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DERBY >> Carmen DiCenso is no longer the endorsed mayoral candidate for town Democrats.

A three-member panel of the Democratic State Central Committee unanimously ruled Friday that the town committee violated national party rules by conducting a secret ballot vote for the mayoral endorsement. They vacated the endorsement.

The vote is null and void, said Michael Mandell, executive director of the Democratic State Central Committee. It was an error, not a malicious one, but an error.

Mandell said vacation schedules made it impossible to schedule a new vote.

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As a result, DiCenso, the Board of Alderman president and Anita Dugatto, the citys two-term mayor, will fight for the endorsement in a Sept. 12 primary as long as each obtains the required 117 signatures from registered Democrats.

But thats a given. Both camps said they are well on the way to that amount.

Im fine with it, DiCenso said. I was preparing for a primary anyway.

But Dugattos camp saw something more in the way things were handled.

This is a matter of transparency, plain and simple, Dugatto said in an emailed statement. There is a mentality in Derby politics of doing things behind closed doors, and it is often to the detriment of our city. Changing this culture is precisely why I chose to run for mayor four years ago, and why I am running for re-election.

Regardless of the state partys ruling, this election will be decided by who the people ... believe is the most qualified candidate to be our citys next mayor, Dugattos statement said.

All this added more fuel to Richard Dziekans campaign as the Republican mayoral candidate.

Once again Derbys Democrats are putting all their energy into fighting each other, Dziekan said Friday. I believe the residents deserve someone who will fight for them. Carmen and Anita offer the city no more than the same failed policies that have raised taxes and fees.

He said he believes the Democratic infighting and the money the party will spend on a primary bodes well for him.

It was Frank Rubino, a Democratic Town Committee member and Dugatto supporter, who filed the complaint.

That led to a half-hour inquiry conducted by a three-member Democratic State Central Committee panel on Friday.

The panelists Barbara Reynolds, of Wilton, Tom McDonough, of Waterbury, and Tony Duarte, of South Windsor heard Town Committee Chairwoman Linda Fusco accept the blame. She said the procedure has been Derbys practice on contested positions for the past 30 years.

Fusco said she relied on past practices rather than carefully reading materials sent to her.

I feel very bad, she told the panel, adding DiCenso won by a 21-15 margin.

You are not alone, Kevin Reynolds, the partys general counsel, said. Many town committees conduct votes by secret ballot.

But that is illegal under party rules, he said.

After both candidates were nominated Tuesday, each of the 36 town committee members were called by name, handed a ballot, circled their choice and deposited the ballot into a cardboard box. Fusco and City/Town Clerk Marc Garofalo read the results aloud.

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State Democrats void Derby DTC endorsement of DiCenso - New Haven Register

Democrats are handing President Trump a big fat F for his six months in office, but in this case the F may stand for frustration.

No matter what you think of Trumps policies or personality, he has beaten Democrats on every angle.

The stock market is up. Unemployment is down.

And Trump has gotten nearly every nominee he wanted, including Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court, which was absolutely critical to fulfilling the Republican agenda.

Even his inability to repeal Obamacare has turned into a backhanded win for Trump, if for no other reason than that its freed him from having to come up with a workable alternative, which he clearly does not have.

Like it or not, hes doing what his supporters wanted him to do: make a lot of noise, hit the brakes on the Democratic agenda and keep them entertained.

And you have to admit, for all its embarrassments, Trumps made-for-TV White House is certainly entertaining.

What a cast of characters: the sinister and elusive Steve Bannon, the ditzy Kellyanne Conway, the just-bounced Sean Spicer and now Baby Don Trump Jr.

Add in the stone-faced special prosecutor (Robert Mueller), the hapless attorney general (Jeff Sessions) and a couple of Russian spy types, and you have an Austin Powers movie.

But perhaps Trumps biggest accomplishment is that, after six months, hes still in office. And that may be the Democrats biggest frustration of all.

The Affordable Care Act is safe for the moment, in part because of all the heat coming from voters in Trump country.

Jerry Moran, the Republican senator from Kansas, held a town hall instead of parading on the Fourth of July. He got such an earful that when he returned to Washington, he told the Republican leadership that he wouldnt take a bullet for the team.

Now, just maybe, repeal and replace will turn into repair and with it, re-election.

Gov. Jerry Browns cap-and-trade victory was as narrow as they come, but he did manage to get votes from both sides of the aisle.

Even Republicans such as former Govs. Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Secretary of State George Shultz called for extending the program, giving plenty of cover for Republican legislators to objectively appraise the program. Thats really the way a democracy should work.

San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim celebrated her 40th birthday at interior designer Ken Fulks Magic Factory over on Seventh Street. Man, that place is fabulous. The first two floors are his offices, and the third floor is a venue that he rents out for parties.

The guests at Kims bash included young, up-and-coming politicos from all around the country who came down for the evening from the Napa Valley, where they were attending a think tank conference.

Boy, was she working the room. And with good reason: Every one of them was a potential endorser and fundraiser host back home.

Kim hasnt decided what shell do next on the political merry-go-round, but she definitely has her eye on a brass ring.

If youre looking for some down-home fun, stop by Hazels Southern Bar and Kitchen on Market Street, in the heart of the Twitter Zone. It was started by a young guy, Jamie Boatner, who drew on his moms recipes.

The buffalo wings were my pick, and they did not disappoint. But what caught my attention were the two billiard tables in the middle of the dining area, for shooting pool between bites.

Movie time: War for the Planet of the Apes: Believe it or not, this is a must-see. Its timely and relevant. But be warned, there is nothing comical about this movie.

A free safety pin awaits you at the Marsh Cafe on Valencia Street, where my friend Will Durst is presiding Tuesday nights. He is pointed in his hilarious observations about todays political scene and the Trump administration, closing with a new symbol of the resistance movement: a safety pin on your lapel.

Get yours in the Mish. Its free.

Speaking of free, Marcia Lamb of the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival tells me that if you stop by the South of Market park Saturday at 1 p.m., you can hear Paula West for free.

The Internet, however, confirms my prediction of last week that the price to catch her will be going up. In fact, for her next commercial appearance, in April at SFJazz, the price is double what it was Sunday night at the Hotel Nikko.

Im told the next show is almost sold out.

Warning: It looks like the Municipal Transportation Agency will start tearing up Geary Boulevard to make room for new bus lanes, just as its doing along Van Ness Avenue.

The irony here is that some of us can still remember when the center of Geary had streetcar tracks all the way to what was then Playland-at-the-Beach and the roller-skating rink.

You suppose theres any chance the MTA and Rec and Park could team up to bring all that back?

O.J. Simpsons reappearance in the news reminds me of my brother James take on the trial of the century:

The district attorney tried to frame the guilty guy and failed.

Want to sound off? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com

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Failure? Trump is beating Democrats left and right - San Francisco Chronicle

A view through a construction fence shows the Kremlin towers and St. Basils Cathedral in central Moscow, Russia, July 1, 2016. This week a bipartisan group of House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement on a sweeping Russia sanctions package to punish Moscow. Photo By Maxim Zmeyev/Reuters.

WASHINGTON Congressional Democrats announced Saturday that a bipartisan group of House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement on a sweeping Russia sanctions package to punish Moscow for meddling in the presidential election and its military aggression in Ukraine and Syria.

Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, said lawmakers had settled lingering issues with the bill, which also includes stiff economic penalties against Iran and North Korea. The sanctions targeting Russia, however, have drawn the most attention due to President Donald Trumps persistent push for warmer relations with President Vladimir Putin and ongoing investigations into Russias interference in the 2016 campaign.

Passage of the bill, which could occur before Congress breaks for the August recess, puts Congress on possible collision course with Trump. The White House had objected to a key section of the bill that would mandate a congressional review if Trump attempted to ease or end the sanctions against Moscow. But if Trump were to veto the bill, he risks sparking an outcry from Republicans and Democrats and having his decision overturned. The sanctions review was included in the bill because of wariness among lawmakers from both parties over Trumps affinity for Putin.

The precise mechanics of how involved House Democrats would be in the review process had been a key sticking point, but Hoyer said he was pleased with the outcome.

The legislation ensures that both the majority and minority are able to exercise our oversight role over the administrations implementation of sanctions, Hoyer said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the sanctions legislation strong and he expected the legislation to be passed promptly.

Given the many transgressions of Russia, and President Trumps seeming inability to deal with them, a strong sanctions bill such as the one Democrats and Republicans have just agreed to is essential, Schumer said.

222369222379222379Inside Putin's RussiaCorrespondent Nick Schifrin and producer Zach Fannin take us inside Vladimir Putin's Russia, with an in-depth look at the resurgent national identity, the government's propaganda machine, the risk of being a Kremlin critic and much more.2017-07-21 02:00 pmdisabled3003012654_AkAZIk73F0

Early Saturday morning, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy posted a legislative business schedule that shows the sanctions bill will be considered Tuesday. McCarthy had pushed to add the North Korea sanctions to the package. The House had overwhelmingly passed legislation in May to hit Pyongyang with additional economic sanctions, but the Senate had yet to take up the bill.

The Senate last month passed sanctions legislation that targeted only Russia and Iran. Congressional aides said there may be resistance among Senate Republicans to adding the North Korea penalties, but it remained unclear whether those concerns would further stall the legislation. The aides were not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

A nearly united Congress is poised to send President Putin a clear message on behalf of the American people and our allies, and we need President Trump to help us deliver that message, said Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, the top ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee.

The House and Senate negotiators addressed concerns voiced by American oil and natural gas companies that sanctions specific to Russias energy sector could backfire on them to Moscows benefit. The bill raises the threshold for when U.S. firms would be prohibited from being part of energy projects that also included Russian businesses.

Although there is widespread support for the legislation, the bill stalled after it cleared the Senate over constitutional questions and bickering over technical details. In particular, House Democrats charged that GOP leaders had cut them out of the congressional review that would be triggered if Trump proposed to terminate or suspend the Russia sanctions. But Republicans rejected the complaint and blamed Democrats for holding the bill up.

The review requirement in the sanctions bill is styled after 2015 legislation pushed by Republicans and approved in the Senate that gave Congress a vote on whether then-President Barack Obama could lift sanctions against Iran. That measure reflected Republican complaints that Obama had overstepped the power of the presidency and needed to be checked by Congress.

According to the bill, Trump is required to send Congress a report explaining why he wants to suspend or terminate a particular set of sanctions. Lawmakers would then have 30 days to decide whether to allow the move or reject it.

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Democrats herald agreement on sweeping Russia sanctions bill - PBS NewsHour

The President's approval rating has fallen 6 percentage points to the lowest at the six-month mark of any president since the dawn of modern public opinion polling, according to this week's ABC News/Washington Post poll.

And Democrats lead Republicans when Americans are asked who they would vote for on a generic congressional ballot for 2018.

But it's certainly not all positive news for the party opposing the White House. While history points to likely Democratic victories in the upcoming midterm elections, the numbers show a few Achilles' heels that threaten the opportunity.

Here are five poll numbers from this week that should make Democrats a little uneasy about their current situation.

3. Midterm numbers show a potential soft spot for Democrats. There's a lot of time left before the 2018 midterms roll around, but poll questions used to estimate voter turnout aren't a slam dunk for Democrats at this point. The difference between people who say they are casting their midterm ballot to oppose Trump and people casting their midterm ballot to support Trump is 4 points -- compared to 10 points opposing former President Barack Obama in 2014 and 14 points opposing former President George W. Bush in 2006, according to the ABC/Post poll. And voter enthusiasm is virtually identical for both pro-Trump and anti-Trump forces.

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Five poll numbers that should make Democrats uneasy - CNN

Analysis: Arkansas Democrats relying on political newcomers News & Observer He's never held elected office or appeared on the ballot, but he's now hoping to retake a central Arkansas congressional seat in what had been a reliably Democratic district. Spencer faces a steep challenge in trying to win the 2nd Congressional ... and more »

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Analysis: Arkansas Democrats relying on political newcomers - News & Observer