MORNING MESSAGE
Clinton’s
use of 9/11 is being called a “gaffe” and it could turn out to be an even bigger
problem because of the party’s effort to minimize the audience for the debates.
Invoking 9/11 might be her only “false note” in an otherwise good performance,
but without the audience a debate usually would receive, people will only hear
about this. They will not have any frame of reference for how she otherwise did.
So the party’s effort to “run out the clock” on Clinton’s lead and keep people
from hearing from Sanders might turn out to be too clever by half.
Fallout From Dem Debate
Clinton’s
“9/11” explanation of Wall St. ties raises eyebrows. W. Post: “This is not
an answer that will likely fade into the ether. It will not be quickly
forgotten. It will become a part of somebody’s fundraising queries, one or two
ads and several YouTube mashups before this election is over.”
Rival
campaigns pounce. MSNBC.com: “…at a Central Iowa Democratic Barbecue … both
O’Malley’s and Sanders’ campaigns showed no signs of letting up … Cornel West …
spoke on Sanders’ behalf … [He] said Clinton ‘is a master of giving lip service
to progressive causes but acting like a neoliberal and a example of the
corporate wing of the Democratic Party.’ … O’Malley said Clinton made a ‘gaffe’
in a ‘very, very distasteful way, trying to pump out a smokescreen for her
coziness with the big banks of Wall Street by invoking the tragedy of 9/11 and
those attacks — and especially so fresh after so many were murdered in
Paris.'”
Wall
St. donors defend themselves. Bloomberg: “‘Look, I’ve known Hillary for a
long time,” [hedge fund manager Marc Lasry] said. ‘Whether you are from Wall
Street or from Main Street, you respect her because of her intelligence and
because she’ll fight for you.’ … ‘She rejects simplistic solutions and slogans
in favor of comprehensive and thoughtful analysis,’ [Sullivan & Cromwell’ H.
Rodgin Cohen] said, ‘whether in the financial arena or elsewhere.'”
Sanders
campaigns on family leave. W. Post: “Clinton has spoken out strongly in
favor of providing workers with paid family leave but also stressed her
commitment in recent days to not raising taxes on the middle class to pay for
new initiatives. The plan backed by Sanders, a senator from Vermont, would be
paid for with an increase in the payroll tax that would cost the average worker
about $72 a year.
“Parties’
Divide on the Economy Widens” says WSJ: “In Saturday’s Democratic debate,
candidates said they would seek to rein in Wall Street, raise taxes, increase
the minimum wage and expand the federal government’s role in health care.
Republicans, meanwhile, are competing to repeal regulations, cut taxes, keep the
minimum wage as it stands and roll back President Barack Obama’s signature
health-care overhaul.”
Deadline Looms For Transportation Bill
Congress
faces transportation bill deadline this week. Roll Call: “They have until
the end of the week to produce and advance a [House-Senate] conference agreement
on transportation programs, absent another extension. It’s also the vehicle for
reviving the Export-Import Bank …”
House
GOP investigators want to pry into climate scientists’ emails. W. Post:
“Scientists and top officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration have agreed to start interviews akin to depositions this week
with House investigators … [But there is] pressure on NOAA’s parent agency to
comply with his subpoena for e-mails that NOAA has refused to turn
over.”
Progressive
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