inquisitr--2020-02-18--Tucker Carlson Accuses Michael Bloomberg Of Trying To ‘Buy’ Voters, The Presidency: A ‘Nightmare Sce

Tucker Carlson Accuses Michael Bloomberg Of Trying To ‘Buy’ Voters, The Presidency: A ‘Nightmare Scenario’

Tucker Carlson had some fighting words for Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg , with the politico accusing the former New York City mayor of trying to “ buy ” votes , according to Fox News .
Carlson ’ s assertions come as new data shows Bloomberg climbing to nearly 15 percent in the national polls , after spending around half a billion dollars on an aggressive ad campaign .
However , the Fox News host claimed that , despite the number of advertisements , very few of his commercials or other media blitzes contained substantive information about his platform or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s recent social media campaign had Instagram influencers promoting the New York businessman by stating he was the “ cool ” candidate , rather than discussing his record .
According to Carlson , this is a deliberate choice on the former mayor ’ s part .
“ He ’ s not running on ideas .
He ’ s not trying to convince voters of anything .
He ’ s not making arguments or working to change their minds on policies they care about… He is trying to buy them , ” the host @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be bothered with selling ideas or with a platform .
He doesn ’ t care what the public thinks , that ’ s why .
He believes he can win by overwhelming voters with his money , ” he continued .
The political analyst also pointed out the vast difference in spending between Bloomberg and his nearest rivals .
According to the latest figures , the three-time mayor has spent more than $ 417 million on his campaign .
Meanwhile , current frontrunner Bernie Sanders has spent less than 10 percent of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ estimated $ 40 million for ads .
Former Vice President Joe Biden , who currently boasts second place in the national polls , has spent even less , at $ 12.3 million .
That comes to less than three percent of Bloomberg ’ s budget .
Carlson claimed that the sheer amount of money that the former mayor — who is worth an estimated $ 63 billion — has been pouring into the race is not only unprecedented in American politics , but also could have serious consequences for the future of democracy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spend $ 2 billion of his own money by Election Day and the number could go higher .
Nothing like this has ever happened in America .
Bloomberg ’ s spending is… like a tsunami breaking over our political system , ” he said .
Carlson is not the only person to criticize the billionaire .
In fact , attacks on him have come from both sides of the aisle .
As was previously reported by The Inquisitr , Bill de Blasio , who was Bloomberg ’ s successor as mayor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate .
“ He ’ s the epitome of the power structure , ” de Blasio — who recently ended his own bid for president — claimed .

Tucker Carlson had some fighting words for Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg, with the politico accusing the former New York City mayor of trying to “buy” votes, according to Fox News.
Carlson’s assertions come as new data shows Bloomberg climbing to nearly 15 percent in the national polls, after spending around half a billion dollars on an aggressive ad campaign.
However, the Fox News host claimed that, despite the number of advertisements, very few of his commercials or other media blitzes contained substantive information about his platform or ideas. For example, Bloomberg’s recent social media campaign had Instagram influencers promoting the New York businessman by stating he was the “cool” candidate, rather than discussing his record.
According to Carlson, this is a deliberate choice on the former mayor’s part.
“He’s not running on ideas. He’s not trying to convince voters of anything. He’s not making arguments or working to change their minds on policies they care about… He is trying to buy them,” the host stated.
“Bloomberg can’t be bothered with selling ideas or with a platform. He doesn’t care what the public thinks, that’s why. He believes he can win by overwhelming voters with his money,” he continued.
The political analyst also pointed out the vast difference in spending between Bloomberg and his nearest rivals. According to the latest figures, the three-time mayor has spent more than $417 million on his campaign.
Meanwhile, current frontrunner Bernie Sanders has spent less than 10 percent of the billionaire’s amount, paying an estimated $40 million for ads. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who currently boasts second place in the national polls, has spent even less, at $12.3 million. That comes to less than three percent of Bloomberg’s budget.
Carlson claimed that the sheer amount of money that the former mayor — who is worth an estimated $63 billion — has been pouring into the race is not only unprecedented in American politics, but also could have serious consequences for the future of democracy.
“Aides say Bloomberg is willing to spend $2 billion of his own money by Election Day and the number could go higher. Nothing like this has ever happened in America. Bloomberg’s spending is… like a tsunami breaking over our political system,” he said.
Carlson is not the only person to criticize the billionaire. In fact, attacks on him have come from both sides of the aisle. As was previously reported by The Inquisitr, Bill de Blasio, who was Bloomberg’s successor as mayor of New York, also slammed the rising candidate.
“He’s the epitome of the power structure,” de Blasio — who recently ended his own bid for president — claimed.


inquisitr--2020-02-18--Donald Trump Reportedly Said He ‘Loved’ That America Seems Extremely Divided, Tries To ‘Create Anxie

Donald Trump Reportedly Said He ‘Loved’ That America Seems Extremely Divided, Tries To ‘Create Anxiety’

A former Republican congressman says that President Donald Trump revels in the fact that America seems to be more divided than ever before and that the president intentionally tries to “ create anxiety ” among Americans .
David Jolly , a former GOP representative from Florida and a professor , appeared on MSNBC to speak with Joy Reid about his and his colleagues ’ experience interacting with the president .
Reid opened the conversation by saying that many previous presidents have been racist , suggesting that voters need to vote like black citizens in the past have by tempering their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that voters need to be able to recognize Trump ’ s strategy to win re-election .
“ Trump often leads with two tactics : disinformation and division , ” he replied .
He went on to allege that Trump has often spread information that has proved to be inaccurate .
Jolly told Reid that a Russian activist named Garry Kasparov once said that spreading disinformation isn ’ t about trying to alter the truth , but about exhausting people and their ability to think critically .
That , he says , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own experience .
“ I had a colleague that was in a meeting in the Roosevelt Room and he said he heard Trump say , ‘ Have you ever seen the nation so divided ?
’ My colleagues and others said , ‘ No , we haven ’ t. ’ Trump said , ‘ I love it that way , ' ” Jolly explained .
“ This is the currency that he ’ s peddling as political strategy , but it ’ s not one we have to accept , ” he added @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Donald Trump has intentionally tried to create the anxiety ” that many citizens feel under his administration .
But , Americans don ’ t have to tolerate the alleged division and disease that he says Trump fosters .
“ We don ’ t have to accept the anxiety that comes with Trump ’ s disinformation and division , ” he said .
Fellow guest Blair Kelley agreed that the issue is complicated and many people are torn over how to vote .
Reid asked Jolly to discuss Michael Bloomberg ’ s run for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tough decision between all the nominees , but people need to rally and support whomever the nominee ends up being .
Trump has frequently been criticized in the past for attempting to sow division in the country .
Recent polls show that his tactics may be wearing on voters , as more people show support for potential Democratic nominees over Trump , even in traditionally conservative-voting states like Texas .

A former Republican congressman says that President Donald Trump revels in the fact that America seems to be more divided than ever before and that the president intentionally tries to “create anxiety” among Americans.
David Jolly, a former GOP representative from Florida and a professor, appeared on MSNBC to speak with Joy Reid about his and his colleagues’ experience interacting with the president.
Reid opened the conversation by saying that many previous presidents have been racist, suggesting that voters need to vote like black citizens in the past have by tempering their expectations and being more strategic. She said that voters need to be able to recognize Trump’s strategy to win re-election.
“Trump often leads with two tactics: disinformation and division,” he replied.
He went on to allege that Trump has often spread information that has proved to be inaccurate.
Jolly told Reid that a Russian activist named Garry Kasparov once said that spreading disinformation isn’t about trying to alter the truth, but about exhausting people and their ability to think critically. That, he says, is what Americans are currently seeing in their own experience.
“I had a colleague that was in a meeting in the Roosevelt Room and he said he heard Trump say, ‘Have you ever seen the nation so divided?’ My colleagues and others said, ‘No, we haven’t.’ Trump said, ‘I love it that way,'” Jolly explained.
“This is the currency that he’s peddling as political strategy, but it’s not one we have to accept,” he added.
He told the host that “Donald Trump has intentionally tried to create the anxiety” that many citizens feel under his administration.
But, Americans don’t have to tolerate the alleged division and disease that he says Trump fosters.
“We don’t have to accept the anxiety that comes with Trump’s disinformation and division,” he said.
Fellow guest Blair Kelley agreed that the issue is complicated and many people are torn over how to vote.
Reid asked Jolly to discuss Michael Bloomberg’s run for president. He believes that there is a tough decision between all the nominees, but people need to rally and support whomever the nominee ends up being.
Trump has frequently been criticized in the past for attempting to sow division in the country. Recent polls show that his tactics may be wearing on voters, as more people show support for potential Democratic nominees over Trump, even in traditionally conservative-voting states like Texas.


inquisitr--2020-02-18--Donald Trump Threatens To ‘Sue Everyone All Over The Place’ For Robert Mueller Probe

With the impeachment out of the way , Donald Trump appears to be turning his focus back to the concluded Mueller probe and the soon-to-be-sentenced Roger Stone .
In an early-morning tweet on Tuesday , the president threatened to sue anyone involved in the “ fraudulent investigation ” and reiterated that he believes the entire situation is a “ witch hunt ” against him .
Trump began by quoting Fox News commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano , who made an appearance on the network to argue that Stone should be given a mistrial .
Stone , a long-time associate of Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of lying to Congress and tampering with witnesses .
He then went on to argue that the Mueller investigation was part of a long-running attempt to discredit him and threatened to sue anyone involved .
“ These were Mueller prosecutors , and the whole Mueller investigation was illegally set up based on a phony and now fully discredited Fake Dossier , lying and forging documents to the FISA Court , and many other things , ” he argued , referencing the controversial Christopher Steele dossier .
Trump ’ s claim that the investigation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ basis of the dossier has repeatedly been proven inaccurate .
The president ’ s claim that the prosecutors involved in Stone ’ s case are Mueller employees is only partially true .
Two of them worked under Mueller , as The Hill reports .
“ Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and , in my opinion , should be thrown out .
Even Mueller ’ s statement to Congress that he did not see me to become the FBI Director ( again ) , has been proven false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s claim that Mueller asked to be FBI director hasn ’ t been proven to be true or false at this point .
Steve Bannon , a former Trump political strategist , testified under oath that Mueller offered advice about selecting the next director and didn ’ t appear to be seeking the position for himself .
He went on to conclude that he would sue everyone involved if he weren ’ t in the Oval Office and suggested that he may still do so .
“ The whole deal was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t President , I ’ d be suing everyone all over the place .
BUT MAYBE I STILL WILL .
WITCH HUNT !
” he concluded .
It ’ s not evident on what grounds Trump could sue in relation to the Mueller probe .
Trump ’ s Twitter rant serves to further concerns that the president is still attempting to interfere in the work of the Justice Department , despite Attorney General William Barr ’ s admonishment last week that Trump ’ s tweets made it “ impossible ” to do his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentenced this week

With the impeachment out of the way, Donald Trump appears to be turning his focus back to the concluded Mueller probe and the soon-to-be-sentenced Roger Stone. In an early-morning tweet on Tuesday, the president threatened to sue anyone involved in the “fraudulent investigation” and reiterated that he believes the entire situation is a “witch hunt” against him.
Trump began by quoting Fox News commentator Judge Andrew Napolitano, who made an appearance on the network to argue that Stone should be given a mistrial. Stone, a long-time associate of Trump and his former adviser, was convicted of lying to Congress and tampering with witnesses.
He then went on to argue that the Mueller investigation was part of a long-running attempt to discredit him and threatened to sue anyone involved.
“These were Mueller prosecutors, and the whole Mueller investigation was illegally set up based on a phony and now fully discredited Fake Dossier, lying and forging documents to the FISA Court, and many other things,” he argued, referencing the controversial Christopher Steele dossier.
Trump’s claim that the investigation was “illegally” conducted on the basis of the dossier has repeatedly been proven inaccurate.
The president’s claim that the prosecutors involved in Stone’s case are Mueller employees is only partially true. Two of them worked under Mueller, as The Hill reports.
“Everything having to do with this fraudulent investigation is badly tainted and, in my opinion, should be thrown out. Even Mueller’s statement to Congress that he did not see me to become the FBI Director (again), has been proven false,” he continued, though Trump’s claim that Mueller asked to be FBI director hasn’t been proven to be true or false at this point.
Steve Bannon, a former Trump political strategist, testified under oath that Mueller offered advice about selecting the next director and didn’t appear to be seeking the position for himself.
He went on to conclude that he would sue everyone involved if he weren’t in the Oval Office and suggested that he may still do so.
“The whole deal was a total SCAM. If I wasn’t President, I’d be suing everyone all over the place. BUT MAYBE I STILL WILL. WITCH HUNT!” he concluded.
It’s not evident on what grounds Trump could sue in relation to the Mueller probe.
Trump’s Twitter rant serves to further concerns that the president is still attempting to interfere in the work of the Justice Department, despite Attorney General William Barr’s admonishment last week that Trump’s tweets made it “impossible” to do his job. Stone is scheduled to be sentenced this week


inquisitr--2020-02-19--Bernie Sanders Takes 18-Point Lead In California Primary As Other Candidates Remain Below Delegate T

Bernie Sanders Takes 18-Point Lead In California Primary As Other Candidates Remain Below Delegate Threshold

A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders holding an 18-point lead in the state ’ s primary with 32 percent support .
Per The Mercury News , his closest competitor is former Vice President Joe Biden with 14 percent support , followed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 13 percent .
Tied for fourth are former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg with 12 percent support .
As of now , only Sanders is above the 15 percent threshold required to gain statewide delegates , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 78-year-old politician sweeping the state .
However , other contenders can still win delegates if they hit the threshold in individual congressional districts .
As noted by The Mercury News , the poll reveals a few significant shifts in the dynamic of the primary .
“ The poll shows Bloomberg and Buttigieg with the largest leaps over their past showings — Buttigieg was at 6 percent in PPIC ’ s poll from last month , while Bloomberg was at less than 1 percent , although he was not included in the January poll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Warren have dropped significantly after getting 24 and 23 percent , respectively , in last month ’ s poll.
” The survey comes just two weeks before California ’ s primary , which is set for March 3 .
As of now , almost 1 million residents have already cast their ballots , and millions more will continue to do so as the primary approaches early next month , The Sacramento Bee reports .
As reported by Vox , Sanders is also leading in Texas , with a new University of Texas/Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advocate at the top of the pack with 24 percent support .
Biden is not far behind with 22 percent support , and Warren is further down with 15 percent .
The publication notes that California and Texas are the two most important states on Super Tuesday .
“ Almost one out of every five delegates — 17 percent — will be won on March 3 , Super Tuesday , in California and Texas , ” the report reads .
“ The former has 416 , the most in the country ; the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” A new NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist poll also held good news for Sanders , putting him in the lead with 31 percent support .
The survey marks the first time a Democratic presidential nominee has hit 30 percent in a national poll .
The poll also revealed a surge for Bloomberg , who was Sanders ’ closet competitor with 19 percent support .
Biden trailed in third with 15 percent support , followed by Warren in fourth with 12 percent , and Amy Klobuchar in fifth with 9 percent .

A new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California shows Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders holding an 18-point lead in the state’s primary with 32 percent support. Per The Mercury News, his closest competitor is former Vice President Joe Biden with 14 percent support, followed by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren at 13 percent. Tied for fourth are former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg with 12 percent support.
As of now, only Sanders is above the 15 percent threshold required to gain statewide delegates, which leaves open the possibility of the 78-year-old politician sweeping the state. However, other contenders can still win delegates if they hit the threshold in individual congressional districts.
As noted by The Mercury News, the poll reveals a few significant shifts in the dynamic of the primary.
“The poll shows Bloomberg and Buttigieg with the largest leaps over their past showings — Buttigieg was at 6 percent in PPIC’s poll from last month, while Bloomberg was at less than 1 percent, although he was not included in the January poll’s questionnaire. Meanwhile, Biden and Warren have dropped significantly after getting 24 and 23 percent, respectively, in last month’s poll.”
The survey comes just two weeks before California’s primary, which is set for March 3. As of now, almost 1 million residents have already cast their ballots, and millions more will continue to do so as the primary approaches early next month, The Sacramento Bee reports.
Over 50,000 people came out to our rallies this President’s Day weekend. From North Carolina and Texas to Nevada and California, the American people are ready to fight for fundamental change. Live from our rally at UNLV: https://t.co/0yvX5iNcsk — Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 18, 2020
As reported by Vox, Sanders is also leading in Texas, with a new University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll showing the Medicare for All advocate at the top of the pack with 24 percent support. Biden is not far behind with 22 percent support, and Warren is further down with 15 percent.
The publication notes that California and Texas are the two most important states on Super Tuesday.
“Almost one out of every five delegates — 17 percent — will be won on March 3, Super Tuesday, in California and Texas,” the report reads. “The former has 416, the most in the country; the latter has 261, the third most.”
A new NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist poll also held good news for Sanders, putting him in the lead with 31 percent support. The survey marks the first time a Democratic presidential nominee has hit 30 percent in a national poll.
The poll also revealed a surge for Bloomberg, who was Sanders’ closet competitor with 19 percent support. Biden trailed in third with 15 percent support, followed by Warren in fourth with 12 percent, and Amy Klobuchar in fifth with 9 percent.


inquisitr--2020-02-19--NSA Whistleblower Reality Winner Petitions Donald Trump For Clemency

Alison Grinter , an attorney representing National Security Agency ( NSA ) whistleblower Reality Winner , announced at a Monday press conference that the 28-year-old ’ s legal team is petitioning Donald Trump for an early release from prison .
In 2018 , A judge sentenced Winner to five years and three months in prison for breaching the espionage act by submitting top-secret NSA documents to the investigative news website The Intercept .
According to The Guardian , Grinter claimed that the legal team submitted 4,500 letters of support to the Department of Justice ’ s Office of the Pardon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to intelligence related to Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential elections .
Specifically , they reportedly covered the Russian military intelligence ’ s phishing attacks on local U.S. election officials .
At the conference , Grinter noted the alleged Russian attacks on the U.S. and said that the “ national process of healing ” can only begin when the country ’ s “ truth tellers ” are forgiven , referring to Winner .
The petition calls Winner ’ s incarceration “ costly ” and “ unnecessary to protect the public , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health and wellbeing.
” Former NSA analyst Jon Ivy said that Winner was highly respected her colleagues , who he claims praised her and viewed her as one of the agency ’ s top analysts .
Trump previously commented on Winner ’ s sentencing back in 2018 and suggested that her crimes were not as severe as those allegedly committed by Hillary Clinton .
During a 2018 interview , Winner spoke with CBS about Trump ’ s comment and said she was grateful to the president .
“ I don ’ t like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s going on in his head , but the ‘ small potatoes ’ was a breath of fresh air .
It really made me laugh .
It reminded me of me and my own family .
We try to make a joke out of everything .
We laugh every single day no matter how bad things get , and he really gave a whole sense of humor to the thing ’ cause it is quite bizarre.
” Despite Trump ’ s comment , The Intercept previously reported that his administration is weaponizing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the journalist Lee Fang , the Trump administration is using laws such as the 1917 Espionage Act — intended to target spies — to take aim at regular government workers via surveillance technology .
“ It is blind to the difference between whistle-blowers and spies , ” said Jameel Jaffer , head of the Knight First Amendment Institute .
Per The Intercept , the Trump era has presided over four cases in which whistleblowers have been charged using the Espionage Act , and the accused were allegedly not allowed to defend themselves .

Alison Grinter, an attorney representing National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower Reality Winner, announced at a Monday press conference that the 28-year-old’s legal team is petitioning Donald Trump for an early release from prison. In 2018, A judge sentenced Winner to five years and three months in prison for breaching the espionage act by submitting top-secret NSA documents to the investigative news website The Intercept.
According to The Guardian, Grinter claimed that the legal team submitted 4,500 letters of support to the Department of Justice’s Office of the Pardon Attorney. The documents in question pertain to intelligence related to Russian interference in the 2016 United States presidential elections. Specifically, they reportedly covered the Russian military intelligence’s phishing attacks on local U.S. election officials.
At the conference, Grinter noted the alleged Russian attacks on the U.S. and said that the “national process of healing” can only begin when the country’s “truth tellers” are forgiven, referring to Winner.
The petition calls Winner’s incarceration “costly” and “unnecessary to protect the public,” as well as harming her “health and wellbeing.”
Former NSA analyst Jon Ivy said that Winner was highly respected her colleagues, who he claims praised her and viewed her as one of the agency’s top analysts.
Trump previously commented on Winner’s sentencing back in 2018 and suggested that her crimes were not as severe as those allegedly committed by Hillary Clinton.
Ex-NSA contractor to spend 63 months in jail over “classified” information. Gee, this is “small potatoes” compared to what Hillary Clinton did! So unfair Jeff, Double Standard. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 24, 2018
During a 2018 interview, Winner spoke with CBS about Trump’s comment and said she was grateful to the president.
“I don’t like to assume anything as to what’s going on in his head, but the ‘small potatoes’ was a breath of fresh air. It really made me laugh. It reminded me of me and my own family. We try to make a joke out of everything. We laugh every single day no matter how bad things get, and he really gave a whole sense of humor to the thing ’cause it is quite bizarre.”
Doc: Here is the classified report Reality Winner leaked-confirming once again Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. #TrumpRussia pic.twitter.com/FfAyKpwx1s — Scott Dworkin (@funder) June 6, 2017
Despite Trump’s comment, The Intercept previously reported that his administration is weaponizing the surveillance state against whistleblowers. According to the journalist Lee Fang, the Trump administration is using laws such as the 1917 Espionage Act — intended to target spies — to take aim at regular government workers via surveillance technology.
“It is blind to the difference between whistle-blowers and spies,” said Jameel Jaffer, head of the Knight First Amendment Institute.
Per The Intercept, the Trump era has presided over four cases in which whistleblowers have been charged using the Espionage Act, and the accused were allegedly not allowed to defend themselves.


inquisitr--2020-02-19--Warning Signs For Bernie Sanders, 2 Of 3 Rate ‘Socialist’ As ‘Most Unpopular Quality’ In New ‘NBC/WS

Warning Signs For Bernie Sanders, 2 Of 3 Rate ‘Socialist’ As ‘Most Unpopular Quality’ In New ‘NBC/WSJ’ Poll

Sanders surges to top of Democratic field , but would face significant hurdles in general election against Donald Trump , poll finds .
A new poll shows that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has surged into the clear frontrunner ’ s spot in the Democratic 2020 presidential field .
But despite opening up a 12-point lead over previous frontrunner Joe Biden in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Tuesday , Sanders would face significant obstacles in a general election fight against Donald Trump , according to the survey ’ s findings .
While the poll shows Sanders beating Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points , 50-46 , former Vice President Joe Biden continues to perform better in the general election matchup .
In the NBC/WSJ poll , Biden holds a decisive eight-point lead over Trump , 52-44 .
But perhaps more importantly , the poll found that three descriptions closely associated with Sanders rank as the most unpopular qualities in a presidential candidate among voters in the poll .
Though Sanders openly describes himself as a “ democratic socialist , ” 67 percent of respondents — or two of every three — say that “ socialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a presidential candidate .
The lack of popularity was measured by combining respondents who said that they would have “ reservations ” about a candidate with a specific quality , and those who said they would be “ very uncomfortable ” with that candidate .
The poll found that the second most unpopular quality in a candidate was “ heart attack in past year , ” with 57 percent saying they were either “ very uncomfortable with such a candidate , or at least had “ reservations ” about voting for that person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ October and spent three days in the hospital as a result .
Though Sanders earlier this month claimed that he has spoken to “ cardiologists who are confirming that I am in good health , ” he has refused to release a full set of medical records revealing the extent of his heart condition .
The third-most unpopular quality also applies to Sanders .
In the poll , 53 percent said that they would be “ very uncomfortable ” with , or have “ reservations ” about a candidate who is at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn 79 on September 8 , is not alone in that category .
Biden would turn 78 on November 20 .
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg turned 78 last Friday .
But Bloomberg showed a significant surge in the poll , rising five points from last month ’ s NBC/WSJ survey , now commanding 14 percent support , 13 points behind Sanders and tied for third place in the Democratic field with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren .
In the 2016 Democratic primary , which was largely a two-way race between Sanders and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator finished with 43.2 percent of the primary vote , according to Real Clear Politics .
In a more crowded 2020 field , Sanders has topped 27 percent in only two polls out of 33 released so far this year .

A new poll shows that Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has surged into the clear frontrunner’s spot in the Democratic 2020 presidential field. But despite opening up a 12-point lead over previous frontrunner Joe Biden in the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Tuesday, Sanders would face significant obstacles in a general election fight against Donald Trump, according to the survey’s findings.
While the poll shows Sanders beating Trump in a one-on-one matchup by four percentage points, 50-46, former Vice President Joe Biden continues to perform better in the general election matchup. In the NBC/WSJ poll, Biden holds a decisive eight-point lead over Trump, 52-44.
But perhaps more importantly, the poll found that three descriptions closely associated with Sanders rank as the most unpopular qualities in a presidential candidate among voters in the poll. Though Sanders openly describes himself as a “democratic socialist,” 67 percent of respondents — or two of every three — say that “socialist” is the least popular quality in a presidential candidate.
The lack of popularity was measured by combining respondents who said that they would have “reservations” about a candidate with a specific quality, and those who said they would be “very uncomfortable” with that candidate.
The poll found that the second most unpopular quality in a candidate was “heart attack in past year,” with 57 percent saying they were either “very uncomfortable with such a candidate, or at least had “reservations” about voting for that person.
Sanders suffered a heart attack last October and spent three days in the hospital as a result. Though Sanders earlier this month claimed that he has spoken to “cardiologists who are confirming that I am in good health,” he has refused to release a full set of medical records revealing the extent of his heart condition.
The third-most unpopular quality also applies to Sanders. In the poll, 53 percent said that they would be “very uncomfortable” with, or have “reservations” about a candidate who is at least 75-years-old.
But Sanders, who will turn 79 on September 8, is not alone in that category. Biden would turn 78 on November 20. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg turned 78 last Friday.
But Bloomberg showed a significant surge in the poll, rising five points from last month’s NBC/WSJ survey, now commanding 14 percent support, 13 points behind Sanders and tied for third place in the Democratic field with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.
In the 2016 Democratic primary, which was largely a two-way race between Sanders and eventual nominee Hillary Clinton, the Vermont Senator finished with 43.2 percent of the primary vote, according to Real Clear Politics. In a more crowded 2020 field, Sanders has topped 27 percent in only two polls out of 33 released so far this year.


inquisitr--2020-02-18--Donald Trump Incorrectly Claims He’s The ‘Chief Law Enforcement Officer’ Of U.S. As He Goes On Pardo

Donald Trump Incorrectly Claims He’s The ‘Chief Law Enforcement Officer’ Of U.S. As He Goes On Pardon Spree

Donald Trump has taken heat in recent days for allegedly interfering in Roger Stone ’ s court case .
Adding to that , on Tuesday , the president issued numerous pardons for public figures such as Rod Blagojevich and Eddie DeBartolo Jr .
In a seeming defense of his actions , Trump told reporters that he was the “ chief law enforcement officer of the country.
” According to a video posted on Twitter by Vox reporter Aaron Rupar , Trump was asked by reporters as he was departing to California whether he had asked Attorney General William Barr to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Stone , a longtime Trump associate .
In response , he said that he hadn ’ t directed Barr , but that he may do something of that nature in the future .
“ I ’ m actually , I guess , the chief law enforcement officer of the country .
But I ’ ve chosen not to be involved , ” he said .
“ I could be involved if I wanted to be.
” The attorney general is usually referred to as the chief law enforcement officer of the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the military .
Historically , the White House and Department of Justice have long maintained a wall between them in order to prevent the appearance of impropriety .
While the DOJ may advise the president about issues facing the department , the attorney general does not traditionally work with the president to determine sentencing and which cases to intervene in .
But recently , Trump wrote a tweet complaining about the recommended sentence for Stone , who was convicted of obstructing Congress and witness tampering .
Shortly after the tweet , Barr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time reduced .
After the intervention , the president congratulated the attorney general on the decision .
While both Barr and Trump maintain that they didn ’ t work together , many critics have raised concerns about the appearance of the matter , and the four attorneys prosecuting Stone resigned from the case in protest .
One left the DOJ altogether .
Since then , thousands of Department of Justice officials have signed on to an open letter calling for Barr ’ s resignation .
Trump was asked to weigh on his decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who was found guilty of corruption for trying to sell former President Barack Obama ’ s Senate seat and has served more than half of a 14-year sentence .
Blagojevich was a former contestant on Trump ’ s reality series The Apprentice .
“ It was a prosecution by the same people — [ James ] Comey , [ Patrick Fitzgerald ] — the same group , ” Trump claimed , defending his decision .
The president also pardoned ex-49ers owner DeBartolo Jr. , who was convicted of gambling fraud .

Donald Trump has taken heat in recent days for allegedly interfering in Roger Stone’s court case. Adding to that, on Tuesday, the president issued numerous pardons for public figures such as Rod Blagojevich and Eddie DeBartolo Jr. In a seeming defense of his actions, Trump told reporters that he was the “chief law enforcement officer of the country.”
According to a video posted on Twitter by Vox reporter Aaron Rupar, Trump was asked by reporters as he was departing to California whether he had asked Attorney General William Barr to step in and reduce the sentence for Stone, a longtime Trump associate. In response, he said that he hadn’t directed Barr, but that he may do something of that nature in the future.
“I’m actually, I guess, the chief law enforcement officer of the country. But I’ve chosen not to be involved,” he said. “I could be involved if I wanted to be.”
The attorney general is usually referred to as the chief law enforcement officer of the United States, while the president is the commander-in-chief of the military. Historically, the White House and Department of Justice have long maintained a wall between them in order to prevent the appearance of impropriety.
While the DOJ may advise the president about issues facing the department, the attorney general does not traditionally work with the president to determine sentencing and which cases to intervene in.
But recently, Trump wrote a tweet complaining about the recommended sentence for Stone, who was convicted of obstructing Congress and witness tampering. Shortly after the tweet, Barr intervened to have Stone’s jail time reduced. After the intervention, the president congratulated the attorney general on the decision.
While both Barr and Trump maintain that they didn’t work together, many critics have raised concerns about the appearance of the matter, and the four attorneys prosecuting Stone resigned from the case in protest. One left the DOJ altogether.
Since then, thousands of Department of Justice officials have signed on to an open letter calling for Barr’s resignation.
Trump was asked to weigh on his decision to commute the sentence for Blagojevich, who was found guilty of corruption for trying to sell former President Barack Obama’s Senate seat and has served more than half of a 14-year sentence. Blagojevich was a former contestant on Trump’s reality series The Apprentice.
“It was a prosecution by the same people — [James] Comey, [Patrick Fitzgerald] — the same group,” Trump claimed, defending his decision.
The president also pardoned ex-49ers owner DeBartolo Jr., who was convicted of gambling fraud.


inquisitr--2020-02-20--Mike Bloomberg Accuses Bernie Sanders Of Communism, Sanders Once Said ‘I Don’t Mind’ Being Called ‘C

Mike Bloomberg Accuses Bernie Sanders Of Communism, Sanders Once Said ‘I Don’t Mind’ Being Called ‘Communist’

Billionaire businessman and former New York mayor takes shot at 'democratic socialist ' Sanders in Democratic debate .
Wednesday night ’ s Democratic debate was the first of the campaign to include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg , and the billionaire businessman wasted little time attacking new frontrunner Bernie Sanders , the Vermont senator who describes himself as a “ democratic socialist.
” In a discussion of Sanders ’ proposal that would require companies to transition to 20 percent employee ownership , Bloomberg scoffed at the entire conversation as “ ridiculous , ” according to an account by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussion itself would “ make it easier for Donald Trump to get reelected , ” Bloomberg declared that the United States was not going to “ throw out capitalism.
” “ We tried that .
Other countries tried , ” the former mayor said .
“ That was called communism and it just didn ’ t work.
” Sanders responded , denying that he was advocating “ communism ” and stressing that his policies are actually examples of “ democratic socialism.
” But during his days as a political activist in Vermont , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself as a “ communist , ” according to a separate report .
“ I don ’ t mind people coming up and calling me a communist , ” Sanders said during a 1972 speech at a Vermont high school , as quoted by The Washington Examiner .
“ At least , they ’ re still alive.
” According to the Washington Examiner report , Sanders endorsed presidential candidates on the Socialist Workers Party ticket when he was mayor of Burlington , Vermont , in 1980 and 1984 .
The SWP originated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Sanders lashed back at Bloomberg ’ s “ communism ” remark , claiming that “ we are living in many ways in a socialist society right now , ” as quoted by ABC News .
The Vermont senator added that in his view , socialism exists in the U.S. “ for the very rich , ” while “ rugged individualism ” exists for the “ poor.
” Whether Sanders ’ policies are too “ left-wing ” to allow him to become “ electable ” in a one-on-one matchup with Trump has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2020 Democratic campaign .
On Wednesday , former Republican consultant Steve Schmidt — the 2008 campaign manager for Republican nominee John McCain — declared that nominating Sanders would be a “ death sentence ” for the Democratic Party , adding that the “ theory that there is some great base of people yearning for socialism in the United States of America is a fever dream and a fantasy.
” The “ communism ” exchange was sparked by a proposed Sanders policy that would let company employees elect 45 percent of a corporation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to requiring that companies move to 20 percent employee ownership .
Sanders ’ campaign claimed that during the first hour of the debate , his supporters donated a total of nearly $ 300,000 from 15,218 individual donors — an average of approximately $ 20 per donation , according to the ABC News report .

Wednesday night’s Democratic debate was the first of the campaign to include former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and the billionaire businessman wasted little time attacking new frontrunner Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator who describes himself as a “democratic socialist.” In a discussion of Sanders’ proposal that would require companies to transition to 20 percent employee ownership, Bloomberg scoffed at the entire conversation as “ridiculous,” according to an account by The Washington Post.
Saying that the discussion itself would “make it easier for Donald Trump to get reelected,” Bloomberg declared that the United States was not going to “throw out capitalism.”
“We tried that. Other countries tried,” the former mayor said. “That was called communism and it just didn’t work.”
Sanders responded, denying that he was advocating “communism” and stressing that his policies are actually examples of “democratic socialism.” But during his days as a political activist in Vermont, Sanders appeared to welcome the description of himself as a “communist,” according to a separate report.
“I don’t mind people coming up and calling me a communist,” Sanders said during a 1972 speech at a Vermont high school, as quoted by The Washington Examiner. “At least, they’re still alive.”
According to the Washington Examiner report, Sanders endorsed presidential candidates on the Socialist Workers Party ticket when he was mayor of Burlington, Vermont, in 1980 and 1984. The SWP originated as a faction of the Communist Party in the U.S.
https://youtu.be/UqkIybsfwVM
Sanders lashed back at Bloomberg’s “communism” remark, claiming that “we are living in many ways in a socialist society right now,” as quoted by ABC News.
The Vermont senator added that in his view, socialism exists in the U.S. “for the very rich,” while “rugged individualism” exists for the “poor.”
Whether Sanders’ policies are too “left-wing” to allow him to become “electable” in a one-on-one matchup with Trump has been a subject of debate in the 2020 Democratic campaign. On Wednesday, former Republican consultant Steve Schmidt — the 2008 campaign manager for Republican nominee John McCain — declared that nominating Sanders would be a “death sentence” for the Democratic Party, adding that the “theory that there is some great base of people yearning for socialism in the United States of America is a fever dream and a fantasy.”
The “communism” exchange was sparked by a proposed Sanders policy that would let company employees elect 45 percent of a corporation’s board of directors, in addition to requiring that companies move to 20 percent employee ownership.
Sanders’ campaign claimed that during the first hour of the debate, his supporters donated a total of nearly $300,000 from 15,218 individual donors — an average of approximately $20 per donation, according to the ABC News report.


inquisitr--2020-02-20--Elizabeth Warren Is ‘Basically Hillary Clinton 2.0,’ Says Journalist

Journalist Alex Rubinstein , a contributor for The Grayzone , recently expressed his belief that the foreign policy goals of Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren overlap with those of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton .
“ Elizabeth Warren is basically Hillary Clinton 2.0 , ” he tweeted before referencing a Twitter thread that outlines the evidence for his assertion .
Rubinstein spoke of Clinton ’ s State Department , which he claims “ waged war ” using sanctions , soft power , and armed proxies .
He then pointed to a clip of Warren on The View and noted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We need to have the confidence and the strength to use all of our tools .
Our diplomatic tools , our economic tools , ” Warren said after expressing her belief that the military should not be used to support non-military problems .
Rubinstein noted Warren ’ s campaign site where she outlined her plan to rebuild the State Department and pointed to a quote from her 2016 op-ed in The New York Times , “ personnel is policy.
” “ So who are the people that would staff her newly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Rubinstein noted Warren ’ s reported team of 35 foreign policy advisers , many of whom he claims have experience working for “ big four Democratic foreign policy think tanks.
” In an article for The Greyzone , Rubinstein and Max Blumenthal outline Warren ’ s list of foreign policy advisers , which they claim will push the same agenda that was seen in the administration of former President Barack Obama .
Per NBC News , Warren and Clinton have reportedly grown closer and been communicating since the start of Warren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s camp has declined to discuss the nature of the conversations between the pair and say whether the Massachusetts Senator ’ s campaign goals align with Clinton ’ s approach , According to The Hill , Obama has also taken a liking to Warren and has reportedly talked her up to Wall Street and wealthy donors behind closed doors .
“ He obviously thinks she ’ s very smart , ” a Democratic donor said .
“ He thinks her policy ideas matter .
And I think he sees her running the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the alleged praise , Obama has not endorsed a Democratic presidential candidate , and a source close to the former president said he would support any Democratic nominee .
The claim contradicts a previous Politico report that suggested Obama was willing to intervene to stop Bernie Sanders from winning the nomination .

Journalist Alex Rubinstein, a contributor for The Grayzone, recently expressed his belief that the foreign policy goals of Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren overlap with those of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
“Elizabeth Warren is basically Hillary Clinton 2.0,” he tweeted before referencing a Twitter thread that outlines the evidence for his assertion.
Rubinstein spoke of Clinton’s State Department, which he claims “waged war” using sanctions, soft power, and armed proxies. He then pointed to a clip of Warren on The View and noted the comparison to Clinton’s approach.
“We need to have the confidence and the strength to use all of our tools. Our diplomatic tools, our economic tools,” Warren said after expressing her belief that the military should not be used to support non-military problems.
Rubinstein noted Warren’s campaign site where she outlined her plan to rebuild the State Department and pointed to a quote from her 2016 op-ed in The New York Times, “personnel is policy.”
“So who are the people that would staff her newly rebuilt State Department?” he asked.
Rubinstein noted Warren’s reported team of 35 foreign policy advisers, many of whom he claims have experience working for “big four Democratic foreign policy think tanks.”
I want everyone who understands Hillary Clinton is a foreign policy hawk to watch this video of Daniel McAdams breaking down how her State Department waged war by means of soft power, sanctions & armed proxies. She achieved US foreign policy objectives through State, not the DoD pic.twitter.com/IUpaFLsWV8 — Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) February 19, 2020
In an article for The Greyzone, Rubinstein and Max Blumenthal outline Warren’s list of foreign policy advisers, which they claim will push the same agenda that was seen in the administration of former President Barack Obama.
“A close examination of Warren’s newly assembled team of international advisors presents little hope of change from the military interventionism, regime change strong-arming and drone warfare that characterized the administration of President Barack Obama.”
Per NBC News, Warren and Clinton have reportedly grown closer and been communicating since the start of Warren’s presidential campaign. However, Warren’s camp has declined to discuss the nature of the conversations between the pair and say whether the Massachusetts Senator’s campaign goals align with Clinton’s approach,
According to The Hill, Obama has also taken a liking to Warren and has reportedly talked her up to Wall Street and wealthy donors behind closed doors.
“He obviously thinks she’s very smart,” a Democratic donor said. “He thinks her policy ideas matter. And I think he sees her running the campaign with the most depth.”
Despite the alleged praise, Obama has not endorsed a Democratic presidential candidate, and a source close to the former president said he would support any Democratic nominee. The claim contradicts a previous Politico report that suggested Obama was willing to intervene to stop Bernie Sanders from winning the nomination.


inquisitr--2020-02-20--Bernie Sanders’ Nomination Would Be A ‘Death Sentence’ For Democrats & Lead To Trump Win, Steve Schm

Bernie Sanders’ Nomination Would Be A ‘Death Sentence’ For Democrats & Lead To Trump Win, Steve Schmidt Says

New Democratic frontrunner Bernie Sanders would doom the Democratic Party in the November election , if he wins the nomination , according to a former Republican consultant .
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has emerged over the past week as the new frontrunner for the Democratic 2020 presidential nomination .
As a result , he has also received increased scrutiny and criticism from the media , with one former top Republican political consultant — who renounced his former party in 2018 — warning on Wednesday that nominating the self-described “ democratic socialist ” would become “ a death sentence ” for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report by Mediaite .
Steve Schmidt , who managed the 2008 presidential campaign of then-Republican nominee John McCain , appeared on MSNBC on Wednesday , discussing Sanders ’ announcement that he would not release his full medical records despite the fact that he suffered a heart attack in October , and how he will turn 79-years-old in September this year .
A Sanders nomination , Schmidt said , will lead to the reelection of Donald Trump .
“ If he was a woman , he would be finished , ” MSNBC host Nicole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to refer to a 2016 incident in which Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton experienced a bout of pneumonia .
The brief illness led to a flurry of media coverage , including by NBC News , raising supposed “ unanswered questions ” about the former first lady ’ s “ health scare.
” But Sanders ’ medical concerns have seemingly produced little such coverage despite the fact that , following his heart attack in October , the senator pledged to release his full medical records , only to renege on that promise .
Schmidt attacked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ norms and being untransparent , ” comparing the Vermont lawmaker to the president .
But the former Republican political operative , as seen in the video above , also charged that Sanders ’ self-described “ socialist ” political philosophy would be an electoral loser , saying that the “ theory that there is some great base of people yearning for socialism in the United States of America is a fever dream and a fantasy.
” Schmidt claimed that if Sanders were the Democratic nominee , he would campaign against Trump on a platform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unpopular positions ” of any candidate in history .
“ It is a death sentence for the party and it will lead to Donald Trump ’ s re-election , in my view , ” Schmidt concluded .
Schmidt ’ s view of “ socialism ” appears to receive support from an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Tuesday .
In that poll , voters were asked whether specific traits made them “ very uncomfortable ” or at least gave them “ reservations ” when it came to voting for a candidate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders campaign , 67 percent of respondents — two out of every three — named “ socialism ” as the quality that most made them “ very uncomfortable ” or gave them “ reservations.
” Another 57 percent had the same negative reactions to a candidate who has suffered a “ heart attack in [ the ] past year .
”

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has emerged over the past week as the new frontrunner for the Democratic 2020 presidential nomination. As a result, he has also received increased scrutiny and criticism from the media, with one former top Republican political consultant — who renounced his former party in 2018 — warning on Wednesday that nominating the self-described “democratic socialist” would become “a death sentence” for the Democratic Party, according to a report by Mediaite.
Steve Schmidt, who managed the 2008 presidential campaign of then-Republican nominee John McCain, appeared on MSNBC on Wednesday, discussing Sanders’ announcement that he would not release his full medical records despite the fact that he suffered a heart attack in October, and how he will turn 79-years-old in September this year.
A Sanders nomination, Schmidt said, will lead to the reelection of Donald Trump.
“If he was a woman, he would be finished,” MSNBC host Nicole Wallace said to Schmidt. Wallace appeared to refer to a 2016 incident in which Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton experienced a bout of pneumonia.
The brief illness led to a flurry of media coverage, including by NBC News, raising supposed “unanswered questions” about the former first lady’s “health scare.” But Sanders’ medical concerns have seemingly produced little such coverage despite the fact that, following his heart attack in October, the senator pledged to release his full medical records, only to renege on that promise.
https://youtu.be/3MfyjR0jIGw?t=67
Schmidt attacked Sanders for “breaking promises and shattering norms and being untransparent,” comparing the Vermont lawmaker to the president.
But the former Republican political operative, as seen in the video above, also charged that Sanders’ self-described “socialist” political philosophy would be an electoral loser, saying that the “theory that there is some great base of people yearning for socialism in the United States of America is a fever dream and a fantasy.”
Schmidt claimed that if Sanders were the Democratic nominee, he would campaign against Trump on a platform based on some of the “most unpopular positions” of any candidate in history.
“It is a death sentence for the party and it will lead to Donald Trump’s re-election, in my view,” Schmidt concluded.
Schmidt’s view of “socialism” appears to receive support from an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released on Tuesday. In that poll, voters were asked whether specific traits made them “very uncomfortable” or at least gave them “reservations” when it came to voting for a candidate.
In a clear warning sign for a Sanders campaign, 67 percent of respondents — two out of every three — named “socialism” as the quality that most made them “very uncomfortable” or gave them “reservations.” Another 57 percent had the same negative reactions to a candidate who has suffered a “heart attack in [the] past year.”


inquisitr--2020-02-19--Michael Bloomberg Recommended Confronting Native Americans With A ‘Cowboy Hat And Shotgun’

As scrutiny of Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg ‘ s record as New York City mayor continues , Breitbart reported that the surging billionaire previously recommended that former New York governor David Paterson confront Native American tribes with a shotgun and cowboy hat .
Bloomberg made the comment in August of 2010 after he was just elected to a third term as New York City mayor .
Speaking on WOR 710-AM with John Gambling , the pair spoke of Paterson and his proposal to tax cigarettes sold on Native American reservations .
The plan was intended to help offset the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pushback from the Native American community , who pointed out that their reservations are technically sovereign , existing outside of United States law .
Despite similar proposals failing in the past , Bloomberg suggested a standoff between the two opposing camps in an audio recording of the conversation .
While Gambling noted the pressure Paterson was likely feeling to abandon his taxation proposal , Bloomberg reportedly advised he remain steadfast .
“ Come on , then you do it and let the federal government sue us , ” he was quoted as saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ If you and I should pay taxes , everybody should pay taxes and this is just a scam to get around taxes… the cigarettes are killing our people.
” In response , Bloomberg was slammed by the Native American community as well as by Paterson , who suggested the billionaire had no place to comment on the situation .
Bloomberg has drawn a significant amount of criticism for the stop-and-frisk policy he employed during his mayoral tenure .
The controversial policy was reportedly used primarily to target young black and Latino males , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 78-year-old businessman .
More recently , journalist Mehdi Hasan noted that Bloomberg oversaw the reportedly warrantless surveillance of Muslims in New York .
Under his leadership , the New York Police Department ( NYPD ) allegedly worked with the CIA to gather information from Muslim neighborhoods via undercover agents .
Regardless of the criticism leveled against him , Bloomberg continues to surge in recent polls , thanks to his advertising blitz across Super Tuesday states .
To date , Newsweek reports that Bloomberg has spent approximately $ 418 million on television ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Michael Tracey claims is a more significant threat to democracy than Donald Trump .

As scrutiny of Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg‘s record as New York City mayor continues, Breitbart reported that the surging billionaire previously recommended that former New York governor David Paterson confront Native American tribes with a shotgun and cowboy hat.
Bloomberg made the comment in August of 2010 after he was just elected to a third term as New York City mayor. Speaking on WOR 710-AM with John Gambling, the pair spoke of Paterson and his proposal to tax cigarettes sold on Native American reservations. The plan was intended to help offset the state’s budget deficit and faced pushback from the Native American community, who pointed out that their reservations are technically sovereign, existing outside of United States law.
Despite similar proposals failing in the past, Bloomberg suggested a standoff between the two opposing camps in an audio recording of the conversation.
“I said, you know, ‘Get yourself a cowboy hat and a shotgun.’ If there’s ever a great video, it’s [Paterson] standing in the middle of the New York State Thruway saying, you know, ‘Read my lips—the law of the land is this, and we’re going to enforce the law.'”
While Gambling noted the pressure Paterson was likely feeling to abandon his taxation proposal, Bloomberg reportedly advised he remain steadfast.
“Come on, then you do it and let the federal government sue us,” he was quoted as saying. “This is an outrage. If you and I should pay taxes, everybody should pay taxes and this is just a scam to get around taxes… the cigarettes are killing our people.”
In response, Bloomberg was slammed by the Native American community as well as by Paterson, who suggested the billionaire had no place to comment on the situation.
Bloomberg has drawn a significant amount of criticism for the stop-and-frisk policy he employed during his mayoral tenure. The controversial policy was reportedly used primarily to target young black and Latino males, which has sparked accusations of racism against the 78-year-old businessman.
More recently, journalist Mehdi Hasan noted that Bloomberg oversaw the reportedly warrantless surveillance of Muslims in New York. Under his leadership, the New York Police Department (NYPD) allegedly worked with the CIA to gather information from Muslim neighborhoods via undercover agents.
Regardless of the criticism leveled against him, Bloomberg continues to surge in recent polls, thanks to his advertising blitz across Super Tuesday states. To date, Newsweek reports that Bloomberg has spent approximately $418 million on television ads as part of his campaign, which Michael Tracey claims is a more significant threat to democracy than Donald Trump.


inquisitr--2020-02-19--Kamala Harris And Andrew Yang Are Most Favored For Vice President, Says Poll

A new Emerson College poll puts California Sen. Kamala Harris and Venture for America founder Andrew Yang as the most favored to be the Democratic vice-presidential pick , Newsweek reports .
According to the survey , 20 percent of Democratic primary voters prefer Harris , while 18 percent would rather Yang .
In third was former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with 16 percent support .
Lower on the list was former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams with 8 percent support , followed by former Texas Rep. Beto O ’ Rourke with 6 percent and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown with 5 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list was former Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum with 3 percent support and Minnesota Rep. Rep Ilhan Omar with 1 percent .
Interestingly , 23 percent of respondents said they would rather vote “ someone else ” other than the eight choices listed in the survey .
Last month , a New York Times report claimed that Harris was considering an endorsement for former Vice President Joe Biden , who has experienced a steep decline in polling average in recent weeks .
According to RealClearPolitics averages , this decline appears to parallel the rise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kapolczynski , a longtime Democratic strategist in California , Harris ’ endorsement of Biden could have many effects on her political image and future career .
As for Yang , he has yet to endorse a candidate , although he said he would throw his support behind anyone who supports a universal basic income ( UBI ) of $ 1,000 per month , which was his campaign ’ s signature proposal , branded as the Freedom Dividend .
“ We ’ re already talking about the next steps , ” he said during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Morning Joe .
“ And if anyone wants my endorsement , all you have to do is come out for universal basic income , say every American should get $ 1,000 a month , and then I will be there with you on the trail the next day.
” Per Yahoo News , Yang previously said he would be open to taking the vice president slot on a 2020 ticket .
“ I ’ m going to help get Donald Trump out of office and help us win , and that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Speaking to the publication , Yang said Biden is the person he has interacted with the most .
The 45-year-old serial entrepreneur noted that the former Vice President had expressed concern about the fourth industrial revolution , which is one of the core problems Yang ’ s campaign addressed .

A new Emerson College poll puts California Sen. Kamala Harris and Venture for America founder Andrew Yang as the most favored to be the Democratic vice-presidential pick, Newsweek reports. According to the survey, 20 percent of Democratic primary voters prefer Harris, while 18 percent would rather Yang. In third was former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton with 16 percent support.
Lower on the list was former Georgia Rep. Stacey Abrams with 8 percent support, followed by former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke with 6 percent and Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown with 5 percent. At the bottom of the list was former Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum with 3 percent support and Minnesota Rep. Rep Ilhan Omar with 1 percent.
Interestingly, 23 percent of respondents said they would rather vote “someone else” other than the eight choices listed in the survey.
Last month, a New York Times report claimed that Harris was considering an endorsement for former Vice President Joe Biden, who has experienced a steep decline in polling average in recent weeks. According to RealClearPolitics averages, this decline appears to parallel the rise of Michael Bloomberg.
According to Rose Kapolczynski, a longtime Democratic strategist in California, Harris’ endorsement of Biden could have many effects on her political image and future career.
“It just depends on where she wants to go. Is she interested in vice president or a cabinet position? Or is she looking ahead to another campaign and how she’ll be positioned then?”
I asked Kamala Harris if she’s sick of all the talk of how she’s the perfect VP. She responded: I think that Joe Biden would be a great running mate. That as vice president he's proven he knows how to do the job. pic.twitter.com/9wHwOlKoxw — Emily Goodin (@Emilylgoodin) May 15, 2019
As for Yang, he has yet to endorse a candidate, although he said he would throw his support behind anyone who supports a universal basic income (UBI) of $1,000 per month, which was his campaign’s signature proposal, branded as the Freedom Dividend.
“We’re already talking about the next steps,” he said during a recent appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
“And if anyone wants my endorsement, all you have to do is come out for universal basic income, say every American should get $1,000 a month, and then I will be there with you on the trail the next day.”
Per Yahoo News, Yang previously said he would be open to taking the vice president slot on a 2020 ticket.
“I’m going to help get Donald Trump out of office and help us win, and that’s in any capacity,” he said.
Speaking to the publication, Yang said Biden is the person he has interacted with the most. The 45-year-old serial entrepreneur noted that the former Vice President had expressed concern about the fourth industrial revolution, which is one of the core problems Yang’s campaign addressed.


inquisitr--2020-02-19--Michael Bloomberg Is A ‘Bigger Threat To Democratic Norms’ Than Donald Trump, Says Journalist

The rise of billionaire Michael Bloomberg has raised alarms across the political spectrum as many accuse the businessman ’ s unprecedented campaign of trying to buy his way into office .
In an op-ed for Spectator USA , journalist and political commentator Michael Tracey argues that Bloomberg poses a more significant threat to democracy than Donald Trump .
Tracey notes that a few years ago , Bloomberg claimed he could not win the presidency because his platform would not be palatable to a “ mass national constituency.
” What changed , Tracey , argues , is that Bloomberg has discovered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fear of older voters who are “ petrified ” of another term of Trump .
“ These voters also happen to watch a disproportionate amount of TV , so they receptively absorb the hundreds of millions of dollars in commercials Bloomberg has force-fed into their cognitive systems , at a scale unprecedented in the history of US electoral politics , ” Tracey writes , noting the massive amount — approximately $ 418 million — Bloomberg has spent on television ads .
As of now , Bloomberg has notably spent about $ 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates in the race combined , which has drawn attacks from candidates from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to former Vice President Joe Biden .
According to Tracey , Bloomberg ’ s Trump-bashing strategy — low on policy and vision — is an attempt to cater to the many people who desire this behavior .
And if he is to win , Tracey believes that Bloomberg will “ cripple ” the United States ’ faith in the Democratic Party .
Tracey points to the already-low support for the Democratic Party among Sanders supporters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ soliciting high-donor donors by directing them to donate to the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) , which is already facing scrutiny over accusations that the Iowa caucuses were rigged against Sanders .
The former Young Turks reporter also notes the combined $ 800,000 donation Bloomberg donated to the DNC and state Democratic parties , as well as the DNC ’ s debate rule changes that only benefitted Bloomberg .
“ We don ’ t even yet have the vocabulary to describe the dangers of what Bloomberg is attempting to do , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before , ” Tracey writes .
Although Bloomberg did not win any delegates in Iowa or New Hampshire , he has focused his spending on Super Tuesday states and already begun to rise in polls in such regions .
Per BBC , this surge was enough to qualify him for Wednesday ’ s Democratic presidential debate in Nevada — an achievement made possible by the DNC ’ s previously mentioned removal of the donor requirements for the debates .
“ For all the histrionic bloviating about the destruction of ‘ norms ’ during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s gambit is a much bigger threat to democratic legitimacy , ” Tracey concluded his article , noting that even if Bloomberg can defeat Sanders for the nomination , it is extremely doubtful that he could defeat Trump .

The rise of billionaire Michael Bloomberg has raised alarms across the political spectrum as many accuse the businessman’s unprecedented campaign of trying to buy his way into office. In an op-ed for Spectator USA, journalist and political commentator Michael Tracey argues that Bloomberg poses a more significant threat to democracy than Donald Trump.
Tracey notes that a few years ago, Bloomberg claimed he could not win the presidency because his platform would not be palatable to a “mass national constituency.” What changed, Tracey, argues, is that Bloomberg has discovered and adopted a strategy of tapping into the fear of older voters who are “petrified” of another term of Trump.
“These voters also happen to watch a disproportionate amount of TV, so they receptively absorb the hundreds of millions of dollars in commercials Bloomberg has force-fed into their cognitive systems, at a scale unprecedented in the history of US electoral politics,” Tracey writes, noting the massive amount — approximately $418 million — Bloomberg has spent on television ads.
As of now, Bloomberg has notably spent about $100 million more than all of the other candidates in the race combined, which has drawn attacks from candidates from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders to former Vice President Joe Biden.
According to Tracey, Bloomberg’s Trump-bashing strategy — low on policy and vision — is an attempt to cater to the many people who desire this behavior. And if he is to win, Tracey believes that Bloomberg will “cripple” the United States’ faith in the Democratic Party.
Impeached president says what? https://t.co/Sf2gXXppZO — Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) February 19, 2020
Tracey points to the already-low support for the Democratic Party among Sanders supporters. He also points out that Bloomberg is soliciting high-donor donors by directing them to donate to the Democratic National Committee (DNC), which is already facing scrutiny over accusations that the Iowa caucuses were rigged against Sanders.
The former Young Turks reporter also notes the combined $800,000 donation Bloomberg donated to the DNC and state Democratic parties, as well as the DNC’s debate rule changes that only benefitted Bloomberg.
“We don’t even yet have the vocabulary to describe the dangers of what Bloomberg is attempting to do, because nothing like it has never been attempted before,” Tracey writes.
I can’t think of a more surefire way to get another four years of Trump than with an oligarch who’s buying the presidency. Before Bloomberg takes the debate stage tonight, watch our latest on why nominating an oligarch is a losing strategy for Democrats. pic.twitter.com/wMMYFaKJ9F — Robert Reich (@RBReich) February 19, 2020
Although Bloomberg did not win any delegates in Iowa or New Hampshire, he has focused his spending on Super Tuesday states and already begun to rise in polls in such regions. Per BBC, this surge was enough to qualify him for Wednesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Nevada — an achievement made possible by the DNC’s previously mentioned removal of the donor requirements for the debates.
“For all the histrionic bloviating about the destruction of ‘norms’ during Trump’s tenure, Bloomberg’s gambit is a much bigger threat to democratic legitimacy,” Tracey concluded his article, noting that even if Bloomberg can defeat Sanders for the nomination, it is extremely doubtful that he could defeat Trump.


inquisitr--2020-02-19--Pete Buttigieg’s Campaign Accused Of Illegally Coordinating With VoteVets Super PAC

The campaign of former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is being accused of illegally coordinating with the super PAC VoteVets to run television advertisements in Nevada , Axios reports .
The accusations are being leveled by the nonpartisan watchdog group Campaign Legal Center ( CLC ) , which filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission ( FCC ) on Tuesday about the alleged coordination .
The reported strategy began with a February 5 tweet from Buttigieg campaign senior strategist Michael Halle .
“ Pete ’ s military experience and closing message from Iowa work everywhere especially in Nevada where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the air through the caucus , ” he wrote .
Per The Washington Post , Buttigieg campaign spokesman Chris Meagher released a statement the same day addressing VoteVets .
“ Pete is the only candidate who isn ’ t a millionaire or billionaire .
And if the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service we welcome it , ” the statement read .
Just one week later , VoteVets spent $ 639,652 to create and run television ads in the Silver State .
The CLC claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign ’ s messaging .
According to the CLC , the Buttigieg campaign may have accepted over $ 639,000 in “ illegal and excessive in-kind contributions ” from VoteVets , which would be a violation of FEC rules that prohibit campaigns from consulting with independent groups or suggesting how they spend their money .
“ The tweet from Buttigieg ’ s agent is susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than a request or suggestion for VoteVets — the only super PAC or other outside group supporting Buttigieg ’ s candidacy at that time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s campaign has denied improperly working with VoteVets .
Regardless , it ’ s not uncommon for candidates to find ways to work with super PACs via loopholes that prevent them from breaking laws against coordination .
In this case , Brendan Fischer , the director of the federal reform program at the CLC , believes that Buttigieg ’ s campaign “ crossed the legal line ” with the alleged coordination , per The New York Times .
Fischer pointed to “ the obviousness of the tweet request , which included “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ content , duration , and location of the ads the Buttigieg campaign desired .
This specificity is what Fischer believes separates the current instance from other instances of coordination observed in the past .
The Buttigieg campaign ’ s financing has come under scrutiny before .
As The Inquisitr previously reported , his campaign has reportedly taken donations from Republican billionaire Leonard “ Len ” Blavatnik , who allegedly has links to Russian oligarchy .
His campaign has also reportedly received donations from over 40 billionaires , which has drawn criticism from his @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The campaign of former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg is being accused of illegally coordinating with the super PAC VoteVets to run television advertisements in Nevada, Axios reports. The accusations are being leveled by the nonpartisan watchdog group Campaign Legal Center (CLC), which filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FCC) on Tuesday about the alleged coordination.
The reported strategy began with a February 5 tweet from Buttigieg campaign senior strategist Michael Halle.
“Pete’s military experience and closing message from Iowa work everywhere especially in Nevada where it’s critical they see this on the air through the caucus,” he wrote.
Per The Washington Post, Buttigieg campaign spokesman Chris Meagher released a statement the same day addressing VoteVets.
“Pete is the only candidate who isn’t a millionaire or billionaire. And if the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service we welcome it,” the statement read.
Just one week later, VoteVets spent $639,652 to create and run television ads in the Silver State. The CLC claims these ads contained messaging that echoed the campaign’s messaging.
According to the CLC, the Buttigieg campaign may have accepted over $639,000 in “illegal and excessive in-kind contributions” from VoteVets, which would be a violation of FEC rules that prohibit campaigns from consulting with independent groups or suggesting how they spend their money.
“The tweet from Buttigieg’s agent is susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than a request or suggestion for VoteVets — the only super PAC or other outside group supporting Buttigieg’s candidacy at that time,” the complaint reads.
Warren's campaign manager accuses Buttigieg senior strategist of tweeting signal to a super Pac pic.twitter.com/XSFlcQVD4k — Greg Krieg (@GregJKrieg) February 5, 2020
Buttigieg’s campaign has denied improperly working with VoteVets. Regardless, it’s not uncommon for candidates to find ways to work with super PACs via loopholes that prevent them from breaking laws against coordination.
In this case, Brendan Fischer, the director of the federal reform program at the CLC, believes that Buttigieg’s campaign “crossed the legal line” with the alleged coordination, per The New York Times.
Fischer pointed to “the obviousness of the tweet request, which included “significant details” about the timing, content, duration, and location of the ads the Buttigieg campaign desired. This specificity is what Fischer believes separates the current instance from other instances of coordination observed in the past.
The Buttigieg campaign’s financing has come under scrutiny before. As The Inquisitr previously reported, his campaign has reportedly taken donations from Republican billionaire Leonard “Len” Blavatnik, who allegedly has links to Russian oligarchy. His campaign has also reportedly received donations from over 40 billionaires, which has drawn criticism from his rival, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.


inquisitr--2020-02-19--Mayor Pete Buttigieg Strikes Back At Rush Limbaugh Over ‘Homophobic’ Attacks

Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg responded to controversial comments made by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh — comments described by CNN writer Chelsea Jane as “ homophobic , ” per The Washington Post — during a CNN town hall Tuesday night , asserting that neither Limbaugh nor president Trump are qualified to “ lecture anybody on family values.
” Limbaugh , a longtime radio host known for his controversial views on issues such as feminism and racial politics , drew bipartisan criticism for alleging on his show that American voters are “ still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” On Monday , he doubled down on his comments , insisting President Trump told him not to apologize for what he had said , according to The Washington Post .
“ Hell , the president even called me about this !
He said , ‘ Rush , I just got to tell you something .
Never apologize .
Don ’ t ever apologize . '
” While Trump has previously indicated he would vote for a gay candidate , Buttigieg says he doesn ’ t take Trump at his word .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriage is it ’ s never involved me having to send hush money to a porn star after cheating on my spouse , ” the mayor of South Bend , Indiana , told the audience , making a not-so-subtle reference to a $ 130,000 settlement that Trump ’ s former lawyer , Michael Cohen , paid to Stormy Daniels , an adult-film star with whom Trump allegedly had an affair .
Like his fellow Democratic contenders , Buttigieg has been openly critical of Trump throughout his campaign , but his remarks on Tuesday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s personal life .
Trump ’ s support of Limbaugh comes after a recent interview on Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera ’ s podcast , in which he called Buttigieg ’ s White House bid “ a sign of great progress.
” The president said that he thinks it ’ s possible Americans might one day elect a gay candidate as president .
During the CNN town hall , a voter asked Buttigieg how he would handle homophobic rhetoric should he be nominated .
Buttigieg explained that he decided to come out in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor there , when “ it was tough sledding ” for LGBTQ people in Republican-run Indiana .
He was re-elected in November of that year .
In an interview on CNN ’ s “ State of the Union ” on Sunday , Buttigieg — who married his husband , Chasten , in 2018 — admitted to CNN ’ s Dana Bash , “ On stage we usually just go for a hug .
But I love him very much , and I ’ m not going to take lectures on family values from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Gallup poll released earlier this month , more than three in four Americans ( 78 percent ) indicated that they would be willing to vote for a gay or lesbian contender if they were a “ well-qualified ” candidate for the presidency .

Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg responded to controversial comments made by conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh — comments described by CNN writer Chelsea Jane as “homophobic,” per The Washington Post — during a CNN town hall Tuesday night, asserting that neither Limbaugh nor president Trump are qualified to “lecture anybody on family values.”
Limbaugh, a longtime radio host known for his controversial views on issues such as feminism and racial politics, drew bipartisan criticism for alleging on his show that American voters are “still not ready to elect a gay guy kissing his husband on the debate stage president.” On Monday, he doubled down on his comments, insisting President Trump told him not to apologize for what he had said, according to The Washington Post.
“Hell, the president even called me about this! He said, ‘Rush, I just got to tell you something. Never apologize. Don’t ever apologize.'”
While Trump has previously indicated he would vote for a gay candidate, Buttigieg says he doesn’t take Trump at his word.
“Sorry, but one thing about my marriage is it’s never involved me having to send hush money to a porn star after cheating on my spouse,” the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, told the audience, making a not-so-subtle reference to a $130,000 settlement that Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid to Stormy Daniels, an adult-film star with whom Trump allegedly had an affair.
Like his fellow Democratic contenders, Buttigieg has been openly critical of Trump throughout his campaign, but his remarks on Tuesday mark his first attack against Trump’s personal life.
Trump’s support of Limbaugh comes after a recent interview on Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera’s podcast, in which he called Buttigieg’s White House bid “a sign of great progress.” The president said that he thinks it’s possible Americans might one day elect a gay candidate as president.
During the CNN town hall, a voter asked Buttigieg how he would handle homophobic rhetoric should he be nominated. Buttigieg explained that he decided to come out in South Bend in 2015 while serving as mayor there, when “it was tough sledding” for LGBTQ people in Republican-run Indiana. He was re-elected in November of that year.
In an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, Buttigieg — who married his husband, Chasten, in 2018 — admitted to CNN’s Dana Bash, “On stage we usually just go for a hug. But I love him very much, and I’m not going to take lectures on family values from the likes of Rush Limbaugh.”
In a Gallup poll released earlier this month, more than three in four Americans (78 percent) indicated that they would be willing to vote for a gay or lesbian contender if they were a “well-qualified” candidate for the presidency.


inquisitr--2020-02-19--Media And Academia Have ‘Outsized Influence’ In Selecting Democratic Debate Candidates, Says Comment

Media And Academia Have ‘Outsized Influence’ In Selecting Democratic Debate Candidates, Says Commentator

Ahead of Wednesday ’ s Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas , Nevada , conservative commentator and senior-editor-at-large for Breitbart News , Joel B. Pollak , penned a column on the purported influence that the mainstream media and academia have on selecting the candidates who take the stage .
Pollak noted the Democratic National Committee ( DNC ) debate rules that require polling thresholds in surveys that are conducted by “ certain established media outlets and academic pollsters ” approved by the governing body .
He also noted that none of these outlets are required to do polls within a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of infrequent polling can negatively affect particular candidates .
A lack of approved polls had prompted former candidate Andrew Yang to commission his own polling after the DNC refused to do so , but he still failed to qualify for the stage .
Now , as Pollack notes , Tom Steyer was unable to be eligible in similar circumstances — he met the minimum threshold in four polls in Nevada and South Carolina , but none of the DNC-approved polls .
“ Worse , the DNC criteria for the Nevada debate used a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those states , ” Pollack wrote .
“ And as Steyer noted , there were no polls conducted by DNC-approved outlets in Nevada and South Carolina within the timeframe , meaning that there was no way Steyer could have qualified for the debate except through nationwide polls.
” Pollack also noted that the DNC changed its debate requirements which ended up paving the way for Michael Bloomberg ‘ s qualification — a decision that Yang said was explicitly made to help the billionaire .
According to Pollack , Steyer ’ s exclusion reveals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and mainstream media outlets have on the candidate selection process for the Democratic debates .
In The Washington Examiner , Brad Polumbo highlighted that several campaigns hit polling requirements but were held back because said surveys were not DNC-approved .
He also pointed to the DNC ’ s alleged history of bias against outsider and anti-establishment candidates , including during the 2016 Democratic primary which many say was tilted against Sanders .
Notably , leaked emails showed many examples of DNC officials expressing anti-Sanders bias .
Polumbo pointed to the DNC ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who resigned from her DNC position in 2016 after witnessing the alleged bias against Sanders in favor of Hillary Clinton .

Ahead of Wednesday’s Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, conservative commentator and senior-editor-at-large for Breitbart News, Joel B. Pollak, penned a column on the purported influence that the mainstream media and academia have on selecting the candidates who take the stage.
Pollak noted the Democratic National Committee (DNC) debate rules that require polling thresholds in surveys that are conducted by “certain established media outlets and academic pollsters” approved by the governing body. He also noted that none of these outlets are required to do polls within a specific timeframe, which means certain stretches of infrequent polling can negatively affect particular candidates.
A lack of approved polls had prompted former candidate Andrew Yang to commission his own polling after the DNC refused to do so, but he still failed to qualify for the stage. Now, as Pollack notes, Tom Steyer was unable to be eligible in similar circumstances — he met the minimum threshold in four polls in Nevada and South Carolina, but none of the DNC-approved polls.
“Worse, the DNC criteria for the Nevada debate used a shortened timeframe that excluded earlier polls in those states,” Pollack wrote. “And as Steyer noted, there were no polls conducted by DNC-approved outlets in Nevada and South Carolina within the timeframe, meaning that there was no way Steyer could have qualified for the debate except through nationwide polls.”
Pollack also noted that the DNC changed its debate requirements which ended up paving the way for Michael Bloomberg‘s qualification — a decision that Yang said was explicitly made to help the billionaire.
According to Pollack, Steyer’s exclusion reveals the “outsized influence” that academia and mainstream media outlets have on the candidate selection process for the Democratic debates.
“If the DNC-approved organizations had wanted to ensure a fair playing field, they could have polled Nevada and South Carolina. The fact is that they chose not to do so.”
In The Washington Examiner, Brad Polumbo highlighted that several campaigns hit polling requirements but were held back because said surveys were not DNC-approved. He also pointed to the DNC’s alleged history of bias against outsider and anti-establishment candidates, including during the 2016 Democratic primary which many say was tilted against Sanders. Notably, leaked emails showed many examples of DNC officials expressing anti-Sanders bias.
Polumbo pointed to the DNC’s apparent bias against Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned from her DNC position in 2016 after witnessing the alleged bias against Sanders in favor of Hillary Clinton.


inquisitr--2020-02-19--Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Slams Meghan McCain On ‘The View’ Over Socialism And Bernie Bros

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on The View on Wednesday , where she and conservative host Meghan McCain butted heads over the topic of socialism .
McCain opened the segment by joking that she is the bogeywoman of the right to the left and Ocasio-Cortez is the same to the right .
“ To conservatives like me who think that big government is very , very dangerous , it is like the apocalypse , ” she said .
She went on to argue that Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are asking Americans to shift from capitalism to socialism and that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
The New York Democrat , who has argued that billionaires need to give up their power , replied that most Americans actually would vote for Sanders , who espouses socialist ideals and calls himself a Democratic Socialist .
Ocasio-Cortez explained that most individuals don ’ t make enough to live well across different cities in the United States because they take in less than $ 40,000 a year , so the country does need a paradigm shift .
“ You can barely live on that anywhere , ” she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that if you have kids .
I think that that reality , personally , does require a paradigm shift .
This isn ’ t working for us .
A $ 2.1 trillion tax cut which has been deemed capitalism at its finest doesn ’ t work for us.
” The congresswoman continued by blasting Donald Trump ’ s tax cuts , which primarily benefited wealthy Americans , adding that capitalism had failed when it comes to health care .
In response , McCain pushed her , saying that neither she nor Sanders has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care .
Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that voters aren ’ t asking how Trump is paying for the tax cuts , which have helped push the U.S. deficit to record highs .
After co-host Whoopi Goldberg pointed out that the congresswoman hadn ’ t addressed how it would be paid for , she argued that Medicare for All and tuition-free college could be paid for with things like Wall Street transaction taxes and that the premiums would equal the amount that people would pay in a payroll tax into a government health care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said that they would just have to agree to disagree .
She then changed the topic to that of the “ Bernie Bros , ” or Sanders supporters who are critiqued for their aggressive defense of their candidate .
“ I think internet culture can often be very toxic , ” she stressed , saying that it is often aimed at women .
When McCain opined that Sanders may not have done enough to fight the culture , Goldberg joined in , adding that he needs to push back against that type of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seemed to appreciate Ocasio-Cortez ’ s comments — given its warm response — Goldberg wasn ’ t so taken with the Democrat .
She argued that Ocasio-Cortez had made people feel rejected and attacked , as the Washington Examiner reported .
“ You know , I was very happy when you were elected because I thought it was a great step in a good direction , ” she replied .
“ And then , you lost me because it felt like you were saying to people like me that I was too old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ”

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appeared on The View on Wednesday, where she and conservative host Meghan McCain butted heads over the topic of socialism.
McCain opened the segment by joking that she is the bogeywoman of the right to the left and Ocasio-Cortez is the same to the right.
“To conservatives like me who think that big government is very, very dangerous, it is like the apocalypse,” she said.
She went on to argue that Ocasio-Cortez and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are asking Americans to shift from capitalism to socialism and that they mostly don’t support a socialist system.
The New York Democrat, who has argued that billionaires need to give up their power, replied that most Americans actually would vote for Sanders, who espouses socialist ideals and calls himself a Democratic Socialist.
Ocasio-Cortez explained that most individuals don’t make enough to live well across different cities in the United States because they take in less than $40,000 a year, so the country does need a paradigm shift.
“You can barely live on that anywhere,” she said. “You can’t live on that if you have kids. I think that that reality, personally, does require a paradigm shift. This isn’t working for us. A $2.1 trillion tax cut which has been deemed capitalism at its finest doesn’t work for us.”
The congresswoman continued by blasting Donald Trump’s tax cuts, which primarily benefited wealthy Americans, adding that capitalism had failed when it comes to health care.
In response, McCain pushed her, saying that neither she nor Sanders has explained how they would pay for universal health care.
Ocasio-Cortez pointed out that voters aren’t asking how Trump is paying for the tax cuts, which have helped push the U.S. deficit to record highs. After co-host Whoopi Goldberg pointed out that the congresswoman hadn’t addressed how it would be paid for, she argued that Medicare for All and tuition-free college could be paid for with things like Wall Street transaction taxes and that the premiums would equal the amount that people would pay in a payroll tax into a government health care system.
McCain cut her off and said that they would just have to agree to disagree. She then changed the topic to that of the “Bernie Bros,” or Sanders supporters who are critiqued for their aggressive defense of their candidate.
“I think internet culture can often be very toxic,” she stressed, saying that it is often aimed at women.
When McCain opined that Sanders may not have done enough to fight the culture, Goldberg joined in, adding that he needs to push back against that type of behavior every day.
While the audience seemed to appreciate Ocasio-Cortez’s comments — given its warm response — Goldberg wasn’t so taken with the Democrat. She argued that Ocasio-Cortez had made people feel rejected and attacked, as the Washington Examiner reported.
“You know, I was very happy when you were elected because I thought it was a great step in a good direction,” she replied. “And then, you lost me because it felt like you were saying to people like me that I was too old and didn’t do enough.”