buzzfeed--2020-01-21--The Elizabeth Warren News Cycle Has Pushed Bernie Sanders Supporters Even Closer To His Campaign

EXETER , New Hampshire — Some of Sen. Bernie Sanders ’ most diehard supporters have looked at the conflict swirling around their candidate in the last week and come to a conclusion : they ’ re for Sanders now more than ever , standing against both Sen. Elizabeth Warren and the mainstream media .
During campaign events in New Hampshire , Sanders supporters said they believed the feud over what was said in a private 2018 meeting between the two senators would hurt Warren ’ s chances in the election .
And they said the days of debate and Warren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he didn ’ t believe a woman could win the 2020 election have fueled them to consider Sanders as the only candidate they would vote for .
Sanders has consistently denied making that claim to Warren .
In a dozen interviews , supporters said they saw the controversy as manufactured by the Warren campaign and exacerbated by the media in an attempt to sink Sanders .
“ I got pretty agitated by the Warren and Bernie thing .
Warren ’ s comment about Bernie saying he said a woman couldn ’ t win @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I really take issue with how she ’ s handled herself , ” Helen Weatherall , a Sanders organizer from Massachusetts , told BuzzFeed News .
“ To play the race card , to play the gender card — what it does is harm them , in my view .
I don ’ t respect them anymore if they play that card .
It ’ s cheap and lazy.
” “ She can ’ t be taking advantage of the same identity politics that Trump is using to harm America , ” said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders supporters and speakers who introduced him over the weekend also pointed to the media as an agitator in the rift .
“ It ’ s so obvious , we feel vindicated that some of those things are becoming more obvious to average people , ” Penaloza said , pointing to the story first reported by CNN about the private meeting between Sanders and Warren as an example of what they see as media bias against Sanders .
“ Bernie is an outsider to all of that and the establishment and the establishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quo .
And that is finally becoming more evident in events like this taking place on the campaign trail.
” “ I blame CNN for doing this two days before the debate , ” said Andrew Kimball , a Sanders supporter who said he respected Warren .
“ I ’ ve wanted to bury my head in the sand and pretend it ’ s not happening and it ’ s something I tried not to engage on because it got a little bit vitriolic.
” Kimball added that he doesn ’ t think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates helped Warren ’ s chances in the election and that it doesn ’ t hurt Sanders at all .
“ I don ’ t know if that was the best strategy , ” Kimball said , pointing to Warren ’ s refusal to further explain the conversation .
When Naomi Klein , an author and Sanders campaign surrogate , introduced Sanders at a town hall in Exeter , she didn ’ t specifically mention the feud between the two campaigns , but she told the crowd that the media was trying to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ candidates .
“ It ’ s not going to work , ” she added .
Last week , a cadre of progressive organizations including Democracy for America , the Working Families Party , and Our Revolution asked their supporters to unite behind the progressive movement and to commit to caucusing for Sanders or Warren in the Iowa caucus and to continue to support a progressive candidate in races further into the primary election .
Some Sanders supporters said they disagreed with the push from progressive groups to get members to support either of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I ’ m more Bernie or bust now than ever , ” said Penaloza .
“ I trust him more than I trust any other politician.
” “ In reality , I ’ ll tell them fine , recognize that there ’ s a vocal contingent of Bernie supporters that will not necessarily vote for another Democratic candidate in the field other than Bernie , ” he added .


buzzfeed--2020-01-21--The Iranian Woman In The #IraniansDetestSoleimani Viral Video Was Also A Lobbyist For A Militia In L

The Iranian Woman In The #IraniansDetestSoleimani Viral Video Was Also A Lobbyist For A Militia In Libya

In the first six days following the death of Soleimani , the head of the country ’ s Quds Force , Kasraie ’ s video was the single most popular piece of content about Iran on Facebook , aside from posts from President Donald Trump ’ s own page .
In the video , Kasraie , who describes herself as an Iranian activist , says Iranians were celebrating Soleimani ’ s death , thanking Trump , and giving out cakes on the street as a symbol of their joy .
“ I feel like we ’ re living in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m completely outraged at this notion that the propaganda machine that is the media is glorifying Qassem Soleimani , ” she says in the video .
At no point during the five-minute video , in which she praised the US drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani , did Saghar Erica Kasraie mention that she had worked in 2019 for Linden Government Solutions , a Texas-based lobbying firm hired to represent the Libyan National Army , a militia in the north African country led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar , a former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who spent much of the last two decades living in Virginia , during which time he worked with the CIA .
A viral video titled “ Truth From an Iranian , ” which has amassed more than 10 million views across Facebook , Twitter , and YouTube , was created by a registered lobbyist who previously worked for a militia group fighting in a bitter civil war in Libya .
The YouTube version of Kasraie ’ s video has been viewed 5.5 million times , going viral as a link on Facebook after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ page called Bakersfield Tuff and a slew of pro-Trump sites and pages .
Another copy of the video , shared on Kasraie ’ s Facebook page , has been viewed another 3.7 million times .
Kasraie does not list her time with Linden on her LinkedIn profile and said in a conversation with BuzzFeed News that her work for the firm in Washington , DC , was strictly logistical .
“ It was short project as a consultant , ” she said .
`` I worked directly for Linden and helped with logistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ Just facilitated and coordinated meetings for Linden.
” However , public documents filed through the Foreign Agent Registration Act show she worked as a part-time lobbyist last year .
Her lobbying activity was previously reported on by Al-Monitor .
According to her registration , Kasraie ’ s job entailed “ Planning , coordinating meetings with Government , Business representatives , and think tanks , and other government relations services in support of Client 's diplomatic goals ” on behalf of the “ Decision Support Center of Libya ( on behalf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” When asked if the Libyan National Army was the firm ’ s only client , a representative for Linden Government Solutions told BuzzFeed News , “ I don ’ t know what you ’ re talking about , but I ’ d say no and I ’ d prefer not to continue.
” Kasraie denied her work for Linden had anything to do with the Iran video , telling BuzzFeed News that she decided to record the video because her American friends were asking for her opinion about the aftermath of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oh my gosh , the media is crazy .
They 're not reporting about what 's going on , ” she said .
The video first went viral when it was posted on the Bakersfield Tuff Facebook page , which describes itself as a community for “ Racing , rodeo , drinking , trucks , country music , hunting , fishing , drags , choppers , guns , fabrication , country girls.
” The Bakersfield Tuff post was shared 17,000 times .
“ An inside look from an Iranian .
She 's very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really going on .
All sides should watch this .
Her point is logical and calming , ” the Bakersfield Tuff page wrote .
The video was also boosted by large right-leaning Facebook pages , like the American Preppers Network and Chicks on the Right .
In addition to its organic engagement , Kasraie ’ s YouTube video was boosted by being tagged # IraniansDetestSoleimani , a hashtag that was amplified by inauthentic Twitter accounts several minutes after the video was posted .
Kasraie denied that the inauthentic activity surrounding the video was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that her video had been successful because people agreed with what she had to say .
“ I think there was a certain pulse in response to that video , ” she said .
Asked why she chose that hashtag , she said it “ was spinning around ” online .
The huge views on her video earned Kasraie several TV appearances , including on the Christian Broadcasting Network , The Ingraham Angle , and Fox News , which described her as an adviser to the National Iranian Congress , a dissident group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There ’ s no indication that Linden was involved in setting up the interviews .
Kasraie is now the vice president of human rights policy for the Middle East at the Victor Marx Group , a Christian organization that provides humanitarian aid .
Kasraie ’ s employee page for the Victor Marx Group embeds her Iran video but does not disclose her work for Linden .
Libya has been in a civil war for nine years , primarily between the Government of National Accord , a UN-backed government that sits in Tripoli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which control the eastern part of the country , including Benghazi .
“ What they ’ re vying for beyond just control of the capital in Libya , Tripoli , and the country at large — they 're also vying for international legitimacy , ” Anas El Gomati , the director of the Sadeq Institute , Libya ’ s first think tank based in Tripoli , told BuzzFeed News .
El Gomati said Haftar hopes to gain the support of the US government .
“ They need lobbying efforts to do that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a war on terror in Libya , which is deeply divisive and massively contested in terms of the kind of opponents and targets that they have claimed are terrorist targets and legitimate targets , ” El Gomati said .
The International Criminal Court has investigated Haftar ’ s attacks in Libya and issued two arrest warrants for one of his lieutenants .
However , Trump has praised Haftar , and even placed a phone call to him in April 2019 without the knowledge of the State and Defense Departments , before reversing his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grateful for President Trump and the groups that support him , ” Kasraie said of the support her video has received from pro-Trump internet communities .
“ I think I represent Iranians that support Trump .
”

The YouTube version of Kasraie’s video has been viewed 5.5 million times, going viral as a link on Facebook after it was posted to a right-leaning lifestyle page called Bakersfield Tuff and a slew of pro-Trump sites and pages. Another copy of the video, shared on Kasraie’s Facebook page, has been viewed another 3.7 million times.
Kasraie does not list her time with Linden on her LinkedIn profile and said in a conversation with BuzzFeed News that her work for the firm in Washington, DC, was strictly logistical. “It was short project as a consultant,” she said.
"I worked directly for Linden and helped with logistics for meetings in Washington," Kasraie said. “Just facilitated and coordinated meetings for Linden.”
However, public documents filed through the Foreign Agent Registration Act show she worked as a part-time lobbyist last year. Her lobbying activity was previously reported on by Al-Monitor.
According to her registration, Kasraie’s job entailed “Planning, coordinating meetings with Government, Business representatives, and think tanks, and other government relations services in support of Client's diplomatic goals” on behalf of the “Decision Support Center of Libya (on behalf of the Libyan National Army).”
When asked if the Libyan National Army was the firm’s only client, a representative for Linden Government Solutions told BuzzFeed News, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’d say no and I’d prefer not to continue.”
Kasraie denied her work for Linden had anything to do with the Iran video, telling BuzzFeed News that she decided to record the video because her American friends were asking for her opinion about the aftermath of the Soleimani killing. “I thought, Oh my gosh, the media is crazy. They're not reporting about what's going on,” she said.
The video first went viral when it was posted on the Bakersfield Tuff Facebook page, which describes itself as a community for “Racing, rodeo, drinking, trucks, country music, hunting, fishing, drags, choppers, guns, fabrication, country girls.” The Bakersfield Tuff post was shared 17,000 times.
“An inside look from an Iranian. She's very well spoken and clear on what's really going on. All sides should watch this. Her point is logical and calming,” the Bakersfield Tuff page wrote.
The video was also boosted by large right-leaning Facebook pages, like the American Preppers Network and Chicks on the Right.
In addition to its organic engagement, Kasraie’s YouTube video was boosted by being tagged #IraniansDetestSoleimani, a hashtag that was amplified by inauthentic Twitter accounts several minutes after the video was posted.
Kasraie denied that the inauthentic activity surrounding the video was linked to her lobbying firm, saying that her video had been successful because people agreed with what she had to say. “I think there was a certain pulse in response to that video,” she said.
Asked why she chose that hashtag, she said it “was spinning around” online.
The huge views on her video earned Kasraie several TV appearances, including on the Christian Broadcasting Network, The Ingraham Angle, and Fox News, which described her as an adviser to the National Iranian Congress, a dissident group with a headquarters in Washington, DC. There’s no indication that Linden was involved in setting up the interviews.
Kasraie is now the vice president of human rights policy for the Middle East at the Victor Marx Group, a Christian organization that provides humanitarian aid. Kasraie’s employee page for the Victor Marx Group embeds her Iran video but does not disclose her work for Linden.
Libya has been in a civil war for nine years, primarily between the Government of National Accord, a UN-backed government that sits in Tripoli, and Haftar’s forces, which control the eastern part of the country, including Benghazi.
“What they’re vying for beyond just control of the capital in Libya, Tripoli, and the country at large — they're also vying for international legitimacy,” Anas El Gomati, the director of the Sadeq Institute, Libya’s first think tank based in Tripoli, told BuzzFeed News.
El Gomati said Haftar hopes to gain the support of the US government.
“They need lobbying efforts to do that, but also to promote this narrative of a war on terror in Libya, which is deeply divisive and massively contested in terms of the kind of opponents and targets that they have claimed are terrorist targets and legitimate targets,” El Gomati said.
The International Criminal Court has investigated Haftar’s attacks in Libya and issued two arrest warrants for one of his lieutenants. However, Trump has praised Haftar, and even placed a phone call to him in April 2019 without the knowledge of the State and Defense Departments, before reversing his support in June.
“I'm grateful for President Trump and the groups that support him,” Kasraie said of the support her video has received from pro-Trump internet communities. “I think I represent Iranians that support Trump.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-21--Watch Live: Senate Republicans Won't Call Witnesses In Trump's Impeachment Trial — For Now

WASHINGTON — The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump started Tuesday afternoon with a fight over the rules .
The House impeached Trump in December , charging him with abuse of power for withholding aid from Ukraine in a campaign to pressure the country to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his family .
Trump was also charged with obstruction of Congress for preventing members of his administration from testifying about the Ukraine saga .
The first step in the trial is to pass a set of rules Tuesday that will dictate the next steps .
Democrats wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but Republicans , whose majority carried a party-line vote , ensured that is a decision to be made later .
Once the Senate has passed all its rules , House Democrats and the White House will lay out their respective cases while senators , acting as the jury , sit silently without even access to their phones .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced a rules resolution Monday that would compact the trial into long days .
If adopted , the rules would allow each side 24 hours to make its opening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the Senate is in session .
Those opening arguments are expected to begin Wednesday with Democrats making their case through Friday .
The White House will likely make its arguments Saturday , Monday , and Tuesday .
( The Senate will take Sunday off ) .
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts will preside over the trial .
After opening arguments , senators will be able to ask questions of both legal teams — they have to be written down , as the senators must stay silent as jurors during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow senators 16 hours to question the two sides .
After that , there would be debate for a maximum of four hours again taking up the issue of whether to subpoena witnesses or documents , followed by a vote .
It takes 51 senators for that vote to be successful .
All 47 Democrats are likely to be in favor , meaning they ’ ll likely need four Republicans to join them .
It will be an uphill battle for Democrats to be able to subpoena witnesses or documents during the impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Senate .
The first attempt by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to be able to call witnesses and subpoena documents from the White House before opening arguments was shut down along party lines Tuesday afternoon , with all 53 Republicans tabling the motion .
A second motion by Schumer requesting similar documents from the White House was also struck down with an identical party-line vote .
Schumer introduced a third motion requesting documents from the Office of Management and Budget , including communications between Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney , Senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Robert Blair and OMB Associate Director Michael Duffey about military aide for Ukraine that was delayed .
All three officials defied subpoenas for the documents .
That motion was also expected to be shut down by the Republican-led Senate .
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said McConnell `` is hell-bent on making it much more difficult to get witnesses and documents and intent on rushing the trial through . ''
He said he would put forward amendments to the resolution today .
But those will likely fail .
McConnell has said for weeks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on board for his rules package .
Still , Democrats can propose a series of amendments Tuesday to force vulnerable Republicans into politically awkward votes .
What 's less clear is whether Democrats can eventually muster 51 votes to call witnesses .
Though senators Susan Collins and Mitt Romney voted Tuesday to table the motion on calling witnesses , they may vote for it later .
It remains unclear how long the trial will last , but it will begin every day — Monday through Saturday — at 1 p.m. All senators must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meaning that the Senate Democrats running for president will be away from the campaign trail as the Feb. 3 Iowa Caucuses near .
Trump ’ s top advisers refused to answer subpoenas during the House investigation into whether Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine unless the country announced an investigation into Biden and his family .
But in recent weeks Trump ’ s former national security adviser John Bolton announced he would testify before the Senate if subpoenaed .
Whether that happens will not be decided today , or any time soon .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Sen. Adam Schiff argued in his opening remarks that the Senate should be able to hear from new witnesses and evidence , pointing out that many witnesses have not already testified because the White House instructed them not to .
`` It would be wrong to assert that the Senate is unable to obtain and review new evidence during a Senate trial regardless fo why evidence was not presented in the House , '' Schiff said .
`` The president can not complain that we did not call these witnesses before the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the president himself . ''
Pat Cipollone , who is representing the president in the impeachment trial , argued that the rules are based on the rules that were set during the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton .
`` It is a fair way to proceed with this trial , '' he said in his brief opening statement .
`` It is modeled on the Clinton resolution , which had 100 senators supporting it the last time this body considered an impeachment . ''
But Democrats argued Tuesday that there were significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're really serious about modeling this proceeding after the Clinton trial , the Clinton precedent is one where all the documents had been provided upfront , where all the witnesses had testified prior to the trial , '' Schiff said .
McConnell had originally said that both sides would have up to 24 hours to make their arguments over the course of just two session days ; since the proceedings start every day at 1 p.m. , House managers would have to talk past midnight to use up their full 24 hours @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of pushing testimony to the dead of night .
But on Tuesday , the Republican leader introduced rules that would give both sides three session days to make their cases , so the trial is still likely to go late each day of arguments , but not until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. , as originally thought .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi selected seven members to serve as impeachment managers who will make the case to impeach Trump : Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff , Judiciary Committee chair Jerry Nadler , and Reps. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Demings , Jason Crow , and Sylvia Garcia .
The White House ’ s impeachment defense team will include Ken Starr , the prosecutor who headed the investigation that led to Clinton ’ s impeachment ; White House counsel Pat Cipollone , Trump ’ s personal lawyers Jay Sekulow and Jane Raskin , constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz , former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi , and Robert Ray , who took over for Starr as independent counsel during Clinton ’ s presidency .
Trump has also named several House Republicans to his impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak during the trial .
Instead , they ’ ll work on messaging for the president , so expect to see these faces on cable news : Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio , Mark Meadows of North Carolina , Doug Collins of Georgia , Mike Johnson of Louisiana , Debbie Lesko of Wisconsin , John Ratcliffe of Illinois , and Elise Stefanik and Lee Zeldin of New York .
This is a developing story .
Check back for updates and follow BuzzFeed News on Twitter.

WASHINGTON — The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump began Tuesday afternoon with a fight over the rules.
The House impeached Trump in December, charging him with abuse of power for withholding aid from Ukraine in a campaign to pressure the country to investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his family. Trump was also charged with obstruction of Congress for preventing members of his administration from testifying about the Ukraine saga.
The first step in the trial was to pass a set of rules Tuesday that will dictate the next steps. Democrats wanted to guarantee that witnesses will be called, but Republicans, whose majority carried a party-line vote, ensured that is a decision to be made later.
As promised, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell passed the rules without Democratic support just before 2am Wednesday, after 13 hours of debating amendments — all of which failed. Starting Wednesday afternoon, House Democrats and the White House will begin to lay out their respective cases while senators, acting as the jury, sit silently without even access to their phones. The new rules will compact the trial into long days, allowing each side 24 hours to make its opening arguments over the course of three days that the Senate is in session.
Those opening arguments are expected to begin Wednesday with Democrats making their case through Friday. The White House will likely make its arguments Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday. (The Senate will take Sunday off.)
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts is presiding over the trial.
After opening arguments, senators will be able to ask questions of both legal teams — but they have to be written down, as the senators must stay silent as jurors during the trial. McConnell's rules would allow senators 16 hours to question the two sides.
After that, there would be debate for a maximum of four hours again taking up the issue of whether to subpoena witnesses or documents, followed by a vote. It takes 51 senators for that vote to be successful. All 47 Democrats are likely to be in favor, meaning they’ll likely need four Republicans to join them.
It will be an uphill battle for Democrats to be able to subpoena witnesses or documents during the impeachment with 53 Republicans holding the majority in the Senate.
The first attempt by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to be able to call witnesses and subpoena documents from the White House before opening arguments was shut down along party lines Tuesday afternoon, with all 53 Republicans tabling the motion.
In all, 11 amendments from Schumer were voted down — 10 on party-line votes, including motions to request documents from the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Defense Department, as well as motions to subpoena testimony from former national security adviser John Bolton, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, his aide Robert Blair, and OMB's Michael Duffey. Significantly, Democrats also proposed having Chief Justice Roberts authorize subpoenas for witnesses and documents, but that too failed on a party-line vote.
Republicans also voted down a Schumer amendment that stated that if Trump's defense team introduced any evidence in the trial that Democrats had already subpoenaed, they would have to release all the other information requested in that subpoena as well. And they rejected a measure that would have removed a hurdle toward calling witnesses later in the trial.
Just one amendment received any bipartisan support — Republican Sen. Susan Collins joined Democrats in voting for another Schumer motion to give the legal teams more time to respond to each others' motions. But, with just 48 votes, it still didn't pass.
Schumer said McConnell "is hell-bent on making it much more difficult to get witnesses and documents and intent on rushing the trial through."
McConnell had said for weeks that he had all 53 Republican senators on board for his rules package. Still, Democrats proposed a series of amendments Tuesday to try to force vulnerable Republicans into politically awkward votes. What's less clear is whether Democrats can eventually muster 51 votes to call witnesses. Though Sens. Susan Collins and Mitt Romney voted Tuesday to table the motion on calling witnesses, they may vote for it later.
It remains unclear how long the trial will last, but it will begin every day — Monday through Saturday — at 1 p.m. All senators must be in attendance during the trial, meaning that the Senate Democrats running for president will be away from the campaign trail as the Feb. 3 Iowa caucuses near.
Trump’s top advisers refused to answer subpoenas during the House investigation into whether Trump withheld military aid from Ukraine unless the country announced an investigation into Biden and his family. But in recent weeks Bolton announced he would testify before the Senate if subpoenaed.
Whether that happens will not be decided anytime soon.
Pushing back against McConnell's proposed rules, Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff argued in his opening remarks that the Senate should be able to hear from new witnesses and evidence, pointing out that many witnesses have not already testified because the White House instructed them not to.
"It would be wrong to assert that the Senate is unable to obtain and review new evidence during a Senate trial regardless fo why evidence was not presented in the House," Rep. Schiff said. "The president cannot complain that we did not call these witnesses before the House when their unavailability was caused by the president himself."
Pat Cipollone, who is representing Trump in the impeachment trial, argued that the rules are based on the rules that were set during the impeachment trial of former president Bill Clinton (though McConnell did make changes).
"It is a fair way to proceed with this trial," he said in his brief opening statement. "It is modeled on the Clinton resolution, which had 100 senators supporting it the last time this body considered an impeachment."
But Democrats argued Tuesday that there were significant changes to the rules.
"If we're really serious about modeling this proceeding after the Clinton trial, the Clinton precedent is one where all the documents had been provided upfront, where all the witnesses had testified prior to the trial," Schiff said.
McConnell had originally said that both sides would have up to 24 hours to make their arguments over the course of just two session days; since the proceedings start every day at 1 p.m., House managers would have to talk past midnight to use up their full 24 hours in that time. Democrats accused McConnell of pushing testimony to the dead of night. But on Tuesday, the Republican leader introduced rules that would give both sides three session days to make their cases, so the trial is still likely to go late each day of arguments, but not until 2 a.m. or 3 a.m., as originally thought.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi selected seven members to serve as impeachment managers who will make the case to impeach Trump: Schiff, Judiciary Committee chair Jerry Nadler, and Reps. Zoe Lofgren, Hakeem Jeffries, Val Demings, Jason Crow, and Sylvia Garcia.
The White House’s impeachment defense team will include Ken Starr, the prosecutor who headed the investigation that led to Clinton’s impeachment; White House counsel Pat Cipollone; Trump’s personal lawyers Jay Sekulow and Jane Raskin; constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz; former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi; and Robert Ray, who took over for Starr as independent counsel during Clinton’s presidency.
Trump has also named several House Republicans to his impeachment team, though they will reportedly not speak during the trial. Instead, they’ll work on messaging for the president, so expect to see these faces on cable news: Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mark Meadows of North Carolina, Doug Collins of Georgia, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Debbie Lesko of Wisconsin, John Ratcliffe of Illinois, and Elise Stefanik and Lee Zeldin of New York.


buzzfeed--2020-01-21--Bernie Sanders And Elizabeth Warren Can’t Both Be President

Let 's open by saying : We all tire of horse race BS — the inevitable four paragraphs in a story that explains two polling cross tabs relevant to the policy/region/race/gender/age/religion , and what concerns Mr. Biden 's senior advisers about the cross tabs , as though you need proof that this story matters before you 're allowed to continue reading .
But , eventually , there is a point at which voters — literal voters — congregate in the cafeterias and conference centers of Iowa and , over a period of hours , select a Democratic candidate , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the next .
This whole exercise is actually attached to a contest in which people vote , for a winner , in real life .
And we 're here .
It 's now .
If Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren does not prevail over the other , and they split even some vote in stately dignity , then neither will be president .
Now , obviously , the last two weeks have run a lot hotter than stately dignity , ending with Warren telling Sanders onstage that he called her a liar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kind , followed by the two gloomily declining to comment .
Coverage of this dispute has largely operated in two ways : First , what reads like a WWII tactical synopsis that begins with a violation of sub-section 2 ( b ) of the Nonaggression Pact .
Second , an emotional `` hear no evil '' response that chalks everything up to a distraction , driven by the media 's capricious need for interpersonal drama , and one that will ultimately harm the progressive interests .
Either way , in these tellings , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robots , operating on some higher hyperrational plane for the purposes of drama or academic furtherance of progressivism .
It is possible for their stories to be compatible : Sanders could have said that a woman will face the obstacle of Donald Trump 's sexism , and Warren could have heard that to mean , in the context of their meeting , that she would lose .
It is also possible that , despite their campaigns ostensibly favoring a Return To The Nonaggression Pact on this particular topic , the candidates themselves do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
( They certainly seemed to care when they were yelling at each other onstage ! )
And either way you cut it : We obviously all care a lot about discussing gender in American life in more complicated ways so you can go deep with this one if you want to .
And there 's a deeper interpersonal dimension for two candidates with a long history , operating in loose concert , but essentially alone in American politics , finally facing the inevitable conclusion .
Because at the end of the day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in choice .
And truly , this is not to say that The Reason to decide between them is their dispute about a meeting 13 months ago — just that people should stop acting like they ’ re shocked there ’ s any dispute between two different individuals with overlapping policies in a presidential primary .
Last fall , Sanders campaign cochair Nina Turner told a Queens crowd , `` There ’ s only one .
There ’ s only one .
There ’ s only one .
There ’ s only one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There ’ s only one . ''
She meant to argue that Sanders is a singular force in American politics , a true member of the movement left on the verge of national success .
You could argue the same unique nature about Warren , who 's steeped in the tradition of US progressive reformers .
But Turner 's point conceptually strikes upon the operating premise of an election : There can only be one .

Let's open by saying: We all tire of horse race BS — the inevitable four paragraphs in a story that explains two polling cross tabs relevant to the policy/region/race/gender/age/religion, and what concerns Mr. Biden's senior advisers about the cross tabs, as though you need proof that this story matters before you're allowed to continue reading.
But, eventually, there is a point at which voters — literal voters — congregate in the cafeterias and conference centers of Iowa and, over a period of hours, select a Democratic candidate, and then this moves to the next state and the next. This whole exercise is actually attached to a contest in which people vote, for a winner, in real life.
And we're here. It's now.
If Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren does not prevail over the other, and they split even some vote in stately dignity, then neither will be president.
Now, obviously, the last two weeks have run a lot hotter than stately dignity, ending with Warren telling Sanders onstage that he called her a liar on TV, and he responding in kind, followed by the two gloomily declining to comment. Coverage of this dispute has largely operated in two ways: First, what reads like a WWII tactical synopsis that begins with a violation of sub-section 2(b) of the Nonaggression Pact. Second, an emotional "hear no evil" response that chalks everything up to a distraction, driven by the media's capricious need for interpersonal drama, and one that will ultimately harm the progressive interests.
Either way, in these tellings, Sanders and Warren end up reading like robots, operating on some higher hyperrational plane for the purposes of drama or academic furtherance of progressivism.
It is possible for their stories to be compatible: Sanders could have said that a woman will face the obstacle of Donald Trump's sexism, and Warren could have heard that to mean, in the context of their meeting, that she would lose. It is also possible that, despite their campaigns ostensibly favoring a Return To The Nonaggression Pact on this particular topic, the candidates themselves do not, against their more rational impulses. (They certainly seemed to care when they were yelling at each other onstage!)
And either way you cut it: We obviously all care a lot about discussing gender in American life in more complicated ways so you can go deep with this one if you want to. And there's a deeper interpersonal dimension for two candidates with a long history, operating in loose concert, but essentially alone in American politics, finally facing the inevitable conclusion.
Because at the end of the day, it is actually a real-life exercise in choice. And truly, this is not to say that The Reason to decide between them is their dispute about a meeting 13 months ago — just that people should stop acting like they’re shocked there’s any dispute between two different individuals with overlapping policies in a presidential primary.
Last fall, Sanders campaign cochair Nina Turner told a Queens crowd, "There’s only one. There’s only one. There’s only one. There’s only one. There’s only one. There’s only one."
She meant to argue that Sanders is a singular force in American politics, a true member of the movement left on the verge of national success. You could argue the same unique nature about Warren, who's steeped in the tradition of US progressive reformers.
But Turner's point conceptually strikes upon the operating premise of an election: There can only be one.


buzzfeed--2020-01-21--Bernie Sanders Said "Everybody Brings Some Negatives" When Asked If Gender Is An Obstacle For Women

Bernie Sanders Said "Everybody Brings Some Negatives" When Asked If Gender Is An Obstacle For Women Running For Office

CONCORD , New Hampshire — Bernie Sanders said at a forum in New Hampshire that women still face obstacles when they run for office , describing being a woman as a potential “ problem ” and noting that anyone who runs for office “ brings some negatives ” when it comes to appealing to the American electorate .
The language instantly reopened a conflict between supporters of Elizabeth Warren and Sanders over questions about electability , gender , and a private conversation between the two senators where they discussed whether a woman can win in 2020 .
“ Everybody has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders said during a forum sponsored by New Hampshire NPR , when asked if he thinks gender is an “ obstacle ” for women running for office .
“ I ’ m 78 years of age — that ’ s a problem .
There are a lot of people who say , ‘ Well , I like Bernie .
He ’ s a nice guy , but he ’ s 78 years of age.
’ So we have to argue : Please look at the totality of who I am .
“ If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] Buttigieg , he ’ s a young guy and people have said , ‘ Well , he ’ s too young to be president.
’ And you look at this one and she ’ s a woman , ” Sanders said while answering the question .
“ Everybody brings some negatives , if you like .
I would just hope very much that the American people look at the totality of a candidate .
Not at their gender , not at their sexuality , not at their age , but at everything @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t no perfect candidate out there.
” Sanders ’ comments came after days of press questions about what he told Warren during a private meeting in December 2018 .
Warren said last week that Sanders told her in the meeting that he did not believe a woman could win the presidency in 2020 , which Sanders has vehemently denied saying .
After last week ’ s debate , in which Warren stood by her recollection and Sanders again denied it , microphones picked up Warren and Sanders each accusing the other of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has been a rare and sudden conflict between the two progressive candidates and has created a rift between their loyalists .
“ I ’ ve always believed and believe today that a woman can be elected president of the United States , ” Sanders said earlier during the forum here in New Hampshire .
During an earlier question on the private meeting he had with Warren , Sanders said the country has “ come a long way ” and pointed to other elected officials and candidates as examples .
“ If you and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somebody says , ‘ Well , I don ’ t know if an African American could be elected president ’ , and that would ’ ve been the general , but then you have Barack Obama coming along and he wins the election and a sweeping reelection , ” Sanders said .
“ You have a candidate today , Mayor Buttigieg , who is openly gay .
Twenty-five years ago nearly anybody in America wouldn ’ t have said we could have a serious candidate for president of the United States who is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has changed.
” “ If you think a woman can ’ t be elected you are dead wrong .
If you think a gay American can ’ t be elected , you ’ re dead wrong .
If you think an African American candidate can ’ t be elected , you ’ re dead wrong , ” Sanders added .
Both the Sanders and Warren campaigns have been eager to move on from the conflict .
“ Please don ’ t play media games with me , ” Sanders told reporters in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ later Sunday , when asked about his comments at the forum .
“ There ’ s a lot of bigotry , there ’ s a lot of sexism , there ’ s a lot of racism , ” Sanders said .
“ There ’ s a lot of ageism , there ’ s anti-Semitism , there ’ s homophobia .
Does anyone doubt that any candidate will not have to deal with those issues ?
Of course they don ’ t. ” News of the NPR forum broke as Warren addressed a crowd @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After the event , a reporter read her part of Sanders ’ s remarks aloud .
`` 'Everybody has their own set of problems , ' ” the reporter said , reading from her iPhone .
“ I have no further comment on this , ” Warren replied flatly .
“ I have no further comment on this , ” she said again .
“ I have been friends with Bernie for a long time .
We work together on many , many issues , and I ’ ve said all I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topic.
” As progressives on Twitter lit into the back-and-forth with new anger and energy , each side outraged by the other ’ s interpretation of the latest in a controversy that has been driving a wedge between left-leaning voters for almost a week , Warren urged Democrats to “ draw the contrast ” with Trump .
“ I think it is important that we all pull together , ” she told reporters .
The Sanders campaign has already started pushing back on the characterization of Sanders ’ comments from Warren supporters and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BernieSanders observes that sexism , ageism and homophobia exist in america and will be weaponized by donald trump in the general election , ” Mike Casca , Sanders ’ communications director , tweeted .
Ryan Brooks reported from Concord , New Hampshire , and Ruby Cramer reported from Des Moines , Iowa .

CONCORD, New Hampshire — Bernie Sanders said at a forum in New Hampshire that women still face obstacles when they run for office, describing being a woman as a potential “problem” and noting that anyone who runs for office “brings some negatives” when it comes to appealing to the American electorate.
The language instantly reopened a conflict between supporters of Elizabeth Warren and Sanders over questions about electability, gender, and a private conversation between the two senators where they discussed whether a woman can win in 2020.
“Everybody has their own sets of problems,” Sanders said during a forum sponsored by New Hampshire NPR, when asked if he thinks gender is an “obstacle” for women running for office. “I’m 78 years of age — that’s a problem. There are a lot of people who say, ‘Well, I like Bernie. He’s a nice guy, but he’s 78 years of age.’ So we have to argue: Please look at the totality of who I am.
“If you’re looking at [Pete] Buttigieg, he’s a young guy and people have said, ‘Well, he’s too young to be president.’ And you look at this one and she’s a woman,” Sanders said while answering the question. “Everybody brings some negatives, if you like. I would just hope very much that the American people look at the totality of a candidate. Not at their gender, not at their sexuality, not at their age, but at everything. Nobody is perfect. There ain’t no perfect candidate out there.”
Sanders’ comments came after days of press questions about what he told Warren during a private meeting in December 2018. Warren said last week that Sanders told her in the meeting that he did not believe a woman could win the presidency in 2020, which Sanders has vehemently denied saying. After last week’s debate, in which Warren stood by her recollection and Sanders again denied it, microphones picked up Warren and Sanders each accusing the other of calling them a liar. The dispute has been a rare and sudden conflict between the two progressive candidates and has created a rift between their loyalists.
“I’ve always believed and believe today that a woman can be elected president of the United States,” Sanders said earlier during the forum here in New Hampshire.
During an earlier question on the private meeting he had with Warren, Sanders said the country has “come a long way” and pointed to other elected officials and candidates as examples.
“If you and I were here 25 years ago and somebody says, ‘Well, I don’t know if an African American could be elected president’, and that would’ve been the general, but then you have Barack Obama coming along and he wins the election and a sweeping reelection,” Sanders said. “You have a candidate today, Mayor Buttigieg, who is openly gay. Twenty-five years ago nearly anybody in America wouldn’t have said we could have a serious candidate for president of the United States who is openly gay and married. The world has changed.”
“If you think a woman can’t be elected you are dead wrong. If you think a gay American can’t be elected, you’re dead wrong. If you think an African American candidate can’t be elected, you’re dead wrong,” Sanders added.
Both the Sanders and Warren campaigns have been eager to move on from the conflict.
“Please don’t play media games with me,” Sanders told reporters in a gaggle at a New Hampshire town hall later Sunday, when asked about his comments at the forum.
“There’s a lot of bigotry, there’s a lot of sexism, there’s a lot of racism,” Sanders said. “There’s a lot of ageism, there’s anti-Semitism, there’s homophobia. Does anyone doubt that any candidate will not have to deal with those issues? Of course they don’t.”
News of the NPR forum broke as Warren addressed a crowd at a town hall in Des Moines. After the event, a reporter read her part of Sanders’s remarks aloud. "'Everybody has their own set of problems,'” the reporter said, reading from her iPhone.
“Is being a woman a problem?”
“I have no further comment on this,” Warren replied flatly.
“Sen. Warren,” the reporter tried.
“I have no further comment on this,” she said again. “I have been friends with Bernie for a long time. We work together on many, many issues, and I’ve said all I’m gonna say on this topic.”
As progressives on Twitter lit into the back-and-forth with new anger and energy, each side outraged by the other’s interpretation of the latest in a controversy that has been driving a wedge between left-leaning voters for almost a week, Warren urged Democrats to “draw the contrast” with Trump. “I think it is important that we all pull together,” she told reporters.
The Sanders campaign has already started pushing back on the characterization of Sanders’ comments from Warren supporters and others on Twitter. “Breaking: @BernieSanders observes that sexism, ageism and homophobia exist in america and will be weaponized by donald trump in the general election,” Mike Casca, Sanders’ communications director, tweeted.
Ryan Brooks reported from Concord, New Hampshire, and Ruby Cramer reported from Des Moines, Iowa.


buzzfeed--2020-01-21--“He Has Made Wild Shifts”: How Bernie Sanders Has Changed His Approach To Immigration

Bernie Sanders used to get knocked over his immigration record .
He has spent years talking with activists and shifting his approach .
When Bernie Sanders joined the Senate , he and his allies in the labor movement took on a big target : a new comprehensive immigration reform bill .
`` I believe we have very serious immigration problems in this country , '' Sanders said during a 2007 press event , with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka behind him .
`` I think as you 've heard today , sanctions against employers who employ illegal immigrants is virtually nonexistent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' “ And I think at a time when the middle class is shrinking , the last thing we need is to bring over in a period of years , millions of people into this country who are prepared to lower wages for American workers , ” he later added .
Sanders voted against the 2007 bill , but went on to vote in favor of a similar 2013 bill while making plain his fears that it could exacerbate the issue of immigrant workers “ making it harder for US citizens to find @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contrast to how Bernie Sanders sounds today .
Just four years after a contentious presidential primary where his immigration record was a consistent point of attack , Sanders has changed , people who have worked with him closely on immigration issues told BuzzFeed News .
Sanders , they said , has spent time closely listening and working with immigrant rights activists , forming new policy and finding new ways to talk about the issue , in line with the more progressive conversations in this primary .
And he is now running for president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and major immigrant rights groups .
“ He has made wild shifts , ” said Jess Morales Rocketto , a former Hillary Clinton campaign adviser and now the political director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance and chair of Families Belong Together .
“ And you know what , it ’ s incredible .
Where he is now is absolutely outstanding .
I am impressed .
It ’ s hard to impress me when it comes to him , but he has made a shift that is quite significant.
” Sanders ’ old @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus on the potential harm new skilled and unskilled workers entering the US under guest worker programs would inflict on unemployed American citizens — stood out against his otherwise consistently progressive record .
The stances were reflective of elements of the labor movement that saw immigrant workers as a threat , both in terms of lowering wages and reducing job prospects for union workers .
Sanders has also pointed to one major Latino advocacy group , the League of United Latin American Citizens , which initially opposed the 2007 bill because of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` The bills that were put forth were not good bills and Bernie knew that .
He knew that work visas were going to be used to severely exploit workers , ” said Belén Sisa , the Sanders campaign ’ s Latino press secretary .
“ Those bills in 2007 included a lot of provisions in which workers would be put in a position where their boss would have the power to basically do whatever they wanted to them … I think that ’ s the perspective that no one ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about a lack of protections for immigrants brought in for low-wage jobs .
But he also repeatedly leaned on the idea that immigrant workers were taking American jobs , and played into a narrative — disputed by immigrant rights groups and most economists — that immigrant workers reduce wages for everyone across the board .
That ’ s also an argument that Trump adviser Stephen Miller , known for his anti-immigrant , white nationalist rhetoric , has made more recently .
Sanders in those years still was in favor of a pathway to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and he was a critic of the Obama administration 's deportation policies .
He impressed immigration activists when he pushed Barack Obama in 2014 to stop delaying DACA , a program that protects some people brought to the US illegally as children from deportation .
His 2016 campaign focused on DACA and addressing the mass deportations under Obama , which Sanders said he would drastically reduce .
Hillary Clinton ’ s 2016 campaign still saw immigration as a vulnerability for Sanders , and her allies consistently raised his record to attack his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ champion .
Clinton castigated Sanders over his vote against the 2007 immigration bill in a debate just ahead of that year ’ s Nevada caucus , which she went on to win .
Sanders ’ immigration plan has expanded from what he was proposing in 2016 , and he has so far almost entirely avoided any attacks from other candidates on his old votes .
While DACA is still a core part of Sanders ’ platform and how he talks about immigration , it ’ s significant , activists said , that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ action for a broader moratorium on deportations that would protect many more people , while working on immigration reform that would need to happen through Congress .
Sanders ’ plan also calls for the decriminalization of border crossings — which would make crossing the border without documents a civil rather than criminal offense .
That ’ s particularly relevant for two reasons : The Republican Party has framed that position as being equivalent to wanting “ open borders , ” which Sanders has vehemently said he opposes in the past , and decriminalizing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump ’ s family separations policy , which is based on parents being criminally prosecuted for crossing the border and therefore held in criminal custody , where their children can not be held with them .
What ’ s more explicit this time around , too , is Sanders ’ call to break up ICE and CBP — a move that ’ s more progressive than any other plan left in the Democratic field — which would mean redistributing their responsibilities to existing agencies like the State Department and the Treasury .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immigrant rights groups , Make the Road Action , endorsed Sanders for president and specifically pointed to his labor-related policies as being inclusive of immigrants , in addition to other parts of his policy platform .
Members of the group “ were really excited and engaged by him and especially standing up for workers ' rights , standing up against big corporations like Amazon , ” said Barbara Lopez , Make the Road Action ’ s Connecticut director .
“ Making sure our undocumented folks are protected , regardless of their status , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really important.
” The group , which has members in several states and a particularly strong presence in crucial early voting state Nevada , is affiliated with the Working Families Party , which endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren over Sanders last September .
“ He ’ s just really demonstrated this time around eagerness to learn and really engage with directly affected people , ” she said .
“ What really moved our members was around the moratorium on deportations , breaking up ICE and CBP .
The deep conversation we had around that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have had a deep conversation about those things a few years back .
So I think for us , there ’ s been a shift , and that 's why we ’ re excited to endorse him.
” She added that she sees Sanders ’ plan as “ a really strong , humane immigration platform , ” in addition to immigrant-friendly policies in other areas — just cause eviction requirements and national rent control in Sanders ’ housing plan , universal health care , and a plan to end the school-to-prison pipeline .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ election , and in a climate where Trump is likely to keep returning to immigration as a central campaign issue , several immigrant advocates said Sanders is more convincingly making the case that he sees progressive immigration policy as a key part of his broader plan for a more equitable system .
“ I think that it ’ s very , very encouraging to see that Senator echoing the demands that for so many years so many immigrant activists have been calling for , ” said Adrian Reyna , director of strategy for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ The truth of it all is that one of the biggest things that a new president has to do in regards to immigration is to move us away from this lie that in order to protect people it has to come at the expense of other people.
” Morales Rocketto , the former Clinton adviser , argued that Sanders was still not comfortable talking about immigration even earlier on in this campaign cycle .
She pointed to a press conference last April in which an audience member asked Sanders why he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 'm afraid you may be getting your information wrong , '' Sanders responded .
“ What we need is comprehensive immigration reform .
If you open the borders , my God , there 's a lot of poverty in this world , and you 're going to have people from all over the world .
And I do n't think that 's something that we can do at this point .
Ca n't do it .
So that is not my position.
” Morales Rocketto said she saw that as a sign that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ willing to go as left as basically the field was willing to go , he still wasn ’ t on immigration.
” But when his policy came out a few months later , Morales Rocketto said she saw a marked change and a move towards a progressive stance on immigration more in line with his approach to other issues .
She said she ’ s seen a change in the way he ’ s been talking about the issue on the campaign trail , as well .
Activists and insiders told BuzzFeed News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken advice from grassroots activists and his own advisers with direct experience of the complexities of the immigration system .
“ We literally took what they told us and put it into a policy , so we invited them into the process and looked at the things that they were proposing , ” said Sisa , a DACA recipient herself who also worked on Sanders ’ 2016 campaign .
“ We also took in their thoughts and what they had been seeing on the ground for years now.
” “ I think that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or a shitload of staff lobbying that really , really worked , ” Morales Rocketto said .
“ He has Faiz [ Shakir ] as his campaign manager .
He is a major immigration expert .
So if anything , it suggests that around that issue in particular he ’ s trying to make changes.
” Morales Rocketto added that in a general election , being able to articulate progressive immigration policies and engage comfortably on the issue is crucial , because the Democratic candidate will be up against Trump and the GOP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a sign of evolution for both Sanders ’ campaign and the national conversation around immigration , according to one of the advisers who helped Sanders formulate his immigration plan in 2016 , Erika Andiola , who ’ s now an immigration activist with the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services ( RAICES ) .
“ Bernie hasn ’ t necessarily been an anti-immigrant politician , he does have a very close connection to the issue .
I think he has really taken a lot of education from activists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” said Andiola .
Democrats , she said , have had an “ entire narrative that is like , ‘ Yes , we like immigrants , but at the same time we understand that immigrants also can be detrimental to the country.
’ I mean , they don ’ t say it that way , but that ’ s how it sounds .
I think Bernie has really , in the way that he talks about the issues , he doesn ’ t really sound like that to me anymore.
” “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s in his head , ” she added .
“ I do know that one of the things that I did admire about Bernie is that he was really willing to change his positions when he saw that there were people he trusted ” advising him to reconsider , she said .
Some activists said the shift in the conversation — partly because the Trump administration has shown the damage immigration enforcement agencies can cause to communities — has forced progressive Democrats to engage on the issue in a substantive way beyond DREAMERs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't get passed .
“ I think it ’ s often an issue that the Republican Party tries to kind of create a dilemma or a political pickle for Democrats , and many Democrats kind of fall for it , ” said Marisa Franco , cofounder of immigrant rights group Mijente .
“ The activism of folks has really created a mandate and an expectation , and peoples ’ willingness to then hold Democrats accountable.
” Franco said she sees Sanders ’ shift on immigration as more “ an expansion and less of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I think both his talking points and the push inside the campaign for immigration was not as strong .
I think this is a testament to the team and the staff inside the campaign , ” she said .
That means his take on immigration is more in line with the rest of his platform , she said : “ It 's not like he ’ s saying wealth tax , eliminating student debt , but let me go a little vanilla on immigration.
” Sisa said the shift has been driven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation on immigration and the personal experiences of people on the campaign .
“ We actually organically came together as immigrants , as the children of immigrants , from very different walks of life , and we built upon what the 2016 plan had because we knew from our own experiences that we were not in the same political climate that we were in in 2016 , ” she said .
“ So that meant that our policy needed to be more progressive .
”

When Bernie Sanders joined the Senate, he and his allies in the labor movement took on a big target: a new comprehensive immigration reform bill.
"I believe we have very serious immigration problems in this country," Sanders said during a 2007 press event, with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka behind him. "I think as you've heard today, sanctions against employers who employ illegal immigrants is virtually nonexistent. Our border is very porous."
“And I think at a time when the middle class is shrinking, the last thing we need is to bring over in a period of years, millions of people into this country who are prepared to lower wages for American workers,” he later added. Sanders voted against the 2007 bill, but went on to vote in favor of a similar 2013 bill while making plain his fears that it could exacerbate the issue of immigrant workers “making it harder for US citizens to find jobs.”
That rhetoric stands in stark contrast to how Bernie Sanders sounds today. Just four years after a contentious presidential primary where his immigration record was a consistent point of attack, Sanders has changed, people who have worked with him closely on immigration issues told BuzzFeed News. Sanders, they said, has spent time closely listening and working with immigrant rights activists, forming new policy and finding new ways to talk about the issue, in line with the more progressive conversations in this primary. And he is now running for president with the support of grassroots Latino activists and major immigrant rights groups.
“He has made wild shifts,” said Jess Morales Rocketto, a former Hillary Clinton campaign adviser and now the political director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance and chair of Families Belong Together. “And you know what, it’s incredible. Where he is now is absolutely outstanding. I am impressed. It’s hard to impress me when it comes to him, but he has made a shift that is quite significant.”
Sanders’ old approach to immigration — which included a focus on the potential harm new skilled and unskilled workers entering the US under guest worker programs would inflict on unemployed American citizens — stood out against his otherwise consistently progressive record. The stances were reflective of elements of the labor movement that saw immigrant workers as a threat, both in terms of lowering wages and reducing job prospects for union workers. Sanders has also pointed to one major Latino advocacy group, the League of United Latin American Citizens, which initially opposed the 2007 bill because of its potential for immigrant workers to be exploited.
"The bills that were put forth were not good bills and Bernie knew that. He knew that work visas were going to be used to severely exploit workers,” said Belén Sisa, the Sanders campaign’s Latino press secretary. “Those bills in 2007 included a lot of provisions in which workers would be put in a position where their boss would have the power to basically do whatever they wanted to them … I think that’s the perspective that no one’s really looked at.”
Sanders was concerned about a lack of protections for immigrants brought in for low-wage jobs. But he also repeatedly leaned on the idea that immigrant workers were taking American jobs, and played into a narrative — disputed by immigrant rights groups and most economists — that immigrant workers reduce wages for everyone across the board. That’s also an argument that Trump adviser Stephen Miller, known for his anti-immigrant, white nationalist rhetoric, has made more recently.
Sanders in those years still was in favor of a pathway to citizenship for undocumented people in the US, and he was a critic of the Obama administration's deportation policies. He impressed immigration activists when he pushed Barack Obama in 2014 to stop delaying DACA, a program that protects some people brought to the US illegally as children from deportation. His 2016 campaign focused on DACA and addressing the mass deportations under Obama, which Sanders said he would drastically reduce.
Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign still saw immigration as a vulnerability for Sanders, and her allies consistently raised his record to attack his position as the primary’s progressive champion. Clinton castigated Sanders over his vote against the 2007 immigration bill in a debate just ahead of that year’s Nevada caucus, which she went on to win.


buzzfeed--2020-01-21--New Impeachment Evidence Shows How Political Operatives Tried To Get A Respected US Ambassador Fired

“ The bomb is dropping tomorrow , ” Lev Parnas wrote the day before then-ambassador Marie Yovanovitch was abruptly recalled from her post in Ukraine .
WASHINGTON — Though her removal as US ambassador to Ukraine was a key element of the impeachment inquiry , the details around Marie Yovanovitch ’ s recall have remained murky .
Yovanovitch , who testified before Congress in November , said her “ well-being ” and “ security ” were among the reasons she was told by a State Department official to get on the next flight to Washington last spring .
But she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump ’ s monthslong desire to see her gone — when she returned .
Months later , the career foreign service officer found herself before a panel of impeachment investigators , growing emotional as she talked about the job she lost , despite being told she had done nothing wrong .
This week , however , a trove of messages released by the House shed light on the lengthy campaign by Lev Parnas , a key player in the Ukrainian shadow campaign at the heart of the president ’ s impeachment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post in Kyiv .
Hundreds of pages of texts and WhatsApp messages show the effort was more widespread within powerful Republican circles than previously known and raise questions about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ’ s involvement as well .
The messages , turned over by Parnas recently as part of the impeachment inquiry , also make clear why he and others wanted Yovanovitch removed : She was a roadblock to the Ukrainian investigations sought by Parnas , Trump , and Rudy Giuliani , the president ’ s personal lawyer .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was to pave the way for a probe into former vice president Joe Biden and his family , Parnas said this week — echoing comments Giuliani made in December .
The documents even raise the specter of a more sinister operation directed at Yovanovitch , with messages from a Republican congressional candidate indicating that the ambassador was under surveillance in Ukraine before her recall in April .
Parnas told MSNBC he didn ’ t take seriously the messages from Robert Hyde , who is running for a House seat in Connecticut .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the FBI , as well as the Ukrainian government , which announced Thursday that it had opened a criminal investigation .
A lawyer for Parnas , who was indicted on campaign finance charges along with his business partner Igor Fruman in October , did not answer a series of questions about the effort to get Yovanovitch recalled .
Giuliani did not respond to a request for comment .
Parnas curried favor with prominent Republicans in the spring of 2018 with a flurry of hefty donations and immediately used those newfound connections to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department employee who had served under both Republican and Democratic presidents , and a critic of Ukrainian corruption .
In May of that year , Parnas and Fruman met with then-Rep. Pete Sessions , an influential Texas Republican , and blasted Yovanovitch .
Then , as BuzzFeed News first reported last summer , Sessions wrote a letter to Pompeo , urging him to dismiss the ambassador .
“ I have received notice from close companions that Ambassador Yovanovitch has spoken privately and repeatedly about her disdain for the current administration , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was referring to “ congressional colleagues ” in his letter , not the Soviet-born businessmen .
Around that time , Parnas and Fruman had “ committed to raise $ 20,000 ” for an unnamed member of Congress — identifiable in their indictment as Sessions — according to federal prosecutors .
The men also contributed thousands of their own money to Sessions ’ reelection campaign in an effort to advance their interests and those of an unnamed Ukrainian government official .
Those interests , prosecutors said , included removing the ambassador .
The messages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Sessions again later that year .
In November , he told Giuliani that he was bringing Sessions along to smoke cigars with them at Shelly ’ s Back Room , a lounge near the White House .
Parnas spent more than $ 500 there that night , BuzzFeed News previously reported .
But it wasn ’ t until three months later that the campaign to get Yovanovitch fired heated up .
“ Is there absolute commitment for HER to be gone this week ?
” Victoria Toensing , a lawyer who worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men on Feb. 10 .
“ Yes not sure how absolute [ . ]
Will get a reading in morning and call you , ” Giuliani replied .
“ Pompeii [ sic ] is now aware of it .
Talked to him on Friday.
” The messages appear to be a reference to Yovanovitch and “ Pompeii ” is likely Pompeo , who is only known to have spoken with Giuliani as early as March .
Giuliani and the State Department did not respond to questions about the messages and the alleged Feb. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also allude to a retainer for Toensing and her husband Joe diGenova .
The pair are listed as having been “ retained ” at $ 100,000 per month in Parnas ’ s handwritten notes that were also released by the House this week , but the details of the arrangement are unclear .
Toensing and diGenova did not immediately respond to a request for comment .
The next month , Parnas corresponded with a different powerful government official — this time , a Ukrainian one who had soured on Yovanovitch .
The ambassador @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s efforts to tackle corruption , leading Yuriy Lutsenko , then the country ’ s prosecutor general , to accuse her of giving him a list of people not to prosecute .
Lutsenko later retracted the claim .
In conversations with Parnas , Lutsenko offered damaging information on the Bidens and explained why he wanted the ambassador removed .
“ It ’ s just that if you don ’ t make a decision about Madam — you are bringing into question all my allegations .
Including about B , ” Lutsenko told Parnas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the House Intelligence Committee .
“ B ” appears to be a reference to either Biden or Burisma , the Ukrainian company that employed Biden ’ s son , Hunter .
At the same time , Parnas was talking to Hyde , the Connecticut congressional candidate , who suggested he was in touch with people who were monitoring Yovanovitch in Ukraine .
“ Can ’ t believe Trumo [ sic ] hasn ’ t fired this bitch .
I ’ ll get right in that , ” Hyde said .
Hours later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a conversation he was having about Yovanovitch with someone using a Belgian phone number .
A Dutch citizen and Trump supporter named Anthony de Caluwe issued a statement to the New York Times on Saturday saying he was the person corresponding with Hyde .
“ My contacts are checking , ” de Caluwe told Hyde in the messages .
“ I will give you the address next week.
” Hyde then sent the message to Parnas .
“ She under [ sic ] heavy protection outside Kiev , ” Hyde said .
Two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ update from de Caluwe with an apparent reference to her location .
“ The guys over they [ sic ] asked me what I would like to do and what is in it for them , ” Hyde told Parnas .
Hyde continued to send updates about the ambassador ’ s purported activities , claiming that she was at an address next to the embassy .
“ They will let me know when she ’ s on the move , ” Hyde said .
“ Perfect , ” Parnas replied .
Hyde , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the messages since the House released them this week .
Parnas said Hyde was “ drunk all the time ” and possibly trying to make himself appear important , while Hyde has attacked Parnas for his history of financial problems .
In his statement Saturday , de Caluwe claimed he was `` not involved in any surveillance of any Americans '' and that his messages with Hyde were `` just a part of a ridiculous banter . ''
In March , Parnas also used his relationship with a well-connected official at a pro-Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump Jr. , the president ’ s eldest son , to tweet .
“ What should I send don to tweet , ” Joseph Ahearn , the director of development at America First Action , wrote to Parnas on March 20 .
Parnas then sent a series of links , including a story from the Hill featuring Lutsenko and a tweet from Fox News host Laura Ingraham about alleged efforts by unnamed US ambassadors “ to take down Trump.
” Four days later , Parnas sent Ahearn another link — this time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by name .
“ Calls Grow to Remove Obama ’ s U.S .
Ambassador to Ukraine , ” the headline read .
The article featured comments from diGenova and the letter Sessions had sent the year before .
The same day , Trump Jr. tweeted the article .
America First Action declined to comment .
The Trump Organization did not respond to questions about Trump Jr. Ahearn was key in setting up a $ 325,000 donation from Parnas and Fruman to the super PAC — one of the other contributions that eventually landed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blitz in March had worked , in part : Yovanovitch was told in the weeks after that her term wouldn ’ t be extended , she told House investigators during her deposition in October .
But she said she understood at the time that she would stay in her post until the summer .
Meanwhile , senior State Department official Phil Reeker told Yovanovitch that Pompeo or “ somebody around him ” would call Fox News host Sean Hannity , who was among the right-wing media personalities amplifying the coordinated attacks against her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the allegations .
“ I understand that that call was made , ” Yovanovitch said .
“ I do n't know whether it was the Secretary or somebody else in his inner circle .
And for a time , you know , things kind of simmered down.
” Hannity has denied the call took place .
But the firestorm resumed the following month , after the Ukrainian election .
It was then that Parnas finally got what he wanted .
“ He fired her again , ” Giuliani wrote to Parnas on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens this time , ” Parnas replied .
The next day , Yovanovitch says she received a late-night call from a senior State Department official telling her to return to the US .
There were concerns about her “ up the street ” at the White House , she says she was told .
Her recall wouldn ’ t be publicly announced until May 6 , nearly two weeks later , when the State Department issued a statement claiming she was ending her posting “ as planned.
” “ She just got recalled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jr. , another powerful GOP operative with whom he had been in touch in the months prior .
Hicks , the cochair of the Republican National Committee , did not respond to a request for comment .
But even then , Parnas ’ s efforts weren ’ t quite through .
On May 14 , a month before the pair ’ s conversations seem to have ended , Parnas urged Hicks to use his connections to make sure Yovanovitch ’ s replacement would be different .
“ It ’ s more important than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s loyal to our president in there , ” he wrote to Hicks .
“ [ P ] lease make sure you pass on the message [ , ] every ear more important than ever .
”

WASHINGTON — Though her removal as US ambassador to Ukraine was a key element of the impeachment inquiry, the details around Marie Yovanovitch’s recall have remained murky.
Yovanovitch, who testified before Congress in November, said her “well-being” and “security” were among the reasons she was told by a State Department official to get on the next flight to Washington last spring. But she learned few other details — other than President Donald Trump’s monthslong desire to see her gone — when she returned.
Months later, the career foreign service officer found herself before a panel of impeachment investigators, growing emotional as she talked about the job she lost, despite being told she had done nothing wrong.
This week, however, a trove of messages released by the House shed light on the lengthy campaign by Lev Parnas, a key player in the Ukrainian shadow campaign at the heart of the president’s impeachment, to see Yovanovitch ousted from her post in Kyiv. Hundreds of pages of texts and WhatsApp messages show the effort was more widespread within powerful Republican circles than previously known and raise questions about Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s involvement as well.
The messages, turned over by Parnas recently as part of the impeachment inquiry, also make clear why he and others wanted Yovanovitch removed: She was a roadblock to the Ukrainian investigations sought by Parnas, Trump, and Rudy Giuliani, the president’s personal lawyer. “The only motivation” in getting her dismissed was to pave the way for a probe into former vice president Joe Biden and his family, Parnas said this week — echoing comments Giuliani made in December.
The documents even raise the specter of a more sinister operation directed at Yovanovitch, with messages from a Republican congressional candidate indicating that the ambassador was under surveillance in Ukraine before her recall in April. Parnas told MSNBC he didn’t take seriously the messages from Robert Hyde, who is running for a House seat in Connecticut. But the messages have reportedly caught the eye of the FBI, as well as the Ukrainian government, which announced Thursday that it had opened a criminal investigation.
A lawyer for Parnas, who was indicted on campaign finance charges along with his business partner Igor Fruman in October, did not answer a series of questions about the effort to get Yovanovitch recalled. Giuliani did not respond to a request for comment.
Parnas curried favor with prominent Republicans in the spring of 2018 with a flurry of hefty donations and immediately used those newfound connections to advocate against Yovanovitch, a longtime State Department employee who had served under both Republican and Democratic presidents, and a critic of Ukrainian corruption.
In May of that year, Parnas and Fruman met with then-Rep. Pete Sessions, an influential Texas Republican, and blasted Yovanovitch. Then, as BuzzFeed News first reported last summer, Sessions wrote a letter to Pompeo, urging him to dismiss the ambassador. “I have received notice from close companions that Ambassador Yovanovitch has spoken privately and repeatedly about her disdain for the current administration,” he wrote. Sessions has claimed that he was referring to “congressional colleagues” in his letter, not the Soviet-born businessmen.
Around that time, Parnas and Fruman had “committed to raise $20,000” for an unnamed member of Congress — identifiable in their indictment as Sessions — according to federal prosecutors. The men also contributed thousands of their own money to Sessions’ reelection campaign in an effort to advance their interests and those of an unnamed Ukrainian government official. Those interests, prosecutors said, included removing the ambassador.
The messages released this week suggest Parnas spent time with Sessions again later that year. In November, he told Giuliani that he was bringing Sessions along to smoke cigars with them at Shelly’s Back Room, a lounge near the White House. Parnas spent more than $500 there that night, BuzzFeed News previously reported.


buzzfeed--2020-01-21--"Why Are We Not Winning Them?": Pete Buttigieg’s White Supporters Are Baffled By His Lack Of Black S

"Why Are We Not Winning Them?": Pete Buttigieg’s White Supporters Are Baffled By His Lack Of Black Support

DES MOINES — The white voters who come to Pete Buttigieg 's rallies just do n't understand .
Many of them fell for the 37-year-old former mayor of South Bend , Indiana , the first time they heard him speak : his calm demeanor , his intelligence , the way he seemed to appeal to progressives and moderates alike .
But his support among Democratic-leaning black voters nationally is stuck in the abysmally low single digits .
“ I don ’ t understand that , ” said Bill Koenig , a physician in Des Moines who said Buttigieg is one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caucuses .
“ I don ’ t understand it , ” said Julie Walstrom , a retired teacher in Perry , Iowa , who is deciding between Buttigieg , former vice president Joe Biden , and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar .
“ I don ’ t understand what that issue could possibly be , ” said Doug Gardner , a retired sales worker in Urbandale .
In nearly two dozen interviews across Iowa this month , white voters struggled to reconcile their affection for Buttigieg with how black voters see the candidate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter to them .
Many more had been grappling with how to think about the disconnect and Buttigieg ’ s challenges : Some were worried , others frustrated .
But not a single person considering Buttigieg said it would affect their vote in the caucuses , which are nearly two weeks away .
“ That ’ s not my battle to fight , ” said Gardner .
Buttigieg is among the frontrunners in Iowa and New Hampshire , the two mostly white states that play an outsize role in deciding the presidential nomination @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But his standing is lower nationally .
In South Carolina , a key early-voting state because of its large black population , Buttigieg has frequently pulled 0 % among black voters .
The vast majority of white Iowa voters said they ’ d heard about Buttigieg ’ s difficulties with voters of color .
Many had heard , particularly , of his record in South Bend , where he was criticized for his handling of police relations and housing issues in communities of color .
“ I think it ’ s partly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Bend , ” said Sue Seidenfeld , a retired physician assistant in Waukee who said she was undecided in the race and had come to see Buttigieg in Winterset .
She did not specify the incident .
“ I think that maybe that black voters feel like he wasn ’ t as empathetic as he could have been , and as on top of the situation as he should have been , ” she said .
“ Which is kind of a shame — because he has to be impartial , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see what really the facts were , and I think people are too quick to judge sometimes.
” She paused and added : “ But maybe not , you know .
There may be something to it.
” Still , Seidenfeld said , it wasn ’ t an issue that was going to affect her vote either way .
She thought Buttigieg was “ more empathetic to minorities than a lot of people .
I also think , for what it ’ s worth , that it ’ s a shame that people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first [ caucus ] in the nation .
Because after all , we were the first to go for Barack Obama .
”

DES MOINES — The white voters who come to Pete Buttigieg's rallies just don't understand.
Many of them fell for the 37-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, the first time they heard him speak: his calm demeanor, his intelligence, the way he seemed to appeal to progressives and moderates alike.
But his support among Democratic-leaning black voters nationally is stuck in the abysmally low single digits.
“I don’t understand that,” said Bill Koenig, a physician in Des Moines who said Buttigieg is one of his top choices in the first-in-the-nation caucuses.
“I don’t understand it,” said Julie Walstrom, a retired teacher in Perry, Iowa, who is deciding between Buttigieg, former vice president Joe Biden, and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.
“I don’t understand what that issue could possibly be,” said Doug Gardner, a retired sales worker in Urbandale.
In nearly two dozen interviews across Iowa this month, white voters struggled to reconcile their affection for Buttigieg with how black voters see the candidate. Some said it simply didn’t matter to them. Many more had been grappling with how to think about the disconnect and Buttigieg’s challenges: Some were worried, others frustrated.
But not a single person considering Buttigieg said it would affect their vote in the caucuses, which are nearly two weeks away.
“That’s not my battle to fight,” said Gardner.
Buttigieg is among the frontrunners in Iowa and New Hampshire, the two mostly white states that play an outsize role in deciding the presidential nomination as the first two states to vote. But his standing is lower nationally. In South Carolina, a key early-voting state because of its large black population, Buttigieg has frequently pulled 0% among black voters.
The vast majority of white Iowa voters said they’d heard about Buttigieg’s difficulties with voters of color. Many had heard, particularly, of his record in South Bend, where he was criticized for his handling of police relations and housing issues in communities of color.
“I think it’s partly because of the incident that happened in South Bend,” said Sue Seidenfeld, a retired physician assistant in Waukee who said she was undecided in the race and had come to see Buttigieg in Winterset. She did not specify the incident.
“I think that maybe that black voters feel like he wasn’t as empathetic as he could have been, and as on top of the situation as he should have been,” she said. “Which is kind of a shame — because he has to be impartial, and he has to take some time to see what really the facts were, and I think people are too quick to judge sometimes.”
She paused and added: “But maybe not, you know. There may be something to it.”
Still, Seidenfeld said, it wasn’t an issue that was going to affect her vote either way. She thought Buttigieg was “more empathetic to minorities than a lot of people. I also think, for what it’s worth, that it’s a shame that people think that Iowa shouldn’t be the first [caucus] in the nation. Because after all, we were the first to go for Barack Obama.”


buzzfeed--2020-01-22--What’s New About Andrew Yang

What’s New About Andrew Yang

Andrew Yang likes to count off the days until you , the voter , can put humanity first .
He stood a weekend ago on the altar of an old Unitarian church , lit up against pale pink walls by a blinding white light and positioned between the Lord 's Prayer and Matthew 22 ( “ THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD ” ) , explaining these diminishing days .
`` Your mission in 33 days is to let the rest of the country know that economic value and human value are not the same things , ” he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans , as citizens , as human beings ourselves . ''
Then , after a beat , he added , `` I 'm glad I 'm making this case in— I think we 're in a church , is that right ?
At that point , there should 've been like a hymn .
`` Someone should 've been like , BAANNG .
Organ . ''
This is how it went in New Hampshire , a superstructure of frattiness over nerdiness : 33 short days , 32 short days , 31 short days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ until New Hampshire .
Yang came , really , out of nowhere to raise millions of dollars and outlast governors and senators running for president .
But here at the end , he ’ ll likely just miss being the real deal .
The days get longer , and Yang 's time grows shorter .
Last week , as the debate calmly proceeded without him in Des Moines , he walked through Chicago O'Hare airport .
So what will become of Yang , who plays the Smiths and Whitesnake ’ s `` Here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
This may not be a winning strategy right now — cast off that idea — but Yang ’ s part of a rising new Political Type .
If you look at the way technology and the press evolved throughout the 20th century , the kinds of candidates changed with the media .
In presentation and deep-down message , Yang shares more with others entering politics in the post-Obama , iPhone era than many 2020 Democrats do .
Admittedly , by his own emphasis , everything with Yang comes back around to universal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policy favored by some libertarians , a handful of progressives , and people who believe the federal government 's only true talent is writing checks .
If you 've followed 2020 at all , you 've heard that Yang wants to implement a $ 1,000/month UBI .
( `` Forevah ? ''
as one woman asked in New Hampshire .
Forever ! )
Next , maybe , you 've heard him talk about how artificial intelligence and self-driving vehicles will put more people out of work , including the potential extinction of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jokes about himself that trade in Asian stereotypes have gotten laughs from mostly white crowds and deeply angered some people , Asian American and non–Asian American alike .
( They also seem to still be top of mind for some noncritics .
`` I 'm Asian and I do n't like math , '' said one New Hampshire voter .
This was after she thanked him for bringing compassion to the campaign , and before she launched into a question about prosecuting fossil fuel companies . )
Yang himself has been often ignored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dissimilar polling numbers to Sen. Amy Klobuchar — something evident in New Hampshire , where the number of reporters was a tiny slice of those who follow the top four candidates .
This is possibly a function of Yang running on what 's perceived as a gimmick , but he has also been subjected to stuff like TV networks putting a different Asian man 's photo in his place in an on-air graphic .
So what you 've heard about his pitch , if you 've heard it , are UBI and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about identity .
In a way , UBI and the trucker — again by Yang 's own emphasis — sell his actual critique of American life a little short .
When he asks ( there 's a lot of asking and responding at a Yang event ) if voters have noticed stores in their town closing , and why this is so , people respond with one voice : Amazon .
He talks about the desolation to come via automated trucking , yes , but the other figure whom he discusses at length @ @ @ @ @ @ @ retail .
What will happen to her if a self-service kiosk or the entire store closing takes her job away ?
( Nothing good . )
Quite a bit of his discussion about AI is premised on data , but also the idea that Donald Trump has deeply , ruinously smeared immigrants .
`` How many of you are parents and concerned about your kids being addicted to screens ? ''
he asked a room full of non–Yang Gangers , mostly white people 40 or older , sitting in folding chairs on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hampshire .
Many raised their hands .
`` Yeah , me too , '' he said .
`` When I was 12 , I was a very nerdy kid .
But when I went home , I could close the door and feel I was alone and sheltered from the world .
Today , that introverted 12-year-old goes home , shuts the door , and is still feeling like their classmates are in the room with them because they can just pull up their phone and see what they 're saying and thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ argues and comes back around to again and again : Gross domestic product and employment are n't adequate measures for the health of the country , economic or otherwise .
He threads this in different ways , from rising measures of drug addiction to data about wages and homeownership to the fact that the value of his autistic son should not be based on whether he can find a job that increases the GDP .
The point of parents worried about phones started with a question about rising anxiety among teens .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last time life expectancy declined three years running ?
The Spanish flu .
All this gloom cuts against the other thing he 's known for : Yang is the Guy Having Fun Out There .

Andrew Yang likes to count off the days until you, the voter, can put humanity first.
He stood a weekend ago on the altar of an old Unitarian church, lit up against pale pink walls by a blinding white light and positioned between the Lord's Prayer and Matthew 22 (“THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD”), explaining these diminishing days.
"Your mission in 33 days is to let the rest of the country know that economic value and human value are not the same things,” he said, “that we have intrinsic value as Americans, as citizens, as human beings ourselves."
Then, after a beat, he added, "I'm glad I'm making this case in— I think we're in a church, is that right? At that point, there should've been like a hymn.
"Someone should've been like, BAANNG. Organ."
This is how it went in New Hampshire, a superstructure of frattiness over nerdiness: 33 short days, 32 short days, 31 short days. Now it's 21 short days until New Hampshire. Yang came, really, out of nowhere to raise millions of dollars and outlast governors and senators running for president. But here at the end, he’ll likely just miss being the real deal. The days get longer, and Yang's time grows shorter. Last week, as the debate calmly proceeded without him in Des Moines, he walked through Chicago O'Hare airport. So what will become of Yang, who plays the Smiths and Whitesnake’s "Here I Go Again" before his events?
This may not be a winning strategy right now — cast off that idea — but Yang’s part of a rising new Political Type. If you look at the way technology and the press evolved throughout the 20th century, the kinds of candidates changed with the media. In presentation and deep-down message, Yang shares more with others entering politics in the post-Obama, iPhone era than many 2020 Democrats do.
Admittedly, by his own emphasis, everything with Yang comes back around to universal basic income (UBI), a policy favored by some libertarians, a handful of progressives, and people who believe the federal government's only true talent is writing checks. If you've followed 2020 at all, you've heard that Yang wants to implement a $1,000/month UBI. ("Forevah?" as one woman asked in New Hampshire. Forever!) Next, maybe, you've heard him talk about how artificial intelligence and self-driving vehicles will put more people out of work, including the potential extinction of the American trucker.
Meanwhile, Yang's jokes about himself that trade in Asian stereotypes have gotten laughs from mostly white crowds and deeply angered some people, Asian American and non–Asian American alike. (They also seem to still be top of mind for some noncritics. "I'm Asian and I don't like math," said one New Hampshire voter. This was after she thanked him for bringing compassion to the campaign, and before she launched into a question about prosecuting fossil fuel companies.)
Yang himself has been often ignored by the media, despite drawing not dissimilar polling numbers to Sen. Amy Klobuchar — something evident in New Hampshire, where the number of reporters was a tiny slice of those who follow the top four candidates. This is possibly a function of Yang running on what's perceived as a gimmick, but he has also been subjected to stuff like TV networks putting a different Asian man's photo in his place in an on-air graphic.
So what you've heard about his pitch, if you've heard it, are UBI and the trucker, and maybe the larger discussion about identity. In a way, UBI and the trucker — again by Yang's own emphasis — sell his actual critique of American life a little short.
When he asks (there's a lot of asking and responding at a Yang event) if voters have noticed stores in their town closing, and why this is so, people respond with one voice: Amazon. He talks about the desolation to come via automated trucking, yes, but the other figure whom he discusses at length is the 39-year-old woman who works in retail. What will happen to her if a self-service kiosk or the entire store closing takes her job away? (Nothing good.) Quite a bit of his discussion about AI is premised on data, but also the idea that Donald Trump has deeply, ruinously smeared immigrants.
"How many of you are parents and concerned about your kids being addicted to screens?" he asked a room full of non–Yang Gangers, mostly white people 40 or older, sitting in folding chairs on a warm Saturday night in Dover, New Hampshire. Many raised their hands. "Yeah, me too," he said. "When I was 12, I was a very nerdy kid. But when I went home, I could close the door and feel I was alone and sheltered from the world. Today, that introverted 12-year-old goes home, shuts the door, and is still feeling like their classmates are in the room with them because they can just pull up their phone and see what they're saying and thinking."
The non-UBI point Yang really argues and comes back around to again and again: Gross domestic product and employment aren't adequate measures for the health of the country, economic or otherwise. He threads this in different ways, from rising measures of drug addiction to data about wages and homeownership to the fact that the value of his autistic son should not be based on whether he can find a job that increases the GDP. The point of parents worried about phones started with a question about rising anxiety among teens. One call-and-response at his events: When was the last time life expectancy declined three years running? The Spanish flu.
All this gloom cuts against the other thing he's known for: Yang is the Guy Having Fun Out There.