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Former Labor Secretary Tom Perez told a group of Kansas lawmakers this week that last years Democratic primaries were rigged in favor of Hillary Clinton but later claimed he misspoke and apologized.

Perez was in Topeka to make his case to be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee when he made the stunning statement.

We heard loudly and clearly yesterday from Bernie (Sanders) supporters that the process was rigged, and it was. And youve got to be honest about it. Thats why we need a chair who is transparent, he said Wednesday, NBC News reported.

Sanders supporters have alleged that the DNC scheduled primary debates at lousy times to prevent candidates other than Clinton from getting the widest exposure.

Perez later backpedaled, tweeting that he misspoke about the primary process being rigged.

Hillary became our nominee fair and square, and she won more votes in the primary and general than her opponents, he wrote.

Perez who was said to be on Clintons short list for vice president is running for the DNC chairmanship against Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, a staunch ally of Sanders.

During the primaries, Sanders and his allies complained that then-DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz had stacked the deck against him. Schultz was assailed for refusing to alter the debate schedule.

Perez said Wednesday that debates should be scheduled well ahead of the primaries so theres no question whatsoever.

Weve lost touch with a lot of voters, Perez said, the Daily Caller reported. We ignored people. And its not just that people felt ignored, its that people felt affirmatively disrespected and looked down on.

Read more here:
Top Democrat backpedals after saying primaries were 'rigged' - New York Post

(1 of ) Trenton Road in Healdsburg remained flooded due to recent storms, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. (Beth Schlanker / Press Democrat) (2 of ) Neeley Road in Guerneville remained flooded due to recent storms, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. (Beth Schlanker / Press Democrat) (3 of ) Trenton Road in Healdsburg remained flooded due to recent storms, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. (Beth Schlanker / Press Democrat) (4 of ) Trenton Road in Healdsburg remained flooded due to recent storms, Friday, Feb. 10, 2017. (Beth Schlanker / Press Democrat) (5 of ) Firefighters use rope systems to rescue an the injured person that fell down the embankment of the Santa Rosa Creek near Pierson Street, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017. (Photo: Santa Rosa Fire Dept.) (6 of ) Firefighters use rope systems to rescue an the injured person that fell down the embankment of the Santa Rosa Creek near Pierson Street, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017. (Photo: Santa Rosa Fire Dept.) (7 of ) Firefighters use rope systems to rescue an the injured person that fell down the embankment of the Santa Rosa Creek near Pierson Street, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017. (Photo: Santa Rosa Fire Dept.)

MARTIN ESPINOZA

THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | February 10, 2017, 9:47AM

| Updated 3 hours ago.

The brunt of Thursdays storm may have passed but emergency crews are now responding to reports of downed trees, mudslides and slip-outs.

The Russian River is expected to crest at about 34 feet this afternoon two feet above flood stage.

The County issued advisory evacuation notices to residents living along the Russian River flood zone, with sheltering available at Guerneville Veterans Memorial building.

Though less urgent than last months flooding, waters are creeping into the same vulnerable locations in Guerneville, Monte Rio and other west county communities as the river rises.

Were seeing a lot of slides and a lot of slip-outs out there, said Monte Rio Fire Chief Steve Baxman.

As of Friday morning, there were 28 roadways in unincorporated Sonoma County closed thanks to this weeks storms, according to the countys website on road conditions.

Chief Max Ming of the Russian River Fire Protection District said Friday morning that he and his crews would be out surveying the back roads of the Russian River corridor, searching for washed-out roadways and mudslides.

There are several areas that have little ones, he said. Those will just pop up wherever they can.

Ming said he was relieved to hear that the river was expected to crest at just under 35 feet sometime at noon. Thats about three feet less than what was projected Thursday afternoon.

Thats a good thing, said Ming. We made some arrangements to have two high-water vehicles available should we get any 911 calls for medical emergencies.

At about 8:30 a.m., emergency crews rescued a woman who was stranded on top of her truck, which was stuck in rising waters near Trenton-Healdsburg Road and Ritchurst Place in Forestville. On Thursday evening, Santa Rosa fire crews rescued a middle-aged man who was stuck in the mud in the Santa Rosa Creek, near the Pearson Street overpass.

The most recent road closures include Alexander Valley Road at Hwy 128, due to flooding; Graton Road in Graton, due to flooding; Cherry Street at Hidden Valley Road in Guerneville, due to a slip-out; and Calistoga Road at Harville Road in Santa Rosa; due to a mudslide.

Officials recommend using Mark West Springs Road as an alternative route.

Highway 1 is closed at 3 locations along the Mendocino Coast and Highway 37, between Highway 101 and Atherton Avenue, is completely closed due to flooding.

Last nights storm may have been the cause of a power outage in downtown Santa Rosa that caused a blackout at various locations along Mendocino Avenue, from City Hall to the Sonoma County administration buildings.

Santa Rosa Junior College officials reported Friday morning that power has been restored to the main campus in Santa Rosa and all school activities have resumed. However, the schools Shone Farm remains closed due to high water levels surrounding the west county site.

The Sonoma County Office of Education announced this morning only one school closure, at Guerneville School.

Forecasters for the National Weather Service predicted a 40 to 50 percent chance of showers for Friday.

It will be minor compared to what we had yesterday, said Charles Bell, a meteorologist for the weather service in Monterey.

Bell said flood warnings are in effect at Johnsons Beach in Guerneville and in central Sonoma County, east of Santa Rosa. The last two days of rain brought 2.73 inches of rain to the Sonoma County airport and about 2 inches to downtown Santa Rosa. Guerneville saw 2.5 inches and Windsor received 2.12 inches during the past 48 hours.

Since Oct. 1, the start of the current rain season, Santa Rosa has been deluged with 46.55 inches of rain. Thats 205 percent more than the normal rainfall total of 22.67 inches for the same period. The community of Venado is at 115 inches of rain since Oct. 1.

These are very impressive numbers, said Bell.

Bell said Saturday should bring a dry period that will last until Wednesday.

Everything still points to dry weather this weekend, he said. Then it will be a return of wet weather for the second half of the week.

With the river expected to crest at 35 feet, county officials have decided to open the Emergency Operations Center, which provides updated information about local emergency services.

Hazardous road conditions should be reported to the Transportation and Public Works at (707) 565-5100, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or the Sheriffs Office, (707) 565-2121, after hours.

Nearly all or parts of the Russian River parks are closed, as well as Spring Lake Regional Park in Santa Rosa. For information on parks and trails affected by the storm, visit the countys regional parks website.

See the original post:
Dozens of Sonoma County roads still closed after storm - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Democratic lawmakers from both chambers are urging President Trump to either suspend or investigate National Security Adviser Michael Flynn over reports that he discussed sanctions on Russia with the country's ambassador the day they were imposed by the Obama administration.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Friday that Flynn should no longer serve if allegations that he discussed sanctions with Russia while President Obama was still in office are true.

Schiff, D-Calif., said in a statement that recent reports that Flynn spoke with Russia ahead of President Trump's inauguration raise "serious questions" about whether the former military officer should continue serving as one of the president's top advisers.

"The allegation that General Flynn, while President Obama was still in office, secretly discussed with Russia's ambassador ways to undermine the sanctions levied against Russia for its interference in the presidential election on Donald Trump's behalf raises serious questions of legality and fitness for office," Schiff said in a statement.

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"If he did so, and then he and other administration officials misled the American people, his conduct would be all the more pernicious and he should no longer serve in this administration or any other," he continued.

It is not illegal for Flynn to speak with the Russian ambassador during Obama's lame duck session, but the law does prohibit making any promises about possible changes under Trump's administration that would undermine Obama. The FBI is investigating whether Flynn made any promises regarding the repeal or weakening of the sanctions Obama levied against Russia in response to its hacking during the U.S. election.

Sens. Ed Markey and Chris Murphy, both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a joint statement about their concerns regarding Flynn.

Markey said Flynn may have lied to Vice President Mike Pence about his converstions with the Russian ambassador, and he may not be able to continue serving.

"That General Flynn may have misled the Vice President of the United States and others raises the most serious questions about his ability to continue serving as National Security Advisor," Markey said. "I hope federal law enforcement professionals investigate this matter immediately. Any effort to undermine our nation's foreign policy even during a transition period may be illegal and must be taken seriously."

Also from the Washington Examiner

The British-Nigerian actor who portrayed Martin Luther King Jr. in "Selma" gave his sons a talk about Trump.

02/10/17 4:46 PM

Murphy added there's no way to explain Flynn's actions.

"Either Donald Trump directed his National Security Adviser to undermine U.S. foreign policy on Russia, or Michael Flynn went rogue and did it on his own," Murphy said. "Then he either lied to the Vice President or the Vice President went on television to lie to the American people. Whatever transpired, the President needs to get his White House under control."

Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said his committee's work on Russia's role in the election is even more important now.

"These reports underscore both the gravity and the urgency of the Senate Intelligence Committee's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election," Warner said in a statement, "which will include a thorough examination of counterintelligence concerns including any links between Russia and individuals associated with political campaigns."

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., is on the House Permanent Select Commitee on Intelligence said Flynn should no longer be serving.

Also from the Washington Examiner

Top environment senator asks agency to give companies more time to examine an expensive proposed mining rule.

02/10/17 4:20 PM

"The @WhiteHouse should immediately SUSPEND National Security Advisor Flynn & REVOKE access to classified information until investigated," Swalwell said in a tweet.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., previously questioned whether Flynn should even hold a security clearance if the allegations are true.

The White House said and Flynn initially stated that he did not discuss sanctions with the ambassador and instead exchanged Christmas greetings and the logistics of setting up a phone conversation between their two leaders, but he has subsequently changed his story.

A spokesman told the Washington Post that while Flynn "had no recollection of discussing sanctions," he didn't want to state for "certain that the topic never came up."

Top Story

House Republicans plan to use the CRA to repeal Obama's order requiring states to subsidize Planned Parenthood.

02/10/17 11:27 AM

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Intel committee's top Democrat says Flynn can't serve if Russia reports are true - Washington Examiner

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Democratic lawmakers are finally listening to their enraged base.

It took countless phone calls and raucous, Tea Party-like protests across the country to get the Democrats to listen. But the results have been noticeable: After President Trump's first few nominees mostly sailed through, the Democrats unified to oppose the nomination of Betsy DeVos and, with the help of Republicans Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins, forced Vice President Mike Pence to break a 50-50 Senate tie. Similarly, nearly every Democrat opposed the nomination of Senate colleague Jeff Sessions for attorney general no small feat, considering the limp approach some in the caucus were taking just a few short weeks ago.

But there is one exception: Joe Manchin, a Vichy Democrat from West Virginia, voted with every Republican to confirm Sessions. DeVos, it turns out, is the only Trump Cabinet appointment Manchin hasn't supported, a feat that makes him just as reliable a foot soldier for Trump as GOP Sen. Rand Paul. It seems like Trump likes Manchin more, too; the West Virginia Democrat was also considered for a Cabinet post, called Harry Reid's statement after Trump's election an "absolute embarrassment," and, according to the AP, Manchin has a "an open line" to Trump and some of the top figures in the administration.

Some Democrats will no doubt make excuses for Manchin. The obvious one is he's up for re-election in 2018, and his brand of Blue Dog Democratic politics is supposedly the only way Democrats can win in West Virginia. But this is mind-blowing in its defeatism. Not only has the Blue Dog strategy completely fallen apart since 2010 just 17 Democrats remain as members of the House Blue Dog Coalition but it doesn't take into account the fact that lefty economic populism has won in West Virginia before. And there are indicators that it can win again.

It's possible that no state has felt the harsh effects of late capitalism more than West Virginia. West Virginia lost over 40 percent of its manufacturing jobs from 1994 to 2016. Coal, by far West Virginia's biggest industry, has lost 35 percent of its jobs since 2011. Nearly a quarter of West Virginian children live in poverty, and West Virginia has been hit harder by the opioid epidemic than any other state.

During the presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton's cringe-inducing promise to "put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business" killed her in West Virginia. She lost by more than 40 points. But while Trump's margin of victory was jaw-dropping, so was the fact that only 57 percent of eligible West Virginia voters actually cast a ballot. And given that Trump's promise to "bring coal jobs back" is an empty one that's sure to stir disappointment in a region that overwhelmingly voted for Trump, there's room for Democrats to put forward a viable alternative.

Past West Virginia political figures have shown how it can be done. Democrat Ken Hechler, eulogized in The New York Times in December as "Coal Miners' Champion," served as a congressman for 18 years, his principal achievement being stricter safety regulations for miners in the wake of the 1968 Farmington mine disaster.

Hechler later got elected as West Virginia's secretary of state, where he served four terms. Moreover, Hechler didn't have to throw civil rights under the bus to ensure support in his heavily white state; in fact, as the Times obituary notes, he was reportedly the only member of Congress to participate in the Selma march.

Obviously, West Virginia politics have changed since Hechler's last race in 1996. But what's happening there now clearly isn't working, and sooner or later someone's going to have to take the blame.

This is why progressive groups have to invest heavy resources into places like West Virginia (and South Dakota, and Idaho, and Louisiana), and lose over and over again while they lay the groundwork for a long-term movement. Otherwise, there won't be a substantive alternative to the politics that have failed West Virginia and many other parts of the country, and filling the vacuum will be Democrats like Joe Manchin.

After his Sessions vote, it's hard to see how that's acceptable anymore.

More here:
Joe Manchin, Vichy Democrat - The Week Magazine

Rep. Elijah Cummings' meeting with President Donald Trump comes at a sensitive time for Democrats. | AP Photo

By Kyle Cheney

02/08/17 03:00 PM EST

Updated 02/08/17 05:39 PM EST

Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) plans to press President Donald Trump on voter suppression of minorities in a White House meeting scheduled for next week a response to Trump's false claim that mass voter fraud tainted the 2016 popular vote.

Though the meeting is ostensibly to discuss a potential area of bipartisan cooperation lowering prescription drug prices Cummings said Trump's widely debunked claim compels him to raise his concerns about minorities being denied the right to vote.

Story Continued Below

"I have no choice. It would be malpractice not to," he told reporters Wednesday at a Democratic retreat in Baltimore.

Trump has pledged to launch an investigation into voter fraud in the 2016 election, despite widespread bipartisan agreement that there's no evidence to support Trump's charge that 3 million to 5 million illegal votes were cast. But he has twice delayed plans to begin that process. Cummings said that if he does spend taxpayer dollars on such an investigation, voter suppression should be part of the analysis.

"It has now become normal, it has become baked in the cake, that we should be able to expect that not everybody is going to be able to vote," he said. "We cannot allow that to be our normal. And I will fight to the death to make sure that doesnt happen."

Cummings said he's received letters from about a dozen state attorneys general affirming that no widespread voter fraud occurred in their states, and he expects letters from all 50 attorneys general by the end of next week.

If Cummings holds his meeting with Trump next week, he would one of the first Democratic House members to huddle with Trump since he was inaugurated. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi joined Republican and Democratic leaders for an introductory meeting last month. And last week, Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, joined his Republican counterpart Rep. Kevin Brady (Texas) to talk tax reform with Trump.

A group of moderate Democratic senators, central to Trump's legislative agenda, were slated to meet with Trump on Thursday.

Cummings appears to be one of the few House Democrats to have developed a rapport with Trump, who reportedly called him last month and offered condolences shortly after one of the congressman's aides lost six children in a house fire. An aide confirmed that prescription drug prices were among the topics the two discussed on the phone.

Cummings said he's planning to meet Trump one-on-one, though an aide said he's still determining if others will join him. A White House spokeswoman did not respond to requests for comment on the meeting.

Cummings is also the ranking Democrat on the House oversight committee, a top watchdog of government spending. The committee's chairman, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), had a 30-minute meeting with Trump Wednesday but said no oversight business was discussed.

Asked whether he had any concerns about Chaffetz's private meeting at a time he's charged with being a watchdog of the executive branch, Cummings mentioned his own planned meeting with Trump and said, "No, I'm not worried about it."

Cummings' meeting also comes at a sensitive time for Democrats. The party's base, still anguished over Trump's election, has come down sharply against any sort of collaboration with the president. A POLITICO/Morning Consult poll out Wednesday shows just a third of Democrats want their party's leaders to work with Trump.

But the rising price of prescription drugs has emerged, along with infrastructure investments, as one of a handful of possible areas of Democratic collaboration with the Republican president.

Opposition for oppositions sake, even if we think the policies proposed are good for the American people ... I think the public would not think thats our responsibility or duty," House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told reporters Tuesday.

Trump has repeatedly pledged to lower drug prices and has called for allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to bring down costs. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer affirmed Trumps commitment Tuesday to letting Medicare negotiate drug prices.

Heather Caygle contributed reporting from Baltimore.

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Democrat Cummings to discuss voter suppression in meeting with Trump - Politico