Commentary: Democrats and the Narcissism of Small Differences

Eventually, I am going to get around to saying something about CNN’s hostility to Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) – evidenced, most recently, by its energetic exertions on behalf of the campaign to elect Elizabeth Warren at last Tuesday’s Democratic debate. And I’ll say something, too, about the delicious exhibition of angst-filled hand-wringing that said hostility occasioned in many precincts of the leftwing media.

First, however, since CNN apparently undertook its cheerleading for Warren in order to declare its feminist bona fides, I would like to pose a few questions as a sort of prolegomenon, what Kierkegaard, in another context, called a “preliminary expectoration.” 1) Why are feminists so unpleasant? 2) Why do they insist on whining instead of getting on with the task at hand? 3) Why do they tend to blame other people for their failures?

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Sanders’ Field Organizer Kyle Jurek Bailed Out After Arrest, Still No Comment from Campaign Over ‘Gulag’ Rants Caught on Camera

by Debra Heine   In the latest Project Veritas sting video, Kyle Jurek, the self-proclaimed anarcho-communist Soviet Gulag fan who is a field organizer for the Bernie Sanders Campaign in Iowa, admits that he was recently arrested for “weed” after knocking on doors for the campaign. Jurek told the Veritas reporter that the Sanders Iowa field director quickly bailed him out. Anonymous tipsters from within the Sanders Campaign in Iowa have since told Project Veritas that they are concerned about Jurek’s behavior and fear that he could be a threat to the president. As American Greatness reported on Tuesday, Jurek was arrested on January 7 in Saylor Township, Iowa, for operating while intoxicated (second offense), possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to provide proof of financial liability, and violation of probation. Project Veritas founder and president James O’Keefe wonders if the bail money came from Sanders’ campaign coffers. Jurek was caught on camera describing his arrest to the Project Veritas undercover journalist. “I got busted for weed by the f*cking police,” he said, adding that he was still going through “that process.” “Went to f*cking jail. The whole G*d-damned thing. F*cking right after we got done knocking on doors one night in Urbandale,”…

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Commentary: As Progressives Push Ever Leftward, an Orwellian ‘1984’ Election in 2020 Looms

For a variety of reasons, the 2020 election is going to be a referendum beyond Donald Trump’s record and his Democratic opposition.

The furor that Trump has incurred, and the radical antithesis to his agenda and first term, have redefined the looming election. It is becoming a stark choice between a revolutionary future versus American traditionalism.

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LEAHY: ‘USA on Way to Becoming Two Countries Divided by Common Language Where Same Words Mean Different Things to Each Side’

“The United States of America is well on its way to becoming two countries divided by a common language where the same words mean entirely different things to each side,” host Michael Patrick Leahy told co-host Doug Kellett Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report Early Edition with Michael Patrick Leahy and Doug Kellett – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am.

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Commentary: Under a President Sanders, UAW-Style Strikes Would be a Regular Occurrence

Americans woke up at the beginning of the week to hear an unusual bit of news – thousands of auto workers had gone on strike. Union strikes are hardly a common occurrence, and strikes have become particularly rare in the auto industry. In fact, the United Auto Workers hasn’t had a national strike against GM since 2007. But, if Senator and presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) had his druthers, large national strikes would be a frequent occurrence.

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The Tennessee Star Report Talks to Jim Larew About How 2020 Democrat Presidential Contenders are Being Received in Iowa

In a specific discussion Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy spoke to long time friend and resident of Iowa, Jim Larew. Larew is also the leading Democrat from Iowa who served as an aid and Chief of Staff to former Senator John ‘Chet’ Culver.

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Commentary: Bernie Sanders Oppressor of the Working Class

by CHQ Staff   Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders has pledged to American workers that he would institute a $15-per-hour minimum wage if he wins the White House in 2020. But, reports Dom Calicchio of Fox News, unionized workers on Sanders’ own campaign say they wish he would start now — by paying a higher wage to them. In a letter to Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir, Mr. Calicchio reports the campaign staffers claim they “cannot be expected to build the largest grassroots organizing program in American history while making poverty wages.” “Given our campaign’s commitment to fighting for a living wage of at least $15.00 an hour,” the letter continued, “we believe it is only fair that the campaign would carry through this commitment to its own field team.” The field organizers claim that their long hours working on behalf of Sanders drop their actual pay to about $13 per hour. “Many field staffers are barely managing to survive financially,” the union letter says, “which is severely impacting our team’s productivity and morale. Some field organizers have already left the campaign as a result.” Sanders’ campaign manager Shakir seemed to paint a different picture Mr. Calicchio reported, “We know…

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Commentary: It’s Bernie’s Party Now

by Christopher Roach   After watching two nights of Democratic primary debates, I felt like I needed more than my regular shower. The party increasingly is far-left, divided between the identity politics’ wokeness of candidates like former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro and Senator Cory Booker and the economic leftism of Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. While there was a lot of smoke, some jabs, catfights, and some comic relief by New Age guru Marianne Williamson, the most striking thing is how much the entire group agreed on ideas that, only a few years ago, were fringe positions: eliminating fossil fuels, “Medicare for All,” robust government-financed health care for illegal aliens, a weaker border, and more gun control. Sanders the Insurgent The 2016 loser, Bernie Sanders, has a lot to do with this state of affairs. He electrified the Democratic party in 2016 with his insurgent campaign. The Vermont socialist railed against inequality, in favor of debt relief, and against the crony capitalism of Wall Street, which he blamed with some justification for the 2008 economic crisis. He also criticized his opponent for her foreign policy, which started wars in Libya, Syria, and Yemen, in spite of…

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Ellison Passes Over Klobuchar, Endorses Sanders for President

  Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has endorsed (again) Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont for president, straying from a pack of Minnesota politicians who are supporting hometown candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar in the race. “Kamala, Julien [sic] and Pete all did very well. Elizabeth showed why she is a true leader; champion of working families everywhere. But Bernie Sanders dominated both nights with the force of ideas, which have been consistent throughout his service. I support him—like I did last time,” Ellison wrote on Twitter early Friday morning after the second night of Democratic debates. Kamala, Julien & Pete all did very well. Elizabeth showed why she is a true leader; champion of working families everywhere. But @BernieSanders dominated both nights with the force of ideas, which have been consistent throughout his service. I support him – like I did last time. — Keith Ellison (@keithellison) June 28, 2019 Ellison was one of the first members of Congress to support Sanders’ 2016 bid for the presidency. Sanders, in turn, supported Ellison in his run for DNC chair in 2017, and his 2018 campaign for his current role as Minnesota’s attorney general. Ellison told The Star Tribune that his endorsement of…

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Commentary: Leading Progressives Blame the Wrong Culprit for Rising College Costs

by James D. Agresti   Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and certain media outlets are blaming steep rises in college costs on reduced government funding for higher education. The reality is that inflation-adjusted government spending per college student has risen by about three times since the 1960s and is now at an all-time high. In spite of this, college graduation rates, academic time investment, and the learning of practical skills are all suffering. The True Costs of College Over the past several decades, college tuitions have ballooned, negatively impacting parents, students, and recent grads who are struggling to pay back student loans. The inflation-adjusted average sticker price for public college has doubled since 1980. For private colleges, it has nearly tripled: Many students pay less for college than published sticker prices because of discounts, scholarships, and financial aid. Thus, David Leonhardt of the New York Times argues that sticker prices exaggerate the cost of college. However, the truth is that society pays for all of these costs and more. Whatever students and parents don’t pay, taxpayers and donors do. In fact, the full costs of colleges far exceed their sticker prices. The average annual sticker price at 4-year public colleges is…

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Warren Leading in Minnesota, Klobuchar Polling in Fourth in Home State

  A new poll shows Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) leading the field in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary in Minnesota. According to the recent Change Research poll, Warren attracted the support of 21 percent of respondents, while former Vice President Joe Biden came in second with 20 percent of the vote, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) placed third with 19 percent. Sixteen percent of respondents said they would vote for Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) in Minnesota’s Democratic primary, putting her in fourth place in her home state. That puts her in front of South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), who polled at 11 percent and four percent, respectively. Younger voters between 18 and 49 preferred Sanders over Warren, while voters between the ages of 50 and 64 preferred Biden as the nominee. Klobuchar polled stronger among older voters as well, receiving 19 percent of the vote among respondents aged 50 to 64. Female voters selected Warren, Biden, and Klobuchar as their top candidates, while male voters preferred Sanders, Biden, and Buttigieg. Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) polled at zero percent in Change Research’s poll, along with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-02) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). “Polling…

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Bernie Will Take on Biden During the First Round of Democratic Debates

by Molly Prince   Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is slated to go up in a debate against the only Democratic opponent who has consistently been polling ahead of him, former Vice President Joe Biden. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced Thursday the 20 presidential candidates invited to participate in the first round of primary debates, and a day later the DNC revealed the break out of who is scheduled to appear on which of the two debate stages. The two frontrunners, Biden and Sanders, will noticeably appear on the same stage during the June 27 debate. The other candidates who will be at a podium include Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, California Sen. Kamala Harris, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, California Rep. Eric Swalwell, entrepreneur Andrew Yang and author Marianne Williamson In order to score one of the debate podiums, candidates must have either received donations from at least 65,000 unique donors (with a minimum of 200 donors in more than 19 states) or received at least 1 percent support in three DNC-approved polls. Who gets a spot at which debate was reportedly determined by a random draw of the qualifying…

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Sanders: Socialism Will Spike Taxes, But Americans Will Be ‘Delighted’ to Pay Extra

by Jake Dima   Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders acknowledged a tax increase from his policies and said Americans would be “delighted” to pay extra, in a CNN interview with Anderson Cooper Wednesday. “I suspect that a lot of people in this country would be delighted to pay more in taxes if they had comprehensive health care as a human right,” Sanders said. The Vermont senator also went on to tell Cooper that he bases his principles on his 50-mile proximity to the Canadian border, where universal health care is law. What Sanders did not include in his statement was the cost of his programs. The Mercatus Center at George Mason University released a study in 2018 saying Americans can estimate to foot a $32.6 trillion bill over a 10-year period for “Medicare for All,” Fox News reported. Sanders has also omitted cost information on his campaign website. The 10-year cost breaks down to $3.26 trillion per year, according to the report. The current U.S. federal budget stands around $4.7 trillion. Sanders also told Cooper Wednesday that housing, retirement, education and a clean environment are among his staples of “human rights.” President Donald Trump was a subject of discussion in…

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Bannon Says Biden Is Making ‘Happy Talk’ to Hide His Financial Ties to Chinese Communist Party

  Joe Biden is “a useful idiot” for the Chinese Communist Party, Steve Bannon told The John Fredericks Radio Network. The full interview with Bannon is available here. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vz2H25yyIBo&feature=youtu.be Bannon, with Citizens for the American Republic, has long said it is globalists like Biden who are managing the decline of economies all over the world, Fredericks said. Bannon criticized a story by The Hill as “an outrageous attack” on Trump concerning China. Biden, in Iowa, is trying to “happy talk his way past China.” However, Biden has not addressed his being compromised by China’s communist government and how his son Hunter allegedly took $1.5 billion from the Bank of China. “That’s how the Chinese Communist party does influence peddling,” Bannon said. The Community Party provides capital for politicians. Yet Biden blames Trump for China’s economic war against America, Bannon said. Biden supported NAFTA and every trade deal to destroy middle-class jobs. Trump is the first president to engage the Communist Party in an economic war and bring the supply chain back to the U.S., Bannon said. “He’s the only president who stood up for the middle-class people.” In The Hill story, Biden called Trump an “existential threat” to the nation,…

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Warren Challenges Sanders’ For Progressives’ Support

  As a Michigan field organizer for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, Mike McDermott trained volunteers to knock on doors and call voters, helping the Vermont senator upset Hillary Clinton in a crucial Midwestern state. But as the 2020 campaign heats up, McDermott is all-in for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, creating a Michigan for Warren PAC to raise early money for her efforts and promoting her campaign through a website and Facebook page. While he’s still a Sanders fan, McDermott sees Warren as a fresher face who’s more electable and doesn’t have the baggage of a 2016 loss. “It’s really 1a and 1b for me,” McDermott said. “With Warren, I think there’s more crossover appeal. She doesn’t have 2016 branded on her.” That sentiment represents the new challenge facing Sanders, who is in second place in most national polls behind Joe Biden. The former vice president has eaten into Sanders’ base with appeals to blue-collar union voters. But Warren is emerging as another threat, winning over voters such as McDermott with a raft of proposals that sometimes go further left than those backed by Sanders. Warren and Sanders are vying to become the progressive alternative to Biden, a competition that’s…

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Bernie Sanders Stands by ‘Fake Border Crisis’ Comments, Criticizes Trump’s Deal with Mexico

by Jason Hopkins   Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders dodged questions Sunday when explicitly asked if he would call the situation at the U.S.-Mexico a “crisis.” CNN host Dana Bash asked Sanders on CNN’s “State of the Union” about a tweet he sent Wednesday in which he called the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border a “fake border ‘crisis.’” Bash, however, noted that U.S. Border Patrol agents encountered over 144,000 illegal migrants in May, the highest number in 13 years. “Border facilities are dangerously overcrowded. Migrants are actually standing on toilets to get space to breathe. How is that not a crisis?” Bash asked the Vermont senator. In response, Sanders accused President Donald Trump of wielding a political strategy that involves demonizing illegal immigrants and Muslims in order to divide the country. He then called for changes to asylum laws that bring in “a whole lot more legal staff and judges.” Bash interjected, asking again if he would call the situation a crisis. “It is a serious problem, but it is not the kind of crisis that requires demonization of desperate people who in some cases have walked a thousand miles with chair children,” Sanders said. “It is an issue we have to deal with.…

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Analysis: Bernie Sanders’ Education Plan Is Rife with Deceit

by James D. Agresti   Presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has unveiled a plan that he says will create “an education system that works for all people, not just the wealthy and powerful.” In it, he portrays the U.S. education system as grossly underfunded and racially biased, but the statements he makes to support these notions are misleading or explicitly false. Racial Segregation Sanders repeatedly blames the “re-segregation of our K–12 schools” for the poor academic performance of black and Latino students. He bases this claim on an article in the New York Times, which declares that “nonwhite and low-income students who attend integrated schools perform better academically,” but there is a “long history of white resistance to desegregation efforts,” and “school secession movements—in which parents seek to form their own, majority-white districts—are accelerating.” The Times article is primarily based on a report from the UCLA Civil Rights Project. Buried 21 pages deep in that report is the fact that “the share of intensely segregated white schools, that is, schools that enroll 90–100% white students, has declined from 38.9% in 1988 to 16% in 2016.” In plain language, “white” schools have become more integrated, which deflates the storylines…

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