Progressive Breakfast: Who Impugns Hillary's Integrity?

MORNING MESSAGE

Hillary has sought to appeal to the populist temper of the times in both rhetoric and program ... But she remains Wall Street’s favorite Democrat despite her new-born populist postures ... Camden Fine, head of the Independent Community Bankers of America ... discounted Clinton’s populist rhetoric: 'She gonna all of a sudden become Mrs. Wall Street if she’s elected. So it’s all Bernie theatrics right now. She’s a Clinton, for God’s sake. What do you expect?' ... it isn’t Sanders or O’Malley who impugn her integrity; it is her Wall Street donors themselves.

Clinton, Sanders Spar Over Taxes

Clinton proposes tax credit for family caregivers. Reuters: “…Clinton on Sunday proposed a tax credit offsetting up to $6,000 in costs associated with caring for elderly and disabled family members, and allowing caregivers to accrue Social Security retirement benefits for such work … Clinton has previously announced a tax credit of $2,500 for an individual or $5,000 for a family to cover high healthcare costs and another credit that would cover some of the expense of attending college.”
“Sanders camp calls Clinton tax proposals ‘Republican lite,’” reports W. Post: “‘Given the disappearing middle class and massive income wealth inequality in America today, we clearly have to go a lot further than what Secretary Clinton proposes,’ Sanders’s communications director, Michael Briggs, said …”
Clinton not mentioning Sanders on the stump. NYT: “A substantial lead in the polls could prompt any candidate to look beyond the primary to try to get a head start on the general election, but in Mrs. Clinton’s case, gazing past Mr. Sanders to next November is part of the intensified strategy to defeat him.”

Syria, Climate Could Provoke Shutdown

“Syria refugee fight emerges as government shutdown threat” reports The Hill: “The fight over adding language restricting Syrian refugees from the United States is one of a number of policy fights that threatens to prevent a deal on funding the government … Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has not been specific, but said he expects the funding bill to include some changes to existing policy. That’s led Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to sound the alarm [saying] were potentially ‘several hundred poison pill riders’ …”
Climate change funding also could be flashpoint. Politico: “On Dec. 11, Obama administration diplomats will be in Paris working to cinch a global climate deal that will hinge on whether they can back up a pledge to provide billions of dollars to help poor countries deal with climate change. That same day, Republicans back in Washington will be trying to hold that money hostage…”
House GOP witch hunt against climate scientists rebutted. W. Post: “The escalating struggle between an influential House Republican and government scientists over their pivotal study of global warming now turns on accusations that they rushed to publish their findings to advance President Obama’s agenda on climate change … [But] research was subject to a longer, more intensive review than is customary.”
“Congress planning a light schedule for next year” says W. Post: “Tensions between President Obama and GOP congressional leaders, magnified by the political freight of an election year, mean few substantial measures have hope of advancing. And, more important, lawmakers have cleared out — or are in the process of clearing out — the few must-pass bills required to meet deadlines before the next Congress is sworn in.”
“GOP three times as angry at government” reports Politico: “Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, 32 percent indicated an anger toward government, down from 38 percent during the 2013 government shutdown but 20 points higher than Democrats, of whom just 12 percent said they were angry.”

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