters wouldn’t mind body blows to Klobuchar and Buttigieg as long as Bloomberg had a black eye at the end of the night. It energized Warren’s campaign and delighted her donors, helping her raise nearly $30 million in February.
“That was the final puzzle piece in terms of proving that she could take on Trump, and allowing people to really see what it would look like,” said Meredith Kelly, a Democratic strategist who had worked as communications director for Gillibrand’s campaign. “But it came too late.”
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And so, after a disappointing Super Tuesday, Warren appeared before a swarm of cameras outside her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and ended her bid. Having ignored clarion calls to run for president in 2016 and insisted throughout the 2020 campaign she didn’t need to be president, she betrayed no regrets about her campaign’s tactics or strategy.
“I’m not sorry for one nickel I spent on field,” she told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Thursday night, mere hours after she left the race. “If anyone does the woulda, shoulda, coulda, I [would] probably spent less money on television advertising and put more money into field because field is the person-to-person. It is the part about rebuilding our democracy.”
Her field offices, Warren explained, are where volunteers would come in, could eventually learn and get entry-level staff jobs, or start talking to each other about local issues like education funding or the city council.
“How about we get together and we repair this little bit of democracy?” Warren said, imagining a conversation between two volunteers.
It seemed like the kind of thing she could be proud of.


thehuffingtonpost--2020-03-07--Trump Reportedly Weighs Tax Breaks For Travel Industry Hurt By Coronavirus, Benefit Cuts For America

Trump Reportedly Weighs Tax Breaks For Travel Industry Hurt By Coronavirus, Benefit Cuts For Americans

The White House is considering tax breaks for travel and tourism businesses amid the coronavirus outbreak , The Washington Post reported .
The news comes a day after President Donald Trump said at a Fox News town hall meeting that he ’ s also looking to cut so-called entitlement programs for Americans that include Social Security , Medicaid and Medicare .
The Post , citing unnamed sources , said that talks about deferring taxes for airlines , hotels and cruise businesses are “ fluid ” and haven ’ t been determined .
It wasn ’ t immediately clear if Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of tax breaks under consideration .
“ Perhaps on a large scale , some of the sectors might need some temporary assistance , ” Kudlow said on Fox Business .
The travel and tourism industry is suffering its worst downturn since the 9/11 terror attacks , the Post noted .
The break for business is in stark contrast to Trump ’ s statement Thursday about cutting social programs for Americans .
Fox News host Martha MacCallum told the president that if “ you don ’ t cut something in entitlements , you will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump responded : “ Oh , we ’ ll be cutting.
” He then pivoted to the U.S. economy , noting its strong “ growth.
” He has raised that point previously concerning program cuts , perhaps suggesting that people are so much wealthier in a strong economy that they can pay for their own retirement income and health insurance .
Trump promised when he was campaigning in 2016 not to cut Medicare and Social Security .
But he also indicated in a CNBC interview in January that he was ready to shave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World Economic Forum in Davos , Switzerland , in January that he would do so at some point .
Put he backpedaled with a tweet Friday , vowing to “ protect your Social Security and Medicare.
” White House counselor Kellyanne Conway claimed he was talking about cutting the federal debt he has blown up through massive tax cuts , and not social programs .
Trump promised to balance the budget when he was campaigning to be president , but the national debt has now reached an all-time American record of more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hell cares about the budget ?
” Trump asked donors at a fundraiser in January . )
I will protect your Social Security and Medicare , just as I have for the past 3 years .
Sleepy Joe Biden will destroy both in very short order , and he won ’ t even know he ’ s doing it !
— Donald J. Trump ( @ realDonaldTrump ) March 6 , 2020