Sunday, July 31, 2016

Please Look At Trump's Interview With george Stephanopolous.

++You can see in embedded in David Nir's post ant Dailykos. Here he talks about Russian not having invaded the Ukraine. How a majority of Crimea want to belong to Russia. How Mr. Khan viciously attacked him and how General Allen failed--again he make the charge. George raises the Russia investment issue. Donald says he rents condos to Russians but has no debt to them. He has to have foreigners work for him because he can't find Americans workers. And on and on it goes. 

++His view of terrorism spans everything from 9-11,San Bernadino, Orlando and Nice. He has not discernment of the difference.

++He attacks Hillary Clinton for causing ISIS. Which was created in 2006. And she has bad judgment.

++Wow! You have to read in today's New York Times the article by Ramesh Ponnuru about how Times' pessimism might play to his advantage.


Khazr Khan Says Trump has a "black soul".

ANY DEBT?

++Josh Marshall looks at Donald trump's statements on ABC about having no debts to Russia and no debt at all. The Donald said if he wanted debt he could get it from any bank in New York.

++Josh points out that Bloomberg estimates that Trump is worth $3 billion with a debt that has grown to $600 million. Marshall points out again that only one bank in the United States will loan to Donald. That is a branch of Deutsche Bank. 

++As for Russian investments in Trump's enterprises,Donald still does not answer.

FIRST POST CONVENTION POLL FOR PPP

++Remember February was the benchmark until July. Then Clinton had a 5 point lead . Now she has the same.

++PPP: Clinton 50%, Trump 45%.

++With others:
               Clinton 46%
               Trump  41%
               Johnson 6%
               Stein       2%

Saturday, July 30, 2016

MARK CUBAN ENDORSES HILLARY CLINTON

THE CLINTONS AND TIM KAINE HIT THE ROAD

++Just saw Hillary's talk in Johnstown,PA. The ticket is on a bus tour of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Kaine returns then to Richmond for a rally. Hillary looked good today and hit Trump between the nose for insulting General Allen who backs her. She was feisty and peppered Trump for all his nonsense. Hillary has a good line about Trump's temperament which makes him unqualified for commander-in-chief. 

BOTH NEW YORK DAILY NEWS AND THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE ENDORSE HILLARY CLINTON.

FIRST FULLY POST DNC POLL

++Raba Research:

Hillary Clinton 46%
Donald Trump 31%
Gary Johnson   7%
Jill Stein            2%

Thursday, July 28, 2016

LAST NIGHT

++The DNC made Republicans weep. They have admitted through tweets that the DNC stood strong on American values and sunny optimism. One GOPer cried where did my party go. 

++The DNC was interesting in that it did not criticize Republicans. In fact it used clips of Republicans saying Trump would be a disaster as commander-in-chief. 

++It was no mistake that Trump asked his followers not to watch the DNC. The DNC consistently  outdrew the RNC in ratings. Trump's nomination speech was considered the worst Gallup had ever polled.

++The DNC followed up today with a Medal of Honor winner,the Muslim parents of an American solder who died in combat who accused Trump of lacking patriotism. And a general who sounded like he was urging the Democrats to hit the beaches.

++I guess I will have to vote for Hillary Clinton because my childhood hero backed her--Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Kareem made an appearance.

++Last night sent conservative commentators sputtering that the Democrats could now claim the mantle of national security. They really resented President Obama using morning in America. 

++Did Hillary's speech turned the opinion of white men? Don't know. But she sure conveyed the impression of a credible commander in chief.

Dailykos Battle Ground Polls

++Trump orb ably got a bump of about 1.5pts from the convention but his battleground polls didn't move much, except in Missouri. I have a colleague from Missouri and I've told him its racism ensures Trump's win there.

++But I still want to know more about the money and organization out there. You can tell men Trump is close but he still has to get out the vote and spend money. Where is this?

SUFFOLK POLL OF PENNSYLVANIA.

++Hillary Clinton 50%
    Donald Trump 41%
    Undecided        8%.

++Hillary Clinton 46%
    Donald Trump 37%
    Jill Stein            3%
    Gary Johnson   5%
    Undecided        9%.

++The poll underrepresented Philadelphia.
A Good poll for Clinton.

PRO-RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OF CRIMEA INVITES DONALD TRUMP TO VISIT.

++Trump again said  today that Putin was a better political leader than Barack Obama.

++Jennifer Rubin did a little reporting today on the hacks into the DNC and how Russian has been hacking into the European elections. She writes that Trump ignoring the implications of this disqualify him from the presidency. She writes that the Trump hacks deleted the tough on Russian platform.

The New York Times Referred To President Obama's Speech as "Gorgeous". Delicious

++Trump first accused Obama of plagiarizing his speech. Yeah Right.

++Trump then said President Obama was talking about a world that didn't exist. 

++I hope President Obama campaigns in Georgia. he played it safe last election but Democrats actually have a shot. Nothing like a nostalgia speech at Ebenezer Baptist Church where he did his walls of Jericho speech.  I can't get enough of this guy speaking away from funerals and press conferences.

++Dana Millbank at the Post reminds us that the democrats are the feminist party now. This was pretty clear this week but I thought both Ezra Klein and Andrew Sullivan had nice observations about the woman dimension of how Hillary Clinton conducts her politics. They emphasized networking,coalitions and more listening than talking. Nancy Letorneau at Washington Monthly earlier in the week also described how woman in politics work. I find this all ironic because Jeane J. Kirkpatrick made her academic career on her book "Woman in American Politics" and she would feel comfortable calling the Republicans now The "Blame America First" party.

++Democrats I talked to today liked Joe Biden the best. They all voted for Hillary in 2008 and are less bedazzled by President Obama's oratory than I am. They thought Joe said it in a way the average American understands. 

++Hillary has her work cut out for her. I worked for the Obama campaign in 2008. I knew he would win the nomination but I didn't think he would be "allowed" to win. In a strange way, this election is even more consequential. It would dramatically alter how we perceive political power.

++It is an enormous challenge but Hillary is lucky in a way because of her opponent.

TRUMP SAID HE WAS BEING SARCASTIC ABOUT INVITING RUSSIA TO HECK HILLARY'S EMAILS.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Last Night Thought

++Earlier yesterday, Donald Trump said President Obama was the most ignorant President.

++Tonight hits campaign said the Democrats would using the politics of fear.

++Trump also said that Putin referred to Obama as a "n****r". Keep it classy Donald.

Josh Marshall: "We'LL Never See Another One Like Him", referring to President Obama.

++Tomorrow I take my laptop to the Apple Store to see whether they can fix the wounded animal. Will be off line,I hope only a short while. Hope I don't miss Hillary's speech.

++Haven't look at the raw mechanics yet of the election--a comparison of funds raised and organization in place. Seems to me the last I looked Hillary had about a $300 million advantage over Trump.

++What remains to be seen as whether the recent antic of Trump the last two days will see any more Republicans move toward Hillary.

++Tonight we saw Tim Kaine offer those in the party of Lincoln to come on over.

++Trump was blasted earlier in the say from National Security aides for W for his statements about Putin and the hacking. 

++Harry Reid attacked the patriotism of Republicans defending Trump and asked that "fake" briefings be held for Trump.

++The Hotel Roanoke is back in the news as Trump refuses to pay for his rally expenses because the hotel's air-conditioning wasn't high enough.

++This really be the biggest speech in Hillary Clinton's life. She has been set up perfectly. If she knocks it out of the park,she wins. I always knew Obama could reach the oratorical heights needed but Hillary--not so much.

++So good night and hopefully tomorrow. Yes, President Obama, you have given me hope in the darkest days.

JOSH MARSHALL FELT OBAMA DEFINED THE MOMENT.

++Josh's best point was his first that Obama made Trump look incredibly small compared to America and American Values. He said it was seeping and organic in the speech.Josh though he captured the anxiety of this ere well. (I don't know.) But he did three things: Defended his record; Supported Hillary Clinton; and put Trump in his place.

REACTIONS TO OBAMA'S SPEECH

++Nate Silver wondered how hard he would go after Trump. Well,the answer was pretty hard-suggesting he was a fascist. And putting him down in a high-handed fashion, "We don't want to be ruled."

++There was some disagreements about whether Obama should have spent more time on those people anxious about the future. I thought he was right to defend his record and point out how well the country was doing compared to the American nightmare in Trump's speech.

++The unique position of Obama is that he is vastly more popular than either candidate so his magnetism may help Hillary. This is not a Gore running away from Clinton campaign. He also knows Trump would threaten his legacy but he made it clear the country's future.

++Obama actually chided democrats for failing to take other elections seriously.

++I was not so reticent as 538 about Obama doing his full-throated defense of America. He know he overdoes American exceptionalism but as Andrew Sullivan wrote tonight is the epitome of American exceptionalism.

ANDREW SULLIVAN ON OBAMA

++Andrew says it for me. I don't think I'll ever feel the same way about a President as I do about Obama, simply the classiest,even tempered man with a born eloquence. Read Andrew's blog because he says why he was a Reagan fan and became an Obama fan. 

++Andrew says the Democrats have stolen all the past virtues of the republicans. Richard Lowrey of the National review tweeted the Democrats have taken everything from us.

++Also read Andrew's take on the Clintons and why he feels the existential need to vote for her even though in the past he has written harshly about Hillary.

++Obama gave us "Hope." His end with the riffs on the Audacity of Hope brought it all back.

PRESIDENT OBAMA DEFINED THE ELECTION

++"Yes ,We can", not "He will."

++To much to get into but Obama woven several of his speeches together to give a tremendous boost to The Hillary Clinton campaign.

++He got into the idea of self governance and touched on all the patriotic themes that resonate in our civil religion. He addressed the issue not "taking America back" by sharing the values of his Kansas-grandparents shared with him and noted they  transcended borders and were the same values of immigrants, too.

++He pointed out that our military was all hues and religions and including men proud of their husbands.

++He defined the issue not the election as who are we as a people.  And he rallied the Democratic party to vote straight down the line even for small office-holders.

++He basically cooped old Republican themes and melded them into a progressive agenda. It is this subtlety I hope Hillary Clinton manages to maintain.

++At the end of the day, Joe Biden and President Obama wrecked trump's day, invoking American values against his fear mongering and hate.


JOE BIDEN: "WE OWN THE FINISH LINE."

Michael Bloomberg

++Bloomberg probably moved more votes with,"I am a New Yorker. And I know a con when I hear one. Trump wants to run this country like his business."

++Bloomberg's pitch for a sane and competent President should resonate.

My Wife's Former Boss Wants Your To Vote For Hillary because She's SANE.

++Michael Bloomberg ,speaking as an independent, asked all independents to vote for Hillary Clinton for the economy (strong emphasis), national security and our freedom. because she's sane and a mature adult who will ask for advice. 

++I think Bloomberg, even with a cough, hit it out of the park with a short speech.

++the speech was followed by video on Donald Trump's tax plan and how it will explode the nation's debt.

JOLTIN' JOE ROCKS THE HOUSE

++Joe Biden was tonight's Michelle Obama in united the floor in his takedown of Trump. Joe reminded everyone Trump doesn't have a clue about the working class. Critiques a man who says," You are fired." 

++Joe Biden give a great political speech with the rhythm and silences to make his point.  Biden emphasizes the point that was drown out by Bernie hecklers that Trump literally doesn't know anything about national security and is the most unprepared candidate from any major party in our history. Then he makes the morel point that Trump doesn't have American values. Here Andrew Sullivan went wild.

DNC--NATIONAL SECURITY.

++Andrew Sullivan is having a great time cheering the national security speakers. Andrew is letting rip with why Trump is against Western civilization and why Catholics should find him repulsive. 

++The National Security video had clips of all the Republicans saying that Trump was unfit to be commander in chief and having access to the nuclear codes. 

++A retired admiral praised Hillary Clinton's understanding of terrorism and national security and ripped Trump for his embrace of war crimes and torture. Tonight Trump's support for torture has been highlighted.

++Leon Panetta,perhaps the least charismatic speaker,mentioned Trump imploring Russia to intercede in our election.  He was heckled by the Bernie Crowd "Crying No More War".

JERRY! JERRY!

++Great to see Jerry Brown, leader of the fourth economy in the world. Jerry made it explicit how Hillary had a role in the Climate Change Treaty. Brown went after the climate deniers and after Pence for not believing in evolution. 

++OK, he really isn't very telegenic but glad to see him any way. 

MARTIN LONGMAN WRITES FORGET PENCE--PUTIN IS TRUMP'S VP (Washington Monthly)

It Must Have TrumpThat Crashed My Computer

++John Podesta questioned Trump's loyalty to the United States.

++Donald Trump says he would recognize Russia's right to the Crimea and lift sanctions against Russia.

++Donald Trump in Florida urged Russia to get ahold of the 35,000 emails on Hillery's private server and release them to the American public.

++Donald trump also said today that the Geneva Convention were outmoded.

++Harry Reid questioned how Trump can receive intelligence briefings after his connections with Russians.

++Paul Manafort would not comment on Russian investment in Trump enterprises. He also said Trump would not release his tax returns.

++Josh Marshall raised last night the issue was not Trump's investments in Russia but Russia's investments in Trump.

++Jennifer Rubin writes today that the Republicans really do have a Russia problem.

++Advisers to George W. Bush complained to the Washington Post about Trump "playing around with Putin".

++Both the Times and the Washington Post continued to cover the breach at the DNC. Apparently it went from the Russian military GRU to hacker to Wikileaks.

++Julian Assange said he leaked the DNC to hurt Hillary Clinton whom he says is his enemy.

++And I wonder why my computer crashes.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

BILL

++Josh Marshall shares his impression on Bill's speech having lived the Clinton saga before. He noted the palsy in the hands.

++Dave Gergen--remember him--said "Bill reminded everyone why he's the best political speaker on modern politics" Ok, let's not go too far.

++Andrew Sullivan who is warming up to Hillary's run liked Bill's speech for pointing out "real" versus "fake", talker compared to listener. Liked the contrast with the cartoon character.

++Jeffrey Toobin tweeted learned more about Hillary from Bill than every did before.

++Kos does cartwheels again over Bill and Day 2 of the Convention.

BILL CLINTON RETURNS

++I was surprised by Bill Clinton's speech. It ended a night of testimonies by various groups and women about how Hillary changed their lives. Bill Clinton capped it off by a history of when he met Hillary through her political activity and made the case she was the "best damn change-maker" you'll ever see. He talked about Hillary's life and then asked who are you going to believe--what you heard in Cleveland or what you have heard tonight. One version is false, one if reality.

++He ended his speech by taking on what he said was "the cartoon" version of his wife.

++Bill Clinton was a great advocate for his wife and his own ego never got in the way. 

++He talked about being sent to West Virginia this campaign where Hillary knew she would lose and had to confront a coal miner. But what he said,"When Hillary wins, she'll come for you to bring you into the future of America."

++So far the Democratic Convention has exceeded anything the Republican put on. 

GOP CRITICISM OF THE DNC: NO MENTION OF ISIS;NO MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR PRIEST IN FRANCE.

MARTIN O'MALLEY TALKS ABOUT RUSSIAN HACKERS AS WATERGATE.

++President Obama asked about the hack in an interview talked about the suspicions abut the Russians and Trump's praise of Putin and how Trump is receiving favorable media coverage in Russia.

++The Daily Beast followed up their article from yesterday tracking down the hacker who admitted he did it for the Russian government.

++Weirdly, Rudy Guliani was on Fox News talking about how courageous Julian Assange is and how these leaks will cause the democrats trouble. I wonder how much Russian money Rudy is pulling in.

++By the way, congratulations to Hillary Clinton for being the first woman ever to be nominated for President by a major political party. This sort of didn't happen at FOX news.

JOSH MARSHALL ON WHY WHAT'S GOING ON WITH PUTIN AND TRUMP IS A BIG DEAL.

++Josh reviews the situation of the hack and Donald Trump. He says if his minimalist version is true, it is a big deal. If the maximalist version is true--It's a big, big deal. 

++Marshall goes over the need for Trump to release his tax returns and the rather dodgy connections his team has with the Russians. 

++World Affairs Journal wrote a piece today on Russian intelligence hacking the DNC and said it was a serious interference in the American political system but so cartoonish. They also raised its connection to the Trump campaign.

HILLARY CLINTON WINS NOMINATION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

++I love roll call votes. This was not exception. The Northern Mariana Islands cast their first ballots ever at the Democratic convention. New Mexico had its first Indian chairwomen. Democrats Abroad let Bernie Sanders' brother from London cast his vote for his brother. And Vermont passed to end the roll call and cast their votes for Sanders who then got up to move the nomination by acclamation. 

++Hillary had about 900+ more delegates than Sanders. And even with the DNC emails leaked it would be hard-pressed to say this wasn't a democratic election. I would think however the new rules change about super delegates might prompt more chaos in the future.

++Sanders did the right thing and he leveraged his candidacy for the most progressive platform in the party's history. I can see how Sanders' supporters may thing he should have the say on the vice-presidency. 

++But from America Samoa to the Virgin Islands,it was nice to see a great custom revived. Sorry the Republicans didn't do the same.

JOHN LEWIS WILL NOMINATE HILLARY CLINTON: RIGHT WANTS TO INDICT HILLARY FOR THE CLINTON FOUNDATION.

GET THE NEW LINE: BERNIE SANDERS' SPEECH SHOWS WHY THEY SHOULD NOT BE A THIRD OBAMA TERM.

DAY TWO DNC

++NBC is reporting why US authorities believe Russian state actors hacked the DNC.

++Does anyone remember the old YIPPIE campaign button" Papoose For Not Insane"? Maybe we should substitute Hillary for Not Insane. 

++Tonight, Big Dog speaks at the Convention. Will he go on and on like he does? Will he step on the momentum so far? How much of an asset is he?

++The day will be spent on Hillary support for childcare and education. 

++I have a feeling that tomorrow night Barack Obama will define this election in his speech.

++One problem seems to me that you have to reconcile Bernie's doom and gloom with the fact we have a full employment economy,19 million more with health insurance,stock market hitting new records and a misery index under 5. It's not enough to say the rich are getting richer and a pox on the House.

++Somehow you have to move the narrative that we have governed well even with Republican obstructionism and more can be done. 

++Richard Cohen wrote an op-ed today in the Washington Post about what if Hillary was  a man. Strangely her problem is similar to a person who lurked in the public consciousness for a generation--Richard Nixon. Cohen admits that she is wicked smart on policies,funny to be around, actually harm but comes across as stilted and forced in public.

++The Nixon metaphor is apt. The Right believed impeaching Bill Clinton was a payback for Nixon. Remember the arguments at the time. The Clintons have been a Republican obsession forever. Knowing this Hillary Clinton is obsessed by her privacy and is known for her secrecy.  Maybe she needs to unveil her NEW HILLARY.

++Greg Sergeant says Day One pointed out a deep flaw in Trump's campaign. You saw the line-up last night--Booker,Warren, Michelle Obama, and Bernie Sanders. Add Joe Biden, Bill Clinton,President Obama and you have a roster of superstar surrogates. Who speaks for Trump? There are no Republicans with any kind of constituency who supports him. 

++The Democrats came off as a governing party with attractive office-holders while the RNC could only muster Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, who weren't so psyched about Trump. This should make a difference. How far can you ride the anti-establishment tide and not get caught in backlash?

++Even with Hillary's less than brilliant speaking style, Richard Cohen is going to vote for her anyway.

BILL CLINTON WILL CAMPAIGN IN….UTAH.

HILL REPORTS GEORGE WILL SAYS TRUMP WON"T RELEASE TAXES BECAUSE OF LINKS TO RUSSIAN OLIGARCHS.

Daily Kos Shows That WIKILEAKS DOCUMENTS ALTERED PRIOR TO RELEASE.

CLINTON CAMPAIGN NEGOTIATING WITH SANDERS TO PUT HILLARY'S NAME IN NOMINATION.

NBC/SM POLL CLAIMS NO TRUMP BOUNCE: Clinton 46,Trump 45. Still

"Seeing in EMAIL breach A Trump-Putin Alliance"

++Front page New York Times article by Steven Lee Myers and Neil MacFarquhar. The piece details Trump's relationship with Russia and for the first time I've seen details Paul Manafort's Russian financial ties as opposed to his work with the previous Ukrainian government. 

++But the other aspect is that Putin may see this as revenge on Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration for their policies against Russia itself and Russia's meddling in the Ukraine and Europe.

++James Fellows at the Atlantic writes that we shouldn't see Putin as a master chess master but more a desperate man lashing out around the world. Fellows points out that Russia is not a major competitor with the United States because its economy is crippled and that he is using war-like tactics as part of his economic strategy.

++The neo-conservative weekly standard sees more of a problem that the Republican party has become Putin's Party because of Trump's policies toward NATO and the Ukraine.

Monday, July 25, 2016

FURTHER THOUGHTS ON DAY ONE.

++It is clear that Republicans that are disgusted with Trump want an excuse to vote for Hillary Clinton. You can sense it in jennifer Rubin's op-ed tonight. She liked the staging, the speeches,the talks about America but wanted less the left economic talk. Even Andrew Sullivan talked about all the immigrants talking feeling it gave Trump an opening. Didn't Democrats believe in rule of law and some system for immigrants? You can feel it around the edges. The Democrats have the best party ,can't we join. These people know Cleveland was disgusting and it made their skin crawl.

++Maybe Bloomberg will get the attention he deserves when he makes a moderate Republican's defense of Hillary.

++I can't help thinking that the bridge from Obama to Clinton won't have cognitive dissonance. Obama people use language a different way than Clinton people. The Obama people can make a progressive point without you knowing the ideology around it. It maybe why people don't how the same comfort level with Hillary.

++One of the unstated themes of this Convention is character. By the end the convention should convince you to trust Hillary--which was Michelle's understated point. Did you notice that Michelle never mentioned Trump's name--just alluded to him.

++Despite the media a hype, Pew finds that 90% of Bernie supporters back Hillary. 

++Obama's convention built in momentum. Let's see whether Hillary's will do the same. 


Read Kos

++You rarely get to read Kos emoting about being a Democrat but he's over the moon tonight. And says The Democrats are America's Party. This was the type of sentiment I saw in 2008 when hundreds of thousands of people greeted Barack Obama in Grant's Park waving American flags. I thought this marked a sea change. 

++Now The Republicans are what Jean J, Kirkpatrick called the Blame America First Party. What's so interesting is to see in about 12 years how those who most effectively talk about patriotism and America are Democrats. It goes back to Barack Obama;s 2004 speech on no Red States, no Blue States, but just the United States.

++Andrew Sullivan eluded to Cory Booker using the Obama formulations to evoke the image of America. It was the Obama vision of America that sold Andrew on Obama in the first place.

++You saw that Obama language of how to discuss America and patriotism in Michelle's speech. It's not heavy-handed but build in its effect. 

JENNIFER RUBIN THINKS DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION SHOWED UNITY.

++And she said Michelle Obama gave the speech of the political season. 

CONTRAST COULDN'T BE GREATER

++You know you have me when I listened to every speaker. Cory Booker was a surprise. "We will rise!" He evoked the Obama era with his "In America…" His rift on patriotism twisted the knife in on Trump. 

++Even David Frum thought Michelle Obama was brilliant and used the speech like a chapel about who do you trust your children with--Trump nor Hillary. Michelle Obama's speech was not quite the tour d-force she gave to the Black caucus but was powerful in hidden ways.

++Elizabeth Warren seemed distracted. I didn't hear her being heckled by "We trusted you" But she gave a conversational speech and she rattled off a litany of things America is. I liked it but not her best.

++Bernie Sanders gave his campaign speech but sequed into why Hillary Clinton should be President. His selling point to his followers is that he and Hillary Clinton reached agreement and created the most progressive platform in history.

++I found Trump silence in his tweeting interesting when Michelle spoke. He couldn't answer.

++I watched Bill Clinton give standing ovations to Cory Booker,Elizabeth warren and even Bernie sanders.

++The convention looked like America. More African-Americans took the stage than were at the RNC and more Hispanics spoke in the first two hours than a lll the RNC together.

++Meanwhile Trump said his friends in Russia and China hacked the DNC. He told a crowd in Virginia that we must leave NATO immediately.


SHANE HARRIS AT THE DAILYBEAST WRITES ABOUT FBI INVESTIGATION OF E-MAIL RELEASE.

++Shane Harris makes it explicit. This was an "active measure" by Russian intelligence to benefit the Trump campaign. Interesting that the FBI says that trying to influence an election is not  crime and are reluctant to say whether they will investigate political motives.

++Meanwhile Julian Assange spoke with Democracy Now about the Wikileaks involvement. He was very cagy about where he got them but that he was approached and had to verify. Assange has a television show on RT News and is seen as moving Wikileaks to support Russian foreign policy.

AL GORE ENDORSES HILLARY CLINTON--KISS OF DEATH?

Greg Sergeant On Trump's Poll BUT

++Sergeant wanted to point out that Trump is winning white non-college educated voters while Hillary is winning white college educated. His point is that there is a huge cultural divide now within the white electorate.

++He says hold on until the end of the Democratic Convention so we can see where we are.

++BUT he highlighted theNew York Times piece on Russian interference in our election and suggests that since the Times made this front page, we should expect investigative journalists to be pouring over this issue.

Josh Marshall "It Can't Be Dismissed"

++Josh Marshall returns with "It can't be dismissed" as he reviews David Drezner's piece in the Washington Post on the Putin connection.

++Jeff Goldberg in the Atlantic writes how Trump's strategy mirror Putin's and would give Russia free reign in the Middle East and Europe.

Enter Steve Benen

++Steve Benen at Maddowblog, the man who raised Romney's "lying"issue,writes that Putin is involved in this election is the biggest bombshell of the year. Steve traces the story from back-burner to today's headlines.

++He and Josh Marshall should become a tag team in investigating this. 

++Nancy Letourneau at Washington Monthly recaps the Putin story and links it to Putin's involvement with extreme parties throughout Europe.

FBI ANNOUNCES IT WILL INVESTIGATE DNC E-MAIL LEAKS.

On A Terrible Poll Day

++Lake Research conducted a poll in Georgia. Clinton 41%, Trump 40%,Undecided 16%.

++Love it if Georgia was competitive this year.

TODAY'S STORIES

++Both the Washington Post and the New York Times continue to break the stories about how the DNC emails were leaked by Russian Intelligence. The post has a piece summarizing the allegations on whether Trump is Putin's Patsy.

++Josh Marshall reports his article on Trump and Russian finance became the most read piece he has ever written. He reposted the piece today.

++Kevin Drum at Mother Jones ponders whether this connections shouldn't be top news now.

++Charles Pierce writes that Putin's involvement is bad news for democracy.

++Yes, Trump seems to have gotten a bounce from the RNC and is now tied with Hillary. His big leap of support was among while makes without a high school education.

++Salon.com writes that the Trump phenomenon is sparked by the rise of white poverty in the suburbs.

MORNING JOE GOES THERE PUTIN AND TRUMP.

++Morning Joe covered Russian intelligence leaking the DNC emails and the possible connection to the Trump campaign. Paul Manafort said it was the Democrats causing the distraction. The panel agreed it was another reason Trump has to release his taxes.

JOHN KASICH SAYS TRUMP CAN'T WIN OHIO.

++Speaking at the Union League Club in Pittsburgh,John Kasich said a "divider" like Trump can't win Ohio. He said the voters in Ohio vote for people with a positive agenda. He told the republican audience that he didn't address the convention because he felt  he shouldn't go on stage unless he could endorse.

++John Kasich is the Governor. A Republican can not win the White House without winning Ohio.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

DEMOCRATS HAVE TO REMEMBER.

++No Republican has gotten more popular votes than a Democrat since 1992. The exception was 2004 and that had extensive voter fraud in Ohio. 

++The so-called "DNC e-mail scandal" has already been shown to by a Russian intelligence operation. The New York Times today reports that the forensic evidence is clear that Russian intelligence was behind the whole e-mail dump.

++It should also be remembered that since 1992, the Rights has sought to discredit Hillary Clinton. 

++She's sure not No Drama Obama but she's  used to the treatment. Expect that the whole GOP campaign is to "de-legitimize" her candidacy. 

++Do the emails really show that the DNC was biased against Bernie? That's really not clear. But what is --the entire DNC funding operation was exposed.

++We'll see how this plays out like a little Benghazi over the next week. Remember Elizabeth Warren is up tomorrow.

++By the way, a little note on Nate Silver's forecast. Nate said he could not evaluate Trump's lack of funding and his lack of organization in his model. He had to treat him as a "normal" candidate. But he did put in that he assesses the economy as a factor. Do we know what Trump's last take was? It was supposed to be announced the day he gave his acceptance speech. I have not seen word about it.

DONALD TRUMP IS NOT WELL.

++Gawker reproduces the entire stream of tweets from Trump about the DNC e-mails which show the man is not only delusional but really profoundly sick. 

++He taunts Bernie Sanders as too old and too feeble to put out a fight and declares Sanders' revolution is over. He says that Hillary didn't back her person Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

++He claims the television ratings for the GOP convention were terrific. They didn't match McCain's convention. He praises the RNC saying nothing like the e-mails would happen under Preibus. 

++Dear reader: Do you remember when the DNC was hacked the first two times by Russian state actors and what they wanted was opposition research on Donald Trump?

++He went on to say the 80 Minutes interview with Hillary and Kaine was pathetic and they couldn't do anything about ISIS.

++He says the media is hiding the implosion of the Democratic Convention. 

++Roger Stone posted an article on his Stonezone that Bill Clinton sold out our national security to Russia. Interesting, heh.

++During 2008, President Obama managed to defang the GOP's hate ads and negative campaigning. It will be interesting to see how Hillary Clinton will deal with the same this year. The Clintons like to go mano-a-mano but both Hillary and Kaine said they wouldn't.

++It is important to see how the Trump allies try to avoid the Russia question over the next few days.

++Oh, and Trump said Obama's half-brother voting for him showed how bad Obama treated his family.

++Trump reiterated his position on NATO today, also said he would withdraw from the World Trade Organization and that the EU was created so the US couldn't make money. 

++One flicker of good news was an interview with the prototype white rural voter Trump attracts. He said he didn't think he could vote for Trump because he "denigrates everyone."

WHAT"S WITH WIKILEAKS?

++They tweeted out that releasing the donor financial information and social security numbers was not a mistake. 

++Then we had Julian Assange's strange anti-semitic tweet.

++Donald Trump's general Michael Flynn, who also met with Putin, sent out an anti-semitic tweet of his own. He later apologized but this is getting too much.

++Now Ed Schultz on RT applauds Trump and says he can handle the presidency.

++Bizarre stuff.

Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball ELECTORAL COLLEGE CLINTON: 347, TRUMP 191.

WHO ARE THE BEST DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTS?

++Morning Consult did a survey of Democrats and found the following:

Barack Obama favored by 31%.
JFK                                    24%
Clinton                               18%
FDR                                    12%

I would rank FDR at the top. But OBAMA is certainly the next.


WHO GETS TO SPEAK AT BOTH CONVENTIONS: ----MICHELLE OBAMA.

ABOUT THOSE 20,000 E-MAILS

++VOX analyzes the DNC e-mails and doesn't find alot. There is no smoking-gun. There was an obscure e-mail that hinted that someone--not specified--should be asked whether he believed in God. It was meant for the West Virginia and Kentucky primaries. People took this to be an attack on Bernie Sanders. The sender denies it. 

++Anything to merit Debbie Wasserman Schultz to resign. Not really. The bulk of the e-mails were about events and arrangements. The worrisome thing would be the exposure of donor bank information. 

++The point is that the leak now is pointed to Russia intelligence. This raises interesting questions about Wikileaks in its current incarnation. 

++The point DNC workers are making is that a foreign government is trying to influence our election. 

++Did it show the DNC was biased against Bernie Sanders? Other than random remarks. Nothing really.

DAVID AXELROD TWEETS

++Clinton campaign did play the hacking card idly. "the subtext" is that they suspect money ties between Donald Trump and Russian oligarchs.

DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ RESIGNS AS HEAD OF DNC.

PLAYING 270 TO WIN

++SO On THEIR INTERACTIVE MAP, I GAVE MICHIGAN,OHIO, ILLINOIS, PENNSYLVANIA, FLORIDA TO TRUMP. HILLARY STILL WINS WITH 276.

++The Daily Kos had a post that this election actually boils down to 3 counties in Florida and 2 Counties in Pennsylvania and in those counties Trump is expected to lose by greater numbers than Romney. And he has no greater wells in the rest of the two states.

D.C. RUMOR: RAND PAUL STAFF WORKING ON TRUMP-PUTIN CONNECTION.

A REMINDER: MICHAEL MOORE THOUGHT ROMNEY WOULD WIN.

A FUN AD ON TRUMP AND PUTIN CALLED "THE AMERICAN?"--AFTER THE TV SERIES.

MIKE BLOOMBERG WILL ENDORSE HILLARY CLINTON AT CONVENTION.

CALL GEORGE SMILEY

++Robbie Mook, Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, says the Russians are helping Donald Trump. He said the DNC e-mails were released in time for the Democratic convention and that hacker "Guccifer" who is a Russian entity stole DNC opposition research on Trump. We know from past news reports that Russian state entities hacked into the DNC twice before. 

++Mook's statements got play on the front page of the Washington Post this morning. It seems to me there is an escalation in the Clinton's campaign complaining about the Russian-Trump connection.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

BILL KRISTOL'S TWEET.

"TRUMP CAN'T RELEASE TAXES BECAUSE THEY SHOW PUTIN CLAIMS HIM AS A DEPENDENT."

++Think about that. Known Republican pundit tweets that his nominee is in the pocket of Putin. Granted, Bill Kristol tried to get anyone and their grandmother to challenge Trump but this says a little much.

CONGRATS TO JOHN LEWIS FOR WINNING COMCON AWARD FOR THE "MARCH", A Comic Book.

For The Worriers.

++Hillary Clinton still leads the national polls. Rasmussen being the exception but has I've explained that is for the aggregators to pulls Clinton down. It doesn't represent reality.

++So RCP, which is pro-Republican, has Clinton up by 2. Pollster.com has Clinton by 3. This is down from leads of 6-7pts. 

++So where are we. In 2012 at the same time after the RNC, Obama was ahead by +0.3. In 2008, he was ahead by +2.3.

++We will know more after the DNC when the general election starts. But she knows it is her election to lose. That's what makes people nervous.

JOSH MARSHALL STRIKES AGAIN

++Today Marshall connected the dots from the various stories about Trump and Russian financiers. The stories have spanned the news but no one has really examined what they mean or portend.

++The Atlantic ran a piece that Hillary Clinton was running against an agent of Vladimir Putin. They connected the foreign policy pronouncements with positions that favor Russia. They also threw in the mysterious re-wording of the Platform Plank on the Ukraine.

++Salon earlier in the week ran a story about how RT news switched all the coverage to be favorable to Trump.

++Marshall's point is that in the 1990s Trump owed $3 billion. He took the 2000s to recover and rebuild and he did it with Russian cash. Even now a development in Soho under federal investigation owes its existence to secret Russian monies. The cash men were all close allies of Vladimir Putin. Now Trump's  debt serving is about $600 million a year and only a German bank loans him money.

++It would be the supreme irony that a Republican nominee is a Russian agent.

REUTERS/IPSOS: CLINTON 41%, TRUMP 38%.

KAINE PASSES THE AUDITION.

++Tim Kaine hit it out of the park. "Thanks for choosing us" he told naturalized citizens. The crowd loved him speaking Spanish and weaving out his speech in English. He appears as a more comfortable speaker in front of crowds than Hillary. She says," He is more than Trump and Pence because he's qualified from day one to assume the presidency."

++Trump tweeted Kaine is an instrument of the banks and received hits when governor. Then it was legal in Virginia. Trump did a heavy tweetstorm to Sanders supporters about Kaine.

++From the initial reactions on progressive website, Kaine hit it out of the park.

++Remember Monday--Elizabeth Warren starts the DNC and Sanders will be speaking also. Warren shared Obama's Week Talk on banking reform. They are gearing up for next week.

++President Obama sent out a glowing recommendation for Kaine.

IS HILLARY CLINTON GOING FOR A ROUT?

++The Guardian said that Hillary's pick of Tim Kaine showed she's the adult in the room. Kaine also brings his Midwest background to the table. From a working family, he has over 90% rating from the AFL-CIO. His voting record in the Senate is approximately the same as Joe Biden's. 538 thinks he helps in Virginia, but that's not all. He can be the campaign spokesperson on Spanish-language media. Univision is the largest network in America.

++He is non-threatening and can make the circuit in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan.

++Both candidates are to campaign tomorrow in North Carolina.

++By the way, the bill progressives are upset about Kaine voted for --not to heavily regulate community banks or credit unions was backed by the AFL-CIO. 

__Check out Kaine's "Face The Nation" interview last week where he talks about gun regulations. He has a 0 rating from the NRA. He knows what the issue is.

++Meanwhile Der Fuhrer has created a Superpac to "prevent Cruz and Kasich" for ever running for President.  Trump's rallies in Ohio had to be cancelled because no donors would fund them. 

++But Rudy actually says Trump will win New York.

++Clinton's VP choice says Steady, solid. She obviously believes calmer outweighs hysteria.

MY BROKEN COMPUTER WANTS TO TELL YOU--IT IS TIM KAINE.

++Late yesterday, Hillary Clinton announced she was going for homer Virginia governor Tim Kaine. 

++Kaine grew up in the Midwest to a working class family. He was a missionary in Central America. Is fluent in Spanish. While Governor of Virginia, he took on Big Tobacco and the gun lobby.

++He is well-liked in the Senate and received congratulations from Republican Senators who praised his choice.

++He ranks on progressive choices from 90-100%. While governor, Democrats actually thought he was too liberal.

++Minimum advantage--keeping Virginia. Wide is that he is perceived as a sensible politician who makes government work.

++Progressives raised doubts but Kaine is actually more progressive than they think.

++GOP strategist Ana Navarro tweeted the GOP wants a Wall and the Democrats choose a do-gooder who speaks Spanish.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

PAUL MANAFORT: "The Speech was profoundly optimistic."

NICOLE WALLACE: "The Party Died In This Room Tonight."

GOOD FOR HER

++Jennifer Rubin blisters Trump's speech saying it was not Republican and not democratic. She accused Trump of manipulating people's fears like a fascist dictator.

++Rubin did a very nice job of eviscerating the speech and Trump's claims that he could restore order. She ends by hoping Hillary Clinton can invoke the inclusiveness of America next week.

IT'S MIDNIGHT IN AMERICA

++This was the moment. Donald J. Trump says we are living in hell with the most killing at home he has seen in his lifetime. We are threatened by everyone. Don't trust the FBI because they didn't indict Hillary so they make up crime figures.

++Immigrants take high paying jobs away from African-Americana and Hispanics. we are being overrun by immigrants. We must stop all immigration from places with terrorism or violence.

++Andrew Sullivan said that this was the most protectionist speech he has ever heard in the United States. 

++Pundits can't seem to understand why Trump is screaming when the audience is at home and he is miked. When he reads from the teleprompter is is stilling and slow. He ad-libs alot.

++The country he envisions you don't want to live in. He claims we have the highest tax rates in the world--un true. He claims our mining and coal industry can generate $20 trillion over two decades, Not provable. 

++Earlier in the day he destroyed all foreign policy in his interview with the New York Times.  Tonight he just wrecks the rest of the country. 

++Nate Silver is flustered because Donald seems to think the Democrats had their convention and won't answer back.

++It was very unclear of what swing vote could be touched by this speech which was so gloomy. 

JOSH MARSHALL DOES THE ANALYSIS.

++Josh Marshall wondered what more chaos could happen at the GOP convention. I suggest that the chaos Trump plays on is precisely why some many people are anxious. We have no idea how this plays to a wider audience. Does the disorganization help or harm? In former days,this would have been devastating to a party and a candidate.

++Josh uncovers that the "embargoed " speech of Ted Cruz was the same he delivered. "Vote your conscience" was in there. Cruz speech had to be cleared by the RNC. Michael Beschloss says that this hasn't happened before.

++Josh gets into the weeds because he is as baffled by all this as everyone else. You eat prime-time television to allow Ted Cruz to denounce your nominee.

++Marshall has always maintained Cruz was a weasel but what was his game. What it tells you about this convention is alot.

THE GOP IS A FAILED STATE AND TRUMP IS ITS WARLORD.

MICHAEL MOORE SAYS TRUMP WILL WIN.

++Appearing on the Bill Maher show, Michael Moore sheepishly said that Donald Trump would win. He said he will win Michigan where he said more Republicans registered for the primary for the first time than Democrats, He said Trump's anti-trade message was cheered where he lives. He also said Trump will win Ohio and Pennsylvania.

++Earlier in the campaign, Thom Hartman expressed the same sentiments on Trump and said that Bernie supporters might go for him.

++Chuck Lane wrote in the Washington Post about Trump as the working class hero. He wrote from the field in Pennsylvania where factories have closed and people identify with mills. What was so interesting about Lane's piece is that all the factories closed in this part of Pennsylvania before NAFTA,before Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. He likened their support to Trump to the Ghost Dance of the Plains Indians which government officials concluded can happen to people undergoing economic distress. 

++Tara Reid was on Bill Maher and said she was out in Lorain Ohio where I would go to see my son at Oberlin. Lorain is considered the one of the poorest counties in America and a seat of the Tea Party crowd. She said that Hillary was not their cup of tea but Trump hasn't sold them because of his wealth.

KEITH OLBERMANN: CPULD TRUMP PASS A SANITY TEST?

++A clever video now on Democratic underground. Olberman administers a real psychological test to determine whether Trump suffers psychopathy. Answer is that Trump surpass the 30 pt. rating.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

WRAP UP

++Day One: Melania gives Michelle Obama's speech. Flap consumes all media coverage.

++Day Two: Roger Ailes gets fired for sexualk harassment.

++Day Three: Ted Cruz refuses to endorse and speaks for over 23 minutes prime time.

PENCE

++No one knows him. This is like George McGovern's acceptance speech in the early morning. Andrew says it's midwestern and reassuring. Nate Silver thinks pretty pedestrian. Meteor Blades notes Pence mentions the Sainted Ron Reagan and says that "conservative principles works anytime they are used." She cattily mentions Brownback and the supply side disaster in Kansas. 

++But then who cares, no one is listening. 

CHUCK TODD SAYS TRUMP HAS NOW BLOWN PENCE ROLL-OUT TWICE

++Todd's remarks referred to the political adage that you need your main event in prime time. On the East Coast, you are losing it and Gingrich is still talking about mushroom clouds.  Todd suggested Cruz would have been better Monday night so the flap would die down . Now it overshadows Pence.

NEWT TRIES TO WALK BACK CRUZ BY SAYING TRUMP WILL DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION.

++Newt knows the crowd needs red meat and lists all the recent terrorist attacks. His prepared remarks believed he was segueing from a Cruz endorsement to the present.

++Cruz obviously won the night as Nate said it was a ten degree burn on Trump. 

The CROWD CHANTED "GOLDMAN SACHS" AT HEIDI CRUZ.

++John Podhoretz tweeted "not much of an endorsement." 

++Nate Silver was surprised that Cruz seem to stall when he could have inserted Trump's name but seemed to want to give him the "shiv".

++The booing gave way to a film about the Trump family.

++The side bare comments at 538 thought Cruz blew his 2020 chances. I don't know whether he had any. 

HEIDI CRUZ ESCORTED OUT BY SECURITY TO PROTECT HER FROM THE ANGRY CROWDS.

ANDREW LOVES SOME TED CRUS BECAUSE HE STOOD UP TO THE BULLY.

++The crowd chanted "Endorse","Endorse". A Wall of boos greeted him at the end. But then again he did say Obama was letting in Isis terrorists as refugees. But for Andrew, Cruz was the only speaker who actually talked about "freedom".

TRUMP WALKS ON THE FLOOR AS CROWD BOOS CRUZ. UNITY?

TED CRUZ: "AMERICA IS MORE THAN A LANDMASS BETWEEN TWO OCEANS."

538 Has The Best Live-Blogging

++Ted Cuz managed to mention Trump's name once and sputtered something about November. He is giving a politicians speech for his next run for President. 

++Marco Rubio's video presentation wasn't widely seen or heard. Rubio mentioned Trump.

++Nate Silver talked to Molly Ball about her impressions about the organization and logistics of the Convention. She was very negative about the adhoc nature of the event. You expect an iceberg underneath of fund-raising and organization. But it isn't there.

++Nate Silver points out that the ratings for the convention have been miserable.

Meteor Blades Started To Unravel As The Lies Come In Hot And Heavy.

++A speaker said that Obama gave away our energy independence. Oh my. He's the only President who ensured it. The speaker claimed that Obama prevents drilling. My concern is that he permits too much. 

++Another speaker said that Obama gave Iran nuclear weapons. Probably 25 years away.

++Meteor kept saying Scot Walker is screaming at everyone when his microphone is an inch away. 

++From yesterday, I forgot that Chris Christie said that Hillary Clinton was responsible for the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram. Interesting that the Clinton campaign used this accusation as a fund-raising appeal today.

++Andrew says we are seeing the elite Bastile. This show is to reduce politics to entertainment and demean political elites. He may be going to far. He says you should expect to see Senators or governors talking about their accomplishments now.