Welp, The Democrats Just Lost
SOURCE: http://www.thesuperficial.com/kim-kardashian-obama-twitter-app-11-2014 While it #39;s pretty much a given that today #39;s midterm elections will favor the Republicans because old, white...
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Welp, The Democrats Just Lost - Video
Ann Arbor Democrats call for review of local law enforcement standards
Ann Arbor Democrats call for review of local law enforcement standards Subscribe Please . In the aftermath of a fatal shooting of a 40-year-old woman by Ann Arbor police, and in light of other...
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Ann Arbor Democrats call for review of local law enforcement standards - Video
TIME Politics 2016 Election Democrats Scramble for California Senate Seat Left: Tom Steyer; Right: Kamala Harris AP; Getty Images One rising star is in, another is out, and a billionaire donor is weighing a bid of his own
The retirement of California Sen. Barbara Boxer has touched off a furious scramble among Democrats jostling to replace her, with one rising star jumping into the race and several other veteran candidates publicly weighing whether to run.
Kamala Harris, Californias attorney general, laid down an early marker in the pricy, high-stakes contest by announcing Tuesday that she will run for the seat being vacated by Boxer, who said last week that she wont run for a fifth term in the Senate in 2016.
I will be a fighter for middle-class families who are feeling the pinch of stagnant wages and diminishing opportunity, Harris said in a message launching her campaign. I will be a fighter for our children who deserve a world-class education, and for students burdened by predatory lenders and skyrocketing tuition. And I will fight relentlessly to protect our coast, our immigrant communities and our seniors.
The top law-enforcement official in the nations most populous state, Harris, 50, is considered among the Democratic Partys rising stars. In normal contests, the entry of a glittering recruit into the race might prompt party kingpins to coalesce around her candidacy. But this is California, the countrys leading liberal redoubt, a state whose sluggish political turnover has yielded a long list of seasoned politicians patiently waiting for their shot. Harris may be the frontrunner, but she wont coast to the Senate without a challenge.
It wont come from Gavin Newsom, however. The states lieutenant governor said this week that he will pass on a campaign to succeed Boxer; instead he may mount a bid to succeed Golden State Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018. Newsoms decision spared California Democrats a collision between two of the states top politicians, whose bases of support and spheres of influence overlap.
Several other Democratic veterans are publicly mulling a campaign. One is former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, whose ties in the Hispanic community and links to party donorsforged partly through a stint at the helm of the Democratic National Committeewould make him a contender for the seat. California Rep. Loretta Sanchez, who has served in Congress since 1997, has also said that she is seriously considering a run.
With strong candidates like Kamala Harris, Democrats remain confident that well hold this seat and continue Barbara Boxers long history of fighting for California, says Justin Barasky, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The DSCC will continue to monitor the California Senate race closely.
The billion-dollar question hanging over the contest is whether one of the nations leading donors decides to mount a campaign himself. Tom Steyer, the retired hedge-fund magnate, has emerged in recent years as the Democratic Partys most generous donor. In 2014, he shelled out some $74 million to candidates, mostly through a political-action committee dedicated to bringing the issue of climate change to the political forefront. Now Steyer is thinking about whether the next campaign he backs should be his own.
Holding office is a sacred trust in our society, and I am honored that so many colleagues and friends have encouraged me to consider entering this race, Steyer wrote in an essay for the Huffington Post. Washington needs to be shaken up, and we need climate champions who will fight for the next generation. California Democrats are blessed to have a deep bench of talent, and I will decide soon based on what I think is the best way to continue the hard work weve already started together to prevent climate disaster and preserve American prosperity.
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Democrats Scramble for California Senate Seat
AUSTIN Democrats in the Legislature, still recovering from what one called the gut punch of the November elections, vowed Tuesday that they would not be cowed by their small numbers and diminished influence.
Leading House and Senate Democrats promised that they would find ways to make their constituents voices heard on important issues. After all, they noted, many Democrats have years of experience of shaping legislation while serving in the minority.
And they pledged that though Republicans appear poised to take additional steps to curb Democrats power in the Senate, in particular the GOP wouldnt be able to pass any bill it wants.
But months after enthusiasm spiked over the prospect of a Democratic revival in Texas, the partys defensive posture served reminder of its long-running minority status. Some Democrats acknowledged Tuesday that the party needs to regroup.
Elections have consequences, said Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas. The platform that we talked about didnt resonate with people. So we have to make a decision about whether to change our message or change our methods.
The party lost one Senate seat and three House seats, and its candidates were blown out in every statewide race.
In the Senate, firebrand Republican Dan Patrick will preside as lieutenant governor. He pledged on the campaign trail to remove Democrats from key committee leadership posts. And hes also backing a rule change in the upper chamber that would limit Democrats ability to block some legislation.
Rep. Yvonne Davis, a Dallas Democrat who led the partys House caucus two years ago, said Democrats could help themselves by advocating for a different vision on education, health care and other issues.
We are going to approach it like we always have, which is to provide alternative approaches and present ideas that will reflect the values of our constituents, Davis said.
And while Republicans have a big majority, Democrats still have some tools and strategies at their disposal.
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Texas Democrats, once again in the minority, vow to be heard
Speaking at a New Hampshire diner about government waste, the Kentucky Republican said "there's always somebody who's deserving" of entitlement programs, "But everybody in this room knows somebody who's gaming the system."
In full 2016 mode, Rand Paul starts New Hampshire blitz
"What I tell people is, if you look like me and you hop out of your truck, you shouldn't be getting a disability check. Over half of the people on disability are either anxious or their back hurts -- join the club," he said, drawing a few laughs from the audience. "Who doesn't get a little anxious for work everyday and their back hurts? Everybody over 40 has back pain."
Paul qualified his comments, saying there are people who are legitimately disabled but reiterated that there are also "malingers" who are essentially taking money "from the people who are paraplegic, quadriplegic."
"We all know people who are horrifically disabled and can't work, but if you have able-bodied people taking the money then there's not enough money left for the people who are truly disabled," he added.
Ray Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, was quick to pounce on his comments, saying in a call with reporters that the remark was "ridiculously reminiscent" of Mitt Romney's controversial argument in 2012 that nearly half of Americans back Obama because they rely on government support.
Buckley acknowledged that there is fraud in the system but argued that Paul's estimation that more than half of beneficiaries shouldn't qualify was "way out of nowhere" and a "detachment from reality."
According to a December 2014 report from the Social Security Administration, 14% of those who were issued disability benefits were diagnosed with "mood disorders," while 28% reported "musculoskeletal system and connective tissue" diseases, which would be related to back problems.
What's happening in 2016: Romney and everyone else
Critics argue that the list of ailments covered by disability benefits is bloated and far too easy to take advantage of, resulting in millions of dollars in over-payments.
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Democrats hit Rand Paul for disability comments