Review: ‘American Factory’

Barack and Michelle Obama 's post-presidency entertainment career began in earnest in 2019 .
A year after signing a much-touted deal with Netflix , the former first couple 's production company ( Higher Ground Productions ) released a documentary over the summer .
It 's called American Factory , and now it 's nominated for Best Documentary Feature at Sunday 's Academy Awards .
In concept , American Factory sounds shockingly Trumpian .
It ’ s about a closed-down Dayton , Ohio , GM factory that Chinese state-backed glass manufacturer Fuyao buys and reopens .
Fuyao brings back jobs but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Directed in a fly-on-the-wall style with no narration , American Factory purports to tell objectively a story of blue-collar Americans caught up in the forces of globalization and Chinese authoritarianism .
The Obamas even express a vaguely populist outlook on the project in a promotional video .
It 's all meant to tell people 's `` stories '' and `` let people speak for themselves . ''
In execution , however , American Factory recapitulates the worldview Trump ran against in 2016 .
Far from a populist pivot , American Factory treats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of two cultures learning to live together in harmony .
Rather than the struggles of `` back-row '' Americans to stay in the middle class , it views its own story as a series of odd-couple antics .
The illusion of objectivity lasts only until about the hundredth mention of `` melding two cultures , '' `` one culture , one team , '' or `` cultural differences . ''
American Factory approaches its subject intent on seeing it through a very particular lens .
That lens distorts things a bit .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans worrying about safety precautions and quality control while their Chinese supervisors wonder why they wo n't work weekends .
The inflow of international capital brings on real labor problems—enough that talk of a union provides some second-half drama .
But American Factory classifies it all as `` cultural '' misunderstandings .
Its Netflix summary underscores this interpretation : `` Hopes soar when a Chinese company reopens a shuttered factory in Ohio .
But a culture clash threatens to shatter an American dream . ''
The problem is , the American workers wo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrative .
The `` clash of cultures '' narrative is entirely one-sided .
In every circumstance , Americans make consistent efforts to praise and appreciate their new bosses , coworkers , and exhibitions of Chinese `` culture . ''
It 's clear throughout that every Dayton native is making a genuine effort to be tolerant .
In the promo video , Obama admits he expected otherwise , saying `` they exhibited a lot more trust than I would have expected . ''
The sole exception comes when one worker asks why Chinese propaganda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lunchroom at all hours .
The Chinese executives , by contrast , belittle , stereotype , and insult their American employees .
We 're treated to several Chinese-language training sessions in which executives inform managers what to expect from Americans .
Americans , they say , are `` slow , '' `` overconfident , '' and hard to train because of their `` fat fingers . ''
In one session , a company VP compares his American workers to donkeys and says , matter-of-factly , `` we 're better than them . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ self-promotion as authentic expressions of Chinese `` culture . ''
At one point , Fuyao takes a group of the Dayton workers ( and the documentary crew ) to China to witness a multitude of uniformly happy , young , healthy , productive , robotic factory workers talking about how much they love working 12-hour days and only seeing their children once a year .
Do n't worry , though , they have a union !
It just happens to share office space with the local Communist Party .
Its head , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , insists `` we need our workers to fight for Fuyao 's success . ''
Maybe the filmmakers want viewers to find the close coordination of the party , firm , and union with the state suspicious .
But American Factory makes few attempts to pull back the curtain on totalitarian artifice , despite its pretense to an authentic , tell-it-like-it-is style .
Nor does it seek out any culture beyond the propaganda , despite all the talk of appreciating different `` cultures . ''
The film seems perfectly content to play along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sequence , the Americans attend a propaganda pageant the company puts on in China .
Workers sing hymns—yes , hymns—to the company .
Fuyao stages a group wedding with a dozen employees .
After a montage of song-and-dance routines stuffed with blunt Maoist pro-Fuyao slogans , one of the Americans , teary-eyed , tells the camera `` we are one big planet , a world somewhat divided , but we 're one . ''
He does n't suspect that what we 've just seen—the endless promotion of the state and its instruments—are n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It 's totalitarian , and it 's creepy .
To the extent to which viewers notice , they 're asked to accept it as authentic Chinese `` culture . ''
But that 's not what a culture is .
Culture requires leisure , family , and faith—all of which the Chinese Communist Party has worked for generations to either stamp out or claim for itself .
And now , the Dayton workers in American Factory find those foundations of culture under threat too .
The film does n't ask why .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it sticks by an odd-couple two-cultures narrative that belittles the American workers it depicts as well as the Chinese workers it does n't .
Higher Ground Productions picked up American Factory early last year , after the project had already wrapped and was screening at Sundance .
But it 's easy to see why the Obamas would promote the film as their own and , assuming it wins Sunday , take home an Oscar for it despite not being involved during the actual production .
Insensitivity to social problems at home , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of their own people 's culture , is nothing new for Obama .
Readers can pick their own favorite example , be it China , Iran , Myanmar , Cuba , or any number of `` Arab Spring '' participants .
Oftentimes , the presumption that foreign ( especially authoritarian ) actors are sincere goes hand-in-hand with the presumption that blue-collar Americans are bigoted .
One might recall the time Susan Rice blamed a terror attack on American intolerance .
So the Obamas ' four-years-too-late attempt to scrape together some blue-collar bona fides @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Their first Netflix collaboration picks up right where the administration left off , offering condescending platitudes to red-state Americans and a platform for Communist oligarchs to propagandize .
The Washington Free Beacon ca n't wait to see what they make next .

Barack and Michelle Obama's post-presidency entertainment career began in earnest in 2019. A year after signing a much-touted deal with Netflix, the former first couple's production company (Higher Ground Productions) released a documentary over the summer. It's called American Factory, and now it's nominated for Best Documentary Feature at Sunday's Academy Awards.
In concept, American Factory sounds shockingly Trumpian. It’s about a closed-down Dayton, Ohio, GM factory that Chinese state-backed glass manufacturer Fuyao buys and reopens. Fuyao brings back jobs but halves the wages, and tensions mount. Directed in a fly-on-the-wall style with no narration, American Factory purports to tell objectively a story of blue-collar Americans caught up in the forces of globalization and Chinese authoritarianism. The Obamas even express a vaguely populist outlook on the project in a promotional video. It's all meant to tell people's "stories" and "let people speak for themselves."
In execution, however, American Factory recapitulates the worldview Trump ran against in 2016. Far from a populist pivot, American Factory treats its subject matter as a quaint story of two cultures learning to live together in harmony. Rather than the struggles of "back-row" Americans to stay in the middle class, it views its own story as a series of odd-couple antics. The illusion of objectivity lasts only until about the hundredth mention of "melding two cultures," "one culture, one team," or "cultural differences." American Factory approaches its subject intent on seeing it through a very particular lens.
That lens distorts things a bit. The "cultural" differences on display include Americans worrying about safety precautions and quality control while their Chinese supervisors wonder why they won't work weekends. The inflow of international capital brings on real labor problems—enough that talk of a union provides some second-half drama. But American Factory classifies it all as "cultural" misunderstandings. Its Netflix summary underscores this interpretation: "Hopes soar when a Chinese company reopens a shuttered factory in Ohio. But a culture clash threatens to shatter an American dream."
The problem is, the American workers won't cooperate with the documentary's preferred narrative. The "clash of cultures" narrative is entirely one-sided. In every circumstance, Americans make consistent efforts to praise and appreciate their new bosses, coworkers, and exhibitions of Chinese "culture." It's clear throughout that every Dayton native is making a genuine effort to be tolerant. In the promo video, Obama admits he expected otherwise, saying "they exhibited a lot more trust than I would have expected." The sole exception comes when one worker asks why Chinese propaganda has to be playing in the factory lunchroom at all hours.
The Chinese executives, by contrast, belittle, stereotype, and insult their American employees. We're treated to several Chinese-language training sessions in which executives inform managers what to expect from Americans. Americans, they say, are "slow," "overconfident," and hard to train because of their "fat fingers." In one session, a company VP compares his American workers to donkeys and says, matter-of-factly, "we're better than them."
American Factory accepts the Chinese executives' self-promotion as authentic expressions of Chinese "culture." At one point, Fuyao takes a group of the Dayton workers (and the documentary crew) to China to witness a multitude of uniformly happy, young, healthy, productive, robotic factory workers talking about how much they love working 12-hour days and only seeing their children once a year. Don't worry, though, they have a union! It just happens to share office space with the local Communist Party. Its head, who makes sure to show off his patriotism, insists "we need our workers to fight for Fuyao's success."
Maybe the filmmakers want viewers to find the close coordination of the party, firm, and union with the state suspicious. But American Factory makes few attempts to pull back the curtain on totalitarian artifice, despite its pretense to an authentic, tell-it-like-it-is style. Nor does it seek out any culture beyond the propaganda, despite all the talk of appreciating different "cultures." The film seems perfectly content to play along.
In the film's most disturbing sequence, the Americans attend a propaganda pageant the company puts on in China. Workers sing hymns—yes, hymns—to the company. Fuyao stages a group wedding with a dozen employees. After a montage of song-and-dance routines stuffed with blunt Maoist pro-Fuyao slogans, one of the Americans, teary-eyed, tells the camera "we are one big planet, a world somewhat divided, but we're one." He doesn't suspect that what we've just seen—the endless promotion of the state and its instruments—aren't authentic reflections of Chinese people and culture. It's totalitarian, and it's creepy. To the extent to which viewers notice, they're asked to accept it as authentic Chinese "culture."
But that's not what a culture is. Culture requires leisure, family, and faith—all of which the Chinese Communist Party has worked for generations to either stamp out or claim for itself. And now, the Dayton workers in American Factory find those foundations of culture under threat too. The film doesn't ask why. It doesn't even notice. Instead, it sticks by an odd-couple two-cultures narrative that belittles the American workers it depicts as well as the Chinese workers it doesn't.
Higher Ground Productions picked up American Factory early last year, after the project had already wrapped and was screening at Sundance. But it's easy to see why the Obamas would promote the film as their own and, assuming it wins Sunday, take home an Oscar for it despite not being involved during the actual production.
Insensitivity to social problems at home, and naiveté about authoritarians who attack the foundations of their own people's culture, is nothing new for Obama. Readers can pick their own favorite example, be it China, Iran, Myanmar, Cuba, or any number of "Arab Spring" participants. Oftentimes, the presumption that foreign (especially authoritarian) actors are sincere goes hand-in-hand with the presumption that blue-collar Americans are bigoted. One might recall the time Susan Rice blamed a terror attack on American intolerance.
So the Obamas' four-years-too-late attempt to scrape together some blue-collar bona fides falls right back into old problems. Their first Netflix collaboration picks up right where the administration left off, offering condescending platitudes to red-state Americans and a platform for Communist oligarchs to propagandize. The Washington Free Beacon can't wait to see what they make next.


freebeacon--2020-02-08--Pregnancy Center Files Religious Discrimination Suit Against N.Y. Over Compulsory Hiring

A charity that helps pregnant women and newborns is fighting a New York state law that requires nonprofits and religious institutions to hire employees who openly contradict their beliefs .
EMC Frontline , a crisis pregnancy center , is suing to block New York from enforcing the so-called Boss Bill , which state Democrats passed in 2019 .
The law prohibits employers from discriminating against prospective workers based on their beliefs about abortion .
EMC founder Chris Slattery said the law represents `` a fundamental effort to crush the pro-life movement '' by targeting pro-life church institutions and nonprofits .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s dedicated to work [ ing ] against abortion , for them to hire an opponent is patently absurd , '' Slattery told the Washington Free Beacon .
`` For Catholic schools to have to hire pro-choice school teachers , priests , bishops , deacons—it ’ s patently absurd . ''
The law prohibits employers from deciding not to hire an employee based on the employee 's or an employee 's dependent 's `` reproductive health decisions . ''
It also prevents employers from accessing `` an employee ’ s personal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dependent 's reproductive health decision making , '' including `` the decision to use or access a particular drug , device , or medical service . ''
New York City passed a similar law shortly after Gov .
Andrew Cuomo signed the statewide `` Boss Bill '' in November .
EMC is represented by the Thomas More Society , a nonprofit religious liberty firm .
The lawsuit argues that the laws infringe on both the 1st and 14th Amendment rights of New York residents .
The complaint states that the pregnancy center `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' to the center 's stance on abortion .
Under the law , this would be considered unlawful discrimination .
The complaint criticizes the law as an `` existential '' threat because of `` crippling fines and statutory damages '' that would be imposed in the case of a violation .
Slattery said the damage extends beyond religious institutions .
`` When it comes to a secular pro-life group , it goes against the mission of the organization .
It goes against our freedom of association , '' Slattery said .
Neither the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's office returned requests for comment .
Timothy Belz , special counsel for the Thomas More Society , said the new law threatens to violate EMC ’ s rights `` in multiple ways . ''
`` Expectant Mother Care and EMC Frontline exist for the purpose of advocating for and providing desperate women with alternatives to abortion .
Forcing them to hire someone who promotes abortion would completely undermine their mission , '' he said in a statement .
`` These state and city laws also violate our client ’ s right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
The suit follows the Supreme Court ’ s 2018 decision in National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra , which struck down a California law that required crisis pregnancy centers to advertise abortion and contraceptive services to their clients .
The 5-4 ruling found the law violated the First Amendment .
Cuomo has a long history of advancing radical abortion positions .
In 2014 , he said that pro-life , pro-gun voters `` have no place '' in the state .
In addition to the `` Boss Bill , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late-term abortion access in 2019 .
Slattery stressed the implications of the law beyond a predominantly liberal state like New York .
`` It is literally about the survival of the pro-life movement in our country , '' he said .
`` If you can ’ t be pro-life in the United States , whose cause is next ? ''

A charity that helps pregnant women and newborns is fighting a New York state law that requires nonprofits and religious institutions to hire employees who openly contradict their beliefs.
EMC Frontline, a crisis pregnancy center, is suing to block New York from enforcing the so-called Boss Bill, which state Democrats passed in 2019. The law prohibits employers from discriminating against prospective workers based on their beliefs about abortion. EMC founder Chris Slattery said the law represents "a fundamental effort to crush the pro-life movement" by targeting pro-life church institutions and nonprofits.
"When you have a pro-life group that’s dedicated to work[ing] against abortion, for them to hire an opponent is patently absurd," Slattery told the Washington Free Beacon. "For Catholic schools to have to hire pro-choice school teachers, priests, bishops, deacons—it’s patently absurd."
The law prohibits employers from deciding not to hire an employee based on the employee's or an employee's dependent's "reproductive health decisions." It also prevents employers from accessing "an employee’s personal information regarding the employee's or the dependent's reproductive health decision making," including "the decision to use or access a particular drug, device, or medical service." New York City passed a similar law shortly after Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the statewide "Boss Bill" in November.
EMC is represented by the Thomas More Society, a nonprofit religious liberty firm. The lawsuit argues that the laws infringe on both the 1st and 14th Amendment rights of New York residents. The complaint states that the pregnancy center "hires and employs only employees who adhere" to the center's stance on abortion. Under the law, this would be considered unlawful discrimination. The complaint criticizes the law as an "existential" threat because of "crippling fines and statutory damages" that would be imposed in the case of a violation. Slattery said the damage extends beyond religious institutions.
"When it comes to a secular pro-life group, it goes against the mission of the organization. It goes against our freedom of association," Slattery said.
Neither the Cuomo administration nor Mayor Bill de Blasio's office returned requests for comment.
Timothy Belz, special counsel for the Thomas More Society, said the new law threatens to violate EMC’s rights "in multiple ways."
"Expectant Mother Care and EMC Frontline exist for the purpose of advocating for and providing desperate women with alternatives to abortion. Forcing them to hire someone who promotes abortion would completely undermine their mission," he said in a statement. "These state and city laws also violate our client’s right to free speech and right to due process."
The suit follows the Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in National Institute of Family and Life Advocates v. Becerra, which struck down a California law that required crisis pregnancy centers to advertise abortion and contraceptive services to their clients. The 5-4 ruling found the law violated the First Amendment.
Cuomo has a long history of advancing radical abortion positions. In 2014, he said that pro-life, pro-gun voters "have no place" in the state. In addition to the "Boss Bill," Cuomo also signed a law expanding late-term abortion access in 2019.
Slattery stressed the implications of the law beyond a predominantly liberal state like New York. "It is literally about the survival of the pro-life movement in our country," he said. "If you can’t be pro-life in the United States, whose cause is next?"


freebeacon--2020-02-08--Jason Church’s Next Battle

Jason Church’s Next Battle

HUDSON , Wis.— Jason Church says you develop a `` sixth sense '' for trouble when you 're at war .
His started to tingle on the morning of August 23 , 2012 , as he led a routine patrol into an Afghanistan village .
The first thing Church noticed was that the village was deserted .
The next thing was that his troops had walked into a minefield .
The Army 's Afghan partners had leaked their plans to the Taliban .
Church saw a weak mud wall on the edge of town , and aimed to lead his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
As they pounded at the structure Church 's world went dark .
`` I open my eyes and I see dust swirling in front of me , '' he tells a group of veterans at a Veterans of Foreign Wars meeting near his home in northern Wisconsin .
`` As I begin to hear the screaming and shouting of my men , I roll on my back and realize the legs I stood on for the first 23 years of my life were no longer there . ''
Church credits his survival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a perimeter to stop the Taliban 's planned ambush .
A medic ran through the minefield to apply the tourniquets that stopped him from bleeding to death .
He was carried off the battlefield in his men 's arms .
`` My battle in Afghanistan was done , but a new one began , '' Church says .
The next battle took place at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center , where Church underwent 20 invasive surgeries , was fitted with two prosthetic legs , and had to teach himself to walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in one of the coldest areas of the United States , hoping to become the 97th veteran in the 116th Congress .
Church grew up in Menomonie , Wisconsin , where he played football and hockey and ran track .
He went on to play college football at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse , where he played defensive end and was team captain .
He majored in political science but never considered a career in politics .
Instead he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and went to Army Ranger @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he deployed to Afghanistan as a platoon leader , finding himself in the minefield just three months into his unit 's tour .
At Walter Reed during his recovery , Church was visited by Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson .
The Republican senator said he never got the sense that Church had `` an eye on running for office , '' but Church left an impression .
`` I recognized right away that this was an extraordinary young man , '' Johnson told the Washington Free Beacon .
He ended up bringing Church @ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign affairs and veterans ' issues .
Church worked in Johnson 's office as he obtained a degree in national security policy from Georgetown and also after moving back to Wisconsin for law school .
After earning his law degree , Church moved to Hudson , a town close to where he grew up in Menomonie .
He proposed to his girlfriend , a Brazilian native named Bella Barbosa , and planned to find work in the private sector .
Life took another turn when Republican congressman Sean Duffy announced in August he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vacancy in Church 's home district .
`` I wanted to serve our country in uniform , but things changed and I could n't do that anymore , '' Church says .
`` Even though the Taliban took my legs , America 's enemies did not extinguish my desire to serve .
I want to give back to our country right now and I feel we need fighters in Washington . ''
Church is running in a special election to represent Wisconsin 's largest district , which encompasses nearly the entire northern half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and sparsely populated district is a challenge to campaign in—especially in the heart of winter .
A typical day on the trail begins at 7:30 a.m. as the temperature hovers at -5°F without wind chill .
Church emerges in a white dress shirt and a dark pinstripe suit—about seven layers fewer than Washington , D.C. , reporters require .
He wears a Purple Heart on his suit lapel and his two prosthetic legs are visible for all to see .
Church does not just rely on his own wartime heroism to woo voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a range of issues , from immigration reform to trade negotiations with China .
On the need to trim the bureaucracy , he laments the red tape he dealt with to get his Brazilian fiancée a visa .
On the importance of fighting Medicare for All , he discusses his own experience dealing with government-provided health care at Veterans Affairs hospitals .
His most common refrain , however , is that he 's not a career politician .
`` I 'm not a career politician , and I never thought in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Church says .
Church 's Republican primary opponent is state senator Tom Tiffany , who served stints in both the upper and lower chambers of the Wisconsin legislature .
Tiffany has the public backing of the state Republican establishment , winning endorsements from both outgoing congressman Duffy and former governor Scott Walker .
`` There 's part of me that would be shocked if somebody who was in the state legislature did n't have the support of the establishment , '' Church says .
Church has won support from fellow Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's been endorsed by Senators Tom Cotton ( R. , Ark . )
and Joni Ernst ( R. , Iowa ) , as well as congressmen Dan Crenshaw ( R. , Tex . )
and Brian Mast ( R. , Fla. ) .
He 's also earned the backing of With Honor , a political group dedicated to electing more military leaders to Congress .
The big question is whether the establishment 's support carries weight in the seventh district .
The 2016 Republican primary revealed a huge regional divide within Wisconsin—Donald Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Republican voters in the southeastern region of the state around Milwaukee , but a positive 21 percent rating in the rural north .
The state 's Republican establishment backed Ted Cruz , who won the primary , even as Trump overwhelmingly carried the northern part of the state .
Trump went on to become the first Republican to carry Wisconsin in a general election since Ronald Reagan in 1984 .
At the heart of his narrow triumph were voters in the Seventh Congressional District .
Election results compiled by Daily Kos show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the district , making it his strongest district in the state .
In 2012 , Mitt Romney won the district by just 3 points , while Barack Obama carried the district in 2008 .
The voters of Wisconsin 's seventh district are the exact type that fueled the Republican resurgence in the Midwest , and helped put Trump in the White House .
Church says local residents remain committed Trump supporters and have a visceral reaction to attacks on the White House , particularly impeachment , because they view themselves as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This was an early part of Trump 's support base , and a lot of people here take it personally , '' Church says .
Tiffany , a state legislator during the 2016 primary , decided to stick with the establishment , although he knew where the tide was going in his home district .
The Wall Street Journal reported ahead of the primary that Tiffany was backing Cruz `` even though he said he expects his constituents to back Mr .
Trump . ''
`` My opponent has generally been someone who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Church says .
`` They have a different set of values than we do up here in northern Wisconsin . ''
In addition to his support from the Wisconsin political establishment , the longtime state legislator enjoys the backing of Club for Growth and the Charles Koch network , two conservative groups that opposed Trump 's election in 2016 .
Church makes his early support for Trump a sticking point in his pitch , pledging to be a much-needed fighter in the president 's corner .
Church decries the `` backpedaling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too many find themselves perpetually on the defense .
Voters , he adds , `` don ’ t like to see their leaders take it on the chin every day . ''
`` That 's why we elected Trump together , that 's why I supported him since he announced his candidacy , '' Church tells a group at the MCB Bar and Grill in Cadott .
`` For too long we 've had people that are defensive .
What we need is a loud voice to fight back . ''
Church argues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loud voice to avoid being drowned out by urban and suburban districts .
`` This district does n't have the luxury of getting what it needs without an adamant fighter for it , '' Church says .
`` In order for this district to be heard , the person representing it needs to be far more vocal than normal . ''
Many Republicans , including Church 's former boss Ron Johnson , are choosing to remain neutral in the party 's primary .
While few find anything wrong with Tiffany , there is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be a lost opportunity for the district .
`` Nothing against him , but there 's already 150 to 200 Tom Tiffanys sitting anonymously in the House , '' said one state Republican who has publicly remained neutral and asked not to be named .
`` Wisconsin has a chance to send a leader to D.C. who can help shape policy debates and Church seems more suited to that role . ''
There has been virtually no public polling in the seventh district , and the first fundraising disclosures released late last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tight , though Church outraised Tiffany by about $ 163,000 in the most recent filing period .
Both campaigns , and their supporting groups , are up on the airwaves with political ads , hoping to raise the candidates ' name recognition .
Church says all he can do is continue his long days on the trail and get his message to as many people as possible .
Church says his first political run has been a challenge , but is just thankful to be standing where he is after what he went @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He is thankful for the support his campaign received from fellow veterans—not just his new allies in Congress like Cotton and Crenshaw , but also the ones in his home district .
He credits veterans like the ones he meets with at Veterans of Foreign Wars for the life he 's been able to live since coming home .
`` It was n't always the case that a wounded veteran from a foreign war would come home to the respect this country owed them , '' Church says to the group .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and live life to the fullest thanks to people like you . ''
`` It 's people like you who have me standing here today . ''
The special election is scheduled for February 18 .

HUDSON, Wis.— Jason Church says you develop a "sixth sense" for trouble when you're at war. His started to tingle on the morning of August 23, 2012, as he led a routine patrol into an Afghanistan village. The first thing Church noticed was that the village was deserted. The next thing was that his troops had walked into a minefield. The Army's Afghan partners had leaked their plans to the Taliban.
Church saw a weak mud wall on the edge of town, and aimed to lead his platoon to safety by breaking through it. As they pounded at the structure Church's world went dark.
"I open my eyes and I see dust swirling in front of me," he tells a group of veterans at a Veterans of Foreign Wars meeting near his home in northern Wisconsin. "As I begin to hear the screaming and shouting of my men, I roll on my back and realize the legs I stood on for the first 23 years of my life were no longer there."
Church credits his survival to his men. His platoon set up a perimeter to stop the Taliban's planned ambush. A medic ran through the minefield to apply the tourniquets that stopped him from bleeding to death. He was carried off the battlefield in his men's arms.
"My battle in Afghanistan was done, but a new one began," Church says.
The next battle took place at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center, where Church underwent 20 invasive surgeries, was fitted with two prosthetic legs, and had to teach himself to walk again. Now Church walks a district in one of the coldest areas of the United States, hoping to become the 97th veteran in the 116th Congress.
Church grew up in Menomonie, Wisconsin, where he played football and hockey and ran track. He went on to play college football at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he played defensive end and was team captain.
He majored in political science but never considered a career in politics. Instead he followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and went to Army Ranger School immediately after college. At 23, he deployed to Afghanistan as a platoon leader, finding himself in the minefield just three months into his unit's tour.
At Walter Reed during his recovery, Church was visited by Wisconsin senator Ron Johnson. The Republican senator said he never got the sense that Church had "an eye on running for office," but Church left an impression.
"I recognized right away that this was an extraordinary young man," Johnson told the Washington Free Beacon. He ended up bringing Church on board to help his office with foreign affairs and veterans' issues.
Church worked in Johnson's office as he obtained a degree in national security policy from Georgetown and also after moving back to Wisconsin for law school. After earning his law degree, Church moved to Hudson, a town close to where he grew up in Menomonie. He proposed to his girlfriend, a Brazilian native named Bella Barbosa, and planned to find work in the private sector. Life took another turn when Republican congressman Sean Duffy announced in August he was stepping down, opening up a vacancy in Church's home district.
"I wanted to serve our country in uniform, but things changed and I couldn't do that anymore," Church says. "Even though the Taliban took my legs, America's enemies did not extinguish my desire to serve. I want to give back to our country right now and I feel we need fighters in Washington."
Church is running in a special election to represent Wisconsin's largest district, which encompasses nearly the entire northern half of the Badger State. The rural and sparsely populated district is a challenge to campaign in—especially in the heart of winter.
A typical day on the trail begins at 7:30 a.m. as the temperature hovers at -5°F without wind chill. Church emerges in a white dress shirt and a dark pinstripe suit—about seven layers fewer than Washington, D.C., reporters require. He wears a Purple Heart on his suit lapel and his two prosthetic legs are visible for all to see.
Church does not just rely on his own wartime heroism to woo voters. He speaks passionately and in detail about a range of issues, from immigration reform to trade negotiations with China. On the need to trim the bureaucracy, he laments the red tape he dealt with to get his Brazilian fiancée a visa. On the importance of fighting Medicare for All, he discusses his own experience dealing with government-provided health care at Veterans Affairs hospitals.
His most common refrain, however, is that he's not a career politician.
"I'm not a career politician, and I never thought in my life I'd run for political office," Church says.
Church's Republican primary opponent is state senator Tom Tiffany, who served stints in both the upper and lower chambers of the Wisconsin legislature. Tiffany has the public backing of the state Republican establishment, winning endorsements from both outgoing congressman Duffy and former governor Scott Walker.
"There's part of me that would be shocked if somebody who was in the state legislature didn't have the support of the establishment," Church says.
Church has won support from fellow Republican military veterans serving in Congress. He's been endorsed by Senators Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) and Joni Ernst (R., Iowa), as well as congressmen Dan Crenshaw (R., Tex.) and Brian Mast (R., Fla.). He's also earned the backing of With Honor Fund, a political group dedicated to electing more military leaders to Congress.
The big question is whether the establishment's support carries weight in the seventh district.
The 2016 Republican primary revealed a huge regional divide within Wisconsin—Donald Trump had a negative 39 percent favorability rating with Republican voters in the southeastern region of the state around Milwaukee, but a positive 21 percent rating in the rural north. The state's Republican establishment backed Ted Cruz, who won the primary, even as Trump overwhelmingly carried the northern part of the state.
Trump went on to become the first Republican to carry Wisconsin in a general election since Ronald Reagan in 1984. At the heart of his narrow triumph were voters in the Seventh Congressional District.
Election results compiled by Daily Kos show Trump beat Hillary Clinton by 20 points in the district, making it his strongest district in the state. In 2012, Mitt Romney won the district by just 3 points, while Barack Obama carried the district in 2008. The voters of Wisconsin's seventh district are the exact type that fueled the Republican resurgence in the Midwest, and helped put Trump in the White House.
Church says local residents remain committed Trump supporters and have a visceral reaction to attacks on the White House, particularly impeachment, because they view themselves as a big part of his victory.
"This was an early part of Trump's support base, and a lot of people here take it personally," Church says.
Tiffany, a state legislator during the 2016 primary, decided to stick with the establishment, although he knew where the tide was going in his home district. The Wall Street Journal reported ahead of the primary that Tiffany was backing Cruz "even though he said he expects his constituents to back Mr. Trump."
"My opponent has generally been someone who takes his marching orders from southeast Wisconsin," Church says. "They have a different set of values than we do up here in northern Wisconsin."
In addition to his support from the Wisconsin political establishment, the longtime state legislator enjoys the backing of Club for Growth and the Charles Koch network, two conservative groups that opposed Trump's election in 2016. Church makes his early support for Trump a sticking point in his pitch, pledging to be a much-needed fighter in the president's corner.
Church decries the "backpedaling" he sees from Republicans, saying too many find themselves perpetually on the defense. Voters, he adds, "don’t like to see their leaders take it on the chin every day."
"That's why we elected Trump together, that's why I supported him since he announced his candidacy," Church tells a group at the MCB Bar and Grill in Cadott. "For too long we've had people that are defensive. What we need is a loud voice to fight back."
Church argues that northern Wisconsin in particular needs a loud voice to avoid being drowned out by urban and suburban districts.
"This district doesn't have the luxury of getting what it needs without an adamant fighter for it," Church says. "In order for this district to be heard, the person representing it needs to be far more vocal than normal."
Many Republicans, including Church's former boss Ron Johnson, are choosing to remain neutral in the party's primary. While few find anything wrong with Tiffany, there is a growing sense that voting for him would be a lost opportunity for the district.
"Nothing against him, but there's already 150 to 200 Tom Tiffanys sitting anonymously in the House," said one state Republican who has publicly remained neutral and asked not to be named. "Wisconsin has a chance to send a leader to D.C. who can help shape policy debates and Church seems more suited to that role."
There has been virtually no public polling in the seventh district, and the first fundraising disclosures released late last week found the money race to be tight, though Church outraised Tiffany by about $163,000 in the most recent filing period.
Both campaigns, and their supporting groups, are up on the airwaves with political ads, hoping to raise the candidates' name recognition. Church says all he can do is continue his long days on the trail and get his message to as many people as possible.
Church says his first political run has been a challenge, but is just thankful to be standing where he is after what he went through less than a decade ago. He is thankful for the support his campaign received from fellow veterans—not just his new allies in Congress like Cotton and Crenshaw, but also the ones in his home district. He credits veterans like the ones he meets with at Veterans of Foreign Wars for the life he's been able to live since coming home.
"It wasn't always the case that a wounded veteran from a foreign war would come home to the respect this country owed them," Church says to the group. "I'm able to do and move and live life to the fullest thanks to people like you."
"It's people like you who have me standing here today."
The special election is scheduled for February 18.


freebeacon--2020-02-08--Biden Takes Credit for Defeating Robert Bork’s SCOTUS Appointment

Former vice president Joe Biden took credit Friday for `` almost single-handedly '' blocking Robert Bork 's nomination to the Supreme Court .
`` I almost single-handedly made sure that Robert Bork did not get on the Court because he did not think there should be enumerated rights .
Let 's get that straight , '' Biden said during Friday night 's Democratic debate .
Biden ignored the central role disgraced Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy played in smearing Bork , and he insisted he was the reason why the right to an abortion was not taken away , thanks to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only reason women have the right to choose is because it 's determined that there are unenumerated rights coming from the Ninth Amendment in the Constitution , '' Biden said .
`` We are not going to appoint anyone who did not have a view that unenumerated rights existed in the Constitution .
That 's not a specific test .
That 's a generic test , '' he added .
Kennedy famously sabotaged Robert Bork 's nomination with his `` Robert Bork 's America '' speech where he said Bork 's presence on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Robert Bork 's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions , '' Kennedy said on the Senate floor .
`` Blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters , rogue police could break down citizens ' doors in midnight raids , schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution , writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the Government , and the doors of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is—and is often @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are the heart of our democracy . ''
Bork said when he met with Kennedy after the speech , Kennedy told him it was `` nothing personal . ''
Kennedy 's involvement in the Chappaquiddick scandal , which resulted in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne , devastated his aspirations to run for president , but he remained in the Senate .
His successful smears against Bork even led to the term `` bork '' being coined to mean derailing a Supreme Court nomination .
Biden attempted to lead a similar attack on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President George H.W .
Bush , but his efforts failed when Thomas was confirmed to sit on the Supreme Court .
In Friday 's debate , Biden also took credit for the confirmations of liberal justices during the Clinton and Obama administrations .
`` I was part of the reason why Elena Kagan , who worked for me , got on the Supreme Court , '' Biden said .
`` I was part of the reason why Ruth Bader Ginsburg is on the Court .
I was part of the reason why Sotomayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me in . ''

Former vice president Joe Biden took credit Friday for "almost single-handedly" blocking Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court.
"I almost single-handedly made sure that Robert Bork did not get on the Court because he did not think there should be enumerated rights. Let's get that straight," Biden said during Friday night's Democratic debate.
Biden ignored the central role disgraced Massachusetts senator Ted Kennedy played in smearing Bork, and he insisted he was the reason why the right to an abortion was not taken away, thanks to defeating Bork's nomination.
"The only reason women have the right to choose is because it's determined that there are unenumerated rights coming from the Ninth Amendment in the Constitution," Biden said.
"We are not going to appoint anyone who did not have a view that unenumerated rights existed in the Constitution. That's not a specific test. That's a generic test," he added.
Kennedy famously sabotaged Robert Bork's nomination with his "Robert Bork's America" speech where he said Bork's presence on the Supreme Court would result in dystopia.
"Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions," Kennedy said on the Senate floor. "Blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens' doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the Government, and the doors of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens for whom the judiciary is—and is often the only—protector of the individual rights that are the heart of our democracy."
Bork said when he met with Kennedy after the speech, Kennedy told him it was "nothing personal."
Kennedy's involvement in the Chappaquiddick scandal, which resulted in the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, devastated his aspirations to run for president, but he remained in the Senate. His successful smears against Bork even led to the term "bork" being coined to mean derailing a Supreme Court nomination.
Biden attempted to lead a similar attack on Clarence Thomas when he was nominated by President George H.W. Bush, but his efforts failed when Thomas was confirmed to sit on the Supreme Court.
In Friday's debate, Biden also took credit for the confirmations of liberal justices during the Clinton and Obama administrations.
"I was part of the reason why Elena Kagan, who worked for me, got on the Supreme Court," Biden said. "I was part of the reason why Ruth Bader Ginsburg is on the Court. I was part of the reason why Sotomayor was on the Court and she swore me in."


freebeacon--2020-02-08--Sanders: The United States Is a ‘Racist Society’

Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) on Friday said the United States has a `` racist society from top to bottom '' on everything from health care to criminal justice to education .
`` We have a racist society from top to bottom impacting health care , housing , criminal justice , education , you name it .
And clearly this is an issue that must be dealt with , '' Sanders said during the debate hosted by ABC News .
`` But in terms of criminal justice , what we have got to do is understand the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our young people in jobs and education , not more jails and more incarceration . ''
Sanders continued by calling for an end to the war on drugs , saying it has unfairly impacted African Americans , Latinos , and Native Americans .
`` Tonight in America 200,000 people are in jail without having been convicted of anything—200,000 people , because they ca n't afford the 500 bucks for bail they need to get out of jail , '' Sanders continued .
`` That is outrageous , we 've got to end @ @ @ @

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) on Friday said the United States has a "racist society from top to bottom" on everything from health care to criminal justice to education.
"We have a racist society from top to bottom impacting health care, housing, criminal justice, education, you name it. And clearly this is an issue that must be dealt with," Sanders said during the debate hosted by ABC News. "But in terms of criminal justice, what we have got to do is understand the system is broken—is racist. We invest in our young people in jobs and education, not more jails and more incarceration."
Sanders continued by calling for an end to the war on drugs, saying it has unfairly impacted African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans.
"Tonight in America 200,000 people are in jail without having been convicted of anything—200,000 people, because they can't afford the 500 bucks for bail they need to get out of jail," Sanders continued. "That is outrageous, we've got to end cash bail."


freebeacon--2020-02-08--Chris Matthews Calls Out Biden for Avoiding Media Interviews

MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews called out Joe Biden 's senior campaign adviser Symone Sanders for the former vice president 's avoidance of Sunday news interviews .
`` For the first time in over a year , well more than a year , your candidate Joe Biden has agreed to do a Sunday interview show .
Why now after all these months of refusing to do those programs ? ''
Matthews asked Sanders .
`` He 's finally agreed to do an interview program on Sunday .
Why has he changed his strategy now ? ''
`` We 're ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responded .
`` Vice President Biden has been a fighter .
We feel good about our operation here in New Hampshire . ''
`` I just do n't think folks should read too much into this .
I know the media wants to write our campaign off , '' she continued .
Matthews lambasted Sanders for having a strategy of `` hiding '' Biden from the press .
`` I want Joe Biden on my show .
Are you crazy ?
I want him on this show .
I want a piece of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to interview him .
You guys wo n't come out and meet it .
You 've been hiding from us , '' Matthews said .
Sanders said the campaign has prioritized local interviews and coverage over national shows .
`` We have made it a priority to make sure we are speaking directly to the voters , to their local media , and that 's what frankly we 're also going to continue to do .
Local media has been very important to us , '' she said .
`` Please , release @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him , '' Matthews said .
`` He has been released and unleashed , '' Sanders responded .
`` Untrue , '' Matthew said .
`` Good luck .
By the way , we have a program ready to see him . ''

MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews called out Joe Biden's senior campaign adviser Symone Sanders for the former vice president's avoidance of Sunday news interviews.
"For the first time in over a year, well more than a year, your candidate Joe Biden has agreed to do a Sunday interview show. Why now after all these months of refusing to do those programs?" Matthews asked Sanders. "He's finally agreed to do an interview program on Sunday. Why has he changed his strategy now?"
"We're ready to fight for this nomination," Sanders responded. "Vice President Biden has been a fighter. We feel good about our operation here in New Hampshire."
"I just don't think folks should read too much into this. I know the media wants to write our campaign off," she continued.
Matthews lambasted Sanders for having a strategy of "hiding" Biden from the press.
"I want Joe Biden on my show. Are you crazy? I want him on this show. I want a piece of the guy. I've always wanted to interview him. You guys won't come out and meet it. You've been hiding from us," Matthews said.
Sanders said the campaign has prioritized local interviews and coverage over national shows.
"We have made it a priority to make sure we are speaking directly to the voters, to their local media, and that's what frankly we're also going to continue to do. Local media has been very important to us," she said.
"Please, release Joe Biden. Release him, unleash him," Matthews said.
"He has been released and unleashed," Sanders responded.
"Untrue," Matthew said. "Good luck. By the way, we have a program ready to see him."


Beacon Extra

Welcome to the Washington Free Beacon ’ s morning newsletter , your comprehensive briefing on the Enemies of Freedom .
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THE STREAK IS OVER !
… `` Joe Biden Makes First Sunday Morning Show Appearance in 1,155 Days , '' by WFB ’ s David Rutz : His taped appearance with anchor George Stephanopoulos did not just mark his first interview on the Sunday morning circuit since launching his 2020 bid in April .
Biden 's 1,155-day streak stretches further back , to when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's State of the Union on Dec. 11 , 2016 .
Biden during his appearance admitted he faces an `` uphill fight '' in this week 's New Hampshire primary .
DEPENDS ON WHAT YOUR DEFINITION OF ‘ IS ’ IS … `` Sanders : I ’ m Not a Communist , '' by WFB ’ s Andrew Kugle : Fox News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace played a clip of President Donald Trump calling [ Bernie ] Sanders a communist and saying he got married in the Soviet Union during the Cold War @ @ @ @ @ @ @ called Trump a `` pathological liar . ''
`` I 'm not a communist , '' he said .
COMMITTED BASE … `` Valerie Plame Accepts More Campaign Donations From Prominent Holocaust Denier , '' by WFB ’ s Collin Anderson : Democratic congressional candidate Valerie Plame , who faced criticism after sharing multiple anti-Semitic articles from a white supremacist media outlet , has accepted multiple campaign contributions from a prominent Holocaust denier , financial disclosures show … Plame came under fire in 2017 after tweeting an Unz Review article titled , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wars , '' which suggested that American Jews appearing on television should have a warning label `` kind of like a warning label on a bottle of rat poison . ''
MINI MIKE TO THE RESCUE … `` The Democratic Primary Is A Mess .
Michael Bloomberg Is Taking Advantage.
, '' via BUZZFEED : In light of the morass other Democrats have found themselves in after the app-induced Iowa debacle … the primary race is fluid … There ’ s no other campaign quite like Bloomberg ’ s .
First , there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign announced this week it plans to soon swell to 2,000 staffers .
Then , there ’ s its unusual strategy … Bloomberg is targeting states that vote later , many of which offer many more delegates up for grabs than Iowa or New Hampshire do .
NEW HAMPSHIRE MAY PULL THE PLUG … `` Joe Biden Is Preparing For The Worst In New Hampshire , '' via BUZZFEED : Circumstances have forced Biden to reconcile out loud with the reality : This very well could be the end … '' I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frontrunner talk from the time I entered the race , '' Biden said at the Manchester event … That was , to be generous , a fib .
Biden very much enjoyed talking about his frontrunner status when polls showed him leading nationally and in the early states .
SERIOUS AS A HEART ATTACK … `` Sanders Dodges on Unfulfilled Promise to Release Medical Records , '' by WFB ’ s Elizabeth Matamoros : `` [ We ] have released as much documentation I think as any other candidate , '' [ Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other candidate has had a heart attack , '' [ host Chuck ] Todd told Sanders .
`` You can start releasing medical records and it never ends , '' Sanders said .
`` We have released the substantive part of all of our medical records … I am in good health . ''
SEND THE BOMBERS … `` Iran again fails to put satellite into orbit amid US worries , '' via AP : An Iranian rocket failed to put a satellite into orbit on Sunday , state television reported , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ claims helps Tehran advance its ballistic missile program .
BUSHWHACKING COWARDS … `` Insider attack in Afghanistan kills two American soldiers and Afghan serviceman , '' via REUTERS : Two U.S. soldiers and an Afghan soldier were killed when an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on them with a machine gun in eastern Afghanistan , the U.S. military and two senior Afghan officials said on Sunday .
The shootout on Saturday wounded six U.S. service members and three Afghan soldiers .
CABLE HOST NOT DISQUALIFIED BY CIVIC ILLITERACY … `` MSNBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hold on Senate , '' by WFB ’ s Graham Piro : MSNBC anchor Katy Tur on Friday asked if gerrymandering could help break the Republican hold on the U.S. Senate … '' Gerrymandering 's not going to do anything because in the Senate , we 're talking about states .
You ca n't gerrymander states , '' Washington Post reporter Philip Bump responded .
A PRETTY FACE … `` Economics degree holder AOC confuses Milton Friedman and John Maynard Keynes , '' via EXAMINER : The New York Democrat said that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by 2030 , GDP and technology would have advanced so much that it would allow everyday people to work as little as 15 hours a week and provide for their families . ''
… Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , a socialist , has a degree in economics from Boston University , which she regularly boasts about online .
DEMS GET THEIR OWN CESAR SAYOC … `` Man arrested after allegedly driving van into GOP registration tent , '' via ABC NEWS : A man has been arrested after allegedly deliberately driving a van into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working to register new voters at a shopping center parking lot .
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon in the Kernan Village Shopping Center in eastern Jacksonville , Florida , when … 27-year-old Gregory Timm , allegedly drove a van through a tent where people were working to register voters .
BEFORE THE PURGES BEGIN … `` An Open Letter to Bernie Sanders , '' by WFB Staff : We the undersigned represent a diverse constituency of American billionaires who support the Democratic Party .
Some of us prefer to work behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disarmament and tribunal justice for the architects of the Iraq War .
Some of us have bought media operations , purchasing newspapers and Internet platforms to help amplify progressive voices above the noise of Fox News .
Two of us are running for president like yourself .
But all of us have one thing in common : We are human beings .
We put our pants on , one leg at a time with the help of a dedicated butler , like most Americans .
Last Friday ’ s debate in New Hampshire @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with ten-digit wealth .
For those of us who have fought hard for a progressive agenda , your campaign feels like a betrayal … But we ’ re the guys fighting for trans-equality , ending the fossil fuel industry , and destroying the state of Israel .
Aren ’ t these supposed to be your issues too ?
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW : 1 .
Welcome back , Joe !
`` You know who really doesn ’ t have it ?
Joe Biden . ''
—Former President Barack Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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--2020-02-10--An Open Letter to Bernie Sanders

An Open Letter to Bernie Sanders

The Washington Free Beacon has obtained an email addressed to Senator Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) from a group calling itself the Billionaires for Social Justice and a New World Government .
The full text of the email is below : From : The Good Billionaires < mike @ bloomberg .
com > Date : February 9 , 2020 at 9:17:32 PM EST To : Bernard1917 @ aol.com Subject : A Plea for Humanity We the undersigned represent a diverse constituency of American billionaires who support the Democratic Party .
Some of us prefer to work behind the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disarmament and tribunal justice for the architects of the Iraq War .
Some of us have bought media operations , purchasing newspapers and Internet platforms to help amplify progressive voices above the noise of Fox News .
Two of us are running for president like yourself .
But all of us have one thing in common : We are human beings .
We put our pants on , one leg at a time with the help of a dedicated butler , like most Americans .
Last Friday 's debate in New Hampshire was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ten-digit wealth .
For those of us who have fought hard for a progressive agenda , your campaign feels like a betrayal .
To claim that progressives must oppose Americans of enormous wealth is ahistorical .
Should progressives have rejected Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his LGBT wife Eleanor ?
And should progressives cancel the Obama family ?
They didn ’ t begin their presidencies as billionaires , but wait till you see their Netflix deals for 2020 .
Normally , we would not appeal to any campaign in such a public way .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ it comes to centralizing the economy and engineering the culture .
Many of us ( well , actually just Tom Steyer ) like you .
But your attacks are doing real damage .
Amy Klobuchar told us to stop contacting her until after the Nevada caucuses .
One of us had to cancel a private Beyoncé concert and wine tasting fundraiser for Mayor Pete Buttigieg last month .
Do you have any idea how hard it is to schedule Beyoncé ?
You probably do n't because Sidney Blumenthal tells us the last album @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Paul and Mary .
We understand some of the anger inside the Democratic Party these days .
We 're angry , too .
We 're not saying you should n't attack any billionaires , we 're saying you should stop attacking the good billionaires .
If you want to run campaign ads railing against Sheldon Adelson or Rebekah Mercer , we would happily pay for them .
But we 're the guys fighting for trans-equality , ending the fossil fuel industry , and destroying the state of Israel .
Are n't these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So please , let 's find a way to work this out .
All of us would be happy to support your campaign if you 're the nominee , but we can ’ t support someone who does rhetorical violence to the lived experience of billionaires .
Your record is so strong when it comes to most minorities .
We urge you to show the same sensitivity to Americans who have accumulated astronomical wealth .
Billionaires for Social Justice and a New World Government

The Washington Free Beacon has obtained an email addressed to Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) from a group calling itself the Billionaires for Social Justice and a New World Government. The full text of the email is below:
From: The Good Billionaires
Date: February 9, 2020 at 9:17:32 PM EST
To: Bernard1917@aol.com
Subject: A Plea for Humanity
Dear Senator Bernie Sanders,
We the undersigned represent a diverse constituency of American billionaires who support the Democratic Party. Some of us prefer to work behind the scenes creating dark money organizations pushing global disarmament and tribunal justice for the architects of the Iraq War. Some of us have bought media operations, purchasing newspapers and Internet platforms to help amplify progressive voices above the noise of Fox News. Two of us are running for president like yourself.
But all of us have one thing in common: We are human beings. We put our pants on, one leg at a time with the help of a dedicated butler, like most Americans. Last Friday's debate in New Hampshire was hurtful and othering for all Americans with ten-digit wealth. For those of us who have fought hard for a progressive agenda, your campaign feels like a betrayal.
To claim that progressives must oppose Americans of enormous wealth is ahistorical. Should progressives have rejected Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his LGBT wife Eleanor? And should progressives cancel the Obama family? They didn’t begin their presidencies as billionaires, but wait till you see their Netflix deals for 2020.
Normally, we would not appeal to any campaign in such a public way. We believe in a big tent when it comes to centralizing the economy and engineering the culture. Many of us (well, actually just Tom Steyer) like you. But your attacks are doing real damage. Amy Klobuchar told us to stop contacting her until after the Nevada caucuses. One of us had to cancel a private Beyoncé concert and wine tasting fundraiser for Mayor Pete Buttigieg last month. Do you have any idea how hard it is to schedule Beyoncé? You probably don't because Sidney Blumenthal tells us the last album you purchased was The Best of Peter, Paul and Mary.
We understand some of the anger inside the Democratic Party these days. We're angry, too. We're not saying you shouldn't attack any billionaires, we're saying you should stop attacking the good billionaires. If you want to run campaign ads railing against Sheldon Adelson or Rebekah Mercer, we would happily pay for them. But we're the guys fighting for trans-equality, ending the fossil fuel industry, and destroying the state of Israel. Aren't these supposed to be your issues too?
So please, let's find a way to work this out. All of us would be happy to support your campaign if you're the nominee, but we can’t support someone who does rhetorical violence to the lived experience of billionaires. Your record is so strong when it comes to most minorities. We urge you to show the same sensitivity to Americans who have accumulated astronomical wealth.
In Solidarity,
Billionaires for Social Justice and a New World Government


freebeacon--2020-02-10--Valerie Plame Accepts More Campaign Donations From Prominent Holocaust Denier

Democratic congressional candidate Valerie Plame , who faced criticism after sharing multiple anti-Semitic articles from a white supremacist media outlet , has accepted multiple campaign contributions from a prominent Holocaust denier , financial disclosures show .
Plame accepted three contributions from Holocaust denier Pete McCloskey , a former California congressman who referenced the `` so-called Holocaust '' during a May 2000 speech to a historically anti-Semitic organization .
`` Earlier here today I listened to speeches about the courage of men in France , Britain , Germany , and New Zealand who have spoken out against the commonly accepted concept @ @ @ @ @ @ @ War in the so-called Holocaust , '' McCloskey said in his address to the Institute for Historical Review ( IHR ) .
He also praised IHR , a prominent actor in the Holocaust denial movement with links to neo-Nazi organizations , by saying he `` respect [ s ] '' the `` thesis of this organization . ''
Plame has now accepted eight donations from McCloskey and one from his wife , totaling more than $ 1,200 .
The questionable source of campaign funds comes as Plame attempts to downplay another anti-Semitism scandal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-Semitic articles from the Unz Review , a self-described `` alternative media selection '' known for spreading Holocaust denial arguments on social media platforms and funding white supremacist organizations .
She issued an apology for the posts in May 2019 but has continued to cash checks from McCloskey .
The Plame campaign did not respond to a request for comment .
Plame is running to represent New Mexico 's Third Congressional District and has been a magnet for large campaign contributions .
The former CIA operative , whose life story was turned into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ $ 430,000 in the fourth quarter .
In addition to Holocaust deniers , Plame has proven popular among the Democratic elite , receiving fourth-quarter contributions from Hollywood actors Bryan Cranston and John Goodman and liberal megadonors Susie Tompkins Buell and Joshua Bekenstein .
Plame came under fire in 2017 after tweeting an Unz Review article titled , `` America 's Jews Are Driving America 's Wars , '' which suggested that American Jews appearing on television should have a warning label `` kind of like a warning label on a bottle of rat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the time , saying `` Many neocon hawks ARE Jewish , '' but later deleted it .
Plame shared at least eight other articles from the same outlet , including an article accusing Israelis of celebrating in the wake of 9/11 .
Since announcing her congressional campaign , Plame excused her sharing of the `` America 's Jews '' piece by saying she did not read the full article , despite urging her followers to `` Read the entire article '' and `` put aside [ their ] biases and think clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on multitasking during a move .
Plame has received favorable coverage since she launched her campaign in May , including New York Times and HuffPost articles that failed to mention her past sharing of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories .
The national attention has proven lucrative for Plame 's campaign—in addition to actor John Goodman , best known for playing the voice of Santa Claus in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer : The Movie , Plame has raked in campaign cash from Hollywood stars Cranston , Naomi Watts , Michael Douglas , and Jonathan Nolan .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Susie Tompkins Buell , a Democracy Alliance member and Esprit clothing line cofounder who led Hillary Clinton 's 2008 presidential fundraising efforts in San Francisco .
Plame is running to replace outgoing Rep. Ben Ray Luján ( D. , N.M. ) and faces nine Democratic primary opponents , including Santa Fe County district attorney Marco Serna and Santa Fe lawyer Teresa Leger Fernandez .
Plame has significantly outraised her opponents , holding nearly $ 600,000 on hand despite spending as much as Serna and Fernandez combined .
The primary 's winner will likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Third Congressional District , which has not sent a Republican to Washington since 1997 .

Democratic congressional candidate Valerie Plame, who faced criticism after sharing multiple anti-Semitic articles from a white supremacist media outlet, has accepted multiple campaign contributions from a prominent Holocaust denier, financial disclosures show.
Plame accepted three contributions from Holocaust denier Pete McCloskey, a former California congressman who referenced the "so-called Holocaust" during a May 2000 speech to a historically anti-Semitic organization.
"Earlier here today I listened to speeches about the courage of men in France, Britain, Germany, and New Zealand who have spoken out against the commonly accepted concept of what occurred during the Second World War in the so-called Holocaust," McCloskey said in his address to the Institute for Historical Review (IHR). He also praised IHR, a prominent actor in the Holocaust denial movement with links to neo-Nazi organizations, by saying he "respect[s]" the "thesis of this organization."
Plame has now accepted eight donations from McCloskey and one from his wife, totaling more than $1,200. The questionable source of campaign funds comes as Plame attempts to downplay another anti-Semitism scandal. The candidate shared at least nine anti-Semitic articles from the Unz Review, a self-described "alternative media selection" known for spreading Holocaust denial arguments on social media platforms and funding white supremacist organizations. She issued an apology for the posts in May 2019 but has continued to cash checks from McCloskey.
The Plame campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Plame is running to represent New Mexico's Third Congressional District and has been a magnet for large campaign contributions. The former CIA operative, whose life story was turned into a Sean Penn film, raised nearly $430,000 in the fourth quarter. In addition to Holocaust deniers, Plame has proven popular among the Democratic elite, receiving fourth-quarter contributions from Hollywood actors Bryan Cranston and John Goodman and liberal megadonors Susie Tompkins Buell and Joshua Bekenstein.
Plame came under fire in 2017 after tweeting an Unz Review article titled, "America's Jews Are Driving America's Wars," which suggested that American Jews appearing on television should have a warning label "kind of like a warning label on a bottle of rat poison." Plame defended the post at the time, saying "Many neocon hawks ARE Jewish," but later deleted it. Plame shared at least eight other articles from the same outlet, including an article accusing Israelis of celebrating in the wake of 9/11.
Since announcing her congressional campaign, Plame excused her sharing of the "America's Jews" piece by saying she did not read the full article, despite urging her followers to "Read the entire article" and "put aside [their] biases and think clearly." Plame previously blamed the post on multitasking during a move.
Plame has received favorable coverage since she launched her campaign in May, including New York Times and HuffPost articles that failed to mention her past sharing of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.
The national attention has proven lucrative for Plame's campaign—in addition to actor John Goodman, best known for playing the voice of Santa Claus in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie, Plame has raked in campaign cash from Hollywood stars Cranston, Naomi Watts, Michael Douglas, and Jonathan Nolan. Plame also received a maximum contribution from Susie Tompkins Buell, a Democracy Alliance member and Esprit clothing line cofounder who led Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential fundraising efforts in San Francisco.
Plame is running to replace outgoing Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D., N.M.) and faces nine Democratic primary opponents, including Santa Fe County district attorney Marco Serna and Santa Fe lawyer Teresa Leger Fernandez. Plame has significantly outraised her opponents, holding nearly $600,000 on hand despite spending as much as Serna and Fernandez combined. The primary's winner will likely go on to represent New Mexico's Third Congressional District, which has not sent a Republican to Washington since 1997.


Beacon Extra 2/7/20

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 .
THEY GIVE UP … `` Associated Press unable to declare winner of Iowa caucuses , '' via AP : With 97 % of precincts reporting from Monday ’ s caucuses , former South Bend , Indiana , mayor Pete Buttigieg leads Vermont senator Bernie Sanders by three state delegate equivalents out of 2,098 counted .
That is a margin of 0.14 percentage points .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party ’ s effort to complete its tabulation of the caucus results continues , Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez on Thursday asked the Iowa Democratic Party to conduct a recanvass .
OFF THE RESERVATION … `` Women of color bolt Warren ’ s Nevada campaign in frustration , '' via POLITICO : Three of them said they felt marginalized by the campaign , a situation they said didn ’ t change or worsened after they took their concerns to their superiors or to human resources staff … '' During the time I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Warren , there was definitely something wrong with the culture , '' said Megan Lewis , who joined the campaign in May and departed in December .
`` I filed a complaint with HR , but the follow-up I received left me feeling as though I needed to make myself smaller or change who I was to fit into the office culture . ''
THE MATH DIDN ’ T ADD UP … `` Yang fires dozens of staffers after Iowa debacle , '' via POLITICO : Among those dismissed were the national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as well as the deputy national political director—all senior-level positions … Former campaign employees who were granted anonymity to speak candidly said many people expected staffing changes after New Hampshire , not Iowa .
They were disturbed by how some people learned they were let go , such as when their email and Slack accounts were cut off .
GET A FOOD TASTER … `` Hillary Clinton on being vice president : ‘ Never say never ’ , '' via NY POST : Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres asked whether she ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the of the eventual Democratic nominee , if she were asked … Pushed on the question , Clinton , 72 , reluctantly said she ’ d consider it .
`` I never say never because I believe in serving my country , but it ’ s never going to happen , '' she said .
SWALWELL LETS IT RIP … `` Swalwell to release book giving ‘ inside account ' of Trump 's impeachment , '' via THE HILL : `` It ’ s my inside account of America ’ s public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to rein in a president who put his own interests over national security and our elections ’ integrity , '' [ Rep. Eric ] Swalwell , a former 2020 White House hopeful , said in a statement .
PROBABLY SOON TO BE FORMER CEO … `` Shadow Inc. CEO ’ s ‘ Plan Ahead ’ Mantra Backfires During Iowa Debacle , '' by WFB ’ s Alex Griswold : The CEO of Shadow Inc. urged his Twitter followers to `` plan ahead '' even as his tech firm 's app derailed the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter account after Shadow 's Iowa caucus reporting app failed due to multiple glitches Monday … Despite these measures , social media users could still see the CEO 's banner image , a humorous cross-stitch pattern in which the phrase `` Plan Ahead '' fails to fit in a box it was intended for .
THE 1980s CALLED … `` Senate Report Criticizes Response to Russian Meddling and Blames Partisanship , '' via NYT : `` [ Barack ] Obama warned [ Vladimir ] Putin in a note that `` the kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ powerfully impactful to their economy and far exceed anything that he had seen to date , '' the report said , citing an interview with Susan E. Rice , Mr. Obama ’ s national security adviser at the time .
But those warnings fell short , said Marc Polymeropoulos , a CIA official who retired last year .
He said that it had become clear that officials should have undertaken a more effective public campaign .
COMFORTING … `` Report : DHS Not Prepared to Secure 2020 Elections , '' by WFB ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency ( CISA ) has made strides in implementing election security plans in recent years , it `` is not well-positioned to execute a nationwide strategy for securing election infrastructure prior to the start of the 2020 election cycle , '' according to the Government Accountability Office , which investigates election security .
CHICOMS HIJACK FOURTH ESTATE … `` Lawmakers Demand Investigation Into Chinese Propaganda Published in NYT , WaPo , '' by WFB ’ s Yuichiro Kakutani : Lawmakers are calling on the Justice Department to launch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily after the Washington Free Beacon found that the propaganda outlet ignored federal law .
China Daily has spent millions to publish state-sanctioned propaganda in top American newspapers without registering as a foreign agent , prompting Rep. Jim Banks ( R. , Ind . )
, Sen. Tom Cotton ( R. , Ark . )
, and 33 other members of Congress to demand a probe into the outlet 's activities .
BOLD STRATEGY … `` Brave New World : Anonymous Journo Bashes ‘ No Backbone ’ Republicans in NYT Op-Ed by Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Stiles : In an effort to make his case , [ Sen. Sherrod ] Brown cites a `` journalist '' who allegedly asked him , `` how in the world can these [ Republican ] senators walk around here upright when they have no backbone '' … NYT editorial writer Binyamin Appelbaum remarked that the paper was `` inverting standard Washington practice '' by publishing an anonymous quote from a journalist in an article by a Democratic politician .
Again , a distinction without much of a difference , given the Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
FAT KIDS ALSO BULLIED … `` California may stop school fitness tests over fears they lead to bullying and body-shaming , '' via CNN : California governor Gavin Newsom has proposed suspending the physical fitness tests at the state 's schools over concerns that they promote bullying and body discrimination .
Under current state requirements , students in grades five , seven , and nine are required to take a physical fitness test , which includes the one-mile run , curl-ups , push-ups , and a measure of body mass index .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Limbaugh , '' by WFB ’ s Matthew Continetti : [ Rush Limbaugh ’ s ] shocking announcement this week that he has advanced lung cancer , and his appearance at the State of the Union , where President Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom , are occasions to reflect on his impact .
It 's one thing to excel in your field .
It 's another to create the field in which you excel … [ Trump ’ s ] presidency is another reminder of Limbaugh 's staying power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in his anti-elitist , grassroots , demotic , irreverent , patriotic , hard-charging image .
Rush Limbaugh is not just a talk show host .
He defines an era .
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW : 1,153 .
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.
THEY GIVE UP … "Associated Press unable to declare winner of Iowa caucuses," via AP: With 97% of precincts reporting from Monday’s caucuses, former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg leads Vermont senator Bernie Sanders by three state delegate equivalents out of 2,098 counted. That is a margin of 0.14 percentage points.
However, even as the Iowa Democratic Party’s effort to complete its tabulation of the caucus results continues, Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez on Thursday asked the Iowa Democratic Party to conduct a recanvass.
OFF THE RESERVATION … "Women of color bolt Warren’s Nevada campaign in frustration," via POLITICO: Three of them said they felt marginalized by the campaign, a situation they said didn’t change or worsened after they took their concerns to their superiors or to human resources staff …
"During the time I was employed with Nevada for [Elizabeth] Warren, there was definitely something wrong with the culture," said Megan Lewis, who joined the campaign in May and departed in December. "I filed a complaint with HR, but the follow-up I received left me feeling as though I needed to make myself smaller or change who I was to fit into the office culture."
THE MATH DIDN’T ADD UP … "Yang fires dozens of staffers after Iowa debacle," via POLITICO: Among those dismissed were the national political and policy directors of the campaign, as well as the deputy national political director—all senior-level positions …
Former campaign employees who were granted anonymity to speak candidly said many people expected staffing changes after New Hampshire, not Iowa. They were disturbed by how some people learned they were let go, such as when their email and Slack accounts were cut off.
GET A FOOD TASTER … "Hillary Clinton on being vice president: ‘Never say never’," via NY POST: Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres asked whether she’d agree to be on the ticket of the of the eventual Democratic nominee, if she were asked … Pushed on the question, Clinton, 72, reluctantly said she’d consider it.
"I never say never because I believe in serving my country, but it’s never going to happen," she said.
SWALWELL LETS IT RIP … "Swalwell to release book giving 'inside account' of Trump's impeachment," via THE HILL: "It’s my inside account of America’s public servants stepping up and Congress taking action to rein in a president who put his own interests over national security and our elections’ integrity," [Rep. Eric] Swalwell, a former 2020 White House hopeful, said in a statement.
PROBABLY SOON TO BE FORMER CEO … "Shadow Inc. CEO’s ‘Plan Ahead’ Mantra Backfires During Iowa Debacle," by WFB’s Alex Griswold: The CEO of Shadow Inc. urged his Twitter followers to "plan ahead" even as his tech firm's app derailed the Democratic Iowa caucus.
Gerard Niemira protected his Twitter account after Shadow's Iowa caucus reporting app failed due to multiple glitches Monday … Despite these measures, social media users could still see the CEO's banner image, a humorous cross-stitch pattern in which the phrase "Plan Ahead" fails to fit in a box it was intended for.
THE 1980s CALLED … "Senate Report Criticizes Response to Russian Meddling and Blames Partisanship," via NYT: "[Barack] Obama warned [Vladimir] Putin in a note that "the kind of consequences that he could anticipate would be powerfully impactful to their economy and far exceed anything that he had seen to date," the report said, citing an interview with Susan E. Rice, Mr. Obama’s national security adviser at the time.
But those warnings fell short, said Marc Polymeropoulos, a CIA official who retired last year. He said that it had become clear that officials should have undertaken a more effective public campaign.
COMFORTING … "Report: DHS Not Prepared to Secure 2020 Elections," by WFB’s Adam Kredo: While DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has made strides in implementing election security plans in recent years, it "is not well-positioned to execute a nationwide strategy for securing election infrastructure prior to the start of the 2020 election cycle," according to the Government Accountability Office, which investigates election security.
CHICOMS HIJACK FOURTH ESTATE … "Lawmakers Demand Investigation Into Chinese Propaganda Published in NYT, WaPo," by WFB’s Yuichiro Kakutani: Lawmakers are calling on the Justice Department to launch a "full-fledged investigation" into China Daily after the Washington Free Beacon found that the propaganda outlet ignored federal law.
China Daily has spent millions to publish state-sanctioned propaganda in top American newspapers without registering as a foreign agent, prompting Rep. Jim Banks (R., Ind.), Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), and 33 other members of Congress to demand a probe into the outlet's activities.
BOLD STRATEGY … "Brave New World: Anonymous Journo Bashes ‘No Backbone’ Republicans in NYT Op-Ed by Democratic Politician," by WFB’s Andrew Stiles: In an effort to make his case, [Sen. Sherrod] Brown cites a "journalist" who allegedly asked him, "how in the world can these [Republican] senators walk around here upright when they have no backbone" …
NYT editorial writer Binyamin Appelbaum remarked that the paper was "inverting standard Washington practice" by publishing an anonymous quote from a journalist in an article by a Democratic politician. Again, a distinction without much of a difference, given the Washington press corps's general hostility toward Republicans.
FAT KIDS ALSO BULLIED … "California may stop school fitness tests over fears they lead to bullying and body-shaming," via CNN: California governor Gavin Newsom has proposed suspending the physical fitness tests at the state's schools over concerns that they promote bullying and body discrimination.
Under current state requirements, students in grades five, seven, and nine are required to take a physical fitness test, which includes the one-mile run, curl-ups, push-ups, and a measure of body mass index.
WHY RUSH MATTERS … "The Era of Limbaugh," by WFB’s Matthew Continetti: [Rush Limbaugh’s] shocking announcement this week that he has advanced lung cancer, and his appearance at the State of the Union, where President Trump awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, are occasions to reflect on his impact. It's one thing to excel in your field. It's another to create the field in which you excel …
[Trump’s] presidency is another reminder of Limbaugh's staying power. The American right has been molded in his anti-elitist, grassroots, demotic, irreverent, patriotic, hard-charging image. Rush Limbaugh is not just a talk show host. He defines an era.
DAYS SINCE JOE BIDEN DID A SUNDAY SHOW: 1,153. 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.


freebeacon--2020-02-10--Sanders Calls Medicare for All ‘The Least Disruptive Approach’

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I. , Vt. ) on Monday called his Medicare for All program `` the least disruptive approach '' to national health care reform .
In a town hall speech at Franklin Pierce University , the 78-year-old said , `` Now , people say , ‘ Medicare for All is gon na be so disruptive , it ’ s such a radical idea , oh my goodness . '
Actually , it 's the least disruptive approach to moving toward universal health care . ''
`` Now Medicare is a good program , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good enough .
Under our Medicare for All , we ’ re going to expand Medicare to cover dental care , hearing aids , eyeglasses . ''
The Vermont senator went on to describe plans for additional health care coverage , including `` home health care '' to let the elderly and disabled stay at home rather than live in a nursing home .
He also claimed that a progressive tax system would sufficiently fund this whole program , with most Americans paying `` substantially less '' than they do now .
Medicare @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Sanders ’ s 2020 campaign .
It would effectively abolish private health insurance , setting up a single-payer government-run system and booting over 181 million Americans off their current health care plans .
Sanders admitted in an interview last month that he did not know how much Medicare for All would cost and that it would be impossible for anyone to know .

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) on Monday called his Medicare for All program "the least disruptive approach" to national health care reform.
In a town hall speech at Franklin Pierce University, the 78-year-old said, "Now, people say, 'Medicare for All is gonna be so disruptive, it’s such a radical idea, oh my goodness.' Actually, it's the least disruptive approach to moving toward universal health care."
"Now Medicare is a good program," Sanders continued. "It is not good enough. Under our Medicare for All, we’re going to expand Medicare to cover dental care, hearing aids, eyeglasses."
The Vermont senator went on to describe plans for additional health care coverage, including "home health care" to let the elderly and disabled stay at home rather than live in a nursing home. He also claimed that a progressive tax system would sufficiently fund this whole program, with most Americans paying "substantially less" than they do now.
Medicare for All is the leading policy proposal of Sanders’s 2020 campaign. It would effectively abolish private health insurance, setting up a single-payer government-run system and booting over 181 million Americans off their current health care plans.
Sanders admitted in an interview last month that he did not know how much Medicare for All would cost and that it would be impossible for anyone to know.