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The nations leading journalists, talking heads, and television analysts collectively threw a full-blown media hissy fit after first daughter Ivanka Trump announced that she will be taking on a formal role, assistant to the president, in her fathers White House. Elite Daily smugly called Ivanka a total hypocrite. The Washington Post described the situation as an ethic(al) quagmire. Cosmopolitan said Ivankas gig is an insult to working women.

A first daughter has never taken on such an active role in the White House. If Ivanka were the daughter of a Democrat politician, she would be called a trail blazer. If Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonHow Congress can reform campaign finance for the American people Glenn Beck: Trump another Republican who said stuff and didn't mean it Sanders wins big with free public college and Medicare for all MORE were in the White House, and Chelsea Clinton took an official position as assistant to the president, left-leaning pundits would likely point to her as a shining example of a strong women for young girls.

Ivanka has been giving her father advice throughout her entire life, particularly as an adult; its what family does. Giving her a formal, unpaid position holds her accountable to the same ethical standards as every federal worker.

But the bigger point is that Ivanka is highly qualified to be assistant to the president. She has her fathers trust and ear, but has also made it clear that she lets him know when she disagrees with him. Beyond that, she has a business record that will speaks for itself. She served as the executive vice president of the massive Trump Organization for years and built her own fashion empire which netted almost $30 million in sales last year as a businesswoman in her own right, keeping her own name and reputation.

Poll: Ivanka Trump the best-liked White House staffer https://t.co/HilJGrOmwT pic.twitter.com/9ciMBx1Sar

Ivanka then used her massive platform to be an advocate for women and workplace equality, issues that she is passionate about. Thanks to Ivanka, maternity leave was discussed for the first time, ever, at the Republican National Convention. She made the issue part of the conversation among conservative leaders.

Yet despite her accomplishments, the left including those who call themselves feminists are waging war on Ivanka. Why? Because she is the daughter of Donald TrumpDonald TrumpTrump visits Mar-a-Lago resort for 23rd day as president Russia: Syrian chemical weapons attack could be 'staged' Glenn Beck: Trump another Republican who said stuff and didn't mean it MORE, the daughter of a Republican.

Cosmopolitian wrote, Ivanka will continue to pretend shes a model for working women, applauding herself for having a seat at the table with foreign dignitaries, asshe did in this Instagram photo.Just remember shes only sitting in that seat because her daddy let her.

Thats rich, coming from a womens publication that prides itself on being a feminist outlet. Hypocritical feminists are now judging a womens rights advocate through the prism of a man in her life: her father.

Feminism hypocrisy and scrutiny from the left wouldnt be so irritating if the press were equally as tough on the children of Democratic leaders. But they arent. In the eyes of the nations most prominent hard-hitting journalists, Chelsea Clinton can do no wrong.

During the 2016 presidential campaign season, the press continuously questioned and criticized Ivankas track record on womens issues, while turning a blind eye to Chelseas questionable activities.

Take what happened in early November, when WikiLeaks released emails between a top Clinton aide and John Podesta. The emails alleged that Chelsea illegally used Clinton Global Initiative Foundation funds to pay for her wedding and pay herself for campaigning all while avoiding taxes. Aside from Fox News, the press largely glossed over the story. There was no real, critical, and substantive effort to investigate the serious claims. Apparently, the media was still too busy covering Trumps infamous 2005 pussy tape, which had leaked back in August.

Not only does the press shield Chelsea from scrutiny when she deserves it some outlets actively idolize her. To the delight of fawning Democrats, Variety recently announced that it would be awarding its prestigious Impact Award to Chelsea.

Chelsea Clinton fuels speculation of political run: https://t.co/Wn8roHYMWX pic.twitter.com/EeYOlMQx71

What, exactly, has 37-year-old Chelsea done to deserve this award? The press didnt bother to ask. Upon first glance, it seems that her most notable achievements include: Being lauded as the presidents most formidable Twitter foe, being born to a prominent family of Democratic politicians, landing a $600,000 NBC contract, and marrying a millionaire.

The glaring difference between how the press treats Ivanka and Chelsea was on full display on CBS This Morning last week. The show did one-on-one interviews with both women. The 10-minute interview with Chelsea was practically an advertisement for her new book for teens, Its Your World. After the umpteenth fluff question about what inspired her to write the book, one host playfully asked Chelsea if she plans to run for president someday. Politics is in your DNA, the hosts laughed.

The Ivanka interview went much differently. Gayle King grilled her for nearly the entire interview about her role in the White House as well as fathers policy agenda.

Should the press be asking Ivanka tough questions? Absolutely. But its hard to take any line of questioning seriously when the same treatment isnt given to powerful Democrats or their family members.

Even when Chelsea was on the campaign trail acting as her mothers surrogate (and grossly misrepresenting the policies of Clintons competitors in the process), the national media eschewed hard questions and largely treated her as if she were still a kid. Jake Tapper of CNN even admitted it on Twitter, writing in October that there is no reason to treat one adult child of a nominee with kid gloves while others get tough questions.

@mkhammer @HefferonJoe but there's no reason to treat one adult child of a nominee with kid gloves while others get tough questions.

This isnt new, Chelsea has been allowed to avoid accounting for her public profile for years. While campaigning for her mother in 2008, Chelsea even told a nine-year-old kid reporter for Scholastic News, after he deigned to ask a question, "I'm sorry, I don't talk to the press and that applies to you, unfortunately. Even though I think you're cute.

Im sorry, what?

In Ivanka, todays first daughter is everything that liberals claim to support: a strong, independent woman who carved her own path in business despite being surrounded by strong men. She is smart, beautiful, and successful. If she were the daughter of a Democrat, not only would she would be seen as a pioneer for taking on an important role in the White House, but she would be actively celebrated as such.

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If Ivanka Trump were a Democrat's kid, the media would worship her - The Hill (blog)

In bizarre twist to local politics, Erie County Republicans on Wednesday backed Assemblyman Michael P. Kearns, a Democrat, for county clerk.

The party formally backed Kearns once again after supporting him in three previous Assembly contests on the Democratic, Republican and Conservative lines.

Kearns already gained the Conservative Party backing and is now expected to make a strong bid for winning the election in September by prevailing in the Democratic primary and then appearing unopposed in the November general election.

The move is also expected to further motivate local Democrats in their criticism of the South Buffalo assemblyman, a former South District councilmember and Democratic candidate for mayor. Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy J. Zellner has continuously lambasted Kearns for accepting the GOP line.

Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner has lambasted Assemblyman Michael P. Kearns for accepting the GOP line. (Derek Gee/Buffalo News file photo)

The chairman pointed out last month that Kearns lost Democratic backing for the Assembly in 2016 even though he faced no opponent.

I asked Mickey not to take the Republican endorsement last year because of Donald Trump and all he stood for, Zellner said then, adding that any effort by Kearns to seek the backing of Democratic leaders this year will be interpreted as a slap in the face.

Democrats expressing interest in the vacant post include former Buffalo Board of Education member Janique S. Curry, a close ally of Mayor Byron W. Brown, and Steve Cichon, a former WBEN Radio reporter and news director, who drew early and glowing praise from Zellner.

Zellner, meanwhile, said he continues to field inquiries from Amherst businessman Hormoz Mansouri, who has been close to Democratic headquarters for many years.

RELATED LINKS: Lawmakers battle over future of children's psych center

Channel 2's Kevin O'Connell won't run for county clerk

Joanna Pasceri will not run for county clerk

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Kearns, a Democrat, once again gains support of GOP. This time for county clerk - Buffalo News

Tuesday, April 11, 2017 8:55 p.m. CDT by Mike Leischner

Chris Martian. Submitted photo.

Rapid City, S.D. (KELO AM) - Chris Martian knows that the blue party usually has an uphill climb in deeply red South Dakota. But he's hoping his unique viewpoint and the fact that he isn't a career politician will help him buck that trend.

The former IT professional turned stay-at-home dad says politics has always been on his radar, and after observing what he calls some troubling trends in the current climate he decided to do something about it. "These representatives work for us. Their job is not to tell us what to think, their job is not to cherry-pick information, their job is to give us all the information and let us decide."

One particular tipping point for Martian was the passage of a bill that wiped out the FCC's internet privacy laws, allowing Internet Service Providers to sell their customer's browser histories and other personal data. "I thought, 'they'll at least explain to us why they voted that way,' [but] I haven't found anything from anybody. It's almost as if they are disavowing knowledge of that."

Related: Bill allows sale of browsing histories

Martian confirmed he is running as a Democrat; however he hopes voters will see his platform before his party affiliation. "We need to look at whomever ends up going and say - that's the kind of person that we want there, is that the kind of person that will give us information, or is that the kind of person who will give us propaganda?" He went on to say that if elected he refuses to be controlled by one party or another; instead he will work for the people of South Dakota.

Despite his lack of prior political experience and name recognition, Martian says he'd at least like to get people thinking. "Even if somebody else wins or if someone is more recognized than I am, maybe [by my running] the public attitude can change and we'll be better off for it."

Recent elections have been less than kind to unknowns such as Martian. Last year Yankton Democrat Jay Williams was soundly defeated by longtime incumbent John Thune. Williams won just three counties and 29% of the popular vote, however after conceding to Thune said that he was proud of his effort to go from zero name recognition to 50% in just under a year and run a positive, issues-based campaign.

No matter how the votes fall in November 2018, it seems Martian is ready for the adventure. "What could you do if you weren't afraid? That's the motto to live by."

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Rapid City Democrat emerges as US House candidate - KELO AM-FM

When most people think of Nebraska politics, they think of a conservative state, one that is mostly made up of Republican supporters. Forty-eight percent of registered Nebraska voters are Republican compared to 26 percent nationally. The membership of the Democratic party in Nebraska has also been on the decline. But these numbers arent stopping Democratic party members from including Nebraska on the list of states theyll visit in the month of April.

The newly-elected Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez, state Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb and Sen. Bernie Sanders will be at Baxter Arena in Omaha on April 20 to campaign for Democrat Heath Mello. Mello is running against the incumbent Mayor Jean Stothert, a Republican, in the May 9 general election. Mello, a Democrat, may seem to have no chance of winning a conservative state like Nebraska, but he served in the state legislature for eight years before reaching his term limit. He also came within three percent of Stothert in the April 4 primary.

While this may be only one city-wide election, the fact that these important figures in Democratic party politics are giving their support for Mello shows theres more to this election than meets the eye. Sen. Sanders was recently voted as the most popular politician in America and began a call for change in the way the Democratic party operates during his run for the partys presidential nomination last year. He has frequently spoken out against the way the party has ignored rural and conservative parts of the country and has advocated for a new strategy that stops conceding states and neglecting the people living in these states.

The states that Sen. Sanders and Perez will visit include Utah, Arizona, Florida and Kentucky, all states that handed their electoral votes off to President Donald Trump in last falls election. This tour is the first step in healing the wounds of the Democratic party. The defeat Hillary Clinton suffered was embarrassing to the party and, for many, a sign that the party needed new leadership and a new way of connecting with voters across America. Since then, Sen. Sanders has become one of the new faces of the party, even though hes an Independent, and has played a large role in reshaping the party and its agenda since President Trumps November victory.

Touring these states to campaign for one set of elections wont change the way the Democratic party is viewed in conservative states. But it can serve as the base layer for a renewed effort to connect with people from all walks of life on a grassroots level. By listening to people in areas Democrats normally dont win, the party can open a dialogue with people they had appeared to have forgotten. This can help build support for Democrats in these areas and begin the long, hard process of reforming Democratic politics.

Sen. Sanders built his campaign around small-dollar donations and a sense of people power rather than the power of large donations. This approach can be seen in this tour. By going to states that normally vote Republican, the top brass of the party on the national level can help the party on the state level. Large rallies can energize the Democrats already living in these states and create an enthusiasm that can transition into real grassroots efforts for change. This approach makes politics a more community-oriented, people-driven approach to gaining electoral power in states that have been tougher for Democrats to compete in traditionally.

If the rally helps propel Mello to a win next month, it will be a big win for Nebraska Democrats. While it may not transform our state into a Democratic stronghold, it will send a message that the Democratic party can win elections in conservative states. If the party can find a way to energize people and appeal to a wider base through outreach efforts like this multi-state tour, then the new strategy of the Democratic party may be born.

Sen. Sanders and Perez wont completely change the way the Democratic party operates, but they are laying the groundwork for a new way forward. It may be a crazy concept, but Nebraska can actually be part of the foundation for this new 50-state strategy. The goal isnt simply to turn people who normally vote Republican into Democrats, but to create a sense of excitement and optimism around the party. This effort to put time and resources into every state is one way to transform the hangover of the 2016 elections into a chance to rejuvenate the party going forward.

Riley Slezak is a junior journalism and political science major. Reach him at opinion@dailynebraskan.com or via @DNOpinion.

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SLEZAK: Democrat state tour is a chance to revitalize party - Daily Nebraskan

Sacramento Bee

Gas tax vote prompts recall campaign against Southern California Democrat Sacramento Bee In the first political fallout from last week's vote to raise the gas tax in California, opponents are trying to recall a rookie lawmaker who voted for it. Carl DeMaio, a talk radio host and former city councilman in San Diego, said Tuesday that plans ...

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Gas tax vote prompts recall campaign against Southern California Democrat - Sacramento Bee