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National Democratic leaders called on a group of breakaway Democrats in the New York state senate to stop caucusing with Republicans after a special election upheld the partys majority in the chamber.

Democrats have 32 seats in the state senate, but eight senators in the Independent Democratic Conference have chosen to caucus with the Republicans. An additional senator who does not belong to the IDC, Simcha Felder, has also chosen to caucus with Republicans. The defections have handed the GOP control of the chamber.

The mainline senate Democrats have long prioritized the return of the IDC to the party fold because they say it would help win back Felder and allow Democrats to claim their rightful majority.

What was unusual this week was just how many nationally prominent Democrats joined in these calls. The catalyzing event was Democrat Brian Benjamins victoryTuesday in a special election for a Harlem senate seat. The win restored Democrats numerical majority after a brief vacancy in the seat for a few months.

Benjamins election gives New York the opportunity to become the seventh state in the nation with a completely Democratic state government, said Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, in a statement. To accomplish that, the Democratic Party, which stands for working families, must unite in New York and everywhere.

For years after an internal party dispute prompted the formation of the IDC in 2011, the breakaway faction lingered in relative obscurity.

But since the November elections in which Democrats regained their numerical majority in the chamber, scrutiny on the IDC has grown. Perhaps more importantly, President Donald Trumps victory energized the states progressive activists who were shocked to learn that Republicans control a legislative body in deep-blue New York due to an anomalous divide.

Grassroots liberals have organized protests against the IDCs eight members since January, which have at times drawn upwards of 100 people.

New York state assemblyman Michael Blake, a DNC vice chair, emphasized the importance of Democratic state governments in blocking Trumps agenda in a statement calling on the IDC and Felder to rejoin the mainstream party.

For New Yorkers to have policies that create jobs with better wages and promote equity in all that we do; for the good of the country that needs us united as a party, it is time for Sen. Simcha Felder and members of the Independent Democratic Conference to end their alliance with the GOP and rejoin the mainline State Senate Democratic Coalition, Blake said.

Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.), another DNC vice chair, joined him in a separate statement. Meng also co-signed a letter from all 18 of New Yorks Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives calling on all of the breakaway Democrats to return to the Democratic Conference.

And the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democratic state legislators, called on the IDC specifically to rejoin the rest of the party following Benjamins election on Tuesday.

On Monday, the IDC launched its own appeal for unity with a Call the Roll letter asking all 32 Senate Democrats to commit themselves to fight for seven key progressive issues, including single-payer health care, expanding abortion rights, and adopting public campaign financing.

IDC spokeswoman Candice Giove referred HuffPost to Call the Roll in response to questions about the national pressure on the IDC.

Thirty two is not a magic number unless there are 32 Democrats who are ready to stand up and unite on policies that combat Donald Trump, Giove said. Until we achieve unity and stand up for women, immigrants, and the most vulnerable New Yorkers, all talk about a majority is nothing more than meaningless rhetoric on the part of failed leadership.

John Lamparski/Getty Images

But for state Sen. Mike Gianaris, deputy leader of the 23-member mainline Democratic conference, the individual views of senators is besides the point.

They are giving power to the Republicans to decide whether those issues get brought up at all, he said. Things that do get done, get done much later than they should or get watered down.

Gianaris considers recent legislation raising New Yorks age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18 an example of the latter.

Until the reform passed in April, New York had been one of just two states to charge 16- and 17-year-olds as adults.

But as the result of compromises with the Republicans who control the senate, the new legislation would still require those charged with nonviolent felonies to begin their case in criminal court. After 30 days, they would automatically be sent to family court unless the district attorney demonstrates that there are extraordinary circumstances that require them to stay in criminal court.

And New Yorkers at those ages accused of violent felonies would have to meet three criteria assessing the severity of the crime before they could proceed.

The limitations of the Raise the Age legislation rankle many progressive Senate Democrats, including Gianaris, who maintains that a simpler increase would have been possible without Republican Senate control.

Giove pointed to civil rights advocates praise for the role of the IDC and its leader, Sen. Jeffrey Klein, in helping broker the deal that ensured the legislations passage.

Senator Klein and the IDC deserve enormous credit for their exceptional leadership in this effort, said Judge Jonathan Lippman, former Chief Judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, in a statement at the time.

Mainline Democrats accuse the IDC of caucusing with Republicans because of the power it gives them as a crucial lynchpin in the ruling Republican caucus.

Some of the perks are quite literal. Senate Republicans have distributed generous financial stipends normally reserved for committee chairs to IDC members who serve on these committees as well, often as the second-highest ranking member.

New Yorks attorney general and the U.S. Attorneys office in Brooklyn have opened investigations into the legality of the practice since The New York Times first reported it this month.

The IDC members are quick to note that even if they rejoined the mainline Democratic Party, it would still not have a majority unless Simcha Felder caucused with the party as well.

In a Wednesday letter to IDC leader Klein, Felderlashed outat the IDCs Call the Roll initiative.

Although I am no longer a practicing CPA, it would make more sense for your 25 percent [of Democrats] to rejoin the rest of the Democrats, rather than everyone else join you and support issues you deem a priority, he wrote. Who are you to decide what the legislative priorities are for loyal Democrats across New York State?

Felder went on to ask the IDC to publicly unite with Democrats, if they truly seek unity. He stopped short of promising to join them if they did so, claiming only that he would welcome unity if it effectuates my priority to have the greatest positive impact on my constituents and all New Yorkers.

Its telling that Simcha Felder didnt sign the pledge, Giove said, referring to the Call the Roll letter. We now see where he stands on these seven crucial issues.

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New York's Renegade Democrats Face Growing Calls To Rejoin Party Fold - HuffPost

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Georgia Democrats Know Close Won't Count This Time - The New ... - New York Times

A federal judge tossed a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton by the parents of two Americans killed at a diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, ruling Friday the former secretary of state did not defame them when disputing allegations that she had lied.

"The untimely death of plaintiffs' sons is tragic, and the Court does not mean to minimize the unspeakable loss that plaintiffs have suffered in any way," U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington wrote in a 29-page opinion.

The suit also alleged Clintons use of a private email server caused the death of their sons, Sean Smith and Tyrone Woods, because it exposed terrorists to sensitive information. They claimed Clinton lied when she allegedly told them it was a YouTube video that prompted the consulate attack.

Berman ruled the parents didn't sufficiently challenge that Clinton was not acting in her official capacity when she used the private server, and that the families didn't put forward appropriate claims that Clinton defamed them or put them in a false light.

One of the parents, Patricia Smith, gave an emotional speech during the 2016 Republican National Convention against Clinton. Her son and Woods were killed in the September 2012 attack, along with CIA operative Glen Doherty and the U.S. ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens.

Clinton's homebrew server bedeviled her campaign before it officially began. Emails later released under the Freedom of Information Act showed some contained classified information, although they were not marked as such at the time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Read more from the original source:
Judge throws out lawsuit against Hillary Clinton by parents of Benghazi victims - Fox News

Speaking at Wellesley College's commencement on May 26, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton alluded to similarities between President Trump and former president Richard Nixon. (Reuters)

In thelatest feature by Clinton-chronicler Rebecca Traister, we get a further glimpse of whatHillary Clinton has been up to since Nov. 8. The most fascinating tidbits cast light on events that happened in the immediate aftermath of the election.

In the highlight of the profile, Clinton reveals what it was like to attend President Trumps Inauguration alongside her husband, former president Bill Clinton. To the surprise of some political watchers, the two participated in the ceremony in support of a peaceful transfer of power. Though Clinton put on a stoic facade, she now reveals the event was really...difficult for her:

Oh, says Clinton, it was hard. It was really difficult. But at the time, we hoped that there would be a different agenda for governing than there had been for running.

Of course, it quickly became clear from Trumps speech that there would be no change in strategy. A look of disgust crosses Clintons face as she recalls it. It was a really painful cry to his hard-core supporters that he wasnt changing, she says. The carnage in our country? It was a very disturbing moment. I caught Michelle Obamas eye, like, 'What is going on here?' I was sitting next to George and Laura Bush, and we have our political differences, but this was beyond any experience any of us had ever had.

Clinton also appeared to corroborate reports that former president George W. Bush had also had some thoughts on Trumps speech:

I ask her about the report that Bush had said of the speech, That was some weird shit, and her eyes light up. Put it in your article, she says. They tried to walk back from it, but Did she hear it herself? I ask. She raises her eyebrows and grins.

This is an incredibly dishy anecdote, and a real treat for Trump opponents. But this story, and the possible motives for sharing it, are part of the larger trend of Clintons post-election behavior.

Unlike past failed presidential candidates (think: Mitt Romney) Clinton has been strategically returning to the spotlight rather hastily after her rivals victory. From initial photos of makeup-free Clinton hiking in the woods after the election, to surprise appearances for supporter Katy Perry, to a confessional panel with Christiane Amanpour in which she took absolute personal responsibility for her campaigns loss but also said that she would be your president if not for the actions of former FBI director James Comey Clinton hasbeen far from absent from our political consciousness. And she has been far from silent about the man she conceded to on Nov. 9.

This doesnt seem like Clinton dipping her toe back into public life. At this point, shes essentially wading back into the political fray and taking direct shots at the sitting president.

The Inauguration anecdote isnt just amusing: it conveys that despite her public, bipartisan facade, she wasnt okay with what was happening in front of her.Unlike former president Barack Obama, she no longer feels obligated to remain silent about the course the country has taken.

As President Trumps administration is roiled by controversy over Russias role in the election and the firing of Comey, and as New York magazine unfurled its feature, Clinton gave a commencement speech at her alma mater, Wellesley College, that took direct aim at Trump and his administration.

So the question is, as it always has been, what is she going to do next?

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Now we know how Hillary Clinton felt watching Trump's inauguration speech - Washington Post

President Donald Trump's inauguration may not have been easy for Clinton to sit through, but she had others sitting by her side to help.

"It was a really painful cry to his hard-core supporters that he wasn't changing," she said. "The 'carnage' in our country? It was a very disturbing moment. I caught Michelle Obama's eye, like, What is going on here? I was sitting next to George and Laura Bush, and we have our political differences, but this was beyond any experience any of us had ever had."

When asked by Traister if she overheard Bush say that, Clinton only "raise(d) her eyebrows and grin(ned)."

2. She's not really into therapy

"That's not how I roll," she said. "I'm all for it for anybody who's at all interested in it. It's just not how I deal with stuff."

However, she said she and former President Bill Clinton "had some marital counseling in the late '90s, around our very difficult time."

3. She struggles with layering clothing

Traister describes following Clinton at an event in mid-April, during which Clinton "was fretting about everyone's wardrobe -- she said she'd just moved her winter clothes out of her closets but was still struggling with layering."

4. She spends her free time doing a lot of normal, everyday activities

"She speaks often these days of the benefits of rest and good food and being outdoors," Traister wrote. "She answered mail and had scores of off-the-record exit-interview meetings, and she and Bill saw most of the shows currently on Broadway. They have dinners together and spend time with their grandchildren."

5. She has strong views on Easter candy

When chatting with Gov. Andrew Cuomo at an event, Clinton and the New York politician exchanged opinions on Easter candy.

"They talked about Easter, about how she'd like to fill some of those plastic eggs for the kids but Chelsea told her that Charlotte can't yet eat jelly beans," Traister wrote. "Cuomo suggested doing 'those marshmallow things instead.' It was all very ordinary and small-talk-y until you remembered that Donald Trump is President and Hillary Clinton is discussing the merits of Peeps versus jelly beans."

Excerpt from:
5 things we learned about Hillary Clinton from the New York magazine profile - CNN