theguardian--2020-02-11--Trump puts Cuban doctors in firing line as heat turned up on island economy

A Cuban medical programme that has helped some of the world ’ s poorest communities has become the latest target of the Trump administration ’ s escalating attempts to pressure Havana ’ s faltering economy .
Dubbed “ Cuban doctors ” , the celebrated – if controversial – humanitarian medical mission was founded more than half a century ago in the aftermath of Fidel Castro ’ s revolution , in part to enhance the country ’ s international influence .
Currently active in over 60 countries , the scheme has provided healthcare across the globe , from indigenous Amazon peoples @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victims of Haiti ’ s 2010 earthquake .
Now its work has come under renewed fire via a combination of allegations , led by Washington , which has accused Havana of using the doctors to undermine democracy , not least in Venezuela – which hosts one of the biggest missions .
Havana has also been accused – in claims taken up by Washington – of “ exploiting ” the medical staff sent on the missions .
One report suggested work conditions , low salaries and coercion amounted to “ modern slavery ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ analysts who have closely studied the work of the medical missions , accuse the US of using the claims as cover for its policy of strangling the Cuban economy in the hope of damaging the left-wing regime , while warning that poor patients will be the biggest victims .
According to Cuba ’ s ministry of foreign affairs , more than 600,000 Cuban medical staff , including doctors , nurses and technicians , have been sent to more than 160 countries since the 1960s .
While some two dozen missions are provided free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where the doctors are deployed pay Cuba for the medical services , bringing in $ 6.3bn ( £4.8bn ) annually , Havana ’ s largest source of foreign currency .
The US campaign against the Cuban doctors has intensified amid recent political changes in Latin America , which have led to the expulsion of the missions from several countries , including Bolivia and Brazil , where left-wing governments have been replaced by right-wing regimes closely aligned with Trump and Washington .
At the forefront of the allegations is US secretary of state Mike @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deployment of Cuban doctors in countries from Venezuela to Brazil and Ecuador as sinister interference in their affairs , and congratulated countries – like Bolivia – that have expelled them .
Pompeo has been backed by other senior US officials and agencies , including deputy secretary of state Michael Kozak , who has also latched on to recent claims about the doctors ’ working conditions .
“ The Castro regime sends up to 50,000 Cuban medical staff overseas to work in harsh conditions .
Stories of abuses abound .
The regime pockets 75 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and using ( sic ) them to keep allied regimes in power , ” Kozak tweeted before Christmas .
The main US development agency , USAid , has also weighed in , offering to fund organisations helping to expose negative aspects of the scheme .
They have accused Cuba of “ exploit [ ing ] its medical professionals … using them to buy international financial and political support and keep its struggling economy afloat , while pocketing the majority of these workers ’ salaries and subjecting them to poor living conditions , constant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to leave their mission ” .
The claims surrounding the doctors ’ work conditions were fuelled by a report last year by NGO Prisoners Defenders , which claimed to have interviewed more than 100 doctors , allegations taken up by two UN rapporteurs .
Critics say Washington ’ s campaign against the doctors , which includes attempts to persuade them to defect , is little more than an attempt to strangle the amount of foreign revenue that they bring in – much of which is ploughed back into Cuba ’ s health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , deputy director of North America at the Cuban ministry of foreign affairs , said Trump administration officials had been pressuring Latin American governments to end the medical support programs , hurting healthcare in those countries .
“ The government of President Trump has crossed the red line of decency by taking the foreign relations of the United States to levels of hypocrisy and double standards that none of his predecessors have done , ″ Tablada said .
While the Cuban doctors have been criticised in the past , not least by those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ development of their own healthcare systems and medical training , the current US pressure on the programme coincides with the election of Donald Trump and his apparent determination to reverse the warming of relations between the US and Cuba that took place under the Obama administration .
“ The [ US policy ] is targeting the two main sources of external income for Cuba , first tourism and now medical services , ” explained Pavel Vidal Alejandro , a Cuban-born academic at the Xavierian University in Colombia .
“ Medical services represent around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign income , ” he told the Guardian .
“ It ’ s the old policy of applying a high pressure cooker strategy in the hope it will produce social protests .
That didn ’ t happen in the past and is not happening now.
” John Kirk , an academic at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia who has interviewed several hundred Cuban doctors is also sceptical about some of the claims – which he believes are “ exaggerated ” – and about the real reasons for the targeting of the Cuban doctors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ ve interviewed 270 doctors , nurses and technicians and stayed with them on missions , ” he said .
And , Kirk said , while it is clear that some doctors on the missions do defect or complain about working conditions , salaries and political pressure , his impression has been that many are motivated to join the missions and are happy at the opportunity to earn far more than they would practising medicine in Cuba .
“ It ’ s in the DNA , the idea of a vocation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the doctors always said to me is how they can earn more than in Cuba .
Another motivation mentioned was the experience they gained in some of these places , which they described as a living medical text book .
They go to places others won ’ t go.
” Kirk mentioned the Mais Médicos ( More Doctors ) programme originally set up in Brazil by former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and ended when the right-wing demagogue and Trump supporter Jair Bolsonaro came to power last year .
“ If you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mais Médicos brought healthcare to to indigenous populations , to places like the Amazon that had never never seen doctors before .
“ And what ’ s also missed [ in the criticism ] is that the programme brings in money to subsidise the Cuban healthcare.
” Guardian interviews with Cuban doctors who have served on medical missions , including those shut down in Bolivia and Brazil , portrayed a far more nuanced story than that depicted by the US and some of the critics .
While many would prefer to keep more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conditions , they denied they felt like “ slaves ” .
Instead , for Dr Yoandra Muro , until recently the head of the expelled mission in Bolivia , the threats came instead from the new right-wing government that ousted left-wing president Evo Morales .
She said they were accused of “ being a white-coated army ” .
“ [ Towards the end of the mission ] the police entered our houses and took belongings of our colleagues .
These were the same people we ’ d been giving healthcare to .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you turn from a doctor into a terrorist .
“ We were in 35 hospitals where the majority of our professionals were specialists .
This means there are 35 hospitals– where children are being born , where urgent surgery is required – that today don ’ t have those professionals .
“ You can imagine the insecurity that they feel .
There were lots of patients who cried when we left , that felt the pain of their doctor going , that said ‘ what am I going to do now ?
Who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She added : “ What a contradiction !
Either we ’ re victims or we are threats.
” Yanet Rosales , 32 , is a family doctor in Cuba who has completed two foreign medical missions including with Mais Médicos .
Like many , she said the ability to earn far more than a doctor in Cuba was a strong motivating factor .
“ From a personal point of view , I ’ d always wanted to go to Brazil and this was my opportunity .
There ’ s also the economic factor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be there , so this was a factor .
“ The Brazilian government paid around €6,000 ( £5,091 ) a month for our services [ as doctors ] of which we got to take home €1,500 .
The Cuban government took the rest to buy medical equipment and to improve health here .
“ I never felt exploited.On the contrary … but we ’ re not totally in agreement with it .
We were the ones working and far away from the family .
Of course , we ’ ve got to help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our government .
We are aware that we are doctors thanks to the state , but we didn ’ t agree with the percentage we were getting .
We think it should have been 50-50 .
“ But at the same time , if we weren ’ t fully in agreement with the contract , we wouldn ’ t have gone .
They put those conditions to us before we went , so we can ’ t complain either.
” For Kirk , the outlook is worrying .
“ If Trump gets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ US policy is a continuing process .
Death by a thousand cuts .
”

Peter Beaumont and Ed Augustin in Havana

A Cuban medical programme that has helped some of the world’s poorest communities has become the latest target of the Trump administration’s escalating attempts to pressure Havana’s faltering economy.
Dubbed “Cuban doctors”, the celebrated – if controversial – humanitarian medical mission was founded more than half a century ago in the aftermath of Fidel Castro’s revolution, in part to enhance the country’s international influence.
Currently active in over 60 countries, the scheme has provided healthcare across the globe, from indigenous Amazon peoples to slum residents in Africa to the victims of Haiti’s 2010 earthquake.
Now its work has come under renewed fire via a combination of allegations, led by Washington, which has accused Havana of using the doctors to undermine democracy, not least in Venezuela – which hosts one of the biggest missions.
Havana has also been accused – in claims taken up by Washington – of “exploiting” the medical staff sent on the missions. One report suggested work conditions, low salaries and coercion amounted to “modern slavery”.
In response, Cuban officials, and analysts who have closely studied the work of the medical missions, accuse the US of using the claims as cover for its policy of strangling the Cuban economy in the hope of damaging the left-wing regime, while warning that poor patients will be the biggest victims.
According to Cuba’s ministry of foreign affairs, more than 600,000 Cuban medical staff, including doctors, nurses and technicians, have been sent to more than 160 countries since the 1960s.
Cuba offered to send physicians to the US to aid relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Photograph: Jorge Rey/AP
While some two dozen missions are provided free of cost by Havana, other countries where the doctors are deployed pay Cuba for the medical services, bringing in $6.3bn (£4.8bn) annually, Havana’s largest source of foreign currency.
The US campaign against the Cuban doctors has intensified amid recent political changes in Latin America, which have led to the expulsion of the missions from several countries, including Bolivia and Brazil, where left-wing governments have been replaced by right-wing regimes closely aligned with Trump and Washington.
Relations between Cuba and the US have deteriorated since the election of Donald Trump, who reinforced sanctions against the island. Photograph: Yamil Lage/Getty
At the forefront of the allegations is US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who has both depicted the deployment of Cuban doctors in countries from Venezuela to Brazil and Ecuador as sinister interference in their affairs, and congratulated countries – like Bolivia – that have expelled them.
Pompeo has been backed by other senior US officials and agencies, including deputy secretary of state Michael Kozak, who has also latched on to recent claims about the doctors’ working conditions.
“The Castro regime sends up to 50,000 Cuban medical staff overseas to work in harsh conditions. Stories of abuses abound. The regime pockets 75% of the doctors’ salaries, and using (sic) them to keep allied regimes in power,” Kozak tweeted before Christmas.
The main US development agency, USAid, has also weighed in, offering to fund organisations helping to expose negative aspects of the scheme. They have accused Cuba of “exploit[ing] its medical professionals … using them to buy international financial and political support and keep its struggling economy afloat, while pocketing the majority of these workers’ salaries and subjecting them to poor living conditions, constant surveillance, and threatening those who wish to leave their mission”.
The claims surrounding the doctors’ work conditions were fuelled by a report last year by NGO Prisoners Defenders, which claimed to have interviewed more than 100 doctors, allegations taken up by two UN rapporteurs.
Critics say Washington’s campaign against the doctors, which includes attempts to persuade them to defect, is little more than an attempt to strangle the amount of foreign revenue that they bring in – much of which is ploughed back into Cuba’s health and social services.
In December Johana Tablada, deputy director of North America at the Cuban ministry of foreign affairs, said Trump administration officials had been pressuring Latin American governments to end the medical support programs, hurting healthcare in those countries.
“The government of President Trump has crossed the red line of decency by taking the foreign relations of the United States to levels of hypocrisy and double standards that none of his predecessors have done,″ Tablada said.
While the Cuban doctors have been criticised in the past, not least by those who say they undercut poor countries’ development of their own healthcare systems and medical training, the current US pressure on the programme coincides with the election of Donald Trump and his apparent determination to reverse the warming of relations between the US and Cuba that took place under the Obama administration.
Cuban doctor Ralfis Carbort shortly before leaving to help with the devastation caused by Hurricane Idai. Photograph: Ramón Espinosa/AP
“The [US policy] is targeting the two main sources of external income for Cuba, first tourism and now medical services,” explained Pavel Vidal Alejandro, a Cuban-born academic at the Xavierian University in Colombia.
“Medical services represent around 60% of Cuba’s total foreign income,” he told the Guardian. “It’s the old policy of applying a high pressure cooker strategy in the hope it will produce social protests. That didn’t happen in the past and is not happening now.”
John Kirk, an academic at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia who has interviewed several hundred Cuban doctors is also sceptical about some of the claims – which he believes are “exaggerated” – and about the real reasons for the targeting of the Cuban doctors.
“Over the last 12 years I’ve interviewed 270 doctors, nurses and technicians and stayed with them on missions,” he said.
And, Kirk said, while it is clear that some doctors on the missions do defect or complain about working conditions, salaries and political pressure, his impression has been that many are motivated to join the missions and are happy at the opportunity to earn far more than they would practising medicine in Cuba.
“It’s in the DNA, the idea of a vocation,” he added. “One thing the doctors always said to me is how they can earn more than in Cuba. Another motivation mentioned was the experience they gained in some of these places, which they described as a living medical text book. They go to places others won’t go.”
Kirk mentioned the Mais Médicos (More Doctors) programme originally set up in Brazil by former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and ended when the right-wing demagogue and Trump supporter Jair Bolsonaro came to power last year.
“If you look at the situation in Brazil, Mais Médicos brought healthcare to to indigenous populations, to places like the Amazon that had never never seen doctors before.
“And what’s also missed [in the criticism] is that the programme brings in money to subsidise the Cuban healthcare.”
Guardian interviews with Cuban doctors who have served on medical missions, including those shut down in Bolivia and Brazil, portrayed a far more nuanced story than that depicted by the US and some of the critics.
While many would prefer to keep more of their salaries and enjoy better working conditions, they denied they felt like “slaves”.
Instead, for Dr Yoandra Muro, until recently the head of the expelled mission in Bolivia, the threats came instead from the new right-wing government that ousted left-wing president Evo Morales. She said they were accused of “being a white-coated army”.
“[Towards the end of the mission] the police entered our houses and took belongings of our colleagues. These were the same people we’d been giving healthcare to. It was very difficult to understand how overnight you turn from a doctor into a terrorist.
“We were in 35 hospitals where the majority of our professionals were specialists. This means there are 35 hospitals– where children are being born, where urgent surgery is required – that today don’t have those professionals.
“You can imagine the insecurity that they feel. There were lots of patients who cried when we left, that felt the pain of their doctor going, that said ‘what am I going to do now? Who will treat me now’?”
She added: “What a contradiction! Either we’re victims or we are threats.”
Yanet Rosales, 32, is a family doctor in Cuba who has completed two foreign medical missions including with Mais Médicos . Like many, she said the ability to earn far more than a doctor in Cuba was a strong motivating factor.
“From a personal point of view, I’d always wanted to go to Brazil and this was my opportunity. There’s also the economic factor. They pay us much more to be there, so this was a factor.
“The Brazilian government paid around €6,000 (£5,091) a month for our services [as doctors] of which we got to take home €1,500. The Cuban government took the rest to buy medical equipment and to improve health here.
“I never felt exploited.On the contrary … but we’re not totally in agreement with it. We were the ones working and far away from the family. Of course, we’ve got to help the country, we are there thanks to our government. We are aware that we are doctors thanks to the state, but we didn’t agree with the percentage we were getting. We think it should have been 50-50.
“But at the same time, if we weren’t fully in agreement with the contract, we wouldn’t have gone. They put those conditions to us before we went, so we can’t complain either.”
For Kirk, the outlook is worrying. “If Trump gets re-elected all bets are off. The US policy is a continuing process. Death by a thousand cuts.”


theguardian--2020-02-11--'Can't even run a caucus': Trump tries to rattle Democrats on eve of New Hampshire

An emboldened Donald Trump celebrated his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial at a campaign rally in New Hampshire , where he hoped his presence would rattle his Democratic opponents on the eve of the state ’ s first-in-the-nation primaries .
While the Democratic candidates tore into the president at rallies and events across the battleground state , Trump fired up thousands of his most ardent supporters at the Monday night rally , his first since the Senate cleared him of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress .
“ Our good Republicans in the United States Senate voted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to issue a full , complete and absolute total acquittal , ” Trump thundered to a packed arena in downtown Manchester .
“ It wasn ’ t even close !
” Trump tweeted ahead of the rally that he hoped to “ shake up the Dems a little bit ” as they face a competitive contest , in which Vermont senator Bernie Sanders leads the field in many surveys .
The New Hampshire primary has always played an outsized role in the presidential nomination process , but it has taken on a heightened @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa caucuses to produce a clear winner .
Trump delighted in the debacle , playfully asking the crowd if anyone knew who had won the Democratic caucuses .
`` ( “ Nobody knows .
Flip a coin !
” he said . )
He added later : “ The Democrat party wants to run your healthcare but they can ’ t even run a caucus in Iowa.
” As the Democratic hopefuls crisscrossed the state , Trump supporters came from across the region , braving rain and snow , to attend the rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of 110,000 people .
The line to enter the arena snaked around the arena for several blocks ; those at the front had arrived more than 24 hours in advance .
Inside the arena , concession stands sold cotton candy , popcorn and Dippin ’ Dots to people in red Make America Great Again hats and pink Women for Trump T-shirts .
Trump ’ s hour-long speech reprised some of his most incendiary remarks , including the claim that undocumented immigrants entering the country are “ murderers , rapists and some other things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ references .
He lashed out at the House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , for her behavior during his State of the Union speech last week when she tore up a copy of his remarks after he finished .
“ I ’ m speaking and a woman is mumbling terribly behind me .
Angry – there was a little anger back there , ” Trump complained .
“ We ’ re the ones that should be angry !
” The arena erupted in a round of “ Lock her up !
!
” , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But Trump also credited the House speaker for his rising poll numbers .
Last week , as the Democratic Iowa caucus collapsed into disarray , he recorded his highest ever approval rating in a Gallup poll .
( “ Thank you , Nancy , ” he roared . )
 Unlike the Democrats , Trump faces no real competition in the New Hampshire Republican primary on Tuesday , which four years ago delivered his first primary victory .
Only Bill Weld , the former governor of Massachusetts , remains in the race @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Never Trump Republicans .
Noting his lack of opposition in the state ’ s open primary , Trump repeatedly returned to the prospect of his supporters influencing the result by voting for the Democrat who they believe Trump would have the best chance of defeating .
New Hampshire election laws allow independents to cast ballots for either Democrats or Republicans .
“ A lot of Republicans tomorrow will vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats , ” he said .
“ My only problem is I ’ m trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think they ’ re all weak.
” The event on Monday night was part of a strategy to steal the attention from Democrats at a critical moment , as Trump did with a rally in Des Moines on the eve of the Iowa caucuses .
The Trump campaign is using the primary on Tuesday as an opportunity to “ flex its organizational muscles ” and to reach Republican and independent voters who they hope to win over in November , said spokesman Tim Murtaugh .
Trump lost the state by less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it firmly in their sights this time around .
At the rally , Trump again falsely claimed that he lost the state in 2016 due to voter fraud but said this year should be “ a lot different ” .
Ray Buckley , the chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party , called Trump ’ s visit a “ blunder ” that will remind voters “ why it ’ s so important to vote ” in November 2020 .
He said the party is investing heavily in the battleground state – which Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” on a 2017 call with the leader of Mexico – in case the eventual nominee needs its four electoral votes .
While Trump spoke , the Democrats were spread across the state .
Joe Biden held a campaign event across the city at Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral ; Pete Buttigieg held a rally in Exeter and Bernie Sanders joined the congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and The Strokes for a concert-rally in Durham .
Like Trump , many of his supporters at the event were emboldened by his acquittal in the Senate on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president ’ s prospects of being re-elected in November , pointing to a strong economy and the specter of “ socialism ” if a Democrat wins .
“ They ’ ll take our freedom away , ” said Joanne Guimond , 64 , from Bristol , Connecticut .
“ We ’ ll end up like Venezuela.
” Attending a Trump rally is a “ bucket list ” event for Guimond , who came with her husband Emile , 69 .
Not only do they find Trump ’ s tell-it-like-it-is approach to politics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helped restore the US to a position of strength at home and abroad .
“ Trump ’ s the only one who ’ s got balls to do anything for our country , ” he said .
“ He goes to other countries and fights for us .
The Democrats ?
Forget it .
He ’ s the one saving this country.
” Michelle McBride , 58 , a New Hampshire state government employee , is confident Trump will win re-election and is encouraged by the state of the economy under his stewardship @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had already fallen to 2.8 % under Barack Obama , but has reduced to 2.6 % under Trump .
McBride is alarmed that young people are attracted to the economic policies put forward by the Democratic candidates .
“ Today ’ s youth don ’ t understand what socialism means , ” she said .
“ And they don ’ t know what ’ s going on because there ’ s no free speech on campuses anymore.
” “ The Democratic party is not the John F Kennedy party that we grew up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I don ’ t even know what they stand for anymore other than socialism .
It ’ s scary .
”

Lauren Gambino in Manchester, New Hampshire

An emboldened Donald Trump celebrated his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, where he hoped his presence would rattle his Democratic opponents on the eve of the state’s first-in-the-nation primaries.
While the Democratic candidates tore into the president at rallies and events across New Hampshire, Trump fired up thousands of his most ardent supporters at the Monday night rally, his first since the Senate cleared him of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
“Our good Republicans in the United States Senate voted to reject the outrageous partisan impeachment hoax, and to issue a full, complete and absolute total acquittal,” Trump thundered to a packed arena in downtown Manchester. “It wasn’t even close!”
Trump tweeted before the rally that he hoped to “shake up the Dems a little bit” as they face a competitive contest, in which Bernie Sanders leads the field in many surveys. The New Hampshire primary has always played an outsized role in the presidential nomination process, but it has taken on a heightened significance following the disastrous failure of the Iowa caucuses to produce a clear winner.
Trump delighted in the debacle, playfully asking the crowd if anyone knew who had won the Democratic caucuses. “(“Nobody knows. Flip a coin!” he said.)
He added later: “The Democrat party wants to run your healthcare but they can’t even run a caucus in Iowa.”
As the Democratic hopefuls crisscrossed the state, Trump supporters came from across the region, braving rain and snow, to attend the rally in Manchester, a one-time manufacturing city of 110,000 people. The line to enter the arena snaked around the arena for several blocks; those at the front had arrived more than 24 hours in advance.
Inside the arena, concession stands sold cotton candy, popcorn and Dippin’ Dots to people in red Make America Great Again hats and pink Women for Trump T-shirts.
Supporters at the Trump rally in New Hampshire. Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA
Trump’s hour-long speech reprised some of his most incendiary remarks, including the claim that undocumented immigrants entering the country are “murderers, rapists and some other things”.
But he also made fresh references. He lashed out at the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, for her behavior during his State of the Union speech last week when she tore up a copy of his remarks after he finished.
“I’m speaking and a woman is mumbling terribly behind me. Angry – there was a little anger back there,” Trump complained. “We’re the ones that should be angry!” The arena erupted in a round of “Lock her up!!”, a cry once directed at Hillary Clinton.
But Trump also credited the House speaker for his rising poll numbers. Last week, as the Democratic Iowa caucus collapsed into disarray, he recorded his highest ever approval rating in a Gallup poll. (“Thank you, Nancy,” he roared.)
Unlike the Democrats, Trump faces no real competition in the New Hampshire Republican primary on Tuesday, which four years ago delivered his first primary victory. Only Bill Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts, remains in the race as an alternative for the fast-dwindling faction of Never Trump Republicans.
Noting his lack of opposition in the state’s open primary, Trump repeatedly returned to the prospect of his supporters influencing the result by voting for the Democrat who they believe Trump would have the best chance of defeating. New Hampshire election laws allow independents to cast ballots for either Democrats or Republicans.
“A lot of Republicans tomorrow will vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats,” he said. “My only problem is I’m trying to figure out who is the weakest candidate. I think they’re all weak.”
The event on Monday night was part of a strategy to steal the attention from Democrats at a critical moment, as Trump did with a rally in Des Moines on the eve of the Iowa caucuses.
The Trump campaign is using the primary on Tuesday as an opportunity to “flex its organizational muscles” and to reach Republican and independent voters who they hope to win over in November, said spokesman Tim Murtaugh.
Trump lost the state by less than 3,000 votes but his campaign has it firmly in their sights this time around. At the rally, Trump again falsely claimed that he lost the state in 2016 due to voter fraud but said this year should be “a lot different”.
Ray Buckley, the chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, called Trump’s visit a “blunder” that will remind voters “why it’s so important to vote” in November 2020. He said the party is investing heavily in the battleground state – which Trump once maligned as a “drug-infested den” on a 2017 call with the leader of Mexico – in case the eventual nominee needs its four electoral votes.
While Trump spoke, the Democrats were spread across the state. Joe Biden held a campaign event across the city at Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral; Pete Buttigieg held a rally in Exeter and Bernie Sanders joined the congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and The Strokes for a concert-rally in Durham.
Like Trump, many of his supporters at the event were emboldened by his acquittal in the Senate on Wednesday. Few expressed any doubt about the president’s prospects of being re-elected in November, pointing to a strong economy and the specter of “socialism” if a Democrat wins.
Donald Trump is greeted by his daughter Ivanka Trump at the rally in Manchester. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
“They’ll take our freedom away,” said Joanne Guimond, 64, from Bristol, Connecticut. “We’ll end up like Venezuela.”
Attending a Trump rally is a “bucket list” event for Guimond, who came with her husband Emile, 69.
Not only do they find Trump’s tell-it-like-it-is approach to politics refreshing, but they believe it has helped restore the US to a position of strength at home and abroad.
“Trump’s the only one who’s got balls to do anything for our country,” he said. “He goes to other countries and fights for us. The Democrats? Forget it. He’s the one saving this country.”
Michelle McBride, 58, a New Hampshire state government employee, is confident Trump will win re-election and is encouraged by the state of the economy under his stewardship. The unemployment rate in New Hampshire had already fallen to 2.8% under Barack Obama, but has reduced to 2.6% under Trump.
McBride is alarmed that young people are attracted to the economic policies put forward by the Democratic candidates.
“Today’s youth don’t understand what socialism means,” she said. “And they don’t know what’s going on because there’s no free speech on campuses anymore.”
“The Democratic party is not the John F Kennedy party that we grew up with,” she said ruefully. “I don’t even know what they stand for anymore other than socialism. It’s scary.”


theguardian--2020-02-11--Sanders and Buttigieg campaigns request partial recanvass of Iowa caucuses – as it happened

Remember Roger Stone ?
It was only just three months ago that the self-described “ dirty trickster ” and longtime adviser of Donald Trump was found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election , but after these past few weeks , that all feels years before .
Federal prosecutors haven ’ t forgotten , however – and today they ’ re asking a judge to sentence him to up to nine years in prison .
“ Stone knew the gravity of the House intelligence committee ’ s investigation when he obstructed it by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ witness , ” the sentencing memo reads .
“ Indeed , Stone acknowledged as much in his opening statement before the committee .
Stone chose – consciously , repeatedly and flagrantly – to obstruct and interfere with the search for the truth on an issue of vital importance to all Americans .
This court should impose a sentence that accurately reflects the value the judicial system places on the need to allow witnesses to testify truthfully without threat or interference , and the importance of testifying truthfully under oath.
” Read the whole @ @ @

Vivian Ho in San Francisco (now), Joan E Greve in Manchester, New Hampshire, and Colin Blackstock (earlier)

11 Feb 2020 01.05 GMT Evening summary The rallies still rage in New Hampshire tonight, but that’s it from us. Stay tuned for more news from our stellar politics team, who will have updates. President Trump met with just some families of victims of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland , Florida - and this select group apparently did not include those who are calling for gun control.
met with just some families of victims of the 2018 school shooting in - and this select group apparently did not include those who are calling for gun control. Retired brigadier general Peter Zwack had some choice words for Senator Lindsey Graham and his support of the firing of impeachment witness Alexander Vindman.
had some choice words for and his support of the firing of impeachment witness The South Dakota bill that proposed jail time for doctors who gave puberty-blocking drugs to transgender children died in Senate committee.
bill that proposed jail time for doctors who gave puberty-blocking drugs to children died in Senate committee. Federal prosecutors asked for a judge to sentence longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone to up to nine years in prison.
11 Feb 2020 00.35 GMT At the Trump rally in Manchester, a familiar chant has appeared to have turned on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. New Hampshire crowd chants "Lock her up!" after President Trump alluded to Nancy Pelosi "mumbling terribly behind me" during the State of the Union.
"There was a little anger back there," he said. "We're the ones who should be angry, not them." https://t.co/2OrQPtHreq pic.twitter.com/TkKtm2MxgM — ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) February 11, 2020
11 Feb 2020 00.09 GMT Because it’s New Hampshire primary eve, there are multiple rallies happening simultaneously and it is a lot. Lauren Gambino is in Manchester, where Donald Trump Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle warmed up the crowd for President Trump and the vice-president, Mike Pence. Loudest boos yet at the rally for Elizabeth Warren. Donald Trump Jr is winding up the crowd by saying she got "trolled into taking a DNA test."
"Remember that one?" — Lauren Gambino (@laurenegambino) February 10, 2020 Donald Trump Jr. says "I sorta want it to be Joe."
"All I want for Christmas is him one-on-one with Donald Trump for six months," he said after doing a fuddy-duddy impression of Biden, quoting his dog-faced pony soldier comment. — Lauren Gambino (@laurenegambino) February 10, 2020 Elsewhere in Manchester, Joan Greve is at a Joe Biden rally. Sean Hannity is here at the Biden event in Manchester talking to New Hampshire voters. pic.twitter.com/DoXu5116dG — Joan Greve (@joanegreve) February 10, 2020 Former New Hampshire governor John Lynch is speaking at this Biden event in Manchester and introducing the state lawmakers who have endorsed Biden and are present tonight. — Joan Greve (@joanegreve) February 10, 2020
Updated at 01.05 GMT
10 Feb 2020 23.45 GMT Remember Roger Stone? It was only just three months ago that the self-described “dirty trickster” and longtime adviser of Donald Trump was found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, but after these past few weeks, that all feels years before. Federal prosecutors haven’t forgotten, however – and today they’re asking a judge to sentence him to up to nine years in prison. In a sentencing memo out this evening, federal prosecutors ask Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentence Roger Stone to up to 9 years in prison. https://t.co/yz3y5tUL70 — Dan Friedman (@dfriedman33) February 10, 2020 “Stone knew the gravity of the House intelligence committee’s investigation when he obstructed it by giving false testimony and tampering with a witness,” the sentencing memo reads. “Indeed, Stone acknowledged as much in his opening statement before the committee. Stone chose – consciously, repeatedly and flagrantly – to obstruct and interfere with the search for the truth on an issue of vital importance to all Americans. This court should impose a sentence that accurately reflects the value the judicial system places on the need to allow witnesses to testify truthfully without threat or interference, and the importance of testifying truthfully under oath.” Read the whole document here.
Updated at 00.04 GMT
10 Feb 2020 23.21 GMT The retired brigadier general Peter Zwack, a former supervisor of impeachment witness Alexander Vindman, reacted strongly to Senator Lindsey Graham supporting Vindman’s ousting, exclaiming out right, “This is ridiculous!” “Senator Graham, I always had a lot of respect for you,” Zwack said. “I met you when I was in Afghanistan in 2008 when you arrived with Senator McCain and Joe Lieberman as part of the three amigos. We thought you guys were rock stars. Where are you now, sir?” This interview took my breath away. Thank you General. #vindman #cnn https://t.co/WbhjD4kYD1 — Brooke Baldwin (@BrookeBCNN) February 10, 2020
Updated at 00.02 GMT
10 Feb 2020 23.00 GMT The South Dakota bill that proposed jailing doctors for giving puberty-blocking drugs to transgender children failed to get enough support in a senate committee on Monday. The Republican-dominated committee voted 5-2 to kill the legislation, according to the Associated Press. BREAKING: The South Dakota bill to criminalize health care for trans youth just effectively died in committee, being moved to the 41st Legislative Day.
This is a huge win for all LGBTQ+ South Dakotans and every person who made their voice heard on this bill. pic.twitter.com/FbDLJX6uxJ — ACLU (@ACLU) February 10, 2020
Updated at 23.13 GMT
10 Feb 2020 22.53 GMT Nadler demands answers on Giuliani The House judiciary chair, Jerry Nadler, sent a letter to William Barr, the attorney general, today, demanding answers after he and Senator Lindsey Graham admitted that “Rudy Giuliani is sending information concerning Ukraine to the Department of Justice through a special intake process.” BREAKING: @HouseJudiciary Chairman Nadler Demands Answers from AG Barr on Giuliani Back Channel to DOJhttps://t.co/37WkipwSTV — House Judiciary Dems (@HouseJudiciary) February 10, 2020 “As you know the department has formal, established channels by which to receive information and begin investigations,” the letter reads. “This new channel to Mr Giuliani would seem to be a significant departure from those traditional channels.” Read the full letter here.
Updated at 22.58 GMT
10 Feb 2020 22.25 GMT Donald Trump met today with some families of victims of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, to discuss ways to keep schools safe – but it appears he was selective in which families he invited to the Oval Office. For those wondering, White House schedule today says:
3:30PM THE PRESIDENT greets Parkland Families
Oval Office
Closed Press
I guess it is not all of the families as I only learned of this today through a reporter. My family and I were NOT invited. — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) February 10, 2020 Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was one of 17 killed almost two years ago at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school, was escorted out of the State of the Union last week when Trump defended the US constitution’s second amendment and the right to bear arms – and Guttenberg loudly objected. It appeared that the White House invited just the Stand With Parkland group, which does not include all the families, specifically to discuss how to guard schools against mass shootings by improving building designs and employing best practices – and not talk about gun control, on which other Parkland activists have turned their focus. (1,2) As I read more of the public reports on this, here is what appears to have happened. The group Stand With Parkland was invited as they are working on several initiatives. This group does not include all of the families and my family is not part of this group. https://t.co/rBhgM660ma — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) February 10, 2020 (2,2) I wish the families well today and I hope that they have a great meeting. My issue with the public schedule remains however as it is not accurate and considering this week is two years since this happened, this should have been handled differently by the White House. — Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) February 10, 2020
Updated at 22.46 GMT
10 Feb 2020 21.51 GMT The Utah senator Mitt Romney was already “formally NOT invited” to this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference after he broke ranks with the Republican party to cast a vote for President Trump’s impeachment. The conference chair, Matt Schlapp, went on Greta Van Susteren’s Full Court Press to explain that he feared for Romney’s physical safety. “This year, I would actually be afraid for his physical safety, people are so mad at him,” he said. He later tempered that sentiment on Twitter: Stuart I take my little girls and my 80 year old mom to @CPAC and we have never had a problem w any of our attendees ever. Listen to the whole interview if you can. I wish Gov Romney no harm I just want him to find a new hobby away from destroying GOP momentum https://t.co/9by17dhLWt — Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) February 10, 2020
Updated at 22.48 GMT
10 Feb 2020 21.36 GMT Hey all, Vivian Ho on the west coast here, taking over for the inimitable Joan Greve. Let’s see where the rest of the day takes us.
10 Feb 2020 21.31 GMT Evening summary That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Vivian Ho, will take over for the next few hours. Here’s where the day stands so far: Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders have both requested partial recanvasses of the Iowa caucus results, after the state’s Democratic party said Buttigieg appeared to edge out Sanders by 0.1% in the state delegate equivalent metric, which is used to determine the winner of the first voting state.
and have both requested partial recanvasses of the Iowa caucus results, after the state’s Democratic party said Buttigieg appeared to edge out Sanders by 0.1% in the state delegate equivalent metric, which is used to determine the winner of the first voting state. Polls show Sanders leading in New Hampshire, which will hold its primary tomorrow, with Buttigieg trailing in second place.
A national poll showed Sanders jumping ahead of Joe Biden after the former vice president’s poor showing in Iowa, as Michael Bloomberg crept into third place.
after the former vice president’s poor showing in Iowa, as crept into third place. The White House officially released its annual budget proposal, which calls for spending cuts to safety-net programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The number of US troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries from last month’s strike on a military base in Iraq has surpassed 100. After the attack, Trump initially claimed no service members had been injured in the strike. Vivian will have much more coming up, so stay tuned.
10 Feb 2020 21.24 GMT Amy Klobuchar appears to be riding a wave of momentum in New Hampshire after her widely praised debate performance on Friday. Her campaign event in Exeter was at capacity and stretched into an overflow room, allowing the Minnesota senator to address more than 500 people, with one day to go until the state’s primary. .@amyklobuchar onstage in Exeter. Fire marshal tells me hall is at capacity (439 people) and overflow room is also at capacity (100 people) pic.twitter.com/usIBwvkoI4 — Kyung Lah (@KyungLahCNN) February 10, 2020 Several polls have shown Klobuchar in the double digits in recent days, but she will need to hit at least 15% to receive any national delegates from New Hampshire.
10 Feb 2020 21.01 GMT Although most New Hampshire voters will head to the polls tomorrow, three small towns with a tradition of midnight voting will cast their ballots later tonight, and the results will be immediately available. 3 tiny towns in NH's North Country -- Dixville Notch, Hart's Location and Millsfield -- will vote at midnight tonight and the results will be released right away. Here's how they've voted in contested Dem races -- the statewide winner for each year is in italics: pic.twitter.com/8EOSnhleQM — Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) February 10, 2020


theguardian--2020-02-11--Democrats are reaching farmers with an exciting message: green agriculture | Art Cullen

Something you might have missed amid all the horserace and app-failure coverage of the Iowa caucuses : a deep discussion took place over the past year about the climate crisis and agriculture that could change the way our food system operates .
Every leading Democratic campaign now endorses an aggressive approach to conservation that could dramatically reduce greenhouse gases , improve water quality and enhance rural prosperity .
Candidates lined up to tour Matt Russell ’ s organic farm in central Iowa over the past year to learn about how a diversified cropping system involving livestock can suck carbon out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the soil to feed us better .
Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren came up with plans that would restructure farm policy to direct funding away from subsidizing production and toward conservation .
Warren would increase funding 15-fold for the Conservation Stewardship Program ( CSP ) , to $ 45bn .
The CSP pays farmers for regenerative agriculture practices – planting soil-saving cover crops , reducing chemical use and tillage , and all the while sequestering carbon in the soil .
Export markets for American ag commodities are falling apart .
The world has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we are growing about 30 % too much corn and soy .
Meanwhile , we are killing the Gulf of Mexico with excessive commercial fertilizer , which washes down the Mississippi River .
California and Australia burn in part because we are spewing too much nitrogen – as problematic as CO2 for global warming – from our broken agrichemical system .
Increasing numbers of midwestern farmers who watched their fields wash away in last spring ’ s scouring torrents are showing up at field days offered by the Practical Farmers of Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money on the farm by saving soil and reducing chemical costs .
They watch the weather closer than anyone , and they ’ re ready to look into the old way of doing things – grazing in rotation with a diverse series of carbon-capturing crops – to find a way forward .
Candidates started to explore the topic at a rural forum organized in Storm Lake last March by the Iowa Farmers Union .
The discussion intensified during the summer as a loose coalition of Iowans , led by the former agriculture secretary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ farmers for environmental services instead of insuring them for planting in a flood plain .
Bernie Sanders is all-in with the Green New Deal .
Joe Biden , advised by Vilsack , came up with his own comprehensive plan .
Buttigieg is now conversant in how microbial activity in the soil can reverse nitrogen loss to air and surface water .
Candidates embraced the idea that renewable energy – wind , solar , hydrogen – can not only ameliorate the climate crisis but also create high-paying technical jobs in rural communities hemorrhaging people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the non-stop coverage of the percentage fractions separating the leading Democratic campaigns , or whether Sanders insulted Warren , or how Senator Susan Collins equivocated again after lunch .
But , as the Amazon shrinks , our quiet revolution in agriculture policy might be the most important story of the news cycle .
Markets are telling us they don ’ t need all that corn .
Iowa State University tests of the kernel tell us that soil degradation is eroding protein content .
Wheat production in China is falling because of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ news , and is urging growers in the Dakotas to go organic because consumers demand it .
Kellogg is phasing out glyphosate from its acres .
The latest poison from Bayer , dicamba , faces a new wave of class-action lawsuits from angry farmers .
In other words , the gig is up on the last 50 years of chemical- and export-driven food production .
It hasn ’ t worked for farmers or rural communities , and they know it .
That ’ s the message from the fallow fields of Iowa covered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ places winter rye holding soil together and nitrogen in its place .
There would be a lot more of it if the government would catch on and quit rigging everything for the agrichemical supply chain .
The ball is rolling because farmers know Nature is calling the shots .
Eventually politics catches up .
Climate was a priority for Iowans in this cycle , unlike before .
The conversation has changed , and not a moment too soon .
• None Art Cullen is editor of the Storm Lake Times in north-west Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for editorial writing .
He is author of the book Storm Lake : Change , Resilience , and Hope from America ’ s Heartland , recently released in paperback

Something you might have missed amid all the horserace and app-failure coverage of the Iowa caucuses: a deep discussion took place over the past year about the climate crisis and agriculture that could change the way our food system operates.
Every leading Democratic campaign now endorses an aggressive approach to conservation that could dramatically reduce greenhouse gases, improve water quality and enhance rural prosperity.
Candidates lined up to tour Matt Russell’s organic farm in central Iowa over the past year to learn about how a diversified cropping system involving livestock can suck carbon out of the air and sequester it in the soil to feed us better. Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren came up with plans that would restructure farm policy to direct funding away from subsidizing production and toward conservation. Warren would increase funding 15-fold for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), to $45bn. The CSP pays farmers for regenerative agriculture practices – planting soil-saving cover crops, reducing chemical use and tillage, and all the while sequestering carbon in the soil.
Export markets for American ag commodities are falling apart. The world has been telling us through markets for years that we are growing about 30% too much corn and soy. Meanwhile, we are killing the Gulf of Mexico with excessive commercial fertilizer, which washes down the Mississippi River. California and Australia burn in part because we are spewing too much nitrogen – as problematic as CO2 for global warming – from our broken agrichemical system.
Increasing numbers of midwestern farmers who watched their fields wash away in last spring’s scouring torrents are showing up at field days offered by the Practical Farmers of Iowa, which preaches the gospel of making money on the farm by saving soil and reducing chemical costs. They watch the weather closer than anyone, and they’re ready to look into the old way of doing things – grazing in rotation with a diverse series of carbon-capturing crops – to find a way forward.
Candidates started to explore the topic at a rural forum organized in Storm Lake last March by the Iowa Farmers Union. The discussion intensified during the summer as a loose coalition of Iowans, led by the former agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack, pushed candidates to pay farmers for environmental services instead of insuring them for planting in a flood plain.
Bernie Sanders is all-in with the Green New Deal. Joe Biden, advised by Vilsack, came up with his own comprehensive plan. Buttigieg is now conversant in how microbial activity in the soil can reverse nitrogen loss to air and surface water.
Candidates embraced the idea that renewable energy – wind, solar, hydrogen – can not only ameliorate the climate crisis but also create high-paying technical jobs in rural communities hemorrhaging people.
You wouldn’t know it by the non-stop coverage of the percentage fractions separating the leading Democratic campaigns, or whether Sanders insulted Warren, or how Senator Susan Collins equivocated again after lunch. But, as the Amazon shrinks, our quiet revolution in agriculture policy might be the most important story of the news cycle.
The gig is up on the last 50 years of chemical- and export-driven food production
Markets are telling us they don’t need all that corn. Iowa State University tests of the kernel tell us that soil degradation is eroding protein content. Wheat production in China is falling because of it. General Mills is up on the news, and is urging growers in the Dakotas to go organic because consumers demand it. Kellogg is phasing out glyphosate from its acres. The latest poison from Bayer, dicamba, faces a new wave of class-action lawsuits from angry farmers.
In other words, the gig is up on the last 50 years of chemical- and export-driven food production. It hasn’t worked for farmers or rural communities, and they know it.
That’s the message from the fallow fields of Iowa covered in snow, and in a few places winter rye holding soil together and nitrogen in its place. There would be a lot more of it if the government would catch on and quit rigging everything for the agrichemical supply chain.
The ball is rolling because farmers know Nature is calling the shots. Eventually politics catches up. Climate was a priority for Iowans in this cycle, unlike before. The conversation has changed, and not a moment too soon.


theguardian--2020-02-11--Pete Buttigieg is the embodiment of white privilege – and black voters know it | Benjamin Dixon

One of my favorite church deacons at a ministry I attended in Boynton Beach , Florida , decided one Sunday that he would run for mayor .
“ Deac ” , as we all affectionately referred to him , had already served many years as vice-mayor and city commissioner , so it was no surprise when he won the mayorship .
Deac was best known for singing old gospel songs with the growl of a blues singer and the whoop of a baptist preacher .
To me , he was far more a beloved , black church dignitary than he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ church deacon is more qualified to serve as president of the United States than former mayor Pete Buttigieg .
Political pundits and media outlets are scrambling to try to understand how it is that Buttigieg could have 0 % support among black primary voters .
I would offer the following : First , ask any black person across the south and they ’ ll likely say the same thing : Buttigieg has less experience in office than our local church deacons - yet he is being propped up to be the next president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ qualified politicians such as Kamala Harris and Cory Booker .
Black Americans understand one simple , albeit unfortunate , truth : we have to be twice as good as white men in order to earn half as much as they are given in this life .
So far , the Democratic primaries have been a case in point .
Harris and Booker - who have equal or greater levels of education than Buttigieg , with far more experience - were quickly ushered out of the presidential race .
Buttigieg not only remains on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of winning .
Being more qualified than a white candidate only to be routinely passed over is all too familiar for black men and women across the country .
Second , Buttigieg ’ s disposition towards the black people of South Bend , Indiana , sticks in our minds .
We took notice when he smugly told a black woman who was protesting the death of Eric Logan : “ I ’ m not asking for your vote.
” It was at this moment that black observers knew that Buttigieg had never spent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black community because any one of us could have warned him that the sister ’ s reaction to his condescension would be delivered with the intensity of a mother infuriated by the routine killing of black men by police .
“ You ain ’ t goin ’ get it either , ” she replied with the timing of a professional comedian .
That moment sticks with us .
Third , as a black progressive , I make no apologies for being fiercely opposed to Buttigieg ’ s candidacy .
His policies largely protect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that they will lead to the “ the most progressive presidency of our lifetime ” .
How can this be , when his healthcare plan will leave millions exposed to the for-profit predation of insurance executives ?
When he attacks Medicare for All – a plan that will disproportionately help black Americans , who face life-threatening health disparities ?
How can this be , when Buttigieg opposes college for all by arguing that we shouldn ’ t pay tuition for the rich ?
By his own admission , he defines “ rich ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a year .
College for all is another plan that will disproportionately help black families who are in poverty as well as those stuck in the middle-class crunch .
This bad-faith argument reeks of disingenuousness .
Black voters – black women in particular – are the backbone of the Democratic party , and all of us have spoken .
We do not support Buttigieg .
It ’ s not because he is gay , despite some claims that that ’ s the reason .
It ’ s the fact that his team would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and divisive narrative in some ill-conceived plan to shame us into supporting him .
It ’ s not the fact that he ’ s young .
It ’ s the fact that he has yet to develop the temperament to hold the office .
It ’ s not the fact that he ’ s white .
It ’ s the fact that , to many of us , he is the embodiment of white privilege – someone afforded the opportunity to hold the most powerful office in the world when he has less @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deacon .
• None Benjamin Dixon is the host of the Benjamin Dixon podcast

One of my favorite church deacons at a ministry I attended in Boynton Beach, Florida, decided one Sunday that he would run for mayor. “Deac”, as we all affectionately referred to him, had already served many years as vice-mayor and city commissioner, so it was no surprise when he won the mayorship.
Deac was best known for singing old gospel songs with the growl of a blues singer and the whoop of a baptist preacher. To me, he was far more a beloved, black church dignitary than he was a politician. Nevertheless, my church deacon is more qualified to serve as president of the United States than former mayor Pete Buttigieg.
Political pundits and media outlets are scrambling to try to understand how it is that Buttigieg could have 0% support among black primary voters. I would offer the following:
First, ask any black person across the south and they’ll likely say the same thing: Buttigieg has less experience in office than our local church deacons - yet he is being propped up to be the next president , above equally educated and far more qualified politicians such as Kamala Harris and Cory Booker.
Black Americans understand one simple, albeit unfortunate, truth: we have to be twice as good as white men in order to earn half as much as they are given in this life.
So far, the Democratic primaries have been a case in point. Harris and Booker - who have equal or greater levels of education than Buttigieg, with far more experience - were quickly ushered out of the presidential race. Buttigieg not only remains on the stage, he stands a chance of winning.
Being more qualified than a white candidate only to be routinely passed over is all too familiar for black men and women across the country.
Second, Buttigieg’s disposition towards the black people of South Bend, Indiana, sticks in our minds. We took notice when he smugly told a black woman who was protesting the death of Eric Logan: “I’m not asking for your vote.”
As black people, we have to be twice as good as white men in order to earn half as much as they are given in this life
It was at this moment that black observers knew that Buttigieg had never spent any significant amount of time in the black community because any one of us could have warned him that the sister’s reaction to his condescension would be delivered with the intensity of a mother infuriated by the routine killing of black men by police.
“You ain’t goin’ get it either,” she replied with the timing of a professional comedian.
That moment sticks with us.
Third, as a black progressive, I make no apologies for being fiercely opposed to Buttigieg’s candidacy. His policies largely protect the status quo, yet he claims that they will lead to the “the most progressive presidency of our lifetime”.
How can this be, when his healthcare plan will leave millions exposed to the for-profit predation of insurance executives? When he attacks Medicare for All – a plan that will disproportionately help black Americans, who face life-threatening health disparities?
How can this be, when Buttigieg opposes college for all by arguing that we shouldn’t pay tuition for the rich? By his own admission, he defines “rich” as anyone making more than $100,000 a year. College for all is another plan that will disproportionately help black families who are in poverty as well as those stuck in the middle-class crunch. This bad-faith argument reeks of disingenuousness.
Black voters – black women in particular – are the backbone of the Democratic party, and all of us have spoken. We do not support Buttigieg.
It’s not because he is gay, despite some claims that that’s the reason. It’s the fact that his team would have the gall to float this insidious and divisive narrative in some ill-conceived plan to shame us into supporting him.
It’s not the fact that he’s young. It’s the fact that he has yet to develop the temperament to hold the office.
It’s not the fact that he’s white. It’s the fact that, to many of us, he is the embodiment of white privilege – someone afforded the opportunity to hold the most powerful office in the world when he has less experience in office than our local church deacon.


theguardian--2020-02-11--Trump's greatest vulnerability is the economy – just ask poor Americans | Reverend William Barber

Rather than offer a report on the State of the Union , Donald Trump used his annual primetime slot in the House of Representatives to host a re-election rally .
The House speaker , Nancy Pelosi , summed up the sentiment of the House majority when she stood behind Trump and ripped the text of his speech in half .
“ I tore up a manifesto of mistruths , ” she later said .
But of all the lies he told , the president is proudest of the economy he claims is booming .
Poor and low-income Americans know that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his greatest vulnerability .
Yes , the Dow is at a record high and official unemployment rates are lower than they have been in decades .
But measuring the health of the economy by these stats is like measuring the 19th-century ’ s plantation economy by the price of cotton .
However much the slaveholders profited , enslaved people and the poor white farmers whose wages were stifled by free labor did not see the benefits of the boom .
In America today , 140 million people are poor or low wealth .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as all of them put together , the real cost of living has soared as wages have stagnated .
Since the 1970s , the number of people who are paying more than a third of their monthly income in rent has doubled , and there is not a single county in the nation where a person working full-time at minimum wage can afford to rent a two-bedroom apartment .
Sixty per cent of African Americans are poor or low-income , as are 64 % of Hispanics , but the largest single racial group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – 66 million Americans – are white .
While Trump stirs racial fears by attacking “ sanctuary cities ” and black political leaders , there are more white Americans who are unable to meet their basic needs than at any time in this nation ’ s history .
Every day in America roughly 700 people die from poverty .
When seven young people died from vaping , Trump called it a national emergency .
But for the past four decades , Republicans have racialized poverty while Democrats have run from it , adopting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the middle class ” to talk about poor people .
By accepting the lie that everyone does better when the economy does better , both parties paved the way for the extremism of a plutocratic presidency .
We know that elites whose stock portfolios and personal taxes have benefited from the Trump tax cuts are going to stand by this president .
But those people are an extreme minority – a literal plutocracy – in this nation .
The question in 2020 is not whether Trump ’ s most ardent supporters will stand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embrace an agenda that can inspire poor and marginalized people to engage in a political system that has simply overlooked them for decades .
Even if Trump doesn ’ t lose a single vote from 2016 , we know he lost the popular vote by more than 3m and won the electoral college by 77,000 votes across Wisconsin , Michigan and Pennsylvania .
If just 3-5 % of the poor and low-income people in those states who did not vote in 2016 were motivated to turn out this fall , Trump wouldn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every one of those people , black , white and brown , knows this economy isn ’ t working for them .
In Kentucky last year , the incumbent governor , Matt Bevin , sought re-election in a state Trump won in 2016 by 30 percentage points .
But poor and low-income white people in Appalachia and black and brown people in Louisville and Lexington worked together through the non-partisan Poor People ’ s Campaign : A National Call for Moral Revival to insist that access to healthcare , living wages and high-quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left or right issues , but right or wrong issues .
And on each of the issues , Trump and Bevin were wrong .
Trump flew in to rally his base for Bevin , but his challenger won .
And when the victor , Andy Beshear , gave his victory speech on election night , he quoted the moral language of the Poor People ’ s Campaign .
As we look toward another election this fall , we know Trump ’ s campaign is going to be all about the economy .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the vast majority of Americans .
The work of 2020 must be to build power for a broad coalition that can give voice to issues affecting poor and low-income Americans and compel Democrats to speak to them , up and down the ballot .
Yes , Trump ’ s presidency is a threat to our democracy .
But it is not enough to simply resist Trump ’ s extremism .
We must rally together to follow the lead of those who know that this economy isn ’ t working for most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unite and rise together .
Now is the time to address poverty and revive the heart of our democracy .

Rather than offer a report on the State of the Union, Donald Trump used his annual primetime slot in the House of Representatives to host a re-election rally. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, summed up the sentiment of the House majority when she stood behind Trump and ripped the text of his speech in half. “I tore up a manifesto of mistruths,” she later said. But of all the lies he told, the president is proudest of the economy he claims is booming. Poor and low-income Americans know that the economy is, in fact, his greatest vulnerability.
Yes, the Dow is at a record high and official unemployment rates are lower than they have been in decades. But measuring the health of the economy by these stats is like measuring the 19th-century’s plantation economy by the price of cotton. However much the slaveholders profited, enslaved people and the poor white farmers whose wages were stifled by free labor did not see the benefits of the boom.
In America today, 140 million people are poor or low wealth. While three individuals own as much wealth as all of them put together, the real cost of living has soared as wages have stagnated. Since the 1970s, the number of people who are paying more than a third of their monthly income in rent has doubled, and there is not a single county in the nation where a person working full-time at minimum wage can afford to rent a two-bedroom apartment. Sixty per cent of African Americans are poor or low-income, as are 64% of Hispanics, but the largest single racial group among America’s poor and low-income – 66 million Americans – are white.
Every day in America roughly 700 people die from poverty
While Trump stirs racial fears by attacking “sanctuary cities” and black political leaders, there are more white Americans who are unable to meet their basic needs than at any time in this nation’s history. Every day in America roughly 700 people die from poverty. When seven young people died from vaping, Trump called it a national emergency. But for the past four decades, Republicans have racialized poverty while Democrats have run from it, adopting euphemisms like “those who aspire to the middle class” to talk about poor people. By accepting the lie that everyone does better when the economy does better, both parties paved the way for the extremism of a plutocratic presidency.
We know that elites whose stock portfolios and personal taxes have benefited from the Trump tax cuts are going to stand by this president. But those people are an extreme minority – a literal plutocracy – in this nation. The question in 2020 is not whether Trump’s most ardent supporters will stand by him, but whether Democrats will embrace an agenda that can inspire poor and marginalized people to engage in a political system that has simply overlooked them for decades.
Even if Trump doesn’t lose a single vote from 2016, we know he lost the popular vote by more than 3m and won the electoral college by 77,000 votes across Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. If just 3-5% of the poor and low-income people in those states who did not vote in 2016 were motivated to turn out this fall, Trump wouldn’t have a chance. Each and every one of those people, black, white and brown, knows this economy isn’t working for them.
In Kentucky last year, the incumbent governor, Matt Bevin, sought re-election in a state Trump won in 2016 by 30 percentage points. But poor and low-income white people in Appalachia and black and brown people in Louisville and Lexington worked together through the non-partisan Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival to insist that access to healthcare, living wages and high-quality public education for all Kentuckians were not left or right issues, but right or wrong issues. And on each of the issues, Trump and Bevin were wrong. Trump flew in to rally his base for Bevin, but his challenger won. And when the victor, Andy Beshear, gave his victory speech on election night, he quoted the moral language of the Poor People’s Campaign.
As we look toward another election this fall, we know Trump’s campaign is going to be all about the economy. But we also know that message rings hollow for the vast majority of Americans. The work of 2020 must be to build power for a broad coalition that can give voice to issues affecting poor and low-income Americans and compel Democrats to speak to them, up and down the ballot.
Yes, Trump’s presidency is a threat to our democracy. But it is not enough to simply resist Trump’s extremism. We must rally together to follow the lead of those who know that this economy isn’t working for most of us. Now is the time to unite and rise together. Now is the time to address poverty and revive the heart of our democracy.


theguardian--2020-02-12--New Hampshire: most primary polls close with Sanders favorite to win – live

Bernie Sanders is considered the clear favorite to win tonight ’ s New Hampshire primary , as most polls show the senator of neighboring Vermont leading the field .
According to the RealClearPolitics average , Sanders stands at 28.7 % with New Hampshire ’ s likely primary voters , compared to Pete Buttigieg ’ s 21.3 % .
Amy Klobuchar trails at 11.7 % , although the most recent polls have shown her support increasing after her Friday debate performance , and Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren are slightly trailing at 11 % .
If Sanders wins tonight , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the race after his impressive finish in Iowa , where he fought Buttigieg to a near-tie .
National polls released since the Iowa caucuses have shown Sanders surpassing Biden , who has consistently led in those surveys since entering the race .
But Sanders is also facing high expectations going into tonight , which could backfire .
In 2016 , he defeated Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary by more than 20 points .
It ’ s extremely unlikely he will enjoy a similar margin tonight , considering the high number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his potential victory will be closely scrutinized for signs of how strong his support is .
However , there ’ s no question that a win in New Hampshire will fortify Sanders ’ standing among Democrats who are desperate to find a candidate capable of defeating Trump .

12 Feb 2020 05.09 GMT New Hampshire primary summary That’s it from me in Nashua tonight. Here’s how the New Hampshire primary shook out: Bernie Sanders secured a narrow victory over Pete Buttigieg in the second voting state. With 85% of New Hampshire precincts reporting, Sanders currently leads Buttigieg by 1.4 points, capturing 25.8% of the vote. The victory will solidify Sanders’ status as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
secured a narrow victory over in the second voting state. With 85% of New Hampshire precincts reporting, Sanders currently leads Buttigieg by 1.4 points, capturing 25.8% of the vote. The victory will solidify Sanders’ status as the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Amy Klobuchar surprised pundits with a strong third-place showing. The results currently indicate the Minnesota senator won nearly 20% of the vote, far exceeding expectations, but she will need to scale up her campaign operation quickly to replicate that success elsewhere.
surprised pundits with a strong third-place showing. The results currently indicate the Minnesota senator won nearly 20% of the vote, far exceeding expectations, but she will need to scale up her campaign operation quickly to replicate that success elsewhere. It was a disappointing night for Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden, who appear to have failed to break into double digits in New Hampshire. Both candidates downplayed their defeats by looking ahead to the next voting states, but they will need to secure victories soon to reverse media narratives about their sinking electoral fortunes.
and who appear to have failed to break into double digits in New Hampshire. Both candidates downplayed their defeats by looking ahead to the next voting states, but they will need to secure victories soon to reverse media narratives about their sinking electoral fortunes. Two candidates, Andrew Yang and Michael Bennet, dropped out of the race after disappointing finishes, and Deval Patrick may similarly withdraw as soon as tomorrow. With the debacle of the Iowa caucuses behind them, Democrats are finally starting to narrow the field to a handful of candidates. The live blog will return tomorrow morning for more coverage of the election and fallout from Trump’s impeachment, so tune back in for that. And thanks for following our coverage of the New Hampshire primary.
12 Feb 2020 04.56 GMT Because of the close margin tonight between Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, it appears the two candidates will each win eight New Hampshire delegates for the national convention. Combined with the Iowa results, Buttigieg’s performance tonight gives him a slight edge in the delegate count. Buttigieg has currently won 23 delegates compared to Sanders’ 21. Elizabeth Warren is then a distant third with eight delegates, while Amy Klobuchar has seven and Joe Biden stands in fifth with six delegates. But to demonstrate how long the road ahead is, any candidate will need 1,991 delegates to win the nomination.
12 Feb 2020 04.48 GMT AP confirms Sanders' New Hampshire victory The Associated Press has officially confirmed that Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire primary. With 84% of New Hampshire precincts reporting, Sanders currently leads Pete Buttigieg by 1.4 points, capturing 25.8% of the vote. But there will also be much talk of Amy Klobuchar’s third-place finish after the Minnesota senator far exceeded expectations by hitting close to 20%, according to the most recent results.
12 Feb 2020 04.45 GMT Jonathan Freedland That was a canny not-quite-victory speech from Pete Buttigieg, drawing a battleline with Bernie Sanders - and repositioning his candidacy for the contests ahead. Chants of “President Pete” pic.twitter.com/xmvv6tZTb7 — Jonathan Freedland (@Freedland) February 12, 2020 When he said it made no sense to risk another four years of Donald Trump for the sake of “ideological purity” and that “We must get this right”, he was directly targeting those Democrats who might like Sanders’ positions, but fear he would lose to the current president.
More striking was the former South Bend mayor’s attempt to pivot to the blocs of voters he must now win over if he is to progress. Mindful that he has been polling at close to zero among people of colour, he peppered his speech with nods to the concerns of the voters who will determine the outcome of the next two rounds of voting, in Nevada and South Carolina. There was a line of Spanish aimed at the Latinx voters who will be decisive in the first-in-the-west contest in a state Buttigieg said represented “the future”, and several attempts to reflect the concerns of African-Americans - a huge part of the electorate in South Carolina - as he denounced voter suppression and racial bias in the health, education and criminal justice systems. There was also an allusion to the Black Lives Matter movement as he spoke of the “young man who fears for his safety in the lights of a police vehicle.” Missing from the speech was even a coded attack on his immediate opponent: Amy Klobuchar, third placed in New Hampshire and now battling him for dominance in the so-called moderate lane of this contest. That duel will come soon enough.
Updated at 04.46 GMT
12 Feb 2020 04.41 GMT New Hampshire turnout on track to match 2008 As the last of the New Hampshire results trickle in, turnout in the second voting state appears on track to match or exceed that of 2008, when nearly 288,000 people participated in the Democratic primary. With 87% counted, turnout in the NH Dem primary has passed the 2016 level and is on track to come close to the 2008 level and possibly surpass it — Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) February 12, 2020 Those numbers will please Democratic strategists, who expressed fear that the lower-than-expected turnout in the Iowa caucuses signaled declining energy among the party’s grassroots.
12 Feb 2020 04.29 GMT With his victory tonight, combined with his strong showing in Iowa, Bernie Sanders solidifies his status as the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. The Vermont senator is also expected to turn in a solid performance in Nevada, which will hold its caucuses next Saturday. However, Sanders is facing some resistance on that front. Specifically, the influential Culinary Union that represents 60,000 workers in Nevada has started distributing a flyer warning Sanders would “end” their very popular healthcare plan. NEW: In a new flyer, @Culinary226 warns members that @BernieSanders would "end" their much-loved union health care. The union has not announced whether it will endorse, but the flyer appears to be part of a coordinated campaign ahead of the caucus. https://t.co/jCdAbjHfyd — Megan Messerly (@meganmesserly) February 12, 2020
12 Feb 2020 04.20 GMT Lauren Gambino Bernie Sanders closed his remarks to supporters in Manchester by looking ahead to the next contests. “It is not just about beating Trump; it is about transforming this country,” Sanders said as he wrapped up. “It’s on to Nevada. It’s on to South Carolina. It’s on to win the Democratic nomination.”
12 Feb 2020 04.16 GMT Sanders says victory is 'the beginning of the end of Donald Trump' Lauren Gambino Shortly after declaring victory in the New Hampshire primary, Bernie Sanders addressed his supporters in Manchester. As the results dribbled in, the swaggering confidence that emanated from the arena earlier in the night gave way to tense nail-biting when it looked, momentarily, like Pete Buttigieg could eclipse him. "This victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump."
Bernie Sanders is addressing supporters after winning the New Hampshire primary. pic.twitter.com/0aUcQyQgw2 — BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) February 12, 2020 But the result was called shortly after 11pm EST and the crowd erupted in applause and chanting, reminiscent of Sanders’ 2016 victory here. “Power to the people” blared as Sanders took the stage at a sports arena with his family and tried unsuccessfully to quiet the crowd for several minutes.
“Let me take this opportunity to thank the people of New Hampshire for a great victory tonight,” he said after sustained cheers. “This victory here is the beginning of the end of Donald Trump,” he roared, as his supporters burst into a chant of “Bernie beats Trump.”
12 Feb 2020 04.12 GMT Sanders declares victory in the New Hampshire primary Bernie Sanders has delcared victory in the New Hampshire primary, as results show he has secured a narrow lead over Pete Buttigieg. We just won the New Hampshire primary. What we have done together here is nothing short of the beginning of a political revolution. Join us live at our primary night rally in Manchester! https://t.co/OmKd1xIumv — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 12, 2020 With 77% of New Hampshire precincts reporting, Sanders is currently at 25.8% compared to Buttigieg’s 24.2%.