MORNING
MESSAGE
We
are living through the greatest “wealth grab” in history. But inequality is not
produced by immutable forces. It’s the result of a legislative agenda promoted
by the rich and executed by their political allies. The struggle to change this
agenda and end inequality is inseparable from the other critical struggles of
our time. What follows are 10 facts about the 1 percent – but they’re not just
statistics. They’re a paint-by-numbers picture of an economy, and a democracy,
in urgent need of change.
NH Heats Up For DEMS
Sanders
defines his agenda as mainstream. W. Post quotes: “It is not a radical idea
to say that public education should go through college … We can afford these
programs because we’re going to transfer some of that wealth back.”
Democratic
insiders says Sanders winning the economic argument, reports Politico:
“Among Democratic insiders surveyed this week in the early states, 60 percent
said Sanders winning the economic argument – an assessment with which more than
three-quarters of Republicans agreed.”
Bill
Clinton attacks Bernie Sanders. NYT: “Bill Clinton uncorked an extended
attack on SenatorBernie Sanders on Sunday, harshly criticizing Mr. Sanders and
his supporters for what he described as inaccurate and ‘sexist’ attacks
onHillary Clinton. ‘When you’re making a revolution you can’t be too careful
with the facts,’ Mr. Clinton said … In a response, Tad Devine, a senior adviser
to Mr. Sanders, called it ‘disappointing that President Clinton has decided to
launch these attacks.'”
Bill
Clinton knocks Sanders for Clinton-era derivatives deregulation. Politico:
“…he brought up Sanders’ 2000 vote in favor of the commodities futures
modernization act — a bill Clinton signed into law. ‘He voted for that bill,’ he
said, ‘but you will never hear her say he is a tool of Wall Street because of
it, because they made a mistake.'”
Hillary
struggles to consolidate women’s vote. W. Post: “The latest sign came
Sunday, when a new CNN-WMUR survey here showed Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont
beating Clinton among women by eight percentage points … While many older
women’s rights advocates see the election of Clinton as the next logical step in
a broader movement, some younger activists have expressed resentment at the
notion that they should feel obligated to vote for Clinton…”
Clinton
goes off NH trail to visit Flint. NYT: “…speaking at a black church here on
Sunday, [she] implored Congress to pass a bill that would deliver aid…”
Sanders
outspending Clinton in NH. Politico: “On the heels of a record $20 million
fundraising haul in January — $5 million more than Clinton, who was expected to
set the pace — the Vermont senator has outspent her here by a margin of more
than 3-to-1 in television ads.”
NH May Not Winnow GOP Field
No
Republican shows momentum. W. Post: “Each of the top three finishers in Iowa
— Sen. Ted Cruz (Tex.), billionaire developer Donald Trump and Sen. Marco Rubio
(Fla.) — will begin the final push here with important questions surrounding
their candidacies. Trailing them are three governors whose campaigns have not
lit up the GOP’s restless and disaffected grass roots.”
Rubio
tripped up by caution. Politico: “…he’s also an fundamentally risk-averse
politician who often seeks the safety of a script [as] the final debate before
the primary here painfully revealed … the weak performance now raises the real
possibility that New Hampshire will not narrow the establishment lane …”
Republicans
stuck in a “time loop” says NYT’s Paul Krugman: “Mr. Rubio’s inability to do
anything besides repeat canned talking points was startling … truth is that the
whole G.O.P. seems stuck in a time loop, saying and doing the same things over
and over … there’s the ritual denunciation of Obamacare as a terrible, very bad,
no good, job-killing law … there’s the assertion that taxing the rich has
terrible effects on economic growth … on foreign policy the required G.O.P.
position has become one of utter confidence in the effectiveness of military
force. How did that work in Iraq?”
Progressive
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