inquisitr--2020-02-17--Joe Biden Acknowledges He Needs To ‘Do Really Well’ In South Carolina

Despite setbacks , former Vice President Joe Biden maintained his lead in nationwide opinion polling for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries for nearly a year .
That changed once he collapsed in Iowa , where he finished fourth , and New Hampshire , where he came in fifth .
Nevada does not look good for Biden either .
According to latest polling , published in The Vegas Review-Journal , the former front-runner is poised to finish second , behind Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont , who holds a seven-point advantage .
Biden is now acknowledging that a good @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his campaign to gain momentum , according to The Hill .
Speaking with anchor Chuck Todd on NBC ’ s Meet the Press , Biden conceded that he needs to do well in South Carolina .
“ Well , I think I have to do really well in it , ” he told Todd , but the host pressed the former vice president on whether “ doing well ” means winning the most delegates , or doing just well enough for his campaign to survive .
Biden responded that on March 4 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the states , which the polling data is now showing me doing incredibly well , whether it ’ s North Carolina or Georgia or Texas or any of these other places.
” Biden then pointed to former President Bill Clinton ’ s insurgent 1992 campaign , noting that Clinton lost the first dozen primaries before winning one , but still ended up clinching the nomination .
“ But we ’ re just getting to the meat of getting to the number of delegates you need to be able to win this election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ re going to be in good shape , ” Biden said , concluding that his goal is to be the presumptive frontrunner by the end of March .
It remains to be seen whether Biden ’ s South Carolina firewall will hold .
There are signs of trouble , according to reports , which suggest that Sanders and billionaire Tom Steyer have been quietly winning over local officials and activists , with Biden ’ s campaign taking a hands-off approach , and relying on the former vice president ’ s perceived electability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ devastating losses in Iowa and New Hampshire , the electability argument may not be as convincing as it seems , polling suggests .
According to the latest East Carolina University poll , Biden ’ s lead in the Palmetto State has reduced nine points .
He is now polling at 28 percent , with Sanders behind at 20 percent .
Steyer is in third place with 14 percent support .
Donors bankrolling Biden ’ s campaign have also suggested that winning South Carolina is a must .
“ Everybody ’ s sticking with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” venture capitalist and Democratic mega-donor , Alan Patricof , said in a recent interview .

Despite setbacks, former Vice President Joe Biden maintained his lead in nationwide opinion polling for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries for nearly a year. That changed once he collapsed in Iowa, where he finished fourth, and New Hampshire, where he came in fifth.
Nevada does not look good for Biden either. According to the latest polling, published in The Vegas Review-Journal, the former front-runner is poised to finish second, behind Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who holds a seven-point advantage. Biden is now acknowledging that a good performance in South Carolina is necessary for his campaign to gain momentum, according to The Hill.
Speaking with anchor Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press, Biden conceded that he needs to do well in South Carolina. “Well, I think I have to do really well in it,” he told Todd, but the host pressed the former vice president on whether “doing well” means winning the most delegates, or doing just well enough for his campaign to survive.
Biden responded that on March 4, “we end up going into all the states, which the polling data is now showing me doing incredibly well, whether it’s North Carolina or Georgia or Texas or any of these other places.”
Biden then pointed to former President Bill Clinton’s insurgent 1992 campaign, noting that Clinton lost the first dozen primaries before winning one, but still ended up clinching the nomination.
“But we’re just getting to the meat of getting to the number of delegates you need to be able to win this election. And I’m confident we’re going to be in good shape,” Biden said, concluding that his goal is to be the presumptive frontrunner by the end of March.
It remains to be seen whether Biden’s South Carolina firewall will hold. There are signs of trouble, according to reports, which suggest that Sanders and billionaire Tom Steyer have been quietly winning over local officials and activists, with Biden’s campaign taking a hands-off approach and relying on the former vice president’s perceived electability to win out in the end.
With devastating losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, the electability argument may not be as convincing as it seems, polling suggests. According to the latest East Carolina University poll, Biden’s lead in the Palmetto State has reduced nine points. He is now polling at 28 percent, with Sanders behind at 20 percent. Steyer is in third place with 14 percent support.
Donors bankrolling Biden’s campaign have also suggested that winning South Carolina is a must. “Everybody’s sticking with Joe until they see what happens there,” venture capitalist and Democratic mega-donor, Alan Patricof, said in a recent interview.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--God Will Save America From The Coronavirus Thanks To Donald Trump, Says Conservative Pastor

During a service in Omaha , Nebraska last Sunday , conservative pastor Hank Kunneman spoke of the coronavirus that has spread from Wuhan , China to other regions of the world , including the United States , Newsweek reports .
According to Kunneman , Americans should not fear an infection from the virus because God will grant “ mercy ” thanks to President Donald Trump and his administration ’ s anti-abortion stance “ And because of the administration that stands in this land , who honor me , who honour the covenants of your forefathers and of the Constitution , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have aligned themselves with Israel and because they have sided on the right side of life — life in the womb , life given outside of the womb — there I give life to this nation and I give mercy .
Per The Daily Beast , Trump previously said that the coronavirus would disappear by April .
However , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ) Director Robert Redfield contradicted Trump ’ s claim and said that the medical community is unsure about what the future holds in regard @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re in an aggressive containment mode , ” he said , adding that experts still don ’ t know much about the virus .
Redfield said he believes that the virus will likely transform into a “ community virus ” that will be hard to eliminate .
The coronavirus has reportedly killed 1,669 people and infected 69,000 others .
Although initially believed the stem from Wuhan ’ s Huanan Seafood Market , a recent report from the South China University of Technology suggests that it comes from a government research laboratory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( WHCDC ) — located in close proximity to the fish market .
According to the report , the government lab was home to hundreds of disease-ridden bats of the species believed to be the source for the virus .
The alleged species is reportedly not native to Wuhan but was being experimented on in the WHCDC .
During an interview with CNN last week , Redfield warned that the coronavirus would likely continue posing a threat to America for the rest of the year .
As of now , the coronavirus has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Illinois , Arizona , California , Washington , Massachusetts , Texas , and Wisconsin .
Travel bans currently apply to foreign nationals that have visited China within 14 days of their arrival in the U.S .
In addition , any U.S. citizen that has traveled to China ’ s Hubei province within 14 days of their return to America must enter a mandatory 14-day quarantine .

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inquisitr--2020-02-16--Texas Poll Shows Donald Trump Under 50 Percent Against Top 6 Democrats, GOP Won State Each Election

Texas Poll Shows Donald Trump Under 50 Percent Against Top 6 Democrats, GOP Won State Each Election Since 1980

A new poll shows trouble for Donald Trump , as he struggles to win half the vote in the reliably Republican Lone Star State .
A new poll appears to indicate trouble for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election .
In the Republican stronghold of Texas , where no Democrat has won the state ’ s 38 electoral votes since 1976 , the poll shows Trump falling to win more than 50 percent support in one-on-one matchups with any of the current top six Democratic contenders .
In fact , the University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll shows that only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ definitely ” plan to vote for Trump in November .
Forty-seven percent of Texans told the pollster that they will “ definitely not ” vote to re-elect Trump , in the poll released on February 14 , in what could be an indicator of flagging Republican support for the president .
Perhaps more significantly , in the head-to-head matchups against specific Democrats , Trump led in each matchup , but his margins were generally unconvincing and he was able to draw no greater than 47 percent against any of the top six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Bernie Sanders came closest to defeating Trump in Texas , trailing by only two percentage points , 47-45 , according to the poll .
The margin of error in the poll was 2.83 points , greater than the difference between Trump and Sanders .
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren also came close to Trump , with 44 percent , just three points behind Trump ’ s 47 percentage points .
Trump topped former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg by five points each , 46-41 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ four points behind Trump , at 47-44 .
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar also came in five points behind Trump in the Texas poll , with a 46-41 margin , identical to the results posted by Buttigieg and Bloomberg .
The close margins could spell trouble for Trump , because no Republican presidential candidate has lost Texas to a Democrat since 1976 , when former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter topped incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford by 3.2 percentage points , according to a Texas Tribune review of election results .
Since then , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , when then-President George H.W .
Bush edged Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton by 3.5 points .
In that election , billionaire entrepreneur Ross Perot — a Texas native — ran as an independent candidate , taking 22 percent of the state ’ s vote .
In 2016 , Trump topped Democrat Hillary Clinton in Texas by nine points , the closest margin in the state since the 1992 race , and second-closest since 1976 .
While Biden had consistently performed the best among all Democratic candidates in head-to-head polls with Trump , holding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks ago , Bloomberg has since overtaken him .
According to the Real Clear Politics average , Bloomberg now holds a lead of six points over Trump nationally , in an average of all nationwide polls .
Biden ’ s lead over Trump stands at an average of 5.6 points , while Sanders tops Trump by 4.3 points in the RCP average .

A new poll appears to indicate trouble for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. In the Republican stronghold of Texas, where no Democrat has won the state’s 38 electoral votes since 1976, the poll shows Trump falling to win more than 50 percent support in one-on-one matchups with any of the current top six Democratic contenders. In fact, the University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll shows that only 40 percent of Texans say that they “definitely” plan to vote for Trump in November.
Forty-seven percent of Texans told the pollster that they will “definitely not” vote to re-elect Trump, in the poll released on February 14, in what could be an indicator of flagging Republican support for the president.
Perhaps more significantly, in the head-to-head matchups against specific Democrats, Trump led in each matchup, but his margins were generally unconvincing and he was able to draw no greater than 47 percent against any of the top six contenders from the other party. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders came closest to defeating Trump in Texas, trailing by only two percentage points, 47-45, according to the poll.
The margin of error in the poll was 2.83 points, greater than the difference between Trump and Sanders.
Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren also came close to Trump, with 44 percent, just three points behind Trump’s 47 percentage points. Trump topped former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg by five points each, 46-41. Former Vice President Joe Biden came in four points behind Trump, at 47-44.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar also came in five points behind Trump in the Texas poll, with a 46-41 margin, identical to the results posted by Buttigieg and Bloomberg.
The close margins could spell trouble for Trump, because no Republican presidential candidate has lost Texas to a Democrat since 1976, when former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter topped incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford by 3.2 percentage points, according to a Texas Tribune review of election results.
Since then, the closest result in Texas came in 1992, when then-President George H.W. Bush edged Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton by 3.5 points. In that election, billionaire entrepreneur Ross Perot — a Texas native — ran as an independent candidate, taking 22 percent of the state’s vote.
In 2016, Trump topped Democrat Hillary Clinton in Texas by nine points, the closest margin in the state since the 1992 race, and second-closest since 1976.
While Biden had consistently performed the best among all Democratic candidates in head-to-head polls with Trump, holding the widest lead as recently as two weeks ago, Bloomberg has since overtaken him.
According to the Real Clear Politics average, Bloomberg now holds a lead of six points over Trump nationally, in an average of all nationwide polls. Biden’s lead over Trump stands at an average of 5.6 points, while Sanders tops Trump by 4.3 points in the RCP average.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Nancy Pelosi Says She Ripped Up Donald Trump’s Speech To ‘Get Attention’ From The Press

During an interview with CNN ’ s Christiane Amanpour , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke of her controversial decision to tear up Donald Trump ’ s speech at the State of the Union Address earlier this month , Breitbart reports .
The viral moment was both praised and criticized , with some perceiving it as a way of outshining the president and others calling it unseemly for someone of Pelosi ’ s political stature .
According to the 79-year-old politician , the stunt was not planned before the State of the Union .
“ I was reading ahead .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through a third of it , and I thought this is terrible .
I made a nitch on a couple of pages , thinking I ought to remember what ’ s on this page , this page .
Then I realized that almost every page had something in it that was objectionable .
So it wasn ’ t a planned thing.
” Per CBS News , Democrats were angered at Trump ’ s speech , which ignored healthcare and bragged about the economy under his presidency .
Pelosi claims that she was disappointed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accomplishments such as raising the minimum wage , climate action , and gun violence protection , among other things .
“ And it seems if you want to get press , you have to get attention , ” she said .
“ I thought , well , let ’ s get attention on the fact that what he said here today was not true.
” In the same interview , Pelosi touched on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his poor showing in Iowa and New Hampshire .
Although Bernie Sanders is now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic primary , Pelosi said she ’ s not counting out Biden just yet .
Pelosi expressed her belief that all of the candidates would be a better option than Trump .
However , she also noted that there are many other states outside of Iowa and New Hampshire that she believes are more representative of the country , suggesting that the former Vice President could pick up delegates in these regions .
Per Newsweek , Pelosi also used her CNN interview to address Trump ’ s impeachment by the House and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pelosi told Amanpour that she doesn ’ t believe Trump was truly acquitted because there was not a proper trial , referring to the lack of additional witnesses and documents that Democrats failed to secure .
Pelosi added that Trump is “ impeached forever ” and “ not vindicated.
” She also praised Utah Sen. Mitt Romney , who was the only Republican Senator to vote to remove Trump from office .

During an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke of her controversial decision to tear up Donald Trump’s speech at the State of the Union Address earlier this month, Breitbart reports. The viral moment was both praised and criticized, with some perceiving it as a way of outshining the president and others calling it unseemly for someone of Pelosi’s political stature.
According to the 79-year-old politician, the stunt was not planned before the State of the Union.
“I was reading ahead. I knew what was there. I got through a third of it, and I thought this is terrible. I made a nitch on a couple of pages, thinking I ought to remember what’s on this page, this page. Then I realized that almost every page had something in it that was objectionable. So it wasn’t a planned thing.”
Per CBS News, Democrats were angered at Trump’s speech, which ignored health care and bragged about the economy under his presidency. Pelosi claims that she was disappointed in the lack of press on legislative accomplishments such as raising the minimum wage, climate action, and gun violence protection, among other things.
“And it seems if you want to get press, you have to get attention,” she said. “I thought, well, let’s get attention on the fact that what he said here today was not true.”
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on ripping up SOTU: "I had no intention of doing that when we went to the State of the Union… Most every page had something in it that was objectionable." pic.twitter.com/ax5jSDqLWO — The Hill (@thehill) February 16, 2020
In the same interview, Pelosi touched on Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his poor showing in Iowa and New Hampshire. Although Bernie Sanders is now widely seen as the front-runner in the Democratic primary, Pelosi said she’s not counting out Biden just yet.
Pelosi expressed her belief that all of the candidates would be a better option than Trump. However, she also noted that there are many other states outside of Iowa and New Hampshire that she believes are more representative of the country, suggesting that the former vice president could pick up delegates in these regions.
Per Newsweek, Pelosi also used her CNN interview to address Trump’s impeachment by the House and his subsequent acquittal by the Republican-led Senate. Pelosi told Amanpour that she doesn’t believe Trump was truly acquitted because there was not a proper trial, referring to the lack of additional witnesses and documents that Democrats failed to secure.
Pelosi added that Trump is “impeached forever” and “not vindicated.” She also praised Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who was the only Republican senator to vote to remove Trump from office.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Bernie Sanders: Michael Bloomberg Pushed ‘Racist’ Policies, Won’t Create ‘Energy’ Needed To Beat Don

Bernie Sanders: Michael Bloomberg Pushed ‘Racist’ Policies, Won’t Create ‘Energy’ Needed To Beat Donald Trump

On Saturday , Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont launched a detailed and direct attack on billionaire Michael Bloomberg ‘ s record as New York City Mayor .
Per CNN , during a campaign event in Clark County , Nevada , Sanders ripped into Bloomberg for pushing “ racist ” policies , stating that the billionaire won ’ t be able to create the “ energy ” necessary to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020 .
“ Let me also say a word to you about the current campaign and to say that regardless of how much money a multi-billionaire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election we will not create the energy and excitement we need to defeat Donald Trump if that candidate pursued advocated for , and enacted racist policies , like stop-and-frisk , which caused communities of color in his city to live in fear.
” Sanders blasted Bloomberg for stating in 2015 that he is not — and never has been — in favor of minimum wage , a policy the Vermont senator has long championed .
Bloomberg , Sanders pointed out , once argued that Wall Street is not to blame for the 2008 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of racist policies , such as redlining.
” Sanders also slammed Bloomberg for opposing former President Barack Obama ’ s “ modest ” proposals to raise taxes on wealthiest Americans , while advocating for cuts to Medicare and Social Security .
Bloomberg , who entered the presidential race in November , is not even on the ballot in key early states ; the billionaire has dedicated the bulk of his vast resources to Super Tuesday states and beyond , apparently hoping to generate support by spending unprecedented amounts of money on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has , by and large , managed to avoid scrutiny thus far , but his rise in the polls appears to have alerted many of his Democratic competitors that it is time to thoroughly examine his record as New York City Mayor .
Bloomberg , who was a Republican for decades , defended the controversial stop-and-frisk policy as late as 2015 , stating in an interview that the best way to reduce violence is to throw minorities “ up against the walls and frisk them.
” As Democratic White House hopefuls and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bloomberg , he is receiving praise from the far-right .
White nationalist Richard Spencer recently took to social media to praise the former New York City mayor , suggesting that those who believe in “ race realism ” need to support him .
Bloomberg will likely participate in upcoming Democratic primary debates , given that the Democratic National Committee has decided to change qualification criteria , eliminating the individual donor threshold .
The decision to change the rules was criticized and seen as an attempt to appease Bloomberg , who has , over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of money to the Democratic Party and various organizations in its orbit

On Saturday, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont launched a detailed and direct attack on billionaire Michael Bloomberg‘s record as New York City Mayor.
Per CNN, during a campaign event in Clark County, Nevada, Sanders ripped into Bloomberg for pushing “racist” policies, stating that the billionaire won’t be able to create the “energy” necessary to defeat President Donald Trump in 2020.
“Let me also say a word to you about the current campaign and to say that regardless of how much money a multi-billionaire candidate is willing to spend on his election we will not create the energy and excitement we need to defeat Donald Trump if that candidate pursued advocated for, and enacted racist policies, like stop-and-frisk, which caused communities of color in his city to live in fear.”
Sanders blasted Bloomberg for stating in 2015 that he is not — and never has been — in favor of minimum wage, a policy the Vermont senator has long championed.
Bloomberg, Sanders pointed out, once argued that Wall Street is not to blame for the 2008 financial crisis, and instead “blamed the end of racist policies, such as redlining.”
Sanders also slammed Bloomberg for opposing former President Barack Obama’s “modest” proposals to raise taxes on wealthiest Americans, while advocating for cuts to Medicare and Social Security.
Bloomberg, who entered the presidential race in November, is not even on the ballot in key early states; the billionaire has dedicated the bulk of his vast resources to Super Tuesday states and beyond, apparently hoping to generate support by spending unprecedented amounts of money on advertisement and influence campaigns.
The billionaire has, by and large, managed to avoid scrutiny thus far, but his rise in the polls appears to have alerted many of his Democratic competitors that it is time to thoroughly examine his record as New York City Mayor.
Bloomberg, who was a Republican for decades, defended the controversial stop-and-frisk policy as late as 2015, stating in an interview that the best way to reduce violence is to throw minorities “up against the walls and frisk them.”
As Democratic White House hopefuls and other political figures continue to take aim at Bloomberg, he is receiving praise from the far-right. White nationalist Richard Spencer recently took to social media to praise the former New York City mayor, suggesting that those who believe in “race realism” need to support him.
Bloomberg will likely participate in upcoming Democratic primary debates, given that the Democratic National Committee has decided to change qualification criteria, eliminating the individual donor threshold. The decision to change the rules was criticized and seen as an attempt to appease Bloomberg, who has, over the years, donated a substantial amount of money to the Democratic Party and various organizations in its orbit


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Ralph Nader Says Democratic Party Would Never Allow Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders Or Elizabeth Warren

Ralph Nader Says Democratic Party Would Never Allow Andrew Yang, Bernie Sanders Or Elizabeth Warren To Win

During an interview with The Intercept , former presidential candidate Ralph Nader spoke about the current political landscape ahead of the 2020 election as well as the goals of the Democratic Party .
According to Nader , there are specific candidates he believes the Democratic Party will not allow to win the primary .
“ They have to block as I said , Bernie Sanders .
They have to block Elizabeth Warren .
They have to block universal basic income proposals like Andrew Yang , ” he said .
Nader said that Joe Biden is the top choice , noting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state.
” In the case of Biden ’ s failure , Nader said Michael Bloomberg is the next best option for the Democratic Party .
The 85-year-old politician said he believes the 2020 race is now a battle between two types of socialism : one employed by Donald Trump , and the other by Sanders .
He claims the Democratic corporate establishment that is deeply ingrained in the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) wants to stop Sanders and Warren so that it can continue raking in corporate money .
Nader pointed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ record setting ” Wall Street fundraising , which topped even his Republican opponents .
“ Look , it ’ s a choice between Trump ’ s corporate socialism which you can not dis-elect and throw the rascals out because it ’ s Wall Street controlling Washington , or democratic socialism where if you don ’ t like it , if you don ’ t like law and order to corporate domination of your lives , and the corporate state , which Franklin Delano Roosevelt called fascism in a message to Congress in 1938 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out .
That ’ s the difference.
” According to Nader , corporate socialism was on display during the 2008 financial crisis when taxpayer money was used to bail out the Wall Street “ crooks.
” He also noted Trump ’ s tax breaks for the rich , which he claims will create deficits that fall onto the shoulders of future generations .
Nader suggested that the money used for Trump ’ s tax cut should have instead been funneled into rebuilding infrastructure , schools , and water and sewage systems .
Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the DNC for alleged plans to stop his nomination .
According to Sanders ’ camp , DNC chairman Tom Perez ’ s initial appointments to the rules committee of the Democratic Party ’ s nomination convention are enemies of the Vermont senator ’ s campaign .
The DNC also faced scrutiny when Ryan Grim , Washington , D.C. bureau chief of The Intercept , revealed that Bloomberg donated $ 325,000 to the DNC before he entered the primary .
The revelation came as the DNC decided to change the rules for Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ benefit of no candidate except for Bloomberg .

During an interview with The Intercept, former presidential candidate Ralph Nader spoke about the current political landscape ahead of the 2020 election as well as the goals of the Democratic Party.
According to Nader, there are specific candidates he believes the Democratic Party will not allow to win the primary.
“They have to block as I said, Bernie Sanders. They have to block Elizabeth Warren. They have to block universal basic income proposals like Andrew Yang,” he said.
Nader said that Joe Biden is the top choice, noting he comes out of the “corporate state.” In the case of Biden’s failure, Nader said Michael Bloomberg is the next best option for the Democratic Party.
The 85-year-old politician said he believes the 2020 race is now a battle between two types of socialism: one employed by Donald Trump, and the other by Sanders. He claims the Democratic corporate establishment that is deeply ingrained in the Democratic National Committee (DNC) wants to stop Sanders and Warren so that it can continue raking in corporate money.
Nader pointed to former President Barack Obama’s “record setting” Wall Street fundraising, which topped even his Republican opponents.
“Look, it’s a choice between Trump’s corporate socialism which you cannot dis-elect and throw the rascals out because it’s Wall Street controlling Washington, or democratic socialism where if you don’t like it, if you don’t like law and order to corporate domination of your lives, and the corporate state, which Franklin Delano Roosevelt called fascism in a message to Congress in 1938, you can always throw the rascals out. That’s the difference.”
According to Nader, corporate socialism was on display during the 2008 financial crisis when taxpayer money was used to bail out the Wall Street “crooks.” He also noted Trump’s tax breaks for the rich, which he claims will create deficits that fall onto the shoulders of future generations. Nader suggested that the money used for Trump’s tax cut should have instead been funneled into rebuilding infrastructure, schools, and water and sewage systems.
Just before jumping into the race, @MikeBloomberg gave $325,000 to the DNC, on top of the gobs he spent on ads this month. Totally normal system. pic.twitter.com/u4JDelWb7H — Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) January 31, 2020
Sanders and his allies have already taken aim at the DNC for alleged plans to stop his nomination. According to Sanders’ camp, DNC chairman Tom Perez’s initial appointments to the rules committee of the Democratic Party’s nomination convention are enemies of the Vermont senator’s campaign.
The DNC also faced scrutiny when Ryan Grim, Washington, D.C. bureau chief of The Intercept, revealed that Bloomberg donated $325,000 to the DNC before he entered the primary. The revelation came as the DNC decided to change the rules for Democratic debate qualification, which worked to the benefit of no candidate except for Bloomberg.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Pete Buttigieg Campaign’s Senior Adviser Accused Of Running Nigerian Sockpuppet Twitter Account

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg ‘ s campaign has long faced difficulties with his record on race .
He has struggled to gain the support of black voters , and his campaign also faced criticism for using a stock photo of a Kenyan woman to promote his Douglass Plan to address racism in the U.S. , USA Today reported .
Lis Smith , the Buttigieg campaign ’ s senior adviser , is now being accused by social media users of running a fake Twitter account claiming to be a Nigerian that supports Buttigieg .
Although Smith has denied that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t stopped an onslaught of accusations from social media users who continue to highlight the many curious tweets from the allegedly Nigerian account .
Journalist Jonathan Myerson Katz noted the account ’ s “ totally normal follows , ” which included disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti , journalist Jennifer Rubin , Buttigieg ’ s National Press Secretary Chris Meagher , and Buttigieg himself , who was curiously the first follow .
“ Oddly , the Nigerian Pete Buttigieg superfan who recently tweeted in @ lis_smith ’ s voice for some reason just protected their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ link to this tweet where they promoted an interview with Smith tweeted , so far as I can tell , by only three other accounts , ” tweeted editorial director Tim Marchman .
Editor and writer David Klion noted that Smith uses “ y ’ all ” a lot and pointed to the fact that the alleged burner also uses the phrase .
“ If there ’ s really a Nigerian out there who sleeps until 5 pm on Sundays and spends all their time tweeting about Mayor Pete and Lis Smith we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because that ’ s the bleakest existence I can imagine , ” wrote editor Tom Ley .
Journalist Walker Bragman noted that Buttigieg ’ s campaign previously faced criticism for falsely claiming the endorsements of black South Carolinians .
Bragman is referring to the report from The Intercept that highlighted the Buttigieg campaign ’ s decision to credit his Douglass Plan to prominent black figures , including Ivory Thigpen and Johnnie Cordero , both of whom later said they did not endorse the former South Bend mayor , or his plan .
Buttigieg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of racism during his time as South Bend mayor .
A joint report published by The Root and The Young Turks claims that black officers reportedly brought up alleged discrimination in South Bend ’ s police force , but they were never addressed .
Letters were allegedly sent to the Board of Public Safety ( BOPS ) , the city ’ s legislature , and the mayor ’ s office to no avail .

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg‘s campaign has long faced difficulties with his record on race. He has struggled to gain the support of black voters, and his campaign also faced criticism for using a stock photo of a Kenyan woman to promote his Douglass Plan to address racism in the U.S., USA Today reported.
Lis Smith, the Buttigieg campaign’s senior adviser, is now being accused by social media users of running a fake Twitter account claiming to be a Nigerian that supports Buttigieg. Although Smith has denied that the account is hers, that hasn’t stopped an onslaught of accusations from social media users who continue to highlight the many curious tweets from the allegedly Nigerian account.
Journalist Jonathan Myerson Katz noted the account’s “totally normal follows,” which included disgraced lawyer Michael Avenatti, journalist Jennifer Rubin, Buttigieg’s National Press Secretary Chris Meagher, and Buttigieg himself, who was curiously the first follow.
“Oddly, the Nigerian Pete Buttigieg superfan who recently tweeted in @lis_smith’s voice for some reason just protected their account, so I can’t link to this tweet where they promoted an interview with Smith tweeted, so far as I can tell, by only three other accounts,” tweeted editorial director Tim Marchman.
Editor and writer David Klion noted that Smith uses “y’all” a lot and pointed to the fact that the alleged burner also uses the phrase.
This reddit account linked to Lis Smith’s alleged Nigerian twitter account. They have been all-in for Pete for a few months, but before that they only ever posted about bitcoin and sockpuppet recruiting. pic.twitter.com/yYenqqz1IF — mtobey (@mtobey) February 16, 2020
“If there’s really a Nigerian out there who sleeps until 5 pm on Sundays and spends all their time tweeting about Mayor Pete and Lis Smith we need to get their family involved, because that’s the bleakest existence I can imagine,” wrote editor Tom Ley.
Journalist Walker Bragman noted that Buttigieg’s campaign previously faced criticism for falsely claiming the endorsements of black South Carolinians.
“Now, senior advisor Lis Smith has been accused of engaging in digital blackface — running a fake Nigerian account…wow.”
Bragman is referring to the report from The Intercept that highlighted the Buttigieg campaign’s decision to credit his Douglass Plan to prominent black figures, including Ivory Thigpen and Johnnie Cordero, both of whom later said they did not endorse the former South Bend mayor, or his plan.
Buttigieg has also been accused of ignoring accusations of racism during his time as South Bend mayor. A joint report published by The Root and The Young Turks claims that black officers reportedly brought up alleged discrimination in South Bend’s police force, but they were never addressed. Letters were allegedly sent to the Board of Public Safety (BOPS), the city’s legislature, and the mayor’s office to no avail.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Over 1,100 Former Justice Department Officials Call For AG William Bar To Resign In Scathing Letter

Over 1,100 former federal prosecutors and Justice Department officials are calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign .
According to The New York Times , former officials from both Republican and Democratic administrations wrote in an open letter that Bill Barr should step down after stepping in to urge a reduction in the recommended sentence for Trump associate Roger Stone .
Prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of up to nine years for Stone after he was convicted of obstructing Congress .
Shortly after , Donald Trump tweeted about the situation and Barr stepped in to reduce the recommended sentence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the four prosecutors on the case resigned , prompting a widespread outcry on both sides of the aisle for blurring the traditional lines between the White House and the Justice Department .
In an open letter , former DOJ officials said that they condemned Trump ’ s actions and called for department employees to blow the whistle on any concerning behavior that they see .
“ Each of us strongly condemns President Trump ’ s and Attorney General Barr ’ s interference in the fair administration of justice , ” the letter begins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ took an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution , they also agreed to the Department of Justice Rulebook , which stipulates that “ the Department ’ s legal decisions ‘ must be impartial and insulated from political influence ’ ; and that the Department ’ s prosecutorial powers , in particular , must be ‘ exercised free from partisan consideration . '
” But , the officials argue in their letter , Barr and Trump have “ openly and repeatedly flouted ” the fundamental principles that govern the department .
This was particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone case .
“ Although there are times when political leadership appropriately weighs in on individual prosecutions , it is unheard of for the Department ’ s top leaders to overrule line prosecutors , who are following established policies , in order to give preferential treatment to a close associate of the President , as Attorney General Barr did in the Stone case , ” the letter states .
The letter goes on to say that Barr is welcome to admit the mistake and strive to do better , but that they expect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past behavior .
As such they support the prosecutors who resigned from the Stone case and DOJ and call on employees to report any abuses .
Barr has criticized Trump for making his job more difficult by commenting on DOJ cases via tweet , but he didn ’ t go so far as to condemn or apologize for any interference in the Stone case .

Over 1,100 former federal prosecutors and Justice Department officials are calling for Attorney General William Barr to resign. According to The New York Times, former officials from both Republican and Democratic administrations wrote in an open letter that Bill Barr should step down after reportedly urging a reduction in the recommended sentence for Trump associate Roger Stone.
Prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of up to nine years for Stone after he was convicted of obstructing Congress. Shortly after, Donald Trump tweeted about the situation and Barr purportedly stepped in to reduce the recommended sentence. His actions were immediately criticized and the four prosecutors on the case resigned, prompting a widespread outcry on both sides of the aisle for blurring the traditional lines between the White House and the Justice Department.
In the open letter, former DOJ officials condemned Trump’s actions and called for department employees to blow the whistle on any concerning behavior that they see.
“Each of us strongly condemns President Trump’s and Attorney General Barr’s interference in the fair administration of justice,” the letter begins.
The officials added that when they took an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, they also agreed to the Department of Justice Rulebook, which stipulates that “the Department’s legal decisions ‘must be impartial and insulated from political influence’; and that the Department’s prosecutorial powers, in particular, must be ‘exercised free from partisan consideration.'”
But, the officials argue in their letter, Barr and Trump have “openly and repeatedly flouted” the fundamental principles that govern the department. This was particularly egregious, they argue, in the Stone case.
“Although there are times when political leadership appropriately weighs in on individual prosecutions, it is unheard of for the Department’s top leaders to overrule line prosecutors, who are following established policies, in order to give preferential treatment to a close associate of the President, as Attorney General Barr did in the Stone case,” the letter states.
The letter goes on to say that Barr is welcome to admit the mistake and strive to do better, but that they expect that he won’t, given past behavior. As such, they support the prosecutors who resigned from the Stone case and DOJ and call on employees to report any abuses.
Barr has criticized Trump for making his job more difficult by commenting on DOJ cases via tweet, but he didn’t go so far as to condemn or apologize for any interference in the Stone case.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Tulsi Gabbard Says ‘Almost Total Corporate Media Blackout’ Is To Blame For Struggling Campaign

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard recently appeared on Fox Business ’ Varney & Co. and spoke about her disappointing results in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries , where she failed to secure any delegates .
According to Gabbard , the “ almost total corporate media blackout ” of her campaign has dragged it down and made it difficult for voters to hear her message .
“ There have been some challenges but we ’ re still here , we ’ re still fighting and still bringing the message of the change that I seek to bring to voters here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she said , referring to the upcoming February 29 primary in the Palmetto State .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , Gabbard ’ s fans pushed “ # TulsiMediaBlackout ” back in December after the candidate was excluded from an MSNBC chyron of candidates that qualified for the December Democratic presidential debate .
Gabbard pointed to her experience serving as a soldier for the U.S. Army as well as her time as a congresswoman .
She also touted her focus on channeling taxpayer money into education , health care , and infrastructure as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ form of “ wasteful regime change wars.
” According to a new poll from East Carolina University , Gabbard is polling at 1 percent .
Regardless , she has not shown signs of slowing down before the South Carolina primary and continues to campaign around the country to spread her message .
The Hawaii congresswoman has also reached out to supporters of former presidential candidate Andrew Yang and claimed she would carry the Universal Basic Income ( UBI ) torch , which was the policy that the serial entrepreneur ’ s campaign centered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gabbard recently drew a large crowd at the University of Southern Maine on Saturday night .
According to the publication , most of the attendees were Green or independent supporters , which means they would not be able to support the congresswoman in the state ’ s March 3 primary .
Regardless , Gabbard reportedly continued to hit her campaign ’ s message of unity and noted that she has been “ actively reaching out and inviting people ” from all political parties throughout her time on the trail .
Despite rumors to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is running to be the Democratic nominee and is not considering a third-party run .

Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard recently appeared on Fox Business’ Varney & Co. and spoke about her disappointing results in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, where she failed to secure any delegates.
According to Gabbard, the “almost total corporate media blackout” of her campaign has dragged it down and made it difficult for voters to hear her message.
“There have been some challenges but we’re still here, we’re still fighting and still bringing the message of the change that I seek to bring to voters here in South Carolina right now,” she said, referring to the upcoming February 29 primary in the Palmetto State.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Gabbard’s fans pushed “#TulsiMediaBlackout” back in December after the candidate was excluded from an MSNBC chyron of candidates that qualified for the December Democratic presidential debate.
Gabbard pointed to her experience serving as a soldier for the U.S. Army as well as her time as a congresswoman. She also touted her focus on channeling taxpayer money into education, health care, and infrastructure as opposed to military intervention abroad in the form of “wasteful regime change wars.”
“I am the candidate that’s bringing this unifying message that’s not based on hate, not based on hate for Trump or hate for the other party or hate for any one group or another but is building this coalition of support that’s centered around love of country.”
According to a new poll from East Carolina University, Gabbard is polling at 1 percent. Regardless, she has not shown signs of slowing down before the South Carolina primary and continues to campaign around the country to spread her message. The Hawaii congresswoman has also reached out to supporters of former presidential candidate Andrew Yang and claimed she would carry the Universal Basic Income (UBI) torch, which was the policy that the serial entrepreneur’s campaign centered around.
Per Bangor Daily News, Gabbard recently drew a large crowd at the University of Southern Maine on Saturday night. According to the publication, most of the attendees were Green or independent supporters, which means they would not be able to support the congresswoman in the state’s March 3 primary.
Regardless, Gabbard reportedly continued to hit her campaign’s message of unity and noted that she has been “actively reaching out and inviting people” from all political parties throughout her time on the trail.
Despite rumors to the contrary, Gabbard has assured that she is running to be the Democratic nominee and is not considering a third-party run.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Mitch McConnell Says He Would Confirm Supreme Court Justice This Year, Breaking Rule He Set For Bara

Mitch McConnell Says He Would Confirm Supreme Court Justice This Year, Breaking Rule He Set For Barack Obama

Mitch McConnell said this week that he would confirm a nominee to a Supreme Court vacancy if it came up this year , apparently breaking the rule he set for former President Barack Obama when there was a vacant seat in early 2016 .
At the time , McConnell said that he would not hold confirmation hearings for any nominee Obama put forward , saying there was a presidential election later that year and that voters should decide who would fill the seat as the next president .
This followed the February 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia .
Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merrick Garland , but McConnell never allowed hearings to start .
McConnell appears to have reversed that stance now in the final year of Donald Trump ’ s first term in office .
In an interview with Fox News , McConnell said that he would allow Trump to fill an open seat .
“ If you ’ re asking me a hypothetical… we would fill it , ” McConnell said .
The Kentucky Republican claimed that in 2016 , he was only arguing that a vacancy should not be filled in an election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the U.S. Senate .
“ Let me remind you what I said in 2016 .
I said you ’ d have to go back to the 1880s to find the last time a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurring during a presidential election year was confirmed by a Senate of a different party than the President .
That was the situation in 2016 .
That would not be the situation in 2020 , ” McConnell said .
But at the time the vacancy came up during Obama ’ s presidency , McConnell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was up to the voters to decide , not that the party in power in the Senate needed to match the party holding the White House .
The move was widely criticized by Democrats , who noted that McConnell made it his mission to block Obama from achieving any of his agenda .
As Salon noted , this is not the first time McConnell has admitted that he would go back on his rule for Obama in order to fill a vacancy for Trump in an election year .
Last May , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that filling a vacancy would be too important to pass up .
As the report added , McConnell ’ s change of course drew pushback from Democrats , including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer who claimed that McConnell needs to fill court vacancies because “ he knows the GOP agenda is so radical & unpopular they can only achieve it in courts .
”

Mitch McConnell said this week that he would confirm a nominee to a Supreme Court vacancy if it came up this year, apparently breaking the rule he set for former President Barack Obama when there was a vacant seat in early 2016.
At the time, McConnell said that he would not hold confirmation hearings for any nominee Obama put forward, saying there was a presidential election later that year and that voters should decide who would fill the seat as the next president. This followed the February 2016 death of Justice Antonin Scalia. Obama nominated Washington, D.C., circuit judge Merrick Garland, but McConnell never allowed hearings to start.
McConnell appears to have reversed that stance now in the final year of Donald Trump’s first term in office. In an interview with Fox News, McConnell said that he would allow Trump to fill an open seat.
“If you’re asking me a hypothetical… we would fill it,” McConnell said.
The Kentucky Republican claimed that in 2016, he was only arguing that a vacancy should not be filled in an election year if the opposing party had control of the U.S. Senate.
“Let me remind you what I said in 2016. I said you’d have to go back to the 1880s to find the last time a vacancy on the Supreme Court occurring during a presidential election year was confirmed by a Senate of a different party than the President. That was the situation in 2016. That would not be the situation in 2020,” McConnell said.
But at the time the vacancy came up during Obama’s presidency, McConnell leaned strongly on the argument that it was up to the voters to decide, not that the party in power in the Senate needed to match the party holding the White House. The move was widely criticized by Democrats, who noted that McConnell made it his mission to block Obama from achieving any of his agenda.
As Salon noted, this is not the first time McConnell has admitted that he would go back on his rule for Obama in order to fill a vacancy for Trump in an election year. Last May, he told a local Kentucky Chamber of Commerce that filling a vacancy would be too important to pass up.
As the report added, McConnell’s change of course drew pushback from Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer who claimed that McConnell needs to fill court vacancies because “he knows the GOP agenda is so radical & unpopular they can only achieve it in courts.”


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Joe Biden Says Donald Trump’s ‘Cruelty’ Is Eating The Soul Of America

During a Sunday interview on NBC ’ s Meet the Press , Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden spoke with host Chuck Todd about his belief that Donald Trump ‘ s “ cruelty ” is destroying the soul of America , Breitbart reports .
Biden made the comments after Todd pressed him about Trump ’ s comments regarding him and his troubled son , Hunter .
“ I ’ ve got to focus on the future , ” Biden said .
“ I ’ ve got to focus on how do we end this era of —I mean how do we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the soul of this country .
It ’ s being eaten out .
It ’ s being eaten away.
” “ The cruelty , the viciousness , the way he pits people against one another , the way he goes after people of color , the way he makes fun .
There ’ s a cruelty about him .
That ’ s not who we are .
I refuse to believe that ’ s who the American people are.
” Amid the impeachment probe , Trump and his allies turned their attention to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to Trump , the pair ’ s dealings in Ukraine were marred by corruption , although critics suggested that the president and his cronies were trying to divert attention from their own corruption .
Biden remained frontrunner for the majority of the primary but has since lost ground , most recently placing fifth in the New Hampshire primary .
As The Inquisitr reported , Biden is reportedly losing ground in South Carolina due to voters and local representatives shifting support to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and billionaire Tom Steyer .
The news @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black and brown voters during a recent campaign event .
Steyer notably has invested more resources in South Carolina than any other candidate in the primary .
Not only does he have a 93-person staff in the state , but he has invested approximately $ 15 million in ads .
The blitz appears to have paid off , as it has led to influential leaders choosing to join his campaign .
Caitlin Jewitt , an assistant professor of political science at Virginia Tech , told The Hill that voters just tuning in to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s frontrunner status .
Instead , she claims people understand that Sanders is the frontrunner , while they ’ re also hearing about the successes of former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar .
Despite his recent struggles , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a recent CNN interview that she isn ’ t giving up on Biden yet .
She also expressed her belief that any of the current Democratic presidential candidates are better choices to lead the country than Trump .

During a Sunday interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden spoke with host Chuck Todd about his belief that Donald Trump‘s “cruelty” is destroying the soul of America, Breitbart reports.
Biden made the comments after Todd pressed him about Trump’s comments regarding him and his troubled son, Hunter.
“I’ve got to focus on the future,” Biden said. “I’ve got to focus on how do we end this era of —I mean how do we literally — I wrote about it restore the soul of this country. It’s being eaten out. It’s being eaten away.”
“The cruelty, the viciousness, the way he pits people against one another, the way he goes after people of color, the way he makes fun. There’s a cruelty about him. That’s not who we are. I refuse to believe that’s who the American people are.”
Amid the impeachment probe, Trump and his allies turned their attention to the Bidens, BuzzFeed News reported. According to Trump, the pair’s dealings in Ukraine were marred by corruption, although critics suggested that the president and his cronies were trying to divert attention from their own corruption.
Biden remained frontrunner for the majority of the primary but has since lost ground, most recently placing fifth in the New Hampshire primary. As The Inquisitr reported, Biden is reportedly losing ground in South Carolina due to voters and local representatives shifting support to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and billionaire Tom Steyer. The news comes after Biden touted his support among black and brown voters during a recent campaign event.
Steyer notably has invested more resources in South Carolina than any other candidate in the primary. Not only does he have a 93-person staff in the state, but he has invested approximately $15 million in ads. The blitz appears to have paid off, as it has led to influential leaders choosing to join his campaign.
Sanders is winning non-white voters in this poll by 8 points over Biden https://t.co/Kq70BotWp9 pic.twitter.com/Hv9U89zA3p — Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) February 11, 2020
Caitlin Jewitt, an assistant professor of political science at Virginia Tech, told The Hill that voters just tuning in to the race are not hearing of Biden’s frontrunner status. Instead, she claims people understand that Sanders is the frontrunner, while they’re also hearing about the successes of former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
Despite his recent struggles, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a recent CNN interview that she isn’t giving up on Biden yet. She also expressed her belief that any of the current Democratic presidential candidates are better choices to lead the country than Trump.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Michael Bloomberg’s ‘Race Realism’ Praised By White Nationalist Richard Spencer

Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg has come under fire for remarks he made in 2015 about his controversial stop-and-frisk policy conducted during his time as New York City mayor , USA Today reported .
He has since apologized for the remarks .
However , Bloomberg does have the support of white nationalist Richard Spencer , who recently took to Twitter to praise the 78-year-old businessman .
“ If you define your outlook with terms like ‘ race realism ’ or express concern over ‘ demographics , ’ then I must ask , unironically , is Mike Bloomberg not your man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the audio of Bloomberg ’ s controversial comments on stop and frisk .
In the clip , Bloomberg claims that the majority of murderers and murder victims are male minorities between the ages of 15 to 25 , and suggested it was the reason that policemen are placed in minority neighborhoods .
“ Why do you do it ?
Because that ’ s where all the crime is , ” he said .
In response to the audio clip , President Donald Trump slammed Bloomberg as a “ TOTAL RACIST ” in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNBC .
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also blasted Bloomberg and did not appear to accept his apology for the policy .
“ People lost their fathers , people lost their brothers , ” she said , adding that arrest records can not be “ expunged with a tweet.
” The endorsement from Spencer will likely not help Bloomberg as he continues to face accusations of racism .
A newly released report reveals a 1998 lawsuit that claims the billionaire berated a female employee that had recently had a child .
According to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to hire “ some black ” as a nanny to take care of her baby .
A spokesperson for Bloomberg ’ s campaign claims that the businessman never made such comments .
In another controversial statement , Bloomberg claimed that the 2008 housing crisis was caused partly by the end of “ redlining , ” which is a discriminatory practice that systematically denied mortgages to low-income , mostly minority neighborhoods .
Despite his troubles , USA Today reports that Bloomberg continues to garner black support .
Just one day following the release of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy , Rep. Gregory Meeks endorsed the billionaire for president and claimed that the businessman ’ s “ bad policy ” was “ just trying to save lives.
” Bloomberg currently has four endorsements from the influential Congressional Black Caucus ( CBC ) , which is higher than any other Democratic presidential candidate , aside from former Vice President Joe Biden .

'1000 Lb Sister' Tammy Slaton Defends Her 'Filtered' Pictures, Ask Critics to Talk to Her Hand
She said, "Listen, I am not trying to be rude, but it's my profile. And if I like using the filters, I will. Plain and simple," as she waved goodbye.
By Juwairiya Shariq | 4h ago
Tammy Slaton


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Pete Buttigieg Says He Won’t ‘Take Lectures On Family Values’ From Rush Limbaugh

' I love my husband .
I 'm faithful to my husband , ' he said .
Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday morning that he is not going to “ take lectures on family values from…Rush Limbaugh , ” NBC News reports .
The remarks were seemingly directed at statements the conservative talk-radio host had made last week about the former South Bend , Indiana mayor ’ s sexuality .
The 2020 Democratic Party nomination hopeful stopped by CNN ’ s State of the Union show on Sunday , and the topic of Limbaugh ’ s remarks came up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Inquisitr , on Wednesday of last week , Limbaugh — who days earlier had been awarded the Medal of Freedom by Donald Trump during the State of the Union address — claimed that America isn ’ t ready to elect an openly gay president , according to a CNN report .
“ Despite all the great progress and despite all the great wokeness , and despite all the great ground that ’ s been covered , America ’ s still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying this , don ’ t they ?
” he said .
Limbaugh also suggested that , on the debate stage , when Buttigieg goes to kiss his husband , Chasten , it would make for a bad visual against Donald Trump .
“ 37-year-old gay guy kissing his husband on stage next to Mr. Man Donald Trump ?
What ’ s going to happen there ?
” he asked rhetorically .
Buttigieg clarified that he generally doesn ’ t kiss Chasten in public , saying that he prefers to “ go for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he loves his husband and is faithful to him .
“ And I ’ m not going to take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh , ” he said .
Buttigieg didn ’ t clarify what he meant by that .
However , Limbaugh has been married four times , and divorced three times .
In at least one of those marriages , accusations of infidelity were leveled .
Specifically , as Radar Online reported at the time back in 2017 , rumors were circulating that Rush and his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ divorce .
Further , unidentified sources claimed that Kathryn was using Limbaugh ’ s private plane to travel here and there for her escapades with other men , including professional athletes .
However , Limbaugh and Kathryn did not divorce , and indeed remain married to this day .
As for Limbaugh ’ s claims that America isn ’ t ready to elect an openly gay man as president , it seems that Limbaugh ’ s friend Donald Trump is not of the same mind .
In an interview , Geraldo Rivera asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a gay man to be president .
Trump responded that there would be some Americans who wouldn ’ t vote for an openly gay POTUS , but he ( Trump ) “ wouldn ’ t be among that group .
”


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Volodymyr Zelensky Says He Asked Donald Trump To ‘Please, Please Stop Saying’ Ukraine Is Corrupt

Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky says he was upset at Donald Trump ’ s repeated claims that the Eastern European country is corrupt and even asked the United States leader to stop saying that it is .
Zelensky opened up with CNN ’ s Christiane Amanpour for the first one-on-one interview since Trump was impeached by the House and acquitted by the Senate .
Trump and Zelensky ’ s interactions were the focus of the impeachment trial , particularly the July 25 phone call during which Trump asked the Ukrainian president to investigate Burisma and the Bidens .
Trump has repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was without flaw , and that he wasn ’ t working to benefit himself , but to help eliminate corruption in the U.S. and Ukraine .
But Zelensky says that he takes issue with his country being called corrupt .
As Amanpour pointed out , Trump once said that Ukraine is the third-most corrupt country on the planet .
“ That ’ s not true .
When I had a meeting with President Trump and he said that in previous years ( Ukraine ) was such a corrupt country , I told him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with him .
I told him that we fight with corruption .
We fight each day , ” Zelensky said .
Zelensky says that he asked the president to stop spreading misinformation .
“ Please , please stop saying that Ukraine is a corrupt country , because from now , it ’ s not true .
We want to change this image , ” he said .
Despite the difference of opinion , Zelensky says that the U.S. and Ukraine have a good relationship , and he thanked Trump for supporting his country @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the next time Trump called him .
He also joked that before becoming president , he had wanted to become well-known in the United States as a producer , screenwriter , and actor .
“ I wanted to get an Oscar , I wanted to be popular in the USA… Now I am very popular in the USA , ” he said .
Trump ’ s phone call with Zelensky became the focus of the House impeachment inquiry after Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats found that the president had pushed the Ukrainian leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid .
The charges allege that Trump attempted to withhold Congressionally-approved aid to Ukraine to force the country to announce that it was opening an investigation into Trump ’ s chief political rival , Joe Biden , and his son , Hunter Biden .
Ultimately , Trump was impeached on two articles — obstruction of Congress and abuse of power .
He was impeached in the House largely along party lines and acquitted in the Senate along the same lines .

Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelensky says he was upset at Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the Eastern European country is corrupt and even asked the United States leader to stop saying that it is.
Zelensky opened up with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour for the first one-on-one interview since Trump was impeached by the House and acquitted by the Senate.
Trump and Zelensky’s interactions were the focus of the impeachment trial, particularly the July 25 phone call during which Trump asked the Ukrainian president to investigate Burisma and the Bidens. Trump has repeatedly said that his phone call with Zelensky was without flaw, and that he wasn’t working to benefit himself, but to help eliminate corruption in the U.S. and Ukraine.
But Zelensky says that he takes issue with his country being called corrupt. As Amanpour pointed out, Trump once said that Ukraine is the third-most corrupt country on the planet.
“That’s not true. When I had a meeting with President Trump and he said that in previous years (Ukraine) was such a corrupt country, I told him very honestly and I was very open with him. I told him that we fight with corruption. We fight each day,” Zelensky said.
Zelensky says that he asked the president to stop spreading misinformation.
“Please, please stop saying that Ukraine is a corrupt country, because from now, it’s not true. We want to change this image,” he said.
Despite the difference of opinion, Zelensky says that the U.S. and Ukraine have a good relationship, and he thanked Trump for supporting his country, adding that he was ready for the next time Trump called him.
He also joked that before becoming president, he had wanted to become well-known in the United States as a producer, screenwriter, and actor.
“I wanted to get an Oscar, I wanted to be popular in the USA… Now I am very popular in the USA,” he said.
Trump’s phone call with Zelensky became the focus of the House impeachment inquiry after Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats found that the president had pushed the Ukrainian leader in order to help his own reelection bid. The charges allege that Trump attempted to withhold Congressionally-approved aid to Ukraine to force the country to announce that it was opening an investigation into Trump’s chief political rival, Joe Biden, and his son, Hunter Biden.
Ultimately, Trump was impeached on two articles — obstruction of Congress and abuse of power. He was impeached in the House largely along party lines and acquitted in the Senate along the same lines.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Elizabeth Warren Slams Rush Limbaugh Over ‘Hateful And Offensive’ Attack On Pete Buttigieg

Only days after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the highest civilian honor , from President Donald Trump , controversial talk radio host Rush Limbaugh launched an attack on Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg .
While discussing the results of the New Hampshire primary — where Buttigieg came in second — Limbaugh said that Trump would “ have fun ” with the former South Bend mayor , who “ loves kissing his husband on debate stages.
” The host concluded that Americans are not ready to elect an openly gay candidate , sparking intense backlash .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Hill .
Defending her competitor in the Democratic primary race , Warren took to Twitter to blast the talk radio host ’ s attacks as “ homophobic , ” suggesting that Trump encourages bigotry .
“ These homophobic attacks against @ PeteButtigieg are hateful and offensive , ” she wrote .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , himself a White House hopeful , also commented on Limbaugh ’ s remarks , suggesting that they reflect “ the depravity ” of Trump ’ s administration .
“ Pete and I are competitors , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has courage , he ’ s smart as hell , ” Biden said of Buttigieg , who would be the first openly gay president if he wins in November .
As The Hill notes , Buttigieg overperformed the polling in the controversial Iowa caucuses , winning more delegates than Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont , but losing the popular vote .
The former South Bend mayor exceeded expectations in the Granite State as well , where Sanders beat him by only a few percentage points .
Although Trump apparently saw nothing wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Limbaugh , he recently said that he would vote for a gay presidential candidate .
In an interview with Fox News anchor Geraldo Rivera , the commander-in-chief said that he would not have a problem voting for a gay person to be president , noting that a certain “ group ” of people would probably not want to do so .
In an interview last year , when Buttigieg first rose to prominence , Trump said a presidential candidate appearing onstage alongside his husband is “ great ” and should be viewed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Polling suggests that a majority of Americans agrees with Trump .
According to a Gallup survey , 76 percent of Americans would vote for a gay or lesbian presidential candidate .
Eighty-three percent of Democrats say they would vote for a gay man or woman to be president , and 61 percent of Republicans say the same .

Only days after receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, from President Donald Trump, controversial talk radio host Rush Limbaugh launched an attack on Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg.
While discussing the results of the New Hampshire primary — where Buttigieg came in second — Limbaugh said that Trump would “have fun” with the former South Bend mayor, who “loves kissing his husband on debate stages.” The host concluded that Americans are not ready to elect an openly gay candidate, sparking intense backlash. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is now slamming Limbaugh, according to The Hill.
Defending her competitor in the Democratic primary race, Warren took to Twitter to blast the talk radio host’s attacks as “homophobic,” suggesting that Trump encourages bigotry.
“These homophobic attacks against @PeteButtigieg are hateful and offensive,” she wrote.
“We will not tolerate this in the Democratic presidential race, and we will fight together against the hate and bigotry that Donald Trump promotes and rewards.”
Former Vice President Joe Biden, himself a White House hopeful, also commented on Limbaugh’s remarks, suggesting that they reflect “the depravity” of Trump’s administration.
“Pete and I are competitors, but this guy has honor, he has courage, he’s smart as hell,” Biden said of Buttigieg, who would be the first openly gay president if he wins in November.
As The Hill notes, Buttigieg overperformed the polling in the controversial Iowa caucuses, winning more delegates than Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, but losing the popular vote. The former South Bend mayor exceeded expectations in the Granite State as well, where Sanders beat him by only a few percentage points.
Although Trump apparently saw nothing wrong with awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Limbaugh, he recently said that he would vote for a gay presidential candidate. In an interview with Fox News anchor Geraldo Rivera, the commander-in-chief said that he would not have a problem voting for a gay person to be president, noting that a certain “group” of people would probably not want to do so.
In an interview last year, when Buttigieg first rose to prominence, Trump said a presidential candidate appearing onstage alongside his husband is “great” and should be viewed as a “sign of great progress.”
Polling suggests that a majority of Americans agrees with Trump. According to a Gallup survey, 76 percent of Americans would vote for a gay or lesbian presidential candidate. Eighty-three percent of Democrats say they would vote for a gay man or woman to be president, and 61 percent of Republicans say the same.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Joe Biden Is Reportedly Losing Ground In South Carolina, Tom Steyer And Bernie Sanders Taking Over

Disappointing finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire appear to have shaken the electorate ’ s faith in former Vice President Joe Biden , allowing Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders to surge past him in national polling .
With the Nevada caucuses only a week away , Biden now appears to be struggling to maintain support across the country .
In a potentially major sign of trouble , Biden seems to be losing ground in South Carolina , per a new report from Politico .
According to the report , “ deep cracks ” are emerging in the former vice president ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local representatives switching over to other candidates , namely Sanders and billionaire Tom Steyer .
Dahli Myers , vice chair of the Richland County Council and a former Biden supporter , explained that she shifted her support to Sanders over concerns about Biden ’ s “ electability ” message and because his campaign ’ s voter outreach strategies were outdated and inefficient .
“ If the whole of your argument for my vote is , ‘ I ’ m electable ’ , and there is nothing that you presented as , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should elect you , though you are electable , what is the point ?
Give me a reason to elect you .
And I don ’ t think that that campaign ’ s doing a good job of that ” she said , noting that Biden ’ s underwhelming performance in Iowa and New Hampshire solidified her decision to back Sanders .
Rep. Ivory Thigpen of Richland County , who also supports Sanders , said that his decision to do so was a “ political calculation.
” Pointing to Sanders ’ support among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vermont senator has what it takes to beat President Donald Trump in November .
“ I don ’ t have anything against Biden , I just think he ’ s a return to the status quo , ” he said .
It is not only Sanders that is breathing down Biden ’ s neck in South Carolina .
Steyer has committed more resources to South Carolina than any other candidate and has a 93-person staff in the state .
The billionaire has also spent a significant amount of money — $ 15 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now paying off , with influential local leaders joining his campaign .
One of them , Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter , explained why she now backs Steyer .
“ Where Steyer has stepped up and Biden has not is simply coming into the state and asking people for their support and going throughout the state , meeting with people , ” the politician said , adding that she is “ not convinced ” Biden can beat Trump .
Polling reflects the sentiments expressed by former Biden backers .
According to an East Carolina University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s lead in South Carolina reduced nine points .
The former vice president is now polling at 28 percent , with Sanders behind at 20 percent .
Steyer is in third place with 14 percent .

Disappointing finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire appear to have shaken the electorate’s faith in former Vice President Joe Biden, allowing Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders to surge past him in national polling. With the Nevada caucuses only a week away, Biden now appears to be struggling to maintain support across the country.
In a potentially major sign of trouble, Biden seems to be losing ground in South Carolina, per a new report from Politico. According to the report, “deep cracks” are emerging in the former vice president’s southern firewall, with voters and local representatives switching over to other candidates, namely Sanders and billionaire Tom Steyer.
Dahli Myers, vice chair of the Richland County Council and a former Biden supporter, explained that she shifted her support to Sanders over concerns about Biden’s “electability” message and because his campaign’s voter outreach strategies were outdated and inefficient.
“If the whole of your argument for my vote is, ‘I’m electable’, and there is nothing that you presented as, you know, the case study for why we should elect you, though you are electable, what is the point? Give me a reason to elect you. And I don’t think that that campaign’s doing a good job of that” she said, noting that Biden’s underwhelming performance in Iowa and New Hampshire solidified her decision to back Sanders.
Rep. Ivory Thigpen of Richland County, who also supports Sanders, said that his decision to do so was a “political calculation.” Pointing to Sanders’ support among young voters, Thigpen suggested that the Vermont senator has what it takes to beat President Donald Trump in November.
“I don’t have anything against Biden, I just think he’s a return to the status quo,” he said.
It is not only Sanders that is breathing down Biden’s neck in South Carolina. Steyer has committed more resources to South Carolina than any other candidate and has a 93-person staff in the state. The billionaire has also spent a significant amount of money — $15 million — on ads. The work is now paying off, with influential local leaders joining his campaign.
One of them, Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, explained why she now backs Steyer.
“Where Steyer has stepped up and Biden has not is simply coming into the state and asking people for their support and going throughout the state, meeting with people,” the politician said, adding that she is “not convinced” Biden can beat Trump.
Polling reflects the sentiments expressed by former Biden backers. According to an East Carolina University poll released this week, Biden’s lead in South Carolina reduced nine points. The former vice president is now polling at 28 percent, with Sanders behind at 20 percent. Steyer is in third place with 14 percent.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Poll: Bernie Sanders Beats Donald Trump And All Democrats On Character, Empathy

After winning the popular vote in Iowa and winning the New Hampshire primary , Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont surged in national opinion polling , opening a double-digit lead over former Vice President Joe Biden .
Voters also seem to believe that Sanders is more electable than any other Democratic candidate , and that he has the highest chances of beating President Donald Trump in November .
If character and empathy were on the ballot , Sanders would dominate , according to a new USA Today/Ipsos poll .
The unusual survey explored voters ’ views on candidates ’ personality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a significant advantage over Trump and all of his Democratic rivals .
Forty percent of voters admire Sanders ’ character .
Only 26 percent admire Trump ’ s , according to the poll .
When it comes to Democratic candidates , former Vice President Joe Biden comes closest to Sanders , with 31 percent of voters saying they admire his character .
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former South Bend , Indiana , Mayor Pete Buttigieg each got 30 percent in this category , and 29 percent of voters say they admire billionaire Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Feldman , Sanders ’ consistency could be why voters trust him and admire his character .
“ Whether you like him or not , voters know where Bernie Sanders stands .
He talks about systemic problems in a way that is really simple to understand .
He doesn ’ t move off that messaging.
” “ We ’ re at a time in this country where the establishment in both political parties are on the ropes , ” he added , explaining that Sanders appears to have an ability to connect with voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ understands the issues they face every day .
Voters also believe that Sanders shares their values more than any other candidate .
According to the poll , 39 percent of voters said that the Vermont senator shares their values , compared to 30 percent who said the same of Buttigieg and Biden .
Thirty-one percent of voters believes Trump shares their values .
On empathy , Sanders polls higher than any Democrat .
Among suburban women — an important voting bloc , which helped the Democratic Party win back the House of Representatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Vermont senator “ cares about people like me ” and 38 percent admire his character .
According to Eric Schickler , co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at U.C .
Berkeley , personal appeal could help Sanders in the primary , which appears to be a very close and volatile race .
“ For Bernie , he ’ s always had this outsider appeal .
He ’ s been around so long with the same basic message and I think that ’ s probably helping him in the primary , ” Schickler @ @

After winning the popular vote in Iowa and winning the New Hampshire primary, Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont surged in national opinion polling, opening a double-digit lead over former Vice President Joe Biden. Voters also seem to believe that Sanders is more electable than any other Democratic candidate, and that he has the highest chances of beating President Donald Trump in November.
If character and empathy were on the ballot, Sanders would dominate, according to a new USA Today/Ipsos poll. The unusual survey explored voters’ views on candidates’ personality and values, establishing that Sanders has a significant advantage over Trump and all of his Democratic rivals.
Forty percent of voters admire Sanders’ character. Only 26 percent admire Trump’s, according to the poll. When it comes to Democratic candidates, former Vice President Joe Biden comes closest to Sanders, with 31 percent of voters saying they admire his character. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg each got 30 percent in this category, and 29 percent of voters say they admire billionaire Michael Bloomberg.
According to Democratic strategist Andrew Feldman, Sanders’ consistency could be why voters trust him and admire his character.
“Whether you like him or not, voters know where Bernie Sanders stands. He talks about systemic problems in a way that is really simple to understand. He doesn’t move off that messaging.”
“We’re at a time in this country where the establishment in both political parties are on the ropes,” he added, explaining that Sanders appears to have an ability to connect with voters who feel he shares their struggles and understands the issues they face every day.
Yesterday, over 10,000 people joined us between Durham, Charlotte, and Mesquite. That's got to make the billionaire class and corporate elites of this country very, very nervous. Let's keep up the momentum! pic.twitter.com/ITajCHg5Sp — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 15, 2020
Voters also believe that Sanders shares their values more than any other candidate. According to the poll, 39 percent of voters said that the Vermont senator shares their values, compared to 30 percent who said the same of Buttigieg and Biden. Thirty-one percent of voters believes Trump shares their values.
On empathy, Sanders polls higher than any Democrat. Among suburban women — an important voting bloc, which helped the Democratic Party win back the House of Representatives in 2018 — 47 percent believe the Vermont senator “cares about people like me” and 38 percent admire his character.
According to Eric Schickler, co-director of the Institute of Governmental Studies at U.C. Berkeley, personal appeal could help Sanders in the primary, which appears to be a very close and volatile race.
“For Bernie, he’s always had this outsider appeal. He’s been around so long with the same basic message and I think that’s probably helping him in the primary,” Schickler said.


inquisitr--2020-02-16--Major Democratic Party Donor Says It Is ‘Critical’ For Joe Biden To Win South Carolina

Former Vice President Joe Biden held on to his lead in nationwide opinion polling for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries for nearly a year , but everything collapsed once he finished fourth in Iowa .
Biden came in fifth in New Hampshire and does not seem to be favored to win Nevada .
In order to stay in the race , generate support and acquire donations necessary to keep his campaign running , Biden must perform well in South Carolina , according to Alan Patricof .
In an interview with The Washington Examiner , Patricof — a venture capitalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is “ critical ” for Biden to win South Carolina .
“ Everybody ’ s sticking with Joe until they see what happens there , ” he said , adding that Biden will need significant donor support in order to perform well on Super Tuesday when 14 states and Democrats Abroad will hold primaries .
Furthermore , according to Patricof , billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ’ s decision to enter the primary race appears to have complicated matters for Biden .
Bloomberg , the donor suggested , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former vice president .
Earlier this week , Biden attended two fundraisers in New York City , reassuring his wealthy donors that “ things look good ” for his campaign .
Biden , who leads the polls in South Carolina , promised the donors to win a number of states in the South and in the Midwest .
“ I will win Pennsylvania , I promise you .
I will win Michigan , I promise you .
I will win those Midwest states , as well as right now they have me winning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ North Carolina , ” Biden said .
Biden has managed to hold on to his lead in South Carolina — mainly thanks to the support he enjoys among older Democrats — but much of it has melted away .
According to the latest polling , the former vice is starting to lose momentum in the Palmetto State , with Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders starting to catch up to him .
On the heels of Biden ’ s fourth-place finish in Iowa caucuses , reports emerged that the former vice president ’ s campaign @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that it is canceling ad buys in multiple states .
Those that have donated to Biden are reportedly open to backing other moderate candidates in the race , such as South Bend , Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota .

Former Vice President Joe Biden held on to his lead in nationwide opinion polling for the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries for nearly a year, but everything collapsed once he finished fourth in Iowa. Biden came in fifth in New Hampshire and does not seem to be favored to win Nevada.
In order to stay in the race, generate support and acquire donations necessary to keep his campaign running, Biden must perform well in South Carolina, according to Alan Patricof. In an interview with The Washington Examiner, Patricof — a venture capitalist and Democratic Party mega-donor — said that it is “critical” for Biden to win South Carolina.
“Everybody’s sticking with Joe until they see what happens there,” he said, adding that Biden will need significant donor support in order to perform well on Super Tuesday when 14 states and Democrats Abroad will hold primaries.
Furthermore, according to Patricof, billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s decision to enter the primary race appears to have complicated matters for Biden. Bloomberg, the donor suggested, could siphon potential supporters away from the former vice president.
“The kind of people who would be supportive to Mike are the same people who would be supportive to Biden, I believe. In the end, the voters are what counts.”
Earlier this week, Biden attended two fundraisers in New York City, reassuring his wealthy donors that “things look good” for his campaign. Biden, who leads the polls in South Carolina, promised the donors to win a number of states in the South and in the Midwest.
“I will win Pennsylvania, I promise you. I will win Michigan, I promise you. I will win those Midwest states, as well as right now they have me winning in Georgia, Texas, Florida, North Carolina,” Biden said.
Biden has managed to hold on to his lead in South Carolina — mainly thanks to the support he enjoys among older Democrats — but much of it has melted away. According to the latest polling, the former vice is starting to lose momentum in the Palmetto State, with Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders starting to catch up to him.
On the heels of Biden’s fourth-place finish in Iowa caucuses, reports emerged that the former vice president’s campaign is not in good financial shape and that it is canceling ad buys in multiple states. Those that have donated to Biden are reportedly open to backing other moderate candidates in the race, such as South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.


inquisitr--2020-02-17--James Clyburn On Billionaire Presidential Candidates: Money ‘Will Always Make A Difference’

Two billionaires are running in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries : Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and businessman Tom Steyer .
Both of them , especially Bloomberg , have completely altered the dynamics of the race by spending an unprecedented amount of money on advertisement campaigns .
House Majority Whip James Clyburn , who represents the state of South Carolina , appeared Sunday on CNN to discuss the two billionaires ’ chances of winning the Democratic nomination , according to The Hill .
Speaking with State of the Union host Dana Bash , Clyburn opined that money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ ve always said money is the mother ’ s milk of politics .
He has money and he has been spending it , I think that will always make a difference , ” the congressman said of Steyer , who has risen to third place in South Carolina polling , despite failing to win a single national delegate in Iowa or New Hampshire .
Steyer spent $ 16.4 million on ads in Iowa and $ 19.8 million in New Hampshire .
He won zero percent of the vote in Iowa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Granite State .
“ Where was Bloomberg nationally among voters a month ago ?
” Clyburn asked of the former New York City mayor , pointing out that national polling suggests that the former Republican has already surpassed a number of established politicians by simply blanketing the airwaves with ads .
“ But he has money , he has been spending it , and he ’ s changed the calculations , ” Clyburn continued .
Clyburn also said that he will not publicly endorse a candidate before the South Carolina primary , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he believes in , regardless of whether they win in his state or not .
“ I would never pass my support upon whether or not I think that person would win the state , ” the top Democrat concluded .
Bloomberg is not on the ballot in South Carolina , but Steyer is and he appears to be doing well .
According to latest polling , Steyer is in third place , behind Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden .
According to reports , the billionaire has invested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is winning over local activists and officials .
As for Bloomberg , he is skipping the early states , focusing on Super Tuesday states instead .
The former New York City mayor ’ s rise in the polls has caught the attention of his rivals , who are now beginning to criticize his problematic record .
On Saturday , Sanders — who is the national frontrunner — blasted Bloomberg for pushing “ racist ” policies , including stop-and-frisk , and for suggesting that laws that ended red-lining are to blame for the 2008 @ @ @

Two billionaires are running in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries: former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and businessman Tom Steyer. Both of them, especially Bloomberg, have completely altered the dynamics of the race by spending an unprecedented amount of money on advertisement campaigns.
House Majority Whip James Clyburn, who represents the state of South Carolina, appeared on CNN on Sunday to discuss the two billionaires’ chances of winning the Democratic nomination, according to The Hill. Speaking with State of the Union host Dana Bash, Clyburn opined that money “will always make a difference.”
“I’ve always said money is the mother’s milk of politics. He has money and he has been spending it, I think that will always make a difference,” the congressman said of Steyer, who has risen to third place in South Carolina polling, despite failing to win a single national delegate in Iowa or New Hampshire.
Steyer spent $16.4 million on ads in Iowa and $19.8 million in New Hampshire. He won zero percent of the vote in Iowa and 4 percent of the vote in the Granite State.
“Where was Bloomberg nationally among voters a month ago?” Clyburn asked of the former New York City mayor, pointing out that national polling suggests that the former Republican has already surpassed a number of established politicians by simply blanketing the airwaves with ads.
“But he has money, he has been spending it, and he’s changed the calculations,” Clyburn continued.
“For us to just pretend money doesn’t make a difference what would be fool hearted. Money makes [a] difference. Steyer has it[,] he’s been spending and he’s reaping the rewards.”
Clyburn also said that he will not publicly endorse a candidate before the South Carolina primary, noting that he will support a candidate he believes in, regardless of whether they win in his state or not.
“I would never pass my support upon whether or not I think that person would win the state,” the top Democrat concluded.
Michael Bloomberg's campaign has now crossed $350 million in ad spending. We created this chart to show how much $$$ he is spending. His rise in the polls = proof of the power of TV advertising? pic.twitter.com/GOoqDdOYnv — Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) February 9, 2020
Bloomberg is not on the ballot in South Carolina, but Steyer is, and he appears to be doing well. According to latest polling, Steyer is in third place, behind Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden. According to reports, the billionaire has invested resources in South Carolina, where he is winning over local activists and officials.
As for Bloomberg, he is skipping the early states, focusing on Super Tuesday states instead. The former mayor’s rise in the polls has caught the attention of his rivals, who are now beginning to criticize his problematic record.
On Saturday, Sanders — who is the national frontrunner — blasted Bloomberg for pushing “racist” policies, including stop-and-frisk, and for suggesting that laws that ended red-lining are to blame for the 2008 financial crisis.


inquisitr--2020-02-17--Bernie Sanders Flustered After Topless Protesters Storm Stage At Nevada Rally: ‘Always A Little Exci

Bernie Sanders Flustered After Topless Protesters Storm Stage At Nevada Rally: ‘Always A Little Excitement’

Those who attended Bernie Sanders ‘ rally in Nevada on Sunday got quite an unexpected show .
Just after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the Vermont senator at a rally in Carson City , a woman ran to the stage and tried to wrestle the microphone away from Sanders .
She then grabbed another one and implored Sanders to back off his support for a dairy bill that compensated farmers for falling milk prices .
“ Bernie , I ’ m your biggest supporter , and I ’ m here to ask you to stop pumping up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up animal agriculture , ” she said , via the New York Post .
“ I believe in you.
” That was when security moved in to remove the woman , but she was joined by a series of other women who walked across the stage holding pictures of cows — followed at the end by topless women who poured cartons of milk on their half-naked bodies .
The protesters were all led away , and Sanders took a moment to compose himself .
“ This is Nevada .
There ’ s always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cost .
Except we have a lot of water on the stage , ” Sanders said .
As The Daily Mail noted , Bernie ’ s wife , Jane Sanders , was standing at the side of the stage as the topless protesters were led away .
Pictures showed that she had a laugh to see them taken off the stage , while Bernie looked a little annoyed .
This is not the first time that Sanders has been interrupted by topless protesters .
He was also targeted during the 2016 election .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been spending plenty of time in Nevada ahead of next week ’ s caucus , the third contest in the race to take on Donald Trump in November .
The report noted that the women seemed to follow the protest from actor Joaquin Phoenix , who dedicated his Oscar acceptance speech to speak out against the abuses of the dairy industry .
“ We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and when she gives birth we steal her baby , even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable , ” Phoenix @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he delivered the message .
“ And then we take her milk that ’ s intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal.
” More pictures of the topless protesters ( censored versions to keep it safe for work ) were included in The Daily Mail ’ s report , showing the unusual protest from close-up .

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