Bernie Sanders rallies supporters in nationwide simulcast
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders called on supporters to spark a “political revolution” for his candidacy on Wednesday night, offering a rallying cry of “enough is enough” on a video simulcast to events across the country. “The American people are saying loudly and clearly: Enough is enough,” he said, standing before a bank of video cameras set up in a crowded Washington apartment. “Our government belongs to all of us and not just a handful of billionaires.” The Sanders campaign said more than 105,000 backers attended 3,500 meetings in homes, coffee shops, union halls and town squares, an effort to spread the message of his insurgent bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. As supporters sipped “Bernie Palomas,” a Vermont maple syrup cocktail mixed by the event’s host, Sanders made an impassioned argument for building a single-payer health system, tackling income inequality, eliminating student debt, addressing institutional racism, expanding family leave and raising a “starvation minimum wage.” “Bernie Sanders alone as president of the United States is not going to solve all these problems,” he said, reading off a yellow legal pad with handwritten notes. “But when we stand together there is nothing, nothing, nothing that we cannot accomplish.” Sanders has ridden the populist wave surging through the Democratic party, attracting large crowds to rallies across the country with his unapologetically liberal message. In recent weeks, he has seized on Hillary Rodham Clinton‘s refusal to say whether she backs the Keystone XL pipeline and the Trans-Pacific Partnership — both opposed by key segments of the Democratic base. While Clinton remains the front-runner in the primary race, the Wednesday night event was intended as a show of strength for Sanders’ candidacy. His campaign is trying to emulate the model used by President Barack Obama, who mobilized supporters against Clinton in the 2008 primary through an expansive organizing effort focused on networks of personal contacts. Larry Cohen, a former president of the Communications Workers of America, encouraged backers to volunteer for the campaign — and sign up others to make calls, knock on doors and contribute. “We’re part of a historic moment but our job is to build a historic movement,” he told the cameras. “Solidarity.” Sanders’ unexpectedly strong showing has not gone unnoticed by Clinton’s team. Her aides have signaled that they consider Sanders to be a legitimate challenger who will be running for the long haul, noting the $15.2 million he’s raised, largely from small donors, in the first three months of the race. They believe he will find a measure of support in Iowa, where the caucus system typically turns out the most passionate voters, and New Hampshire, given Sanders’ many years representing neighboring Vermont in Congress. The Washington meeting struck a sharp contrast with Clinton’s carefully stage-managed events. Host Manisha Sharma said she stayed awake until 2 a.m. cleaning the one-bedroom apartment, carefully storing odds and ends in cardboard organic milk boxes from Costco tucked into a wooden bookshelf. Beers were piled into a kitchen sink and a card table set up next to a small bathroom served as a bar. After Sanders spoke Sharma presented him with a poster featuring a photo of Mahatma Gandhi‘s Salt March, the first major act in his campaign against British rule of India. “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win,” she told him, quoting Gandhi. “That’s what you’ll do.” Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Hillary Clinton to testify before House Benghazi panel on Oct. 22
The House committee investigating the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, says Hillary Rodham Clinton has agreed to appear before the panel on Oct. 22. Committee spokesman Jamal Ware says Clinton will be questioned about the attacks as well as the unusual email arrangement she used when she was secretary of state. Clinton’s campaign and House Republicans have sparred for months over her possible testimony and her refusal to turn over the private email server she used. House Speaker John Boehner said earlier this week that Clinton should “come clean” and turn the server over to the State Department‘s inspector general. The committee is investigating the deaths of the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans in the Sept. 11, 2012, attacks on the diplomatic facility in Benghazi. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz coming to Alabama with multiple stops
Presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz is coming to Alabama for several visits in August. Here’s where you can find him. From the Shelby County Republican Party will host him Aug. 9 (Via email): The Shelby County Republican Party is hosting a “Southern Social” with Ted Cruz and moon pies. The Presidential candidate will be speaking at the Pelham Civic Complex on Sunday August 9 from 2pm-4pm. The event is casual and open to the public. Senator Cruz will be in Montgomery prior to arriving for the event in Pelham. We encourage voters to take this opportunity to hear from Senator Cruz and ask questions on the issues that are important to you and your family. If you have any questions contact Joan Reynolds, Chairman of the Shelby County Republican Party at chairman@shelbyalgop.org. Republican Women of Huntsville will host him Aug. 9th. (Via WSFA): Republican presidential nominee Ted Cruz is planning to visit the Rocket City for a town hall meeting. Len Vaught with the Republican women of Huntsville said Cruz will be in Huntsville on Aug. 9 for the town hall meeting at the Jackson Center in Cummings Research Park at 7 p.m. Anyone can attend the meeting free of charge. For more information about the meeting, you can contact Len Vaught: lenvaught@gmail.com or (256) 653-6875. Tuscaloosa County Republican Party (Via WSFA): Republican presidential candidate and Texas U.S. Senator Ted Cruz will visit Tuscaloosa next month to give the keynote address at the annual Lincoln-Reagan Dinner on August 25 at 7 p.m. in the north zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium. Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, a Tuscaloosa area native, worked to help secure Cruz as this year’s speaker. Merrill said this grew out of a conversation he had with a Cruz campaign official, who wanted to discuss raising awareness of Cruz’s campaign in Alabama. He also said it is also part of a larger effort to get more presidential candidates to Alabama. Tickets are on sale now through August 15. Individual tickets are $100. Tickets for a photo with Cruz, which will happen from 6 p.m.-7 p.m., are $50. There are also sponsorship level tickets available, which include a VIP reception. Contact Jim Zeanah at (205) 345-8753 or tuscaloosagop@yahoo.com for tickets. Cruz is a former private practice attorney and Solicitor General of Texas. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012.
Mike Rogers: Visiting across east Alabama this August
Each August, Congress recesses for the August District Work Period to allow members of Congress the chance to get back and spend time in their home state. I am looking forward to this upcoming work period so I can start making my way across the 3rd District. Having the opportunity to visit with folks and hear what’s on their minds helps me better represent their interests in Washington. Throughout the month, I will be holding “Congress on Your Corner” events, which are like town hall meetings. I will hold these events in different areas of east Alabama to give folks a chance for a face-to-face update on what’s been going on in Congress. It also gives people the chance to ask questions and let me know about issues that are on their minds. Keep checking your local papers and radio stations to learn more. I hope to see you at one. I will be making several stops to tour different industries in east Alabama. These companies are vital to creating good paying jobs. I will also be making a few visits to some of our senior centers from Heflin to Odenville. Some of the best conversations occur there. Additionally, I’m looking forward to speaking at a couple of different Rotary clubs. Later on, I will get an update on first responder training while visiting the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston. As well as touring Maxwell Gunter Air Force Base in Montgomery with U.S. Rep. Martha Roby. In Auburn, I’ll attend a Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) demonstration and get to see first-hand the training they are doing with their canine program. With so much going on in Congress and across the globe, this month will provide a good opportunity to ensure I keep working to represent each of you. I look forward to seeing you in August! Mike Rogers represents Alabama’s 3rd Congressional District. He is in his third term.
Katherine Robertson: Legislature can still finish strong
The Alabama Legislature caught its share of grief after adjourning the Regular Session without passing a budget. The alleged infighting between the House and Senate and the bickering over how to solve the shortfall dominated the headlines in early June as the session wrapped up. Yet nearly eight weeks later, it’s easier to examine the full body of work and praise a great deal of what has been accomplished. Heading into next week’s Special Session, Republicans should focus on preserving their record over the past five years and on finishing strong. A brief reminder of how this Session began: the governor sent over a budget that relied almost entirely on tax increases to close the General Fund shortfall. Rather than being able to make a few tweaks here and there, legislators opposed to tax increases were forced back to the drawing board with far fewer resources, particularly staff, to aid in their research and decisionmaking. It was hardly surprising that they chose to close the gap with cuts, as the base of the Republican super majority rightfully refused tax increases that would, by and large, ask the people to hand over more of their hard-earned money to fund Medicaid and prisons. While the budget quandary remains unsolved, the Legislature tackled several complex policy matters that will have a positive long-term impact on the General Fund. For instance, managed care reforms to Medicaid that passed in 2013 were duplicated for long-term care services in hope of slowing perpetual increases in Medicaid spending. The Senate also declared its opposition to Medicaid expansion, recognizing that the state’s required obligations through expansion would ultimately add a 10 percent increase to state money spent on Medicaid (not including unknown administrative costs). In another act of legislating for the long-term, the comprehensive prison reform bill was signed into law. Corrections spending accounts for 4.3 percent of all state spending and a whopping 21.4 percent of General Fund expenditures. Along with Medicaid, this spending has increased by 25 percent over the last 20 years with no signs of slowing. Aspects of the prison reform law do require additional front-end funds; but, over time, this investment should help to level out corrections spending as the strains of overcrowding are eased. On the last day of the session, a bill was passed to reform judicial public pensions. Public pensions are an oft-overlooked aspect of state spending, but this year alone, the state put almost $1 billion — nearly five times the amount of the shortfall — into the pension system. The estimates for 2016 are no better. The Judicial Retirement Fund has the worst funding percentage of the state’s three pension systems, and the reform passed this session addresses the state’s liability in this regard. It will result in immediate cost-savings with an even greater savings impact expected over time. Despite some flirting with the governor’s proposed tax increases, most were dead on arrival, as was gambling. Instead, new legislative study committees were established on issues such as tax reform, structural pension reform, and proposed privatization of the state’s ABC Board. This indicates an ongoing willingness to deal with fundamental problems in Alabama’s state government, rather than abdicating this duty and opting for budget gimmicks and quick fixes. Republicans should take pride in these accomplishments and refuse to agree to proposals that would taint their record. There is no denying the pressures that they face from various positions of leadership, powerful special interests, and bleak budget spreadsheets. Still, legislators are sent to Montgomery to make tough calls. This group campaigned on a commitment to govern with the best interests of the people in mind — not to make their decisions on weekly polls or chances at personal gain. U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions made headlines in Alabama this week with remarks he hoped would embolden Republicans. He said, “We don’t need to be timid. We need to do the right thing. We need to do the bold thing. The government can’t do everything for us. Our values are good values … and we need to define those values. We believe in limited government and lower taxes.” When legislators return on Aug. 3, they will be given another opportunity to take the senator’s advice and finish strong. Based on the grit of those legislators we work with behind the scenes, I, for one, still have faith that they will. Katherine Robertson is vice president for the Alabama Policy Institute (API), a nonprofit research and education organization dedicated to the preservation of free markets, limited government and strong families.
Alabama Jobs Foundation: “Let the people vote” on gaming bill
As reported Wednesday morning, the Alabama Jobs Foundation released the results of a poll it commissioned that showed strong support (69 percent) for a gaming bill a la Sen. Del Marsh‘s proposal circulating in the Legislature, and overwhelming support (89 percent) for the right to have the debate publicly by way of a referendum on the measure. Early Wednesday afternoon, AJF officials commented about the numbers and what they mean for Alabama’s economic and political future. “These results simply confirm what I hear from Alabamians across the state,” said Pat Dye, former head football coach at Auburn University. “They are ready to vote on this issue once and for all. The voters are clear about what they support: an education lottery and gaming that brings jobs, revenue and economic development to our state.” “Alabamans get it. They see Alabama dollars flowing into other states and they want those dollars stopped and working right here in Alabama for our workers and families. It’s just good old-fashioned common sense,” Dye said. Marsh — whose gaming proposal is competing for oxygen with the Poarch Creek Indian Tribe’s plan in the public sphere and the Legislature — agreed wholeheartedly. “The voters of Alabama are speaking as loud and clear as they can on this issue,” said Marsh, a Republican and Senate president pro tempore. “They demand the right to vote on this issue. They support my lottery and gaming constitutional amendment by large numbers.” “And just as important, they oppose raising taxes, too,” Marsh said as a dig at Gov. Robert Bentley and fellow senators who have proposed balancing the books by increasing tax receipts. Marsh cited the AJF poll in a news release, which showed 66 percent of voters polled oppose Bentley’s plan to increase taxes and that 63 percent of voters indicated they were inclined to vote against sitting legislators who voting in favor of such a plan . “I think those are the kind of poll numbers that should get the attention of every legislator in Montgomery,” Marsh said.
Poll: Voters overwhelmingly support Del Marsh plan, reject Robert Bentley tax increases
In a press conference Wednesday morning the Alabama Jobs Foundation announced the release of key findings from a recently conducted poll that supports efforts by Sen. Del Marsh, Senate President Pro Tempore. Highlights of the survey include: 89 percent of Alabamians demand the right to vote on gaming. 80 percent support an education lottery 69 percent support a gaming/education lottery constitutional amendment 77 percent support the Del Marsh gaming/education plan over the Poarch Creek Band proposed monopoly plan 66 percent of Alabamians oppose new taxes Among the most interesting findings are the opposition to the tax increases that Gov. Robert Bentley and Speaker Mike Hubbard are proposing is above 60 percent across party lines. The proposal to give the Poarch Creek Band a monopoly on gaming is also at more than 60 percent opposition between Republican and independent voters, with Democrats supporting it 53 to 45 percent. When given the choice of the two plans, an overwhelming majority support the Marsh plan with 70 percent of Republicans, 78 percent Independents and a whopping 87 percent of Democrats. TargetPoint Consulting in Alexandria, Va., conducted the survey of 8,009 registered voters on July 21-23. Detailed results can be found at Alabama Jobs Foundation poll overview. Check back with Alabama Today for more information and reactions to the poll.
Women’s group: 45 percent of Alabama workers get no paid sick days
The National Partnership for Women & Families has published a new fact sheet that examines the state of sick leave policy on Alabama’s workforce. The study shows workers in the state have slightly less access to paid days off when they are or their children are sick, in keeping with a troublesome national fact of life for workers. “In Alabama, an estimated 671,099 private sector workers, or 44.6 percent of the workforce, cannot earn a single paid sick day to use to recover from common illnesses or seek medical care,” reads the report, released Wednesday. “Nationwide, more than 43 million private sector workers – nearly 40 percent of the workforce – cannot earn paid sick time.” “When workers do not have access to paid sick days, the consequences can be significant. For a typical family in the United States without paid sick days, for example, 3.5 days lost to illness are equivalent to the family’s entire monthly grocery budget,” the studied continued. Among the study’s findings: More than 145,000 people in Alabama work in restaurants – an industry in which, nationally, 90 percent of workers cannot earn paid sick days; Overall, 35.6 percent of Alabama jobs are considered low wage, and few low-wage jobs allow workers to earn paid sick days; and More than 700,000 children in Alabama live in families in which all parents work, but parents with paid sick days often cannot use them to care for children. The study also says sick-leave policies adverse to workers both in Alabama and nationally disproportionately affect minority populations. The state is home to some 960,000 African-American workers, whose rate of access to paid sick days is even lower than the statewide 45 percent. Moreover, the Partnership says, paid sick days are good for industry as well as workers. “Employee turnover is expensive – on average, one fifth of an employee’s annual salary,” the report said. “Paid sick days result in reduced turnover,18 which leads to reduced hiring and training costs for businesses.” They also help reduce unnecessary health care costs, which lowers cost pressure on taxpayers and policyholders. “Universal access to paid sick days would eliminate an estimated 1.3 million emergency room visits each year, saving $1.1 billion annually in costs to individuals, private insurers and public programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid.” The National Partnership entitled their release containing the new findings “What Does It Mean When Nearly 45 Percent of Alabama’s Workers Cannot Earn a Single Paid Sick Day?” Debra Ness, the Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan advocacy group’s president, was quick to fill in the blanks. “Our nation’s failure to establish a paid sick days standard is harming people in Alabama and across the country,” Ness said. “It is absolutely unacceptable that so many hardworking people and their families risk grave financial hardship if they get the flu, strep throat or another common illness because they cannot earn basic paid sick days, even after years at their jobs. Lawmakers at all levels need to look closely at what is at stake and take action.”
Alabama campaign consultant Brett Buchanan named national “Republican Rising Star”
Earlier this week, Campaigns & Elections named Alabama campaign consultant Brent Buchanan a 2015 Republican Rising Star. Buchanan is a managing partner at Cygnal, a Montgomery-based campaign and communications firm with offices in Alexandria, Va., and Austin, Texas. “Who would have thought that starting out eleven years ago running and winning Reed Ingram and Dimitri Polizos’ county commission campaigns would lead to receiving a national political award,” Buchanan said in a statement on Wednesday. “Those who have won the Rising Star award in the past have gone on to run presidential campaigns and manage multi-million dollar political firms, so it’s an honor to be among many greats in the business.” According to the C&E website, “Since 1988, Campaigns & Elections has recognized the up-and-comers of the campaign world with its coveted Rising Star award. Over the years, Rising Star recipients have climbed to the heights of politics, launching dozens of successful consulting firms and serving at the highest levels of state and federal campaigns. “It’s one of the most prestigious honors in the campaign world for a reason: industry giants are counted among the ranks of former Rising Stars. C&E Rising Stars have served in senior positions on the presidential campaigns of every major party nominee since 1992.” This year’s Rising Star awards were presented at the annual Art of Political Campaigns conference held July 27-28 at the House of Sweden, part of the Swedish Embassy complex in Washington, D.C. At the event, Buchanan personally accepted the award. More information about Buchanan and other Rising Star winners is here.
Donald Trump’s lawyer apologizes for spousal rape assertion
An attorney for Republican presidential contender Donald Trump apologized Tuesday for making the incorrect assertion that “by the very definition, you can’t rape your spouse.” In a story published Monday night by The Daily Beast website, attorney Michael Cohen was quoted as threatening a reporter with legal action over a story looking into decades-old allegations reportedly made by Trump’s first wife, Ivana Trump, during their divorce proceedings. “I will come after your Daily Beast and everybody else that you possibly know,” Cohen was quoted as saying by the website, advising the reporter with whom he was speaking to tread very lightly or risk “disgusting” consequences. Cohen, whose email signature identifies him as “Executive Vice President and Special Counsel” to the businessman and reality TV star, was answering questions about Ivana Trump using the word “rape” in a deposition to describe a 1989 sexual encounter with Donald Trump, which was first described in the 1993 book “Lost Tycoon: The Many Lives of Donald J. Trump.” In a statement, Cohen apologized for his comments. “As an attorney, husband and father there are many injustices that offend me but nothing more than charges of rape or racism. They hit me at my core,” Cohen said. “Rarely am I surprised by the press, but the gall of this particular reporter to make such a reprehensible and false allegation against Mr. Trump truly stunned me. In my moment of shock and anger, I made an inarticulate comment — which I do not believe — and which I apologize for entirely.” In a telephone interview with CNN Tuesday night, Trump said he disagreed with Cohen’s assertion, but had no plans to fire him. “You have to understand, Michael was extremely angry ’cause he knew it never took place, he knew this website was considered a joke,” said Trump, adding that Cohen was speaking for himself. Trump also attacked the story as “totally a false reporting” and lashed out at The Daily Beast, calling it “a failing, financially disastrous” website with “nothing going for it.” Trump’s campaign also released a statement from Ivana Trump calling the story “totally without merit.” “Donald and I are the best of friends and together have raised three children that we love and are very proud of. I have nothing but fondness for Donald and wish him the best of luck on his campaign,” she said. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Del Marsh to join Alabama Jobs Foundation’s for poll release
The Alabama Jobs Foundation is holding a press conference at 10 a.m. Wednesday to announce the results of a new statewide poll. A Foundation media advisory says Sen. Del Marsh, Senate President Pro Tempore and sponsor of a plan to allow voters to vote on a constitutional amendment on gaming expansion, will be in attendance with Chip Hill, executive director of the Alabama Jobs Foundation, and Michael Meyers, a pollster with TargetPoint Consulting, Alexandria, Va. The group has backing of some of Alabama’s biggest names in business, launched with Pat Dye and Charles McCrary, and recently added Harold Ripps, and Frank Bromberg to the board. Marsh has been outspoken about his support of allowing voters to decide on gambling. In an earlier press conference with Birmingham Mayor William Bell, they expressed their preference of the amendment rather than a plan by Gov. Robert Bentley and Speaker Mike Hubbard to raise taxes. “This is a viable option that should be put to the people to decide,” he said. “The people should have the right to make this choice before we put $600 million of new taxes on them.” Birmingham Mayor William Bell joined Marsh at the press conference to lend his support to the gaming proposal because of its potential to boost economic development in his city. “We can’t stand on the sidelines,” Bell said. “In the last gubernatorial election, you had officials saying that we should let the people have the right to decide on gaming. Gaming is by choice, taxes aren’t by choice. If we have a lottery, people can choose for themselves whether to participate in that activity.” Alabama Today will be covering the event.
Donald Trump dominates nightly news on election, study shows
Since the beginning of June, Donald Trump has received more coverage on the broadcast network evening newscasts than all of the other candidates for president combined, with his estranged former partners at NBC giving him the most attention. The statistics offered by Andrew Tyndall, a consultant who studies the content of evening newscasts, is one snapshot of how Trump has seized the media’s attention to the detriment of his rivals. The ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts spent 114 minutes on campaign coverage from the beginning of June through the end of last week, and Trump was the focus of 60 of them. The closest competitor was Jeb Bush with 15 minutes. Tyndall counted five minutes for Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, although that didn’t include stories about her government email while secretary of state. NBC has devoted 35 minutes to Trump coverage, including his interview with Katy Tur. CBS had 16 minutes, Tyndall said. ABC’s “World News Tonight” had eight minutes of Trump coverage, six of them last week. Trump had a longtime relationship with NBC as host of “The Apprentice” though the network has cut ties with him on the show after he announced his candidacy. The network also angered him during the past month by cancelling its broadcast of the Miss Universe pageant, owned by Trump, because of the candidate’s comments on Mexican immigration. That corporate quarrel hasn’t seemed to affect NBC News’ coverage of Trump’s campaign, Tyndall said. In general, “Nightly News” has paid more on-air attention to the presidential campaign this summer than either “World News Tonight” or the “CBS Evening News,” he said. “They haven’t gone out of their way to attack him,” Tyndall said. “They just cover him more.” NBC declined to talk publicly about their campaign coverage. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
