bonginoreport--2020-11-24--Two Biden National Security Picks Are Linked to Past Hillary Clinton and Hunter Biden Scandals

Joe Biden reached deep into the Obama Administration 's alumni for his prospective Cabinet – should he be certified the winner of the 2020 election – and in so doing also threatened to resurrect old scandals like Hillary Clinton 's email debacle and the Hunter Biden influence controversy .
Biden on Monday announced he wanted as his national security advisor former State Department official Jake Sullivan , who at 43 years old would be the youngest in history .
Biden also chose longtime Senate and White House aide Antony Blinken to be his secretary of state should he be sworn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ picks command enormous respect in national security circles , their past ties to Obama-era scandals could give Republicans fodder for confirmation hearings .
Sullivan was a key figure in the probe of Clinton ’ s mishandling of classified information on a private email server , while Blinken had contacts with Hunter Biden and his Burisma Holdings colleagues in the Ukraine impeachment drama .
Emails recovered from Clinton ’ s private email server show Sullivan was among the senior State officials to regularly correspond with the secretary of state using the insecure communications channel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subsequently deemed to be classified at the top secret and secret level .
For instance Sullivan emailed Clinton on her personal account a memo about Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on June 7 , 2012 , a topic later to be determined to classified at the “ secret ” level .
Clinton responded several hours later : “ I ’ m even more determined to do this and have some ideas I want to discuss w [ ith ] you , ” Clinton wrote Sullivan .
At the time , U.S.-Pakistani relations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was demanding the United States apologize for an airstrike that killed 26 Pakistanis the previous day .
In other classified emails made public under lawsuits from the conservative watchdog Judicial Watch , Sullivan : • Sent an email June 13 , 2009 , to Clinton and aide Cheryl Mills discussing Sullivan ’ s conversations with Northern Ireland leaders .
• Sent classified information in a January 26 , 2010 , email to Clinton and top aide Huma Abedin explaining that he has “ pasted ” ( his word ) from another document a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ British Prime Minister Tony Blair .
Blair ’ s conversations were with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Irish leaders regarding the sensitive Northern Ireland peace process .
• Forwarded an email dated August 31 , 2011 , from former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman sent to former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin , William Burns and that was released heavily redacted as classified .
The secretary of state responded , “ I called him [ redacted . ]
Didn ’ t you get memcon ?
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Watch , Sullivan acknowledged he had used the private email server frequently but never intended to transmit classified information .
“ Like Secretary Clinton has said herself , I wish she had used a State Department account , ” he testified .
“ It wasn ’ t really part of my job to be thinking about Secretary Clinton ’ s emails so I don ’ t think I sort of fell down directly in my job , but do I wish I had thought of it during the time we were at State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what human being at this point wouldn ’ t have thought of that ?
” Tom Fitton , the president of Judicial Watch , said his group ’ s open records lawsuits exposed serious lapses in judgement by Sullivan .
“ Jake Sullivan is a central figure in the Clinton email scandal and the related cover-up of the Benghazi terrorist attack , ” Fitton told Just the News .
“ That he has yet to be held accountable for misusing classified information is another scandal .
He can ’ t be trusted with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also played a smaller role in the Russia scandal , admitting to the House Intelligence Committee he peddled now-disproven allegations of Trump-Russia collusion to news organizations like ABC , FOX , CBS and NBC during the 2016 presidential campaign .
“ Basically we sat with them and walked through what we understood to be the case from – in terms of the DNC hack and leak , what we believed to be the case with respect to Russian involvement and then what we thought the upshot of this was , which is you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more aggressive phase of an intelligence-led operation by foreign power , ” reads Sullivan ’ s transcript .
“ And that was essentially the presentation that we made to reporters and producers , without an ask , simply to say : This dynamic is unusual , perhaps unprecedented , when you pull all of the factors together .
And it 's going to be an important issue between now and November 8th , when the election occurs , ” Sullivan added .
Blinken ’ s name came up earlier this summer in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overseas business activities .
Blinken had served with Joe Biden in the Senate , as national security adviser to the vice president and deputy secretary of state .
For instance , documents released by the State Department show that on March 22 , 2015 , Hunter Biden emailed his father ’ s longtime trusted aide seeking a meeting , nearly a year after Hunter Biden joined the board of Burisma as the energy company battled corruption allegations in Ukraine .
“ Have a few minutes next week to grab a cup of coffee @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but would like to get your advice on a couple of things , Best , Hunter , ” Biden wrote .
Blinken responded the same day with an “ absolutely ” and added , “ Look forward to seeing you.
” Records indicate the two men were scheduled to meet the afternoon of May 27 , 2015 , although it is unclear whether the meeting took place .
But other State Department memos , confirm Hunter Biden met with Blinken for lunch on July 22 , 2015 , at the State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 24 , 2015 , Vice President Joe Biden called President Poroshenko of the Ukraine and raised concerns about anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine .
On February 4 , 2016 , Hunter Biden sent a notification to Blinken indicating he was following Blinken on Twitter .
A few months later , two lawyers working for the Democratic lobbying and consulting firm Blue Star Strategies who were representing Burisma made efforts to lobby Blinken to get State Department officials to stop taking a negative view on Burisma .
One of the lawyers , Sally Painter , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27 , 2016 , indicating she had broached the subject with Blinken at a public event and was trying to set up a follow-up coffee with the deputy secretary of state .
`` Per my conversation with Tony at the Truman event , Karen Tramontano and I would like to have a brief coffee with Tony at his earliest convenience regarding troubling events we are seeing in Ukraine , '' Painter wrote .
In a deposition , Painter expanded on what she was trying to do , hoping to get a State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kent to stop taking a negative view of Blue Star ’ s work on Burisma .
“ I 've known Tony – I 've known Mr. Blinken over 25 years as a professional colleague .
… We wanted to get his guidance on how to deal with Mr. Kent , ” she said .
Painter said she never got the follow-up audience with Blinken .

Joe Biden reached deep into the Obama Administration's alumni for his prospective Cabinet – should he be certified the winner of the 2020 election – and in so doing also threatened to resurrect old scandals like Hillary Clinton's email debacle and the Hunter Biden influence controversy.
Biden on Monday announced he wanted as his national security advisor former State Department official Jake Sullivan, who at 43 years old would be the youngest in history. Biden also chose longtime Senate and White House aide Antony Blinken to be his secretary of state should he be sworn in on Jan. 20.
While both picks command enormous respect in national security circles, their past ties to Obama-era scandals could give Republicans fodder for confirmation hearings. Sullivan was a key figure in the probe of Clinton’s mishandling of classified information on a private email server, while Blinken had contacts with Hunter Biden and his Burisma Holdings colleagues in the Ukraine impeachment drama.
Emails recovered from Clinton’s private email server show Sullivan was among the senior State officials to regularly correspond with the secretary of state using the insecure communications channel, including sending her information that was subsequently deemed to be classified at the top secret and secret level.
For instance Sullivan emailed Clinton on her personal account a memo about Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on June 7, 2012, a topic later to be determined to classified at the “secret” level. Clinton responded several hours later:
“I’m even more determined to do this and have some ideas I want to discuss w[ith] you,” Clinton wrote Sullivan.
At the time, U.S.-Pakistani relations were facing a difficult patch as Khar was demanding the United States apologize for an airstrike that killed 26 Pakistanis the previous day.
In other classified emails made public under lawsuits from the conservative watchdog Judicial Watch, Sullivan:
Sent an email June 13, 2009, to Clinton and aide Cheryl Mills discussing Sullivan’s conversations with Northern Ireland leaders.
Sent classified information in a January 26, 2010, email to Clinton and top aide Huma Abedin explaining that he has “pasted” (his word) from another document a written summary sent to him from former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Blair’s conversations were with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Irish leaders regarding the sensitive Northern Ireland peace process.
Forwarded an email dated August 31, 2011, from former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman sent to former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin, William Burns and that was released heavily redacted as classified. The secretary of state responded, “I called him [redacted.] Didn’t you get memcon?”
In an April 2019 deposition with Judicial Watch, Sullivan acknowledged he had used the private email server frequently but never intended to transmit classified information.
“Like Secretary Clinton has said herself, I wish she had used a State Department account,” he testified. “It wasn’t really part of my job to be thinking about Secretary Clinton’s emails so I don’t think I sort of fell down directly in my job, but do I wish I had thought of it during the time we were at State. Of course. I mean, what human being at this point wouldn’t have thought of that?”
Tom Fitton, the president of Judicial Watch, said his group’s open records lawsuits exposed serious lapses in judgement by Sullivan.
“Jake Sullivan is a central figure in the Clinton email scandal and the related cover-up of the Benghazi terrorist attack,” Fitton told Just the News. “That he has yet to be held accountable for misusing classified information is another scandal. He can’t be trusted with the nation’s secrets.”
Sullivan also played a smaller role in the Russia scandal, admitting to the House Intelligence Committee he peddled now-disproven allegations of Trump-Russia collusion to news organizations like ABC, FOX, CBS and NBC during the 2016 presidential campaign.
“Basically we sat with them and walked through what we understood to be the case from – in terms of the DNC hack and leak, what we believed to be the case with respect to Russian involvement and then what we thought the upshot of this was, which is you now have the start of a much more aggressive phase of an intelligence-led operation by foreign power,” reads Sullivan’s transcript.
“And that was essentially the presentation that we made to reporters and producers, without an ask, simply to say: This dynamic is unusual, perhaps unprecedented, when you pull all of the factors together. And it's going to be an important issue between now and November 8th, when the election occurs,” Sullivan added.
Blinken’s name came up earlier this summer in a Senate investigation into Hunter Biden’s overseas business activities. Blinken had served with Joe Biden in the Senate, as national security adviser to the vice president and deputy secretary of state.
For instance, documents released by the State Department show that on March 22, 2015, Hunter Biden emailed his father’s longtime trusted aide seeking a meeting, nearly a year after Hunter Biden joined the board of Burisma as the energy company battled corruption allegations in Ukraine.
“Have a few minutes next week to grab a cup of coffee? I know you are impossibly busy, but would like to get your advice on a couple of things, Best, Hunter,” Biden wrote.
Blinken responded the same day with an “absolutely” and added, “Look forward to seeing you.”
Records indicate the two men were scheduled to meet the afternoon of May 27, 2015, although it is unclear whether the meeting took place. But other State Department memos, confirm Hunter Biden met with Blinken for lunch on July 22, 2015, at the State Department.
Two days later, on July 24, 2015, Vice President Joe Biden called President Poroshenko of the Ukraine and raised concerns about anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine.
On February 4, 2016, Hunter Biden sent a notification to Blinken indicating he was following Blinken on Twitter.
A few months later, two lawyers working for the Democratic lobbying and consulting firm Blue Star Strategies who were representing Burisma made efforts to lobby Blinken to get State Department officials to stop taking a negative view on Burisma.
One of the lawyers, Sally Painter, sent an email to State on June 27, 2016, indicating she had broached the subject with Blinken at a public event and was trying to set up a follow-up coffee with the deputy secretary of state.
"Per my conversation with Tony at the Truman event, Karen Tramontano and I would like to have a brief coffee with Tony at his earliest convenience regarding troubling events we are seeing in Ukraine," Painter wrote.
In a deposition, Painter expanded on what she was trying to do, hoping to get a State Department supervisor in the U.S. embassy named George Kent to stop taking a negative view of Blue Star’s work on Burisma.
“I've known Tony – I've known Mr. Blinken over 25 years as a professional colleague. … We wanted to get his guidance on how to deal with Mr. Kent,” she said.
Painter said she never got the follow-up audience with Blinken.


bonginoreport--2020-11-24--Flashback: Media Said It Would Take a “Miracle” for Trump’s Vaccine Timeline to Be Accurate

Back in May , just after COVID-19 spiked across America , President Trump made a bold prediction about a coronavirus vaccine .
`` We 're looking to get it by the end of the year if we can , maybe before , '' Trump said May 14 in a White House Rose Garden event .
The next day , he wrote on Twitter : `` Vaccine work is looking VERY promising , before end of year . ''
The mainstream media did n't like that prediction , not one little bit .
`` But experts say that the development , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the public is still at least 12 to 18 months off , and that anything less would be a medical miracle , '' NBC News wrote May 15 in a `` fact check . ''
The network cited Dr. Paul Offit , a professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children 's Hospital of Philadelphia .
`` I think it 's possible you could see a vaccine in people 's arms next year — by the middle or end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` But this is unprecedented , so it 's hard to predict . ''
NBC also sought comment from Dr. Stanley Plotkin , credited with inventing a rubella vaccine in 1964 .
`` In the best of circumstances , we should have a vaccine — or let 's say vaccines — between 12 and 18 months , '' Plotkin said .
Meanwhile , FactCheck.org investigated reports that Trump said in September a vaccine would be ready `` by the end of the year . ''
`` I did n't say what you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labor Day press conference .
`` What I said is 'by the end of the year . '
But I think it could even be sooner than that .
It could be during the month of October , actually .
Could be before November . ''
`` We looked through Trump 's past comments on a vaccine , and did not find any cases in which he declared a vaccine would definitely be available by October or November , '' FactCheck.org wrote on Sept. 11 in a piece headlined , `` Trump Exaggerates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggested that the earlier time frame is even more likely .
Experts and governmental officials disagree with that assessment . ''
Then there was CNN , which wrote a piece in August headlined , `` Fact Check : Will there be a coronavirus vaccine by November ? ''
`` Nothing is certain , and Trump 's optimism might be crushed in the coming months , '' CNN wrote .
`` Some experts warn against throwing out specific dates and timelines . '
I think it 's very dangerous at this point to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN 's Wolf Blitzer ... '' For the record , Trump was technically wrong .
There is n't a vaccine — there are three .
Pfizer on Nov. 9 said results from its most recent human trials on its coronavirus vaccine show it is more than 95 % effective .
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday that once their vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) , it will be shipped quickly to locations in the U.S. Then last week , a new vaccine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conjunction with the Trump administration 's Operation Warp Speed — emerged and is also nearly 95 % effective , but does not have to be kept at sub-zero temperatures like the Pfizer version , the company said .
And on Monday , AstraZeneca and Oxford University said their jointly created COVID-19 vaccine has proven to be up to 90 % effective and easier to distribute than another potential vaccine .
`` These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives , '' said Oxford University professor Andrew Pollard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the drug 's trials .
`` Because the vaccine can be stored at fridge temperatures , it can be distributed around the world using the normal immunization distribution system .
And so our goal ... to make sure that we have a vaccine that was accessible everywhere , I think we 've actually managed to do that . ''
Pfizer projects making up to 50 million doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021 .
Moderna projects 20 million doses in 2020 and up to 1 billion doses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to 3 billion doses of the vaccine in 2021 .
Not only will a vaccine be ready before the end of 2020 , it could be in use within weeks .
America 's vaccine czar on Sunday said immunizations for COVID-19 could begin in about three weeks and that the U.S. could reach herd immunity by next spring .
Moncef Slaoui , who oversees vaccine development for the White House , said on CNN that once a vaccine is approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to begin immunizations .
`` Our plan is to be able to ship vaccines to the immunization sites within 24 hours from the approval , so I would expect maybe on Day Two after approval , '' Slaoui said on CNN 's `` State of the Union . ''
`` On the 11th or the 12th of December , hopefully , the first people will be immunized across the United States , across all states . ''
`` You 've said you plan to vaccinate 20 million people in the month of December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another 30 million per month after that , '' said host Jake Tapper .
`` How many Americans need to be vaccinated for life to be able to return to normal , and when might that happen ? ''
`` So , normally , with the level of efficacy we have — 95 % — 70 % or so of the population being immunized would allow for true herd immunity to take place , '' Slaoui said .
`` That is likely to happen somewhere in the month of May , or something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ''

Back in May, just after COVID-19 spiked across America, President Trump made a bold prediction about a coronavirus vaccine.
"We're looking to get it by the end of the year if we can, maybe before," Trump said May 14 in a White House Rose Garden event.
The next day, he wrote on Twitter: "Vaccine work is looking VERY promising, before end of year."
The mainstream media didn't like that prediction, not one little bit.
"But experts say that the development, testing and production of a vaccine for the public is still at least 12 to 18 months off, and that anything less would be a medical miracle," NBC News wrote May 15 in a "fact check."
The network cited Dr. Paul Offit, a professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "I think it's possible you could see a vaccine in people's arms next year — by the middle or end of next year," said Offit. "But this is unprecedented, so it's hard to predict."
NBC also sought comment from Dr. Stanley Plotkin, credited with inventing a rubella vaccine in 1964. "In the best of circumstances, we should have a vaccine — or let's say vaccines — between 12 and 18 months," Plotkin said.
Meanwhile, FactCheck.org investigated reports that Trump said in September a vaccine would be ready "by the end of the year."
"I didn't say what you said," Trump said in a Labor Day press conference. "What I said is 'by the end of the year.' But I think it could even be sooner than that. It could be during the month of October, actually. Could be before November."
"We looked through Trump's past comments on a vaccine, and did not find any cases in which he declared a vaccine would definitely be available by October or November," FactCheck.org wrote on Sept. 11 in a piece headlined, "Trump Exaggerates Progress."
"But he has suggested that the earlier time frame is even more likely. Experts and governmental officials disagree with that assessment."
Then there was CNN, which wrote a piece in August headlined, "Fact Check: Will there be a coronavirus vaccine by November?"
"Nothing is certain, and Trump's optimism might be crushed in the coming months," CNN wrote. "Some experts warn against throwing out specific dates and timelines. 'I think it's very dangerous at this point to give specific dates,' former Surgeon Gen. Dr. Vivek Murthy told CNN's Wolf Blitzer ..."
For the record, Trump was technically wrong. There isn't a vaccine — there are three.
Pfizer on Nov. 9 said results from its most recent human trials on its coronavirus vaccine show it is more than 95% effective. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday that once their vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it will be shipped quickly to locations in the U.S.
Then last week, a new vaccine from drug maker Moderna — developed in conjunction with the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed — emerged and is also nearly 95% effective, but does not have to be kept at sub-zero temperatures like the Pfizer version, the company said.
And on Monday, AstraZeneca and Oxford University said their jointly created COVID-19 vaccine has proven to be up to 90% effective and easier to distribute than another potential vaccine.
"These findings show that we have an effective vaccine that will save many lives," said Oxford University professor Andrew Pollard, who served as the lead investigator for the drug's trials. "Because the vaccine can be stored at fridge temperatures, it can be distributed around the world using the normal immunization distribution system. And so our goal ... to make sure that we have a vaccine that was accessible everywhere, I think we've actually managed to do that."
Pfizer projects making up to 50 million doses in 2020 and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021. Moderna projects 20 million doses in 2020 and up to 1 billion doses in 2021. And AstraZeneca projects to make up to 3 billion doses of the vaccine in 2021.
Not only will a vaccine be ready before the end of 2020, it could be in use within weeks.
America's vaccine czar on Sunday said immunizations for COVID-19 could begin in about three weeks and that the U.S. could reach herd immunity by next spring.
Moncef Slaoui, who oversees vaccine development for the White House, said on CNN that once a vaccine is approved for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), all 50 states will be able to begin immunizations.
"Our plan is to be able to ship vaccines to the immunization sites within 24 hours from the approval, so I would expect maybe on Day Two after approval," Slaoui said on CNN's "State of the Union." "On the 11th or the 12th of December, hopefully, the first people will be immunized across the United States, across all states."
"You've said you plan to vaccinate 20 million people in the month of December in the United States and up to another 30 million per month after that," said host Jake Tapper. "How many Americans need to be vaccinated for life to be able to return to normal, and when might that happen?"
"So, normally, with the level of efficacy we have — 95% — 70% or so of the population being immunized would allow for true herd immunity to take place," Slaoui said. "That is likely to happen somewhere in the month of May, or something like that based on our plans."


bonginoreport--2020-11-24--Giuliani Says Legal Team Split With Sidney Powell Because They’re Focused on Two Different Theories

Rudy Giuliani offered a brief explanation for why President Trump 's legal team parted ways with attorney Sidney Powell .
The former New York City mayor , who is leading the effort , was interviewed on Monday by Fox Business host Lou Dobbs , who asked why the team released a statement the day before about Powell .
`` I think it 's because we 're pursuing two different theories , '' Giuliani said .
He said the Trump legal team is focused on `` misconduct of the election '' by state officials , which he argued deprived the constitutional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that several prongs of their endeavor , including the legal fight in Pennsylvania , will make their way to the Supreme Court .
Giuliani did not get into the specifics of the Powell theory .
Powell , a former federal prosecutor like Giuliani , has made several unproven claims about voting machines switching millions of votes from Trump to President-elect Joe Biden , which have been denied by the voting machine companies .
She has even called for criminal investigations into the matter .
Powell released a statement on Sunday saying she understood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said she is neither a member of the Trump legal team nor a lawyer for the president in his personal capacity but did not get into further detail .
`` I will continue to represent # WeThePeople who had their votes for Trump and other Republicans stolen by massive fraud through Dominion and Smartmatic , and we will be filing suit soon .
The chips will fall where they may , and we will defend the foundations of this great Republic .
# KrakenOnSteroids , '' she said .
The Trump legal team @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Washington Examiner reached out for comment on Trump insiders saying they have not seen evidence to support Powell 's claims .
Powell is scheduled to address the split and her litigation during a Tuesday evening interview on Dobbs , the Washington Examiner has learned .

Rudy Giuliani offered a brief explanation for why President Trump's legal team parted ways with attorney Sidney Powell.
The former New York City mayor, who is leading the effort, was interviewed on Monday by Fox Business host Lou Dobbs, who asked why the team released a statement the day before about Powell.
"I think it's because we're pursuing two different theories," Giuliani said. He said the Trump legal team is focused on "misconduct of the election" by state officials, which he argued deprived the constitutional rights of the president, and predicted that several prongs of their endeavor, including the legal fight in Pennsylvania, will make their way to the Supreme Court.
Giuliani did not get into the specifics of the Powell theory.
Powell, a former federal prosecutor like Giuliani, has made several claims about voting machines switching millions of votes from Trump to President-elect Joe Biden, which have been denied by the voting machine companies. Powell says she plans to prove her claims in court and even called for criminal investigations into the matter.
Powell released a statement on Sunday saying she understood the Trump legal team announcement, which said she is neither a member of the Trump legal team nor a lawyer for the president in his personal capacity but did not get into further detail.
"I will continue to represent #WeThePeople who had their votes for Trump and other Republicans stolen by massive fraud through Dominion and Smartmatic, and we will be filing suit soon. The chips will fall where they may, and we will defend the foundations of this great Republic. #KrakenOnSteroids," she said.
The Trump legal team's statement about Powell was released after the Washington Examiner reached out for comment on Trump insiders saying they have not seen evidence to support Powell's claims.
Powell is scheduled to address the split and her litigation during a Tuesday evening interview on Dobbs, the Washington Examiner has learned.


bonginoreport--2020-11-24--Analysis Shows Taxpayers Are About to Be on the Hook for $450B in Stiffed Student Loans

There ’ s no doubt that federal student loan programs were created with good intentions .
Advocates wanted to help more young Americans pursue a college education and achieve social mobility .
But the unintended consequences of short-sighted federal intervention into the higher education market are growing ever more apparent by the day .
Ample research already documents the way that federal subsidization of student loans has led to rampant tuition price inflation .
Per CNBC , private colleges have seen 129 percent price inflation since 1988 in inflation-adjusted dollars .
At public colleges , prices have more than doubled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out student loans like candy on Halloween , the federal government artificially inflated demand—thus encouraging and enabling tuition hikes .
For instance , research published by the New York Federal Reserve found that every dollar the government gave out in subsidized loans led to a 60 cent rise in tuition rates .
And a Harvard study comparing higher education programs that accepted federal aid to those that did not found that tuition at aid-accepting programs grew much faster .
But new reporting reveals another giant problem plaguing the federal student loan regime .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ government is set to lose nearly half a trillion in taxpayer dollars from student loans that won ’ t be repaid .
This gaping hole in the budget is nearly as much as banks lost from subprime mortgages in the 2008 financial crisis .
“ The Education Department , with the help of two private consultants , looked at $ 1.37 trillion in student loans held by the government at the start of the year , ” the Journal reports .
`` Their conclusion : Borrowers will pay back $ 935 billion in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayers on the hook for $ 435 billion.
” “ After decades of no-questions-asked lending , the government is realizing that it has a pile of toxic debt on its books , ” the report continues .
“ The government lends more than $ 100 billion each year to students to cover tuition at more than 6,000 colleges and universities .
It ignores factors such as credit scores and field of study , and it doesn ’ t analyze whether students will earn enough after graduating to cover their debt.
” Think about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ market , banks do their best to ensure they lend money to prospective borrowers likely to repay the loan , yielding a net positive return on their investment .
Banks that do this successfully stay in business , while those who repeatedly misjudge their borrowers go bust .
As the Journal ’ s Josh Mitchell explains , “ Since the financial crisis , private lenders typically originate loans only to borrowers with clean credit and require cosigners , and default rates are far lower than on federal loans.
” Government student loan programs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Economic analysts from across the political perspective have noted this reality .
“ There ’ s no market discipline here , ” former Obama official Constantine Yannelis told the Journal .
“ In 2007-2008 , we saw a lot of lenders who were making risky bets going under .
There ’ s no force like that in the student-loan market.
” “ We make no attempt to evaluate the quality of the borrower , the ability to repay , the effectiveness of the loans , ” American Action Forum president and right-leaning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taxpayer ends up picking up the tab.
” And it ’ s going to be quite the bomb in the federal budget when the loan program implodes .
Taxpayers like you and me are going to be stuck with the $ 435 billion bill for the federal government 's reckless financial decisions .
To put this figure in context , it ’ s roughly $ 3,000 out of the pocket of every federal taxpayer .
This is just the impending financial burden of the status quo .
It does not take into account @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debt , all of which would further increase the burden taxpayers will have to pick up .
There ’ s a clear lesson we can take away from this dysfunctional outcome .
Government programs and initiatives will always lack the profit motive that drives efficiency in the private sector .
The lack of market forces will inevitably lead to waste and reckless spending .
Economist Ludwig von Mises wrote about this phenomenon in his work Bureaucracy .
“ A bureaucracy… is missing the feedback so essential to capitalist success , ” Sheldon Richman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argument .
“ It gets its revenue not through the free choices of consumers , but rather from coerced taxpayers who must pay for ‘ services ’ whether they use them or not , or like them or not.
” “ As a result , a bureaucracy has no need to please consumers and faces no profit-and-loss test , ” he continued .
“ It can not calculate as a business can.
” Mises ’ s warning is timeless , and it applies here perfectly .
The implosion of the federal student loan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bureaucratic government interventions are always less efficient than free markets .

There’s no doubt that federal student loan programs were created with good intentions. Advocates wanted to help more young Americans pursue a college education and achieve social mobility. But the unintended consequences of short-sighted federal intervention into the higher education market are growing ever more apparent by the day.
Ample research already documents the way that federal subsidization of student loans has led to rampant tuition price inflation.
Per CNBC, private colleges have seen 129 percent price inflation since 1988 in inflation-adjusted dollars. At public colleges, prices have more than doubled over the same period. By handing out student loans like candy on Halloween, the federal government artificially inflated demand—thus encouraging and enabling tuition hikes.
For instance, research published by the New York Federal Reserve found that every dollar the government gave out in subsidized loans led to a 60 cent rise in tuition rates. And a Harvard study comparing higher education programs that accepted federal aid to those that did not found that tuition at aid-accepting programs grew much faster.
But new reporting reveals another giant problem plaguing the federal student loan regime. The Wall Street Journal reports that the government is set to lose nearly half a trillion in taxpayer dollars from student loans that won’t be repaid. This gaping hole in the budget is nearly as much as banks lost from subprime mortgages in the 2008 financial crisis.
The U.S. stands to lose $435 billion on its student-loan portfolio, approaching the scale of losses on subprime mortgages incurred by lenders during the 2008 financial crisis https://t.co/MVFz0E1hmI — The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 21, 2020
“The Education Department, with the help of two private consultants, looked at $1.37 trillion in student loans held by the government at the start of the year,” the Journal reports. "Their conclusion: Borrowers will pay back $935 billion in principal and interest. That would leave taxpayers on the hook for $435 billion.”
“After decades of no-questions-asked lending, the government is realizing that it has a pile of toxic debt on its books,” the report continues. “The government lends more than $100 billion each year to students to cover tuition at more than 6,000 colleges and universities. It ignores factors such as credit scores and field of study, and it doesn’t analyze whether students will earn enough after graduating to cover their debt.”
Think about it like this. In the free market, banks do their best to ensure they lend money to prospective borrowers likely to repay the loan, yielding a net positive return on their investment. Banks that do this successfully stay in business, while those who repeatedly misjudge their borrowers go bust.
As the Journal’s Josh Mitchell explains, “Since the financial crisis, private lenders typically originate loans only to borrowers with clean credit and require cosigners, and default rates are far lower than on federal loans.”
Government student loan programs simply have none of the right incentives. Economic analysts from across the political perspective have noted this reality.
“There’s no market discipline here,” former Obama official Constantine Yannelis told the Journal. “In 2007-2008, we saw a lot of lenders who were making risky bets going under. There’s no force like that in the student-loan market.”
“We make no attempt to evaluate the quality of the borrower, the ability to repay, the effectiveness of the loans,” American Action Forum president and right-leaning economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin noted. “The taxpayer ends up picking up the tab.”
And it’s going to be quite the bomb in the federal budget when the loan program implodes. Taxpayers like you and me are going to be stuck with the $435 billion bill for the federal government's reckless financial decisions. To put this figure in context, it’s roughly $3,000 out of the pocket of every federal taxpayer.
This is just the impending financial burden of the status quo. It does not take into account various proposals to “cancel” student debt, all of which would further increase the burden taxpayers will have to pick up.
There’s a clear lesson we can take away from this dysfunctional outcome. Government programs and initiatives will always lack the profit motive that drives efficiency in the private sector. The lack of market forces will inevitably lead to waste and reckless spending.
Economist Ludwig von Mises wrote about this phenomenon in his work Bureaucracy.
“A bureaucracy… is missing the feedback so essential to capitalist success,” Sheldon Richman wrote in summary of Mises’s argument. “It gets its revenue not through the free choices of consumers, but rather from coerced taxpayers who must pay for ‘services’ whether they use them or not, or like them or not.”
“As a result, a bureaucracy has no need to please consumers and faces no profit-and-loss test,” he continued. “It cannot calculate as a business can.”
Mises’s warning is timeless, and it applies here perfectly. The implosion of the federal student loan program does offer yet another reminder why bureaucratic government interventions are always less efficient than free markets.


bonginoreport--2020-11-24--Jim Mattis Says He Hopes Biden Will Eliminate Trump’s “America First” Policies

Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in an op-ed on Monday that he hopes President-elect Joe Biden will take “ America First ” out of the national security strategy for his incoming administration .
Mattis penned the op-ed , titled “ Defense in Depth , ” for Foreign Affairs with Kori Schake , director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute , Jim Ellis , a fellow at the Hoover Institution and former commander of U.S. Strategic Command , and Joe Felter , a fellow at the Hoover Institution .
“ In January , when President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begin to reevaluate U.S. foreign policy , we hope they will quickly revise the national security strategy to eliminate ‘ America first ’ from its contents , restoring in its place the commitment to cooperative security that has served the United States so well for decades , ” they wrote .
“ The best strategy for ensuring safety and prosperity is to buttress American military strength with enhanced civilian tools and a restored network of solid alliances – both necessary to achieving defense in depth.
” The four authors also that the U.S. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an international order manifestly advantageous to U.S. interests , reflecting a basic ignorance of the extent to which both robust alliances and international institutions provide vital strategic depth.
” “ In practice , ‘ America first ’ has meant ‘ America alone , ’ ” they wrote .
“ That has damaged the country 's ability to address problems before they reach U.S. territory and has thus compounded the danger emergent threats pose.
” They wrote that advocates of the Trump administration ’ s approach “ seem to believe that other countries will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States ’ wishes and cooperate on its terms.
” “ This is delusion , ” they wrote .
“ Sovereign countries always have choices : to compromise with aggressors , take actions opposed to U.S. interests , opt out of assistance when the United States needs it , or cooperate with one another on activities from which the United States is excluded.
” They added that “ assuming otherwise has the result of emboldening adversaries and encouraging tests of the strength of U.S. commitments.
” “ Not even the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its own , ” they continued .
“ Cooperating with like-minded nations to sustain an international order of mutual security and prosperity is a cost-effective way of securing that help.
” Mattis and his co-authors said that “ to dismiss U.S. involvement in Afghanistan , Iraq and elsewhere as ‘ endless ’ or ‘ forever ’ wars – as both President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden do – rather than as support to friendly governments struggling to exert control over their own territory misses the point.
” “ It is in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ capacity of such governments to deal with the threats that concern Americans ; that work is n't quick or linear , but it is an investment in both greater security and stronger relationships and preferable to the United States ' indefinitely having to take care of threats on its own , ” they wrote .
The group went on to say that allies also “ supplement ” U.S. “ military strength.
” Meanwhile , they went on to warn that “ the principal external threat the United States faces today is an aggressive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that could potentially undermine the American way of life.
” “ The United States ' goal , however , should not only be to deter great-power war but to seek great-power peace and cooperation in advancing shared interests , ” they wrote .
“ For that , the United States ' alliances and partnerships are especially crucial.
” They also warned that “ not even the United States is strong enough to protect itself on its own.
” “ Crucially , the United States should not press countries to choose outright between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ A ‘ with us or against us ’ approach plays to China 's advantage because the economic prosperity of U.S. allies and partners hinges on strong trade and investment relationships with Beijing.
” Instead , they recommended emphasizing “ common codes of behavior and encourage states to publicly promulgate a vision for their country 's sovereign future and the types of partnerships they need to pursue it .
”

Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in an op-ed on Monday that he hopes President-elect Joe Biden will take “America First” out of the national security strategy for his incoming administration.
Mattis penned the op-ed, titled “Defense in Depth,” for Foreign Affairs with Kori Schake, director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, Jim Ellis, a fellow at the Hoover Institution and former commander of U.S. Strategic Command, and Joe Felter, a fellow at the Hoover Institution.
“In January, when President Joe Biden and his national security team begin to reevaluate U.S. foreign policy, we hope they will quickly revise the national security strategy to eliminate ‘America first’ from its contents, restoring in its place the commitment to cooperative security that has served the United States so well for decades,” they wrote. “The best strategy for ensuring safety and prosperity is to buttress American military strength with enhanced civilian tools and a restored network of solid alliances – both necessary to achieving defense in depth.”
The four authors also that the U.S. currently is “undermining the foundations of an international order manifestly advantageous to U.S. interests, reflecting a basic ignorance of the extent to which both robust alliances and international institutions provide vital strategic depth.”
“In practice, ‘America first’ has meant ‘America alone,’” they wrote. “That has damaged the country's ability to address problems before they reach U.S. territory and has thus compounded the danger emergent threats pose.”
They wrote that advocates of the Trump administration’s approach “seem to believe that other countries will have no choice but to accede to the United States’ wishes and cooperate on its terms.”
“This is delusion,” they wrote. “Sovereign countries always have choices: to compromise with aggressors, take actions opposed to U.S. interests, opt out of assistance when the United States needs it, or cooperate with one another on activities from which the United States is excluded.”
They added that “assuming otherwise has the result of emboldening adversaries and encouraging tests of the strength of U.S. commitments.”
“Not even the United States is strong enough to protect itself on its own,” they continued. “Cooperating with like-minded nations to sustain an international order of mutual security and prosperity is a cost-effective way of securing that help.”
Mattis and his co-authors said that “to dismiss U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere as ‘endless’ or ‘forever’ wars – as both President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden do – rather than as support to friendly governments struggling to exert control over their own territory misses the point.”
“It is in the United States' interests to build the capacity of such governments to deal with the threats that concern Americans; that work isn't quick or linear, but it is an investment in both greater security and stronger relationships and preferable to the United States' indefinitely having to take care of threats on its own,” they wrote.
The group went on to say that allies also “supplement” U.S. “military strength.”
Meanwhile, they went on to warn that “the principal external threat the United States faces today is an aggressive and revisionist China – the only challenger that could potentially undermine the American way of life.”
“The United States' goal, however, should not only be to deter great-power war but to seek great-power peace and cooperation in advancing shared interests,” they wrote. “For that, the United States' alliances and partnerships are especially crucial.”
They also warned that “not even the United States is strong enough to protect itself on its own.”
“Crucially, the United States should not press countries to choose outright between the two powers,” they said. “A ‘with us or against us’ approach plays to China's advantage because the economic prosperity of U.S. allies and partners hinges on strong trade and investment relationships with Beijing.”
Instead, they recommended emphasizing “common codes of behavior and encourage states to publicly promulgate a vision for their country's sovereign future and the types of partnerships they need to pursue it.”


bonginoreport--2020-11-24--Diane Feinstein to Step Down as Top Democrat on Senate Judiciary Committee

Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein , D-Calif. , reportedly wo n't seek to maintain her role as the top Democrat on the committee .
Feinstein announced the news on Monday amid backlash surrounding her handling of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett 's confirmation .
“ After serving as the lead Democrat on the Judiciary Committee for four years , I will not seek the chairmanship or ranking member position in the next Congress , '' she said .
“ I look forward to continuing to serve as a senior Democrat on the Judiciary , Intelligence , Appropriations and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden administration on priorities like gun safety , immigration reform and addressing inequities in criminal justice .
I will continue to do my utmost to bring about positive change in the coming years.
” After the hearings , Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y. , said he had a `` long and serious talk '' with Feinstein .
Top left-leaning groups -- NARAL Pro-Choice America , Demand Justice , and Fix Our Senate , previously demanded her resignation .
“ This nomination is illegitimate and this process is a sham , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ press release mid-October .
`` Tens of millions of Americans have already voted and majorities have said unequivocally that they want to choose the next President who should fill this seat . ''
GRAHAM , FEINSTEIN HUG IT OUT AT CONCLUSION OF BARRETT HEARING She added that `` Americans -- whose lives hang in the balance -- deserve leadership that underscores how unprecedented , shameful and wrong this process is . ''
`` The Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee , Senator Dianne Feinstein , failed to make this clear and in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the proceedings that is wildly out of step with the American people .
As such , we believe the committee needs new leadership.
” On Monday , Schumer praised his Senate colleague and thanked her for her service .
“ I am deeply grateful for Senator Feinstein ’ s leadership and contributions to our caucus and country as the Ranking Member on the Senate Judiciary Committee over the last four years , '' a statement from Schumer read .
`` As a senior member of the Judiciary , Appropriations , Intelligence , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will continue her work as one of the nation ’ s leading advocates for women ’ s and voting rights , gun safety reform , civil liberties , health care , and the rights of immigrants who are yearning to become citizens of this great country .
Senator Feinstein ’ s experience , decades-long relationship with President-elect Biden , and leadership on so many issues will continue to be an asset for our caucus , California , and the country as we begin a new term with the new president.
” LIBERAL GROUPS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ROLE AFTER GRAHAM HUG A Democratic mainstay , Feinstein played a key role in the confirmation process of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 .
Like Kavanaugh 's , Barrett 's confirmation was also highly contentious as Democrats railed against Republicans for pushing the nomination so close to an election , despite not proceeding with Judge Merrick Garland in 2016 .
Feinstein received attention for hugging Chairman Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , at the conclusion of Barrett 's hearing .
`` Mr. Chairman , I just want to thank you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hearing drew to a close .
`` This has been one of the best Senate hearings that I 've participated in , and I want to thank you for your fairness and the opportunity of going back and forth . ''
She thanked him for his leadership .
`` It leaves one with a lot of hopes , a lot of questions , and even some ideas of good bipartisan legislation we could put together to make this great country even better , '' Feinstein said .
CLICK HERE TO GET THE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have very different views about the judge and whether we should be doing this or not , '' Graham replied .
`` But having said all that , to my Democratic colleagues , you have challenged the judge , you have challenged us , and I accept those challenges as being sincere and not personal . ''
Fox News ' Ronn Blitzer and Chad Pergram contributed to this report .

Senate Judiciary Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., reportedly won't seek to maintain her role as the top Democrat on the committee.
Feinstein announced the news on Monday amid backlash surrounding her handling of Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation.
“After serving as the lead Democrat on the Judiciary Committee for four years, I will not seek the chairmanship or ranking member position in the next Congress," she said. “I look forward to continuing to serve as a senior Democrat on the Judiciary, Intelligence, Appropriations and Rules committees as we work with the Biden administration on priorities like gun safety, immigration reform and addressing inequities in criminal justice. I will continue to do my utmost to bring about positive change in the coming years.”
After the hearings, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he had a "long and serious talk" with Feinstein. Top left-leaning groups -- NARAL Pro-Choice America, Demand Justice, and Fix Our Senate, previously demanded her resignation.
“This nomination is illegitimate and this process is a sham," NARAL President Ilyse Hogue said in a press release mid-October. "Tens of millions of Americans have already voted and majorities have said unequivocally that they want to choose the next President who should fill this seat."
GRAHAM, FEINSTEIN HUG IT OUT AT CONCLUSION OF BARRETT HEARING
She added that "Americans -- whose lives hang in the balance -- deserve leadership that underscores how unprecedented, shameful and wrong this process is."
"The Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Dianne Feinstein, failed to make this clear and in fact offered an appearance of credibility to the proceedings that is wildly out of step with the American people. As such, we believe the committee needs new leadership.”
On Monday, Schumer praised his Senate colleague and thanked her for her service.
“I am deeply grateful for Senator Feinstein’s leadership and contributions to our caucus and country as the Ranking Member on the Senate Judiciary Committee over the last four years," a statement from Schumer read. "As a senior member of the Judiciary, Appropriations, Intelligence, and Rules Committees, I know Senator Feinstein will continue her work as one of the nation’s leading advocates for women’s and voting rights, gun safety reform, civil liberties, health care, and the rights of immigrants who are yearning to become citizens of this great country. Senator Feinstein’s experience, decades-long relationship with President-elect Biden, and leadership on so many issues will continue to be an asset for our caucus, California, and the country as we begin a new term with the new president.”
LIBERAL GROUPS CALL FOR FEINSTEIN TO STAND DOWN FROM JUDICIARY COMMITTEE ROLE AFTER GRAHAM HUG
A Democratic mainstay, Feinstein played a key role in the confirmation process of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. Like Kavanaugh's, Barrett's confirmation was also highly contentious as Democrats railed against Republicans for pushing the nomination so close to an election, despite not proceeding with Judge Merrick Garland in 2016.
Feinstein received attention for hugging Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., at the conclusion of Barrett's hearing.
"Mr. Chairman, I just want to thank you," Feinstein said to Graham as the hearing drew to a close. "This has been one of the best Senate hearings that I've participated in, and I want to thank you for your fairness and the opportunity of going back and forth."
She thanked him for his leadership.
"It leaves one with a lot of hopes, a lot of questions, and even some ideas of good bipartisan legislation we could put together to make this great country even better," Feinstein said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
"I know we have very different views about the judge and whether we should be doing this or not," Graham replied. "But having said all that, to my Democratic colleagues, you have challenged the judge, you have challenged us, and I accept those challenges as being sincere and not personal."
Fox News' Ronn Blitzer and Chad Pergram contributed to this report.


bonginoreport--2020-11-24--NYC’s Former Mayor David Dinkins Dies at 93

David Dinkins , who was elected New York City ’ s first black mayor in 1989 and famously referred to the nation ’ s largest metropolis as a “ gorgeous mosaic , ” died Monday night , sources told The Post .
The former mayor passed away due to natural causes at his Upper East Side home at around 9:30 p.m .
He was 93 years old .
A home health aide had discovered Dinkins was not breathing and called 911 , sources said .
His death comes a little over a month after his wife , Joyce , died @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Dinkins — who defeated three-term incumbent Ed Koch in the 1989 Democratic primary — beat Republican Rudy Giuliani that year to become the city ’ s 106th mayor .
Giuliani mourned the death of Dinkins on Monday night .
“ I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Mayor David Dinkins , and to the many New Yorkers who loved and supported him , ” Giuliani wrote on Twitter .
“ He gave a great deal of his life in service to our great City .
That service is respected and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one-term until 1993 , when he narrowly lost his re-election bid in a re-match against his GOP foe .
His turbulent time in office was marked by rampant crime and racial unrest .
Despite the turmoil , he led the city with a grace and dignity that was respected even by his political foes and left him an admired figure when his tenure was long over .
“ David was a historic mayor .
He showed that a black candidate can win biracial support in a city-wide race , ” said former Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first African-American governor .
“ There ’ s a special appreciation for him .
He tried very hard to be the mayor of all the people.
” Dinkins led the nation ’ s largest city two decades before Barack Obama was elected the first African-American president .
“ David Dinkins was a forerunner to Barack Obama .
He was elected saying the same things , ” said civil right activist Al Sharpton .
“ He helped to change the psychology of American politics , making it more inclusive and more progressive.
” Whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics , Dinkins was loved by many .
“ He maintained dignity , class and gentlemanly-ness so rare in today ’ s world , ” said Ken Sunshine , who served as Dinkins ’ first chief of staff .
“ He was almost too nice to be mayor of New York , ” Sharpton said .
Born on July 10 , 1927 in Trenton , N.J. , the young Dinkins and his family moved to Harlem but he returned to Trenton to attend high school .
He enrolled at Howard University , though @ @ @ @ @ @ @ II .
He served in the United States Marine Corps before returning to Howard , where he graduated with honors and a bachelor ’ s degree in mathematics .
Dinkins married a Howard classmate , Joyce Burrow , and earned his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1956 .
As Dinkins got more involved in Democratic Party politics in New York City , he would form an alliance with three other up and coming Harlemites — Charles Rangel , Basil Paterson and Percy Sutton .
They would later become known as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force in the city ’ s black political establishment , particularly in Harlem .
His first big step in politics was winning a seat to the State Assembly , in 1965 , where he served one-term .
The future mayor began making a name for himself .
He was credited with helping create a program that provided state grants to college students from low income families .
Dinkins was appointed president of the city ’ s Board of Education in 1972 .
Then-Mayor Abe Beame later tapped Dinkins to serve as deputy mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embarrassing stories surfaced about unpaid taxes , a debt he later paid off .
Dinkins was subsequently appointed to the mostly ceremonial post of city clerk .
When his pal Sutton stepped down as Manhattan borough president in 1977 , Dinkins ran for the post — but lost .
He would lose again , to Andrew Stein in 1981 .
But the third time was the charm for Dinkins , who was elected borough president in 1985 .
Some longtime associates were surprised when Dinkins sought the mayoralty , describing him as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political career , Dinkins never talked about running for mayor , said David Paterson , the son of Dinkins longtime pal Basil Paterson .
“ David was super ambitious about becoming borough president .
He didn ’ t have the ambition to become mayor , ” Paterson said .
“ Dinkins was kind of pushed into the race against Mayor Ed Koch.
” Dinkins was a methodical guy who plowed ahead and after prodding from supporters , he sought the prize — becoming New York City ’ s CEO .
By that point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ polarizing figure amid a municipal corruption scandal .
And Koch ’ s forceful personality , prickly humor and blunt speaking style — once an asset — had turned into a liability , particularly with minority voters upset about racial strife and police brutality cases .
During the Democratic primary , Dinkins portrayed himself as a stabilizing force and antidote to the provocative Koch , who he beat by nearly 100,000 votes .
He would go on to beat Giuliani 50 percent to 47 percent .
Crime was a major issue .
The city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year , a crack epidemic and 1 million New Yorkers on welfare following a recession .
The Post expressed the anxious mood of the city with a front page headline , “ Dave , Do Something.
” He personally lobbied in Albany — accompanied by then-Council Speaker Peter Vallone — and persuaded the state Legislature to approve an income tax surcharge to finance the “ Safe Streets , Safe City , Cops and Kids ” program .
The money was used to hire more cops to work on neighborhood patrols .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he worked on , ” Paterson said .
“ It spawned the idea the charter schools came up with , keep the kids in school later.
” One of the personal highlights of Dinkins ’ tenure was welcoming to New York South African leader Nelson Mandela , the anti-apartheid activist who spent 27 years in prison .
“ At times even those of us who were his supporters didn ’ t realize how important Dinkins ’ election was .
Then he escorted Mandela on stage in Harlem .
.
.
.
It was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paterson said .
For all the history making of the mayoralty , Dinkins governed a fragile divided city beset with a high crime rate and still recovering from a recession .
Perhaps the biggest fumble by the Dinkins administration was the belated response to racial rioting in Crown Heights in 1991 .
The disturbances erupted after a station wagon driven by a Hasidic driver struck and killed black 7-year-old Gavin Cato .
In retaliation , angry black youths assaulted Jewish residents .
Yankel Rosenbaum , a 29-year-old Hasidic scholar , was stabbed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dinkins “ failed to act in a timely and decisive manner ” and also rapped his Police Commissioner Lee Brown and for “ inadequate ” supervision .
“ I wish I had challenged police accounts earlier , ” Dinkins said at the time .
“ The larger lesson is , one has to challenge , cross-examine and question , ” he said after the report ’ s release .
The report was released just months before his re-election bid , against Giuliani , a mob-busting former US Attorney .
Many believe the mishandling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ defeat .
Dinkins was initially elected as a healer .
But now his critics — including rival Giuliani — said he couldn ’ t keep the peace and was soft on crime .
An earlier racially charged controversy had already put Dinkins ’ City Hall on hits heels — a black activists boycott of a Korean-owned grocery store in Brooklyn ’ s Flatbush section .
The protests were spurred by a dispute between a black customer and the grocer .
Dinkins worked behind the scenes to try to end the boycott , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The Crown Heights riot and the Korean deli boycott Dinkins handled with less than skill .
The state report on the Crown Heights controversy did him in , ” said Baruch College professor Doug Muzzio .
Dinkins ’ mayoralty was dogged by another divisive issue — a growing and serious secessionist movement on Staten Island , the city ’ s whitest and most conservative borough .
The ballot question on island secession — and when it would appear — was approved by former Gov .
Mario Cuomo and the state Legislature over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was mayor .
Giuliani supporters on Staten Islands fanned the secessionist flames as a campaign strategy to boost turnout for Giuliani .
“ The Staten Island secession referendum didn ’ t help me .
No question about it , ” Dinkins told the Post in 2015 .
A bill to enact Staten Island secession died in the state Legislature — without even a vote — saying it first needed “ home rule ” approval from the city .
By then , Dinkins had been voted out of office and Giuliani was mayor .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still upset that he didn ’ t get re-elected , and said racial animosity was a factor in his defeat .
Others said he deserved more credit for the reduction in crime , which started with the Safe Streets program .
“ The road to a safer city was begun under Dinkins .
That began the long and difficult road to where the city is now , ” Sunshine said .
“ Urban America got better and safer.
” After leaving office , Dinkins joined Columbia University ’ s School of International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public Policy in 1994 .
He also kept engaging in activism , as he was arrested for criminal trespassing as part of a public protest in 1999 against the shooting death of unarmed African immigrant Amadou Diallo in a hail of 41 bullets fired by four white police officers .
“ He was selective .
But when he weighed in , he had a lot of gravitas , ” Sharpton said of Dinkins .
Attorney General Letitia James , who is the first African American woman to hold statewide office in New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement early Tuesday morning .
“ Personally , Mayor Dinkins ’ example was an inspiration to me from my first run for city council to my campaigns for public advocate and attorney general .
I was honored to have him hold the bible at my inaugurations because I , and others , stand on his shoulders , ” James said .
“ The voice that gave birth to the ‘ gorgeous mosaic ’ is now at rest .
New York will mourn Mayor Dinkins and continue to be moved by his towering legacy @ @

David Dinkins, who was elected New York City’s first black mayor in 1989 and famously referred to the nation’s largest metropolis as a “gorgeous mosaic,” died Monday night, sources told The Post.
The former mayor passed away from natural causes at his Upper East Side home around 9:30 p.m. He was 93 years old.
A home health aide had discovered Dinkins was not breathing and called 911, sources said.
His death comes a little over a month after his wife, Joyce, died at their home. She was 89.
Dinkins — who defeated three-term incumbent Ed Koch in the 1989 Democratic primary — beat Republican Rudy Giuliani that year to become the city’s 106th mayor.
Giuliani mourned the death of Dinkins on Monday night.
“I extend my deepest condolences to the family of Mayor David Dinkins, and to the many New Yorkers who loved and supported him,” Giuliani wrote on Twitter.
“He gave a great deal of his life in service to our great City. That service is respected and honored by all.”
He would serve one term, narrowly losing his re-election bid in a 1993 rematch against his GOP foe.
His turbulent time in office was marked by rampant crime and racial unrest. Despite the turmoil, he led the city with a grace and dignity that was respected even by his political foes and left him an admired figure long after his tenure was over.
“David was a historic mayor. He showed that a black candidate can win biracial support in a citywide race,” said former Gov. David Paterson, who became the state’s first African American chief executive.
“There’s a special appreciation for him. He tried very hard to be the mayor of all the people.”
Dinkins led the nation’s largest city two decades before Barack Obama was elected the first African American president.
“David Dinkins was a forerunner to Barack Obama. He was elected saying the same things,” said civil rights activist Al Sharpton.
“He helped to change the psychology of American politics, making it more inclusive and more progressive.”
Previous 1 of 11 Next Advertisement David Dinkins speaks to reporters at Gracie Mansion with singer James Brown (second from left) and his wife, Adrienne, and the Rev. Al Sharpton in 1992. AP Sen. Al Gore listens as David Dinkins speaks during an NYC rally in 1989. ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement Cindy Adams, Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump and David Dinkins Nelson Mandela with David Dinkins and President Bill Clinton in 1992 NYC Mayors Office David Dinkins in 1991 AP Advertisement Rev. Jesse Jackson and David Dinkins campaign in 1989. AP Mayoral contenders (from left) Comptroller Harrison J. Goldin, former MTA Chairman Richard Ravitch, Manhattan Borough President David Dinkins and incumbent Ed Koch in 1989 AP Joyce and David Dinkins in 2015 AP Advertisement
Whether residents agreed or disagreed with his liberal politics, Dinkins was loved by many.
“He maintained dignity, class and gentlemanliness so rare in today’s world,” said Ken Sunshine, who served as Dinkins’ first chief of staff.
“He was almost too nice to be mayor of New York,” Sharpton said.
Born on July 10, 1927, in Trenton, NJ, the young Dinkins and his family moved to Harlem, but he returned to Trenton to attend high school.
He enrolled at Howard University, though his studies were disrupted by World World II.
He served in the United States Marine Corps before returning to Howard, where he graduated with honors and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.
Dinkins married a Howard classmate, Joyce Burrow, and earned his law degree from Brooklyn Law School in 1956.
As Dinkins got more involved in Democratic Party politics in New York City, he would form an alliance with three other up-and-coming Harlemites — Charles Rangel, Basil Paterson and Percy Sutton.
They would later become known as the Gang of Four, the most powerful force in the city’s black political establishment, particularly in Harlem.
His first big step in politics was winning a seat in the state Assembly, in 1965, where he served one term.
The future mayor began making a name for himself. He was credited with helping create a program that provided state grants to college students from low-income families.
Dinkins was appointed president of the city’s Board of Education in 1972. Then-Mayor Abe Beame later tapped Dinkins to serve as deputy mayor. But Dinkins declined the job after embarrassing stories surfaced about unpaid taxes, a debt he later paid off.
Dinkins was subsequently appointed to the mostly ceremonial post of city clerk.
When his pal Sutton stepped down as Manhattan borough president in 1977, Dinkins ran for the post — but lost.
He would lose again, to Andrew Stein in 1981.
But the third time was the charm for Dinkins, who was elected borough president in 1985.
Some longtime associates were surprised when Dinkins sought the mayoralty, describing him as a reluctant warrior.
For much of his political career, Dinkins never talked about running for mayor, said David Paterson, the son of longtime Dinkins pal Basil Paterson.
“David was super ambitious about becoming borough president. He didn’t have the ambition to become mayor,” Paterson said.
“Dinkins was kind of pushed into the race against Mayor Ed Koch.”
Dinkins was a methodical guy who plowed ahead and, after prodding from supporters, he sought the prize — becoming New York City’s CEO.
The year was 1989.
By that point, Koch had become an unpopular and polarizing figure amid a municipal corruption scandal. And Koch’s forceful personality, prickly humor and blunt speaking style — once an asset — had turned into a liability, particularly with minority voters upset about racial strife and police brutality cases.
During the Democratic primary, Dinkins portrayed himself as a stabilizing force and antidote to the provocative Koch, whom he beat by nearly 100,000 votes. He would go on to beat Giuliani 50 percent to 47 percent.
Dinkins’ mayoralty was a challenging one.
Crime was a major issue. The city was reeling with more than 2,000 murders a year, a crack epidemic and 1 million New Yorkers on welfare following a recession.
The Post expressed the anxious mood of the city with a front-page headline: “Dave, Do Something.”
Dinkins did.
He personally lobbied in Albany — accompanied by then-Council Speaker Peter Vallone — and persuaded the state Legislature to approve an income tax surcharge to finance the “Safe Streets, Safe City, Cops and Kids” program. The money was used to hire more cops to work on neighborhood patrols.
“Beacon was one of the smart projects he worked on,” Paterson said. “It spawned the idea the charter schools came up with, keep the kids in school later.”
One of the personal highlights of Dinkins’ tenure was welcoming to New York South African leader Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid activist who spent 27 years in prison.
“At times even those of us who were his supporters didn’t realize how important Dinkins’ election was. Then he escorted Mandela on stage in Harlem. … It was a ‘wow’ moment,” Paterson said.
For all the history-making of the mayoralty, Dinkins governed a fragile, divided city beset with a high crime rate and still recovering from a recession.
Perhaps the biggest fumble by the Dinkins administration was the belated response to racial rioting in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in 1991.
The disturbances erupted after a station wagon driven by a Hasidic driver struck and killed black 7-year-old Gavin Cato. In retaliation, angry black youths assaulted Jewish residents. Yankel Rosenbaum, a 29-year-old Hasidic scholar, was stabbed to death.
A damning state report concluded that Dinkins “failed to act in a timely and decisive manner” and also rapped his Police Commissioner Lee Brown for “inadequate” supervision.
“I wish I had challenged police accounts earlier,” Dinkins said at the time. “The larger lesson is, one has to challenge, cross-examine and question,” he said after the report’s release.
The report was released just months before his re-election bid against Giuliani, a mob-busting former US attorney. Many believe the mishandling of the Crown Heights unrest contributed to Dinkins’ defeat.
Dinkins was initially elected as a healer. But now his critics — including rival Giuliani — said he couldn’t keep the peace and was soft on crime.
An earlier racially charged controversy had already put Dinkins’ City Hall on its heels — a black activist boycott of a Korean-owned grocery store in Brooklyn’s Flatbush section. The protests were spurred by a dispute between a black customer and the grocer.
Dinkins worked behind the scenes to try to end the boycott, which dragged on for eight months.
“The Crown Heights riot and the Korean deli boycott Dinkins handled with less than skill. The state report on the Crown Heights controversy did him in,” said Baruch College professor Doug Muzzio.
Dinkins’ mayoralty was dogged by another divisive issue — a growing and serious secessionist movement on Staten Island, the city’s whitest and most conservative borough.
The ballot question on island secession — and when it would appear — was approved by former Gov. Mario Cuomo and the state Legislature over the city’s objection when Koch was mayor.
Giuliani supporters on Staten Island fanned the secessionist flames as a campaign strategy to boost turnout for Giuliani.
“The Staten Island secession referendum didn’t help me. No question about it,” Dinkins told The Post in 2015.
A bill to enact Staten Island secession died in the state Legislature — without even a vote — saying it first needed “home rule” approval from the city.
By then, Dinkins had been voted out of office and Giuliani was mayor.
To this day, Dinkins’ supporters are still upset that he didn’t get re-elected, and said racial animosity was a factor in his defeat. Others said he deserved more credit for the reduction in crime, which started with the Safe Streets program.
“The road to a safer city was begun under Dinkins. That began the long and difficult road to where the city is now,” Sunshine said. “Urban America got better and safer.”
After leaving office, Dinkins joined Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs as a professor in public policy in 1994.
He also kept engaging in activism, as he was arrested for criminal trespassing as part of a public protest in 1999 against the shooting death of unarmed African immigrant Amadou Diallo in a hail of 41 bullets fired by four white police officers.
“He was selective. But when he weighed in, he had a lot of gravitas,” Sharpton said of Dinkins.
Attorney General Letitia James, who is the first African American woman to hold statewide office in New York, paid tribute to Dinkins in a statement early Tuesday.
“Personally, Mayor Dinkins’ example was an inspiration to me from my first run for city council to my campaigns for public advocate and attorney general. I was honored to have him hold the bible at my inaugurations because I, and others, stand on his shoulders,” James said.
“The voice that gave birth to the ‘gorgeous mosaic’ is now at rest. New York will mourn Mayor Dinkins and continue to be moved by his towering legacy.”