Joining today's show are Mike Barnicle, Mark Halperin, Eugene Robinson, Evelyn Farkas, Elise Jordan, Jon Meacham, Robert Costa, Kasie Hunt, Hallie Jackson, Sen. Ben Sasse, Kurt Anderson, Jeremy Peters, Sara Eisen, Christie Hefner, Trent Lott, Tom Daschle and in Taiji, Japan, another small pod of about 8 Risso's dolphins have now been slaughtered. Skiffs on the way to transfer to butcher house 2016-27-01 9.55am#dolphinproject #tweet4dolphins.
Trump refuses to debate; calls Fox's Kelly 'a lightweight'. Donald Trump on Tuesday bowed out of the final Republican presidential debate before the leadoff Iowa caucuses, saying Fox News moderator Megyn Kelly is "a lightweight."
With 48 hours to go before the faceoff, campaign manager Corey Lewandowski confirmed Trump's decision Tuesday evening after a press conference in which Trump lashed out at Kelly and said she'd been "toying" with him.
"He will not be participating in the Fox News debate Thursday," Lewandowski said immediately after the press conference.
Trump, who called his decision "pretty close to irrevocable" in the press conference, said he'd hold an Iowa event at the same time as the debate to raise money for wounded veterans. Iowa hosts the nation's opening presidential primary contest on Monday.
"With me, they're dealing with somebody that's a little bit different. They can't toy with me like they toy with everybody else," he said. "Let them have their debate and let's see how they do with the ratings."
He added, "Why do I have to make Fox rich?"
On Tuesday night's airing of her Fox News show, "The Kelly File," Kelly said she'll be at the debate, which will "go on with or without Mr. Trump."
In a statement released Tuesday night, a Fox News spokesperson said Trump is still welcome to participate in the debate, but will not be allowed to "dictate the moderators or the questions."
"Capitulating to politicians' ultimatums about a debate moderator violates all journalistic standards," Fox said.
The Republican National Committee said the decision was up to Trump.
"Obviously we would love all of the candidates to participate, but each campaign ultimately makes their own decision what's in their best interest," said RNC chief strategist Sean Spicer.
Trump had suggested he might skip the Fox debate earlier in the day, drawing a sarcastic statement from the television network that "the Ayatollah and Putin both intend to treat Donald Trump unfairly when they meet with him if he becomes president."
"A nefarious source tells us that Trump has his own secret plan to replace the Cabinet with his Twitter followers to see if he should even go to those meetings," the Fox statement said.
The New York real estate mogul's presence has helped produce massive ratings in the previous six Republican presidential debates. His decision leaves seven candidates to share the primetime stage Thursday: Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
"Let them have their debate. I'm going to raise money during that period of time for the wounded warriors and for the vets. Let Fox play its games," Trump said.
He added, "I don't think Iowa's gonna care."
At the very least, the high-profile debate feud serves as a major distraction in the Republican contest just six days before Iowa voters cast the first votes in the 2016 primary contest.
Trump, now locked in a tight race with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, has proven to be a master of commanding media attention at key moments. Among other things, he has called for a temporary ban on all Muslim immigrants and later questioned Cruz's presidential eligibility given that he was born in Canada. The provocative declarations have often left little oxygen in the race for his opponents.
Donald Trump to hold fundraiser for wounded troops instead. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump said Tuesday he will boycott his party’s next nationally televised debate and instead hold an event to benefit wounded troops.
In comments to journalists before an Iowa rally, first reported by Politico and the Washington Post, the business mogul and GOP frontrunner accused Fox News of picking a “biased” moderator — network personality Megyn Kelly — to drive up ratings and hurt his campaign.
The debate, scheduled for Thursday night, is the seventh since August. Trump has also complained that the events are too frequent and too long.
Thursday’s debate is the final event before the Iowa caucuses, set for Feb. 1.
Donald J. Trump
Trump asked reporters “why should the networks continue getting rich on the debates?" He also suggested he would hold an event to benefit wounded warriors in Iowa rather than appearing alongside the other Republican hopefuls.
Trump previously promised to attend the debate if Fox executives donated proceeds from the event to charities benefitting wounded troops. Last fall, he made a similar request to CNN, boasting that his candidacy drove up commercial profits from the debates and requested the cable network donate some of that revenue to veterans charities.
Last August, in the first GOP debate of the election season, Trump bristled after Kelly asked him about past misogynistic comments. In the days that followed, Trump suggested that Kelly was angry because of hormonal problems.
Fox officials have said the will not reconsider Kelly’s role as moderator, calling her “an excellent journalist” and the right person for the job.
Sarah Palin blames veteran son's arrest on PTSD, Obama
Trump has had several missteps with veterans issues since launching his campaign.
Last summer, he received heavy criticism for mocking the military service of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., because he was captured in Vietnam and spent more than five years as a prisoner of war.
In September, he received an endorsement from the group Veterans for a Strong America at a California rally, support that Trump called a reflection of millions of veterans backing his campaign. Subsequent investigations of the group found few members and questionable fundraising in its past.
Ammon Bundy arrested with multiple militants, two people reportedly shot
Oregon standoff leader Ammon Bundy and a number of armed militants have been arrested:
KATU News has learned the leader of the armed occupation at Malheur Wildlife Refuge - Ammon Bundy - has been detained, along with at least eight other individuals Tuesday evening.
Officials said it all began with a traffic stop while Bundy and some of his followers were en route to a community meeting in John Day, about 70 miles away.
Shots were fired after FBI agents, Oregon State troopers and other law enforcement agencies made the stop. CNN reports its unclear who fired first.
Shimon Prokupecz
BREAKING: At least 8 of Ammon Bundy's associates detained by authorities after traffic stop and brandishing weapons @evanperez
The militants themselves are reporting at least two people down from gunfire.
Two people have been shot and Ammon Bundy is in custody, according to a YouTube live stream report by Pete Santilli, who was speaking outside a hospital in Burns.
Santilli, a self-styled journalist, took to social media to discuss the breaking development late Tuesday afternoon. He also reported that the FBI has told the protesters at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge that they are free to go and need to leave immediately.
Below is a tweet from Bundy supporter Pete Stantilli. His live feed suddenly came to a stop.
Blaine Cooper
I liked a @YouTube video from @ptsantilli http://youtu.be/VVWykMKiOjU?a Breaking Burns Oregon: Reports of Shots Fired - Casualties
Stay tuned. Updates below.
Tuesday, Jan 26, 2016 · 10:04:25 PM EST · Jen Hayden
More on the men in custody.
Brent Weisberg
BREAKING: FBI statement confirms Ammon Bundy in custody. http://koin.com/2016/01/26/malheur-militia-law-enforcement-01262016/ … #KOIN6News #Oregonstandoff
Tuesday, Jan 26, 2016 · 10:11:56 PM EST · Jen Hayden
Update from a reporter at Oregon Public Broadcasting, one of the militants is reportedly dead:
Karin Hildebrand
Lavoy Finicum possibly killed. Santilli's feed named people enroute 2 JohnDay meeting, Finicum incl., now missing from arrestee list.
Tuesday, Jan 26, 2016 · 10:15:03 PM EST · Jen Hayden
The Idaho III%ers, who’ve been embedded around town for “security” are reporting they are fine and calling for cooler heads to prevail.
Tuesday, Jan 26, 2016 · 10:38:10 PM EST · Jen Hayden
Multiple reports that LaVoy “Blue Tarp Man” Finicum was shot and killed:
John Sepulvado
Tuesday, Jan 26, 2016 · 10:40:45 PM EST · Jen Hayden
The injured militant is Ryan Bundy, brother of Ammon Bundy:
Ryan Bundy, 43, of Bunkerville, Nev., suffered a minor gunshot wound and was taken into custody in a highway stop conducted by the FBI and the Oregon State Police.
Ammon Bundy and several members of his militant circle that took over the Malheur Wildlife Refuge have been arrested. Militant LaVoy Finicum, more recently known as “Blue Tarp Man” has been confirmed killed in a shootout with law enforcement. Ryan Bundy was also reportedly inured in the arrest of Ammon Bundy.
Bundy supporter Pete Santilli, who hosts a YouTube broadcast and has been heavily involved in the standoff, has also been arrested:
Each person arrested faces a federal felony charge of conspiracy to impede US officers from “discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 372.”
Later, right-wing online talk show host Pete Santilli, who has been embedded with the militia from the beginning of the occupation, was also arrested on the same charges. Santilli, 50, lives in Cincinnati.
His YouTube co-host, Deb, continued the live stream. After several frantic calls, she commented to an unknown person on the phone that Blaine Cooper was still at the refuge and she had spoken with him by phone and that Cooper was “going to fight.” At last report, his wife, Melissa Cooper was at the refuge, and possibly his two daughters.
Harney County officials appeal for calm:
Harney Co. Judge Steve Grasty calls on people at refuge to stand down peacefully. http://koin.com/2016/01/26/malheur-militia-law-enforcement-01262016/ … #KOIN6News
Deb, Pete Santilli’s loyal assistant on the YouTube broadcasts, continued the live stream to his channel after his arrest and was heard on video saying she spoke with militant Blaine Cooper and “They were going to stand their ground, going to die there.” Listen:
Jon Ritzheimer, another central figure to the standoff, apparently returned home to see his wife and children, and turned himself in in Arizone after the FBI gave him little choice:
I came home to visit my family. The Feds know I am here and are asking me to turn myself in. I need an attorney so I can get back to my girls.
NFL still doing a full review of Peyton Manning HGH claims.
NFL still doing a full review of Peyton Manning HGH claims.
There hasn't been much new information on the Al Jazeera story that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning's wife had HGH sent to her, but the NFL is still investigating the claims.
According to an Associated Press story published Tuesday, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the review has been going on for weeks and "involves reviews of records, interviews and coordination with other agencies." The NFL has not, however, asked the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to help investigate, ESPN.com reported. Major League Baseball has asked for help from the USADA in investigating its players named in the Al Jazeera report. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said on Twitter that the NFL has been working with USADA, but ESPN.com reporter T.J. Quinn shot back that his report was right because the NFL has only been communicating with USADA.
Al Jazeera released a report in late December, mostly reported with use of a hidden camera, in which an intern from an Indianapolis anti-aging clinic claimed HGH was sent to Manning's wife in 2011. The report inferred that it was intended for Peyton Manning, who missed the 2011 NFL season with a neck injury. There was no direct evidence linking Peyton Manning to the HGH, and the intern in the report, Charlie Sly, recanted his story afterward. Manning called the Al Jazeera report "garbage."
The NFL had to investigate the claims. There were other NFL players implicated in the report, including Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison and multiple members of the Green Bay Packers, although the allegations against them were mostly ignored because the allegations against five-time NFL MVP Manning overshadowed everything else in the report.
All of this might not matter much anyway. The AP report said the investigation isn't expected to be done before Manning and the Broncos play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7. There have been many signs that the 39-year-old Manning will retire after this season, so it's possible the story might fade away. Not much came of the banned deer antler spray controversy surrounding Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. That story broke right before the Super Bowl three seasons ago, and that ended up being Lewis' last game.
It won't be easy for the NFL (or media looking into furthering the story) to come up with enough evidence to prove Manning did anything wrong. Manning hasn't said anything more about it. He hasn't failed a drug test. The clinic hasn't said anything about Manning. Sly said everything he said on the hidden camera was a lie and he hasn't been heard from since. In early January the New York Times found a link between Sly, some of the athletes he named (but not Manning), and a nutritional supplement company, but that didn't add much to the Manning part of Al Jazeera's claims. And there hasn't been any breaking news on the issue since then.
The HGH claims could be one more story line in the run up to Super Bowl 50. Just don't expect the NFL's comprehensive review of the entire situation to be resolved before kickoff.
According to an Associated Press story published Tuesday, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the review has been going on for weeks and "involves reviews of records, interviews and coordination with other agencies." The NFL has not, however, asked the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to help investigate, ESPN.com reported. Major League Baseball has asked for help from the USADA in investigating its players named in the Al Jazeera report. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said on Twitter that the NFL has been working with USADA, but ESPN.com reporter T.J. Quinn shot back that his report was right because the NFL has only been communicating with USADA.
Al Jazeera released a report in late December, mostly reported with use of a hidden camera, in which an intern from an Indianapolis anti-aging clinic claimed HGH was sent to Manning's wife in 2011. The report inferred that it was intended for Peyton Manning, who missed the 2011 NFL season with a neck injury. There was no direct evidence linking Peyton Manning to the HGH, and the intern in the report, Charlie Sly, recanted his story afterward. Manning called the Al Jazeera report "garbage."
The NFL had to investigate the claims. There were other NFL players implicated in the report, including Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison and multiple members of the Green Bay Packers, although the allegations against them were mostly ignored because the allegations against five-time NFL MVP Manning overshadowed everything else in the report.
All of this might not matter much anyway. The AP report said the investigation isn't expected to be done before Manning and the Broncos play in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7. There have been many signs that the 39-year-old Manning will retire after this season, so it's possible the story might fade away. Not much came of the banned deer antler spray controversy surrounding Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis. That story broke right before the Super Bowl three seasons ago, and that ended up being Lewis' last game.
It won't be easy for the NFL (or media looking into furthering the story) to come up with enough evidence to prove Manning did anything wrong. Manning hasn't said anything more about it. He hasn't failed a drug test. The clinic hasn't said anything about Manning. Sly said everything he said on the hidden camera was a lie and he hasn't been heard from since. In early January the New York Times found a link between Sly, some of the athletes he named (but not Manning), and a nutritional supplement company, but that didn't add much to the Manning part of Al Jazeera's claims. And there hasn't been any breaking news on the issue since then.
The HGH claims could be one more story line in the run up to Super Bowl 50. Just don't expect the NFL's comprehensive review of the entire situation to be resolved before kickoff.
Abe Vigoda, Sunken-Eyed Character Actor, Dead at 94. 
Character actor Abe Vigoda, whose leathery, sad-eyed face made him ideal for playing the over-the-hill detective Phil Fish in the 1970s TV series "Barney Miller" and the doomed Mafia soldier in "The Godfather," died Tuesday at age 94.Vigoda's daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, told The Associated Press that Vigoda died Tuesday morning in his sleep at Fuchs' home in Woodland Park, New Jersey. The cause of death was old age. "This man was never sick," Fuchs said.
His death brought to an end years of questions on whether he was still alive — sparked by a false report of his death more than three decades ago. Though Vigoda took it in stride, the question of whether he was dead or alive became something of a running joke: There was even a website devoted to answering the much-Googled question, "Is Abe Vigoda dead?" (On Tuesday, it had been updated with "Yes," with the date of his death.)
Vigoda worked in relative obscurity as a supporting actor in the New York theater and in television until Francis Ford Coppola cast him in the 1972 Oscar-winning "The Godfather."
Vigoda played Sal Tessio, an old friend of Vito Corleone's (Marlon Brando) who hopes to take over the family after Vito's death by killing his son Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). But Michael anticipates that Sal's suggestion for a "peace summit" among crime families is a setup and the escorts Sal thought were taking him to the meeting turn out to be his executioners.
"Tell Mike it was only business," Sal mutters to consigliere Tom Hagen, played by Robert Duvall, as he's led away.
In a statement, Duvall said Tuesday it was "great working with Abe in 'The Godfather' and wonderful to have him among us. We had some great memories together and he will really be missed."
The great success of the film and "The Godfather Part II" made Vigoda's face and voice, if not his name, recognizable to the general public and led to numerous roles, often as hoodlums.
But it was his comic turn in "Barney Miller," which starred Hal Linden and ran from 1975 to 1982, that brought Vigoda's greatest recognition.
He liked to tell the story of how he won the role of Detective Fish. An exercise enthusiast, Vigoda had just returned from a five-mile jog when his agent called and told him to report immediately to the office of Danny Arnold, who was producing a pilot for a police station comedy.
Arnold remarked that Vigoda looked tired, and the actor explained about his jog. "You know, you look like you might have hemorrhoids," Arnold said. "What are you — a doctor or a producer?" Vigoda asked. He was cast on the spot.
"The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows," a reference book, commented that Vigoda was the hit of "Barney Miller." ''Not only did he look incredible, he sounded and acted like every breath might be his last," it said. "Fish was always on the verge of retirement, and his worst day was when the station house toilet broke down."
Vigoda remained a regular on "Barney Miller" until 1977 when he took the character to his own series, "Fish." The storyline dealt with the detective's domestic life and his relations with five street kids that he and his wife took into their home.
The show lasted a season and a half. Vigoda continued making occasional guest appearances on "Barney Miller," quitting over billing and salary differences.
But he remained a popular character actor in films, including "Cannonball Run II," ''Look Who's Talking," ''Joe Versus the Volcano" and "North."
His resemblance to Boris Karloff led to his casting in the 1986 New York revival of "Arsenic and Old Lace," playing the role Karloff originated on the stage in the 1940s. (The murderous character in the black comedy is famously said by other characters to resemble Boris Karloff, a great joke back when the real Karloff was playing him.)
Born in New York City in 1921, Vigoda attended the Theater School of Dramatic Arts at Carnegie Hall. In the early 1950s, he appeared as straight man for the Jimmy Durante and Ed Wynn TV comedies.
For 30 years, he worked in the theater, acting in dozens of plays in such diverse characters as John of Gaunt in "Richard II" (his favorite role) and Abraham Lincoln in a short-lived Broadway comedy "Tough to Get Help."
Vigoda attributed his high percentage in winning roles to his performance in auditions. Instead of delivering the tired soliloquies that most actors performed, he wrote his own, about a circus barker. At a surprise 80th birthday party in New Jersey in 2001, he gave a spirited recital of the monologue to the delight of the 100 guests.
Reflecting on his delayed success, Vigoda once remarked: "When I was a young man, I was told success had to come in my youth. I found this to be a myth. My experiences have taught me that if you deeply believe in what you are doing, success can come at any age."
"Barney Miller" became his first steady acting job.
"I'm the same Abe Vigoda," he told an interviewer. "I have the same friends, but the difference now is that I can buy the things I never could afford before. I have never had a house before, so now I would like a house with a nice garden and a pool. Hollywood has been very kind to me."
He was married twice, most recently to Beatrice Schy, who died in 1992. He had his daughter with his first wife, Sonja Gohlke, who has also died. Vigoda is survived by his daughter, grandchildren Jamie, Paul and Steven, and a great-grandson.
Reruns of "Barney Miller" and repeated screenings of the two "Godfather" epics kept Vigoda in the public eye, and unlike some celebrities, he enjoyed being recognized. In 1997 he was shopping in Bloomingdale's in Manhattan when a salesman remarked: "You look like Abe Vigoda. But you can't be Abe Vigoda because he's dead."
Bernie Sanders brings fiery populist message to Minnesota. He's seeking to build momentum before Monday's Iowa caucuses.
Sen. Bernie Sanders fired up big crowds in St. Paul and Duluth on Tuesday, trying to keep momentum building for his surging Democratic campaign just days from when the first votes of the presidential race are cast.
More than 14,000 people came to St. Paul’s RiverCentre — a third of them in an overflow crowd — for the Vermont senator’s evening speech, and earlier, about 6,000 people packed his afternoon rally at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.
In both cities, Sanders spoke in typically fiery fashion on his themes of reducing income inequality, breaking the influence of big money in politics and reforming the criminal justice system.
“You, and millions of other people, need to come together,” Sanders said in Duluth, adding that what he advocates is no less than a political revolution. “You need to say loud and clear that when so many men and women fought and died to save our country, that we the people are going to have a government that represents us, not just a handful of billionaires.”
In St. Paul, he said that no president “can effectively address the crisis facing our country unless there is a political revolution.” The crowd cheered when he attacked the campaign finance system as corrupt and the criminal justice system as broken, and booed when he singled out Wal-Mart for not paying its workers enough and railed against Wall Street, corporate America, the corporate media and the Koch brothers.
“Today in America, we have a rigged economy,” Sanders said. “People are sick and tired of working long hours for lower wages.” He vowed to make paid family medical leave and a $15 minimum wage a reality.
Minnesota’s U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison stood with Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane O’Meara Sanders, after introducing the Democratic presidential candidate Tuesday night at St. Paul’s RiverCentre.
Minnesota’s U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison stood with Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane O’Meara Sanders, after introducing the Democratic presidential candidate Tuesday night at St. Paul’s RiverCentre.
“Some kid in Minneapolis gets arrested for selling marijuana, that kid gets a police record,” he said, as the crowd booed. But a Wall Street executive whose behavior brought the economy into the worst recession since the 1930s gets nothing, he continued, adding, “...Wall Street’s greed is destroying our economy.”
One of the loudest cheers came for Sanders’ call for “major reform in the way police departments function.” While saying that he believes most police officers act responsibly, he said it was not acceptable to see unarmed people, particularly Latinos and African-Americans, “killed in cold blood.”
“When a police officer breaks the law, that officer must be held accountable,” he said.
Shannon Chapa, 39, said she was skeptical of him at first, but “I think he really listens to those of us who aren’t the 1 percent.”
Ken Brown, 72, came from Menomonie, Wis., to see Sanders. “Hillary [Clinton] hasn’t got enough strength to withstand the competition,” he said.
Waiting for Sanders, who spoke first to the overflow crowd, they heard from Farhiya Ali, a and Hamline University student, and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn. Ali drew cheers when she called for addressing institutional racism and the way cities are policed — and when she made a dig at Republican candidate Donald Trump by saying Sanders would bring change “rather than scapegoating Latinos or Muslims.”
Rising influence
Initially viewed as a long shot due to his quirky style and self-professed socialism, Sanders, 74, has recently risen to near equal or even ahead of Clinton in a handful of polls of Democratic voters. The biggest test of his underdog bid comes Monday, when Iowans gather for their first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Bernie Sanders spoke to an overflow crowd Tuesday night at St. Paul’s RiverCentre after a packed afternoon rally in Duluth.
Sanders started Tuesday in Des Moines at a rally with a United Steelworkers local that’s backing his bid. How he fares in Iowa will go a long way in determining whether he can keep up a fight against Clinton. Sanders told reporters at the Des Moines event that big turnout is key to his success.
Minnesota holds its own caucuses on March 1. A Star Tribune Minnesota Poll last week showed Clinton leading Sanders 59 percent to 25 percent among Democratic-leaning voters in the state. Sanders would beat Republican Donald Trump in a head-to-head matchup, the poll found. Sanders drew his strongest support in Minneapolis and St. Paul, but he also beat Trump in outstate Minnesota.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Sanders would hold a private meeting Wednesday with President Obama in the Oval Office. No agenda was announced, but it comes on the heels of Obama recently praising Clinton. The president has stressed, however, that he intends to remain neutral in the race for the Democratic nomination.
Resonating with the young
The size of the crowds showed how Sanders’ populist, anti-establishment message is resonating. The crowds were particularly well-stocked with young people.
“He has the people’s best interests in mind and his heart is in the right place,” said Paige Melius, a 23-year-old environmental sciences major at the University of Minnesota Duluth at the afternoon rally. Asked if she’d vote for Clinton should she become the Democratic nominee, Melius said she’d be more inclined to write in Sanders.
In his Duluth speech, Sanders ripped into perceptions that Clinton would be a better candidate for Democrats. He also said: “There’s nothing more in this life that I would look forward to than running against Donald Trump.”
More than 14,000 people came to St. Paul’s RiverCentre — a third of them in an overflow crowd — for the Vermont senator’s evening speech, and earlier, about 6,000 people packed his afternoon rally at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.
In both cities, Sanders spoke in typically fiery fashion on his themes of reducing income inequality, breaking the influence of big money in politics and reforming the criminal justice system.
“You, and millions of other people, need to come together,” Sanders said in Duluth, adding that what he advocates is no less than a political revolution. “You need to say loud and clear that when so many men and women fought and died to save our country, that we the people are going to have a government that represents us, not just a handful of billionaires.”
In St. Paul, he said that no president “can effectively address the crisis facing our country unless there is a political revolution.” The crowd cheered when he attacked the campaign finance system as corrupt and the criminal justice system as broken, and booed when he singled out Wal-Mart for not paying its workers enough and railed against Wall Street, corporate America, the corporate media and the Koch brothers.
“Today in America, we have a rigged economy,” Sanders said. “People are sick and tired of working long hours for lower wages.” He vowed to make paid family medical leave and a $15 minimum wage a reality.
Minnesota’s U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison stood with Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane O’Meara Sanders, after introducing the Democratic presidential candidate Tuesday night at St. Paul’s RiverCentre.
Minnesota’s U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison stood with Sen. Bernie Sanders and his wife, Jane O’Meara Sanders, after introducing the Democratic presidential candidate Tuesday night at St. Paul’s RiverCentre.
“Some kid in Minneapolis gets arrested for selling marijuana, that kid gets a police record,” he said, as the crowd booed. But a Wall Street executive whose behavior brought the economy into the worst recession since the 1930s gets nothing, he continued, adding, “...Wall Street’s greed is destroying our economy.”
One of the loudest cheers came for Sanders’ call for “major reform in the way police departments function.” While saying that he believes most police officers act responsibly, he said it was not acceptable to see unarmed people, particularly Latinos and African-Americans, “killed in cold blood.”
“When a police officer breaks the law, that officer must be held accountable,” he said.
Shannon Chapa, 39, said she was skeptical of him at first, but “I think he really listens to those of us who aren’t the 1 percent.”
Ken Brown, 72, came from Menomonie, Wis., to see Sanders. “Hillary [Clinton] hasn’t got enough strength to withstand the competition,” he said.
Waiting for Sanders, who spoke first to the overflow crowd, they heard from Farhiya Ali, a and Hamline University student, and U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn. Ali drew cheers when she called for addressing institutional racism and the way cities are policed — and when she made a dig at Republican candidate Donald Trump by saying Sanders would bring change “rather than scapegoating Latinos or Muslims.”
Rising influence
Initially viewed as a long shot due to his quirky style and self-professed socialism, Sanders, 74, has recently risen to near equal or even ahead of Clinton in a handful of polls of Democratic voters. The biggest test of his underdog bid comes Monday, when Iowans gather for their first-in-the-nation caucuses.
Bernie Sanders spoke to an overflow crowd Tuesday night at St. Paul’s RiverCentre after a packed afternoon rally in Duluth.
Sanders started Tuesday in Des Moines at a rally with a United Steelworkers local that’s backing his bid. How he fares in Iowa will go a long way in determining whether he can keep up a fight against Clinton. Sanders told reporters at the Des Moines event that big turnout is key to his success.
Minnesota holds its own caucuses on March 1. A Star Tribune Minnesota Poll last week showed Clinton leading Sanders 59 percent to 25 percent among Democratic-leaning voters in the state. Sanders would beat Republican Donald Trump in a head-to-head matchup, the poll found. Sanders drew his strongest support in Minneapolis and St. Paul, but he also beat Trump in outstate Minnesota.
The Washington Post reported Tuesday that Sanders would hold a private meeting Wednesday with President Obama in the Oval Office. No agenda was announced, but it comes on the heels of Obama recently praising Clinton. The president has stressed, however, that he intends to remain neutral in the race for the Democratic nomination.
Resonating with the young
The size of the crowds showed how Sanders’ populist, anti-establishment message is resonating. The crowds were particularly well-stocked with young people.
“He has the people’s best interests in mind and his heart is in the right place,” said Paige Melius, a 23-year-old environmental sciences major at the University of Minnesota Duluth at the afternoon rally. Asked if she’d vote for Clinton should she become the Democratic nominee, Melius said she’d be more inclined to write in Sanders.
In his Duluth speech, Sanders ripped into perceptions that Clinton would be a better candidate for Democrats. He also said: “There’s nothing more in this life that I would look forward to than running against Donald Trump.”
DNC throws cold water on unsanctioned New Hampshire debate.
The Democratic National Committee says it is unlikely to sanction additional debates before the New Hampshire primary, a decision that could strike a blow to the attempts by MSNBC and the New Hampshire Union Leader to host a debate next week.
"We have no plans to sanction any further debates before the upcoming First in the Nation caucuses and primary, but will reconvene with our campaigns after those two contests to review our schedule," DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement.
"We have consistently worked with our campaigns to ensure a schedule that is robust and that allows them to engage with voters in a variety of ways, whether through debates, forums, town halls, but also leaving them the flexibility to attend county fairs and living room conversations in states like Iowa and New Hampshire where direct voter contact matters so much."
DNC rules stipulate that any candidate who participates in an unsanctioned debate forfeits the opportunity to attend contests sanctioned by the party. A DNC aide told The Hill that the party is not considering lifting that policy.
That could spell trouble for any candidate who participates in the debate, plans for which the Union Leader announced Tuesday afternoon. But participation by either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton could put party leaders in a bind, forcing them to either block a leading candidate from future debates or go back on the earlier policy.
Martin O'Malley is the only candidate who has accepted the invitation so far to the event scheduled to take place on Feb. 4, five days before the New Hampshire primary.
Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's communications director, signaled that Clinton is open to participating if other candidates agree and the DNC sanctions the debate. She didn't address whether Clinton would still appear if the DNC doesn't sanction the event.
"Hillary Clinton would be happy to participate in a debate in New Hampshire if the other candidates agree, which would allow the DNC to sanction the debate," Palmieri said in a statement.
Sanders’ campaign manager reportedly said late Tuesday that he would not participate in any unsanctioned debate, because he does not want to risk being uninvited to future official debates.
Sanders has tangled with the DNC already this cycle. His campaign accused the committee of actively aiding Clinton last year when it briefly restricted its access to party voter data after a security breach, and the lawsuit it filed against the party claiming damages is still active.
Wasserman Schultz has faced significant criticism for a debate schedule that includes less contests than the Republicans, as well as multiple weekend debates that draw smaller audiences than weeknight debates. She pushed back against that criticism in her statement, noting that this cycle's debates have either broken or challenged record viewership for the party's primary debates. She added that Clinton, Sanders and O'Malley will also "appear on the same stage next week for the New Hampshire Democratic Party dinner."
But, as per DNC rules, the candidates will not be able to engage in the back-and-forth seen on the debate stage.
The next sanctioned debate will take place on Feb. 11 in Milwaukee, after the New Hampshire primaries.
The Union Leader cast the debate as a response to concerns from voters who wanted an additional debate before the New Hampshire primary. January's debate, held on the Sunday before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, was the last debate before voting in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
"People are saying to me, 'We need another debate.' We feel like it's our job as a statewide newspaper to give the information that people need," Trent Spiner, the Union Leader's executive editor, told The Hill Tuesday.
"This isn't a fight about the schedule or anything like that. It's about giving the candidates a very good option — we have a lot of respect of Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow — to travel to New Hampshire and be heard by millions of voters."
"We have no plans to sanction any further debates before the upcoming First in the Nation caucuses and primary, but will reconvene with our campaigns after those two contests to review our schedule," DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement.
"We have consistently worked with our campaigns to ensure a schedule that is robust and that allows them to engage with voters in a variety of ways, whether through debates, forums, town halls, but also leaving them the flexibility to attend county fairs and living room conversations in states like Iowa and New Hampshire where direct voter contact matters so much."
DNC rules stipulate that any candidate who participates in an unsanctioned debate forfeits the opportunity to attend contests sanctioned by the party. A DNC aide told The Hill that the party is not considering lifting that policy.
That could spell trouble for any candidate who participates in the debate, plans for which the Union Leader announced Tuesday afternoon. But participation by either Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton could put party leaders in a bind, forcing them to either block a leading candidate from future debates or go back on the earlier policy.
Martin O'Malley is the only candidate who has accepted the invitation so far to the event scheduled to take place on Feb. 4, five days before the New Hampshire primary.
Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's communications director, signaled that Clinton is open to participating if other candidates agree and the DNC sanctions the debate. She didn't address whether Clinton would still appear if the DNC doesn't sanction the event.
"Hillary Clinton would be happy to participate in a debate in New Hampshire if the other candidates agree, which would allow the DNC to sanction the debate," Palmieri said in a statement.
Sanders’ campaign manager reportedly said late Tuesday that he would not participate in any unsanctioned debate, because he does not want to risk being uninvited to future official debates.
Sanders has tangled with the DNC already this cycle. His campaign accused the committee of actively aiding Clinton last year when it briefly restricted its access to party voter data after a security breach, and the lawsuit it filed against the party claiming damages is still active.
Wasserman Schultz has faced significant criticism for a debate schedule that includes less contests than the Republicans, as well as multiple weekend debates that draw smaller audiences than weeknight debates. She pushed back against that criticism in her statement, noting that this cycle's debates have either broken or challenged record viewership for the party's primary debates. She added that Clinton, Sanders and O'Malley will also "appear on the same stage next week for the New Hampshire Democratic Party dinner."
But, as per DNC rules, the candidates will not be able to engage in the back-and-forth seen on the debate stage.
The next sanctioned debate will take place on Feb. 11 in Milwaukee, after the New Hampshire primaries.
The Union Leader cast the debate as a response to concerns from voters who wanted an additional debate before the New Hampshire primary. January's debate, held on the Sunday before the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, was the last debate before voting in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
"People are saying to me, 'We need another debate.' We feel like it's our job as a statewide newspaper to give the information that people need," Trent Spiner, the Union Leader's executive editor, told The Hill Tuesday.
"This isn't a fight about the schedule or anything like that. It's about giving the candidates a very good option — we have a lot of respect of Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow — to travel to New Hampshire and be heard by millions of voters."
Clinton suggests she has more depth than Sanders
Candidate outlines plans for college affordability, clean energy, taxes.
Candidate outlines plans for college affordability, clean energy, taxes.
After laying out her plans on college affordability, clean energy and taxes, Clinton said that she puts her plans on her website and cites how she is going to pay for each plan to prove to voters that she isn't offering empty promises.
"I do want you to know that I am not just shouting slogans, I am not just engaging in rhetoric," Clinton said. "I have thought this through, I have a plan."
"I want you to understand because I don't think you can get what we need done in this election nor in the presidency unless you level with people. You tell them what you can do and then you let them then respond to it," she added.
The refrain was a shot against Sanders, who Clinton aides and advisers believe is promising pie-in-the-sky plans that he wouldn't be able to deliver on if he gets to the White House.
Although Clinton does post many of her plans on the White House and her campaign has detailed how he plans to pay for them, so, too, has Sanders.
His campaign has released a host of plans, including his plan to overhaul the health care system. Sanders and his aides have also released how their candidate will pay for his plans.
"We will raise taxes, yes we will," Sanders told CNN on Monday night, a nod to his plan to raise taxes on both wealthy and middle class families for pay for his single payer plan.
The Clinton knock is also reminiscent of a charge she made against Sanders after the first Democratic debate in October, when the former secretary of state said Sanders' accusation that she was "shouting" about gun control was actually a sexist comment.
"I'm not shouting," Clinton said on the trail. "It's just that when women talk, some people think we're shouting."
Clinton has vacillated between calling out Sanders by name and subtly hitting him in the run up to Monday's Iowa caucuses. The former first lady has avoided hitting Sanders directly for much of the week, however, instead choosing to tout herself and her policies and only subtly knock the senator who is challenging her in Iowa and New Hampshire.
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