Friday Open Thread [8.12.16]
NATIONAL–PRESIDENT–Reuters/Ipsos–Clinton 42, Trump 36
FLORIDA–PRESIDENT–FOX 13/Opinion Savvy–Clinton 45, Trump 44
IOWA–PRESIDENT–Suffolk University–Trump 41, Clinton 40
MAINE–PRESIDENT–Breitbart/Gravis–Clinton 42, Trump 36
NEW YORK–PRESIDENT–Breitbart/Gravis–Clinton 53, Trump 36
GEORGIA–PRESIDENT–Breitbart/Gravis–Trump 45, Clinton 44
SOUTH CAROLINA–PRESIDENT–PPP–Trump 41, Clinton 39
TEXAS–PRESIDENT–Reuters/Ipsos-Trump 46–Clinton 35
A new Fox News Latino poll shows Hillary Clinton holds a commanding 46 point lead over Donald Trump among Hispanic voters, 66% to 20%.
Donald Trump’s campaign and top Republican Party officials plan what one person called a “come to Jesus” meeting on Friday to discuss the Republican nominee’s struggling campaign, Politico reports. Though a campaign source dismissed it as a “typical” gathering, others described it as a more serious meeting, with one calling it an “emergency meeting.” “It comes at a time of mounting tension between the campaign and the Republican National Committee, which is facing pressure to pull the plug on Trump’s campaign and redirect party funds down ballot to protect congressional majorities endangered by Trump’s candidacy.”
Trump calling Obama "the founder of ISIS" is a coded message. Implying treason. Journalists must decode & debunk it. https://t.co/gvXZ5DB7LB
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) August 11, 2016
Donald Trump told the Miami Herald that he would support trying U.S. citizens suspected of terrorism in military tribunals — something that is almost certainly unconstitutional. Said Trump: “Well, I know that they want to try them in our regular court systems, and I don’t like that at all. I don’t like that at all.”
He really hasn’t read the Constitution.
Important: Clinton not dialing down policies like expanding Social Security & public option. https://t.co/kwGisZhae9 pic.twitter.com/9qRH4AB8Bf
— Taniel (@Taniel) August 11, 2016
Maybe Bernie candidacy actually did have a real impact (which continues to be denied for a range of bad reasons) https://t.co/R4Pxrp3pLn
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) August 11, 2016
Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) told the Tennessean that he believed Donald Trump went “far too far” in statements claiming President Obama founded ISIS.
Said Corker: “This has been a very unusual election. And regardless of whether the candidate on my side of the aisle says things that I disagree with or not, if you ask me, I’m going to share my disagreement on certain things and my agreement on certain things. But to say that an elected official in our country founded a terrorist organization like ISIS is taking the facts that took place in 2011 and carrying that far too far.”
GOP donors fear Trump-inspired electoral rout & are directing their money down ballot, via @mateagold & @anu_narayan https://t.co/MZ8v4UNyt3
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) August 11, 2016
Zack Beauchamp at Vox brings up pesky things calls facts as he explains that ISIS was founded well before President Obama took office:
In short: The group that would become ISIS was founded in Jordan in 1999, and became devoted to holding territory in Iraq after the US invasion in 2003. You can debate which of these constitutes ISIS’s “founding” in some metaphysical sense. But by any definition, the group was founded well before President Obama came into office. Trump is just flatly wrong on this. […]
Okay, a Trump defender might say, but Trump’s real point isn’t that Obama “created” ISIS. It’s that Obama withdrew US troops from Iraq in 2011, creating a security vacuum that allowed ISIS to regain its strength.
This is a pretty standard conservative narrative, one not at all unique to Trump. It is, however, quite wrong. The real sources of ISIS’s recent growth were the Syrian civil war and political sectarianism in Iraq, neither of which was within the power of United States to prevent.
Hell, if we had stayed in Iraq, the only thing that would have changed is that more American soldiers would be dead today, not less Iraqi and Syrian civilians.
Trump-to-English
Many people are saying : I'm saying
Believe me : Don't trust me here
We're looking into that : I have no idea what that is— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) August 11, 2016
“Donald Trump has the GOP trapped in not one Catch-22, but two. Call it a Catch-44,” Jonah Goldberg writes. “The first Catch-22 has been the subject of widespread conversation over the last few weeks. As GOP pollster Glen Bolger summed it up for the New York Times: ‘Do we run the risk of depressing our base by repudiating the guy? Or do we run the risk of being tarred and feathered by independents for not repudiating him? We’re damned if we do and damned if we don’t.’”
“That brings us to the second Catch-22. Republican candidates at this stage have no excuses to offer if they decide to repudiate Trump other than naked self-interest.”
Donald Trump has spent his whole career stiffing small businesses. https://t.co/i51CBQ9lKM
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 11, 2016
Katy Tur writes for Marie Claire about her experiences covering Donald Trump’s presidential campaign:
The complexion of the crowd reflects Trump’s base, which, according to polls, is white and male. They dress in all-camouflage, or all red, white, and blue, or—because they are meeting a billionaire–all suits, gowns, and formalwear. There are moms, cute kids, and roaming packs of young people. The pregame parking lot can feel like a state fair without the Ferris wheel.
Trump is a room-reader. He’ll slow down a line, rephrase a point, work in a pause, and ride the energy of his audience wherever it takes him. For 45, 60, even 90 minutes, he’ll run through classic riffs, like bomb the hell out of ISIS, build a wall, make America great again. But he’ll also experiment, as when he launched an ethnically tinged attack on a Mexican- American judge deciding the civil fraud case against Trump University.
Been waiting to drop this: summer playlist, the encore. What's everybody listening to? pic.twitter.com/mqh1YVrycj
— President Obama (@POTUS) August 11, 2016
Happy Friday! Think I’ll swim with the dog in Dewey then go to happy hour on my beach cruiser. Anyone at the beach tonight?
I’m in Fenwick… but we have a houseful!
Hillary gave an economic speech yesterday in Michigan that had nearly everything I wanted to hear. First of all, she is clearly not pivoting to the center. Secondly, she announced her opposition to TPP unequivocally and in her own words. She also spoke of a dizzying number of pro-worker and pro-middle class policies. I’d like to see all these policies packaged into a philosophically coherent legislative agenda like the New Deal.
Nonetheless, she said these things on video in a campaign speech, and there will be no “I never campaigned on…” backtracking. These are the policies progressives can hold here feet to the fire on. I took the liberty of enumerating her commitments in the speech:
1. Investment in jobs
So starting on Day One, we will work with both parties to pass the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II.
2. Infrastructure jobs to employ Americans
We will put Americans to work building and modernizing our roads, our bridges, our tunnels, our railways, our ports, our airports. We will also help cities like Detroit and Flint connect underserved neighborhoods to opportunity, expanding affordable housing, and we will repair schools and failing water systems as well.
3. Connect every household to broadband by 2020
You know, I happen to think we should be ambitious: while we’re at it, let’s connect every household in America to broadband by the year 2020.
4. Upgrade power grid
And let’s build a cleaner, more resilient power grid with enough renewable energy to power every home in our country as well.
5. Power every home with renewable energy
And let’s build a cleaner, more resilient power grid with enough renewable energy to power every home in our country as well.
6. $25 billion for Infrastructure bank
And that means for us, creating an infrastructure bank to get private funds off the sidelines and complement our private investments. $25 billion in government seed funding could unlock more than $250 billion and really get our country moving on our infrastructure plans.
7. $10 billion for Make it in America partnerships
And we’re going to invest $10 billion in what we’re calling “Make it in America” partnerships to support American manufacturing and recommit to scientific research that can create entire new industries.
8. Expand New Markets Tax Credit
Let’s also expand incentives like the New Markets Tax Credit
9. New initiatives to support community banks and credit unions
I will also make a major push to empower small businesses and entrepreneurs, with new national initiatives to cut red tape at every level and expand access to credit, especially through community banks and credit unions.
10. Simplify tax filing for small businesses
I will propose a new plan to dramatically simplify tax filing for small businesses.
11. Tuition free, debt free college
So we will fight to make college tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for everyone.
12. Limits on existing student debt repayments
We will also liberate millions of people who already have student debt by making it easier to refinance and repay what you owe as a portion of your income so you don’t have to pay more than you can afford.
13. Support union training programs
We will support high-quality union training programs.
14. Tax credits for apprenticeships
We will propose new tax credits to encourage more companies to offer paid apprenticeships that let you earn while you learn.
15. National campaign to dignify skills training
We will do more, including a national campaign, to dignify skills training across the board.
16. Oppose TPP
I will stop any trade deal that kills jobs or holds down wages – including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. I oppose it now, I’ll oppose it after the election, and I’ll oppose it as President.
17. Appoint chief trade prosecutor
I will stand up to China and anyone else who tries to take advantage of American workers and companies. And I’m going to ramp up enforcement by appointing, for the first time, a chief trade prosecutor,
18. Triple number of trade enforcement officers
I will triple the number of enforcement officers,
19. Impose targeted tariffs on countries that break trade rules
and when countries break the rules, we won’t hesitate to impose targeted tariffs.
20. New tax credits for profit sharing
So I’m proposing a new tax credit to encourage more companies to share profits with workers.
21. End tax write-offs for outsourcing costs
Right now, when a corporation outsources jobs and production, it can write off the costs. We must stop that, and we must make them pay back any tax breaks they received from any level of government in our country.
22. Exit task for offshoring HQ
For those that move their headquarters overseas to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, they’re going to have to pay a new exit tax. So if they want to go, they’re going to have to pay to go.
23. Support Buffet Rule
I support the so-called ‘Buffett Rule,’
24. New tax on multi millionaires
We should also add a new tax on multi-millionaires,
25. Close carried-interest loophole
crack down on tax gaming by corporations and close the carried interest loophole – something I’ve advocated for years.
26. Strengthen rules imposed on financial industry
Trump would roll back the tough rules that we have imposed on the Financial Industry. I’ll do the opposite – I think we should strengthen those rules so that Wall Street can never wreck Main Street again.
27. Expand Child Tax Credit
I think instead we should expand the Child Tax Credit
28. Guarantee equal pay for women
For example, guaranteeing equal pay won’t just increase paychecks for women – it will boost family budgets and get incomes rising across the board. And I don’t understand why Trump’s against that.
29. Paid family leave
Paid family leave won’t only make life easier for Moms and Dads – it will also keep skilled, talented Americans in the workforce and grow our economy. That’s why every other advanced country already has it. Again, he’s against it.
30. Raise Federal minimum wage
Raising the federal minimum wage won’t just put more money in the pockets of low-income families – it also means they will spend more at the businesses in their neighborhoods. Trump’s against that as well.
31. Expand Social Security
and protecting and expanding Social Security doesn’t just help older Americans retire with dignity – it helps to ease burdens on families and communities.
32. Comprehensive immigration reform
And I also believe the same thing about comprehensive immigration reform.
33. Strengthen unions
And finally, strengthening unions doesn’t just serve members – it leads to better pay and benefits, and working conditions for all employees. I
34. Public option health care
I will defend and improve the Affordable Care Act, and for me, that includes giving Americans, in every state, a choice of a public option health insurance plan
35. Overturn Citizens United
we have to get unaccountable money out of our politics, overturn Citizens United,
36. Expand voting rights
and expand voting rights, not restrict them.
“I will stop any trade deal that kills jobs or holds down wages — including the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” Clinton said. “I oppose it now, I’ll oppose it after the election, and I’ll oppose it as president.”
That’s not unequivocal, and it misses the biggest reason to oppose the deal. First, all they have to do now is find that it’s neutral on jobs and wages and she’ll support it. That’ll be easy.
The real reason to oppose it is its empowerment of multinational corporations against sovereign governments. Even if it created jobs and raised wages, it would still do untold damage by moving us closer to rule by multinational corporation.
True, there are potential weasel words, but I’m not opposed to all trade. Hillary was arguing for intelligently managed trade, and I can agree with that. I can’t ask for more than what Hillary said yesterday. If she moves to approve TPP as is, that will be an obvious betrayal now. Now we just have to watch out for lame duck approval of TPP.
I honestly cant see Obama doing that at this point. That’s a Bill move for sure, but Obama is a true progressive…. even if that was obscured by republican hostage taking.
I really hate having to vote for her just to keep some know nothing carnival barker buffoon from being elected
Trade is potentially good for everyone if the CEO class isn’t allowed to take jobs over seas for child labor and no worker safety or pollution regulation.
Again, the TPP and other such deals are not about “trade.” They are about corporate hegemony against governments, both ours and other signees’.
The objectionable part of TPP is that if, say, Honduras adopts a law protecting its mineral assets, a corporation can “sue” it for lost profits. The case goes not to court but to a supranational pro-business arbitration panel, which can rule that the government of Honduras owes the mining companies billions in “lost profits.” And it can rule the same about laws adopted by U.S. states as well.
This has nothing to do with “trade” as you folks are using the term.
And it’s why libertarianism is a bankrupt ideology. Governments are our last bulwark against rapacious corporations.
Here’s an Elizabeth Warren op-ed explaining the problem:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/kill-the-dispute-settlement-language-in-the-trans-pacific-partnership/2015/02/25/ec7705a2-bd1e-11e4-b274-e5209a3bc9a9_story.html?utm_term=.a69cd4b4780f
That’s true, hadn’t thought it that far through. Scary stuff in those deal potentially
Agreed. That is why it was so gratifying to hear Hillary oppose the whole shebang. I don’t think the arbitration thing was known or at least not widely understood until recently. But now that we know, hopefully going forward we can negotiate trade deals that are just about trade.
Yes, maybe that’s why we weren’t allowed to see the agreement until it passed. I can’t imagine reps and senators would vote for a deal that took away sovernty of nations over their own lands. Must be some serious money going to these people to sell us out
@puck: It was revealed several years ago, when Wikileaks released drafts of the agreement. But most people are understandably more worked up over the alleged job-killing aspects, because it has a more direct impact on their lives.
It plays into corporate strategy to keep the focus on jobs, because all they have to do is go with the existing corporate line on trade — there are winners and losers, but on balance we win.
@mouse: It wasn’t kept secret from the corporations:
https://theintercept.com/2015/05/12/cant-read-tpp-heres-huge-corporations-can/
Instead do dicking around with emails, perhaps Wikileaks could aspire to some societal good and obtain and release the full TPP to the public, so we could all know what’s really in it.
@Dave: Done and done.
https://wikileaks.org/tpp-final/
Cool. Thanks. Now I can compare it what’s on the USTRS website. I do wish someone had put it in a single document rather than chapter by chapter.
I wish someone would just compile a list of the 2 emails I’m supposed to be voting for Gary Johnson over.
“I will stop any trade deal that kills jobs or holds down wages — including the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” Clinton said. “I oppose it now, I’ll oppose it after the election, and I’ll oppose it as president.”
The biggest thing that this misses is implementation of the TPP if Obama can pull off a lame-duck passing vote. Not that I think he has a chance, but his Administration has published the draft implementing document, which he has to do 30 days before sending Congress the final for a vote.
As I keep noting, this thing is dead in the House as they are agitating for more corporate giveaways that they want Obama to go renegotiate. And for monetary policy that couldn’t be part of a trade deal, anyway. In other words, TPP is plenty toxic to people looking for re-election thanks to Sanders and Trump, really. All of the GOP and Carper Dems who work at keeping the Chamber happy are definitely between a political rock and hard place. Obama continuing to push it means that they have to keep running from it. Which isn’t to say that he wouldn’t want it to pass, but it seems to me that if it won’t pass and Trump is making it toxic for his own party to support this, why not take advantage of that?
Turns out that Trump supporters are NOT the people who are losing ground in the new economy — their income levels are equal with other Republicans. A Gallup survey analysis found two main factors distinguishing them: “They tend to live in homogenized, racially isolated pockets of the United States and exhibit lower levels of education.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-base-different-from-republicans_us_57ae4c2ee4b069e7e5057715?section=&
The link is to a HuffPo summary, which contains a link to the original PDF report.
Bonini can’t catch a break. First fighting off Lacey, now fighting off Lyme disease: http://www.delawaregrapevine.com/8-16bonini.asp. I feel bad for the guy …