buzzfeed--2020-02-11--Tulsi Gabbard Hopes Libertarian-Minded New Hampshire Will Save Her Presidential Run

MANCHESTER , New Hampshire — It ’ s impossible to drive nearly anywhere in southern New Hampshire without seeing the name of Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard .
Gabbard ’ s face and name loom from yard signs and billboards all over the place here , in some spots outnumbering those of top-tier candidates like Bernie Sanders .
Polls of New Hampshire have shown her pulling in a relatively small but significant amount of support : A CNN/University of New Hampshire poll put her at 6 % last week , and the most recent CNN/University of New Hampshire poll showed her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for broke in New Hampshire , barely campaigning anywhere else and even renting a house in the state late last year .
She says she ’ s getting on a plane to South Carolina to continue campaigning after the primary here on Tuesday , but New Hampshire is where she has her strongest base of support , and where a disappointing finish could damage her rationale for continuing .
At her second-to-last town hall , in Concord on Sunday evening , Gabbard spoke in front of a huge New Hampshire state flag .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ s macadamia nut toffee for everyone in the audience .
She clearly feels at home .
And Gabbard does have real support here , her anti-interventionist foreign policy message appealing to the libertarian-minded voters who form a key constituency in a state where independents can vote in party primaries .
It ’ s very likely not enough to win the state , and Gabbard ’ s campaign ’ s profile has lowered after failing to qualify for a debate since November .
But it ’ s enough to affect the outcome , potentially @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and it demonstrates her enduring appeal to a small but vocal faction of people who don ’ t fit in anywhere else in the Democratic Party .
“ We ’ re flying to South Carolina early Wednesday morning , ” Gabbard told reporters at an Elks lodge in Rochester after a student journalist asked her if she had a path forward if she doesn ’ t win New Hampshire .
“ We ’ re continuing our campaign.
” Gabbard has rooted her campaign for New Hampshire in appealing to independents , libertarians , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crowd at the beginning of each event to raise their hands if they are Democrats ; if they are Republicans ; and if they are independents or libertarians .
At three consecutive events over the weekend , a large portion of the audience raised their hands at the third question .
On Sunday , Gabbard emphasized her willingness to appear on conservative media , saying at her Portsmouth event , “ It 's gotten to a point now , and I 've experienced this and continue to experience this firsthand , where people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't support you because you go on Fox News.
’ ” “ I ’ ll go on every platform possible , because I ’ m not only running for president to lead the viewers of MSNBC , ” Gabbard said .
She has intensified her longstanding critique of the Democratic establishment , calling for DNC chair Tom Perez to resign after the chaotic disaster in the Iowa caucuses .
Voters , she told reporters Sunday , “ are increasingly wondering if this system , if this election , is going to be fair @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and is actually going to work.
” She slammed the DNC for changing rules regarding the number of individual donors a campaign has to have that had previously prevented Michael Bloomberg , who is funding his campaign himself , from qualifying for the debates .
“ This is yet another example of what frustrates voters most , is that the DNC is making decisions about who they get to hear from , who they do n't get to hear from , before they cast their votes , ” Gabbard told reporters on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismissal of the Democratic establishment is part of her attempt at casting herself as the one Democratic candidate who can appeal across party lines , and several voters I spoke with in New Hampshire were Republicans or independents who wanted to vote for her .
One , Mark Bessette , 54 , already had voted by absentee ballot .
He drove all the way from North Conway , in the north of the state , to Portsmouth , in the south , to see her ; “ I like her style , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her stances .
Slightly different from Trump on some things , but I like her aloha spirit.
” Bessette said he voted for Trump in the 2016 election .
Last week , Gabbard appeared on Ron Paul ’ s “ Liberty Report ” YouTube channel — Paul captured second place in New Hampshire in the 2012 Republican primary — and on Sunday Business Insider reported that Gary Johnson , the 2016 Libertarian Party presidential candidate , had offered ( in a voicemail to a campaign volunteer ) to endorse her .
Johnson later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likes Gabbard , he is supporting his former running mate Bill Weld , who is challenging President Trump for the Republican nomination .
And although Gabbard sounds exasperated when asked about the persistent speculation that she would consider leaving the Democratic Party altogether and has ruled the idea out many times , she spoke warmly about the concept of third parties in general at her Portsmouth town hall .
An attendee asked her , “ Would you be receptive to a third political party , one that was perhaps oriented to veterans ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I think that in our democracy there should be an openness or a viability for those seeking to form a party , whether it 's veterans or based on other interests .
I think the problem that we have now is the two-party system does n't really allow for that , because of how much power and how much money is centralized in the national political parties.
” Gabbard said the party organizations “ shut out any kind of viable third party from really standing up and representing a unique @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked her during her press gaggle afterward if her embrace of the idea of a third party indicated any kind of shift on her part , she said several times , “ I am not running as a third-party candidate.
” Gabbard ’ s critique of the Democratic Party is stronger and more difficult to dismiss from the inside .
And the reality is that most voters in this primary will be Democrats .
One couple in Rochester , Claire and Bruce Tessier , 64- and 65-year-olds from Nashua , told me they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ; Pat N , 50 , a voter from Nashua who attended Gabbard ’ s town hall in Concord , said he was between Gabbard and Pete Buttigieg .
Gabbard even extends olive branches to these kinds of moderate Democrats , telling her Concord audience that although she is against “ crony capitalism , ” “ I do not see the future of our country being a socialist nation.
” Her campaign has been idiosyncratic — she ’ s a Democrat but she ’ s taken shots at everyone in the party , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Sanders , whom she ’ d allied with in 2016 .
And even as she ’ s appealed to similarly idiosyncratic voters here , it ’ d be a surprise if she manages to get anywhere close to the top in Tuesday ’ s primary .
What her path forward is without a strong performance is unclear .

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — It’s impossible to drive nearly anywhere in southern New Hampshire without seeing the name of Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Gabbard’s face and name loom from yard signs and billboards all over the place here, in some spots outnumbering those of top-tier candidates like Bernie Sanders. Polls of New Hampshire have shown her pulling in a relatively small but significant amount of support: A CNN/University of New Hampshire poll put her at 6% last week, and the most recent CNN/University of New Hampshire poll showed her winning 5%.
Gabbard has gone for broke in New Hampshire, barely campaigning anywhere else and even renting a house in the state late last year. She says she’s getting on a plane to South Carolina to continue campaigning after the primary here on Tuesday, but New Hampshire is where she has her strongest base of support, and where a disappointing finish could damage her rationale for continuing. At her second-to-last town hall, in Concord on Sunday evening, Gabbard spoke in front of a huge New Hampshire state flag. She brought enough of her mom’s macadamia nut toffee for everyone in the audience. She clearly feels at home.
And Gabbard does have real support here, her anti-interventionist foreign policy message appealing to the libertarian-minded voters who form a key constituency in a state where independents can vote in party primaries. It’s very likely not enough to win the state, and Gabbard’s campaign’s profile has lowered after failing to qualify for a debate since November. But it’s enough to affect the outcome, potentially pulling anti-establishment votes away from Sanders, and it demonstrates her enduring appeal to a small but vocal faction of people who don’t fit in anywhere else in the Democratic Party.
“We’re flying to South Carolina early Wednesday morning,” Gabbard told reporters at an Elks lodge in Rochester after a student journalist asked her if she had a path forward if she doesn’t win New Hampshire. “We’re continuing our campaign.”
(Her plan for Nevada, the next state to vote after New Hampshire, is less clear. When a reporter asked her whether she would campaign there, she demurred, saying again, “We’re going to South Carolina.”)
Gabbard has rooted her campaign for New Hampshire in appealing to independents, libertarians, and Republicans, and she asks the crowd at the beginning of each event to raise their hands if they are Democrats; if they are Republicans; and if they are independents or libertarians. At three consecutive events over the weekend, a large portion of the audience raised their hands at the third question.
On Sunday, Gabbard emphasized her willingness to appear on conservative media, saying at her Portsmouth event, “It's gotten to a point now, and I've experienced this and continue to experience this firsthand, where people say, ‘Tulsi, I won't support you because you go on Fox News.’”
“I’ll go on every platform possible, because I’m not only running for president to lead the viewers of MSNBC,” Gabbard said.
She has intensified her longstanding critique of the Democratic establishment, calling for DNC chair Tom Perez to resign after the chaotic disaster in the Iowa caucuses. Voters, she told reporters Sunday, “are increasingly wondering if this system, if this election, is going to be fair, is it going to be transparent, and is actually going to work.”
She slammed the DNC for changing rules regarding the number of individual donors a campaign has to have that had previously prevented Michael Bloomberg, who is funding his campaign himself, from qualifying for the debates. “This is yet another example of what frustrates voters most, is that the DNC is making decisions about who they get to hear from, who they don't get to hear from, before they cast their votes,” Gabbard told reporters on Saturday when I asked.
Her continual dismissal of the Democratic establishment is part of her attempt at casting herself as the one Democratic candidate who can appeal across party lines, and several voters I spoke with in New Hampshire were Republicans or independents who wanted to vote for her.
One, Mark Bessette, 54, already had voted by absentee ballot. He drove all the way from North Conway, in the north of the state, to Portsmouth, in the south, to see her; “I like her style,” he said. “And I like her stances. Slightly different from Trump on some things, but I like her aloha spirit.” Bessette said he voted for Trump in the 2016 election.
Last week, Gabbard appeared on Ron Paul’s “Liberty Report” YouTube channel — Paul captured second place in New Hampshire in the 2012 Republican primary — and on Sunday Business Insider reported that Gary Johnson, the 2016 Libertarian Party presidential candidate, had offered (in a voicemail to a campaign volunteer) to endorse her. Johnson later clarified to Reason magazine that although he likes Gabbard, he is supporting his former running mate Bill Weld, who is challenging President Trump for the Republican nomination.
And although Gabbard sounds exasperated when asked about the persistent speculation that she would consider leaving the Democratic Party altogether and has ruled the idea out many times, she spoke warmly about the concept of third parties in general at her Portsmouth town hall.
An attendee asked her, “Would you be receptive to a third political party, one that was perhaps oriented to veterans?”
“Of course,” Gabbard said. “I think that in our democracy there should be an openness or a viability for those seeking to form a party, whether it's veterans or based on other interests. I think the problem that we have now is the two-party system doesn't really allow for that, because of how much power and how much money is centralized in the national political parties.” Gabbard said the party organizations “shut out any kind of viable third party from really standing up and representing a unique constituency within this country.”
When I asked her during her press gaggle afterward if her embrace of the idea of a third party indicated any kind of shift on her part, she said several times, “I am not running as a third-party candidate.”
Gabbard’s critique of the Democratic Party is stronger and more difficult to dismiss from the inside. And the reality is that most voters in this primary will be Democrats. One couple in Rochester, Claire and Bruce Tessier, 64- and 65-year-olds from Nashua, told me they were choosing between Gabbard and Amy Klobuchar; Pat N, 50, a voter from Nashua who attended Gabbard’s town hall in Concord, said he was between Gabbard and Pete Buttigieg.
Gabbard even extends olive branches to these kinds of moderate Democrats, telling her Concord audience that although she is against “crony capitalism,” “I do not see the future of our country being a socialist nation.”
Her campaign has been idiosyncratic — she’s a Democrat but she’s taken shots at everyone in the party, including what sounded like a veiled one at Sanders, whom she’d allied with in 2016. And even as she’s appealed to similarly idiosyncratic voters here, it’d be a surprise if she manages to get anywhere close to the top in Tuesday’s primary. What her path forward is without a strong performance is unclear.


buzzfeed--2020-02-11--A Russian Propagandist Ran An Ad In The Washington Post — And Then Ran Victory Laps In Russian Media

The Washington Post may have violated US government sanctions when it ran an ad online from Russian propagandist Alexander Malkevich — and handed a propaganda coup to a man who appears to have been part of Russia ’ s interference with the 2018 midterm elections in the United States and has been pushing false information to sow political chaos across the globe .
Malkevich , the chair of the Foundation for National Values Protection ( FNVP ) , a Moscow-based think tank , confirmed to BuzzFeed News that he paid for the ad posted on Jan. 30 , an open @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mustafa al-Sarraj , calling on him to release two Russian nationals .
“ President of the Foundation Alexander Malkevich demands from the head of the Libyan government [ … ] free the employees of the Foundation Maxim Shugalei and Samer Hassan Ali Seifan , who were arrested by the Libyan militaries in Tripoli in May 2019 , ” read the letter , published last Thursday .
The United States currently forbids business transactions with Malkevich after he was sanctioned in 2018 for `` attempted election interference '' while working as the editor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he has since left the site ) .
Under Malkevich ’ s leadership , the site “ engaged in efforts to post content focused on divisive political issues but is generally ridden with inaccuracies , ” the US Treasury Department said in a December 2018 press release .
“ In June 2018 , USA Really attempted to hold a political rally in the United States , though its efforts were unsuccessful.
” Articles published during Malkevich 's tenure mirror the same kind of false , misleading , and purposefully offensive content peddled by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ troll farm that interfered in the 2016 presidential election in the US .
Headlines include the anti-Semitic “ Star of David Spotted Amidst Migrant Caravan : Who ’ s Behind the Invasion ? ''
and the anti-trans `` New Shocking Facts About Michelle Obama 's Gender . ''
`` The advertiser did not align with our advertising standards , and the ad never should have run , '' a spokesperson for the Washington Post told BuzzFeed News .
`` We removed it quickly from our site , and the advertiser is in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ad was published on the site ’ s branded content platform WP BrandStudio , which offers advertisers `` the Washington Post 's award-winning investigative lens and a deep understanding of our audience to create compelling multimedia stories — from concept to production , '' according to marketing materials .
BrandStudio clients include Amazon , JPMorgan Chase , and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation , among others .
`` The Washington Post Newsroom is not involved in the creation of this content , ” reads a disclaimer on the site .
Malkevich told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attention of the international community ” to Shugalei , a political strategist , and Seifan , an interpreter , both of whom work for the FNVP .
Libyan authorities arrested the men for attempting to set up a meeting with Seif al-Islam Gadhafi , the fugitive son of the toppled dictator , as part of an alleged Kremlin-backed plot to interfere in national elections last year .
Libyan authorities claimed to have evidence linking them to the infamous Kremlin troll farm .
Malkevich denied wrongdoing and said the men were carrying out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ businessmen and for other people who are in need of them . ''
The publication of the ad garnered headlines in Russia Today , which is funded by the Russian government , and the Federal News Agency , the parent company of USA Really and a founding member of Patriot Media Group , created last October by Robert Mueller–indicted catering oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin , known as “ Putin ’ s cook.
” “ The Washington Post will help free Russians from Libyan captivity , ” read one headline on Nation-News.ru , another Patriot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sites reported that Malkevich had paid for the letter , with some sites falsely claiming that the Post had endorsed Malkevich ’ s demands .
One news outlet deceptively cropped a screenshot of the letter to remove a message informing readers that it was a paid ad .
In an interview last Friday on Ren TV , an independent Russian television network , Malkevich obfuscated his role in placing the ad , expressing delight that the “ liberal ” Post had “ published material ” critical of the “ Tripolitan bandits ” who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it increasingly difficult to explain to the world community why they behave in this way.
” Malkevich described Libya ’ s treatment of Shugalei and Seifan as “ a flagrant violation of human rights '' and said he had sent a copy of his letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres , asking him to intervene in their case .
It ’ s not the first time Shugalei has been linked to Russian interference efforts .
In April , BBC Africa identified him as a member of a group of Russians masquerading as tourists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Madagascar ’ s 2018 presidential election .
According to the BBC , Shugalei worked for Omer Beriziky , one of 36 candidates vying for president .
`` [ Shugalei ] said that he would help us and would provide us with technical support , ” Beriziky 's campaign manager Onja Rasamimanana told BBC Africa .
“ It 's like they decided what we should do , and we had to just do it .
”

The Washington Post may have violated US government sanctions when it ran an ad online from Russian propagandist Alexander Malkevich — and handed a propaganda coup to a man who appears to have been part of Russia’s interference with the 2018 midterm elections in the United States and has been pushing false information to sow political chaos across the globe.
Malkevich, the chair of the Foundation for National Values Protection (FNVP), a Moscow-based think tank, confirmed to BuzzFeed News that he paid for the ad posted on Jan. 30, an open letter addressed to Libyan Prime Minister Fayez Mustafa al-Sarraj, calling on him to release two Russian nationals.
“President of the Foundation Alexander Malkevich demands from the head of the Libyan government […] free the employees of the Foundation Maxim Shugalei and Samer Hassan Ali Seifan, who were arrested by the Libyan militaries in Tripoli in May 2019,” read the letter, published last Thursday.
The United States currently forbids business transactions with Malkevich after he was sanctioned in 2018 for "attempted election interference" while working as the editor of the Russian propaganda site USA Really (he has since left the site).
Under Malkevich’s leadership, the site “engaged in efforts to post content focused on divisive political issues but is generally ridden with inaccuracies,” the US Treasury Department said in a December 2018 press release. “In June 2018, USA Really attempted to hold a political rally in the United States, though its efforts were unsuccessful.”
Articles published during Malkevich's tenure mirror the same kind of false, misleading, and purposefully offensive content peddled by the Internet Research Agency, the Kremlin troll farm that interfered in the 2016 presidential election in the US. Headlines include the anti-Semitic “Star of David Spotted Amidst Migrant Caravan: Who’s Behind the Invasion?" and the anti-trans "New Shocking Facts About Michelle Obama's Gender."
"The advertiser did not align with our advertising standards, and the ad never should have run," a spokesperson for the Washington Post told BuzzFeed News. "We removed it quickly from our site, and the advertiser is in the process of being refunded."
The ad was published on the site’s branded content platform WP BrandStudio, which offers advertisers "the Washington Post's award-winning investigative lens and a deep understanding of our audience to create compelling multimedia stories — from concept to production," according to marketing materials.
BrandStudio clients include Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.
"The Washington Post Newsroom is not involved in the creation of this content,” reads a disclaimer on the site.
Malkevich told BuzzFeed News he hoped to “draw the attention of the international community” to Shugalei, a political strategist, and Seifan, an interpreter, both of whom work for the FNVP.
Libyan authorities arrested the men for attempting to set up a meeting with Seif al-Islam Gadhafi, the fugitive son of the toppled dictator, as part of an alleged Kremlin-backed plot to interfere in national elections last year. Libyan authorities claimed to have evidence linking them to the infamous Kremlin troll farm.
Malkevich denied wrongdoing and said the men were carrying out sociological research to later sell to “businessmen and for other people who are in need of them."
The publication of the ad garnered headlines in Russia Today, which is funded by the Russian government, and the Federal News Agency, the parent company of USA Really and a founding member of Patriot Media Group, created last October by Robert Mueller–indicted catering oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin, known as “Putin’s cook.”
“The Washington Post will help free Russians from Libyan captivity,” read one headline on Nation-News.ru, another Patriot group member.
None of the Russian-language sites reported that Malkevich had paid for the letter, with some sites falsely claiming that the Post had endorsed Malkevich’s demands. One news outlet deceptively cropped a screenshot of the letter to remove a message informing readers that it was a paid ad.
In an interview last Friday on Ren TV, an independent Russian television network, Malkevich obfuscated his role in placing the ad, expressing delight that the “liberal” Post had “published material” critical of the “Tripolitan bandits” who, he claimed, “are finding it increasingly difficult to explain to the world community why they behave in this way.”
Malkevich described Libya’s treatment of Shugalei and Seifan as “a flagrant violation of human rights" and said he had sent a copy of his letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, asking him to intervene in their case.
It’s not the first time Shugalei has been linked to Russian interference efforts. In April, BBC Africa identified him as a member of a group of Russians masquerading as tourists and election observers in the lead-up to Madagascar’s 2018 presidential election.
According to the BBC, Shugalei worked for Omer Beriziky, one of 36 candidates vying for president.
"[Shugalei] said that he would help us and would provide us with technical support,” Beriziky's campaign manager Onja Rasamimanana told BBC Africa. “It's like they decided what we should do, and we had to just do it.”


buzzfeed--2020-02-11--Here’s What’s Happening In Republicans’ Biden Ukraine Investigation

WASHINGTON — Republicans in the Senate are months into a broad investigation into matters related to Democrats and Ukraine and have made steady progress amassing documents and coordinating interviews with possible witnesses , according to sources familiar with the inquiry .
The investigation , which has been ongoing as President Donald Trump ’ s impeachment worked its way through Congress , focuses on former vice president Joe Biden ’ s relationship with Ukraine and widely refuted claims that the country interfered in the 2016 presidential election .
Since December , the lead Republicans on three Senate committees have been receiving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testify in the vast probe , which could stretch into the summer and the primaries , where Biden is vying for the Democratic nomination .
The committees are expecting thousands more pages of records from government agencies about interactions between the Obama administration and Ukrainian officials before the last presidential election .
Those three Republican committee chairs — Sens .
Chuck Grassley , Ron Johnson , and Lindsey Graham — sent out requests in the fall to a wide range of government entities , as well as political consultants and former State Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conspiracy theories about Ukrainian election meddling .
( Graham has been less involved than Grassley and Johnson . )
The requests , which didn ’ t make large waves at the time , came as Democrats pursued impeachment against the president for withholding millions in foreign aid to Ukraine in exchange for investigations into the Bidens — notably , Biden ’ s son Hunter , who served on the board of Burisma , a Ukrainian gas company .
The requests focused on a series of reported events that many Republicans have argued justified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and that merit scrutiny both in Ukraine and the US .
Now , Democrats are accusing the Republican senators of using their congressional resources to reelect Trump based on largely debunked theories .
“ Republicans are turning the Senate into an arm of the president ’ s political campaign , pursuing an investigation designed to further President Trump ’ s favorite conspiracy theory that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election and smear Vice President Biden , ” said Ashley Schapitl , a spokesperson for Sen. Ron Wyden , the top Democrat on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argued , however , that he ’ s pursued several investigations in recent years , including one on Russian election interference that included interviewing Donald Trump Jr. , the president ’ s son .
“ Over his 40-year tenure in the Senate , Grassley has developed a long history of nonpartisan oversight , regardless of what party controls Congress or the White House .
To imply that his investigations are politically-motivated or one-sided is demonstrably wrong , ” a spokesperson told BuzzFeed News .
Schapitl also said the Treasury Department has turned over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and questioned how quickly the department did so .
“ [ T ] he Trump administration refused to comply with all Democratic requests for documents and witnesses associated with impeachment , ” Schapitl said .
“ Applying a blatant double standard , Trump administration agencies like the Treasury Department are rapidly complying with Senate Republican requests—no subpoenas necessary—and producing ‘ evidence ’ of questionable origin .
The administration told House Democrats to go pound sand when their oversight authority was mandatory while voluntarily cooperating with the Senate Republicans ’ sideshow at lightning speed.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ office about Treasury turning over information to the committees were first reported by Yahoo News .
In November , Grassley and Johnson , who lead the Finance and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees , wrote to a powerful law enforcement agency within the Treasury Department seeking information on any suspicious financial activity by Hunter Biden , Burisma , and others .
Schapitl declined to say what the agency , known as the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network or FinCEN , turned over to the lawmakers .
Treasury did not return a request for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators , known as suspicious activity reports , or SARs , are filed regularly to FinCEN by banks when they spot transactions that bear the hallmarks of financial crimes .
Though the reports themselves are not evidence of a crime , they can be used to support investigations and intelligence gathering .
It ’ s unclear if the materials provided to the committees are SARs and if so , to whom they pertain .
“ It 's strange that any senator would complain about receiving responses to oversight requests in a timely manner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ As a general matter , most oversight requests do not involve material protected by Executive Privilege , so it can be more rapidly provided to Congress .
If the administration were to claim privilege over requested material , as the Obama administration did in during the ‘ Operation Fast and Furious ’ investigation , members of Congress can use other tools at their disposal – including the courts – to compel cooperation .
In the case of impeachment , the House chose not to do so.
” On Friday , Grassley @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they had shared information about the investigation with Democrats on the committee `` as a courtesy '' and accusing them of trying to undermine Republicans ' `` legitimate oversight by selectively leaking information to the press . ''
“ Insofar as we requested as part of our investigation any sensitive law enforcement information regarding suspicious financial transactions , that request and any response received would be highly sensitive , '' the senators said in a joint statement .
`` Any selective leaks to publicize or confirm these actions is highly inappropriate , undermines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of this important law enforcement tool .
Should such sensitive information exist , it would only prove the need to further investigate any and all suspicious activity related to it .
Accordingly , despite these inappropriate and selective leaks , we will continue undeterred . ''
Wyden 's office responded Friday night , saying that the Republican chairmen `` are required to share investigative material with the minority under Senate rules .
It is not a 'courtesy . '
Further , Senator Wyden and his staff have not disclosed any investigative material , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ridiculous to characterize an official office statement on the double standard of Trump administration cooperation with Congress as a 'leak . '
'' Grassley , Johnson , and Graham have continued to question whether Joe Biden misused his position as vice president to protect his son — a theory that has not been backed up by any evidence .
In late 2015 and early 2016 , Biden was charged with leading the Obama administration 's Ukraine policy and was one of several prominent Western voices to call on the country to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who had previously investigated Burisma .
Republicans have alleged that Biden did so to help Hunter .
However , the West ’ s widespread displeasure with Shokin was rooted in his inability to root out corruption and investigate companies like Burisma , and Biden — unlike Trump — was operating within established US foreign policy .
Republican senators , including Johnson , even signed a letter urging Shokin ’ s dismissal at the time .
Despite that , Republicans want to know more about emails that purport to show a Democratic lobbying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s name to score a meeting with a senior State Department official to discuss the administration ’ s labeling of Burisma as corrupt .
They ’ ve asked Blue Star , which was working on behalf of Burisma , for documents , but it ’ s unclear if the firm has turned over any records .
The firm did not respond to requests for comment , and Grassley ’ s spokesperson declined to discuss specifics about what the committees have received .
Additionally , the three senators asked five Obama-era State @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their probe into “ potential conflicts of interest and political influence by Ukrainian elements.
” The senators also asked the officials for documents pertaining to Hunter Biden , Burisma , Blue Star , and more , according to a source familiar with the requests .
That source , speaking on background to discuss the investigation , said committee lawyers have held several calls with attorneys for the officials since late December .
The Grassley spokesperson confirmed that the committees have had “ productive conversations ” with many of the people — including former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who received request letters in the fall .
“ We ’ ve heard from the non-government witnesses , ” the spokesperson said .
“ We ’ ve heard from I believe all of them in one way or another .
They ’ re all cooperating .
We ’ ve received documents from some.
” The spokesperson said the committees are in the “ fact-finding stage ” of the probe .
As part of that , Grassley and Johnson wrote to the State Department in early November requesting a host of documents .
Graham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , sent a separate request to the State Department later that month seeking records on the Bidens .
The State Department is working on turning over the files and the production could be around 1,000 pages long , the Grassley spokesperson said .
The committees are also expecting approximately 10,000 pages of records from the National Archives , the spokesperson said , about meetings reported by a conservative writer between the Obama administration , Ukrainian officials , and a Democratic National Committee contractor named Alexandra Chalupa .
However , it ’ s unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the National Archives , as the law governing records from previous administrations allows them to review the documents before they are released .
“ NARA is in the process of responding to this special access request for Presidential records in accordance with the requirements of the Presidential Records Act , which provides the representatives of the current and former Presidents an opportunity to review any responsive records before they can be released to the Senate committee requesters , ” a National Archives spokesperson told BuzzFeed News on Jan. 24 .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ request , and no records have yet been produced .
NARA has been in regular contact with committee staff.
” The request to the National Archives references another part of the Republican investigation — reported efforts by Ukrainian officials to undermine Trump ’ s campaign .
Key to those allegations is Andrii Telizhenko , a former Ukrainian diplomat whose claims about what the country ’ s DC embassy did during the 2016 election have helped form the basis for many of the Republican senators ’ requests .
In 2017 , Telizhenko told Politico @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embassy instructed him to help Chalupa research links between Trump , then-campaign chair Paul Manafort , and the Russians .
Manafort eventually resigned from the campaign as reports about his links to Russia surfaced and is now serving a seven-year prison sentence for a series of financial crimes from before he joined Trump ’ s team .
The Ukrainian embassy has disputed Telizhenko ’ s claims , but he insists that the embassy colluded with Democrats to hurt Trump ’ s campaign and has become a prominent voice on the right as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attorney working for Trump who led a shadow campaign in Ukraine to dig up dirt on the Bidens .
In early December , Grassley , Johnson , and Graham asked Telizhenko for an interview and documents as part of their investigation .
“ I said I would fully cooperate with the investigation they ’ re working on and provided any evidence I had , ” Telizhenko , now a political consultant , told BuzzFeed News last week .
He said he sent the committees copies of documents from when he worked at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provide everything , as some are sensitive government records .
“ I basically provided them what they asked for , ” he said .
Telizhenko says he also worked for Blue Star for a period and wants to provide documents from that time , but will need a subpoena to do so because of the nature of his contract with the firm .
Telizhenko said he responded to the committees ’ request quickly and sent the documents “ a bit later.
” He ’ s also had at least one call with several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There were like eight people on the line , ” he said .
He last spoke to the committees “ around a week ago , ” he said , and believed the committees would begin interviewing witnesses after the impeachment trial was over as part of a “ deep investigation.
” He says he wants his interview with the committees to be in an open hearing .
“ I ’ m ready to go , ” he said .
“ From my side , I want to go as public as possible for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ don ’ t want any party , Republican or Democrat , to use my statement in a political manner to basically politicize anything I say.
” However , the Grassley spokesperson said congressional investigators “ call the shots , not the witnesses.
” Johnson and Grassley have also asked Chalupa for documents and testimony .
In a statement to BuzzFeed News , she said , “ The conspiracy theories that the Russian Federation and Paul Manafort planted days after the 2016 election , and which the Trump Administration , Senator Grassley , Senator @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against an American citizen who warned her country that Vladimir Putin was attacking America ’ s democracy are completely false .
They can choose who to believe an American mom with truth on her side or the Kremlin , which continues to wage disinformation warfare against Americans and attacks our elections .
Truth matters.
” The senators have requested records on Chalupa from the FBI and the Department of Justice as well , but neither has indicated they are working to turn anything over , the Grassley spokesperson said .
The Justice Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comment from BuzzFeed News and the FBI said only that it “ confirms receipt of the letter and declines further comment.
” Grassley previously asked the Justice Department why Chalupa wasn ’ t registered as a foreign agent after the January 2017 Politico article was published — a request he renewed in September .
However , according to a source knowledgeable about the issue , the department sent Chalupa a letter in November 2017 saying she did not need to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act .
As for claims about Ukrainian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ senators in a private briefing that Russia has sought to frame Ukraine for its own election meddling in 2016 .
The Senate Intelligence Committee , which has been working on a bipartisan investigation into Russian election interference for more than three years , reportedly investigated the claims about the Ukrainians as part of the probe and failed to find any leads worth pursuing .
Even the three Republican senators leading the Ukraine investigation have acknowledged that some of the theories about the country , including one propagated by Manafort and Trump about Ukraine @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last presidential election , are baseless .
“ The senators ’ inquiries are unrelated to an uncorroborated theory that Ukraine was also behind the hack of DNC servers , ” the senators said in their press release about the requests to Chalupa and Telizhenko .
Still , the senators are forging ahead with their probe into the embassy ’ s alleged research on Manafort and possible conflicts of interest involving the Bidens .
On Wednesday , they issued another request , this time to the Secret Service for travel records on Hunter @ @

In November, Grassley and Johnson, who lead the Finance and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees, wrote to a powerful law enforcement agency within the Treasury Department seeking information on any suspicious financial activity by Hunter Biden, Burisma, and others.
Schapitl declined to say what the agency, known as the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network or FinCEN, turned over to the lawmakers. Treasury did not return a request for comment.
The documents sought by the senators, known as suspicious activity reports, or SARs, are filed regularly to FinCEN by banks when they spot transactions that bear the hallmarks of financial crimes. Though the reports themselves are not evidence of a crime, they can be used to support investigations and intelligence gathering. It’s unclear if the materials provided to the committees are SARs and if so, to whom they pertain.
“It's strange that any senator would complain about receiving responses to oversight requests in a timely manner,” the Grassley spokesperson said Thursday. “As a general matter, most oversight requests do not involve material protected by Executive Privilege, so it can be more rapidly provided to Congress. If the administration were to claim privilege over requested material, as the Obama administration did in during the ‘Operation Fast and Furious’ investigation, members of Congress can use other tools at their disposal – including the courts – to compel cooperation. In the case of impeachment, the House chose not to do so.”
On Friday, Grassley and Johnson went further, saying that they had shared information about the investigation with Democrats on the committee "as a courtesy" and accusing them of trying to undermine Republicans' "legitimate oversight by selectively leaking information to the press."
“Insofar as we requested as part of our investigation any sensitive law enforcement information regarding suspicious financial transactions, that request and any response received would be highly sensitive," the senators said in a joint statement. "Any selective leaks to publicize or confirm these actions is highly inappropriate, undermines our investigation, and risks the effectiveness of this important law enforcement tool. Should such sensitive information exist, it would only prove the need to further investigate any and all suspicious activity related to it. Accordingly, despite these inappropriate and selective leaks, we will continue undeterred."
Wyden's office responded Friday night, saying that the Republican chairmen "are required to share investigative material with the minority under Senate rules. It is not a 'courtesy.' Further, Senator Wyden and his staff have not disclosed any investigative material, as every outlet has noted. It’s ridiculous to characterize an official office statement on the double standard of Trump administration cooperation with Congress as a 'leak.'"
Grassley, Johnson, and Graham have continued to question whether Joe Biden misused his position as vice president to protect his son — a theory that has not been backed up by any evidence. In late 2015 and early 2016, Biden was charged with leading the Obama administration's Ukraine policy and was one of several prominent Western voices to call on the country to fire its top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, who had previously investigated Burisma. Republicans have alleged that Biden did so to help Hunter. However, the West’s widespread displeasure with Shokin was rooted in his inability to root out corruption and investigate companies like Burisma, and Biden — unlike Trump — was operating within established US foreign policy. Republican senators, including Johnson, even signed a letter urging Shokin’s dismissal at the time.
Despite that, Republicans want to know more about emails that purport to show a Democratic lobbying firm called Blue Star Strategies using Hunter Biden’s name to score a meeting with a senior State Department official to discuss the administration’s labeling of Burisma as corrupt.
They’ve asked Blue Star, which was working on behalf of Burisma, for documents, but it’s unclear if the firm has turned over any records. The firm did not respond to requests for comment, and Grassley’s spokesperson declined to discuss specifics about what the committees have received.
Additionally, the three senators asked five Obama-era State Department officials for interviews as part of their probe into “potential conflicts of interest and political influence by Ukrainian elements.” The senators also asked the officials for documents pertaining to Hunter Biden, Burisma, Blue Star, and more, according to a source familiar with the requests. That source, speaking on background to discuss the investigation, said committee lawyers have held several calls with attorneys for the officials since late December.
The Grassley spokesperson confirmed that the committees have had “productive conversations” with many of the people — including former Obama officials and Blue Star employees — who received request letters in the fall. “We’ve heard from the non-government witnesses,” the spokesperson said. “We’ve heard from I believe all of them in one way or another. They’re all cooperating. We’ve received documents from some.”
The spokesperson said the committees are in the “fact-finding stage” of the probe. As part of that, Grassley and Johnson wrote to the State Department in early November requesting a host of documents. Graham, the chair of the Judiciary Committee, sent a separate request to the State Department later that month seeking records on the Bidens. The State Department is working on turning over the files and the production could be around 1,000 pages long, the Grassley spokesperson said.
The committees are also expecting approximately 10,000 pages of records from the National Archives, the spokesperson said, about meetings reported by a conservative writer between the Obama administration, Ukrainian officials, and a Democratic National Committee contractor named Alexandra Chalupa. However, it’s unclear when the committees might receive the documents from the National Archives, as the law governing records from previous administrations allows them to review the documents before they are released.
“NARA is in the process of responding to this special access request for Presidential records in accordance with the requirements of the Presidential Records Act, which provides the representatives of the current and former Presidents an opportunity to review any responsive records before they can be released to the Senate committee requesters,” a National Archives spokesperson told BuzzFeed News on Jan. 24. “The review process is currently ongoing for this request, and no records have yet been produced. NARA has been in regular contact with committee staff.”
The request to the National Archives references another part of the Republican investigation — reported efforts by Ukrainian officials to undermine Trump’s campaign. Key to those allegations is Andrii Telizhenko, a former Ukrainian diplomat whose claims about what the country’s DC embassy did during the 2016 election have helped form the basis for many of the Republican senators’ requests. In 2017, Telizhenko told Politico that a senior official at the Ukrainian embassy instructed him to help Chalupa research links between Trump, then-campaign chair Paul Manafort, and the Russians. Manafort eventually resigned from the campaign as reports about his links to Russia surfaced and is now serving a seven-year prison sentence for a series of financial crimes from before he joined Trump’s team.
The Ukrainian embassy has disputed Telizhenko’s claims, but he insists that the embassy colluded with Democrats to hurt Trump’s campaign and has become a prominent voice on the right as a result, meeting with Rudy Giuliani, the attorney working for Trump who led a shadow campaign in Ukraine to dig up dirt on the Bidens.


buzzfeed--2020-02-11--Iowa Democrats Have Now Reported 100% Of Results — But There's Still No Official Winner

The Iowa Democratic Party has now reported 100 % of the results of Monday 's Iowa presidential caucuses after a nightmarish delay — but it still might take even longer to determine an actual winner because of what look like errors in the data .
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez called on the Iowa Democratic Party to `` recanvass '' the caucus results on Thursday morning .
In practice , that would mean a hand audit of the papers used in each precinct to ensure the math calculating delegates is correct .
The Iowa Democratic Party indicated on Thursday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a campaign formally requests the process .
But news outlets , including NBC News , have already said they will not project a winner off of the data .
As the state party has continued to report results , some news outlets have found what they believe to be errors in the reporting of the extremely close results .
Currently , Pete Buttigieg has an extremely narrow lead over Bernie Sanders in the delegate count — less than two delegates — in a virtual tie .
For the first time this year , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When you attend a Democratic caucus in Iowa , you select your candidate on the first vote .
A caucus chair counts up everyone in the room .
This is called the first alignment .
After that , if your candidate doesn ’ t meet 15 % of the vote , you can pick another candidate , go home , or form an alliance with enough people who no longer have a viable candidate to hit 15 % .
Then the caucus chair counts again .
That ’ s the final alignment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ determine delegates for the state convention and , ultimately , delegates for the national convention this summer .
This is called the delegate equivalent .
Sanders , meanwhile , thanked Iowa for a resounding victory on Monday at a press conference in New Hampshire .
`` This difference , '' Sanders added , `` no matter who inches ahead in the end , is meaningless because we are both likely to receive the same number of national delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee . ''
Asked why he was claiming victory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders said , `` Because I got 6,000 more votes . ''
We 're showing you the final alignment and the state delegate equivalent here .
The data is still incomplete .
So please be cautious with this data :

The Iowa Democratic Party has now reported 100% of the results of Monday's Iowa presidential caucuses after a nightmarish delay — but it still might take even longer to determine an actual winner because of what look like errors in the data.
Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez called on the Iowa Democratic Party to "recanvass" the caucus results on Thursday morning. In practice, that would mean a hand audit of the papers used in each precinct to ensure the math calculating delegates is correct.
The Iowa Democratic Party indicated on Thursday that the party will only recanvass if a campaign formally requests the process. But news outlets, including NBC News, have already said they will not project a winner off of the data.
As the state party has continued to report results, some news outlets have found what they believe to be errors in the reporting of the extremely close results. Currently, Pete Buttigieg has an extremely narrow lead over Bernie Sanders in the delegate count — less than two delegates — in a virtual tie.
For the first time this year, the IDP released three sets of results. When you attend a Democratic caucus in Iowa, you select your candidate on the first vote. A caucus chair counts up everyone in the room. This is called the first alignment.
After that, if your candidate doesn’t meet 15% of the vote, you can pick another candidate, go home, or form an alliance with enough people who no longer have a viable candidate to hit 15%. Then the caucus chair counts again. That’s the final alignment.
The final alignment is used to determine delegates for the state convention and, ultimately, delegates for the national convention this summer. This is called the delegate equivalent.
Sanders, meanwhile, thanked Iowa for a resounding victory on Monday at a press conference in New Hampshire.
"This difference," Sanders added, "no matter who inches ahead in the end, is meaningless because we are both likely to receive the same number of national delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee."
Asked why he was claiming victory when Buttigieg has also claimed victory, Sanders said, "Because I got 6,000 more votes."
We're showing you the final alignment and the state delegate equivalent here. The data is still incomplete. So please be cautious with this data:


buzzfeed--2020-02-12--Elizabeth Warren Stumbled In New Hampshire’s Primary. She Still Did Selfies.

MANCHESTER , N.H. — Elizabeth Warren had lost , badly , in a state next door to her own .
She ran up onto the stage without her usual introduction and sped through a speech from a podium , and not long after the polls had closed , it was over .
Except for the selfie line , the fixture of Warren ’ s year-long campaign .
It went on and on , snaking around the enormous room , and so for more than an hour in the wake of the gut-punch that was her apparent fourth-place finish in New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and pumped her fist and said things like “ Fantastic !
” After a disappointing third place in the muddled field of the Iowa caucuses last week , Warren had been in a difficult place , facing questions about her campaign ’ s path forward as Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg rode the high of victory into New Hampshire .
But she had done little to shift her message , or her strategy , in the wake of her loss in Iowa .
She continued to give a stump speech that had hardly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign : her own history , and then an indictment of the “ corruption , pure and simple ” that made the government work on behalf of the wealthy .
And she stuck to the same speech in the New Hampshire debate Friday night , while Amy Klobuchar , who had come in fifth in Iowa , flung skilful attacks at rivals on both sides .
Klobuchar surged to a third-place finish in New Hampshire , doubling Warren ’ s vote total .
On Sunday , after an event in Concord , reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the state .
“ You did a pretty standard stump speech — is that enough going into the final stretch ?
” “ Other candidates who didn ’ t perform well in the caucuses are mixing up their strategy and doing things differently here .
You ’ re not .
Why is that ?
” “ What are you doing to build enthusiasm ?
” On Tuesday night , staring down the results in New Hampshire , Warren did something different .
For the first time , she gave a speech focused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not on her personal biography , but on the Democratic Party , and on the pitch for herself as a candidate who can unite Democrats ’ warring factions .
It was something her campaign had begun to talk about in the last weeks of Iowa , and that she spoke about often to press .
But “ unity ” had hardly made it into Warren ’ s own words to her supporters .
And it had always been second to her plans .
“ The thing we have to ask as Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , bitter rehash of the same old divides in our party , or whether we can find another way , ” she told the crowd in Manchester .
She condemned the “ divide between factions ” — attack ads , boos for other candidates .
“ These harsh tactics might work if you are willing to burn down the rest of the party in order to be elected , ” she said .
“ And it might work if you think only you have all the answers and only you are the solution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if we ’ re going to beat Donald Trump in November , we ’ re going to need huge turnout within our party , and to get that turnout , we will need a nominee that the broadest coalition of our party feels like they can get behind .
We can not afford to fall into factions .
We can ’ t afford to squander our collective power .
We win when we come together.
” Warren , her campaign believes , is the candidate who can do that .
They took another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ memo that laid bare her opponents ’ weaknesses , explicitly criticizing her Democratic rivals and putting forward a case for Warren ’ s ability to push past them despite poor showings in early states , racking up delegates even as she failed to win states .
Hours later , after failing to win any delegates in New Hampshire , Warren ’ s message of party unity seemed at odds with the memo , which took swipes at everyone from Sanders to Beto O ’ Rourke , who dropped out of the race in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also seemed at odds with Warren ’ s core identity , built on fiery attacks she often often wielded against her own party as well as big banks and corporate executives .
As the senator next door to New Hampshire , she had frequently sparred with the Obama administration over consumer issues — and won praise and support for her fights .
The candidate who stood in front of the crowd in New Hampshire Tuesday was noticeably different than in many of her rallies .
She read her speech from a podium , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rarely rising .
The selfie line , though — that looked the same .
There were supporters in liberty green , Warren ’ s color , and supporters wearing shirts decorated with two pennies , for Warren ’ s two-cent wealth tax .
After her photo was snapped , one adult asked Warren to do the “ pinky promise ” that she usually reserved for young girls .
A volunteer who had worked in New Hampshire for months before being diagnosed with cancer told Warren she had made it through chemotherapy — but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug that kept her from debilitating nausea .
“ Oh yeah , we 're changing that , ” she said Warren had told her .
There were Warren staffers , expertly handing off coats and bags and iPhones as the line progressed .
Bailey , Warren ’ s dog , lay lazily on the ground , waiting to be scratched .
The screen that had once been broadcasting primary results was off — it had been dark since the polls closed .

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Elizabeth Warren had lost, badly, in a state next door to her own. She ran up onto the stage without her usual introduction and sped through a speech from a podium, and not long after the polls had closed, it was over.
Except for the selfie line, the fixture of Warren’s yearlong campaign. It went on and on, snaking around the enormous room, and so for more than an hour in the wake of the gut-punch that was her apparent fourth-place finish in New Hampshire, Warren smiled and embraced supporters and pumped her fist and said things like “Fantastic!”
After a disappointing third place in the muddled field of the Iowa caucuses last week, Warren had been in a difficult place, facing questions about her campaign’s path forward as Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg rode the high of victory into New Hampshire.
But she had done little to shift her message, or her strategy, in the wake of her loss in Iowa. She continued to give a stump speech that had hardly changed from the early days of her campaign: her own history, and then an indictment of the “corruption, pure and simple” that made the government work on behalf of the wealthy.
And she stuck to the same speech in the New Hampshire debate Friday night, while Amy Klobuchar, who had come in fifth in Iowa, flung skillful attacks at rivals on both sides. Klobuchar surged to a third-place finish in New Hampshire, doubling Warren’s vote total.
On Sunday, after an event in Concord, reporters grilled Warren repeatedly about her static strategy in the state.
“You did a pretty standard stump speech — is that enough going into the final stretch?”
“Other candidates who didn’t perform well in the caucuses are mixing up their strategy and doing things differently here. You’re not. Why is that?”
“What are you doing to build enthusiasm?”
On Tuesday night, staring down the results in New Hampshire, Warren did something different.
For the first time, she gave a speech focused not on tackling corruption or big ideas, not on her personal biography, but on the Democratic Party, and on the pitch for herself as a candidate who can unite Democrats’ warring factions.
It was something her campaign had begun to talk about in the last weeks of Iowa, and that she spoke about often to press. But “unity” had hardly made it into Warren’s own words to her supporters. And it had always been second to her plans.
“The thing we have to ask as Democrats is whether there will be a broad, bitter rehash of the same old divides in our party, or whether we can find another way,” she told the crowd in Manchester. She condemned the “divide between factions” — attack ads, boos for other candidates.
“These harsh tactics might work if you are willing to burn down the rest of the party in order to be elected,” she said. “And it might work if you think only you have all the answers and only you are the solution to all of our problems. But if we’re going to beat Donald Trump in November, we’re going to need huge turnout within our party, and to get that turnout, we will need a nominee that the broadest coalition of our party feels like they can get behind. We cannot afford to fall into factions. We can’t afford to squander our collective power. We win when we come together.”
Warren, her campaign believes, is the candidate who can do that. They took another unprecedented step Tuesday: releasing a campaign memo that laid bare her opponents’ weaknesses, explicitly criticizing her Democratic rivals and putting forward a case for Warren’s ability to push past them despite poor showings in early states, racking up delegates even as she failed to win states.
Hours later, after failing to win any delegates in New Hampshire, Warren’s message of party unity seemed at odds with the memo, which took swipes at everyone from Sanders to Beto O’Rourke, who dropped out of the race in November.
In some ways, it also seemed at odds with Warren’s core identity, built on fiery attacks she often wielded against her own party as well as big banks and corporate executives. As the senator next door to New Hampshire, she had frequently sparred with the Obama administration over consumer issues — and won praise and support for her fights.
The candidate who stood in front of the crowd in New Hampshire Tuesday was noticeably different than in many of her rallies. She read her speech from a podium, her hands often static, her voice rarely rising.
The selfie line, though — that looked the same.
There were supporters in liberty green, Warren’s color, and supporters wearing shirts decorated with two pennies, for Warren’s two-cent wealth tax.
After her photo was snapped, one adult asked Warren to do the “pinky promise” that she usually reserved for young girls. A volunteer who had worked in New Hampshire for months before being diagnosed with cancer told Warren she had made it through chemotherapy — but her insurance company had denied her the drug that kept her from debilitating nausea.
“Oh yeah, we're changing that,” she said Warren had told her.
There were Warren staffers, expertly handing off coats and bags and iPhones as the line progressed. Bailey, Warren’s dog, lay lazily on the ground, waiting to be scratched. The screen that had once been broadcasting primary results was off — it had been dark since the polls closed.


buzzfeed--2020-02-12--Joe Biden's New Hampshire Party Was... Well, Look For Yourself

`` We 'll be back , New Hampshire , ” Joe Biden said from South Carolina .
“ We 'll be back in the general.
” NASHUA , New Hampshire — Before a winner had been declared in the nation 's first primary of 2020 , the already sparse crowd at Joe Biden 's primary night party had thinned to a handful of staffers and volunteers .
Joe Biden himself was elsewhere .
`` Welcome to the celebration of Joe Biden for president of the United States , '' said former New Hampshire governor John Lynch , a little earlier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to a group of about 150 at the castle-themed hotel headquarters Biden ’ s campaign had been based out of during his final New Hampshire swing .
“ I can sense him in the air , I know my big brother ’ s around here some place , '' Valerie Biden Owens , the former vice president ’ s sister , said , right before Biden beamed into the room on TV screens from South Carolina .
Biden , who had left New Hampshire earlier in the day with the polls turning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We 'll be back , New Hampshire , we 'll be back in the general , ” he said .
“ Now we are moving on Nevada and South Carolina and beyond , beyond .
And we want you all to know how much we appreciate everything you ’ ve done , truly from the bottom of our hearts , ” he said .
`` We need to hear from Nevada and South Carolina and Super Tuesday states and beyond ... 99.9 % , that 's the percentage of African-American voters that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in America — 99.8 % of Latino voters have n't had a chance to vote , '' Biden said in South Carolina shortly after , to mild applause from the New Hampshire crowd .
The scene was consistent with the small crowds Biden has drawn at events in both Iowa and New Hampshire over the last two weeks — but it was in stark contrast to Biden ’ s Iowa party , which was buzzing with senior staff , surrogates , and volunteers before it became clear that the former vice president would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but further down the list .
“ He ’ s fighting , '' a senior Biden adviser told reporters on a conference call before Friday ’ s debate in New Hampshire .
`` I think you saw that from him this week.
” While Biden was more combative and willing to take direct shots at his opponents after taking a “ gut punch ” in the first caucus , his New Hampshire schedule was lighter than both Pete Buttigieg ’ s and Bernie Sanders ’ in the aftermath of Iowa .
At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Biden himself began talking about how New Hampshire , Iowa , Nevada , and South Carolina should be viewed as a package and not individually — “ I 've always viewed the first four encounters , two primaries and two caucuses , as the starting point , ” he said at the debate .
” It 's a long race .
I took a hit in Iowa and I 'll probably take a hit here , ” he conceded .
On Tuesday morning , less than a week after telling voters in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ counting on ” their state and several hours before his own primary night party began , Biden announced that he was leaving for South Carolina .
Local volunteers seemed resigned to the results in New Hampshire before they ’ d even come in , and supportive of Biden having moved on .
“ We ’ ve had a lot of Joe here for the last several months .
New Hampshire enjoys a special attention when it comes to the first in the nation , so we ’ re happy to share @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” said Heather Ledoux , 42 , one of three New Hampshire volunteers the campaign pointed reporters searching for locals in the room to .
The campaign said they did not know how many volunteers in total were at the event , but would provide numbers if they get them .
“ I hope he does better .
I think Michael Bloomberg suddenly coming in has taken the wind out of his sails .
We ’ ll see .
I don ’ t give up on people , ” said Gary Mathews @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who said he had driven over the border to canvass in New Hampshire for Biden every weekend for the past month .
He said he would be disappointed if Biden didn ’ t win the nomination but is prepared to “ be out there on the streets ” for any Democratic candidate against Trump .
Several others who spoke to BuzzFeed News at the event were volunteers from out of state , or curious voters ( also from out of state ) who were supporting other candidates but just happened to be staying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One surrogate arrived ahead of the rest to take on the television cameras — former governor John Lynch .
“ I feel good about it .
I advised him to go to South Carolina , ” Lynch told reporters , in the mostly empty ballroom .
“ I think he did everything he could do in New Hampshire .
He was going to polling places right up until the last minute .
I think it ’ s a smart strategic move for him to go to South Carolina.
” “ You told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a reporter .
“ I told him to go to South Carolina , ” Lynch said .
“ He loves New Hampshire .
He ’ s very supportive of the New Hampshire first in the nation primary , but now it ’ s time to move on , ” Lynch said .
A few feet away , four men stood at a table with beers in their hands , the solitary guests at the party for a while after guests were allowed in .
They were members of the American Political Items Collectors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several parties collecting memorabilia .
They were , said David Stelzer , 59 , from Colorado , “ scholars dedicated to the preservation and study and collection of political US campaign memorabilia , ” going to various campaigns ’ events on primary night — something of a tradition for the group .
He said he ’ s still behind Biden “ because this country has never been favorable to socialism and there ’ s a good reason for that.
” “ I ’ ve been coming up to the New Hampshire primary since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coming up since last Feb to see the candidates , ” said another member of the group , Mike Dunham , 63 , from Massachusetts .
He said he had been backing Biden but wasn ’ t so sure anymore .
He said he ’ s considering Tulsi Gabbard now .
But still , he said , he ’ s looking forward to taking home some Biden memorabilia when the race is over .

At the same time, he lowered expectations. Biden himself began talking about how New Hampshire, Iowa, Nevada, and South Carolina should be viewed as a package and not individually — “I've always viewed the first four encounters, two primaries and two caucuses, as the starting point,” he said at the debate.
”It's a long race. I took a hit in Iowa, and I'll probably take a hit here,” he conceded.
On Tuesday morning, less than a week after telling voters in Somersworth, New Hampshire, that he was “counting on” their state and several hours before his own primary night party began, Biden announced that he was leaving for South Carolina.
Local volunteers seemed resigned to the results in New Hampshire before they’d even come in — and supportive of Biden having moved on.
“We’ve had a lot of Joe here for the last several months. New Hampshire enjoys a special attention when it comes to the first in the nation, so we’re happy to share him with the rest of the nation,” said Heather Ledoux, 42, one of three New Hampshire volunteers the campaign pointed reporters searching for locals in the room to. The campaign said they did not know how many volunteers in total were at the event, but would provide numbers if they get them.
“I hope he does better. I think Michael Bloomberg suddenly coming in has taken the wind out of his sails. We’ll see. I don’t give up on people,” said Gary Mathews, 62, a volunteer from Massachusetts who said he had driven over the border to canvass in New Hampshire for Biden every weekend for the past month. He said he would be disappointed if Biden didn’t win the nomination but is prepared to “be out there on the streets” for any Democratic candidate against Trump.


buzzfeed--2020-02-12--The Best Tweets From The New Hampshire Democratic Primary

David Mack is a deputy director of breaking news for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York .
Got @ @ @ @ @ it here .

currently workshopping a version of the 1996 hit song "How Bizarre" with the lyrics changed to "Klobuchar" and it is NOT going well


buzzfeed--2020-02-12--Bernie Sanders Won The New Hampshire Primary In A Show Of Staying Power For His Movement

MANCHESTER , N.H. — Four years after securing a crucial victory in this state during his first presidential campaign , Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire primary again here on Tuesday night , marking a significant show of staying power for the senator and his political movement in a rapidly shifting Democratic primary .
Sanders , who spoke to supporters on Tuesday night at the Southern New Hampshire University field house , finished with a smaller margin of victory than his finish four years ago against Hillary Clinton .
Only a couple points and some five thousand votes separated Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Amy Klobuchar a little further behind .
`` And let me say tonight , that this victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump , '' Sanders told his crowd of supporters .
Throughout the night , the shape of large Democratic field seemed to change shape in a matter of hours : One candidate with a loyal following , Andrew Yang , dropped out .
Two others who have previously enjoyed the position of strong frontrunner , Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden , finished below 15 % , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the state .
Sanders , a longtime independent from the neighboring state of Vermont , has kept a steady hold on his support .
With his win here and his lead in the raw votes of the nightmarish Iowa caucus , the 78-year-old Vermont senator is poised to leave the first two states in the primary calendar as the dominant candidate just months after a heart attack threatened to detail his candidacy .
In 2016 , he won here by 22 points , setting up a protracted fight for the nomination that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s strength with voters of color .
This time , Sanders is heading into the next two contests — Nevada and South Carolina — as a more popular candidate among black and Latinx voters .
Nationally , he has risen in polls , picked up endorsements from some of the biggest names in Democratic politics , and appears to have a viable path to the nomination — a reality that has already sparked concern inside the party .
Buttigieg , the former South Bend mayor who finished at the top of Iowa with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ second , close with a surprisingly strong Klobuchar .
In Iowa , the state that hosts the first presidential nominating contest every four years , Buttigieg appears to lead on the state delegate equivalents , the standard that in the past has determined the caucus winner , while Sanders won the raw vote count in the both rounds of caucus voting , including after the so-called realignment process , when voters backing candidates who don ’ t reach threshold of 15 % support at a caucus may choose to realign with another candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire , Sanders made a rare mention of Buttigieg by name , telling voters that billionaires “ by the dozen are contributing to Pete Buttigieg ’ s campaign.
” “ Now , I like Pete , he ’ s a smart guy , he ’ s a nice guy , ” he said during a stop in Dover , New Hampshire .
“ But if we are serious about political change in America , that change is not going to be coming from somebody who gets a lot of money from the CEOs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until recently the mayor of a city of just some 100,000 people , wrote an essay praising Sanders as a high school student but is now running as his moderate opposition .
The two share little in common as candidates : Sanders is 78 .
Buttigieg is 38 .
Sanders speaks of bringing massive change to Washington through a working-class movement .
Buttigieg speaks of bold ideas without forcing people to “ choose between a revolution and a status quo.
” With Warren , Biden , and Klobuchar in the race , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there has been only talk but no evidence of an organized or well-funded ‘ Stop Sanders ’ movement .
The closest thing may be the candidacy of former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg , who is funneling tens of millions of dollars from his own fortune into a campaign machine ready to compete in the Democratic primaries that will be held in March .
In this campaign and in his last , the idea of establishment blowback has been fuel for Sanders supporters .
“ We are taking on the Democratic establishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ let me tell you that the big money interests are getting very nervous , ” Sanders said at a rally in Ames , Iowa , days before the state ’ s caucuses .
“ They ’ re looking at recent polls in New Hampshire and in Iowa and they ’ re saying ‘ Oh my god , Sanders can win.
’ ” The night before the primary here , an arena full of 7,000 Sanders supporters in Durham , New Hampshire , came out to see the candidate , Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ roaring energy and intensity that has propelled his movement and alienated his critics .
At one point , when the actor and former New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon spoke of her support for Hillary Clinton four years earlier , the crowd unleashed a wave of boos .
Nixon shook her head and raised her hand .
`` Oh no .
Oh no .
We 're not gon na do that here , '' she said as the boos transitioned to sustained applause .
`` I supported her because I wanted a woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ qualified .
And I thought she was unbeatable , ” she said .
“ But it 's four years later.
” Later in the night during the Strokes show , campus police manning the Whittemore Center Arena had to storm the stage to calm the crowd and help remove bike racks from the mosh pit .
At his victory party on Tuesday night , 1,200 people crowed into the SNHU field house to wait hours for an official result .
On a large projector suspended over the gym , CNN ’ s live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m. , with the results still tight , footage from Buttigieg ’ s election night speech flashed silently on the screen .
The former mayor was congratulating their candidate — “ I admired Sen. Sanders when I was a high school student , I respect him greatly to this day , ” Buttigieg said — but Bernie supporters let out a round of boos as soon as they saw his image .
The crowd fell silent again .
Sanders ’ s campaign playlist rolled on in the background .
Then a new chant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidate ’ s own rhetoric about Buttigieg here in New Hampshire .
By the time he took the stage with his family , the decibel level in the room was so high it was difficult to hear Sanders finish his sentences .
When he expressed his “ appreciation and respect for all the Democratic candidates we ran against ” — congratulating Buttigieg , Klobuchar , Warren , and Biden by name — most of the crowd cheered along .
It was the latest scene from what Sanders has premised as a massive “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and in states across the country : turning non-voters into voters with a promise to expand the Democratic electorate and inspire historic levels of turnout on Election Day .
At town halls and through his large digital platform , he has emphasized the stories of hundreds of individuals who are struggling with low wages , medical debt , student loans , and failing infrastructure , and the everyday anxiety of life in a country that Sanders says is riddled with systemic injustice .
While the strategy appears to have set his campaign up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ primary states , the turnout in Iowa fell short of the record-breaking figures Sanders wanted .
In Iowa , turnout was nearly 173,000 people , just above the levels set in 2016 , when about 170,000 participated in the contest between Sanders and Hillary Clinton .
That level would be well below the almost 240,000 Iowa voters that set a record in 2008 during Barack Obama ’ s first presidential campaign .
“ Not as high , frankly , as I would have liked to have seen , ’ ’ Sanders told reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire .
Turnout in New Hampshire , with votes still being counted , is beyond the levels of 2016 .

MANCHESTER, New Hampshire — Four years after securing a crucial victory in this state during his first presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire primary again here on Tuesday night, marking a significant show of staying power for the senator and his political movement in a rapidly shifting Democratic primary.
Sanders, who spoke to supporters on Tuesday night at the Southern New Hampshire University field house, finished with a smaller margin of victory than his finish in 2016 against Hillary Clinton. Only a couple points and some 4,000 votes separated Sanders and Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday night, with Amy Klobuchar a little further behind.
"And let me say tonight, that this victory here is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump," Sanders told his crowd of supporters.
Throughout the night, the shape of a large Democratic field seemed to change shape in a matter of hours: One candidate with a loyal following, Andrew Yang, dropped out. Two others who have previously enjoyed the position of strong frontrunner, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden, finished below 15%, leaving without collecting a single pledged delegate from the state.
Sanders, a longtime independent from the neighboring state of Vermont, has kept a steady hold on his support. With his win here and his lead in the raw votes of the nightmarish Iowa caucus, the 78-year-old Vermont senator is poised to leave the first two states in the primary calendar as the dominant candidate just months after a heart attack threatened to derail his candidacy.
In 2016, he won here by 22 points, setting up a protracted fight for the nomination that hinged in large part on Clinton’s strength with voters of color.
This time, Sanders is heading into the next two contests — Nevada and South Carolina — as a more popular candidate among black and Latinx voters. Nationally, he has risen in polls, has picked up endorsements from some of the biggest names in Democratic politics, and appears to have a viable path to the nomination — a reality that has already sparked concern inside the party.
Buttigieg, the former South Bend mayor who finished at the top of Iowa with Sanders, looks to be finishing in second, close with a surprisingly strong Klobuchar. In Iowa, the state that hosts the first presidential nominating contest every four years, Buttigieg appears to lead on the state delegate equivalents, the standard that in the past has determined the caucus winner, while Sanders won the raw vote count in both rounds of caucus voting, including after the so-called realignment process, when voters backing candidates who don’t reach threshold of 15% support at a caucus may choose to realign with another candidate.
On the campaign trail in New Hampshire, Sanders made a rare mention of Buttigieg by name, telling voters that billionaires “by the dozen are contributing to Pete Buttigieg’s campaign.”
“Now, I like Pete. He’s a smart guy. He’s a nice guy,” he said during a stop in Dover, New Hampshire. “But if we are serious about political change in America, that change is not going to be coming from somebody who gets a lot of money from the CEOs of the pharmaceutical industry.”
Buttigieg, until recently the mayor of a city of just some 100,000 people, wrote an essay praising Sanders as a high school student but is now running as his moderate opposition. The two share little in common as candidates: Sanders is 78. Buttigieg is 38. Sanders speaks of bringing massive change to Washington through a working-class movement. Buttigieg speaks of bold ideas without forcing people to “choose between a revolution and a status quo.”
With Warren, Biden, and Klobuchar in the race, and loyalties split across the Democratic field, there has been only talk but no evidence of an organized or well-funded "stop Sanders" movement. The closest thing may be the candidacy of former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is funneling tens of millions of dollars from his own fortune into a campaign machine ready to compete in the Democratic primaries that will be held in March.
In this campaign and in his last, the idea of establishment blowback has been fuel for Sanders supporters.
“We are taking on the Democratic establishment, and all across the country, let me tell you that the big money interests are getting very nervous,” Sanders said at a rally in Ames, Iowa, days before the state’s caucuses. “They’re looking at recent polls in New Hampshire and in Iowa and they’re saying ‘Oh my god, Sanders can win.’”
The night before the primary here, an arena full of 7,000 Sanders supporters in Durham, New Hampshire, came out to see the candidate, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the Strokes, with the same roaring energy and intensity that has propelled his movement and alienated his critics.
At one point, when the actor and former New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon spoke of her support for Hillary Clinton four years earlier, the crowd unleashed a wave of boos.
Nixon shook her head and raised her hand. "Oh no. Oh no. We're not gonna do that here," she said as the boos transitioned to sustained applause.
"I supported her because I wanted a woman president. I thought she was incredibly qualified. And I thought she was unbeatable,” she said. “But it's four years later.”
Later in the night during the Strokes' show, campus police manning the Whittemore Center Arena had to storm the stage to calm the crowd and help remove bike racks from the mosh pit.
At his victory party on Tuesday night, 1,200 people crowed into the SNHU field house to wait hours for an official result. On a large projector suspended over the gym, CNN’s live coverage played on mute. Around 11 p.m., with the results still tight, footage from Buttigieg’s election night speech flashed silently on the screen. The former mayor was congratulating their candidate — “I admired Sen. Sanders when I was a high school student. I respect him greatly to this day,” Buttigieg said — but Bernie supporters let out a round of boos as soon as they saw his image.
“BERNIE BEATS TRUMP, BERNIE BEATS TRUMP,” they shouted.
The crowd fell silent again. Sanders’s campaign playlist rolled on in the background.
Then a new chant started up, echoing some of the candidate’s own rhetoric about Buttigieg here in New Hampshire.
“WALL STREET PETE,” they said. “WALL STREET PETE.”
By the time he took the stage with his family, the decibel level in the room was so high it was difficult to hear Sanders finish his sentences. When he expressed his “appreciation and respect for all the Democratic candidates we ran against” — congratulating Buttigieg, Klobuchar, Warren, and Biden by name — most of the crowd cheered along.
It was the latest scene from what Sanders has premised as a massive “gamble” here in New Hampshire and in states across the country: turning nonvoters into voters with a promise to expand the Democratic electorate and inspire historic levels of turnout on Election Day.
At town halls and through his large digital platform, he has emphasized the stories of hundreds of individuals who are struggling with low wages, medical debt, student loans, and failing infrastructure, and the everyday anxiety of life in a country that Sanders says is riddled with systemic injustice.
While the strategy appears to have set his campaign up for a strong performance in the early primary states, the turnout in Iowa fell short of the record-breaking figures Sanders wanted.
In Iowa, turnout was nearly 173,000 people, just above the levels set in 2016, when about 170,000 participated in the contest between Sanders and Hillary Clinton. That level would be well below the almost 240,000 Iowa voters that set a record in 2008 during Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign.
“Not as high, frankly, as I would have liked to have seen,’’ Sanders told reporters last week before leaving Iowa for New Hampshire.
Turnout in New Hampshire, with votes still being counted, is beyond the levels of 2016 and could still surpass 2008's.


buzzfeed--2020-02-12--Andrew Yang’s Supporters Said They’re Not Finished Even As His Campaign Ends

Yang ’ s supporters aren ’ t too worried about the results of any of the primaries .
The growth of the movement around Yang ’ s campaign , they said , has pushed ideas like UBI into the national conversation , and pushed candidates to talk about issues like automation , even if Yang ’ s actual candidacy has stalled out .
Over the course of the campaign , Yang amassed a large following of supporters online and across the United States , which helped propel his long-shot campaign — and his focus on universal basic income and automation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , New Hampshire — Andrew Yang dropped out of the presidential race soon after the polls closed in New Hampshire , telling the audience in a Manchester ballroom that the campaign couldn ’ t find a way to move forward .
The audience here at the Yang watch party started chanting “ 2024 !
” as he told them he was leaving the race .
“ We highlighted the real problems in our communities as our economy is being transformed before our eyes by technology and automation .
Americans know now that when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you don ’ t find wall to wall immigrants doing work you find wall to wall robot arms and machines doing the work people used to do , ” Yang told the crowd here .
“ We stood on the debate stage and shifted our national conversation to include the 4th industrial revolution — a topic no one wanted to touch.
” Yang ’ s supporters at the watch party here were lively early on in the night , as initial results rolled in on a CNN broadcast projected onto screens .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ just as raucous when Yang told the crowd that he would be ending his campaign .
“ Endings are , hard New Hampshire , but this is not an ending .
This is a beginning , ” Yang told the crowd .
“ This is just the starting line .
This campaign has awakened something fundamental in this country and ourselves.
” “ THIS IS A MOVEMENT !
” someone shouted back from the audience .
“ The Yang Gang has fundamentally shifted the direction of this country and transformed our politics and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” Yang said .
“ While we didn ’ t win this election we are just getting started .
This is the beginning !
This movement is the future of American politics !
This movement is the future of the Democratic Party !
” The vibe was much the same last week in Iowa , where Yang had a disappointing caucus performance .
Yang himself had showed up to a packed high school gym in West Des Moines to make his pitch to Iowans just minutes before they were set to caucus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both of the precincts that had gathered in the gym .
His supporters there also said they didn ’ t care about how Yang finished , and they were still supportive of his message .
They pointed to the crowd of nearly 1,400 who showed up to his final rally in Des Moines the Saturday night before the caucus , the thousands of fans who ’ ve defended and funded him online , and the conversations on the debate stage about UBI .
“ If we want to talk about numbers and support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Marriott in downtown Des Moines and we had a rally five or six hours after him , and when you ’ re outnumbering Bernie , that ’ s a pretty big deal , ” said Marc Kalockow , a 21-year-old volunteer photographer from Detroit who followed the campaign across the country .
“ Myself , Andrew Yang , and a lot of people in the Yang Gang were Bernie 2016 people , and we can understand the energy and base that Bernie has , and how we ’ re showing this record @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the ground game , and how it ’ s translating to all of this hype.
” In New Hampshire , after Yang announced he was leaving the race , supporters here told BuzzFeed News that they were going to continue pushing the Democratic Party to support his ideas .
“ There are so many people who are falling through the cracks , and there are people who are living under bridges across the country .
And if they had a universal basic income , they ’ d be on their way toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a Yang supporter from Nashua , told BuzzFeed News .
“ I think this is a whole movement .
It ’ s a whole paradigm shift .
He was the ONLY one articulating things like this.
” “ We stuck with him because we wanted him to have a strong enough message so that these other candidates will see people agree with him , and maybe he ’ s someone who should be in a cabinet position , ” Hugenberger added .
“ I don ’ t feel bad that he lost the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have lost the battle for the presidency , but we haven ’ t lost the war of getting the message out.
” Nathan Stalder , a Yang precinct captain from Martensdale , Iowa , also said he believes the growth of their movement over the past two years was more important than the results in Iowa , and pointed to the support Sanders was able to garner after running for the Democratic nomination in 2015 .
“ If you look at Biden , Sanders , Warren — you knew they were going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Iowa last week .
“ The good thing is we ’ ve gone from no one knowing to maybe eight out of 10 knowing who he is.
” “ Just like Bernie last time , I think he has that potential , and I wish it would be this term , ” Stadler said .
Yang supporters in Iowa and New Hampshire pointed to Sanders making Medicare for All a popular position among Democrats after the 2016 election as an example of the influence they hope Yang ’ s campaign will have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues that all Democratic candidates embrace .
“ I think that the more time goes on , the more his message is going to resonate , because these problems aren ’ t going to go away , ” Eddie Berke , a Yang supporter from New Hampshire told BuzzFeed News at the Manchester party .
“ Even this cycle you can hear people start to echo him .
He was a leading voice , but he just didn ’ t have the name recognition to get the votes.
” While supporters mingled excitedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comforted a volunteer who ’ d been following Yang around the country and who , overwhelmed by the news , was crying .
“ Whatever you thought Yang would do as president for your family , the Yang gang will handle now , ” they told him .
As staff members started breaking down the stage , Vermin Supreme , a New Hampshire political legend and frequent candidate known for wearing a boot over his head , climbed on stage to say hello to the remaining members of the crowd who were still @ @ @ @

“We highlighted the real problems in our communities as our economy is being transformed before our eyes by technology and automation. Americans know now that when you go to a factory in Michigan, you don’t find wall-to-wall immigrants doing work — you find wall-to-wall robot arms and machines doing the work people used to do,” Yang told the crowd here. “We stood on the debate stage and shifted our national conversation to include the Fourth Industrial Revolution — a topic no one wanted to touch.”
Early on in the night, Yang’s supporters at the watch party here were lively as initial results rolled in on a CNN broadcast projected onto screens. They crowded into the room and were just as raucous when Yang told the crowd that he would be ending his campaign.
“Endings are hard, New Hampshire, but this is not an ending. This is a beginning,” Yang told the crowd. “This is just the starting line. This campaign has awakened something fundamental in this country and ourselves.”
“THIS IS A MOVEMENT!” someone shouted back from the audience.
“The Yang Gang has fundamentally shifted the direction of this country and transformed our politics, and we’re only continuing to grow,” Yang said. “While we didn’t win this election, we are just getting started. This is the beginning! This movement is the future of American politics! This movement is the future of the Democratic Party!”
The vibe was much the same last week in Iowa, where Yang had a disappointing caucus performance. Yang himself had shown up to a packed high school gym in West Des Moines to make his pitch to Iowans just minutes before they were set to caucus; he failed to reach viability in both of the precincts that had gathered in the gym.
His supporters there also said they didn’t care about how Yang finished, and they were still supportive of his message. They pointed to the crowd of nearly 1,400 people who showed up to his final rally in Des Moines on Saturday night before the caucus, the thousands of fans who’ve defended and funded him online, and the conversations on the debate stage about UBI.
“If we want to talk about numbers and support, Bernie Sanders had a rally at the Marriott in downtown Des Moines — and we had a rally five or six hours after him, and when you’re outnumbering Bernie, that’s a pretty big deal,” said Marc Kalockow, a 21-year-old volunteer photographer from Detroit who followed the campaign across the country. “Myself, Andrew Yang, and a lot of people in the Yang Gang were Bernie 2016 people, and we can understand the energy and base that Bernie has, and how we’re showing this record number of growth in the Yang Gang and the ground game, and how it’s translating to all of this hype.”
In New Hampshire, after Yang announced he was leaving the race, supporters here told BuzzFeed News that they were going to continue pushing the Democratic Party to support his ideas.
“There are so many people who are falling through the cracks, and there are people who are living under bridges across the country. And if they had a universal basic income, they’d be on their way toward being OK,” Roy Hugenberger, a Yang supporter from Nashua, told BuzzFeed News. “I think this is a whole movement. It’s a whole paradigm shift. He was the only one articulating things like this.”
“We stuck with him because we wanted him to have a strong enough message so that these other candidates will see people agree with him, and maybe he’s someone who should be in a cabinet position,” Hugenberger added. “I don’t feel bad that he lost the presidency. I mean, we may have lost the battle for the presidency, but we haven’t lost the war of getting the message out.”
Nathan Stalder, a Yang precinct captain from Martensdale, Iowa, also said he believes the growth of their movement over the past two years was more important than the results in Iowa. He pointed to the support Sanders was able to garner after running for the Democratic nomination in 2015.
“If you look at Biden, Sanders, Warren — you knew they were going to put up numbers,” Stalder said in Iowa last week. “The good thing is we’ve gone from no one knowing to maybe 8 out of 10 knowing who he is.”
“Just like Bernie last time, I think he has that potential — and I wish it would be this term,” he added.
Yang supporters in Iowa and New Hampshire pointed to Sanders making Medicare for All a popular position among Democrats after the 2016 election as an example of the influence they hope Yang’s campaign will have on making UBI and preparing for automation issues that all Democratic candidates embrace.
“I think that the more time goes on, the more his message is going to resonate — because these problems aren’t going to go away,” Eddie Berke, a Yang supporter from New Hampshire told BuzzFeed News at the Manchester party. “Even this cycle you can hear people start to echo him. He was a leading voice, but he just didn’t have the name recognition to get the votes.”
While supporters mingled excitedly in the room here, staff members comforted a volunteer who’d been following Yang around the country and who, overwhelmed by the news, was crying.
“Whatever you thought Yang would do as president for your family, the Yang Gang will handle now,” they told him.
As staff members started breaking down the stage, Vermin Supreme, a New Hampshire political legend and frequent candidate known for wearing a boot over his head, climbed onstage to say hello to the remaining members of the crowd who were still talking about Yang.
“Boot head head! Boot head head!” the crowd cheered.