ITS ALWAYS SOMETHING WITH SANDERS

Sen. Bernie Sanders suffered a crushing defeat Tuesday night, losing three out of five states to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton by significant margins at press time.

In a speech shortly after most polls closed at 8 pm, Sanders blamed his loss on closed primaries, which barred independent voters from participating in four of five primaries. He did win Rhode Island, which allows participation by independent voters.

“In a general election, Democrat, independent, Republican, has the right to vote for president. The elections are not closed primaries,” Sanders said. “Those folks and independents all over this country will be voting in November for the next president of the United States. And in most cases, we win the independent vote by a 2-1 margin.”

Clinton made another strong showing Tuesday night with non-white voters and city dwellers. Exit polls indicated strong support in cities like Baltimore.

Baltimore pastor Jamal Bryant, who had been working to get out the vote for Sanders in Baltimore’s inner city, lamented that the Vermont senator has not done better with communities of color, who have overwhelmingly backed Clinton.

“He more than any candidate, Democrat or Republican, speaks to our issues,” Bryant said, noting his progressive racial justice and criminal justice proposals. “I would have thought he’d have more black and brown supporters. But there’s been a translation problem. The gatekeepers have already sworn allegiance to the Clinton dynasty, and most people go with a name they’re already familiar with.

As his path to the nomination narrows, Sanders’ campaign is reassessing the senator’s prospects following Tuesday’s losses, and key supporters are admitting that it is increasingly unlikely he can clinch the nomination. His campaign and supporters have already turned their attention to how Sanders can use his popularity and influence to shape the Democratic Party even if he is not its standard bearer.

The New York Times reported that aides to Sanders have started pressing party officials for a major role in drafting the platform for the Democratic National Convention in July, especially on including issues like a $15-an-hour federal minimum wage, breaking up Wall Street banks, and banning natural gas fracking.

[cross-posted from thinkprogress]

NFTOS

STAFF WRITER

FROM MAVERICK TO SWAY BACK PACK HORSE

John McCain Becoming Irrelevant Before Our Eyes

We all know that the American Taliban is a delicate sensitive flower, and it's also a foregone conclusion that John McCain is bitter old white man - because he took an ass-whipping in the Presidential Election in 2008.

Minutes after President Barack Obama left a stage flanked by supporters where he implored Congressional Republicans to support a tentative deal to avoid going over the fiscal cliff, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) took to the floor of the Senate to accuse the president of “antagonizing” Republicans. He said that, based on the president’s casual press conference, he and the American people have to wonder whether Obama believes it is in his interest to go over the cliff.

In his speech to his fellow colleagues in the Senate on Monday, McCain did not express any faith that Obama’s press conference had moved the ball forward on negotiations to resolve the fiscal cliff:

“What did the President of the United States just do,” McCain asked. “Well, he kind of made fun – he made a couple of jokes. Laughed about how people are going to be here for New Years. Sent a message of confrontation to the Republicans; I believe he said, ‘if they think they’re going to do that, they’ve got another thought coming.’

“I guess I have to wonder – and the American people have to wonder – whether the president really wants this issue resolved, or is it to his short term political benefit for us to go over the cliff,” McCain added. “I can assure the president, I can assure him, that historians judge presidents on their achievements.”

 

Getting the Tea-baggers to "Yes" to anything the last 3 years has been virtually impossible. The American Taliban has been mocked for years, why is John so upset now?

The biggest bully in the Senate races to the floor and decries the President for “antagonizing” Republicans? That's rich. The GOP has spent four years antagonizing Obama and then when he doesn't bite they accuse him of being aloof and not caring. They have called him every name in the book, voted against any bill that would help the country, have not put forth any plan of their own - and now their feelings are hurt - and Obama may have lost votes?

American Taliban Priorities: To hell with the American people -- Obama hurt our feelings! I am so glad to see that the American Taliban continues to maintain a perspective regarding what factors they deem most important when making critical policy decisions.

John, a message to you and your kind: Your party is antiquated, your ideals are no longer the order of our country. The GOP was perfect and most suitable for let's say, 1776, not so much circa 2013. Take a seat old man, your sniveling and whining is best suited for someone dawning a diaper. You are to be commended for you service as a veteran, don't tarnish this with being a bitter old man. You are truly morphing from maverick to sway back pack horse before our very eyes. Sticks and stones may break my bone....................

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Roger West