Retired general back Hillary Clinton, says he trusts her
The Latest on the Democratic National Convention and 2016 presidential campaign. (all times EDT): 9:40 p.m. A retired Marine general has delivered an impassioned endorsement of Hillary Clinton. And he’s blasting Donald Trump for saying suspected terrorists should be tortured and for offering conditional U.S. support of NATO allies. John Allen tells Democratic delegates the election between Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump will help determine the country’s future. As the crowd chants “USA! USA!” Allen says he trusts Clinton to be commander in chief. Allen says that under Clinton, the military won’t become what he calls an “instrument of torture.” Allen says that with Clinton in the White House, U.S. international relations won’t be reduced to a business transaction. Allen most recently served as America’s special envoy to the coalition fighting Islamic State militants. He’s also a former commander of U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. 9:30 p.m. The father of an Army captain – a Muslim-American killed in Iraq – has lead a strong condemnation of Donald Trump‘s proposal to bar Muslims from entering the United States. Khizr Khan is a Muslim who came to the U.S. from the United Arab Emirates. He’s accusing Trump of smearing the character of Muslims and other groups. “Let me ask you, have you ever read the United State Constitution?” Khan said in his speech at the Democratic convention as he directed his words at the GOP presidential nominee. Khan then said: “I will gladly lend you my copy.” Khan says his late son wouldn’t have been allowed in the country if Trump’s ban was in place. 9:25 p.m. Donald Trump says the Islamic State group and the U.S. military “are playing by different rules.” The GOP presidential nominee he’d “absolutely” consider using waterboarding on suspected terrorists. Cheers went up from many at his campaign stop in Iowa. 9:20 p.m. The Bernie Sanders campaign is urging calm among its 1,900 delegates on the final night of the Democratic National Convention. The campaign says in a text message to delegates it would be a “courtesy to Bernie” if the delegates show respect to Hillary Clinton when she gives her speech accepting the party’s nomination for president. The text tells the delegates the Clinton campaign asked her delegates on Monday to be respectful to Sanders when he spoke to the convention. The text asks delegates to “extend the same respect” to Clinton. Some Sanders delegates are wearing high-visibility green T-shirts at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The delegates are expressing solidarity with the Vermont senator to the end of the convention. 9:15 p.m. Donald Trump has a message for President Barack Obama: You’re not “living in the real world.” That’s his take on Obama’s speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night. Trump says, with sarcasm, that the president was describing “his beautiful world” and didn’t want to think about Americans who – due to terrorism fears – don’t “want to fly in airplanes” or “go to theaters.” Trump made his comments during a campaign stop in Iowa. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Democrats find a Republican they can cheer for
The Latest on the Democratic National Convention and 2016 presidential campaign. (all times EDT): 8:50 p.m. Doug Elmets is a Republican who Democrats can cheer for. Elmets – who worked in the Reagan White House – earned a roar from the crowd at the Democratic convention Thursday night when he took the stage and said he was backing Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Elmets says Clinton will be the first Democrat to get his vote – and he’s blaming Donald Trump for driving him away from the Republican Party. He’s borrowing a line from the late Lloyd Bentsen – the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 1988 – to tweak Trump for likening himself to Reagan. Elmets says: “I knew Ronald Reagan. I worked for Ronald Reagan. Donald Trump, you are no Ronald Reagan! 8:25 p.m. They held a political convention and the governor of the host state actually came. And spoke. That was Tom Wolf on the stage Thursday night at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, and he was taking shots at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Wolf’s presence in the convention hall is a reminder that Republicans couldn’t feature a home-state governor at their convention in Cleveland last week. That’s because Ohio Republican John Kasich is a former Trump primary rival and sharp critic. Kasich steered clear of the GOP convention Wolf says, unlike Trump, Hillary Clinton will “reward companies that share profits with their employees.” 8:20 p.m. Chants of “lock her up” are going up at a Mike Pence rally in suburban Detroit. It’s the most raucous scene the GOP vice presidential nominee has faced since going out as a solo campaigner as Donald Trump’s running mate. At times, Pence had to wait for the crowd’s jeers of Democrat Hillary Clinton or chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump!” to die down. They cheered when Pence criticized Clinton’s handling of the Benghazi attacks in Libya and when Pence praised Trump’s call to build a wall on the border with Mexico. One of the biggest applause lines came when Pence said: “Hillary Clinton must never become president of the United States.” 8:10 p.m. Democrats are targeting Donald Trump in their convention speeches, and the Republican presidential nominee is getting tired of it. He says he wanted to “hit” some of them “so hard their heads would spin.” Trump isn’t identifying any of them. But he tells a crowd in Iowa that one certain speaker – Trump describes him as “a little guy” who he used to work with – particularly bothered him. Might that be former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg? He had some dealings with Trump – a New York real estate developer – as the city’s leader. By the way, Bloomberg is listed as 5-foot-8 inches. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Hillary Clinton says she offers ‘steady leadership’
The Latest on the Democratic National Convention and 2016 presidential campaign. (all times EDT): 7:55 p.m. Hillary Clinton says Americans are facing a stark choice in the presidential election – between her “steady leadership” on national security and what she says Donald Trump‘s offering. That’s according to excerpts of Clinton’s nomination acceptance speech that her campaign has released ahead of her Thursday night address at the Democrat convention. Clinton is set to tell Americans that she understands their worries about turmoil in the world. She’s says violent attacks in Iraq, France, Belgium and Florida have caused much unease and anxiety – and people are “looking for reassurance – looking for steady leadership.” She says she offers just that. 7:50 p.m. Hillary Clinton’s campaign is offering a preview of her acceptance speech at the Democratic convention, where she’ll say “America is once again at a moment of reckoning.” Clinton plans to tell the convention crowd later Thursday night that “powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart” and that Americans must “decide whether we’re going to work together so we can all rise together.” Her campaign has released excerpts of her upcoming speech. Clinton says her primary mission as president will be to “create more opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United States.” She says she’ll focus on places she says have been “left out and left behind.” She says that includes inner cities and small towns, from “Indian Country to Coal Country” and “from the industrial Midwest to the Mississippi Delta to the Rio Grande Valley.” Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Hillary Clinton aide says Bernie Sanders backers to come around
The Latest on the Democratic National Convention and 2016 presidential campaign. (all times EDT): 7:10 p.m. A Hillary Clinton campaign adviser says he’s not worried about winning over Bernie Sanders’ supporters. “Most of them are going to come around.” That’s what John Podesta thinks. Podesta says he knows there are some in the Sanders camp who are still “emotional” and wish Clinton didn’t win more votes than the Vermont senator in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. But Podesta says most of Sanders’ supporters are looking at the election as a choice between Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. Podesta spoke after some Sanders delegates at the party’s convention wore neon yellow shirts to protest Clinton’s nomination. 6:50 p.m. Some Bernie Sanders supporters are wearing glow-in-the-dark shirts on the final night of Democrats convention in Philadelphia. They say it’s a way to remind presidential nominee Hillary Clinton that she hasn’t brought them all on board yet. For Clinton, the silent protest probably is preferable to the heckling and booing from that marked the early days of the convention. Sanders delegate Davena Norris says her bright shirt is meant to send a message that more needs to be done to curb the influence of money in politics. 6:45 p.m. Donald Trump is campaigning in Iowa and largely avoiding the topic that earned him lots of criticism this week. Only a day ago Trump encouraged Russia to find and make public missing emails deleted by his Democratic presidential opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Trump’s comments raised the question of whether he was condoning foreign government hacking of U.S. computers and the public release of information stolen from political adversaries. Trump was condemned by Clinton and even some of his fellow Republicans. Running mate Mike Pence warned of “serious consequences” if Russia interfered in the election. Trump has since insisted he was being sarcastic. At the Iowa rally, he did say he wanted better relations with Russia and joked that writing letters was more secure than “putting something on a computer.” 5:40 p.m. Donald Trump says “a lot of lies are being told” about him in the speeches at the Democratic National Convention this week. The Republican presidential nominee is joking about it during a campaign rally in Davenport, Iowa. “Boy, I’m getting hit” by Democrats – he says. “I guess they have to do their thing.” Trump is criticizing Democrats for not talking about terrorism or laying out a plan to aid the economy. 4:25 p.m. Die-hard Bernie Sanders supporters from Oregon’s delegation say they’re demanding a nationally televised apology at the Democratic National Convention before Hillary Clinton takes the stage Thursday night to accept the presidential nomination. The matter involves leaked emails from the Democratic National Committee that indicated party officials were biased against the Vermont senator. The DNC has apologized and the party’s leader, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, is resigning her post. But Melissa Pancurak tells The Associated Press that those steps don’t go far enough. She says the Oregon delegates are part of a coalition of Sanders supporters working to get their demand to appropriate DNC officials before Clinton’s speech. 4:20 p.m. Donald Trump’s stand on abortion has been inconsistent, but his running says Trump would be a “pro-life president.” Mike Pence is campaigning in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and he makes clear he opposes abortion. And the Indiana governor tells a town hall rally, “I don’t apologize for it.” Pence drew the ire of abortion rights advocates in March after he signed a law banning abortions that were being sought because of fetal genetic defects. That law has since been blocked pending the outcome of a court challenge. Pence says Trump would appoint conservatives to the Supreme Court who would send the Roe v. Wade abortion ruling to the “ash heap of history.” 4 p.m. “Disrespectful.” That’s what Elijah Cummings thinks of liberal supporters of Bernie Sanders who chanted an anti-trade slogan during the Maryland congressman’s speech at the Democratic National Convention. But Cummings says he’s not upset about it because he’s a veteran of civil rights protests and understands the passion that drove the mostly young delegates to shout over his speech Monday. Cummings says in an interview that most of those who were shouting probably didn’t know he worked with Sanders to draft the Democratic platform and he’s “never voted for a trade bill in 20 years in Congress.” He says more than 100 people have apologized to him for the outbursts. 2:37 p.m. President Barack Obama‘s mention of “fascists” and “homegrown demagogues” in his convention speech wasn’t aimed at Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. That’s what White House press secretary Josh Earnest is telling reporters the day after Obama argued for Democrat Hillary Clinton’s election over Trump. Obama said “anyone who threatens our values, whether fascists or communists or jihadists or homegrown demagogues, will always fail in the end.” Obama had criticized Trump several times before arriving at that particular line in the speech, including saying that American power “doesn’t come from a self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order as long as we do things his way.” Trump said in his acceptance speech at last week’s GOP convention that “I alone can fix” a political system he says is rigged. 2:19 p.m. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is giving Hillary Clinton credit for her work on behalf of victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Giuliani was asked at a Republican Party briefing Thursday in Philadelphia whether he took issue with the Democratic convention speakers who’d been praising Clinton. Giuliani said she was “enormously supportive and helpful.” Clinton was a U.S. senator from New York at the time. He says Clinton “has a right to tell people that she worked hard on behalf of the 9/11 families.” He adds that, “She did.” But Giuliani adds that “on all other aspects she fails the test.” Clinton and Democrats, he says, have “not done anything to prevent another attack.” 1:50 p.m.
Democratic Convention: what to watch for on Day 4
On the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton will take the stage to formally accept her party’s nomination. But not before a bevy of speakers stand up and speak on her behalf, highlighting issues facing women with a strong emphasis on workplace fairness and pay. Among those speakers is Clinton’s daughter, Chelsea, who will introduce her mother to close out the evening, mirroring Ivanka Trump introducing her father at the RNC. Themed “Stronger Together,” the DNC reveals “Hillary will speak about her vision for our country — her belief that we are stronger together and that America is at its best when we work together to solve our problems.” The list of Thursday’s key primetime speakers: Hillary Clinton: the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States Chelsea Clinton: daughter of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton John Allen: retired general Henrietta Ivey: Henrietta is a home care worker helping to lead the Fight for $15. Beth Mathias: Beth works two jobs and her husband works the night shift at a factory in Ohio. Jensen Walcott and Jake Reed: Jensen was fired from her job at a pizza restaurant in Bonner Springs, Kansas, for asking her boss why she was paid 25 cents less than her male co-worker and friend, Jake. Khizr Khan: Khan’s son was one of 14 American Muslims who died serving the United States in the 10 years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Candidates of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chad Griffin: President of the Human Rights Campaign Gene Karpinski: League of Conservation Voters President Sean Patrick Maloney: Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus Congressman from New York Sarah McBride: LGBT rights activist Barbara Mikulski: U.S. Senator from Maryland
Joe Henderson: DNC Day 3 – organization is everything
Florida Democrats have long since undertaken the groundwork to deliver the Sunshine State to Hillary Clinton in November. In fact, you could say that began in 2008 and continued four years later when Barack Obama carried Florida in both of his presidential campaigns. The local operatives, so critical in big elections, who turned out the vote for Obama have stayed busy trying to do the same for Clinton. “They never left,” Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said. “Some of the players might be different now, but the model is still the same.” That organization stands in stark contrast now to Republican nominee Donald Trump, who appears to have little visible infrastructure in place here. Clinton has a major head start on him and that could the difference in what shapes up as a closely contested contest. The work of turning out the vote will take on a new urgency after the balloons drop at the end of Clinton’s acceptance speech Thursday night. Buckhorn, who has solidly been in the Clinton camp, figures to be an important part of all that. “Organization is everything,” Buckhorn said. “In Florida presidential races it’s all about the turnout and not so much about TV or radio (ads). Building connections matter. Field organization matters. Gathering data is important. It becomes a combination of analytics and data mining. Marry the two of those and you’ve got something.” Clinton is popular among Florida Democrats. In 2008, she received 49 percent of the primary vote to 32 percent for Obama, who by that point was well on his way to winning the nomination. In the March primary this year, Clinton nearly doubled up Bernie Sanders 64 percent to 33 percent. But Trump received 1.079 million votes in the GOP state primary, nearly as many as Clinton’s 1.1 million. Even given Trump’s renowned penchant for outrageous and, as Democrats charged after his suggestion that Russia hack more of Hillary’s emails, treasonous behavior, polls show a tight contest between the two for Florida’s 29 electoral votes. “You never underestimate anybody,” Buckhorn said. “The proof is in the bodies. Organizing means putting those bodies on the road, making those phone calls, knocking the doors. I haven’t seen any evidence of the Trump people doing that (in Florida).” WEDNESDAY TAKEAWAYS: That was a show of force Wednesday night by the star-packed Democratic lineup. President Barack Obama, as expected, set Clinton up perfectly to be the right person to accept the baton of leadership from him. I thought former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an independent, took Trump apart on The Donald’s own playing field in the world of business. But for the star of the night, give me Vice President Joe Biden. Who else but Biden could call Trump’s claims “a bunch of malarkey” and turn it into a rallying cry. The hashtag “malarkey” quickly started trending on Twitter and prompting many clever MIMEs – the best of which was a signature red Trump ball cap with the word “Malarkey” emblazed instead of his “Make America Great Again” slogan. Sitting through vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine’s speech was like sitting through a warmup band you don’t really want to hear before the main show begins. I’ll give a tepid thumbs-up to his mocking “Believe Me” impersonation of Trump, but he should have stopped it after one or two times. I mean, it wasn’t THAT funny. So it’s all there for Hillary now to see if she can convince the undecided Americans that she is best for the job. Stick to the end for the balloon drop. Balloon drops are cool. ___ Joe Henderson has had a 45-year career in newspapers, including the last nearly 42 years at The Tampa Tribune. He has covered a large variety of things, primarily in sports but also hard news. The two intertwined in the decade-long search to bring Major League Baseball to the area. Henderson was also City Hall reporter for two years and covered all sides of the sales tax issue that ultimately led to the construction of Raymond James Stadium. He served as a full-time sports columnist for about 10 years before moving to the metro news columnist for the last 4 ½ years. Henderson has numerous local, state and national writing awards. He has been married to his wife, Elaine, for nearly 35 years and has two grown sons — Ben and Patrick.
Democratic donors, allies offer reward for Donald Trump tax returns
The wealthy Democratic donors, many of them executives who run complex businesses, know firsthand how revealing tax returns can be. Perhaps that’s why they can’t stop talking about Republican nominee Donald Trump‘s refusal to release his. In their suites at the Ritz Carlton hotel, where many are staying during this week’s Democratic convention, and at its auxiliary swanky parties, the supporters of Hillary Clinton are sounding the alarm about Trump’s break with decades of presidential campaign tradition. Clinton put out eight years of recent tax filings last summer, and they lament that voters don’t seem to understand why Trump’s refusal to do the same matters. Democratic talk of the taxes spilled onto the convention stage Wednesday night. Vice presidential candidate Tim Kaine, mocking Trump, said, “Believe me, there’s nothing suspicious in my tax returns. Believe me!” The crowd laughed. There’s even a literally a bounty for the Trump documents. Moishe Mana, a top fundraiser for Clinton, has offered to give $1 million to the charity of Trump’s choice if he makes them public. He joins an unnamed Republican donor working with Clinton ally David Brock who has made a similar offer of $5 million. “Through his financial documents, we are trying to break into the image that he’s portraying to the American people,” said Mana, a real estate developer in Miami. “He says he’s a successful businessman who wants to do for the country what he did for his company. Well, go ahead, show me the money.” Trump is unmoved. The billionaire owner of the Trump Organization, an international development company, says the Internal Revenue Service is reviewing his most recent returns and that he’ll release them once that audit is complete. He reiterated that plan at a news conference Wednesday in Doral, Florida. Asked when he would put out the documents, he said: “I don’t know. Depends on the audit.” There’s no telling whether that would happen before Election Day, but the IRS says there’s no legal reason Trump can’t make the tax returns public even as they are under review. The issue has flared up in recent days, in the wake of the hack of emails at the Democratic National Committee that the Obama administration said Wednesday was almost certainly the work of Russia. The group WikiLeaks released the emails on the eve of the convention, a leak its leader Julian Assange has said was timed to inflict political damage on Clinton. Trump said Wednesday that he has no ties to Russia whatsoever, but that hasn’t stopped Democratic donors in Philadelphia from saying that in the absence of Trump’s tax returns, voters are left to wonder whether there are undisclosed financial ties between Trump and foreign entities. “Think of what’s gone on just this week and connect the dotted lines,” said top Clinton donor J.B. Pritzker, a billionaire venture capitalist in Chicago. “I’m not sure what’s going on, but it sure doesn’t look good. The question is who his investors are, and whether there are any in China or Russia that are affecting his personal income.” Mana also wants that answered. If Trump’s elected president, he said, “how much in debt would we be to other countries? This is about the security of the United States. We have the right to make sure he’s not in debt to other countries.” While information about Trump’s debts has been made public in personal financial disclosures filed with federal election regulators, the Democratic donors say access to his taxes might shed light on previously unknown business arrangements. The returns would also detail for the first time how much he pays in income tax and how much he gives to charity. “He is obfuscating in order to avoid being discovered as a liar,” Pritzker said. The 2012 GOP nominee, Mitt Romney, resisted putting out his 2011 tax return until the September just before the election, after being pressed for months about doing so. The documents showed he paid an effective tax rate of 14.1 percent, far lower than the average person, spawning days of bad headlines. Other presidential candidates, including Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, have been dinged for not giving much to charity. Bill and Hillary Clinton paid an overall federal tax rate of 31.6 percent between 2007 and 2014, her returns showed. In 2014, they donated almost 11 percent of their income to charity. In addition to blaming the IRS audit, Trump has said in interviews that it might not make political sense for him to put out his returns. Romney’s returns were “a tiny peanut compared to mine,” Trump said on “Meet the Press” in an interview that aired last Sunday. There was little controversial in the Romney documents, he said. Yet the media “made him look bad,” Trump said. “In fact, I think he lost his election because of that.” Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Tim Kaine promotes his lengthy government experience
The Latest on the Democratic National Convention (all times EDT): 10:17 p.m. Tim Kaine is promoting his lengthy government experience in his first major speech as the Democratic vice presidential candidate. The Virginia senator – in a prime-time speech at the Democratic convention – is detailing his rise from a member of the Richmond City Council to the city’s mayor, to Virginia’s lieutenant governor to governor. Kaine says if he’s good at his work, it’s because he “started at the local level listening to people, learning about their lives and trying to get results.” Kaine says it was hard work steering his state through the recession, but he says, “Hey, tough times don’t last – and tough people do.” 10:14 p.m. Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine says his Republican father-in-law has been voting for a lot of Democrats recently. Kaine’s father-in-law is a former Virginia governor, Linwood Holton. Kaine tells Democrats at their national convention that his father-in-law is in attendance – at age “90-plus and going strong.” Kaine says his father-in-law remains a Republican, but is voting for Democrats because “any party that would nominate Donald Trump for president has moved too far away from his party of Lincoln.” Kaine is inviting other voters “looking for that party of Lincoln,” to join the Democratic Party. 10:10 p.m. Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine is “humbly” accepting his party’s nomination for vice president. Kaine tells the Democratic convention in Philadelphia that he formally accepts the party’s nomination on behalf of his wife, Anne, “and every strong woman in this country,” their three children and everyone in the military. The former governor of Virginia and mayor of Richmond says he’ll run for vice president on behalf of families working to get ahead, for senior citizens hoping for a dignified retirement and for every person who wants America to be a beloved community. And Kaine says he’ll do it for his friend and running mate, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton 10 p.m. A video introducing Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine is emphasizing his working-class roots and his service as Virginia’s governor and senator. The video playing for convention delegates says Kaine’s life is “built on selfless humble service” and that he had a “Midwestern start in a working-class home in Kansas City.” The tribute notes his work as a civil rights lawyer, commitment to family and work to bring Virginia together after a shooting at Virginia Tech while he was governor 9:45 p.m. Vice President Joe Biden is calling Vladimir Putin a “dictator” – a term the U.S. government doesn’t use when referring to the Russian president. Biden says in his speech at the Democratic convention that GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump is belittling U.S. allies while embracing “dictators like Vladimir Putin.” Earlier in the day, Trump said: “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.” He was referring to emails on Hillary Clinton’s private server as secretary of state that she said she deleted – because they were private – before turning other messages over to the State Department. The U.S. regularly chastises Putin for cracking down on dissent, but doesn’t consider Russia a dictatorship. Putin has won three presidential elections, most recently in 2012. 9:43 p.m. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is endorsing Hillary Clinton – and that’s giving her the support of an independent who says he votes based on the candidate, “not the party label.” Bloomberg says at the Democratic National Convention that the country must unite around Clinton because she can “defeat a dangerous demagogue.” He’s offering a tough critique of businessman Donald Trump, saying, “I’m a New Yorker and I know a con when I see one.” Bloomberg points to his work to build a business and compares that with Trump’s beginning in real estate: “I didn’t start it with a million dollar check from my father.” Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
NRA ad claims Hillary Clinton is threat to gun rights
The Latest on the Democratic National Convention (all times EDT): 7:45 p.m. On the same day Hillary Clinton is set to claim the Democratic presidential nomination, the National Rifle Association is coming out with an ad saying Americans’ “right to own a gun for self-defense is at risk in this election.” The group says it plans to begin airing the 30-second ad on Thursday. It features a rape victim who confronted President Barack Obama over gun right at a town hall meeting this year. She tells viewers that “self-defense is your right. Don’t let it be taken away.” Word of the ad campaign comes as the Democratic Convention features speeches Wednesday night from relatives of the nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida, and the 2012 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. The ad’s narrator says Clinton “would take away your rights.” 7:30 p.m. Some Hillary Clinton supporters at the Democratic convention are becoming noticeably agitated by the continued protests of Bernie Sanders‘ most vocal supporters. Danielle Adams is a Clinton delegate from North Carolina. She says, “I’m so exhausted by it.” Some in the Colorado delegation at the Wells Fargo Center have scratched out letters in signs that say “Stronger Together” – and those signs now say “stop her.” Delegates from Louisiana and Delaware are standing in front of them holding their own signs and attempting to block the view. In California, an older woman in tears had to be led out of the arena because she was upset by some of the protesting Sanders backers. Cheryl Brown is a state representative from California. She says the way some Sanders delegates are behaving is exacerbating tensions between the two campaigns. 7 p.m. Harry Reid is speaking at his final Democratic National Convention as a senator, and the Senate’s Democratic leader is blasting Republicans and Donald Trump for wanting to – in his words – “tear down the pillars of middle-class security.” The retiring Nevada lawmaker has some harsh words for the Senate’s Republican leader, Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell. Reid says McConnell and the GOP have slandered the country’s first black president, whipped up fear of Muslims and sown hatred of Latinos. Reid says parents are right to worry about their kids hearing what comes out of Trump’s mouth. He says Trump learned it from watching Republicans. 6:50 p.m. Movie director James Cameron is calling Donald Trump “a madman,” and “incredibly reckless, incredibly dangerous” when it comes to global warming. The director of “Titanic” and “Avatar” has made a short film – airing Wednesday night at the Democratic convention – about how climate change is harming the United States. The film shows wildfires, heat waves and the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy – and then segues to Trump calling man-made global warming a hoax. Cameron tells reporters that attacking Trump on his rejection of mainstream climate change science is a winning strategy for Democrats. He calls Trump’s positions “incredibly reckless, incredibly dangerous” and later refers to Trump as “a madman saying we’re going to tear up” the landmark climate change agreement negotiated in Paris. 6:35 p.m. The Rev. Jesse Jackson says Hillary Clinton can be trusted to fight for issues such as a fair Supreme Court, gun control and progressive policies. The former presidential candidate says Clinton understands the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement and the shooting deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Alton Sterling. Jackson also is congratulating Bernie Sanders for energizing the campaign with “ideas and hope.” In Jackson’s words: “The Bern must never grow cold.” Still, he says, “It’s healing time. It’s hope time. It’s Hillary time.” 6:30 p.m. California’s governor is criticizing Donald Trump for failing to mention the words “climate change” or “global warming” during his acceptance speech at the Republican convention. Jerry Brown says it’ll take “heroic efforts on the part of many people and many nations” to combat climate change. But, the Democratic governor adds, “You wouldn’t know it by listening to Donald Trump.” Brown is speaking at the Democratic convention later Wednesday, and in his prepared remarks, he notes Trump has called global warming a hoax. That’s why Brown isn’t holding back: “I say Trump is a fraud.” Brown’s also disputing Trump’s assertion there’s no drought in California – only water mismanagement. Brown’s response: “I say Trump lies.” He says Trump and others who reject climate science “are dead wrong – dangerously wrong.” 6 p.m. President Barack Obama has a message for fellow Democrats, and all those watching the Democratic convention at home: There’s never been a man or a woman more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president. It’s a theme Obama is stressing in his convention speech later Wednesday night. According to the White House, Obama plans to say “nothing truly prepares you for the demands of the Oval Office.” He intends to vouch for Clinton as someone who’s been part of his biggest decisions in the Oval Office and a leader who never quits – no matter the odds or “how much people try to knock her down.” The president is set to describe his 2008 campaign rival as someone who listens to people, keeps her cool and treats everybody with respect. Obama says, “that’s the Hillary I’ve come to admire.” 5:50 p.m. President Barack Obama plans to tell the Democratic convention that the America he knows is “full of courage and optimism and ingenuity.” The White House released a preview of Obama’s Wednesday speech to the convention a few hours before he’ll address delegates in Philadelphia. Obama says Americans have “real anxieties,” including paying their bills, protecting their children, frustrations with political gridlock and racial divisions. But he says during his travels as president, he’s “seen, more than anything, is what is right with America.” That includes people working hard and “a younger generation full of energy and new ideas.” 5:31 p.m. Six drafts and a few late nights went into the speech President Barack Obama will give at the Democratic convention. White House officials
Tim Kaine’s mission: Win over skeptical liberals in VP speech
Facing a backlash from the left, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine is expected to affirm his liberal credentials in his first prime-time speech as Hillary Clinton‘s running mate. Kaine was speaking Wednesday to the Democratic National Committee as supporters of Clinton’s one-time Democratic rival Bernie Sanders warned that Kaine had yet to forcefully oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal. Kaine, a former Virginia governor, was introduced by Clinton last weekend in Miami, where he switched easily between English and Spanish and spoke of his time as a Catholic missionary in Honduras, his work as a civil rights attorney and an education-focused governor who managed a state through tough times. He officially became the nominee in the early moments of Wednesday’s session, joining the ticket by acclamation to cheers and a few scattered boos. Addressing his home state delegation Wednesday morning, Kaine called the campaign “a civil rights election,” panning Republican Donald Trump for mocking disabled people and using “demeaning and offensive language” about women. “The next president is going to be the one celebrating 100 years of women getting the right to vote,” Kaine said. “Is it too much to ask that it be a woman rather than somebody who offends women every time he opens his mouth?” Yet the threat of Trump hasn’t led to an open embrace of Kaine by liberals, who had pined for Clinton to select Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a champion of tougher restrictions on Wall Street and liberal causes. Much of their unhappiness has centered on Kaine’s vote in 2015 to support so-called “fast track” authority, allowing the president to put forward the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The Pacific Rim trade pact has been promoted by President Barack Obama as a way to increase U.S. influence in Asia and act as a counterweight to China. Kaine now opposes the deal, a position in step with Clinton, but liberals raised concerns about him after he praised parts of the agreement. “His support of this is deeply troubling to progressives,” said Shyla Nelson, a Sanders delegate from Vermont. She said that his vote for “fast-track suggests to me that he’s willing to advance a process that is undemocratic in order to achieve an objective with this. It starts to sound like parsing to me and others.” Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta praised Kaine’s “strong progressive credentials,” saying he “comes from a place of deep conviction.” He added that Clinton and Kaine will be offering a progressive agenda. Kaine’s allies, both in the Clinton and Sanders’ camps, say his record must be judged in totality. They point to his work as a civil rights attorney specializing in fair housing, his opposition to the death penalty, and record as governor of defending education funding during tough times. “I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised by the range and depth of his progressive credentials,” said Rep. Peter Welch, a Democrat from Vermont who backed Sanders. “He’s got a low-key style but don’t let that mislead you into an intensity of purpose.” Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination, said Kaine had brought his beliefs in Catholic social justice to his public service, something he has practiced throughout his career. “I think a person’s character is a product of a lifetime and if you look at Tim’s lifetime, you see that as a young person he was called to serve and actually went to Honduras,” said O’Malley. “And it wasn’t because of the beaches.” Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Presidential Primary Brief: 105 days until Election Day
105 days until Election Day Weekly Headlines: Clinton Picks Virginia’s Kaine as Running Mate Reagan historian to the GOP: Unify or lose the 2016 election Third parties shake up Senate battle Press Clips: Introducing The Upshot’s Presidential Prediction Model (NY Times 7/19/16) For now, at least, Hillary Clinton has a 76 percent chance of defeating Donald Trump to become president of the United States. A victory by Mr. Trump remains quite possible: Mrs. Clinton’s chance of losing is about the same probability an NBA player will miss a free throw. This electoral probability, the first forecast by the Upshot’s presidential prediction model, is based on the voting history of each state and on roughly 300 state and national polls of the race conducted since mid-April. Fact-checking Donald Trump’s acceptance speech at the 2016 RNC (Washington Post 7/22/16) The dark portrait of America Donald J. Trump sketched in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention is a compendium of doomsday stats that fall apart upon close scrutiny. Numbers are taken out of context, data is manipulated, and sometimes the facts are wrong. When facts are inconveniently positive — such as rising incomes and an unemployment rate under 5 percent — Trump simply declines to mention them. He describes an exceedingly violent nation, flooded with murders, when in reality, the violent-crime rate has been cut in half since the crack cocaine epidemic hit its peak in 1991. Trump: I wouldn’t accept Cruz endorsement (Politico 7/22/16) Donald Trump wouldn’t accept Ted Cruz‘s endorsement even if he offered it to him, the Republican nominee said Friday, two days after the Texas senator declined to back him in epic fashion during his convention speech. “He’s fine. I don’t want his endorsement. If he gives it, I will not accept it, just so you understand. I will not accept it,” Trump said. “It won’t matter. Honestly, he should have done it. Because nobody cares. And he would have been in better shape for four years from now. I don’t see him winning anyway, frankly. But if he did, it’s fine.” Democratic National Convention 2016: Everything You Need to Know (ABC News 7/23/16) The Republican National Convention wrapped up this week, and now it is the Democrats’ turn in the spotlight. Democrats from all over the country will gather at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, the arena home of the 76ers and the Flyers, from Monday, July 25, through Thursday for the Democratic National Convention, which will formally nominate Hillary Clinton as the party’s presidential nominee and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine as her running mate. Republican hopefuls eye 2020 election at 2016 convention (Chicago Tribune 7/18/16) The political courtship for 2020 is underway. The Republican Party’s potential future candidates — from House Speaker Paul Ryan to Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton — on Monday schmoozed with state delegations considered critical in a presidential election. The practice, while expected, is a delicate dance in which the party’s rising stars circulate among key delegates even before Donald Trump accepts the official nomination this week. Jeff Sessions at RNC: 2016 Election About Immigration, Elites Respond ‘With Disdain’ (Breitbart 7/18/16) Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) got his prime-time message out to America, loud and clear, during the 2016 GOP convention: “Excess immigration floods the labor market, reducing wages and job prospects.” Sessions’ focus on curbing immigration and improving trade has been the jet fuel in Donald Trump’s insurgent campaign. “Average Americans have been the first to note that something is wrong with this economy — our middle class is steadily declining … but the Washington establishment, the media, big corporations have been in denial,” the Alabama senator declared. How Time Kaine matches up against Mike Pence (Politico 7/22/16) Both are known for their distaste for smash-mouth campaigning. Yet each will attack when cornered, and can go on the offensive when necessary. That’s how allies and rivals alike describe Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, the presidential running mates who will go head-to-head in a single high-stakes debate in early October. Pence, Donald Trump’s vice presidential nominee, and Kaine, who will appear on Hillary Clinton’s ticket, aren’t likely to play the traditional attack dog roles. But each knows how to draw blood when necessary. Dems’ Convention Unity Script Marred by DNC Emails (Real Clear Politics 7/25/16) After watching Donald Trump’s messy GOP convention in Cleveland last week, Democrats imagined their party would come together in the City of Brotherly Love and blanket the airwaves with harmony and inclusiveness. That may yet happen at the end of the week, when Hillary Clinton makes history as the first woman to win a major political party nomination to be president, but what’s clear at the outset is that intraparty upheavals are a bipartisan affliction.
Hillary Clinton’s turn: Guide to the Democratic National Convention
It’s Hillary Clinton‘s turn. The Democratic National Convention opening Monday in Philadelphia is Clinton’s chance to hit reset after a vigorous primary against Bernie Sanders and the unlikely movement that formed behind the Vermont senator. Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, has endorsed Clinton, but many of his supporters have not. Some of them were dismayed by her choice of Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., as her running mate. Last week’s Republican National Convention in Cleveland exposed deep, lingering reservations about Donald Trump from within his own party. The Democratic gathering is expected to be a more smoothly choreographed display of unity among Clinton, Sanders and Democratic lawmakers and voters. What to know about the week: THE POINT Both parties use their national conventions to formally nominate candidates for president and vice president. Party leaders showcase their nominees, and the prime-time speeches by the candidates and prominent politicians win some of the largest television audiences of the campaign. That makes the convention a critical opportunity for a party to introduce its candidates to the country. Democrats also will adopt its platform, which lays out policy principles but has no binding effect. THE LOCATION The Wells Fargo Center, home to the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, is the convention site. The arena has been transformed with stages, platforms, cameras and lights. Democrats are hoping that city’s historical role in the founding of American democracy will serve as a powerful backdrop for the themes they’ll highlight. WHO’S GOING More than 5,000 delegates are among the 50,000 people set to be in Philadelphia. They include alternates, lawmakers, special guests, journalists and protesters. Among the delegates, about 15 percent are superdelegates, mainly members of Congress and members of the Democratic National Committee. At the GOP convention, a striking number of prominent Republican lawmakers and party leaders were nowhere to be seen, including the party’s previous two presidents and its two most recent presidential nominees. In contrast, bold-name Democrats have been eagerly vying for a chance to speak in Philadelphia. Most Democratic senators and House members are expected to attend. THE SCHEDULE First lady Michelle Obama is set to speak Monday. That’s also when Sanders will give his speech — a closely watched moment for signs of whether his loyal supporters will line up behind Clinton, as he’s asked them to do. Former President Bill Clinton, the candidate’s husband, is the speech to watch Tuesday. A day later, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden come to Philadelphia. On Thursday, the final night, Chelsea Clinton will introduce her mother for her speech accepting the Democratic nomination. Kaine, who made his debut as Clinton’s running mate at a joint appearance Saturday, will give a speech introducing himself to the country. Officials haven’t yet said when, but the running mate typically speaks Wednesday. Other scheduled speakers are Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. THE ENTERTAINMENT Shoop Dogg, Lady Gaga, Lenny Kravitz and Cyndi Lauper will appear in Philadelphia during the convention. Fergie will perform at The Creative Coalition’s gala. THE ROLL CALL States will get a chance to announce how their delegates are voting in the formal roll call Tuesday. It’s a high point for Sanders delegates; they’re pushing to have their votes fully tallied. In 2008, Clinton halted the roll call midway through to call for then-Sen. Barack Obama’s approval by acclamation, or unanimous vote. Sanders says he favors a state-by-state roll call, but he hasn’t indicated exactly what he will do. There’s a total of 4,763 delegates. It takes 2,382 to win the Democratic nomination. Clinton arrives in Philadelphia with 2,814 delegates to Sanders’ 1,893, according to an Associated Press count. That includes the superdelegates, who can vote for any candidate they choose. This year, those superdelegates overwhelmingly backed Clinton. The remaining 4,051 are pledged delegates, won by the candidates based on the results of state primaries and caucuses. THE PROTESTS If there are any fireworks in Philadelphia, expect them to come from Sanders supporters. They have said they plan to show up in full force. Philadelphia officials estimate between 35,000 and 50,000 people will demonstrate across the city each day. Activists have put the estimate higher, at roughly 100,000. Among the groups planning to demonstrate are gun control advocates, the group Occupy DNC Convention and Trump supporters from Pennsylvania. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
