MORNING MESSAGE
As
the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) “free-trade” agreement was signed in New
Zealand by representatives of the 12 participating countries, Democratic
presidential candidate Bernie Sanders strongly voiced his opposition and
committed to doing what he can to kill the deal if he is elected president.
Rival Hillary Clinton has also stated opposition to the TPP, but will she also
vow to kill it if elected? ... Clinton says she is opposed but has said she will
not ask others to vote against it.
Clinton and Sanders Debate Who's A Progressive
Claim
to mantle of “progressive” debated at CNN town hall: ” “‘I do not know any
progressive who has a super PAC and takes $15 million from Wall Street,’ Sanders
told CNN moderator Anderson Cooper. ‘That’s just not progressive … Secretary
Clinton voted to go to war [in Iraq] …'”
Clinton
retorts. CBS “She said she’s been ‘somewhat amused’ by Sanders’
characterization of her political ideology, charging that Sanders has ‘set
himself up to be the gatekeeper’ of the progressive community. Under Sanders’
standards, she said, ‘Barack Obama would not be a progressive, Joe Biden would
not be a progressive… Even the late, great Sen. Paul Wellstone would not be a
progressive.'”
TNR’s
Elizabeth Bruenig explores the debate over definitions and support of the
young: “Young voters likely find the majority of their memory dominated by
the Great Recession, and their concerns marked by its privations … it would have
been somewhat startling if Sanders hadn’t captured the attention of young voters
… Sanders’s easy way with the young hasn’t pleased Clinton’s supporters, who see
in the youth rejection of Hillary both a ridiculous starry-eyed utopianism and a
frustrating redefinition of what it means to be progressive …”
New
Yorkers’ John Cassidy assesses Sanders and the “new populism”: “This new
populism, as it might be termed, connotes a deep suspicion of political,
corporate, and media élites; an eagerness to mobilize people who are new to
politics; and a willingness to embrace policies that have long seemed verboten …
urging people to be realistic is a common reaction from establishment
politicians and their supporters. It is a risky response…”
“Clinton
struggles to answer question about paid speeches to Wall Street firms” reports
W. Post: “‘Was that a bad error in judgement?’ moderator Anderson Cooper
asked. ‘Did you have to be paid $675,000 [by Goldman Sachs]?’ … ‘Well, I don’t
know, that’s what they offered, so…’ Clinton said after noting that she made
speeches to ‘lots of groups.'”
Wall
St. still gives to Clinton. W. Post: “Through the end of December, donors at
hedge funds, banks, insurance companies and other financial-services firms had
given at least $21.4 million to support Clinton’s 2016 presidential run — more
than one of every 10 dollars of the $157.8 million contributed to back her
bid…”
Sanders
picks up SC endorsement. NYT: “‘Hillary is not an agent of change – I mean,
her campaign slogan should be, “It’s my turn,”‘ said [Richard] Harpootlian, a
lawyer who was state party leader from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2013
… Mr. Harpootlian is a crucial South Carolina ally of Vice President Joseph R.
Biden Jr. …”
RUBIO TRIES TO PULL
Rubio
endorsements trickle in. NBC: “…Rubio [has] nine new endorsements this week
— 35 total — pushing the Florida senator’s tally past his rival, former Florida
Gov. Jeb Bush…”
Christie
and Bush try to derail Rubio. NYT: “Over the past 48 hours, Mr. Christie has
mocked Mr. Rubio as a cosseted ‘boy in the bubble,’ [and] compared his Senate
career to that of a helpless fourth grader who is told which chair to sit in at
school … [He] challenged anyone ‘to show me the significant accomplishment that
Senator Rubio has done while he’s in the United States Senate.’ … [Meanwhile] a
well-financed ‘super PAC’ supporting Mr. Bush assails Mr. Rubio on television
and in the mail…”
Trump
accuses Cruz of stealing Iowa. The Hill: “… the top two finishers at
Monday’s caucuses clashed over allegations that the Cruz campaign spread false
rumors shortly before the event that fellow presidential hopeful Ben Carson was
dropping out of the race. … the real estate mogul said he ‘probably will’ file a
legal complaint against Cruz. “
Cruz
sounds different with donors. NYT: “…as he finds himself locked in an
intense struggle for the support of the party’s top donors, instances in which
he curried favor, or merely associated, with people who do not share his views
on some contentious issues are being dredged up and shared by people who believe
that Mr. Cruz has been disingenuous…”
BREAKFAST SIDES
Formal
signing of TPP sets up fight in US Congress. W. Post: “Trade ministers from
the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations formally signed the largest
regional trade deal in history on Thursday in New Zealand, but the fate of one
of President Obama’s signature economic projects remained fraught on Capitol
Hill … The next step is for the White House to send implementing legislation to
Congress for a vote on final ratification…”
Cracks
in House GOP over budget. The Atlantic: “… Freedom Caucus members [insist]
that House Republicans abandon the two-year agreement that Boehner struck with
the White House by cutting billions of dollars in spending for fiscal 2017 …
they were spooked when the projected deficit shot up by more than $100 billion,
partially a direct result of the spending increases and tax increases Congress
passed at the end of 2015.”
WH
signals health care tax compromise. The Hill: “The Obama administration is
agreeing to scale back its unpopular ‘Cadillac’ tax on high-cost health
insurance plans as part of its years-long fight to keep the tax in place. Jason
Furman, chief economic adviser for President Obama, said Wednesday that the
administration would propose raising the threshold for the tax in areas where
healthcare is more costly.”
Black
Lives Matter leader runs for Baltimore Mayor. NYT: “[DeRay Mckesson’s]
candidacy is sure to jolt the political and protest communities at a time when
activists have eschewed traditional politics and sought to work outside the
system … He is diving, relatively late, into a crowded race of about a dozen
candidates…”
Progressive
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