MORNING MESSAGE
America
saw a divided party Wednesday night, though what it was divided over wasn’t
evident if you haven’t been paying close attention ... The party is mostly
divided between those inside the hall and those who refused to come to
Cleveland. They are mainly divided over whether the party should accept
America’s multiculturalism or fight it.
A CONVENTION DIVIDED
Cruz
tells audience to “vote your conscience” in 2016, effectively launches 2020
campaign. Yahoo! News: “…in late June, he invited more than 100 of his top
bundlers and donors to a retreat in La Jolla, Calif. They seem to have concluded
that the convention was the proper place to launch Cruz’s 2020 campaign — and
that the proper way to do it, strategically, was by taking a stand against Trump
and his takeover of the Republican Party.”
Cruz
polarizes Republicans. National Review: “Cruz’s critics will point to yet
another example of self-promotion at the expense of party unity; his fans will
see another instance of a steel-spined conservative standing on principle and
defying the wishes of the Republican establishment … Cruz’s allies spoke
incessantly in recent weeks of Ronald Reagan’s defeat in 1976 convention after a
hard-fought primary against Gerald Ford, and how it positioned Reagan to capture
the GOP nomination four years later.”
Pence
tries to end night on a unifying note. Roll Call: “Pence’s self-description
as a Christian, a conservative and a Republican — ‘in that order’ — were
squarely aimed at the conservative wing of the GOP. But in touting his record as
a budget-cutter and surplus-creator, Pence [was] reaching out to undecided
moderate voters who worry about the federal fiscal picture.”
“Trump
undercut key foreign policy commitments just before Pence pledged to uphold
them” notes W. Post: “‘We cannot have four more years of apologizing to our
enemies and abandoning our friends,’ [Pence] said. ‘…Donald Trump will rebuild
our military and stand with our allies.’ Shortly beforehand, Donald Trump
addressed the same topic in an interview with the New York Times. But the man at
the top of the ticket offered a distinctly different understanding of America’s
foreign commitments…”
SIGN FOR KAINE?
Bill
Clinton pushes VP Tim Kaine. NYT: “Bill Clinton has privately expressed his
support for Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, according to three Democrats briefed
on the conversations … Tom Vilsack, the agriculture secretary; Thomas E. Perez,
the secretary of labor; and James G. Stravidis, a retired four-star Navy
admiral, remain contenders. On Wednesday, Robby Mook, Mrs. Clinton’s campaign
manager, invited Senator Elizabeth Warren’s aides to the campaign’s Brooklyn
headquarters to discuss how the Massachusetts senator can be helpful in the
coming months. That was interpreted by some people with knowledge of the process
as a sign that Mrs. Clinton has settled on a choice.”
Sanders
will meet with his delegates. AP: “In an email Wednesday, the Sanders
campaign promises his delegates a ‘very special meeting with Bernie himself.’ It
will follow a series of morning briefings hosted by the campaign on some of
Sanders’ core causes — single-payer health care, the Trans-Pacific Partnership
agreement and criminal justice. One session with senior Sanders staff will offer
instruction to delegates ‘on how to keep the political revolution going strong
…. many [Sanders delegates] want to see a traditional roll call vote of states,
while others were considering mass sit-ins or even walkouts if delegates feel
their views are not being respected or acknowledged”
MIAMI POLICE SHOOT UNARMED BLACK MAN
Police
shoot unarmed African-American retrieving autistic man who left mental health
center. Miami Herald: “The video, taken before the officer fired his weapon,
shows [Charles] Kinsey on his back with his hands in the air telling police he
didn’t have a weapon and asking them not to fire … Kinsey said when he asked the
officer why he fired his weapon, the cop responded, ‘I don’t know.'”
Civil
rights activists frustrated with Obama. NYT: “In private meetings and
impromptu conversations with Mr. Obama, Black Lives Matter activists and others
who share their goals have questioned why a president they see as uniquely aware
of racism is not doing more to help them … Mr. Obama gave his condolences to
[Erica] Garner but said he was not in a position to offer more because it would
be seen, he said, as placing his thumb on the scales during an open Justice
Department investigation into what happened to her father. As for the
military-style equipment used by police forces, the president said, his
administration had addressed the issue, a response that Ms. Garner later called
‘a brushoff.'”
Progressive
Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to
activists. Progressive Breakfast is a project of the Campaign for America's
Future. more
»
