Joining us (Morning Joe) today... Elizabeth Warren, James Carville, Senator John Thune, Steve Rattner, Amy Holmes, Howard Dean, Andrea Mitchell, Stephen Battaglio, Mike Barnicle, Bill Neely, Whit Ayers are all on the show (Morning Joe) are on with Willie, Joe and Mika this early Wednsday morning.
We shall start off with the facts that Lufthansa, one of the most renowned airlines at one time in my life, and its CEO, refuses to answer questions about last weeks crash. BTW, he was a total A-Hole at/in the initial press conference he gave last week at this time. I never mentioned it but I thought it a few times and every time I saw him snap at reporters questions about the pilot (Andreas Lubitz). But man have they had a problem dealing with the issue. The New York Times reports yesterday afternoon or maybe it was written up last night that the co-pilot at the controls of the German jetliner that crashed in the French Alps last week informed Lufthansa in 2009 that he had suffered from severe depression, the company said Tuesday.
Lufthansa said a search of its records found an email showing that the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, had informed the company of his condition as he was seeking to rejoin its training program after an absence of several months. The airline said in a statement that Mr. Lubitz had sent its flight training school the email, which included medical documents describing a “previous episode of severe depression.” Lufthansa is the parent company of the budget Germanwings airline that operated the jet that crashed on March 24. Lufthansa said it had now turned the information over to the German prosecutor investigating the crash, in which Mr. Lubitz and the other 149 people aboard the plane were killed.
Members of the media in front of the house of the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz’s family in Montabaur, Germany, which has bristled at the intrusion. The sign reads: “Off limits to the unauthorized.”Montabaur Journal: Andreas Lubitz’s Home City Is Left to Clear Away Emotional Wreckage. Members of the search team worked Monday at the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320. Clouds grounded helicopters, and search teams and investigators had to hike up on foot.Germanwings Co-Pilot Was Treated for ‘Suicidal Tendencies,’ Authorities Say. Rescue workers held Germany's and Japan's flags during a ceremony for the victims of the Germanwings crash. Though the airline is responsible for the actions of its pilot, not all relatives will be entitled to the same payout.Germanwings Crash Settlements Are Likely to Vary by Passenger Nationality. It was the first acknowledgment by Lufthansa that it knew of Mr. Lubitz’s mental health issues before the crash, and raised further questions about why the airline had allowed Mr. Lubitz to complete his training and go on to fly passenger jets.
Emerging picture of the Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, according to the police, prosecutors and airline officials:
Had been treated for “suicidal tendencies” before receiving pilot’s license.
Was treated by psychiatrists “over a long period of time.”
Interrupted his pilot training for months, for undisclosed reasons.
Had a mental illness but kept it hidden from the airline.
Had antidepressant drugs in his apartment.
Also sought treatment for vision problems.
Prosecutors in Germany said Monday that he had been treated for suicidal tendencies but did not say when, and Lufthansa’s statement did not address when Mr. Lubitz’s depression had occurred, what treatment he might have received or what, if any, follow-up there was with Mr. Lubitz by the airline. Lufthansa’s statement on Tuesday came five days after its chief executive, Carsten Spohr, a former pilot, said the airline had found Mr. Lubitz to be “100 percent flightworthy without any limitations.”
Mr. Spohr said last week that candidates for flight school were chosen not only on the basis of their technical ability but also for their psychological fitness. He said Lufthansa’s screening process was considered state of the art, “and we’re very proud of it.” Police officers who searched through Mr. Lubitz’s apartment in Düsseldorf on Thursday found doctors’ notes that said Mr. Lubitz was too sick to work, including on the day of the crash. One had been torn up and thrown into the trash, leading investigators to conclude that he was hiding his medical problems from the airline.
Lufthansa said it had decided to readmit Mr. Lubitz to pilot training after he passed the company’s medical and psychological tests and was found to be healthy. Coming after a serious bout of depression, however, that decision is sure to receive significant scrutiny. “Lufthansa will continue to provide the investigating authorities with its full and unlimited support,” the company said in its statement, but it would not provide additional comment on the matter “because we do not wish to anticipate the ongoing investigation by the Düsseldorf public prosecutor.” The families of some, if not all, of the victims are also likely to sue the airline for compensation over the deaths of their loved ones. Under the 1999 Montreal Convention, airlines are liable for almost any crash, whether it is caused by pilot error, negligence or a deliberate act.
For an airline to escape liability, it must prove it was entirely free of blame. This standard is nearly impossible to meet, and cases are usually settled out of court. “It certainly makes it harder for the airline to prove they weren’t negligent,” said Daniel O. Rose, a partner at Kreindler & Kreindler, a New York-based law firm specializing in aviation litigation. The statement by the airline acknowledging that it had been informed of Mr. Lubitz’s depression raises the possibility of criminal proceedings in Germany or France against the airline or its executives. Mike Danko, a plaintiff’s lawyer in California, said the airline’s “admission may be relevant to the criminal case pending in Germany.”
“In the U.S., the criminal justice system is meant to punish, not compensate,” he said. “In Europe, it’s different. So the admission may lead to more compensation for the families beyond that which is available through the Montreal Convention.” French prosecutors have said that voice recordings and other data show that Mr. Lubitz was at the controls of the plane, did not let the captain back into the cockpit after he stepped out to use the bathroom, and set the plane on a course to crash into the mountains as the captain frantically tried to break through the door. The German daily newspaper Bild and the French magazine Paris Match claimed on Tuesday to have viewed shaky video footage of the chaotic final seconds of the flight. An individual with knowledge of the investigation expressed doubts about the video’s veracity.
Robin Williams had depressions and committed suicide.Even a celebrity who has it both, fame and wealth. It would be a big help to everyone trying to understand this incident if someone who has fantasized about killing a lot of people. Do we give pilots polygraph tests every six months along with their medical check-ups? At a time when the company is already under intense pressure from new long-haul competitors and budget airlines within Europe. The acknowledgment that the airline knew about Mr. Lubitz’s depression could also spur outrage in Germany toward one of the country’s signature companies. Nearly half of the victims were Germans, and the plane was bound for Düsseldorf. The passengers included 16 high school students from Haltern am See, a town north of Düsseldorf.
An official who has been briefed on the investigation said that only one set of remains from the crash site had been positively identified so far: those of Mr. Lubitz, 27. President François Hollande of France, speaking to reporters in Berlin after a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, said he was optimistic that all of the victims could be identified by the weekend, but officials involved said they expected it to take significantly longer.
Even before the Lufthansa statement Tuesday, questions about Mr. Lubitz’s mental health had provoked a debate about whether new measures would be needed to ensure that airlines are aware of pilots’ medical history. A representative of the union that represents German flight attendants cautioned that strict rules might backfire by causing some employees to avoid seeking treatment.
“I would warn against making the crew into completely transparent people,” said Christoph Drescher, a representative of the Independent Flight Attendants Organization, known by its German initials, U.F.O. “That would just mean that someone would not go to a doctor.” The current system largely relies on pilots to report any medical or psychological problems they may have suffered.
Mr. Lubitz had an intense love of flying from an early age. He began flying gliders when he was 14 and dreamed of becoming a commercial airline pilot. He was admitted out of high school into Lufthansa’s prestigious flight school, where he began training to fly commercial jets. But as Lufthansa officials had previously announced, he broke off his training for several months. Prosecutors here in Düsseldorf announced on Monday that Mr. Lubitz had been treated by psychotherapists “over a long period of time,” but did not specify when that had occurred.
Officials with knowledge of the investigation said that in addition to his struggles with depression, Mr. Lubitz had sought treatment for vision problems that might have jeopardized his ability to continue working as a pilot. The trouble with his eyes may have been psychosomatic, as prosecutors said there was no physical problem with his health. Still, personal writings found in a search of his home indicated that before the deadly crash, the young pilot was deeply afraid of losing his job because of his vision and mental health issues. Nicholas Kulish reported from Düsseldorf, and Jack Ewing from Frankfurt. Melissa Eddy contributed reporting from Berlin, Nicola Clark from Paris, and Jad Mouawad from New York.
Just moments ago, that CEO refused to answer questions by anyone but the NBC news reporter. The bottom line is that the airline allowed a person that dropped out of flight school due to severe depression and then they allowed him to fly with a 'clean bill of health' after he returned from that leave of absence. The pilot literally told the airline in an email that he had mental behavior issue. As Steve Rattner states just now that if anyone turned over that type of an email to the flight school and to the airline say that he was depressed as a human, there is a 0.00000% chance that I (or he) would hire that person to fly a plane. End of story. They blew it and now that airline is libel for potentially a lot of money in paymemts to the families of the passengers. That was stupid. It was very stupid of the airline to allow it. they should pay out for it.
As for the Nuclear talks with Iran and everyone, first off, the Russia representative is back for the talks and its down to what to do about the sanctions today. Netanyahu already spoke his mind saying the deal was/is unconscionable even though of course he knows nothing about the deal itself, but anyway, Andrea Mitchell is still in Switzerland reporting about the talks today.
And, it is time play every one's favorite game right now, 'Why is Joe Wrong?" He says again that Obama and (John) Kerry are too eager to put together any deal, let alone a good one and man oh man, Howard Dean agrees that he is not wrong about that statement or assessment. We cannot get anyone to actually play the game for real any more. Howard feels that Joe is correct in saying it. I agree that Iran is just wanting to get rid of the sanctions so when they get lifted, its a victory of sort for Iran. I also love this game (Why is Joe Wrong?). Andrea (Mitchell) reports that with regard to the Iran nuclear deal: 'Key issues' delay accord as talks extended while the allies in on the talks like the UK says key issues still need to be tackled at talks on Iran's nuclear programme but agrees with Iranian and Russian delegates that there is "a broad framework of understanding".
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said: "We hope to get there during the day." However, a number of ministers have left the talks and China warned compromise was essential, otherwise "all previous efforts will be wasted". A deal would curb the nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Negotiations between the so-called P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China and Russia plus Germany - and Iran resumed on Wednesday at Lausanne's Beau-Rivage Palace hotel after overrunning a 31 March deadline for a deal. The P5+1 deal seeks to ensure Iran could not assemble a nuclear weapon in less than a year. The Iranians insist that they have no such ambition.
'Fingers crossed'
Mr Hammond told the BBC: "I think we have a broad framework of understanding, but there are still some key issues that have to be worked through. "Some of them are quite detailed and technical so there is still quite a lot of work to do but we are on it now and we'll keep going at it. "Fingers crossed, we hope to get there during the day." Mr Hammond stressed again that he would not sign up to a "bad deal".
We shall start off with the facts that Lufthansa, one of the most renowned airlines at one time in my life, and its CEO, refuses to answer questions about last weeks crash. BTW, he was a total A-Hole at/in the initial press conference he gave last week at this time. I never mentioned it but I thought it a few times and every time I saw him snap at reporters questions about the pilot (Andreas Lubitz). But man have they had a problem dealing with the issue. The New York Times reports yesterday afternoon or maybe it was written up last night that the co-pilot at the controls of the German jetliner that crashed in the French Alps last week informed Lufthansa in 2009 that he had suffered from severe depression, the company said Tuesday.
Lufthansa said a search of its records found an email showing that the co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz, had informed the company of his condition as he was seeking to rejoin its training program after an absence of several months. The airline said in a statement that Mr. Lubitz had sent its flight training school the email, which included medical documents describing a “previous episode of severe depression.” Lufthansa is the parent company of the budget Germanwings airline that operated the jet that crashed on March 24. Lufthansa said it had now turned the information over to the German prosecutor investigating the crash, in which Mr. Lubitz and the other 149 people aboard the plane were killed.
Members of the media in front of the house of the co-pilot Andreas Lubitz’s family in Montabaur, Germany, which has bristled at the intrusion. The sign reads: “Off limits to the unauthorized.”Montabaur Journal: Andreas Lubitz’s Home City Is Left to Clear Away Emotional Wreckage. Members of the search team worked Monday at the crash site of the Germanwings Airbus A320. Clouds grounded helicopters, and search teams and investigators had to hike up on foot.Germanwings Co-Pilot Was Treated for ‘Suicidal Tendencies,’ Authorities Say. Rescue workers held Germany's and Japan's flags during a ceremony for the victims of the Germanwings crash. Though the airline is responsible for the actions of its pilot, not all relatives will be entitled to the same payout.Germanwings Crash Settlements Are Likely to Vary by Passenger Nationality. It was the first acknowledgment by Lufthansa that it knew of Mr. Lubitz’s mental health issues before the crash, and raised further questions about why the airline had allowed Mr. Lubitz to complete his training and go on to fly passenger jets.
Emerging picture of the Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz, according to the police, prosecutors and airline officials:
Had been treated for “suicidal tendencies” before receiving pilot’s license.
Was treated by psychiatrists “over a long period of time.”
Interrupted his pilot training for months, for undisclosed reasons.
Had a mental illness but kept it hidden from the airline.
Had antidepressant drugs in his apartment.
Also sought treatment for vision problems.
Prosecutors in Germany said Monday that he had been treated for suicidal tendencies but did not say when, and Lufthansa’s statement did not address when Mr. Lubitz’s depression had occurred, what treatment he might have received or what, if any, follow-up there was with Mr. Lubitz by the airline. Lufthansa’s statement on Tuesday came five days after its chief executive, Carsten Spohr, a former pilot, said the airline had found Mr. Lubitz to be “100 percent flightworthy without any limitations.”
Mr. Spohr said last week that candidates for flight school were chosen not only on the basis of their technical ability but also for their psychological fitness. He said Lufthansa’s screening process was considered state of the art, “and we’re very proud of it.” Police officers who searched through Mr. Lubitz’s apartment in Düsseldorf on Thursday found doctors’ notes that said Mr. Lubitz was too sick to work, including on the day of the crash. One had been torn up and thrown into the trash, leading investigators to conclude that he was hiding his medical problems from the airline.
Lufthansa said it had decided to readmit Mr. Lubitz to pilot training after he passed the company’s medical and psychological tests and was found to be healthy. Coming after a serious bout of depression, however, that decision is sure to receive significant scrutiny. “Lufthansa will continue to provide the investigating authorities with its full and unlimited support,” the company said in its statement, but it would not provide additional comment on the matter “because we do not wish to anticipate the ongoing investigation by the Düsseldorf public prosecutor.” The families of some, if not all, of the victims are also likely to sue the airline for compensation over the deaths of their loved ones. Under the 1999 Montreal Convention, airlines are liable for almost any crash, whether it is caused by pilot error, negligence or a deliberate act.
For an airline to escape liability, it must prove it was entirely free of blame. This standard is nearly impossible to meet, and cases are usually settled out of court. “It certainly makes it harder for the airline to prove they weren’t negligent,” said Daniel O. Rose, a partner at Kreindler & Kreindler, a New York-based law firm specializing in aviation litigation. The statement by the airline acknowledging that it had been informed of Mr. Lubitz’s depression raises the possibility of criminal proceedings in Germany or France against the airline or its executives. Mike Danko, a plaintiff’s lawyer in California, said the airline’s “admission may be relevant to the criminal case pending in Germany.”
“In the U.S., the criminal justice system is meant to punish, not compensate,” he said. “In Europe, it’s different. So the admission may lead to more compensation for the families beyond that which is available through the Montreal Convention.” French prosecutors have said that voice recordings and other data show that Mr. Lubitz was at the controls of the plane, did not let the captain back into the cockpit after he stepped out to use the bathroom, and set the plane on a course to crash into the mountains as the captain frantically tried to break through the door. The German daily newspaper Bild and the French magazine Paris Match claimed on Tuesday to have viewed shaky video footage of the chaotic final seconds of the flight. An individual with knowledge of the investigation expressed doubts about the video’s veracity.
Robin Williams had depressions and committed suicide.Even a celebrity who has it both, fame and wealth. It would be a big help to everyone trying to understand this incident if someone who has fantasized about killing a lot of people. Do we give pilots polygraph tests every six months along with their medical check-ups? At a time when the company is already under intense pressure from new long-haul competitors and budget airlines within Europe. The acknowledgment that the airline knew about Mr. Lubitz’s depression could also spur outrage in Germany toward one of the country’s signature companies. Nearly half of the victims were Germans, and the plane was bound for Düsseldorf. The passengers included 16 high school students from Haltern am See, a town north of Düsseldorf.
An official who has been briefed on the investigation said that only one set of remains from the crash site had been positively identified so far: those of Mr. Lubitz, 27. President François Hollande of France, speaking to reporters in Berlin after a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, said he was optimistic that all of the victims could be identified by the weekend, but officials involved said they expected it to take significantly longer.
Even before the Lufthansa statement Tuesday, questions about Mr. Lubitz’s mental health had provoked a debate about whether new measures would be needed to ensure that airlines are aware of pilots’ medical history. A representative of the union that represents German flight attendants cautioned that strict rules might backfire by causing some employees to avoid seeking treatment.
“I would warn against making the crew into completely transparent people,” said Christoph Drescher, a representative of the Independent Flight Attendants Organization, known by its German initials, U.F.O. “That would just mean that someone would not go to a doctor.” The current system largely relies on pilots to report any medical or psychological problems they may have suffered.
Mr. Lubitz had an intense love of flying from an early age. He began flying gliders when he was 14 and dreamed of becoming a commercial airline pilot. He was admitted out of high school into Lufthansa’s prestigious flight school, where he began training to fly commercial jets. But as Lufthansa officials had previously announced, he broke off his training for several months. Prosecutors here in Düsseldorf announced on Monday that Mr. Lubitz had been treated by psychotherapists “over a long period of time,” but did not specify when that had occurred.
Officials with knowledge of the investigation said that in addition to his struggles with depression, Mr. Lubitz had sought treatment for vision problems that might have jeopardized his ability to continue working as a pilot. The trouble with his eyes may have been psychosomatic, as prosecutors said there was no physical problem with his health. Still, personal writings found in a search of his home indicated that before the deadly crash, the young pilot was deeply afraid of losing his job because of his vision and mental health issues. Nicholas Kulish reported from Düsseldorf, and Jack Ewing from Frankfurt. Melissa Eddy contributed reporting from Berlin, Nicola Clark from Paris, and Jad Mouawad from New York.
Just moments ago, that CEO refused to answer questions by anyone but the NBC news reporter. The bottom line is that the airline allowed a person that dropped out of flight school due to severe depression and then they allowed him to fly with a 'clean bill of health' after he returned from that leave of absence. The pilot literally told the airline in an email that he had mental behavior issue. As Steve Rattner states just now that if anyone turned over that type of an email to the flight school and to the airline say that he was depressed as a human, there is a 0.00000% chance that I (or he) would hire that person to fly a plane. End of story. They blew it and now that airline is libel for potentially a lot of money in paymemts to the families of the passengers. That was stupid. It was very stupid of the airline to allow it. they should pay out for it.
As for the Nuclear talks with Iran and everyone, first off, the Russia representative is back for the talks and its down to what to do about the sanctions today. Netanyahu already spoke his mind saying the deal was/is unconscionable even though of course he knows nothing about the deal itself, but anyway, Andrea Mitchell is still in Switzerland reporting about the talks today.
And, it is time play every one's favorite game right now, 'Why is Joe Wrong?" He says again that Obama and (John) Kerry are too eager to put together any deal, let alone a good one and man oh man, Howard Dean agrees that he is not wrong about that statement or assessment. We cannot get anyone to actually play the game for real any more. Howard feels that Joe is correct in saying it. I agree that Iran is just wanting to get rid of the sanctions so when they get lifted, its a victory of sort for Iran. I also love this game (Why is Joe Wrong?). Andrea (Mitchell) reports that with regard to the Iran nuclear deal: 'Key issues' delay accord as talks extended while the allies in on the talks like the UK says key issues still need to be tackled at talks on Iran's nuclear programme but agrees with Iranian and Russian delegates that there is "a broad framework of understanding".
Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said: "We hope to get there during the day." However, a number of ministers have left the talks and China warned compromise was essential, otherwise "all previous efforts will be wasted". A deal would curb the nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. Negotiations between the so-called P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China and Russia plus Germany - and Iran resumed on Wednesday at Lausanne's Beau-Rivage Palace hotel after overrunning a 31 March deadline for a deal. The P5+1 deal seeks to ensure Iran could not assemble a nuclear weapon in less than a year. The Iranians insist that they have no such ambition.
'Fingers crossed'
Mr Hammond told the BBC: "I think we have a broad framework of understanding, but there are still some key issues that have to be worked through. "Some of them are quite detailed and technical so there is still quite a lot of work to do but we are on it now and we'll keep going at it. "Fingers crossed, we hope to get there during the day." Mr Hammond stressed again that he would not sign up to a "bad deal".
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said he hoped an agreement could be finalised on Wednesday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier that "one can say with relative certainty that we at the minister level have reached an agreement in principle on all key aspects of the final settlement of this issue". "It will be put down in writing over the next few hours, maybe during the day," he told Russia's Tass news agency. He has now left the talks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that "quite a bit" had been accomplished. "I hope that we can finalise the work on Wednesday," he said. However, Iranian negotiator Abbas Araqchi on Wednesday admitted that "problems" remained, saying there could not be a deal without a "framework for the removal of all sanctions". Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who has now left Lausanne, issued a note of caution.
President Obama was briefed about the talks late on Tuesday. A Chinese statement read: "It is important to give political guidance to the negotiations... it is important to narrow down the differences. "If the negotiations are stuck, all previous efforts will be wasted. All parties must be prepared to meet each other half way to reach an agreement." French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has also left Lausanne but said he would return as soon as it was "useful". US President Barack Obama held a video conference overnight with the US negotiating team. He was briefed on the progress of the talks by Secretary of State John Kerry but no details were released.
Any agreement would set the stage for further talks aimed at achieving a comprehensive accord by 30 June. On Wednesday, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu said again that the concessions offered to Iran in Lausanne would ensure a "bad deal" that endangered Israel, the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Sticking points
After months of negotiations, the basic outline of an agreement is well known.
Iran would scale its nuclear programme and subject it to rigorous inspection for at least 10 years. In exchange, there would be an easing and eventual end of crippling UN, US and EU sanctions.
However, there are some issues yet to be resolved. These are thought to include:
- Length of restrictions - Iran's nuclear activities would be strictly limited for at least 10 years. After that, Iran wants all limits to be lifted. The P5+1 says they should be removed progressively over the following five years
- Sanctions relief - Iran wants the UN sanctions suspended soon after an agreement. The P5+1 says they should be eased in a phased manner, with restrictions on imports of nuclear-related technology remaining for years
- Non-compliance - The US and its European allies want a mechanism that would allow suspended UN sanctions to be put back into effect rapidly if Iran reneges on a deal. Russia reportedly accepts this, but wants to ensure its Security Council veto rights are protected
- Centrifuges - Iran wants to develop advanced centrifuges that can enrich uranium faster and in greater quantities
Here are Iran's key nuclear sites:
Also, as we wrote about this week, Arkansas passes 'religious freedom' bill similar to new Indiana law, sparking more protests. Demonstrators inside the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark. Arkansas lawmakers on Tuesday approved a religious-freedom bill similar to the one recently passed in Indiana that critics say creates the potential for businesses and others to legally discriminate against people because of their sexual orientation.
The state’s Republican-led House gave final approval to the bill, which prohibits the state and local governments from infringing on a person's religious beliefs without a "compelling" interest. The measure now goes to Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who has said he will sign it into law. Doug McMillon, the CEO of Arkansas-based Wal-Mart, issued a statement Tuesday pressing Hutchinson to "veto this legislation," and adding that the law would "undermine the spirit of inclusion" in the state.
"[It] does not reflect the values we proudly uphold," McMillon's statement read. Indiana GOP Gov. Mike Pence signed a similar bill on Thursday, and 19 other states have comparable measures on the books. Companies and lawmakers across the country denounced the Indiana law as discriminatory against gays, lesbians and others --and ordered that official business and travel there either be curtailed or stopped.
This week, hundreds of protesters filled the Arkansas Capitol urging Hutchinson to veto the bill, which is almost identical to the Indiana bill. Both appear to state that a person could deny another person a service, based on a religious belief, and use that circumstance as a legal defense. One frequently used example is a baker refusing a wedding cake order from a gay couple. Pence and the leaders of the state’s Republican-led legislature have argued their bill does not legalize discrimination and is similar to a 1993 federal law signed by President Clinton and to legislation in 19 other states.
And it has been supported by such social conservatives and potential 2016 Republican presidential candidates as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Dr. Ben Carson, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. However, the Indiana Republican lawmakers vowed Monday to clarify the law -- just before a front-page Indianapolis Star editorial with the giant headline “Fix This Now.”
Prior to the passage Tuesday of the Arkansas bill, the White House repeated its opposition to the Indiana law. “This kind of public outcry … is indicative of how this piece of legislation flies in the face of values that people all across America strongly support,” said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest. “Governor Pence falsely tried to suggest the law is the same as the 1993 law. That is not true.” Earnest also said the Indiana law was a “significant expansion” of law. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
I am not sure why but them using bakers, florists and photographers as the crux of this debate is cracking me up. I get the analogy or example that they cannot discriminate making a cake based on religion or religious beliefs, but what is that percentage of people in the workplace? Less than .00001% of the people in America and in Indiana, Arkansas, etc. work in those industries and yet they are being used as the spokes people for this law/bill.
We are goig to get to Hilary Clinton now. Trey gowdy and his Benghazi committee seeks 'transcribed' interview with Clinton over deleted records. The congressional committee probing the Benghazi attacks has formally requested that Hillary Clinton appear for an interview on her use of a personal email and server for official business while secretary of state, after learning the server had been wiped "clean."
Committee Chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., made the request in a letter sent Tuesday to Clinton's lawyer. Gowdy asked that Clinton agree to a "transcribed" interview -- and repeated a March 16 request for her to surrender her server so it can be examined by the State Department’s inspector general. Gowdy said Friday that Clinton, the presumptive Democratic front-runner in the 2016 presidential race, has yet to adequately respond to the subpoena request for the server. He said the committee learned she had “unilaterally decided” to wipe it clean and permanently delete all emails.
“This committee is left with no alternative but to request Secretary Clinton appear before this committee for a transcribed interview to better understand decisions the secretary made relevant to the creation, maintenance, retention, and ultimately deletion of public records,” Gowdy wrote to Clinton attorney David Kendall on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Clinton acknowledged that she sent or received roughly 60,000 related emails, turning over roughly half to the State Department and deleting about the same number of “personal” ones.
James Carville is discussing the Hilary email controversy this AM.
I am not sure how much i care about this next story but I also do NOT get why people do not watch what they say on Twitter or on any type of communication process these days.But, Comedy Central is defending its decision to hire Trevor Noah as Jon Stewart’s replacement for The Daily Show, after old tweets of his — which many are calling sexist and anti-Semitic — surfaced on the web earlier today (March 31), resulting in a fair amount of public outcry.
According to the LA Times, the network released a statement backing Noah as Stewart’s successor. The statement reads, “Like many comedians, Trevor Noah pushes boundaries; he is provocative and spares no one, himself included. To judge him or his comedy based on a handful of jokes is unfair. Trevor is a talented comedian with a bright future at Comedy Central.” While many of the tweets dug up by the general public and circulated via countless media outlets were from nearly six years ago, a few of them were tweeted as recently as May 2014. For many fans of the Daily Show the content of Noah’s jokes is disconcerting, and has many people wondering how his brand of humor will translate into the satirical news program.
The Anti-Defamation League also released a statement, imploring Noah to stick to satire and not veer off into offensive material. Their statement says (via the LA Times), “We hope he will not cross the line from legitimate satire into offensiveness with jokes calling up anti-Semitic stereotypes and misogyny. And we hope that he and Comedy Central will make a conscious effort to ensure The Daily Show remains funny and irreverent without trafficking in bigoted jokes at the expense of Jews, other minorities and women.”
Noah also responded to the backlash on Twitter. You can check out his tweet below.
Honestly, I think his comments about women are worse than one about Jews. After all, John Stewart (very Jewish) hired the guy and I am sure had a say in his successor being Trevor (Noah). I never heard of the guy before this week but I rarely watched John Stewarts show. I watch the highlights and love them and I like John Stewart a lot, but I never really watched his show every week day. This is hard to defend though but it seems like Comedy Central is behind him even after this back lash. remember too, two days ago,m they and he were praised for being tapped into this spot and now its an issue. But what he said was not that smart but then again, he is a comedian. I agree with Stephen Battaglio and (Mike) Barnicle in that I did not find the Tweets or this guys Stand Up routine that i saw clips of to be funny at all. Like I said here today, I never heard of the guy before this week.
BTW, I also hate the April Fools days Concept. John Olivers bit about it on Sunday was hilarious.
(James) Carville is on with his bright red/orange sweater being talked about at first, but yeah, let's talk about his favorite subject lately, Hilary Clinton. Her numbers are still Up In Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll Finds (PDF format).
This is interesting stuff and I will just sit back to listen to this interview with (James) Carville (it is already going nuts as they are both trying to get a word in edge wise and neither of them (Joe or James) can do it but again, here are those numbers from these polls:
For more information, visit http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling, call (203) 582-5201, or follow us them at Twitter @QuinnipiacPoll.
Now that is funny because (Mike) Barnicle just asked about the exhaustion factor to James (Carville) when it comes to Hilary (Clinton) and honestly, I am exhausted from this segment. So is Mika. She just walked off the set. I literally walked out side on the balcony during this interview because I am pooped from it. I don't even know whats going on now. But what I think is happening again with that GOP is that they are coming off as attacking the negatives rather than basing anything on their own campaigns and with their own platforms. They never seem to run for anything any more and they only attack the opposition and any opposing candidate. I think (James) Carvill'e's point is him trying to say that enough with the Benghazi crap. If you want to run vs Hilary Clinton, base it ion your own platforms and not on some made up controversy. It just seems that we go from one so called controversy to the next one and we as the people are over them. Maybe its because of the Bush Jr./Cheney controversy of them scamming us into wars is why they think it is an effective way to deal but its not. That was real. These nouveau controversy's are not in the broad scheme of all of our lives. But again, why wont the GOP base their campaigns on what they believe for real? Why must they not only dodge it, why must they convolute things in ways where they create drama by way of a made up controversy.
I will give them a hint on how they should deal if you don't mind it. No one gives a flying F%&K about Benghazi. We want to fix it. We want to mourn the deaths of all that died and that is it. Also, no one gives a flying F%&K about the so called email controversy with Hilary Clinton. It happened. It was stupid. It was unnecessary. It is also not a deal breaker for us normal people. Which begs me to ask who are these peoples' marketing team(s)? Who and what polls do they read because they miscalculate it all of the time. They are in their own bubble which I get, but its not going to win in general elections any time soon. The bottom line is that what will win is being real. What will win is whomever coming off being real.
People want to see realness when it comes to people in our government and people want to see all candidates act genuinely or genuine. When you dodge questions and when you dodge issues, that is when and why things go bad for candidates. This is not brain surgery here. Be real or do NOT run today.
Coincidentally now, Whit Ayers is on the show to discuss his book which is about how the GOP's ways of dealing are antiquated and right out of the 80's playbook. I agree with that too.
The head of Ford is on now and I don't do Ford's. The founder was a Nazi that gave cars, trucks and many things as weaponry to fight versus us and our allies in the war against the Nazi's. Adolph Hitler had a portrait of Henry Ford in his office in Germany. They were best friends and how us Americans look at that Ford Company as the quintessential Americana company is beyond me. Henry Ford was a Nazi. He started his company and thrived it during World War II. He gave many vehicles to the German's to ironically, for them to use to fight against us. But yet again, we are somehow supposed to look at the company as the end all be all American company when in reality, they played a pivotal part in using those vehicles as ways for the Germans to fight against America. It makes no sense to me.
Anyway, I have still yet to see that Documentary Film or Series that Vocativ had made about Syria. I need to watch it. I know squat about whats up in that country and I need to know more. Al Assad denies accusations that he is mass murdering his own people in that Civil War and the report also states that many schools are getting bombed because of the war. Those kids in the footage I am watching now seem like happy people considering what is up there. The kids or people I saw seem to have great spirits again, for whatever its worth but still, it is a civil war. It sucks. War's suck. Oh. I get it now. It is our faults again that we did not intervene sooner than we did. If all else fails, it is the fault of Obama. Even though there was never an ISIS before the Bush Jr./Cheney admin took us into those wars back in the 00's. Maybe that is what Amy Homes and the far right meant when we say that we did not deal sooner than later. I will say that the GOP thought process and talking points are like a cocaine addict. They are very linear. They speak hard about what is wrong right up to that very minute when it has to do with their part in why we are in such a mess. Because its all Obama but the fact is there would be no ISIS if we did not enter Iraq. Therefore, ISIS people would not be doing whatever they do in Syria, in Yemen, in Iraq, in Iran and anywhere because again, if we did not enter that Iraq war based on everything being false, we would not be in this situation today. I assume that is what Amy Holmes and that GOP means by us not reacting in time in Syria.
When is Liz Warren's interview being shown? I have seen much of it because it was pre recorded but I still want to see the entire interview. I have a question for everyone. Are for this 'Robin Hood' (I hate the coined name of it) tax where a fraction of a percentage tax on each of the trillions of transactions made by Wall Street traders every year. Not only would it make our system fairer and more safe by reducing speculation, it would raise potentially billions of dollars each year. Call it the “Robin Hood tax” – taking from the worst of the 1% to fund investments that help everyone. Recently, progressive champion Rep. Keith Ellison introduced the Robin Hood tax in the House of Representatives.2 Now, we’re teaming up with our friends at National Nurses United to make sure Congress pays attention. His call is for us to tell Congress: Support the Robin Hood tax on Wall Street gambling. Click here to sign the petition.
This is an idea that has the potential to change the debate in our nation’s capital. Instead of debating how much to cut and who gets hurt, we can start taxing the industry that nearly brought down our economy in the first place. When tens of thousands of us call for a tax on Wall Street, we strengthen the hands of progressive champions like Keith Ellison who are showing that there is a better alternative to devastating cuts and tax cuts for the rich. The Robin Hood tax – or financial transaction tax (FTT) – is essentially a very small sales tax, just like you and I pay at the store. But instead of taxing the things people need to live their everyday lives, we’re taxing Wall Street’s gambling habit. Rep. Ellison’s bill adds a tax of just a fraction of a percent to every financial trade. But all those pennies add up to big bucks each year. By some estimates, a Robin Hood tax could raise nearly $300 billion each year – money that could be used to fund education, infrastructure, job training, childcare, health care, and hundreds of other investments in all of us.
It evidently gets better: Taxing speculation like this also reduces risk and makes the financial system work better. The point of the banking industry is to channel savings to productive investments that add value to society. But instead of adding value, too much of Wall Street activity today is focused on complicated financial products and risky gambles, with the sole purpose of trying to make a buck. In fact, a huge portion of trades are conducted in milliseconds by computer algorithms that track where the market is going, buy a stock, and sell it again after less than a second – earning a tiny profit over and over again, at lightning speed. If we make all that purposeless gambling a tiny bit more expensive, we discourage high-speed, high-volume trading and slow the growth the complicated financial products that nearly brought down our economy – the same way we tax cigarettes to discourage smoking. No wonder nearly 40 countries have some form of financial sales tax, and the idea has been endorsed by everyone from Nobel Prize winners to former President George H.W. Bush.
Also, I had no clue BTW, that the Louisiana something or other at the rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike,m was Popeyes. They changed the logo. I got fries and some fried shrimp dish thinking it was some new fast food chain from Louisiana. I then looked into the new logo design to see that was/is Popeyes.
Also again, Yesterday, the Obama administration announced a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and then followed that up by approving Shell's climate-killing plan to drill in the Arctic. This is a setback, but we’re not giving up. Right now, six volunteers aboard the Greenpeace ship Esperanza are tailing one of Shell's drilling rigs across the Pacific, and across the city of Seattle, where Shell's Arctic fleet is set to dock, concerned residents are mobilizing. And people all over the world are standing up against Shell. If we don’t put it all on the line now, Shell’s rigs will be drilling in the Arctic in less than 100 days. If drilling happens, oil WILL spill, contaminating waters that Arctic communities and wildlife depend on. Even worse, drilling also threatens the entire planet by fast-tracking catastrophic climate change. With sea ice at its lowest ever this year, it's time to take action.
Shell thinks it’s won, but it hasn’t accounted for you. Over half a million of you petitioned President Obama and the U.S. government to stop Shell’s plans and save the Arctic. Our politicians may have caved to the oil industry, but we know you’re ready to take the next step. We’re mobilizing thousands of people worldwide to stand up in their communities and take action. Your support today can help make this movement a success. Last time Shell was allowed in the Arctic, it ran the oil rig Kulluk aground off the coast of Alaska, a dangerous accident that put the lives of workers and the Alaskan ecosystem at risk. In a separate incident, a containment dome was “crushed like a beer can.” There’s no reason to expect that this effort will go any better, and it’s only a matter of time before oil spills.
Any oil spilled in the Arctic will be nearly impossible to clean up. Worse, the scientific journal Nature’s analysis of our climate says that if we’re going to avert disaster, we need to keep the Arctic’s oil reserves in the ground. But Shell and our government are willing to gamble away our children’s future for oil.
Liz Warren is the keynote speaker at the 'Know Your Values' Event on April 10th, 2015 in Philadelphia.
Oh yeah and BTW again, that Mitch McConnell and Benjamen Netenyahu conversation they had on TV was so ridic. Those optics were so odd. Where is something like that effective? In Israel? In 1983? It looked so odd. It was very odd. As if we are not smart enough to realize how scripted it is set up, they come off or try to come off like they are having an every day conversation between two people. It was so weird to see and hear that type of production and optic this day and age.
I'll chime back in later on in the hour and therefore regardless of it all, stay in touch!
(James) Carville is on with his bright red/orange sweater being talked about at first, but yeah, let's talk about his favorite subject lately, Hilary Clinton. Her numbers are still Up In Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll Finds (PDF format).
This is interesting stuff and I will just sit back to listen to this interview with (James) Carville (it is already going nuts as they are both trying to get a word in edge wise and neither of them (Joe or James) can do it but again, here are those numbers from these polls:
| |
| Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's margins are down in matchups with possible 2016 Republican presidential candidates in three critical swing states, Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and in no state do voters say she's honest and trustworthy, but she still runs best overall of any candidate, according to a Quinnipiac University Swing State Poll released today. | |
| The closest contests are in Florida, where former Gov. Jeb Bush gets 45 percent to Clinton's 42 percent, and Pennsylvania, where U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky gets 45 percent to Clinton's 44 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds. The Swing State Poll focuses on Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania because since 1960 no candidate has won the presidential race without taking at least two of these three states. | |
| Clinton's favorability rating is down in each state, but she still does better than Republican contenders, except for Jeb Bush and U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio in Florida. | |
| Clinton is not honest and trustworthy, Florida voters say 50 - 41 percent and Pennsylvania voters say 49 - 44 percent. Ohio voters are divided as 47 percent say yes and 46 percent say no. | |
| Matchups between Clinton and her closest Republican opponent in each state show: | |
| |
| "The good news for Hillary Clinton is that the e-mail controversy has not done huge violence to her presidential chances. But the matter is taking a toll on the former secretary of state's public image," said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac Poll. | |
| "On the plus side, Secretary Clinton is considered a strong leader - a key characteristic for voters when picking a president, more so than her leading, but lesser-known, potential GOP opponents," Brown said. "But about half the voters in all three states question her honesty and trustworthiness. | |
| "Majorities in each state think Clinton still has questions to answer about her e-mails. Voters in each state are evenly divided on whether Congressional hearings are warranted although a majority thinks such a hearing would be politically motivated rather than justified." | |
| The gender gap remains wide as Clinton leads among women in every contest, by margins of 7 percentage points to 28 percentage points. Her margins among men range from a 3 percentage point lead to a 23-point deficit. | |
| Florida | |
| While Clinton remains in a see-saw battle with Bush and is in a tight race with either Sen. Rubio or Sen. Paul, she leads other Republicans, but her leads are down from a February 3 Quinnipiac University poll: | |
| |
| She gets a slim 49 - 46 percent favorability rating from Florida voters, down from 53 - 39 percent last month. Bush's 47 - 42 percent favorability compares to 46 - 38 percent February 3. Scores for other Republicans are: | |
| |
| A total of 51 percent of Florida voters say Clinton's e-mail problems are "very important" or "somewhat important' in their vote for president, and 38 percent say they are less likely to vote for her because of this issue, while 56 percent say it won't affect their vote. | |
| Only 33 percent of voters say Clinton has provided satisfactory answers on the e-mail issue, while 56 percent say serious questions remain. | |
| But voters say 54 - 41 percent that a Congressional investigation into Clinton's e-mails is politically motivated, rather than justified. | |
| "Talk about well-exposed! Secretary Clinton has virtually 100 percent name recognition in the Sunshine state, as 95 percent of Floridians have an opinion about her favorably or unfavorably. That means changing voters' preferences will be difficult," Brown said. | |
| Ohio | |
| While margins are smaller than last month, Clinton leads all Republicans in Ohio: | |
| |
| Clinton's 51 - 43 percent favorability compares to 51 - 40 percent last month. Scores among Republicans are: | |
| |
| Ohio voters are divided 51 - 49 percent on whether Clinton's e-mail problems are important or not in their vote for president, and 61 percent say this issue won't affect their vote. | |
Clinton has provided satisfactory answers on the e-mail issue, 41 percent of voters say, while 52 percent say serious questions remain. | |
A Congressional investigation into Clinton's e-mails is politically motivated, rather than justified, voters say 54 - 40 percent. | |
"Something for Secretary Clinton's team to worry about. Thirty-six percent of independent voters in the key state of Ohio say they are less likely to vote for her because of the e-mail controversy," Brown said. | |
| Pennsylvania | |
| Paul gets 45 percent in Pennsylvania to Clinton's 44 percent, compared to a 53 - 34 percent Clinton lead February 3. She tops other Republicans by smaller leads than last month. | |
| |
| Clinton's favorability rating in Pennsylvania, a divided 48 - 47 percent, is down from 55 - 38 percent February 3. Ratings for the Republicans are: | |
| |
| Pennsylvania voters say 52 - 47 percent that Clinton's e-mail problems are important in their vote for president, and 41 percent say they are less likely to vote for her because of this issue, while 54 percent say it won't affect their vote. | |
| Clinton has provided satisfactory answers on the e-mail issue, 38 percent of voters say, while 55 percent say serious questions remain. A Congressional investigation into Clinton's e- mails is politically motivated, rather than justified, Pennsylvania voters say 55 - 42 percent. | |
| "A red flag in blue state Pennsylvania. Hillary Clinton, seemingly invincible before the e-mail scandal, ends up tied with Rand Paul," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. | |
| From March 17 - 28 Quinnipiac University surveyed: | |
| |
| Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones. | |
| The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado and the nation as a public service and for research. | |
| 3. If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Chris Christie the Republican, for whom would you vote? | |
FL OH PA
Clinton 44% 45% 45%
Christie 39 39 40
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 3 2 4
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) 6 5 6
DK/NA 7 9 5
| |
| 4. If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Rand Paul the Republican, for whom would you vote? | |
FL OH PA
Clinton 46% 46% 44%
Paul 43 41 45
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 2 1 2
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) 3 4 3
DK/NA 6 9 6
| |
| 5. If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Mike Huckabee the Republican, for whom would you vote? | |
FL OH PA
Clinton 48% 49% 47%
Huckabee 40 39 41
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 2 1 2
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) 4 4 3
DK/NA 6 7 6
| |
| 6. If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Jeb Bush the Republican, for whom would you vote? | |
FL OH PA
Clinton 42% 47% 46%
Bush 45 38 40
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 2 3 2
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) 5 5 6
DK/NA 6 7 5
| |
| 7. If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Marco Rubio the Republican, for whom would you vote? | |
FL OH PA
Clinton 46% 47% 46%
Rubio 44 38 42
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 2 2 1
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) 2 3 4
DK/NA 5 10 7
| |
| 8. If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Scott Walker the Republican, for whom would you vote? | |
FL OH PA
Clinton 46% 49% 46%
Walker 40 38 41
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 2 1 2
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) 4 3 4
DK/NA 8 10 8
| |
| 9. If the election for President were being held today, and the candidates were Hillary Clinton the Democrat and Ted Cruz the Republican, for whom would you vote? | |
FL OH PA
Clinton 48% 48% 48%
Cruz 39 38 39
SMONE ELSE(VOL) 2 1 2
WLDN'T VOTE(VOL) 4 3 4
DK/NA 6 9 7
| |
| 10. Is your opinion of Hillary Clinton favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about her? | |
FL OH PA
Favorable 49% 51% 48%
Unfavorable 46 43 47
Hvn't hrd enough 3 4 4
REFUSED 2 2 2
| |
| 11. Is your opinion of Chris Christie favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? | |
FL OH PA
Favorable 30% 28% 34%
Unfavorable 44 37 48
Hvn't hrd enough 24 33 17
REFUSED 2 1 1
| |
| 12. Is your opinion of Rand Paul favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? | |
FL OH PA
Favorable 31% 33% 37%
Unfavorable 31 30 31
Hvn't hrd enough 36 36 31
REFUSED 2 2 1
| |
| 13. Is your opinion of Mike Huckabee favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? | |
FL OH PA
Favorable 33% 33% 35%
Unfavorable 32 31 32
Hvn't hrd enough 33 34 33
REFUSED 2 2 1
| |
| 14. Is your opinion of Jeb Bush favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? | |
FL OH PA
Favorable 47% 32% 32%
Unfavorable 42 40 45
Hvn't hrd enough 9 27 22
REFUSED 2 2 1
| |
| 15. Is your opinion of Marco Rubio favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? | |
FL OH PA
Favorable 42% 25% 30%
Unfavorable 38 20 20
Hvn't hrd enough 18 55 49
REFUSED 1 - 1
| |
| 16. Is your opinion of Scott Walker favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? | |
FL OH PA
Favorable 26% 22% 27%
Unfavorable 20 20 19
Hvn't hrd enough 53 58 53
REFUSED 1 1 -
| |
| 17. Is your opinion of Ted Cruz favorable, unfavorable or haven't you heard enough about him? | |
FL OH PA
Favorable 24% 21% 25%
Unfavorable 31 29 32
Hvn't hrd enough 44 49 42
REFUSED 1 1 1
| |
| 23. Would you say that - Hillary Clinton is honest and trustworthy or not? | |
FL OH PA
Yes 41% 47% 44%
No 50 46 49
DK/NA 9 7 7
| |
| 24. Would you say that - Jeb Bush is honest and trustworthy or not? | |
FL OH PA
Yes 54% 42% 45%
No 35 34 36
DK/NA 11 24 20
| |
| 25. Would you say that - Scott Walker is honest and trustworthy or not? | |
FL OH PA
Yes 32% 30% 32%
No 24 22 22
DK/NA 44 48 46
| |
| 26. Would you say that - Hillary Clinton has strong leadership qualities or not? | |
FL OH PA
Yes 62% 66% 62%
No 35 31 35
DK/NA 3 3 2
| |
| 27. Would you say that - Jeb Bush has strong leadership qualities or not? | |
FL OH PA
Yes 65% 49% 52%
No 27 32 31
DK/NA 8 19 16
| |
| 28. Would you say that - Scott Walker has strong leadership qualities or not? | |
FL OH PA
Yes 36% 34% 36%
No 24 21 19
DK/NA 40 45 45
| |
| 29. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Hillary Clinton handled her job as Secretary of State? | |
FL OH PA
Approve 52% 55% 53%
Disapprove 44 39 44
DK/NA 4 6 4
| |
| 30. As you may know, Hillary Clinton used a personal email address to conduct government business while working as Secretary of State. How important is this issue to your vote for President in the 2016 general election; very important, somewhat important, not so important, or not important at all? | |
FL OH PA
Very important 33% 30% 33%
Somewhat important 18 21 19
Not so important 17 16 19
Not important at all 30 33 28
DK/NA 2 1 1
| |
| 31. If Hillary Clinton runs for President in 2016, does her using a personal email address to conduct government business while working as Secretary of State make you more likely to vote for her in the general election, less likely, or doesn't it make a difference? | |
FL OH PA
More likely 4% 1% 3%
Less likely 38 36 41
No difference 56 61 54
DK/NA 2 1 2
| |
| 32. Do you think Clinton has given satisfactory answers on this matter, or do you think there are serious questions that remain to be answered? | |
FL OH PA
Satisfactory answers 33% 41% 38%
Questions remain 56 52 55
DK/NA 11 6 7
| |
| 33. Do you support or oppose a congressional investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email address to conduct government business while working as Secretary of State? | |
FL OH PA
Support 47% 48% 48%
Oppose 48 48 48
DK/NA 5 4 4
| |
| 34. Do you believe that a Congressional investigation into this matter is justified or is politically motivated? | |
FL OH PA
Justified 41% 40% 42%
Politically motivated 54 54 55
DK/NA 5 6 3
| |
Now that is funny because (Mike) Barnicle just asked about the exhaustion factor to James (Carville) when it comes to Hilary (Clinton) and honestly, I am exhausted from this segment. So is Mika. She just walked off the set. I literally walked out side on the balcony during this interview because I am pooped from it. I don't even know whats going on now. But what I think is happening again with that GOP is that they are coming off as attacking the negatives rather than basing anything on their own campaigns and with their own platforms. They never seem to run for anything any more and they only attack the opposition and any opposing candidate. I think (James) Carvill'e's point is him trying to say that enough with the Benghazi crap. If you want to run vs Hilary Clinton, base it ion your own platforms and not on some made up controversy. It just seems that we go from one so called controversy to the next one and we as the people are over them. Maybe its because of the Bush Jr./Cheney controversy of them scamming us into wars is why they think it is an effective way to deal but its not. That was real. These nouveau controversy's are not in the broad scheme of all of our lives. But again, why wont the GOP base their campaigns on what they believe for real? Why must they not only dodge it, why must they convolute things in ways where they create drama by way of a made up controversy.
I will give them a hint on how they should deal if you don't mind it. No one gives a flying F%&K about Benghazi. We want to fix it. We want to mourn the deaths of all that died and that is it. Also, no one gives a flying F%&K about the so called email controversy with Hilary Clinton. It happened. It was stupid. It was unnecessary. It is also not a deal breaker for us normal people. Which begs me to ask who are these peoples' marketing team(s)? Who and what polls do they read because they miscalculate it all of the time. They are in their own bubble which I get, but its not going to win in general elections any time soon. The bottom line is that what will win is being real. What will win is whomever coming off being real.
People want to see realness when it comes to people in our government and people want to see all candidates act genuinely or genuine. When you dodge questions and when you dodge issues, that is when and why things go bad for candidates. This is not brain surgery here. Be real or do NOT run today.
Coincidentally now, Whit Ayers is on the show to discuss his book which is about how the GOP's ways of dealing are antiquated and right out of the 80's playbook. I agree with that too.
The head of Ford is on now and I don't do Ford's. The founder was a Nazi that gave cars, trucks and many things as weaponry to fight versus us and our allies in the war against the Nazi's. Adolph Hitler had a portrait of Henry Ford in his office in Germany. They were best friends and how us Americans look at that Ford Company as the quintessential Americana company is beyond me. Henry Ford was a Nazi. He started his company and thrived it during World War II. He gave many vehicles to the German's to ironically, for them to use to fight against us. But yet again, we are somehow supposed to look at the company as the end all be all American company when in reality, they played a pivotal part in using those vehicles as ways for the Germans to fight against America. It makes no sense to me.
Anyway, I have still yet to see that Documentary Film or Series that Vocativ had made about Syria. I need to watch it. I know squat about whats up in that country and I need to know more. Al Assad denies accusations that he is mass murdering his own people in that Civil War and the report also states that many schools are getting bombed because of the war. Those kids in the footage I am watching now seem like happy people considering what is up there. The kids or people I saw seem to have great spirits again, for whatever its worth but still, it is a civil war. It sucks. War's suck. Oh. I get it now. It is our faults again that we did not intervene sooner than we did. If all else fails, it is the fault of Obama. Even though there was never an ISIS before the Bush Jr./Cheney admin took us into those wars back in the 00's. Maybe that is what Amy Homes and the far right meant when we say that we did not deal sooner than later. I will say that the GOP thought process and talking points are like a cocaine addict. They are very linear. They speak hard about what is wrong right up to that very minute when it has to do with their part in why we are in such a mess. Because its all Obama but the fact is there would be no ISIS if we did not enter Iraq. Therefore, ISIS people would not be doing whatever they do in Syria, in Yemen, in Iraq, in Iran and anywhere because again, if we did not enter that Iraq war based on everything being false, we would not be in this situation today. I assume that is what Amy Holmes and that GOP means by us not reacting in time in Syria.
When is Liz Warren's interview being shown? I have seen much of it because it was pre recorded but I still want to see the entire interview. I have a question for everyone. Are for this 'Robin Hood' (I hate the coined name of it) tax where a fraction of a percentage tax on each of the trillions of transactions made by Wall Street traders every year. Not only would it make our system fairer and more safe by reducing speculation, it would raise potentially billions of dollars each year. Call it the “Robin Hood tax” – taking from the worst of the 1% to fund investments that help everyone. Recently, progressive champion Rep. Keith Ellison introduced the Robin Hood tax in the House of Representatives.2 Now, we’re teaming up with our friends at National Nurses United to make sure Congress pays attention. His call is for us to tell Congress: Support the Robin Hood tax on Wall Street gambling. Click here to sign the petition.
This is an idea that has the potential to change the debate in our nation’s capital. Instead of debating how much to cut and who gets hurt, we can start taxing the industry that nearly brought down our economy in the first place. When tens of thousands of us call for a tax on Wall Street, we strengthen the hands of progressive champions like Keith Ellison who are showing that there is a better alternative to devastating cuts and tax cuts for the rich. The Robin Hood tax – or financial transaction tax (FTT) – is essentially a very small sales tax, just like you and I pay at the store. But instead of taxing the things people need to live their everyday lives, we’re taxing Wall Street’s gambling habit. Rep. Ellison’s bill adds a tax of just a fraction of a percent to every financial trade. But all those pennies add up to big bucks each year. By some estimates, a Robin Hood tax could raise nearly $300 billion each year – money that could be used to fund education, infrastructure, job training, childcare, health care, and hundreds of other investments in all of us.
It evidently gets better: Taxing speculation like this also reduces risk and makes the financial system work better. The point of the banking industry is to channel savings to productive investments that add value to society. But instead of adding value, too much of Wall Street activity today is focused on complicated financial products and risky gambles, with the sole purpose of trying to make a buck. In fact, a huge portion of trades are conducted in milliseconds by computer algorithms that track where the market is going, buy a stock, and sell it again after less than a second – earning a tiny profit over and over again, at lightning speed. If we make all that purposeless gambling a tiny bit more expensive, we discourage high-speed, high-volume trading and slow the growth the complicated financial products that nearly brought down our economy – the same way we tax cigarettes to discourage smoking. No wonder nearly 40 countries have some form of financial sales tax, and the idea has been endorsed by everyone from Nobel Prize winners to former President George H.W. Bush.
Also, I had no clue BTW, that the Louisiana something or other at the rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike,m was Popeyes. They changed the logo. I got fries and some fried shrimp dish thinking it was some new fast food chain from Louisiana. I then looked into the new logo design to see that was/is Popeyes.
Also again, Yesterday, the Obama administration announced a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and then followed that up by approving Shell's climate-killing plan to drill in the Arctic. This is a setback, but we’re not giving up. Right now, six volunteers aboard the Greenpeace ship Esperanza are tailing one of Shell's drilling rigs across the Pacific, and across the city of Seattle, where Shell's Arctic fleet is set to dock, concerned residents are mobilizing. And people all over the world are standing up against Shell. If we don’t put it all on the line now, Shell’s rigs will be drilling in the Arctic in less than 100 days. If drilling happens, oil WILL spill, contaminating waters that Arctic communities and wildlife depend on. Even worse, drilling also threatens the entire planet by fast-tracking catastrophic climate change. With sea ice at its lowest ever this year, it's time to take action.
Shell thinks it’s won, but it hasn’t accounted for you. Over half a million of you petitioned President Obama and the U.S. government to stop Shell’s plans and save the Arctic. Our politicians may have caved to the oil industry, but we know you’re ready to take the next step. We’re mobilizing thousands of people worldwide to stand up in their communities and take action. Your support today can help make this movement a success. Last time Shell was allowed in the Arctic, it ran the oil rig Kulluk aground off the coast of Alaska, a dangerous accident that put the lives of workers and the Alaskan ecosystem at risk. In a separate incident, a containment dome was “crushed like a beer can.” There’s no reason to expect that this effort will go any better, and it’s only a matter of time before oil spills.
Any oil spilled in the Arctic will be nearly impossible to clean up. Worse, the scientific journal Nature’s analysis of our climate says that if we’re going to avert disaster, we need to keep the Arctic’s oil reserves in the ground. But Shell and our government are willing to gamble away our children’s future for oil.
Liz Warren is the keynote speaker at the 'Know Your Values' Event on April 10th, 2015 in Philadelphia.
Oh yeah and BTW again, that Mitch McConnell and Benjamen Netenyahu conversation they had on TV was so ridic. Those optics were so odd. Where is something like that effective? In Israel? In 1983? It looked so odd. It was very odd. As if we are not smart enough to realize how scripted it is set up, they come off or try to come off like they are having an every day conversation between two people. It was so weird to see and hear that type of production and optic this day and age.
I'll chime back in later on in the hour and therefore regardless of it all, stay in touch!
