freebeacon--2020-01-28--Trump Admin Says Israel Has Accepted Plan for Palestinian State

Israeli leaders have agreed to a framework for a Palestinian state that would see the new country more than double in size with its capital located in Eastern Jerusalem , according to information provided by the White House .
The Trump administration unveiled on Tuesday its long-anticipated plan to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians .
The plan , which White House officials say has already been agreed to by Israel , would see the Jewish state freezing for four years all construction in contested territories that could be used to form a new Palestinian state .
Under Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will more than double the size of the land currently used by the Palestinians '' and include areas in Eastern Jerusalem .
Jerusalem will remain Israel 's capital city and under its control , according to the White House .
`` Israel has now agreed to terms for a future Palestinian State , '' the White House announced in informational materials outlining the peace framework .
`` Israel has agreed to a four-year land freeze to secure the possibility of a two-state solution . ''
`` President Trump secured agreement from both Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benny Gantz to come to Washington , where they agreed to use this Vision as a basis for negotiation , '' the White House wrote in the latest materials outlining the new plan .
`` For the first time in this conflict , President Trump has reached an understanding with Israel regarding a map setting forth borders for a two-state solution . ''
Under the plan , which has already been dubbed dead on arrival by leading Palestinian factions , `` Jerusalem will stay united and remain the capital of Israel , while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be Al-Quds and include areas of East Jerusalem . ''
`` Beyond territory , the Vision provides for Palestinian use and management of facilities at the Haifa and Ashdod ports , Palestinian development of a resort area on the north shore of the Dead Sea , and continued Palestinian agricultural activity in the Jordan Valley , '' the White House materials continue .
The plan envisions a scenario where `` neither Palestinians nor Israelis will be uprooted from their homes , '' though it remains unclear how this goal will be achieved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ emphasized portions of the plan that focus on protecting Israeli security interests .
To this end , unlike past proposals , the plan `` does not ask Israel to take additional security risks and enables Israel to defend itself by itself against any threats . ''
U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman told reporters the plan marks `` a huge advancement in the peace process . ''
Maps showing a future Palestinian state in detail will soon be released by the White House , Friedman said .
He described the plan as `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the plan is unique in that it `` mitigates many of the risks that were never solved in past negotiations '' between the two sides by enhancing `` the territorial footprint of [ the ] Gaza [ Strip ] '' without impacting Israeli security concerns .
The Palestinian state will be demilitarized and Israel will maintain security responsibility west of the Jordan River , a key area .
`` Over time , the Palestinians will work with United States and Israel to assume more security responsibility as Israel reduces its security footprint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Major religious sites in and around Jerusalem will continue to be maintained by Israel with the longstanding carve outs for Muslim holy sites remaining in place .
`` The special and historic role of the King of Jordan with regard to the Muslim Holy Shrines in Jerusalem will be preserved , '' the White House said .
`` All Muslims are welcome to peacefully visit al-Aqsa Mosque . ''

Israeli leaders have agreed to a framework for a Palestinian state that would see the new country more than double in size with its capital located in Eastern Jerusalem, according to information provided by the White House.
The Trump administration unveiled on Tuesday its long-anticipated plan to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The plan, which White House officials say has already been agreed to by Israel, would see the Jewish state freezing for four years all construction in contested territories that could be used to form a new Palestinian state.
Under Trump's plan, a Palestinian state "will more than double the size of the land currently used by the Palestinians" and include areas in Eastern Jerusalem. Jerusalem will remain Israel's capital city and under its control, according to the White House.
"Israel has now agreed to terms for a future Palestinian State," the White House announced in informational materials outlining the peace framework. "Israel has agreed to a four-year land freeze to secure the possibility of a two-state solution."
"President Trump secured agreement from both Prime Minister Netanyahu and opposition leader Lieutenant General Benny Gantz to come to Washington, where they agreed to use this Vision as a basis for negotiation," the White House wrote in the latest materials outlining the new plan. "For the first time in this conflict, President Trump has reached an understanding with Israel regarding a map setting forth borders for a two-state solution."
Under the plan, which has already been dubbed dead on arrival by leading Palestinian factions, "Jerusalem will stay united and remain the capital of Israel, while the capital of the State of Palestine will be Al-Quds and include areas of East Jerusalem."
"Beyond territory, the Vision provides for Palestinian use and management of facilities at the Haifa and Ashdod ports, Palestinian development of a resort area on the north shore of the Dead Sea, and continued Palestinian agricultural activity in the Jordan Valley," the White House materials continue.
The plan envisions a scenario where "neither Palestinians nor Israelis will be uprooted from their homes," though it remains unclear how this goal will be achieved on the ground.
The White House emphasized portions of the plan that focus on protecting Israeli security interests. To this end, unlike past proposals, the plan "does not ask Israel to take additional security risks and enables Israel to defend itself by itself against any threats."
U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman told reporters the plan marks "a huge advancement in the peace process."
Maps showing a future Palestinian state in detail will soon be released by the White House, Friedman said. He described the plan as "a realistic two-state solution."
Friedman said the plan is unique in that it "mitigates many of the risks that were never solved in past negotiations" between the two sides by enhancing "the territorial footprint of [the] Gaza [Strip]" without impacting Israeli security concerns.
The Palestinian state will be demilitarized and Israel will maintain security responsibility west of the Jordan River, a key area.
"Over time, the Palestinians will work with United States and Israel to assume more security responsibility as Israel reduces its security footprint," the White House said.
Major religious sites in and around Jerusalem will continue to be maintained by Israel with the longstanding carve outs for Muslim holy sites remaining in place.
"The special and historic role of the King of Jordan with regard to the Muslim Holy Shrines in Jerusalem will be preserved," the White House said. "All Muslims are welcome to peacefully visit al-Aqsa Mosque."


freebeacon--2020-01-28--Ernst Calls for End of Taxpayer-Funded Presidential Campaigns

As candidates prepare to spend billions on the 2020 presidential election , Sen. Joni Ernst ( R. , Iowa ) is working to put to use more than $ 300 million taxpayer dollars sitting idly in a public campaign fund .
Presidential candidates today may request grants from the taxpayer-funded Presidential Election Campaign Fund to pay for campaign expenses .
The fund has accumulated more than $ 350 million , as no major party candidates have requested public financing in the last 12 years .
The Iowa senator has introduced a bill to abolish the fund and divert its money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Taxpayers see our federal government as spend , spend , spend , '' Ernst said .
`` These are taxpayer dollars , let 's apply them to our country 's debt and move forward .
It 's over $ 300 million right now that could be used to close down deficits that we have in our budget . ''
The last major party candidate to use public funding was Sen. John McCain ( R. , Ariz. ) in 2008 , who drew more than $ 84 million from the public fund , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by his campaign .
Since then , the fund has mostly drawn interest from third-party candidates such as the Green Party 's Jill Stein .
Stein spent $ 450,000 of taxpayer money to fund an unpopular presidential campaign that received barely 1 percent of the total vote .
Every year taxpayers can opt to make a $ 3 contribution to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund .
Lawmakers diverted part of the fund to pay for pediatric research in 2014 , while some have tried to use it to pay for a southern border @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Administration Committee voted 5-3 to approve a bill that would have ended the fund and used the money to pay down the national debt .
However , that legislation was never voted on .
Ernst said the 2020 election can help the bill can gain traction as Iowans and the rest of the country turn their attention toward the presidential race .
`` It 's a big election year and we 've got the presidential cycle .
And Iowans right now are really focused on this , '' Ernst said .
`` So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are running right now .
But none of the candidates that we see running this year have taken advantage of this election fund . ''
While the senator said this type of legislation will have bipartisan appeal , she does not expect it or any other legislation to receive a fair hearing `` until the impeachment trial is over . ''
`` I would hope that most of our colleagues understand once we 're through the impeachment trial , we really do need to get back to focusing on things that the public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think this is a really common sense issue , '' Ernst said .
The fund was created in 1966 to curb the influence of special interest groups .
At its inception , nearly 30 percent of taxpayers chose to contribute to the fund , but interest has fallen in the 21st century .
Less than 5 percent of taxpayers contributed in 2018 , according to the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution 's Tax Policy Center .
Ernst 's bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance .

As candidates prepare to spend billions on the 2020 presidential election, Sen. Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) is working to put to use more than $300 million taxpayer dollars sitting idly in a public campaign fund.
Presidential candidates today may request grants from the taxpayer-funded Presidential Election Campaign Fund to pay for campaign expenses. The fund has accumulated more than $350 million, as no major party candidates have requested public financing in the last 12 years. The Iowa senator has introduced a bill to abolish the fund and divert its money to pay down the national debt.
"Taxpayers see our federal government as spend, spend, spend," Ernst said. "These are taxpayer dollars, let's apply them to our country's debt and move forward. It's over $300 million right now that could be used to close down deficits that we have in our budget."
The last major party candidate to use public funding was Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) in 2008, who drew more than $84 million from the public fund, roughly 20 percent of all money raised by his campaign. Since then, the fund has mostly drawn interest from third-party candidates such as the Green Party's Jill Stein. Stein spent $450,000 of taxpayer money to fund an unpopular presidential campaign that received barely 1 percent of the total vote.
Every year taxpayers can opt to make a $3 contribution to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Lawmakers diverted part of the fund to pay for pediatric research in 2014, while some have tried to use it to pay for a southern border wall. In 2017, the House Administration Committee voted 5-3 to approve a bill that would have ended the fund and used the money to pay down the national debt. However, that legislation was never voted on.
Ernst said the 2020 election can help the bill can gain traction as Iowans and the rest of the country turn their attention toward the presidential race.
"It's a big election year and we've got the presidential cycle. And Iowans right now are really focused on this," Ernst said. "So we have a lot of candidates that are running right now. But none of the candidates that we see running this year have taken advantage of this election fund."
While the senator said this type of legislation will have bipartisan appeal, she does not expect it or any other legislation to receive a fair hearing "until the impeachment trial is over."
"I would hope that most of our colleagues understand once we're through the impeachment trial, we really do need to get back to focusing on things that the public wants to see happen. And I think this is a really common sense issue," Ernst said.
The fund was created in 1966 to curb the influence of special interest groups. At its inception, nearly 30 percent of taxpayers chose to contribute to the fund, but interest has fallen in the 21st century. Less than 5 percent of taxpayers contributed in 2018, according to the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution's Tax Policy Center.
Ernst's bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Finance.


freebeacon--2020-01-28--New Koch Group Dogged by Charges of Anti-Semitism

Asked about the thinkers who have shaped her views of the world , Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D. , Mass . )
pointed to a scholar leading a new Washington , D.C. , think tank that aims to lay the groundwork for an American foreign policy based on military retrenchment and restraint .
`` I hope you ’ ve read books like Andrew Bacevich ’ s , books about the war in the Middle East , '' Warren told VICE News during an interview in Iowa earlier this month .
`` This notion that we get ourselves entangled in these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for people here at home and more risk for people in the region .
I don ’ t believe it makes us safer and that ’ s why I want to be able to bring those troops home . ''
Warren ’ s Senate colleague , Tom Cotton ( R. , Ark . )
, had a different take on Bacevich and his new organization , the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft , borne of a new alliance between the billionaires George Soros and Charles Koch .
Amid a spate of attacks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said in a speech on the Senate floor earlier this month that the `` ancient hatred of anti-Semitism … festers in Washington think tanks like the Quincy Institute , an isolationist , blame America First money pit for so-called scholars who ’ ve written that American foreign policy could be fixed if only it were rid of the malign influence of Jewish money . ''
Launched in early December , the Quincy Institute entered the fray to a cavalcade of press from outlets including the New York Times , the Washington Post , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been spilled on the organization ’ s financial backers and its attempts to chart a new direction in U.S. foreign policy , less attention has been paid to whether it has managed to distance itself from the anti-Semitic bigotry that was intertwined with the America First Committee and that dogged the most extreme parts of the Bush-era antiwar movement .
The isolationists of the interwar period had a strained relationship with American Jews from the outset because of their opposition to U.S. involvement in the war against Nazi Germany .
Charles Lindbergh , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First Committee , argued in an infamous 1941 speech that it was `` not difficult to understand '' why Jews wanted America to declare war against Nazi Germany , but their reasons were `` not American . ''
Bacevich said his organization will not be focused on highlighting the dangers of pro-Israel organizations or donors .
`` Our purpose is to promote restraint as a central principle of U.S. foreign policy—fewer wars and more effective diplomatic engagement , '' he told the Washington Free Beacon via email .
Pressed by the New Yorker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Semitism , Bacevich—who himself has argued that the goal of the America First Committee had an `` honorable '' purpose and that it `` did not oppose Jews '' —conceded that there were anti-Semites among the isolationists of old but rejected the notion that `` anybody who is an anti-interventionist somehow is a racist . ''
Yet the Quincy Institute ’ s hires include a string of figures who have courted controversy due to their views of Israel and American Jews .
Lawrence Wilkerson , a nonresident fellow at the institute , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jewish lobby in America '' and `` AIPAC in particular '' played an outsize influence in the run-up to the war — and , in fact , had more of an impact than the administration 's belief that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction or the president 's belief in spreading democracy .
He singled out Jewish officials like Bush national security aide Elliott Abrams , former deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz , former undersecretary of defense Doug Feith , and former Defense Policy Advisory Board Chairman Richard Perle .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arguing that Syrian chemical weapons use `` could ’ ve been an Israeli false-flag operation . ''
There is no evidence to support such a claim and investigations by the United Nations and the United States intelligence community concluded that Bashar al-Assad had ordered the deadly attack on civilians .
`` I think there is this view , going back to the 1930s , and maybe it ’ s shared by some today , that those who would get us into foreign conflicts were part of some elite , and maybe they saw @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the veteran diplomat Dennis Ross told the Free Beacon .
The Quincy Institute is also home to several experts who have accused American Jews of being loyal primarily to Israel , a charge that has often been used to slur Jews .
Paul Pillar , a veteran CIA officer and now a Quincy Institute expert on intelligence and terrorism , has argued that the Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson ’ s first loyalty is to Israel , writing in 2014 , `` The Republican party isn ’ t even his first love among political @ @ @ @ @ @ @ party . ''
He continued , `` Nor is the United States Adelson ’ s first love among countries . ''
Though Bacevich said that Israel and American Jews would not be a focus of his organization , Quincy expert Eli Clifton took up the matter with the Nation earlier this month , suggesting that the hawkish think tank Foundation for the Defense of Democracies was originally a mouthpiece for the Israeli government and has insinuated itself into the American bureaucracy .
Asked whether the Quincy Institute shares that view , Bacevich said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interested in Eli Clifton 's views it would make sense to contact Eli Clifton . ''
He did not respond to questions about whether the Quincy Institute shares or stands behind the other statements from its experts and scholars featured in this report .
Clifton previously caused an uproar in Democratic circles as a blogger at the Center for American Progress ’ s ( CAP ) now-defunct ThinkProgress when he intimated that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee ( AIPAC ) was pushing the United States into a war with Iran .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an AIPAC statement praising a bipartisan Senate letter urging the Obama administration to impose sanctions on Iran ’ s central bank had `` eerie parallels '' to the `` slow lead-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 . ''
When that post and others made CAP an unwanted center of controversy in Obama ’ s Washington , ThinkProgress added a lengthy update clarification : `` Given some misunderstandings about this post , we want to make clear that we are not reporting on whether AIPAC lobbied for the Iraq war . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ earlier led former Clinton adviser and current CAP president Neera Tanden to impose an additional layer of editorial control on the site , according to a report from the Intercept .
Quincy Institute experts like Wilkerson and others have blamed the `` Israel lobby '' for a host of ills .
The retired diplomat Chas Freeman , who authored the Quincy Institute ’ s first policy brief in December , blamed the Israel lobby for scuttling his appointment to lead Barack Obama ’ s National Intelligence Council , for example , arguing in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency . ''
Later that year , in a speech in Moscow , he accused American Jews of comprising an Israeli `` fifth column '' inside the United States .
Freeman , a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia , was at the time the head of the Middle East Policy Council , which received funding from the Saudi government .
These experts are less vocal , however , about other ethnic foreign policy lobbies in the United States .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and executive vice president , Trita Parsi , is also the founder of the National Iranian American Council , which has battled accusations that it serves as a mouthpiece for the Iranian government .
The managing director of the Quincy Institute , Sarah Leah Whitson , has helped fundraise for the Armenian National Committee of America ( ANCA ) , the largest Armenian lobbying organization in the United States .
ANCA advocates for the Armenian annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh , an area within the borders of Azerbaijan that the U.N. and the International Criminal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street Journal reported that Whitson , as the former director of Middle East and North Africa for Human Rights Watch ( HRW ) , made a fundraising pitch while in Saudi Arabia intended to entice Arab donors by playing to their animosity toward Israel .
Pressed repeatedly at the time by the Atlantic ’ s Jeffrey Goldberg , the head of HRW , Kenneth Roth , did not deny the allegation that , in Goldberg ’ s words , Whitson was `` attempting to raise funds from Saudis … in part by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and its war with Israel 's ‘ supporters , ’ who are liars and deceivers .
It appears as if Human Rights Watch , in the pursuit of dollars , has compromised its integrity . ''
While there is no inherent relationship between isolationism and anti-Semitism and Israel , according to Eugene Kontorovich , a professor of law at George Mason University , many Quincy scholars have singled out Jews and Israel for special opprobrium .
`` In America , every interest group lobbies for its own interest .
If they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American Council ] for all of America ’ s problems in the Middle East , it does seem a particular demonization of Jews and of Israel , '' Kontorovich said .
The Koch-funded group will be holding an event in Washington next month featuring Whitson and Matt Duss , the national security adviser to Bernie Sanders , who , as a blogger alongside Clifton at ThinkProgress , defended Freeman during his short-lived battle to join the Obama administration .
Freeman , he argued , was forced to withdraw because he voiced `` some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ represent [ ed ] a challenge to the treasured neoconservative myth that U.S. and Israeli interests are identical , '' Duss said .
CORRECTION : The original version of this article incorrectly stated that Charles Koch 's father , Fred Koch , was a prominent member of the America First movement .
He was a founding member of the John Birch Society .

Asked about the thinkers who have shaped her views of the world, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) pointed to a scholar leading a new Washington, D.C., think tank that aims to lay the groundwork for an American foreign policy based on military retrenchment and restraint.
"I hope you’ve read books like Andrew Bacevich’s, books about the war in the Middle East," Warren told VICE News during an interview in Iowa earlier this month. "This notion that we get ourselves entangled in these wars, and it creates more risk for people here at home and more risk for people in the region. I don’t believe it makes us safer and that’s why I want to be able to bring those troops home."
Warren’s Senate colleague, Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), had a different take on Bacevich and his new organization, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, borne of a new alliance between the billionaires George Soros and Charles Koch.
Amid a spate of attacks on Jews in New York City, Cotton said in a speech on the Senate floor earlier this month that the "ancient hatred of anti-Semitism ... festers in Washington think tanks like the Quincy Institute, an isolationist, blame America First money pit for so-called scholars who’ve written that American foreign policy could be fixed if only it were rid of the malign influence of Jewish money."
Launched in early December, the Quincy Institute entered the fray to a cavalcade of press from outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Politico.
While much ink has been spilled on the organization’s financial backers and its attempts to chart a new direction in U.S. foreign policy, less attention has been paid to whether it has managed to distance itself from the anti-Semitic bigotry that was intertwined with the America First Committee and that dogged the most extreme parts of the Bush-era antiwar movement.
The isolationists of the interwar period had a strained relationship with American Jews from the outset because of their opposition to U.S. involvement in the war against Nazi Germany. Charles Lindbergh, a leading member of the isolationist America First Committee, argued in an infamous 1941 speech that it was "not difficult to understand" why Jews wanted America to declare war against Nazi Germany, but their reasons were "not American."
Bacevich said his organization will not be focused on highlighting the dangers of pro-Israel organizations or donors.
"Our purpose is to promote restraint as a central principle of U.S. foreign policy—fewer wars and more effective diplomatic engagement," he told the Washington Free Beacon via email.
Pressed by the New Yorker about the historic relationship between isolationism and anti-Semitism, Bacevich—who himself has argued that the goal of the America First Committee had an "honorable" purpose and that it "did not oppose Jews"—conceded that there were anti-Semites among the isolationists of old but rejected the notion that "anybody who is an anti-interventionist somehow is a racist."
Yet the Quincy Institute’s hires include a string of figures who have courted controversy due to their views of Israel and American Jews.
Lawrence Wilkerson, a nonresident fellow at the institute, said in a 2007 documentary that "the Jewish lobby in America" and "AIPAC in particular" played an outsize influence in the run-up to the war—and, in fact, had more of an impact than the administration's belief that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction or the president's belief in spreading democracy. He singled out Jewish officials like Bush national security aide Elliott Abrams, former deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz, former undersecretary of defense Doug Feith, and former Defense Policy Advisory Board Chairman Richard Perle.
He came under fire again in 2013 for arguing that Syrian chemical weapons use "could’ve been an Israeli false-flag operation." There is no evidence to support such a claim and investigations by the United Nations and the United States intelligence community concluded that Bashar al-Assad had ordered the deadly attack on civilians.
"I think there is this view, going back to the 1930s, and maybe it’s shared by some today, that those who would get us into foreign conflicts were part of some elite, and maybe they saw in that elite Jewish influences," the veteran diplomat Dennis Ross told the Free Beacon.
The Quincy Institute is also home to several experts who have accused American Jews of being loyal primarily to Israel, a charge that has often been used to slur Jews.
Paul Pillar, a veteran CIA officer and now a Quincy Institute expert on intelligence and terrorism, has argued that the Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson’s first loyalty is to Israel, writing in 2014, "The Republican party isn’t even his first love among political parties. That would be the Likud party." He continued, "Nor is the United States Adelson’s first love among countries."
Though Bacevich said that Israel and American Jews would not be a focus of his organization, Quincy expert Eli Clifton took up the matter with the Nation earlier this month, suggesting that the hawkish think tank Foundation for the Defense of Democracies was originally a mouthpiece for the Israeli government and has insinuated itself into the American bureaucracy.
Asked whether the Quincy Institute shares that view, Bacevich said, "I guess if you are interested in Eli Clifton's views it would make sense to contact Eli Clifton." He did not respond to questions about whether the Quincy Institute shares or stands behind the other statements from its experts and scholars featured in this report.
Clifton previously caused an uproar in Democratic circles as a blogger at the Center for American Progress’s (CAP) now-defunct ThinkProgress when he intimated that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) was pushing the United States into a war with Iran. He argued in a 2011 blog post that an AIPAC statement praising a bipartisan Senate letter urging the Obama administration to impose sanctions on Iran’s central bank had "eerie parallels" to the "slow lead-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003."
When that post and others made CAP an unwanted center of controversy in Obama’s Washington, ThinkProgress added a lengthy update clarification: "Given some misunderstandings about this post, we want to make clear that we are not reporting on whether AIPAC lobbied for the Iraq war."
Clifton’s attacks on Israel had earlier led former Clinton adviser and current CAP president Neera Tanden to impose an additional layer of editorial control on the site, according to a report from the Intercept.
Quincy Institute experts like Wilkerson and others have blamed the "Israel lobby" for a host of ills. The retired diplomat Chas Freeman, who authored the Quincy Institute’s first policy brief in December, blamed the Israel lobby for scuttling his appointment to lead Barack Obama’s National Intelligence Council, for example, arguing in a statement after his withdrawal that "the tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency." Later that year, in a speech in Moscow, he accused American Jews of comprising an Israeli "fifth column" inside the United States. Freeman, a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, was at the time the head of the Middle East Policy Council, which received funding from the Saudi government.
These experts are less vocal, however, about other ethnic foreign policy lobbies in the United States. In fact, the Quincy Institute’s cofounder and executive vice president, Trita Parsi, is also the founder of the National Iranian American Council, which has battled accusations that it serves as a mouthpiece for the Iranian government.
The managing director of the Quincy Institute, Sarah Leah Whitson, has helped fundraise for the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the largest Armenian lobbying organization in the United States. ANCA advocates for the Armenian annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh, an area within the borders of Azerbaijan that the U.N. and the International Criminal Court consider Armenian-occupied Azeri territory.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Whitson, as the former director of Middle East and North Africa for Human Rights Watch (HRW), made a fundraising pitch while in Saudi Arabia intended to entice Arab donors by playing to their animosity toward Israel.
Pressed repeatedly at the time by the Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg, the head of HRW, Kenneth Roth, did not deny the allegation that, in Goldberg’s words, Whitson was "attempting to raise funds from Saudis … in part by highlighting her organization's investigations of Israel, and its war with Israel's ‘supporters,’ who are liars and deceivers. It appears as if Human Rights Watch, in the pursuit of dollars, has compromised its integrity."
While there is no inherent relationship between isolationism and anti-Semitism and Israel, according to Eugene Kontorovich, a professor of law at George Mason University, many Quincy scholars have singled out Jews and Israel for special opprobrium. "In America, every interest group lobbies for its own interest. If they’re not blaming [the National Iranian American Council] for all of America’s problems in the Middle East, it does seem a particular demonization of Jews and of Israel," Kontorovich said.
The Koch-funded group will be holding an event in Washington next month featuring Whitson and Matt Duss, the national security adviser to Bernie Sanders, who, as a blogger alongside Clifton at ThinkProgress, defended Freeman during his short-lived battle to join the Obama administration. Freeman, he argued, was forced to withdraw because he voiced "some inconvenient truths about the Israel-Palestine conflict and represent[ed] a challenge to the treasured neoconservative myth that U.S. and Israeli interests are identical," Duss said.
CORRECTION: The original version of this article incorrectly stated that Charles Koch's father, Fred Koch, was a prominent member of the America First movement. He was a founding member of the John Birch Society.


freebeacon--2020-01-28--Ossoff: We Need to Beat Trump Backers So Badly They Can’t Show Their Faces in Public

Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff ( D. ) told a crowd earlier this month that Democrats needed to defeat President Donald Trump 's backers so badly that they would n't be able to show their faces in public .
`` We need to send a message this year , '' Ossoff said .
`` We need to send a message that if you indulge this kind of politics , you 're not just going to get beat .
You 're going to get beaten so bad you can never run or show your face again in public , because we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we are getting from Donald Trump and his fellow travelers right now . ''
He made the remarks at a Jan. 19 Democratic candidate forum in Dunwoody , a northern suburb of Atlanta .
Ossoff is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. David Perdue ( R. , Ga. ) , a Trump ally up for reelection in 2020 .
Teresa Tomlinson and Sarah Riggs Amico , who lost a lieutenant governor race in Georgia in 2018 , are his only remaining primary opponents after Clarkston , Ga. , mayor Ted Terry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were reminiscent of Rep. Maxine Waters 's ( D. , Calif. ) call in 2018 to make Trump administration members feel unwelcome in public .
`` Sir , this is an Applebee ’ s , '' National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Nathan Brand told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` In all seriousness though , Ossoff ’ s outburst and disparaging comments about Georgia voters is simply another attempt to appease his radical Hollywood donors . ''
Representatives from Ossoff 's campaign and Perdue 's office did not respond to requests for comment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bid in the 2017 special election for Georgia 's Sixth Congressional District .
Unlike that race , there are no residency issues this time as he tries to win his first public office .

Georgia Senate candidate Jon Ossoff (D.) told a crowd earlier this month that Democrats needed to defeat President Donald Trump's backers so badly that they wouldn't be able to show their faces in public.
"We need to send a message this year," Ossoff said. "We need to send a message that if you indulge this kind of politics, you're not just going to get beat. You're going to get beaten so bad you can never run or show your face again in public, because we have had enough, absolutely enough of what we are getting from Donald Trump and his fellow travelers right now."
He made the remarks at a Jan. 19 Democratic candidate forum in Dunwoody, a northern suburb of Atlanta.
Ossoff is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. David Perdue (R., Ga.), a Trump ally up for reelection in 2020. Teresa Tomlinson and Sarah Riggs Amico, who lost a lieutenant governor race in Georgia in 2018, are his only remaining primary opponents after Clarkston, Ga., mayor Ted Terry dropped out this week.
His comments were reminiscent of Rep. Maxine Waters's (D., Calif.) call in 2018 to make Trump administration members feel unwelcome in public.
"Sir, this is an Applebee’s," National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Nathan Brand told the Washington Free Beacon. "In all seriousness though, Ossoff’s outburst and disparaging comments about Georgia voters is simply another attempt to appease his radical Hollywood donors."
Representatives from Ossoff's campaign and Perdue's office did not respond to requests for comment.
Tonight we hosted a "Let's Undo Perdue" Senate Candidate Forum to a sold out crowd of 200+. Thank you to @ossoff, @teresatomlinson, @SarahRiggsAmico, and @tedterry1 for speaking to us and to @DekalbGADems for hosting with us. We can't wait to Undo Perdue! pic.twitter.com/ZbvP0TC7h4 — Indivisible Georgia Sixth District (@INDI6_GA) January 20, 2020
Ossoff is known for his failed bid in the 2017 special election for Georgia's Sixth Congressional District. Unlike that race, there are no residency issues this time as he tries to win his first public office.


freebeacon--2020-01-28--Facing Racial Tensions, Buttigieg Camp Surveyed Staff About Microaggressions

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg 's campaign sent a survey to minority staffers asking them to list any `` microaggressions '' they suffered on the job .
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Buttigieg national engagement coordinator Raven Hollins circulated a survey to employees in January after numerous staffers of color reported `` feeling disrespected '' by colleagues .
Hollins asked that only minority staffers fill out the survey .
`` The answers are anonymous and will be used to inform our white colleagues about privilege and microaggressions , '' Hollins wrote .
The list of microaggressions included `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Left off a relevant email chain , '' `` Someone else taking credit for your idea or insight ( even accidentally ) , '' and `` Been called the name of a different staff member of color . ''
The Times reports that the survey came because minority staffers frequently felt `` disrespected '' by white co-workers .
Some Hispanic employees , for example , were asked by white managers to translate text into Spanish even though they did not speak the language .
The former South Bend mayor 's campaign held @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hollins 's survey .
It quickly became emotional , with some staffers reduced to tears .
Employees were particularly distressed about a fundraiser Buttigieg planned to hold with a Chicago lawyer who helped suppress the release of a video of police killing a black teenager , the Times reported .
The campaign had ignored warnings from members of its vetting team , only to back away from the lawyer 's donations after a public backlash .
The racial tension within Buttigieg 's campaign comes as the candidate has struggled to gain support among @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
A Monday Morning Consult poll found Buttigieg polling at 9 percent with white primary voters nationwide , but only 4 percent among Hispanic primary voters and 2 percent among black primary voters .
Buttigieg 's campaign drew criticism in November for touting the endorsement of several black South Carolinians who did not actually endorse the campaign and using a stock photo of a Kenyan woman to illustrate Buttigieg 's plan for `` black America . ''

Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg's campaign sent a survey to minority staffers asking them to list any "microaggressions" they suffered on the job.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Buttigieg national engagement coordinator Raven Hollins circulated a survey to employees in January after numerous staffers of color reported "feeling disrespected" by colleagues. Hollins asked that only minority staffers fill out the survey. "The answers are anonymous and will be used to inform our white colleagues about privilege and microaggressions," Hollins wrote.
The list of microaggressions included "Been interrupted / talked over," "Left off a relevant email chain," "Someone else taking credit for your idea or insight (even accidentally)," and "Been called the name of a different staff member of color."
The Times reports that the survey came because minority staffers frequently felt "disrespected" by white co-workers. Some Hispanic employees, for example, were asked by white managers to translate text into Spanish even though they did not speak the language.
The former South Bend mayor's campaign held a staff diversity meeting the day after Hollins's survey. It quickly became emotional, with some staffers reduced to tears. Employees were particularly distressed about a fundraiser Buttigieg planned to hold with a Chicago lawyer who helped suppress the release of a video of police killing a black teenager, the Times reported. The campaign had ignored warnings from members of its vetting team, only to back away from the lawyer's donations after a public backlash.
The racial tension within Buttigieg's campaign comes as the candidate has struggled to gain support among minority voters and prominent Democrats of color. A Monday Morning Consult poll found Buttigieg polling at 9 percent with white primary voters nationwide, but only 4 percent among Hispanic primary voters and 2 percent among black primary voters.
Buttigieg's campaign drew criticism in November for touting the endorsement of several black South Carolinians who did not actually endorse the campaign and using a stock photo of a Kenyan woman to illustrate Buttigieg's plan for "black America."


freebeacon--2020-01-28--SHE CAN’T WIN: Early State Dems Prefer White Male Billionaire to Warren in New Poll

We 'll probably never know exactly what Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) told Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D. , Mass . )
during their private meeting in 2018 .
She says he told her a woman could n't win the presidency .
He says otherwise .
Either way , it 's becoming increasingly evident that at least one woman—Liz Warren— can not win in 2020 .
A Morning Consult poll published Tuesday painted a bleak picture for Warren .
Among Democratic voters in Iowa , New Hampshire , Nevada , and South Carolina , the embattled Massachusetts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ percent .
Tom Steyer , one of two white male billionaires in the race , was in third place at 17 percent , presumably thanks to the massive amounts of money he has spent on advertising in those early primary states .
The same poll showed Warren in a distant third among Democratic voters nationwide .
Warren , at 14 percent , trailed Sanders ( 23 percent ) and former vice president Joe Biden ( 29 percent ) .
Most alarmingly , she only barely led former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg @ @ @ @ @ @ @ white male billionaire running in the Democratic primary .
That 's not all .
Warren also performed worse in a hypothetical contest against President Donald Trump than did other Democratic candidates .
The poll found Warren tied with Trump at 43 percent among registered voters .
Trump received just 41 percent in hypothetical matchups against Biden ( 47 percent ) , Sanders ( 46 percent ) , Bloomberg ( 45 percent ) , and former South Bend , Ind.
, mayor Pete Buttigieg ( 43 percent ) .
Oh , and it turns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stupid double endorsement of Warren and Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D. , Minn. ) had precisely zero impact on Warren 's standing in the race .
In fact , the biggest post-endorsement change among Democratic voters who read the Times was a five-point increase in support for Joe Biden .

We'll probably never know exactly what Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) told Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) during their private meeting in 2018. She says he told her a woman couldn't win the presidency. He says otherwise. Either way, it's becoming increasingly evident that at least one woman—Liz Warren—cannot win in 2020.
A Morning Consult poll published Tuesday painted a bleak picture for Warren. Among Democratic voters in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina, the embattled Massachusetts senator placed fourth, polling at 11 percent. Tom Steyer, one of two white male billionaires in the race, was in third place at 17 percent, presumably thanks to the massive amounts of money he has spent on advertising in those early primary states.
The same poll showed Warren in a distant third among Democratic voters nationwide. Warren, at 14 percent, trailed Sanders (23 percent) and former vice president Joe Biden (29 percent). Most alarmingly, she only barely led former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg (12 percent), the other white male billionaire running in the Democratic primary.
That's not all. Warren also performed worse in a hypothetical contest against President Donald Trump than did other Democratic candidates. The poll found Warren tied with Trump at 43 percent among registered voters. Trump received just 41 percent in hypothetical matchups against Biden (47 percent), Sanders (46 percent), Bloomberg (45 percent), and former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg (43 percent).
Oh, and it turns out the New York Times's stupid double endorsement of Warren and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D., Minn.) had precisely zero impact on Warren's standing in the race. In fact, the biggest post-endorsement change among Democratic voters who read the Times was a five-point increase in support for Joe Biden.


freebeacon--2020-01-28--Iran Lawmakers Call for Debate on Quitting Nuclear Arms Treaty

DUBAI ( Reuters ) – A group of Iranian lawmakers on Tuesday asked parliament to debate a motion for Iran to quit a treaty governing global nuclear arms control , a move apparently aimed at pressuring European powers to salvage Tehran 's own 2015 nuclear deal .
A report on the assembly 's news site ICANA said a minimum number of MPs had signed a request to parliament 's managers to arrange a debate on the motion for Iran to take the far-reaching step of leaving the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ( NPT ) .
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the NPT if European countries refer the country to the U.N. Security Council over the 2015 deal , a move that would overturn diplomacy in Tehran 's turbulent relations with Western powers .
Lawmakers in the past have sometimes withdrawn their signatures seeking debates on motions about nuclear and other issues .
To become a law , the proposal would have to be passed by lawmakers in two readings and then ratified by the Guardian Council , a body that is in charge of ensuring bills do not contradict religious laws or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , the highest authority in the Islamic Republic , has the final say on all state matters like Tehran 's nuclear policy .
The 1968 NPT has been the foundation of global nuclear arms control since the Cold War , including the 2015 deal Iran signed with world powers that offered it access to global trade in return for accepting curbs to its atomic program .
The fate of the 2015 pact has been in doubt since U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crippled the country 's economy .
Iran has responded by gradually scaling back its commitments , although it says these steps are reversible if the European powers can salvage the deal by shielding Iran 's economy from U.S. penalties .
Britain , France and Germany formally accused Iran on Jan. 14 of violating the terms of the agreement to curb its nuclear program , which eventually could lead to the reimposing of U.N. sanctions lifted under the pact .
However , the EU 's top diplomat Josep Borrell on Friday extended the time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nuclear deal with Iran under the dispute mechanism .

DUBAI (Reuters) - A group of Iranian lawmakers on Tuesday asked parliament to debate a motion for Iran to quit a treaty governing global nuclear arms control, a move apparently aimed at pressuring European powers to salvage Tehran's own 2015 nuclear deal.
A report on the assembly's news site ICANA said a minimum number of MPs had signed a request to parliament's managers to arrange a debate on the motion for Iran to take the far-reaching step of leaving the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said last week that Iran could withdraw from the NPT if European countries refer the country to the U.N. Security Council over the 2015 deal, a move that would overturn diplomacy in Tehran's turbulent relations with Western powers.
Lawmakers in the past have sometimes withdrawn their signatures seeking debates on motions about nuclear and other issues.
To become a law, the proposal would have to be passed by lawmakers in two readings and then ratified by the Guardian Council, a body that is in charge of ensuring bills do not contradict religious laws or Iran’s constitution.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the highest authority in the Islamic Republic, has the final say on all state matters like Tehran's nuclear policy.
The 1968 NPT has been the foundation of global nuclear arms control since the Cold War, including the 2015 deal Iran signed with world powers that offered it access to global trade in return for accepting curbs to its atomic program.
The fate of the 2015 pact has been in doubt since U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of it in 2018 and reimposed sanctions that have crippled the country's economy.
Iran has responded by gradually scaling back its commitments, although it says these steps are reversible if the European powers can salvage the deal by shielding Iran's economy from U.S. penalties.
Britain, France and Germany formally accused Iran on Jan. 14 of violating the terms of the agreement to curb its nuclear program, which eventually could lead to the reimposing of U.N. sanctions lifted under the pact.
However, the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell on Friday extended the time available to discuss ways to save the nuclear deal with Iran under the dispute mechanism.
(Reporting By Babak Dehghanpisheh; Editing by Andrew Heavens, William Maclean)


freebeacon--2020-01-29--Germany Has Proof That Huawei Worked With Chinese Intelligence

BERLIN ( Reuters ) – The German government is in possession of evidence that Huawei [ HWT.UL ] , the leading maker of telecoms network equipment , has collaborated with Chinese intelligence , the Handelsblatt daily reported on Wednesday .
`` At the end of 2019 , intelligence was passed to us by the U.S. , according to which Huawei is proven to have been cooperating with China 's security authorities , '' the newspaper quoted a confidential foreign ministry document as saying .
No comment was immediately available from the German government or from Huawei on the Handelsblatt report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her conservative ruling party are split on whether Huawei 's equipment poses a security threat to Europe 's largest economy , where the three mobile network operators are all customers of the Chinese firm .
The Foreign Ministry is among the sceptics , with Handelsblatt citing the document as saying that the U.S. evidence amounted to a `` smoking gun '' that meant Chinese companies could not be trusted to help build new 5G networks .
`` Chinese companies can not be considered trustworthy enough to meet the security standards needed to build @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further .
Britain on Tuesday decided to bar Huawei from the sensitive ‘ core ' of mobile networks , exclude it from strategically important sites , and cap its share in the network periphery at 35 % .
The European Union is due on Wednesday to publish a so-called toolbox that will provide recommendations on how to deal with vendors considered to be high risk , but is expected to stop short of imposing up-front bans on any one network vendor .

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German government is in possession of evidence that Huawei [HWT.UL], the leading maker of telecoms network equipment, has collaborated with Chinese intelligence, the Handelsblatt daily reported on Wednesday.
"At the end of 2019, intelligence was passed to us by the U.S., according to which Huawei is proven to have been cooperating with China's security authorities," the newspaper quoted a confidential foreign ministry document as saying.
No comment was immediately available from the German government or from Huawei on the Handelsblatt report.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government and her conservative ruling party are split on whether Huawei's equipment poses a security threat to Europe's largest economy, where the three mobile network operators are all customers of the Chinese firm.
The Foreign Ministry is among the sceptics, with Handelsblatt citing the document as saying that the U.S. evidence amounted to a "smoking gun" that meant Chinese companies could not be trusted to help build new 5G networks.
"Chinese companies cannot be considered trustworthy enough to meet the security standards needed to build 5G networks," the document stated further.
Britain on Tuesday decided to bar Huawei from the sensitive 'core' of mobile networks, exclude it from strategically important sites, and cap its share in the network periphery at 35%.
The European Union is due on Wednesday to publish a so-called toolbox that will provide recommendations on how to deal with vendors considered to be high risk, but is expected to stop short of imposing up-front bans on any one network vendor.
(Reporting by Douglas Busvine and Andreas Rinke; Editing by Michelle Martin)


freebeacon--2020-01-29--U.S. Hopes to Discuss ‘Entire Strategic Framework’ With Iraq Soon

COPENHAGEN ( Reuters ) – The United States hopes to discuss the entire strategic framework of its relationship with Iraq soon , a U.S. envoy said on Tuesday , as the fate of a U.S. military mission there remains in doubt after a drone strike that killed an Iranian general .
Iraq 's parliament has voted to ask the United States to withdraw its 5,000-strong force after the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike in Baghdad , which killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and the Iraqi leader of a powerful pro-Iran armed faction .
Washington has paused some of the military @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which were invited back into the country in 2014 as part of a mission to fight the Islamic State militant group in both Iraq and Syria , after withdrawing three years earlier .
`` We are looking forward to sitting down and having a broad discussion with the Iraqi government of our entire strategic framework relationship in the near future , '' James Jeffrey , the U.S. special envoy for Syria , told Reuters .
Jeffrey said U.S.-led coalition operations were still on pause in Iraq as the focus has been on force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the way forward .
Iraq is an ally of both the United States and Iran , and has had to balance those relationships carefully at a time of escalation between the two foes .
Recent months have seen demonstrations in Iraq against both countries ' influence .
President Donald Trump responded angrily to demands from Baghdad that U.S. troops withdraw from Iraq , even threatening to impose sanctions if the troops were forced out .
He met Iraq 's president , Barham Salih , on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United States supports a possible future role by NATO in Iraq and Syria .
`` Nobody is rushing anything , '' Jeffrey said when asked about the time frame for talks with the Iraqi government .
`` We are very interested in NATO 's process of seeing what additional role it can do . ''
The past week had seen no spike in activities of Islamic State in neither Iraq or Syria , but activity levels remained at a level that caused concern , Jeffrey said .

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - The United States hopes to discuss the entire strategic framework of its relationship with Iraq soon, a U.S. envoy said on Tuesday, as the fate of a U.S. military mission there remains in doubt after a drone strike that killed an Iranian general.
Iraq's parliament has voted to ask the United States to withdraw its 5,000-strong force after the Jan. 3 U.S. drone strike in Baghdad, which killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and the Iraqi leader of a powerful pro-Iran armed faction.
Washington has paused some of the military activity of its troops in Iraq, which were invited back into the country in 2014 as part of a mission to fight the Islamic State militant group in both Iraq and Syria, after withdrawing three years earlier.
"We are looking forward to sitting down and having a broad discussion with the Iraqi government of our entire strategic framework relationship in the near future," James Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, told Reuters.
Jeffrey said U.S.-led coalition operations were still on pause in Iraq as the focus has been on force protection and talks with the Baghdad government on the way forward.
Iraq is an ally of both the United States and Iran, and has had to balance those relationships carefully at a time of escalation between the two foes. Recent months have seen demonstrations in Iraq against both countries' influence.
President Donald Trump responded angrily to demands from Baghdad that U.S. troops withdraw from Iraq, even threatening to impose sanctions if the troops were forced out. He met Iraq's president, Barham Salih, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland last week.
Jeffrey said the United States supports a possible future role by NATO in Iraq and Syria.
"Nobody is rushing anything," Jeffrey said when asked about the time frame for talks with the Iraqi government. "We are very interested in NATO's process of seeing what additional role it can do."
The past week had seen no spike in activities of Islamic State in neither Iraq or Syria, but activity levels remained at a level that caused concern, Jeffrey said.
(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen; Editing by Peter Graff)


Beacon Extra

Welcome to the Washington Free Beacon ’ s morning newsletter , your comprehensive briefing on the Enemies of Freedom .
To get this newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning , sign up here .
IMPEACHMENT UPDATE … Donald J. Trump is still President of the United States .
RETAIL POLITICS 101 … `` Biden to Iowa Voter : ‘ Go Vote for Someone Else ’ , '' by WFB ’ s Graham Piro : Former vice president Joe Biden told a Democratic voter asking about climate change to `` go vote for someone else '' and then wrongfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( I. , Vt. ) … Biden told [ Ed Fallon ] he was looking for primary supporters , not general election supporters .
Biden then started to criticize what Sanders has promised to do about climate change , seeming to assume Fallon was a Sanders supporter .
Fallon interrupted to say he is actually a Tom Steyer supporter .
BETO BUSTS … `` Republican Gary Gates handily beats Democrat Eliz Markowitz in Texas House District 28 runoff , '' via TEXAS TRIBUNE : Republican Gary Gates has decisively beaten Democrat Eliz Markowitz @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Texas House District 28 , a disappointing loss for Democrats who had hoped to use the race to build momentum toward capturing control of the lower chamber in November .
With all vote centers reporting Tuesday night , Gates defeated Markowitz by 16 percentage points , 58 % to 42 % , according to unofficial results … The overtime round drew massive attention from Democrats .
At least three presidential candidates got involved , national and state groups poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into the race , and Beto O'Rourke made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his White House bid in November .
INSIDE THE RACE FOR STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT … `` Facing Racial Tensions , Buttigieg Camp Surveyed Staff About Microaggressions , '' by WFB ’ s Alex Griswold : The New York Times reported Tuesday that [ Pete ] Buttigieg national engagement coordinator Raven Hollins circulated a survey to employees in January after numerous staffers of color reported `` feeling disrespected '' by colleagues .
Hollins asked that only minority staffers fill out the survey … The list of microaggressions included `` Been interrupted / talked over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ email chain , '' `` Someone else taking credit for your idea or insight ( even accidentally ) , '' and `` Been called the name of a different staff member of color . ''
WHO DOES THIS ?
… `` Michael Bloomberg greets dog by shaking its … mouth , '' via THE WEEK : They say you ca n't teach an old dog new tricks , but Michael Bloomberg is gon na need some work on `` shake . ''
Appearing at a campaign event in Burlington , Vermont , on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayor had no problem remembering the proper form when greeting humans : firm grip , eye contact , friendly smile .
But when approached by a dog , everything clearly went out the window .
ONLY THE BEST PEOPLE … `` Top Sanders Surrogate Appears to Parrot 9/11 Conspiracy Theory , '' by WFB ’ s Andrew Kugle : Phillip Agnew , a self-described `` militant '' who has made multiple appearances on the campaign trail for Sanders since joining the campaign in July , tweeted on the eve of the ninth anniversary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ America remembers the day `` she turned on herself , dismantled her constitution , and killed her own citizens in the name of money . ''
SH*T LIBERALS DO … `` Steyer Slams Private Education , Sent Kids to Pricey Prep School , '' by WFB ’ s Charles Fain Lehman : Tom Steyer has promised to put government money where his mouth is , telling the Washington Post that he `` does not support using public money for private or religious education . ''
In doing so , Steyer would deny parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as he did when he sent his children to the San Francisco University High School , whose annual tuition costs $ 49,496 … At the same time , it recalls Steyer 's opponents ' own dishonesty on the topic , particularly Sen. Elizabeth Warren 's ( D. , Mass. )
.
JUSTICE FOR JUSSIE … `` Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorses Cook County State ’ s Attorney Kim Foxx ’ s reelection bid , '' via CHICAGO TRIBUNE : As a first-term prosecutor on the campaign trail , Foxx has touted her philosophy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But her handling of the controversial case against actor Jussie Smollett last year drew national attention .
In an emailed statement , Warren talked about why she ’ s endorsing Foxx : `` When Cook County first elected Kim Foxx to the state attorney ’ s office , it not only gained a seasoned advocate but a champion invested in rethinking the county ’ s approach to criminal justice reform . ''
IT ’ S HAPPENING … `` Hillary Clinton admits she feels an ‘ urge ’ to run against Trump again , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I certainly feel the urge because I feel the 2016 election was a really odd time and an odd outcome , '' she told [ Variety ] in an interview published online Monday .
`` And the more we learn , the more that seems to be the case .
But I ’ m going to support the people who are running now and do everything I can to help elect the Democratic nominee . ''
BUSINESS WITH THE BIDENS … `` Lobbyist bought tropical land from Biden ’ s brother , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Biden ’ s brother bought an acre of land with excellent ocean views on a remote island in the Caribbean for $ 150,000 .
He divided it into three parcels , and the next year a lobbyist close to the Delaware senator bought one of the parcels for what had been the cost of the entire property .
Later , the lobbyist gave Biden ’ s brother a mortgage loan on the remaining parcels .
The Virgin Islands land deal , reported here for the first time , furthers a pattern in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ engaged in financial dealings with people with an interest in influencing the former vice president .
HAMAS STILL DEVOTED TO PUSHING ISRAEL INTO SEA … `` Palestinians Reject Trump Administration ’ s Middle East Peace Plan , '' via WSJ : In anticipation that the plan would strongly favor the Israelis , the Palestinian Authority has threatened to cut its security and economic relations with Israel formed in previous peace talks .
Hamas , the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip , said Mr. Trump ’ s speech hasn ’ t changed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s speech , as before it , our people will continue to struggle to regain its lands and holy sites and seize its freedom , '' Hamas spokesman Hazem Qasem wrote in a Tweet .
CHICOMS INFILTRATE FRIENDLY INSTITUTION … `` U.S .
Accuses Harvard Scientist of Concealing Chinese Funding , '' via NYT : Charles M. Lieber , the chair of Harvard ’ s department of chemistry and chemical biology , was charged on Tuesday with making false statements about money he had received from a Chinese government-run program , part of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out theft of biomedical research from American laboratories .
Dr. Lieber , a leader in the field of nanoscale electronics , was one of three Boston-area scientists accused on Tuesday of working on behalf of China .
BLOODY HELL … `` UK will allow Huawei to help build its 5G network despite US pressure , '' via CNN : The British government said Tuesday that it will allow China 's Huawei to help build the country 's next generation of super-fast wireless networks , a decision that could undermine trade and intelligence ties @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration had been pressing for a total ban on Huawei products , alleging that Beijing could use the equipment for snooping … Under Chinese law , Chinese companies can be ordered to act under the direction of Beijing .
THE FIX IS IN … `` NYT Columnist Fails to Disclose Husband ’ s Work for Warren in Attack on Sanders , '' by WFB ’ s Brent Scher : New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg failed to disclose in her Monday column criticizing Bernie Sanders that her husband is a high-paid consultant for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … that she is `` terrified '' about his chances in a general election contest with President Donald Trump … Unmentioned in the column is that Goldberg 's husband Matthew Ipcar is a top executive at Blue State Digital , a design firm that has been paid $ 1,080,972 by Warren 's presidential campaign , according to Federal Election Commission records .
IT 'S A STEELE … `` BuzzFeed News editor Ben Smith to join New York Times as media columnist , '' via NBC NEWS : Smith 's departure marks the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a blogger at Politico , Smith was hired to take over its fledgling news division in late 2011 … BuzzFeed News has remained a player in political news ever since , most notably when it made the controversial decision in 2017 to publish the Steele dossier , the 35-page opposition research document that alleged President Donald Trump could be blackmailed by Russian intelligence .
THE OLDEST HATRED … `` New Koch Group Dogged by Charges of Anti-Semitism , '' by WFB ’ s Eliana Johnson : Yet the Quincy Institute ’ s hires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courted controversy due to their views of Israel and American Jews .
Lawrence Wilkerson , a nonresident fellow at the institute , said in a 2007 documentary that `` the Jewish lobby in America '' and `` AIPAC in particular '' played an outsize influence in the run-up to the war—and , in fact , had more of an impact than the administration 's belief that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction or the president 's belief in spreading democracy … The Quincy Institute is also home to several experts who have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Israel , a charge that has often been used to slur Jews .
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT … `` Business Expert Says You Should n't Talk Sports at Work Because Women Ca n't Understand It , '' via BARSTOOL and BBC : Chartered Management Institute head Ann Francke said sports banter can exclude women and lead to laddish behaviour such as chat about sexual conquests .
`` A lot of women , in particular , feel left out , '' she told the BBC 's Today programme .
BERNIE WAS RIGHT … `` SHE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dems Prefer White Male Billionaire to Warren in New Poll , '' by WFB ’ s Andrew Stiles : Among Democratic voters in Iowa , New Hampshire , Nevada , and South Carolina , [ Elizabeth Warren ] placed fourth , polling at 11 percent .
Tom Steyer , one of two white male billionaires in the race , was in third place at 17 percent , presumably thanks to the massive amounts of money he has spent on advertising in those early primary states … Oh , and it turns out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ endorsement of Warren and Sen. Amy Klobuchar ( D. , Minn. ) had precisely zero impact on Warren 's standing in the race .
In fact , the biggest post-endorsement change among Democratic voters who read the Times was a five-point increase in support for Joe Biden .
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW : 1,144 .
Come back , Joe !
`` You know who really doesn ’ t have it ?
Joe Biden . ''
—Former President Barack Obama Thanks for reading !
Send tips to rutz @ freebeacon.com @

Welcome to the Washington Free Beacon’s morning newsletter, your comprehensive briefing on the Enemies of Freedom. To get this newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning, sign up here.
MENSHEVIKS PREPARE FOR LAST STAND … "Democratic Leaders Willing to Risk Party Damage to Stop Bernie Sanders," via NYT: Since Mr. Sanders’s victory in Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday, the Times has interviewed 93 party officials—all of them superdelegates … and found overwhelming opposition to handing the Vermont senator the nomination if he arrived with the most delegates but fell short of a majority …
Since Mr. Sanders won Nevada’s caucuses on Saturday, four donors have approached former representative Steve Israel of New York to ask if he can suggest someone to run a super PAC aimed at blocking Mr. Sanders. He declined their offer.
THE NEW NEW DEMOCRATS … "2020 Dem Plans Reflect Party of the ‘Professional Class’," by WFB’s Charles Fain Lehman: The [Manhattan Institute] report examines the distributive impacts of major proposals, including Medicare for All, student debt forgiveness, and the repeal of key components of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). It argues that while Democratic candidates talk big about supporting workers and the poor, these programs primarily serve the interests of the wealthy …
Long branded as representatives of the working class, the Democratic Party has come to appeal primarily to the college-educated, often affluent residents of urban America, data indicate.
MIKE GOT IT DONE … "Bloomberg Locked Up Nearly Half a Million People on Marijuana Charges," by WFB’s Yuichiro Kakutani: The administrations of [Michael] Bloomberg's three predecessors … collectively arrested 226,000 people, or 25 people daily, for the same charge over a 24-year period between 1978 and 2001. During Bloomberg's tenure, approximately 471,000 people were arrested on possession charges …
The possession arrests for Bloomberg's tenure peaked in 2011 when the police hauled in more than 50,000 New Yorkers.
DOWNLOAD UNAVAILABLE IN WISCONSIN … "Coming to a podcast near you: Hillary Clinton," via POLITICO: The former first lady, secretary of State, and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee is planning to launch a new audio program in late spring, just in time for her to have a powerful new megaphone during the 2020 election …
Clinton’s show will feature her in conversation with a brand-name guest, who might be drawn from world leaders and politicians, of course, but also celebrities, authors and perhaps famous chefs.
BOOK THROWN … "Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh sentenced to 3 years for ‘Healthy Holly’ children’s book fraud scheme," via BALTIMORE SUN: [Pugh] told reporters: "This is not the last you’ll see of Catherine Pugh" …
Pugh’s political fall began in March when the Baltimore Sun revealed she had entered into a no-bid deal with the University of Maryland Medical System, where Pugh sat on the board of directors, to buy 100,000 copies of her sloppily self-published "Healthy Holly" books for $500,000.
YANG HOLDS OUT FOR BETTER OFFER … "Michael Bloomberg’s Campaign Sought Andrew Yang’s Backing, Floated Vice- Presidential Slot," via WSJ: Aides to the former New York City mayor reached out to discuss ways the two entrepreneurs-turned-politicians could work together as Mr. Bloomberg seeks the Democratic nomination, these people said.
Mr. Yang, who dropped out of the race earlier this month, didn’t commit to join forces, as he considers his own political future, a third person familiar with the discussions said.
NO SURRENDER … "Congressional Republicans Warn Trump Against Inking Peace Deal With Taliban," by WFB’s Adam Kredo: The lawmakers … are demanding they receive assurances the administration "will not place the security of the American people into the hands of the Taliban" …
The lawmakers are also demanding the release of so-called secret annexes in the draft agreement that they claim establish a set of unknown side deals with the Taliban, a move reminiscent of the Obama administration's secret agreements with Iran when the Iran nuclear deal was being negotiated.
TEHRAN MARY … "Iran Vice President Is One of 7 Officials to Contract Coronavirus," via NYT: The disclosure came a day after a cabinet meeting in which she was in close contact with other government leaders, including [Hassan] Rouhani. A photo posted by a BBC Persia reporter on Twitter showed she had been sitting a few yards from the president.
[Masoumeh] Ebtekar, one of four vice presidents, was known to Americans as "Mary" during the Tehran hostage crisis four decades ago, when, as a young revolutionary, she was a spokeswoman for the captors of the 52 Americans held at the United States Embassy.
PICTURE OF COWARDICE … "Sony World Photography Awards Removes Hong Kong Protest Images," via HYPERALLERGIC: Since pro-democracy protests prompted by the Hong Kong government’s now-scrapped extradition bill erupted across the city in spring 2019, China has tightened its grip on the media …
Now, some speculate WPO yielded to pressure from China to take down the photographs, especially because other entries featuring arguably graphic or politically sensitive content have not faced a similar fate in past competitions.
THE REAL VICTIMS … "Mark Halperin Says Murderers Are Treated More Fairly Than Canceled People," via MOTHER JONES: "I haven’t had a job interview in two years," Halperin said, adding that he has applied to work at restaurants and Target, trying to get health insurance for his three-year-old son …
When [asked to] differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate ways that he had been held accountable for his behavior … he said victims deserve "top priority" but complained again that there isn’t a mechanism for reintegrating canceled people.
THIS IS CNN … "Sasse Criticizes CNN for Referring to a Baby as a ‘Fetus That Was Born’," via CNN: "The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is about babies who have already been born," [Sen. Ben] Sasse said to the Washington Free Beacon. "I’m glad CNN finally made the correction, but there’s no reason this needed to take two days. Planned Parenthood desperately wants to misrepresent this bipartisan, pro-babies bill, and unfortunately too many reporters have bought their spin hook, line, and sinker."
PUNK IS DEAD … "Billy Idol is helping de Blasio take on idling cars in new campaign," via NY POST: Billy Idol has a new Rebel Yell: helping Mayor Bill de Blasio fight fume-spewing vehicles that idle on Big Apple streets …
The campaign will also publicize the city’s 2018 "Citizens Air Complaint Program," where individuals who see a bus or delivery truck idling for longer than four minutes can file a complaint and collect a 25 percent bounty off the fine, worth $87.50.
"The First Postmodern Pandemic," via WFB’s Matthew Continetti: We were better off when the media focused on impeachment. Now that it is interested in coronavirus, a familiar pattern will set in. Data will be publicized without the slightest sense of proportion. The most outrageous scenarios will receive the most attention. Speculation will be paraded as fact …
The Washington Post transcribes Democratic Party talking points when it suggests Vice President Mike Pence is incapable of overseeing the government's efforts because he opposes needle-sharing programs. Among the reasons [President Donald] Trump is said to have weakened public health? He defunded Planned Parenthood.
Thanks for reading! Send tips to rutz@freebeacon.com.


freebeacon--2020-01-29--Exclusive Audio: Michael Bloomberg’s Concern After JFK Assassination Was Cancelled Frat Party

Michael Bloomberg was unfazed by news of Princess Diana 's tragic death , telling a friend in the immediate aftermath of her 1997 passing that it was `` just one life '' and the world would go on just the same .
Bloomberg 's remarks , reported by the Washington Free Beacon for the first time , came during a 1999 interview with his alma mater , Johns Hopkins University .
Recalling his comments to a grieving friend who told him `` life will never be the same again , '' Bloomberg remarked , `` Well , never the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ else went on . ''
The former New York City mayor and current Democratic presidential candidate also recalled his reaction to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy .
Both tragedies triggered widespread mourning , but not from Bloomberg , who considered the media coverage and emotional outpouring overblown and the events themselves relatively inconsequential .
The Kennedy assassination has proven to be one of the most memorable events in modern history , with 95 percent of adults remembering exactly where they were when they heard the news , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like Princess Diana , in that everybody thought the world had changed , and the papers were full of it , '' Bloomberg said of the Kennedy assassination , `` but a week later people go back to their own work , their own lives , and there was nothing changed , no matter what anybody says . ''
The billionaire businessman made the remarks in the course of an interview for an conducted by the historian Mame Warren .
During the course of the 30-minute interview , Bloomberg recalled that his life @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shot on November 22 , 1963—aside from the fact that his fraternity , Phi Kappa Psi , was n't getting back a deposit it put down for an appearance by singer James Brown .
`` I remember in November I had planned a big fraternity dance in the gym , and we had spent all our budget hiring James Brown and the Flames to play , and then Kennedy got shot and we canceled the dance and could n't get our deposit back , '' Bloomberg said .
`` Never got the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ added , `` was not popular , '' and is remembered positively today only because he was assassinated .
`` There were stories that he would n't even get the Democratic nomination , much less get reelected , '' Bloomberg said .
`` How quickly we forget . ''
Bloomberg recalled that he was in the Hamptons the day Princess Diana died when a friend called him to the television to watch the news unfold and told him , `` Nothing will ever be the same again , Princess Diana has died in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it 's just one life , '' Bloomberg recalled saying .
`` There 's a lot of people that died today . ''
`` No , I did n't understand the world was never going to be the same again , '' Bloomberg said .
`` Well , never the same again for Princess Diana , but everybody else went on , thank you . ''
Bloomberg was candid in the interview , even remarking in an off-the-record aside that he was fighting a student-led push to boost the university 's minimum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time on the university 's board of trustees , had long opposed minimum wage laws , calling them `` misguided '' policy that hurts the poor by killing jobs .
He now endorses raising the federal minimum wage to $ 15 an hour .
The Bloomberg campaign declined to comment on the 1999 interview .
Bloomberg reportedly maintained his callous perspective on death into his successful business career , adopting `` get over it '' as his default advice for those facing tragedy .
He has , however , struck a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In response to the Sunday helicopter crash that killed NBA star Kobe Bryant and eight others , Bloomberg joined the majority of his Democratic opponents , as well as President Donald Trump , and immediately offered his condolences .
`` We are watching the news out of California with heavy hearts and thinking of the Bryants and all the families who are devastated by this terrible tragedy , '' Bloomberg said in a social media post hours after the crash .
Bloomberg 's controversial remarks have raised eyebrows since his first run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pamphlet of Bloomberg one-liners compiled as a gag gift by colleagues was obtained by New York magazine .
A separate set of remarks about women 's appearances have surfaced through lawsuits from women who worked for Bloomberg and allege that his company , in its early days , resembled a frat house .
That side of Bloomberg is reflected in the 1999 interview , in which the businessman talked at length about the importance of appearances .
`` Unfortunately , in the world we live in , physical looks do have something to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and you 'd be better off if they perceived you in a more favorable light before you opened your mouth as opposed to coming around to understand you after you talk for a while , '' Bloomberg said .
`` It 's just more efficient . ''
`` Unfortunately , we 're human beings and we all judge people by their clothing , by their looks , by their accents . ''
His current campaign has attempted to distance Bloomberg from his past remarks , saying the billionaire regrets much of what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mike has come to see that some of what he has said is disrespectful and wrong , '' campaign spokesman Stu Loeser told the New York Times last November .
`` He believes his words have not always aligned with his values and the way he has led his life . ''

Michael Bloomberg was unfazed by news of Princess Diana's tragic death, telling a friend in the immediate aftermath of her 1997 passing that it was "just one life" and the world would go on just the same.
Bloomberg's remarks, reported by the Washington Free Beacon for the first time, came during a 1999 interview with his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University. Recalling his comments to a grieving friend who told him "life will never be the same again," Bloomberg remarked, "Well, never the same again for Princess Diana, but everyone else went on."
The former New York City mayor and current Democratic presidential candidate also recalled his reaction to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Both tragedies triggered widespread mourning, but not from Bloomberg, who considered the media coverage and emotional outpouring overblown and the events themselves relatively inconsequential. The Kennedy assassination has proven to be one of the most memorable events in modern history, with 95 percent of adults remembering exactly where they were when they heard the news, according to the Pew Research Center.
"It was like Princess Diana, in that everybody thought the world had changed, and the papers were full of it," Bloomberg said of the Kennedy assassination, "but a week later people go back to their own work, their own lives, and there was nothing changed, no matter what anybody says."
The billionaire businessman made the remarks in the course of an interview for an oral history project conducted by the historian Mame Warren. During the course of the 30-minute interview, Bloomberg recalled that his life on campus went on uninterrupted after Kennedy was shot on November 22, 1963—aside from the fact that his fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi, wasn't getting back a deposit it put down for an appearance by singer James Brown.
"I remember in November I had planned a big fraternity dance in the gym, and we had spent all our budget hiring James Brown and the Flames to play, and then Kennedy got shot and we canceled the dance and couldn't get our deposit back," Bloomberg said. "Never got the deposit back."
Kennedy, he added, "was not popular," and is remembered positively today only because he was assassinated. "There were stories that he wouldn't even get the Democratic nomination, much less get reelected," Bloomberg said. "How quickly we forget."
Bloomberg recalled that he was in the Hamptons the day Princess Diana died when a friend called him to the television to watch the news unfold and told him, "Nothing will ever be the same again, Princess Diana has died in a crash."
"You know, it's just one life," Bloomberg recalled saying. "There's a lot of people that died today."
"No, I didn't understand the world was never going to be the same again," Bloomberg said. "Well, never the same again for Princess Diana, but everybody else went on, thank you."
Bloomberg was candid in the interview, even remarking in an off-the-record aside that he was fighting a student-led push to boost the university's minimum wage to $7.90. Bloomberg, at the time on the university's board of trustees, had long opposed minimum wage laws, calling them "misguided" policy that hurts the poor by killing jobs. He now endorses raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The Bloomberg campaign declined to comment on the 1999 interview.
Bloomberg reportedly maintained his callous perspective on death into his successful business career, adopting "get over it" as his default advice for those facing tragedy. He has, however, struck a more empathetic tone as a presidential candidate.
In response to the Sunday helicopter crash that killed NBA star Kobe Bryant and eight others, Bloomberg joined the majority of his Democratic opponents, as well as President Donald Trump, and immediately offered his condolences.
"We are watching the news out of California with heavy hearts and thinking of the Bryants and all the families who are devastated by this terrible tragedy," Bloomberg said in a social media post hours after the crash.
Bloomberg's controversial remarks have raised eyebrows since his first run for office in 2001, when a pamphlet of Bloomberg one-liners compiled as a gag gift by colleagues was obtained by New York magazine. A separate set of remarks about women's appearances have surfaced through lawsuits from women who worked for Bloomberg and allege that his company, in its early days, resembled a frat house.
That side of Bloomberg is reflected in the 1999 interview, in which the businessman talked at length about the importance of appearances.
"Unfortunately, in the world we live in, physical looks do have something to do with people's perception of you, and you'd be better off if they perceived you in a more favorable light before you opened your mouth as opposed to coming around to understand you after you talk for a while," Bloomberg said. "It's just more efficient."
"Unfortunately, we're human beings and we all judge people by their clothing, by their looks, by their accents."
His current campaign has attempted to distance Bloomberg from his past remarks, saying the billionaire regrets much of what has come from his mouth.
"Mike has come to see that some of what he has said is disrespectful and wrong," campaign spokesman Stu Loeser told the New York Times last November. "He believes his words have not always aligned with his values and the way he has led his life."


freebeacon--2020-01-29--Warren, Sanders Endorsed By Labor Leader Accused of Race, Age Discrimination

Presidential candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren ( D. , Mass . )
and Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) touted the endorsement of a local labor group whose co-president was found to have discriminated against workers based on their race and age .
UNITE HERE Local 11 , which represents more than 30,000 hospitality workers , endorsed the progressive pair on Tuesday .
Union co-president Ada Briceño said in a statement that Warren and Sanders `` understand the needs of workers at UNITE HERE Local 11 . ''
The candidates touted the endorsement on social media .
Warren praised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the job , '' while Sanders commended its `` progressive values . ''
The union , however , has faced legal trouble over accusations of workplace discrimination .
When Briceño was president of UNITE HERE Local 681—which later merged with other chapters to form Local 11—a jury convicted the labor group of discrimination and illegal firing .
Warren and Sanders 's embrace of Briceño 's endorsement comes as Democrats scramble to marshal support from labor groups in a crowded primary field .
Briceño also serves as vice president of UNITE HERE International @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and has helped Democrats win in states such as Nevada and Arizona .
The labor giant has spent more than $ 940,000 in the 2020 election cycle despite pledging to remain neutral in the primary , according to the Center for Responsive Politics .
Both presidential candidates have condemned workplace discrimination , with Warren promising to take executive action to fight it .
Neither the Warren nor the Sanders campaigns responded to requests for comment .
UNITE HERE was forced to pay nearly $ 1 million to settle a 2003 lawsuit alleging that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race and age .
Briceño referred to non-Hispanic employees as `` gringos '' and disparaged their medical conditions , according to the suit .
She also targeted older union workers , telling a union vice president , `` I 'm going to fire these f—ing old ladies , and we can get someone else for less money . ''
She described employees who were fired as `` old and slow and time to go . ''
A California appeals court rejected the union 's bid to reverse the jury verdict .
A spokeswoman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Briceño 's legal history , referring the Washington Free Beacon to a statement on the union 's neutrality pledge and its `` commitment to turbocharge our political organizing '' in 2020 .
Local 11 did not return a request for comment about the endorsement or the 2003 lawsuit .
Labor watchdogs said politicians should do a better job of vetting their endorsements .
Charlyce Bozzello , spokeswoman for the Center for Union Facts , said Local 11 's record is at odds with the `` progressive '' values that Sanders and Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's endorsement is n't something anyone should be proud of .
She 's faced allegations of race and age discrimination , while Unite Here Local 11 , the union she represents , has seen dozens of unfair labor practice charges , including accusations that the union threatened an employee with reprisals for not supporting it , '' Bozzello said .
`` That 's not the type of track record any public servant should want to be associated with . ''
Briceño , who collected more than $ 200,000 in compensation as Local 11 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now running for the Democratic National Committee on a platform of inclusivity , despite her record of workplace discrimination .
She has won establishment support for her campaign , including endorsements from California Democratic congressmen Gil Cisneros , Harley Rouda , and Mike Levin .
If successful , Briceño would play a role in writing the Democratic party platform in 2020 and vote as a superdelegate at the July convention .

Presidential candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) touted the endorsement of a local labor group whose co-president was found to have discriminated against workers based on their race and age.
UNITE HERE Local 11, which represents more than 30,000 hospitality workers, endorsed the progressive pair on Tuesday. Union co-president Ada Briceño said in a statement that Warren and Sanders "understand the needs of workers at UNITE HERE Local 11."
The candidates touted the endorsement on social media. Warren praised the union for fighting for "dignity on the job," while Sanders commended its "progressive values." The union, however, has faced legal trouble over accusations of workplace discrimination. When Briceño was president of UNITE HERE Local 681—which later merged with other chapters to form Local 11—a jury convicted the labor group of discrimination and illegal firing.
Warren and Sanders's embrace of Briceño's endorsement comes as Democrats scramble to marshal support from labor groups in a crowded primary field. Briceño also serves as vice president of UNITE HERE International, which represents more than 270,000 workers and has helped Democrats win in states such as Nevada and Arizona. The labor giant has spent more than $940,000 in the 2020 election cycle despite pledging to remain neutral in the primary, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Both presidential candidates have condemned workplace discrimination, with Warren promising to take executive action to fight it. Neither the Warren nor the Sanders campaigns responded to requests for comment.
UNITE HERE was forced to pay nearly $1 million to settle a 2003 lawsuit alleging that Briceño discriminated against workers based on their race and age. Briceño referred to non-Hispanic employees as "gringos" and disparaged their medical conditions, according to the suit. She also targeted older union workers, telling a union vice president, "I'm going to fire these f—ing old ladies, and we can get someone else for less money." She described employees who were fired as "old and slow and time to go." A California appeals court rejected the union's bid to reverse the jury verdict.
A spokeswoman for UNITED HERE declined to answer questions about Briceño's legal history, referring the Washington Free Beacon to a statement on the union's neutrality pledge and its "commitment to turbocharge our political organizing" in 2020. Local 11 did not return a request for comment about the endorsement or the 2003 lawsuit.
Labor watchdogs said politicians should do a better job of vetting their endorsements. Charlyce Bozzello, spokeswoman for the Center for Union Facts, said Local 11's record is at odds with the "progressive" values that Sanders and Warren praised in their announcements.
"Briceño's endorsement isn't something anyone should be proud of. She's faced allegations of race and age discrimination, while Unite Here Local 11, the union she represents, has seen dozens of unfair labor practice charges, including accusations that the union threatened an employee with reprisals for not supporting it," Bozzello said. "That's not the type of track record any public servant should want to be associated with."
Briceño, who collected more than $200,000 in compensation as Local 11 co-president in 2017 and 2018, is now running for the Democratic National Committee on a platform of inclusivity, despite her record of workplace discrimination. She has won establishment support for her campaign, including endorsements from California Democratic congressmen Gil Cisneros, Harley Rouda, and Mike Levin. If successful, Briceño would play a role in writing the Democratic party platform in 2020 and vote as a superdelegate at the July convention.