Let's blast.
[SigDems]
Luis Miranda, Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8148 - MirandaL@dnc.org
- @MiraLuisDC
From: Lykins, Tyler
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 5:03 PM
To: Miranda, Luis; Paustenbach, Mark; RR2
Cc: Palermo, Rachel; Price, Jenna
Subject: RE: FOR REVIEW: ADVISORY FOR TOMORROW PRESS CALL.
Great, one ed.
From: Miranda, Luis
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 4:32 PM
To: Paustenbach, Mark; RR2
Cc: Palermo, Rachel; Price, Jenna
Subject: FOR REVIEW: ADVISORY FOR TOMORROW PRESS CALL.
For Planning Purposes
May 10, 2016
Contact: DNC Press - 202-863-8148
*MEDIA ADVISORY*
TOMORROW, MAY 11, at 1:30 PM ET: DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz hosts press call on the state of the presidential race
Tomorrow, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will host a conference call to discuss the state of the race, the excitement voters see on within the Democratic primary, and the historic chaos unfolding on the Republican side as a slew of prominent Republicans have announced they either won't support Trump or attend the GOP's convention.
WHO: DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz
WHAT: Press Call on State of the Race
WHEN: TOMORROW, May 11th at 1:30 PM ET
RSVP: Please email Jenna Price, at PriceJ@dnc.org
for dial-in information
###


For Planning Purposes ONLY
April 26, 2016
Contact: DNC Press - 202-863-8148
*MEDIA ADVISORY*
TOMORROW, April 27th at 10:00 AM ET: Democrats Host Media Call To Discuss the Catastrophic Implications of a Trump Presidency
Throughout his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump has made consistently ignorant and alarming statements and taken positions that jeopardize Americans domestically and abroad. Despite 73 straight months of private sector job growth, he has peddled utter fiction in predicting a recession and warned against investing in the stock market. He has threatened to pull back from NATO, refused to say that he wouldn't use nuclear weapons in Europe, and even said that he would punish women who obtain abortions.
Tomorrow, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA) and Congressman Ted Lieu (CA) will host a media call to discuss the catastrophic implications of a Trump presidency, in advance of Donald Trump's foreign policy speech at the National Press Club.
WHO: DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Congressman Seth Moulton and Congressman Ted Lieu
WHAT: Media Call
WHEN: TOMORROW, April 27th at 10:00 AM ET
RSVP: Please email Jenna Price, PriceJ@dnc.org for dial-in information
###


From: Evan Lukaske  On Behalf Of Evan Lukaske
Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2016 11:30 AM
To: Wei, Shu-Yen
Subject: RELEASE: GOP Gov Candidates United Against The Minimum Wage
View this email in your browser
[
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2016
Contact: elukaske@nhdp.org
GOP Gov Candidates United Against The Minimum Wage
NH Minimum Wage Tied for Lowest in the Nation
Concord, N.H. – New Hampshire families take note. The Republican candidates for governor are not on your side.
WMUR reported Thursday
that all of the Republican candidates for governor—Executive Councilor Chris Sununu, Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas, State Senator Jeanie Forrester and State Representative Frank Edelblut—oppose the establishment of a state minimum wage, despite the fact New Hampshire is tied for the lowest minimum wage
in the country at $7.25-an-hour.
“The Republican candidates’ steadfast opposition to establishing a minimum wage highlights how vastly out-of-touch they are with New Hampshire’s working families,” said NHDP Chair Ray Buckley. “Everyday Granite Staters are hurting, but Republicans continue to stick with the failed trickle-down economic policies of the past. It’s clear the GOP primary is deteriorating into a race to see who can run the farthest to the right, and they're all tied.”
The Democratic candidates for governor—Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern, former State Securities Bureau Chief Mark Connolly and former Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand—all support establishing a state minimum wage.
Buckley concluded, “No matter who wins the primaries, voters will have a clear choice this November between a Republican who opposes raising the minimum wage and a Democrat who supports it.”
###
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Paid for by the New Hampshire Democratic Party.
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.
www.nhdp.org
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Adding April on the Convention team
From: Miranda, Luis
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 3:03 PM
To: Paustenbach, Mark; Garcia, Walter
Cc: Patrice Taylor; Dacey, Amy; Federico, Courtney; Walker, Eric; Alvillar, Raul; Khan, Ali
Subject: RE: Nevada Dems
Plus others. I think we should point out that it's a state party event so that we'd have to refer them back to the state party. We don't want to own the chaos. But we might have to say something more broadly about the process. What do others think?
[SigDems]
Luis Miranda, Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8148 - MirandaL@dnc.org
- @MiraLuisDC
From: Paustenbach, Mark
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2016 2:43 PM
To: Miranda, Luis; Garcia, Walter
Subject: Fwd: Nevada Dems
FYI
Mark Paustenbach
National Press Secretary &
Deputy Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202.863.8148
paustenbachm@dnc.org
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Rappeport, Alan"
>
Date: May 16, 2016 at 2:36:02 PM EDT
To: "Paustenbach, Mark"
>
Subject: Nevada Dems
Hi Mark,
Hope all is well. Was checking to see if you can give me a comment about the chaos at the Nevada state convention over the weekend and the treatement of Roberta Lange, the party chairwoman there, by Sanders supporters. I'm interested in what this means for party unity as the convention approaches.
Thx,
Alan
Alan Rappeport
The New York Times
1627 I St NW, 7th Floor
Washington DC 20006
(o) 202-862-0401
(c) 917-415-4026
@arappeport


For Planning Purposes
May 11, 2016
Contact: DNC Press - 202-863-8148
*MEDIA ADVISORY*
TODAY, MAY 11, at 3:00 PM ET: DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz hosts press call on the state of the presidential race
Today, DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz will host a conference call to discuss the state of the race, the excitement voters see within the Democratic primary, and the historic chaos unfolding on the Republican side as a slew of prominent Republicans have announced they either won't support Trump or attend the GOP's convention.
WHO: DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz
WHAT: Press Call on State of the Race
WHEN: TODAY, May 11th at 3:00 PM ET
RSVP: Please email Jenna Price, at PriceJ@dnc.org
for dial-in information
###
To be automatically unsubscribed from this list, please email: dncrrmain-unsubscribe@dnc.org


For Immediate Release
May 19, 2016
Contact: Matt Farrauto - matt@njdems.org
Donald Trump Comes to Town for More Than Just Gov. Christie’s Furniture
Lawrenceville- Gov. Chris Christie hopes to capitalize on his newfound friendship with Donald Trump, literally. Trump will come help
Christie and the NJ GOP pay off debts by hosting two high dollar fundraisers, after the questionable proceeds
from the garage sale of his campaign furniture to his Super PAC wasn’t enough to cover almost a quarter million in campaign debt and half a million
in legal fees related to the Bridgegate scandal.
“Look no further than Chris Christie for evidence that the current Republican Party is to blame for the rise of Donald Trump,” said Matt Farrauto, communications director for the New Jersey Democratic State Committee. “Questionable ethics coupled with threats of violence has become the standard for the Republican Party across the country.”
Donald Trump’s appearance in New Jersey is a flip-flop on his previous view of Bridgegate itself, having stated that Christie “totally knew”
about his allies scheme to shut down access lanes on the George Washington Bridge in the name of political retaliation.
Maybe Trump will visit again soon to shore up the Transportation Trust Fund
before it goes broke this summer.
###


Good
From: Paustenbach, Mark
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2016 10:31 PM
To: RR2
Subject: FOR RR2: DWS press call script
Trump-Ryan Press Call Script 5.11.16
Mark Paustenbach:
Thank you, everyone, for joining today's on-the-record call. This call is being recorded. We look forward to discussing the state of the race following the results of last night's latest primary contests in West Virginia and Nebraska. We will also discuss the tomorrow's meetings between the Republican Party's new presumptive nominee for President, Donald Trump, and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and the rest of the House Republican leadership. It's now clear that Trump is the Republican Party.
Now, I'd like to introduce Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz.
Chair Wasserman Schultz:
Thank you Mark.
And thank you to everyone who is on the call. Of course we now know that Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee, but we wanted to take a moment to discuss the historic and unprecedented division taking place on the Republican side --- especially visible this week as Donald Trump prepares to sit down tomorrow with Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan.
The irony is that Trump's impending nomination is the result of years of the Republican Party elevating extreme voices, and using divisive campaigns that sought to exploit unfounded fears for political gain. Well they've made their bed, and now they're lying in it.
With his lock on the Republican nomination, Donald Trump has ensured that his Party's problems won't be limited to convention chaos -- he's going to force GOP races big and small across the country to have to own his ugly, divisive and dangerous rhetoric all the way to the general election.
That's why the party faithful -- from senior leaders to the voters of Nebraska and West Virginia yesterday -- have started to fret publicly about their party's deepening divides, and stumble with no real strategy for embracing their divisive and dangerous standard bearer. Democrats, on the other hand, have shown in state after state that our voters are excited about our primary, and optimistic about both of our candidates.
There has never been a situation in which the sitting Speaker of the House of Representatives simply doesn't want to support his party's nominee. It's stunning that Paul Ryan had to say he was willing to step down as the Chair of his party's convention.
The distress amongst party leaders is palpable. The list of Republican leaders who refuse to support Donald Trump got longer this week, with Ted Cruz joining Ryan, and a slew of former GOP presidential candidates and Republican presidents who are equally dismayed at his divisive and dangerous rhetoric.
In exit polls yesterday, just ten percent of Republican voters in West Virginia and three percent in Nebraska said they think their party is united. Majorities of Republican primary voters in recent weeks have expressed concern about their party being divided.
When you look at the trend lines nationally on our side, In contest after contest, Democratic voters are reporting their enthusiasm for both of our candidates.
*         The national trend favors Democrats, who have seen in exit polls week after week that our voters are excited about our primary.
o    In Indiana last week, three-quarters of Democrats said they've been energized by the nomination contest, while nearly six in ten Republicans said they think their party has been divided.
o    In Pennsylvania the week before, the story was the same, as it was in New York the week before that, and Wisconsin before that.
Democrats are building the infrastructure for the general election, and we're doing it with voters enthusiastic because they see our candidates have the right ideas to build on the progress of the last seven years.
So we're very confident that we're well positioned heading into the general election and that we'll have the strongest candidate.
But we're not taking anything for granted, we're going to hold Trump and Republicans up and down the ballot accountable for their repeated promises to drag our country right back to the reckless policies that were in place in 2009 when the last Republican president left office; when we were losing 800,000 jobs a month; and, when countless Americans lost their homes and savings.
So that's another reason that this Trump - Ryan - McConnell meeting matters. It's a reminder that what the Republican presumptive nominee is promising is the same brand of trickle-down economic policies that help those at the top while costing hardworking Americans.
Despite their fretting over his divisive and dangerous rhetoric, when you look under the hood, Trump doesn't look much different from Ryan or McConnell, and certainly like many of the down ballot Republicans.
Despite his attempts at slight-of-hand, for example, it's clear that Trump's reckless tax plan is modeled on what the Republican Party has done for years, built on the same failed foundation of rewarding those at the top
by slashing the top income tax rate. Trump's plan would bring that tax rate to 25 percent from 39.6 percent. That would give
the "top 0.1% of income earners like himself an average tax cut of more than $1.3 million."
Republicans in Congress also want to lower
the individual tax rate for the wealthiest Americans to 25 percent. Trump also plans to substantially
reduce the corporate tax rate, instead of fixing loopholes that allow some large companies to pay no federal income tax at all. Paul Ryan and his colleagues have also proposed cutting corporate taxes down to 25 percent - making Trump's 15 percent plan even more extreme than the Ryan Budget.
It's the same old Republican playbook. And it's consistent with Trump's history of making money off the backs of hardworking people.
Trump's Republican bona fides go further. He actually said at one of the Republican Party's debates that wages were "too high". He not only opposes raising the federal minimum wage but thinks there shouldn't be a federal minimum wage at all. Now he tries to play sleight of hand, but that's what he promised.
And Trump's statement this past week that the United States of America, as a country, shouldn't honor its debt and just print more money is flat out dangerous. But it's consistent with McConnell and Ryan, who have allowed their colleagues in Congress to bring our country to the brink of default by playing games with the debt ceiling, and threatened our credit rating.
Put simply, Trump and the Republicans he's meeting with cannot be trusted on the economy. When they win, the American people lose.
Trump is divisive and dangerous, and he lacks the judgment and temperament to be president. The contrast couldn't be clearer with our candidates, who I'm proud of, who have run substantive and spirited campaigns.
Now we can open it up to questions.


On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 10:09 AM -0700, "Palermo, Rachel"
> wrote:
Adding video_d.
--
[DNC]
Rachel Palermo
Democratic National Committee
PalermoR@dnc.org
202-863-8041
From: Brinster, Jeremy
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 12:40 PM
To: Palermo, Rachel; Freundlich, Christina; Miranda, Luis; Paustenbach, Mark; RR2
Subject: RE: FOR RR2: Donald Trump’s Ongoing Support for a Muslim Ban
Looks great
From: Palermo, Rachel
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 12:38 PM
To: Freundlich, Christina; Miranda, Luis; Brinster, Jeremy; Paustenbach, Mark; RR2
Subject: RE: FOR RR2: Donald Trump’s Ongoing Support for a Muslim Ban
Clean here. Will blast when I have the link.
SL: Donald Trump’s Ongoing Support for a Muslim Ban
Donald Trump’s ongoing support for his dangerous ban on Muslims entering the United States remains strong, despite broad agreement that such a divisive measure would only make America less safe. It is clear that Donald Trump does not have the temperament or judgment needed to occupy the White House.
·         When asked whether he would stick by his ban in the general election, Trump said, “I don't care if it hurts me. I'm doing the right thing when I do this.” [video link]
·         According to interviews
with The New York Times, Trump plans to have his Muslim ban in place within his first 100 days as President.
·         Trump’s website still notes
that he “is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on. According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim populations.”
·         Trump has said
he did not care if his call to ban all Muslims from entering the United States was “politically incorrect.” He argued that, “We Have No Choice. We Have. No. Choice.”
·         This week, after Donald Trump reiterated his plan to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., London’s newly-elected mayor Sadiq Khan rejected
the insulting idea that he could be one of Trump’s “exceptions.”
--
[DNC]
Rachel Palermo
Democratic National Committee
PalermoR@dnc.org
202-863-8041
From: Freundlich, Christina
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 12:33 PM
To: Miranda, Luis; Brinster, Jeremy; Paustenbach, Mark; RR2
Subject: RE: FOR RR2: Donald Trump’s Ongoing Support for a Muslim Ban
We are waiting for one link that I submitted to video and then we will get this out.
From: Miranda, Luis
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 12:33 PM
To: Brinster, Jeremy; Paustenbach, Mark; RR2
Subject: RE: FOR RR2: Donald Trump’s Ongoing Support for a Muslim Ban
Good her.e
[SigDems]
Luis Miranda, Communications Director
Democratic National Committee
202-863-8148 – MirandaL@dnc.org
- @MiraLuisDC
From: Brinster, Jeremy
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 12:21 PM
To: Paustenbach, Mark; RR2
Subject: RE: FOR RR2: Donald Trump’s Ongoing Support for a Muslim Ban
If we want to take out despicable, I changed the topper below so as not to use “divisive” twice
From: Brinster, Jeremy
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 12:19 PM
To: Paustenbach, Mark; RR2
Subject: RE: FOR RR2: Donald Trump’s Ongoing Support for a Muslim Ban
New topper added below
From: Brinster, Jeremy
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 12:17 PM
To: Paustenbach, Mark; RR2
Subject: RE: FOR RR2: Donald Trump’s Ongoing Support for a Muslim Ban
Here’s the morning joe link on Vantage—I think you need to make a youtube request if you want the link (starts around 7:33)
From: Paustenbach, Mark
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2016 11:57 AM
To: RR2
Subject: FOR RR2: Donald Trump’s Ongoing Support for a Muslim Ban
SL: Donald Trump’s Ongoing Support for a Muslim Ban
Donald Trump’s ongoing support for his dangerous ban on Muslims entering the United States remains strong, despite broad agreement that such a divisive measure would only make America less safe. It is clear that Donald Trump does not have the temperament or judgment needed to occupy the White House.
·         When asked whether he would stick by his ban in the general election, Trump said, “I don't care if it hurts me. I'm doing the right thing when I do this.” [Do we have a link? … Morning Joe, MSNBC, 5/4/16]
·         According to interviews
with The New York Times, Trump plans to have his immigration Muslim ban in place within his first 100 days as President.
·         Trump’s website still notes
that he “is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on. According to Pew Research, among others, there is great hatred towards Americans by large segments of the Muslim populations.”
·         Trump has said
he did not care if his call to ban all Muslims from entering the United States was “politically incorrect.” He argued that, “We Have No Choice. We Have. No. Choice.”
·         This week, after Donald Trump reiterated his plan to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., London’s newly-elected mayor Sadiq Khan rejected
the insulting idea that he could be one of Trump’s “exceptions.” [New link too]


Colleagues---I’m sharing for your reference excerpts from the Vice President’s remarks yesterday at the University of Tampa, at an event host by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce.  Regards, Dan
EXCERPTS FROM REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN
ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
Hosted by the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce
University of Tampa
Tampa, Florida
May 11, 2016
I want to thank you for hosting me today.   This is a beautiful, beautiful -- obviously, beautiful city -- but it’s a beautiful campus.  And I’m here to discuss with you today with your permission the relationship with our neighbors throughout the hemisphere.
And I wanted to come here to Tampa because our policy in the Americas isn’t just a matter of think tank, and the think tank crowd in Washington, D.C.  Our neighbors in Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean -- they impact on our domestic security and prosperity like no other region in the world.
I was just -- on the way down on Air Force Two had a long discussion with President Peña Nieto.  And there’s a lot going on.  And I pointed out to him -- or we discussed that we have no more important relationship than with Mexico and the rest of the hemisphere.  The possibilities for this hemisphere are staggering.
I believe that’s as true today, than it’s been any other moment in history, that we are better positioned in this hemisphere than we have ever been.  And that's why from the outset, our administration, the President and I have made improving relationships with our neighbors a priority.  And I emphasize the word relationships.  Not just specific transactional occurrences, our overall relationship.
I need not tell this great university that there’s a lot of history shaping our engagement in the region, and not all of it positive.  And we all -- we've recognized that.  But we've also made a decision.  We weren’t going to be bound by the mistakes of the past or trapped in outmoded ideologies that no longer were relevant in the 21st century.  So from the outset, when the President one day turned to me, like is his habit, and he said, Joe, why don't you do the hemisphere?.......And I said, okay, Mr. President, I’ll do the hemisphere.  But all kidding aside, we made it clear -- and I made it clear from the beginning -- our relationship, this administration’s relationship, America’s relationship with the hemisphere would be grounded on mutual respect.  No longer would we ask what can the United States do for the region.  What we literally ask and want to know is what can we do with the region in true partnership.  It’s not what we can do for, it’s what we can do with.
And just that one commitment has had a profound impact on our relationships from Chile to Mexico, and everywhere in between.
*             *             *
And so I’m proud to say that today, I think I can say it without fear of contradiction, our relationships in the neighborhood are as good as they've ever been in American history.  That doesn't mean we still don't have disagreements.  We do.  But our willingness to engage with seriousness and with respect has changed the way the leaders -- and I would argue -- the people of the region view us, from the CARICOM countries, throughout the hemisphere.
And that's critical, in my view, because the Western Hemisphere is not the same place it was 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago.  Today, the nations of the Americas are defined by opportunity by and large, not crisis.  Oh, challenges persist.  And I’ll address some of those today.  But we've seen vital shifts in the hemisphere.
The expansion of trade and regional economic growth has helped bring in tens of millions of people out of poverty into the middle class.  With courage and determination, the people of the region have made democracy an established norm.  There are exceptions, but it’s become the norm rather than the exception.  We're increasingly seeing political pragmatism replace populism.  And across the region, nations are stepping out on a global scale to contribute more internationally.
For the first time in our history, in my view, I think it’s possible to imagine a hemisphere that is middle class, secure from -- just simply secure -- all the way from the northern reaches of Canada to the tip of Chile.  I think that is within our wheelhouse.  It’s within our power.  If we're smart and we get a little lucky.
We're not there yet, but I’m confident if we make the right choices, we can be.  And as a consequence of that, I predict to you -- the students that are here -- I will not be around to determine whether my prediction is right or not -- but 25 years from now, the single-most consequential hemisphere in the world will be the Western Hemisphere.
And this transformation will generate opportunity for all of the people in the Americas, including the United States -- notwithstanding what you hear some other voices saying these day.  So that's what I’d like to talk to you a few minutes about today.
*             *             *
We've done this all while insisting on new international norms and standards for workers’ rights, for environmental protection, and the protection of intellectual property.  We're already beginning to see the impact of these tightened regulatory standards for those who want to be part of it.  Mexico has just announced an unprecedented change in their labor laws, including their constitution.
And while in the midst of an energy revolution here in the United States and North America, we're being put in a position where we're able to generate significant economic gains.  Thanks to our abundance of natural gas and renewable energy resources, North America -- the United States, Canada, Mexico -- is the new epicenter -- is the new epicenter -- of energy in the world.
CENTCOM is going to have a lot less reason to have to invest as much as we've invested over the last 40 years.  It’s not going to be the Arabian Peninsula, not Russia, not Iran, not Nigeria, not Venezuela.  North America -- Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
And this shift has unlocked significant opportunities -- reducing our trade deficit, giving us greater flexibility in dealing with other oil-producing states.  Not many nations have leverage over us anymore.  And it’s increasing energy trade in the hemisphere, bolstering the energy security of our closest neighbors.
Last week I hosted Presidents and Prime Ministers and senior leaders from across Central America and the CARICOM countries.  The purpose was to discuss our progress in integrating regional energy markets and diversifying into more renewable, more affordable, and more reliable sources of energy.
To help meet those needs, we recently opened a new liquefied natural gas export terminal.  The first shipment left Louisiana for Brazil in February.  And we will see even greater opportunities when the Panama Canal opens -- and two new locks -- next month.  I’ve seen the Seven Wonders of the World.  You want to see the eighth, go to the Panama Canal.  I’m serious.  These two new locks are absolutely breathtaking in their scope and their size and their capacity.
*             *             *
We should also seize the moment to strengthen our relationships with the region’s people and harness the good will that we have earned.  And that starts with our two closest neighbors -- Canada and Mexico.
The strength of our North America partnership is vital to the prosperity and security of the United States.  In February, I traveled to Mexico for what they called the third High Level Economic Dialogue, which has opened up new partnerships and opportunities for our people to do even more business together.
*             *             *
We’ve built strong relationships with the people of Brazil, as well as vital trade partnerships.  And that's critical because Brazil will remain a global economic power, even as it navigates its current very difficult political challenges.  I know how many of you have closely followed our opening with Cuba.  It’s been mentioned already.  And not just because the Tampa Bay Rays beat Cuba 4 to 1.  (Laughter and applause.)  In March.
Notwithstanding that, we actually created new opportunities for U.S. business in emerging Cuban private sector.  And it’s engendered greater personal connection with the citizens of Cuba.
And here’s the thing, I’ve had a chance to meet every leader of every country in the hemisphere.  And the single act of beginning to normalize the relationship with Cuba has lifted an enormous burden off of them, allowing them much more flexibility to deal with us as they want to do.  It’s had multiple benefits so far.  It’s paid important foreign policy dividends.
We still have real disagreements with the Cuban government about its denial of basic freedoms to its citizens.  And we're going to continue to raise these issues and stand up for the protection of human rights.  I was asked to speak to the OAS when we were in the process of moving forward, and I said to them quite bluntly, we're doing what you've wanted us to do.  And it’s the right thing to do.  But now we expect you to speak up when we talk about the violation of human rights.  You all must be part of making sure that this reform ultimately takes place.
But shifting from isolation to engagement proved that our promise to listen rather than dictate to the region was more than just words.  And in the past several months, I’ve had conversations with the Presidents of Brazil, Colombia, Chile, and many more.  And all of them told me how it has significantly enhanced their ability and flexibility at home to build partnerships and get things done with the United States of America.
*             *             *
We also have a chance to restore our relationship with Argentina, which has been on rocky grounds for over a decade.  When I recently traveled to give the keynote address to the World Economic Forum in Davos last January, I made the point of meeting for some time with Argentina’s new President.  And in March, President Obama made the first visit of an American President in more than decade.
President Macri has laid out an ambitious reform agenda and demonstrated a renewed willingness to return to the international financial community.  It’s already yielding new collaboration in the energy sector, as well as improved security cooperation.  Our relationship with Cuba and Argentina illustrate an important theme:  We won’t close off any opportunity to build relationships with the people of the region.
And I might add that includes Venezuela.  Last December we saw a watershed in Venezuela politics, an election won by the opposition.  Their national assembly now represents the diversity of the political views of the country.  But as neighbors who care about the Venezuelan people, we are deeply concerned about the current economic situation, food shortages, lack of medicine, and even water, blackouts, rising crime rates, homicide rates.  And the Venezuelan government continues to commit serious human rights violations -- throwing people in jail, intimidating and silencing its opponents, denying prisoners due process and holding them inhumane conditions.  The government is taking steps to prevent the peoples’ representatives in the assembly from carrying out the duties to which they were elected to carry out.
So releasing political prisoners like the mayor of Caracas, the opposition leader Mr. Lopez, are absolutely necessary in starting a productive dialogue between the government and the opposition and the hemisphere.  That's what’s needed to overcome the extreme polarization and economic disaster that's occurring now in Venezuela.  It’s a dialogue that's long overdue.  And the United States in consultation with all our partners in the region is prepared to help.
*             *             *
Progress is possible.  We've seen it.  Not even two decades ago Colombia was a war zone.  I remember my first visit down there as I was writing Plan Colombia, meeting with the President of the country, and two days after I left, one of the cartels walked into the Supreme Court and shot up and killed Supreme Court justices, while they sat hearing a case.
Back then I was either the Chairman or the Ranking Member of the Foreign Relations Committee, championing Plan Colombia in the Senate, working with Republicans and Democrats to help the people of Colombia pull themselves back from the brink.
We invested a lot of money.  They invested four times as much in the effort.  And today we're on the verge of a historic peace deal between the government of Colombia and the guerrilla groups, ending one of the longest running conflicts in modern history.  God willing.
It’s a remarkable transformation and an affirmation of the power of democracy to solve challenges if you have the political will to take the chance to do it.
*             *             *
The success of Plan Colombia also offers a model for what we're working toward in Central America, helping governments take responsibility and address their own challenges, while providing some vital support.  That's why we've taken the dual steps of dramatically increasing our assistance for El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras -- $750 million just from this year’s budget, up from $560 million last year; while also insisting on high expectations and setting benchmarks as to what they have to meet in order to qualify for the funding.  And they are.  They've created with the help of the IDB a thing called the Alliance for Progress, to strengthen and coordinate their efforts.
And those three countries are investing on their own $2.6 billion of their own money this year.  This is an area where I’ve been particularly hands-on as Vice President.  I’ve already met with the leaders of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras three times just since January.  And I’m proud that we're beginning to see some progress.
I find that with dealing with countries that are in trouble, detail matters.  Detail matters.  Specific, precise goals agreed to matter.  The only way that occurs is with repetition and constant meeting.
They've started anti-corruption initiatives to reform police departments, courts, customs, tax collection systems; economic programs to tackle poverty; helping towns and cities set up community policing to generate greater confidence in the police departments and make neighborhoods literally safer.
We've been able to do this because we've developed some partnerships and trust, the kind that can only be built after spending hours and hours and hours with specific leaders.  The Congresswoman has heard me say this, I dare not try to improve on famous Speaker Tip O’Neill’s axiom that, “all politics is local.”  All foreign policy is personal.  It’s all personal.  You have to know the other leader with enough detail -- whether they like you or not, or you like them or not -- to understand what they're objectives are and what their limits are.  Listening to their perspective while sharing their own.
I always say when I sit down with a foreign leader -- and I’ve met every world leader, literally every major world leader in the last 35 years.  I always start by saying, I never attempt to tell another man or woman what’s in her interest.  And I never attempt to tell another country what’s in their interest.  But I’m here to tell you what’s in our interest, and why I think it’s helpful to you.  If you want to participate, we're in.  If you don't, your decision.
It’s amazing how much further along that gets you than going in and attempting to dictate.
But we have a long way to go.  And it’s going to require more than just Presidents and political leaders.  It requires the business community and civil society and individual citizens all pulling together.  And I believe the people of the region are actually so fed up with the circumstances they've been in for so long that they're ready to take a chance.  They're ready to change.
*             *             *
Earlier this year I attended in the inauguration of President Morales in Guatemala.  Jimmy Morales, the comedian.  He was anything but a comedian that day when he was sworn in.  He was elected on his promise to end corruption after the previous President and Vice President were both ousted on corruption charges.
And his inauguration was fascinating.  He made clear in his inaugural address what his priority would be because that's the only reason he was elected.  The people of Guatemala said we're sick and tired of the corruption and the special interests.
And during his speech, his inauguration speech, he looked into the cameras and said to everyone in front of him, and he said to all the people listening, he said, I ask you, my fellow citizens, at home, as well as here, to stand, place your hand on your heart, and join me in taking the oath to fight corruption and put Guatemala first.
I’ve never seen that happen.  It doesn't mean it will happen.  But I’ve never seen that happen.  And all the reports were throughout the country of Guatemala, ordinary citizens -- some illiterate -- standing up, putting their hand on their heart, and raising the right hand.
All I’m saying is that means there’s an overwhelming yearning in the region for better governance.  Corruption is a cancer that eats away at the body politic.  Nobody likes it -- rich, poor, left, right, center.  But in order for Guatemala to succeed and reach its full potential, the entire nation has to contribute.  Everyone has to be part of it.  And that requires some sacrifices on the part of ordinary citizens, as well.  But it was a powerful moment, a powerful message.  So we have made progress.
The opportunities before us are real, and so are the considerable challenges that remain in Central America throughout the hemisphere -- generations of endemic poverty, weak institutions out of decades of corruption and political strife, pervasive violence that still plagues too many countries in the Americas.  But they're trying to fight through it in Colombia, in Central America.  It’s possible.
*             *             *
And the United States is committed -- our administration is committed to helping our partners address the dynamics that they -- that have held them back for much too long.
I just ask you to picture it -- I’m being very serious about this.  Imagine if Central America from Guatemala to Panama was actually economically prosperous, actually had governments that functioned not undermined by corruption, actually had energy and the capacity to attract business.  Imagine how transformative that alone would be for connecting the hemisphere.
But only then can we undertake the hard work to meet these challenges.  The reality is security is the baseline for all progress we hope to see.  Without security, virtually nothing else is possible.
Now, we're already deeply engaged in securing the region against narco-traffickers, human smuggling organizations, organized crime, and gangs who rule through violence and fear.  You already have our military engaged in advising, playing a major part, spending tens of millions of dollars to try to coordinate efforts.  Our law enforcement communities are beginning to work more closely.  U.S. Southern Command plays an essential role in helping our partners strengthen their defensive capabilities and target transnational crime.
But in order to succeed, there’s also an urgent need to institute reforms -- replacing corrupt courts, training civilian police to respect human rights, modernizing their ports and customs systems, which are rife with corruption -- just to name a few.
And we're helping there, as well.  Representatives from the Department of Justice are in place right now insisting and assisting with investigators in the fight against organized crime.  Literally helping these countries who never had a court system that was anything other than corrupt how to build such a system.  Literally doing what we did in Plan Colombia.  The FBI vetting with lie detector tests thousands of Colombian police, expelling those who did not pass.
We've sent security advisors to help clean up the police forces, aid prosecutors so that the people of the region can begin to have some confidence in the law -- the rule of law.
In too many places -- and you know it, those of you who do business in the region, extreme poverty prevents people from reaching anywhere near their potential.  And so we've made sure that the growth is shared more broadly, that no community is marginalized or excluded from economic opportunity.  That's why we created a wide variety of programs for our AID programs and others to spur entrepreneurship, especially the young people and women, to help small businesses.
In places like Honduras, Guatemala, Haiti, we're working to combat hunger and malnutrition.  The kind of challenges that set children back.  And in many instances the science now shows sets them back permanently by affecting their brain development.
And we're working with the International Development Bank and other partners to help countries improve their tax collection.  We're sending down folks from our IRS to show them how to set up a system; increasing transparency, implementing economic reforms in order to better create a business environment.
Because to really create jobs and opportunity, the region needs to draw much more investment from the private sector -- both in their own home countries, as well as from abroad.
And by the way, as I say all around the world, these aren’t dictates that we're insisting on.  No nation today is able to economically prosper without a transparent business environment.  No one is going to invest.  Without being able to deal with and assure investors that corruption is under control, and without having a tax system that actually is fair where people who owe taxes have them collected.
*             *             *
Look, and these issues will only worsen if we fail to address the existential threat of climate change, which is already impacting on the livelihood and security of so many vulnerable people throughout the region.  Now maybe some of you don't believe there’s climate change.  So I don't want to get into an argument about that.  Let’s talk about the changing weather that's occurring.
Denying climate change these days is like denying gravity in my view, but that's another story.  But look, look what’s happening in the region -- those of you who do business here.  Farmers can't plant.  Drought is a significant impact, including on hydroelectric power, denying access to power in certain of these countries.  So that's why we're helping farmers across Central America and the Caribbean adapt climate-resilient approaches, like drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, drought-resistant seeds.
In Jamaica, for example, we've trained more than 3,000 farmers.  And in agricultural states like mine and yours, we're used to what is done by the -- our Department of Agriculture.  We've trained 3,000 farmers at climate-smart field schools.  They've increased their crop yields by 30 percent in a number of cases, particular crops.  We're developing tools to help farmers throughout Central America share vital information about weather forecasts and blights like coffee rust, so they can plan and adapt to the changing climate.
Violence and poverty -- they're the twin drivers in the other major challenge:  Migrants traveling from their homes to the United States, including unaccompanied children.  That's what initially got me engaged.  I was actually in the Middle East working on an ISIS question, I got a call from the President would I go then, from there, to meet with the Latin American Presidents and make it clear to them something had to be done.
Well, the real solution to the challenge of migration is helping our partners build safer, more prosperous communities, so the people stay and make their lives in their home countries.
*             *             *
We have to treat those who arrive on our borders with compassion and dignity.  I know that’s something you take very seriously here in Tampa.  I’m told we're joined today by representatives from the Children’s Home of Tampa Bay and the Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services.  I want to thank you for your efforts.  Their organizations along with so many other others have provided vital services to vulnerable refugee children from Central America.
But to achieve these goals, we believe that the emergence of good governance is absolutely essential.  It’s the cornerstone of our policy in Central America and throughout the hemisphere.  Because if we don't get that done, if we don't do away with the reason why people pull up and leave, we're not going to solve the problem.
It means rooting out corruption that stifles economic growth, the corruption that promotes inequity, abets human rights abuses, fuels organized crime, all the seeds of instability.
And in country after country, citizens have risen up to expose government abuses and condemn the misuse of public resources.  And the United States and our international partners are helping countries take the hard but necessary steps to break down systematic corruption.
Underlying our entire approach is an unwavering commitment to advance democracy and human rights.  The United States cannot choose how other nations will govern themselves.  But we will always speak out for what we believe is right.  Nations are stronger when they respect the rights of their citizens.  Criticism does not weaken government; it strengthens it.
*             *             *
And the same is true for a vigorous free press.  Vibrant civil societies undergird all successful democracies.  These aren’t our rules.  Those are rules of the 21st century.  They're the lessons we've learned from the history of our own republic.  And I believe we're seeing a new generation of leaders in Latin America and the Caribbean who share these ideas and aspirations for their own countries.
So we're going to continue to work with all the nations of our region to defend and strengthen those democratic values, which unite us.  We've come a long way in the past seven years.  Through vigorous engagement and concerted efforts to break down regional enmities, we've arrived at a moment of unprecedented possibilities.
Our hemisphere has the resources, the ingenuity, and the dynamism to lead the world in the 21st century.  That is not hyperbole.  We have that capacity.  And by joining our efforts with those of our partners throughout the region who are willing to take the steps that need to be taken, we'll bolster our own security.  We’ll sharpen our competitive advantage in the global economy.  That's why our positive engagement with the region has traditionally gained strong bipartisan support.
It’s good for the American people.  And the final point that I want to make today is this.  As you all know it, progress is still fragile.  The opportunities we've cultivated could slip away if we fail to honor one fundamental truth:  Every good relationship between countries is built on respect.
I’ve held high public office for a long time.  I got elected to the Senate when I was 29 years old in 1972.  I understand what it means to compete in a heated election contest.  But by insulting our partners throughout the hemisphere, by tarring all immigrants with a xenophobic brush, some leaders are actively undermining our security and our prosperity.
And make no mistake, our future is right here.  It’s in this hemisphere.  And if we seek to pull back or put up barriers -- whether those barriers are physical or political -- we're only going to sabotage our own success.  And that's true when it comes to talk of building walls, or rolling back engagement with Cuba, or failing to ratify legitimate trade agreements.  It’s true of policies that alienate more than 55 million Americans of Hispanic descent, more than 4 million -- the vast majority of whom are citizens -- here in the state of Florida.  Everyone, everyone, everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect.  It’s basic.  It’s just basic.
*             *             *
Tampa was built by immigrants from Cuba and nations across Latin America, from Spain, Italy, Germany, Romania, China.  Ybor City stands as their enduring mark in your history.  So we can't abandon our commitment to fixing a broken immigration system.  Protecting our borders, but also providing opportunity for 11 million undocumented people to come across and come out of the shadows to contribute their fair share after paying the price they have to pay to do that.
And as we move forward, we can never forget that the reason why people repair to America, and other people respect us so much, and other nations is not merely the example of our power, but the power of our example -- of us acting consistent with what we say our values are.  Because they're the values that are shared throughout the world and throughout the region.
So, folks, there’s no -- in my view -- no separating our future from the fate of our neighbors.  Instead we need to harness all the progress and all the opportunities we see across this region.  We need to take it in our hands and bend the future a little bit.  Bend it just a little bit to meet those challenges that exist head on.  And we can do this.  I’m absolutely convinced.  We have so much to gain and so much to lose if we fail to seize the moment of this opportunity.
I believe we made the right choices.  I can guarantee you that President Obama are going to keep working full steam to deepen our relationships throughout this hemisphere as long we're in.  There’s only another 10 months or so.  Because there’s nothing we can't accomplish in America, as we’ve all demonstrated when we set our will to it.  That's the landmark.  That's the notion every American shares.
*             *             *
Everything in America from our founding to today, is because we have believed that anything is possible if we set our mind to it.  And we've done it.  We've demonstrated it.
So my plea to all of you -- there’s a lot of cynicism right now.  But remember who we are.  Remember what we've done.  And imagine what we can do.  We're all about possibilities.  And the possibilities are extremely positive if we seize them.
Thank you so very much.


so damn proud of this gal. (for those who don’t know, Cindy is mine and Miles' former intern). highlights in red.
After 15 Internships, I Can Finally Be Hired For Wages
by Cindy Nava | Huffington Post
In April 2012, I was accepted to the Obama Campaign Fellows program. I believed in the president’s commitment to change history and felt duty-bound to help him win re-election. But my support would come with a cost. After being selected, I had no option but to disclose my legal status, which was that of an undocumented immigrant student, or DREAMer. One of many students who met the general requirements for the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act.
My gratitude to the United States is immense. It allowed my parents the opportunity to provide my siblings and I a better future, and for me to accomplish things that went far beyond my vision. During my college years, I discovered that I had a passion for the complexities of the legislative system; policy, change, advocacy, and civic engagement.
Then came Friday, June 15, 2012. I was on my daily commute from Santa Fe to UNM, when I heard that President Obama was about to make anannouncement regarding DREAMers. He said, “These are young people who study in our schools, they play in our neighborhoods, they’re friends with our kids, they pledge allegiance to our flag. They are Americans in their heart, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper.”
I cried all the way from the bus stop to UNM where I stormed into El Centro de la Raza screaming the good news. A dream had come true, not just for me, but for my siblings and the many other students in our position. I felt so proud to be an Obama Fellow.
However, never did I expect to be caught in an extremely delayed approval process for my DACA.
For the next three years I went on to serve as an intern, fellow, and professional intern. Though I was able to obtain some class credits and small scholarships along the way, due to my legal status, I could not receive pay. But I was determined to finish my education and to be part of a system that would allow me, and the communities I represent, a place at the table, even if it meant working for free.
Being politically active with a no-pay status has been both challenging and gratifying. Living the day to day was difficult, to the say the least. I couldn’t have made it through my undergrad years without the support of loved ones and caring individuals at the University of New Mexico who found and helped me get scholarships. Gratifying was learning from the best legislators and analysts in New Mexico.
This past April 6, 2016, I finally held my DACA card. The joy I felt was beyond the moon. My mind was filled with thoughts of job offers I would now be able to accept, WITH PAY, along with all the possibilities for a future that seemed boundless.
In spite of all the roadblocks I had to navigate, I feel no resentment. I found pathways filled with incredible people who helped me along my way. Because of them, I was able to participate in the political process at state and national levels by way of internships and fellowships. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, started my MA degree in Educational Leadership & Policy in 2015, then applied to and was accepted by “EMERGE America/NM,” a women’s political training program as a member of their 2016 class. I am the first DREAMer in New Mexico and one of only three DREAMers in the U.S. to have been chosen for this competitive national program.
President Barrack Obama will always hold a special place in the hearts of DREAMers. His leadership and courage to enact DACA in the face of all the derision and political pressures he received from Congress, is beyond commendable.
From this point on my life will be incredibly impacted and I know that my capacity to serve my communities will be much greater. Therefore, I will seek to improve the lives of the most vulnerable, underrepresented and underprivileged communities across our great nation. I will make it my goal to emphasize the importance of civic and political engagement through direct advocacy, voter education and outreach.

Pablo Manriquez
Democratic National Committee
Phone: 202.572.5488
Email: pablo@dnc.org
web: democrats.org
Twitter: @Pablo_DNC


now
Sent from my iPhone
> On May 18, 2016, at 4:59 PM, Manriquez, Pablo
wrote:
>
> Hit time 5:05pm today
>
> Sent from my iPhone


WEATHER: 54F, RAIN
POTUS and the Administration
President Obama Meets With Child of Undocumented Immigrants on Cinco de Mayo
ABC NEWS // ALEXANDER MALLIN
In what is a clear contrast to a widely-panned tweet from Donald Trump, the White House has shared a photo of President Obama meeting with 6-year-old Sophie Cruz, an activist and child of undocumented immigrants. Cruz is known for her impromptu hug with Pope Francis on his visit to the U.S. last September. She handed the pope a letter calling for him to urge Congress to pass immigration reform, explaining that both her parents are undocumented workers from Mexico. Because of her parent's legal status, they were not permitted to accompany her to the White House for the Cinco de Mayo celebration Thursday. The White House shared photos of both Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meeting with Cruz privately before the celebration.
Barack Obama and Bryan Cranston on the Roles of a Lifetime
NEW YORK TIMES // PHILIP GALANES
"Nice place!" the actor Bryan Cranston said to President Obama as he glanced around at the White House. "When are you putting it on the market?" The Oval Office looks eerily familiar, even to a couple of first-time visitors: that solid oak desk with the South Lawn behind it through floor-to-ceiling windows; the pair of comfortable-looking sofas on an oval rug with the presidential seal; and on a gray afternoon, a nimbus of light glowing above the crown molding at the ceiling. "I'm only leasing," Mr. Obama replied. "I just want to make sure I get my security deposit back." The president showed us around the Oval Office and its adjoining private dining room, chatting about items of particular significance to him: a handwritten draft of a speech by President Kennedy; a seascape painted by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, who gave it to Mr. Obama when he was a senator; and, next to three family photos, a pair of red boxing gloves signed "To Barack" by Muhammad Ali. For Mr. Cranston, who won four Emmys for his role in "Breaking Bad," a show that Mr. Obama has said that he, like millions of Americans, binge-watched, this visit had the feeling of déjà vu.
President Obama Commutes Sentences of 58 More Convicts
ABC NEWS // JOHN PARKINSON
President Obama granted commutations of sentences to 58 convicted criminals today, including 18 individuals serving life sentences, boosting his total to 306 granted petitions, more than the previous six presidents combined and the most of any president since Franklin Roosevelt. "As President, I've been working to bring about a more effective approach to our criminal justice system, particularly when it comes to drug crimes," Obama wrote in a post explaining his decision today. The president also implored Congress to reform federal sentencing laws, "particularly on overly harsh mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses."
President Obama just commuted the sentences of 58 people. Here are their names.
WASHINGTON POST // SARI HORWITZ
President Obama commuted the sentences of 58 inmates Thursday as part of his ongoing initiative to release federal prisoners who have received severe mandatory sentences for non-violent drug offenses. With this latest round of commutations, Obama has granted clemency to a total 306 inmates, 110 of whom were serving life sentences. Obama has said he will continue granting commutations during his final months in office to inmates who meet certain criteria set out by the Justice Department. Of the inmates granted clemency Thursday, 18 had been sentenced to life without parole. One was Fulton "Wash" Washington, of Compton, Calif., who was convicted on PCP charges. At his sentencing, the judge lamented that harsh mandatory minimum sentences were not meant for offenders like Washington, but he had no choice. His daughter, who is 31, was 10 years old when Washington was sent to prison for the rest of his life.
U.S. Justice Dept. clash with N.C. on 'bathroom bill' is becoming a national fight
WASHINGTON POST // JULIET EILPERIN
U.S. Justice Dept. clash with N.C. on 'bathroom bill' is becoming a national fight. The Justice Department's brewing legal battle with North Carolina's governor over the state's controversial "bathroom bill" has escalated a state-by-state fight over transgender rights into a new national one, with enormous financial implications for residents in North Carolina and other states. White House officials emphasized Thursday that several agencies were reviewing whether they would deny funding to the state on the grounds that its new law constitutes sex discrimination under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. But the letter from the department asking Gov. Pat McCrory (R) to halt the law's implementation by Monday or face a possible lawsuit sets up an unavoidable political battle between the Obama administration and conservatives.
NC leaders divided on whether they'll meet Obama administration's deadline on House Bill 2 Department of Justice says HB2 violates the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of education law
CHARLOTTE NEWS AND OBSERVER // COLIN CAMPBELL
Republican state leaders were in no hurry Thursday to respond to the Obama administration's determination that North Carolina is discriminating against transgender people - and didn't even agree on whether to adhere to a Monday deadline. House Speaker Tim Moore said Thursday that legislators won't meet the Department of Justice's Monday deadline to declare that House Bill 2 will not be enforced. The department sent state leaders a letter Wednesday saying that the law violates the Civil Rights Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 - a finding that could jeopardize billions in federal education funding. Those laws ban employment discrimination and discrimination in education based on sex.
Administration announces actions to bolster financial transparency
THE HILL // NAOMI JAGODA
Obama administration officials on Thursday announced new actions designed to fight money laundering, corruption and tax evasion. The initiatives include final and proposed rules from the Treasury Department, as well as administration calls for congressional action. "Nobody should be able to hide in the shadows of their legal obligations," Wally Adeyemo, deputy national security adviser for international economics, said in a call with reporters. The issues of money laundering and tax evasion have been brought to the forefront recently as a result of the "Panama Papers," documents from a Panama-based law firm that sets up anonymous shell companies for its clients. While having a shell company itself is not illegal, they can be used for illegal purposes such as money laundering and tax evasion.
Obama Administration Adopts Rule to Fight Money Laundering, Tax Evasion
WALL STREET JOURNAL // ARUNA VISWANATHA
The Obama administration adopted a rule on Thursday that would require financial institutions to identify the true owners of companies they do business with, after leaks from a Panama law firm threw a spotlight on money hidden offshore. The Treasury and Justice departments also proposed related legislation that they said would help law-enforcement authorities pursue money laundering and corruption cases as well as close loopholes that could allow some foreign citizens to evade U.S. taxes. "Gaps remain in our laws that allow bad actors to deliberately use U.S. companies to hide money laundering, tax evasion and other illicit financial activities," Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) outlining the proposals.
Democrats
House Dems call for $600 million to fight opioid abuse
THE HILL // PETER SULLIVAN
A group of 53 House Democrats is calling on Republicans to approve $600 million in new funding to fight opioid abuse as part of a package of bills coming to the floor. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) led the letter to Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) saying that emergency funding is needed in addition to a range of bills aimed at fighting opioid abuse that are expected to be voted on next week. The message is an echo of a debate that occurred in the Senate in March, when Democrats there also called for emergency funding, saying that a measure being voted on was a good start but lacked the needed funding. Republicans countered that funding has already been approved as part of the spending bill for the year that passed in December.
Harry Reid starts the scorched-earth campaign against Donald Trump
BUSINESS INSIDER // ALLAN SMITH
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is still in shock that Donald Trump is the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. "First of all, there are a couple times every day since yesterday ... I have to remind myself that Donald Trump is the Republican nominee," the bewildered Reid said during a conference call with reporters on Thursday. "It hasn't sunk in yet for me, but it's true. That's reality," he added. And with that, Reid began to reprise his role as a Democratic attack dog, which he vibrantly embraced in the 2012 campaign against then nominee Mitt Romney. He went after Trump's wealth and his at-times inflammatory statements, as well as Republican leaders' refusal to confirm a Supreme Court nominee in favor of waiting for a theoretical Trump administration.
Did Trump Just Hand the Senate to Elizabeth Warren?
POLITICO // DAVID BERNSTEIN
For Elizabeth Warren, maybe not running for president wasn't such a bad idea after all. One of the great disappointments for fans of the Massachusetts senator-a huge, devoted following of progressive Democrats across the country-has been watching their hero sit out the presidential contest. As Hillary Clinton struggles to clinch the nomination, and a rumpled socialist from Vermont manages to galvanize crowds of young people with a Warren-esque platform, there's a powerful current of sadness that Warren might have just dropped her best chance to push her economic-equality agenda at the highest levels in Washington But now, with a Trump nomination changing the electoral landscape, it looks like they may be selling her far too short. One possibility is that Clinton could pick Warren as her running mate as a way to throw a powerful bone to the Bernie Sanders left, putting Warren a mere heartbeat away from the Oval Office. But another, more likely prospect is now floating into view. Between Warren's powerful fundraising chops and the potential for a Donald Trump candidacy to push Senate seats into Democratic hands, the next Senate could see a whole new power bloc with Warren at the head.
Dems blast Ryan over refusal to back Trump: 'Well, that was awkward'
THE HILL // HARPER NEIDIG
The Democratic Party seized on House Speaker Paul Ryan's refusal to back Donald Trump on Thursday, slamming the GOP for refusing to accept its own presumptive presidential nominee. "Well, that was awkward," Democratic National Committee spokesman Mark Paustenbach said in a statement. "Paul Ryan - the highest-ranking Republican in the country, and chair of the Republican National Convention - just said he can't support Dangerous Donald Trump's nomination for president." Paustenbach added, "Bring a hazmat suit if you're one of the remaining Republican leaders still planning to stand with your nominee - Trump has gone radioactive." Earlier on Thursday, Ryan told CNN that he was "not ready" to support Trump for president.
Republicans
Gowdy says administration slowing Benghazi probe
POLITICO // RACHAEL BADE
For months, critics of the House Benghazi Committee have slammed Chairman Trey Gowdy for dragging his investigation into the middle of the election cycle. Just last week, a top Pentagon official sharply rebuked the panel for making new interview requests 22 months after the probe began. But the South Carolina Republican has an answer for his detractors: It's the Obama administration's fault. Gowdy, in an interview with POLITICO, said the State Department, the CIA and the Pentagon are to blame for his investigation's snail-like pace, arguing they've slow-walked the hand-over of documents and interviews with key witnesses. "It's taken way too long and way too much of our energy in simply gaining access," Gowdy said. "There continues to be time wasted negotiating with executive branch entities who do not want to give us what I believe Congress is entitled to."
House Republicans fear Trump effect
POLITICO // THEODORIC MEYER AND SCOTT BLAND
In the 48 hours since Donald Trump essentially clinched the GOP presidential nomination, many House Republicans facing tough elections this fall have grasped for a third way between embracing Trump and rejecting him: stalling for time. House Speaker Paul Ryan spoke for many of his members Thursday when asked on CNN whether he was ready to support Trump, saying, "I'm just not there yet." A number of Ryan's most vulnerable colleagues had already said much the same thing. Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman said Trump had a long way to go to earn his support. Reps. Rod Blum (Iowa) and John Katko (N.Y.) simply did not respond to requests for comment. Several congressional Republicans, like Michigan Rep. Mike Bishop, tempered statements that they would support the GOP nominee with criticism of how Trump has conducted his campaign.
Paul Ryan Says He Cannot Support Donald Trump for Now
NEW YORK TIMES // JENNIFER STEINHAUER
Speaker Paul D. Ryan, the nation's highest-ranking elected Republican, said Thursday that he was "not ready" to endorse Donald J. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. Mr. Ryan, who is also chairman of the Republican National Convention, has repeatedly said he would support his party's nominee. But he has carved out some terrain to differentiate himself, by insisting that House Republicans write their own policy agenda this year and by giving speeches that at times criticized Mr. Trump's views. Mr. Ryan said Republicans needed a "standard-bearer" who embodied the party's standards. "I don't want to underplay what he accomplished," Mr. Ryan said in an interview on CNN with Jake Tapper. But he added, "We hope that our nominee aspires to be Lincoln and Reaganesque," someone who "appeals to a vast majority of Americans."
Paul Ryan says he's not ready to support Trump
POLITICO // NOLAN MCCASKILL
House Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday declared that he cannot currently support Donald Trump, throwing a wrench in the presumptive nominee's efforts to unify the Republican Party and giving cover to lawmakers nervous about being tethered to the brash billionaire. Ryan was diplomatic, but firm - Trump must prove that he deserves the nomination. "Well, to be perfectly candid with you, I'm just not ready to do that at this point," Ryan told CNN's Jake Tapper about extending his support to Trump. "I'm not there right now. And I hope to, though, and I want to." It was a partial reversal for the Wisconsin Republican, who had previously pledged to support the nominee. He said on Thursday that Trump needs to do more work to show that he is a true conservative who can unify the different wings of the Republican Party.
Ryan says he is 'not ready' to back Trump, deepening GOP divide
WASHINGTON POST // PHILIP RUCKER
In an extraordinary rebuke of the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (Wis.), the nation's highest-ranking GOP official, said Thursday that he could not support Donald Trump until he changes his tone and demonstrates that he shares the party's values. While acknowledging that Trump has mobilized a powerful grass-roots movement and earned the nomination, Ryan said that Trump has not shown himself to be "a standard bearer who bears our standard" - and he put the onus on the business mogul to recalibrate his campaign and offer a more inclusive vision. Asked by CNN anchor Jake Tapper whether he backs Trump, Ryan responded, "I'm just not ready to do that at this point. I'm not there right now. And I hope to, though, and I want to. But I think what is required is that we unify the party. And I think the bulk of the burden on unifying the party will have to come from our presumptive nominee."
Ryan fans GOP civil war over Donald Trump
THE HILL // SCOTT WONG
Paul Ryan on Thursday pressed presumptive nominee Donald Trump to do more to unify the party. But the Speaker's latest public break with Trump has started tearing Republicans apart. Members of the #NeverTrump movement and Trump's biggest critics on Capitol Hill cheered Ryan's remarks on CNN that he could not in good conscience endorse or support the bombastic New York businessman at this time. Ryan's "proving that he's an honest and courageous leader and not just another politician who quietly falls in line," vulnerable Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla), who has refused to endorse Trump, told The Hill. "He's putting the country above petty partisan interests." But some of the Wisconsin Republican's other House colleagues scolded the Speaker for not giving Trump a full-throated endorsement after his two remaining rivals - Ted Cruz and John Kasich - dropped out of the GOP primary. Failing to back Trump could hand Democrat Hillary Clinton an easy White House victory, some members argued.
House Republicans fear Trump effect
POLITICO // THEODORIC MEYER
In the 48 hours since Donald Trump essentially clinched the GOP presidential nomination, many House Republicans facing tough elections this fall have grasped for a third way between embracing Trump and rejecting him: stalling for time. House Speaker Paul Ryan spoke for many of his members Thursday when asked on CNN whether he was ready to support Trump, saying, "I'm just not there yet." A number of Ryan's most vulnerable colleagues had already said much the same thing. Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman said Trump had a long way to go to earn his support. Reps. Rod Blum (Iowa) and John Katko (N.Y.) simply did not respond to requests for comment. Several congressional Republicans, like Michigan Rep. Mike Bishop, tempered statements that they would support the GOP nominee with criticism of how Trump has conducted his campaign.
2016 Democrats
Hillary forces target Bush donors
POLITICO // BEN WHITE
Hillary Clinton's supporters in recent days have been making a furious round of calls to top Bush family donors to try to convince them that she represents their values better than Donald Trump, multiple sources in both parties told POLITICO. The moves come as Clinton and the Democratic Party try to take advantage of deep unease among establishment Republicans on Wall Street and elsewhere with Trump's emergence as the presumptive Republican nominee. Top targets for the Clinton team include people like Woody Johnson, Jeb Bush's former finance chair and the owner of the New York Jets. In recent days, Bush's brother and father, former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, have said they plan to skip Trump's nominating convention.
FBI interviewed Clinton aide Huma Abedin in email probe: report
THE HILL // REBECCA SARVANSKY
The FBI has interviewed aides to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton - including top adviser Huma Abedin - as part of the probe into her private email server, according to CNN. The FBI is expected to interview Clinton in the coming weeks, though a date has not been set. Federal investigators have reportedly not found anything showing the former secretary of State willingly broke the law. Several aides have been interviewed in recent weeks. Bryan Pagliano, who helped to set up the server, has reportedly given documents and statements to the FBI.
FBI interviews Clinton aides including Huma Abedin as part of email probe
CNN // EVAN PEREZ
Some of Hillary Clinton's closest aides, including her longtime adviser Huma Abedin, have provided interviews to federal investigators, as the FBI probe into the security of her private email server nears completion, U.S. officials briefed on the investigation tell CNN. The investigation is still ongoing, but so far investigators haven't found evidence to prove that Clinton willfully violated the law the U.S. officials say. In recent weeks, multiple aides have been interviewed -- some more than once, the officials said. A date for an FBI interview of Clinton has not been set, these officials said, but is expected in the coming weeks. Abedin has cooperated with the probe, the officials said. Lawyers for Abedin declined to comment. The officials say the interviews of Clinton and her aides would be a routine part of an investigation like this.
Top aide to Hillary Clinton questioned by FBI in email server investigation
LOS ANGELES TIMES // DEL QUENTIN WILBER
Huma Abedin, a close aide to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, was questioned last month by FBI agents investigating whether classified material was mishandled on the private email server used by the former secretary of State and her aides, according to a person familiar with the investigation. Abedin was interviewed for about two hours at the FBI's field office in Washington on April 5, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing. Abedin is one of Clinton's longtime confidantes and the interview is the latest indication that FBI agents have completed much of their background work and are nearing a conclusion in the politically sensitive probe.
Hillary Clinton Gives Bernie Sanders a History Lesson in Dropping Out
ABC NEWS // LIZ KREUTZ
To date, Hillary Clinton and her campaign have been very cautious about saying Bernie Sanders should drop out of the primary race. But remarks the Democratic presidential front-runner made today suggest she does think her opponent has passed his sell-by date. While speaking at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles this morning, Clinton appeared to come just shy of flat-out telling the Vermont senator -- who has vowed to stay in the race through the convention in July -- it's time for him to bow out. (If not that, though, she at the very least made the argument for why she believes he should strongly consider it.) "I am three million plus votes ahead of Sen. Sanders, right? I am nearly 300 pledged delegates ahead of Sen. Sanders. When I was running against then-Sen. Obama, he and I were neck and neck in the popular vote. Depending on how you counted it, I was a little ahead or he was a little ahead. He was about 60 or so pledged delegates ahead. A much, much smaller margin than what we see in this race," Clinton told a group of black community leaders this morning, just one day after it became clear Donald Trump will be the likely Republican presidential nominee.
Bernie Sanders will be well-equipped to upend Democratic convention
USA TODAY // NICOLE GAUDIANO
If Bernie Sanders wants to upend the Democratic National Convention, he'll likely have all the tools he needs. The Democratic nomination increasingly seems Hillary Clinton's for the taking. But the number of pledged delegates Sanders will have collected by the time the convention begins July 25 should give him a sizable presence on convention committees and a strong voice in shaping the Democratic Party's rules and platform to include some of his top priorities. Tad Devine, one of Sanders' top advisers and a veteran of contentious convention battles, said he expects "good will" at the convention between Sanders and Clinton, and agreement on a number of issues. But he raised the possibility that Sanders will play hardball if negotiations fail.
Sanders goes to one of the poorest counties in America
CNN // ELIZABETH LANDERS
Bernie Sanders, who has staked his presidential campaign on fighting poverty and income inequality in America, on Thursday took his message to one of the poorest counties in America. In the first stop of a day-long swing the Sanders motorcade careened along a two-lane road in rural McDowell County, West Virginia -- the state's southernmost point -- on its way to a "community conversation" at Five Loaves & Two Fishes Food Bank. The Vermont senator's remarks focused on poverty in America. He and a group of panelists spoke and listened to residents for more than an hour in what he called an "informal hearing, informal discussion."
Bernie Sanders Pledges to Keep Jobs in Coal Mining Areas
NEW YORK TIMES // YAMICHE ALCINDOR
Senator Bernie Sanders on Thursday vowed to invest billions of dollars in coal-mining communities to create jobs, seizing on the issue as Hillary Clinton faces a backlash for promising to put coal companies out of business. The Vermont senator brought up the future of coal miners while campaigning across West Virginia, which holds its primary on Tuesday, and spoke about poverty at a food bank in Kimball. Though he trails Mrs. Clinton by hundreds of delegates, Mr. Sanders has said that he hopes to close that gap in the remaining contests and has presented himself as more dedicated to helping the middle class than her. On Thursday, Mr. Sanders promised to fight to make sure communities that lose jobs because of his environmental policies would get help rebuilding their employment base. "While I strongly believe we need to combat climate change to make our planet habitable for our children and our grandchildren, let me be clear: We cannot abandon communities that have been dependent on coal and other fossil fuels," he said, according to prepared remarks of his speech.
Bernie Sanders's Online Foot Soldiers Weigh Their Next Campaign
NEW YORK TIMES // NICK CORASANITI
No sooner had Senator Ted Cruz of Texas exited the Republican primary on Tuesday night than Hillary Clinton's partisans on social media began calling for Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont to follow suit. Sanders supporters answered those calls with a hashtag that quickly started trending on Twitter: #DropOutHillary. With his victory in Indiana, Mr. Sanders seems all but certain to remain in the race for at least another month, taking his insurgent presidential campaign to the California primary on June 7. But there is one thing he will definitely leave behind if he ultimately abandons the Democratic nomination fight: an army of online foot soldiers unmatched in size, influence and capabilities, more than ready to join the next battle. The only question is whether that battle will involve Mrs. Clinton.
2016 Republicans
Trump super PAC strategist found guilty of 2012 campaign-finance violations
WASHINGTON POST // DAVID WEIGEL
Jesse Benton, a political strategist for former congressman Ron Paul who went on to run the pro-Trump Great America PAC, has been found guilty on four charges relating to the 2012 Paul presidential campaign. Benton, alongside two other former aides to the Paul campaign, was found guilty of conspiracy, causing false records, creating false campaign expenditure reports and making false statements. The trio of Benton, John Tate and Dimitri Kesari had been charged with concocting a plan to pay then-Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson in exchange for him endorsing the campaign and helping it organize in early states. Benton did not respond to questions from The Washington Post, and none of the men commented to reporters outside the Southern District of Iowa courthouse. All three had been there just months ago for a separate trial in the same case, in which Benton and Tate were acquitted on most charges. Despite the new case hanging over their heads, they celebrated and seemed to move on.
Donald Trump Reaches Out, Quietly, to Republican Establishment
NEW YORK TIMES // ASHLEY PARKER
Donald J. Trump, turning his attention to the general election, has begun quietly reaching out to key elements of the Republican establishment as he seeks to unite the party behind his candidacy before his anticipated battle against Hillary Clinton. Mr. Trump, who is expected to run on a nonideological platform of his own design, is trying to reassure party officials that he understands there are certain norms even he needs to follow as the Republican nominee, and that he is capable of producing an organization and infrastructure that can sustain a costly general election campaign. His team, already working to transform a lean operation into a national presidential campaign apparatus, has been reaching out to members of Congress and Washington think tanks; strategizing on how best to take on Mrs. Clinton and woo supporters of her primary opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont; and planning to head to Cleveland next week to help direct the party's July convention, according to aides.
In Donald Trump's Rise, Allies See New American Approach
NEW YORK TIMES // DAVID SANGER
Alarmed by Donald J. Trump's grip on the Republican presidential nomination, world leaders are wrestling with the possibility that, even if he loses the general election, his ascent reflects a strain of American public opinion that could profoundly reshape the way the United States addresses security alliances and trade. From Beijing, Tokyo and Seoul to the headquarters of NATO in Brussels and the vulnerable Baltic nations along Russia's western border, officials and analysts said in interviews that they saw the success of Mr. Trump's "America first" platform as a harbinger of pressure for allies to pay up or make trade concessions in return for military protection. In many capitals, Mr. Trump's formal and off-the-cuff foreign policy proposals - his threat to pull out of NATO; his musings about removing the United States' nuclear umbrella over Japan and South Korea; his pledge to slap huge trade tariffs on China - are regarded with a mix of alarm and confusion. Asked on Thursday if Beijing was concerned about the prospect of a Trump presidency, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Hong Lei, replied, "We hope the U.S. people from all walks of life would view bilateral relations from a reasonable and objective perspective."
Trump backs British exit from the European Union
POLITICO // NOLAN D. MCCASKILL
Donald Trump signaled his support for Britain's exit from the European Union, though he quickly cautioned that such a decision should come from the UK. "I would say that they're better off without it, personally, but I'm not making that as a recommendation - just my feeling," the presumptive Republican presidential nominee told Fox News' Bret Baier in an interview Thursday. Trump said he knows the country well, noting that he has a number of investments there.
Trump rules out Democrat as running mate
POLITICO // NICK GASS
Despite surrogate Ben Carson telling The Wall Street Journal on Thursday that Donald Trump would consider an independent or even Democrat for his running mate, the presumptive Republican nominee said Friday he would do no such thing. "I would rule him out. Or her out," Trump said in a telephone interview with "Fox & Friends." "I want to have a great ticket," Trump said. "The Democrats have been in there a long time, the economy is terrible. The real unemployment rate is probably 20 percent. Jobs are leaving. Look at Carrier, look at so many companies. They're leaving." Trump said he is "going to pick a great Republican," vowing to "have a tremendous victory. We're going to win." In his interview with the Journal, Carson, who is helping Trump pick his running mate, said the campaign "would consider people who are Americans and who put America first."
6 people who don't want to be Trump's VP
POLITICO // NOLAN MCCASKILL
Donald Trump is looking for a Republican, likely with political experience, to be his running mate as he shifts toward the general election. The real estate mogul has boasted about his business chops, insisting he would be a strong president for the economy, jobs and the military while conceding that he could benefit from a vice president with congressional connections and experience to help pass his agenda. On Thursday, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee set the odds that his running mate will be a former rival, suggesting during an interview with CNBC that there is "probably a 40 percent chance" that his veep will be one of the 16 candidates who ran against him for president.
In wake of nomination victory, Trump travels to welcoming West Virginia
WASHINGTON POST // JENNA JOHNSON
For his first rally since becoming the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump ventured on Thursday to West Virginia, a state that believed in him when few did. When Trump flirted with running for president during the last cycle, an April 2011 poll in West Virginia found him tied for first place with former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who had won the state's nominating convention three years earlier. When Trump announced his 2016 candidacy last June and dominated social-media conversations, his highest rate of engagement was in West Virginia. When the race still had three Republican candidates, polls showed that Trump was poised to win at least 60 percent of the vote in the state's primary, which will be held Tuesday. West Virginia's statewide demographics mirror those of the down-on-their-luck towns and cities where Trump has hosted many of his campaign rallies. The state has a median annual household income of $41,576 - nearly $12,000 less than the national figure - and more than 18 percent there live in poverty, one of the highest rates in the country.
Trump celebrates Cinco de Mayo with taco bowl from his tower
WASHINGTON POST // DAVID WEIGEL
Donald Trump marked his first full day as the presumptive Republican nominee for president with an old habit: Tweeting something that people couldn't believe they'd just seen. On Twitter and Facebook, the mogul shared a picture of himself smiling widely and eating a sour cream-covered pile of Mexican food inside of a crispy flour shell. "Happy #CincoDeMayo!" wrote Trump, celebrating, in his way, the Mexican Army's 1862 victory over French invaders. "The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!"
Rick Perry will support Trump
THE HILL // EVELYN RUPERT
Former Republican presidential candidate and Texas Gov. Rick Perry will support presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump, CNN reports. CNN's Dana Bash said Thursday on "Out Front" that she had spoken to Perry, who said he would support Trump and do everything to help him. "Rick Perry just told me in a phone call from his home state of Texas that he does support Donald Trump and he's going to do everything he can to help Donald Trump get elected," Bash said. "He said that he believes in the process, and the process meaning the voters inside the Republican electorate clearly said Donald Trump should be the guy, and he is going to follow that process."
Trump tasks aide Michael Glassner with convention planning
POLITICO // KENNETH VOGEL
Donald Trump is tasking one of his closest aides - deputy campaign manager Michael Glassner - with putting the presumptive GOP nominee's mark on the party's convention, multiple sources with knowledge of the move tell POLITICO. Glassner is set to travel next week with a delegation from the campaign to the convention site, Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena, to assess the convention planning and receive a briefing from Republican National Committee officials involved in convention planning, according to the sources. Story Continued Below Glassner, who was traveling with Trump in West Virginia on Thursday, did not respond to requests for comment. But the sources said he will retain his title and other responsibilities, in addition to the convention planning work, and will continue to work for the campaign out of its Manhattan headquarters and its Washington office, making occasional trips to Cleveland.
Editorials/Op-Eds
Hillary Clinton speaks to the L.A. Times editorial board about war, women and her ability to navigate partisan obstructionism
LOS ANGELES TIMES // EDITORIAL BOARD
The following is a transcript of Hillary Clinton's phone interview with the Los Angeles Times' editorial board on May 4, 2016. Nicholas Goldberg: Welcome. I'm Nick Goldberg, I'm the editor of the editorial pages. We have a lot of questions for you. I'm hoping you can keep your answers kind of short so we go around the room and we can get everyone's questions in. We're on the record. I assume that's OK with you? Hillary Clinton: Yes it is. Of course. Goldberg: We have some people here from our newsroom. The rest are from our opinion pages. I was told you would give us a short one or two-minute introduction and then we can lay into you with questions. Clinton: I appreciate the chance to talk about a lot of the questions that are on your mind. All I really want to say is that I'm excited about running for president. I believe we've got a real chance in this election to lay out an agenda that will, if verified by the voters, move the country forward, create positive results for Americans in their lives, knock down barriers that are holding them back, protect our country, maintain American leadership around the word and unify our nation. I'm more than happy to answer your questions, and we'll try to get as many in as possible.
Restoring Bathroom Sanity in North Carolina
NEW YORK TIMES // EDITORIAL BOARD
The Department of Justice has given Gov. Pat McCrory of North Carolina until Monday to abandon the state's discriminatory law barring transgender people from using public restrooms based on their gender identity. The law also blocked Charlotte's antidiscrimination ordinance, and prohibited cities and counties from enacting similar laws. In a letter issued Thursday, the Justice Department's top civil rights prosecutor, Vanita Gupta, warned the governor that the statute, which was passed in March, violates federal civil rights law. She said that the Department of Justice may sue North Carolina and that the Department of Education may withhold federal funding for its schools. The state law peddles the malicious idea that transgender people are sexual predators and that allowing people to use a bathroom that reflects their gender identity violates the rights of others. It immediately drew a strong backlash from civil rights groups, religious leaders and businesses. Major corporations have decried the law, calling it an impediment to recruiting and retaining top talent. Employers have already suspended plans to expand operations in North Carolina, costing the state hundreds of jobs.


Looks good, just added one link.
From: Walsh, Tom
Sent: Friday, May 06, 2016 5:47 PM
To: RR2
Subject: For research: This Week on the Campaign Trail
It's been a disastrous week for the GOP. Now that Ted Cruz and John Kasich have both dropped out of the race, Donald Trump is the Republican Party.
Problems for Republicans extend far beyond the Cleveland convention, which many top GOP leaders have already vowed to avoid. With Trump as their nominee, any remaining hope Republicans had of concealing their true colors is gone. Party leaders shouldn't be surprised though - this was a crisis of their own making. For years, the Republican Party has elevated extreme voices, using divisive campaigns that sought to exploit unfounded fears for political gain. Now they're stuck with the most reckless, dangerous and divisive nominee in modern history.
In every primary contest, Republican voters continue to report in exit polls that their primary has been divisive - in some cases, more than half report they feel betrayed by their own party. Meanwhile, in poll after poll, Democratic voters are reporting that our primary has energized the party and that they're enthusiastic about our candidates. It's clear that the enthusiasm gap favors Democrats.
From now until Election Day in November, Democrats will hold Trump accountable for his offensive rhetoric and dangerous ideas. We're fighting for the American people, and for the values of inclusion, hard work, dignity and opportunity for all. Looking to our convention in Philadelphia, we will not only emerge united, but we will nominate the next President of the United States.
Supreme Court Vacancy
It's been 51 days of Republican obstruction
since President Obama nominated Chief Judge Garland to the Supreme Court, passing the average amount of time it takes the Senate to hold a hearing on a nominee. While Republicans continue to avoid doing their jobs, Senators like Chuck Grassley have admitted it would be a "gamble" to allow Trump to fill the Supreme Court vacancy. And the American public agrees: 62% of voters don't trust Trump to nominate a new Supreme Court justice. If Americans agree that Donald Trump lacks the judgement to nominate a Supreme Court justice, when will the GOP? Job well done, Senator McConnell
.
The Campaign Trail
Trump clinched his party's nomination, but something's not quite right... Will any former GOP nominees or presidents endorse Trump
? So far, it's looking pretty bleak. Mitt Romney, John McCain and the former Bush Presidents still have yet to throw their support behind Trump. But things got especially awkward when Paul Ryan, the highest ranking House Republican and chair of the Republican National Convention, said that he cannot endorse
Trump. But Ryan, with his fellow Republicans, paved the way for Trump.
From flip-flopping on campaign funding
to calling the National Enquirer "professionals
," Trump also reminded us this week that he's about as knowledgeable
about foreign policy as Sarah Palin, and all he knows is what's on the internet
.
WATCH
Even the former Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates took to the airwaves
to question Trump's grasp of foreign policy, saying Trump is someone "who doesn't understand the difference between a business negotiation and a negotiation with sovereign powers." Gates' comments are a reminder that Trump clearly lacks the judgment, experience, and temperament to be our next commander-in-chief.
The New York Times described what Trump's first 100 days as president would look like, noting, "many Americans are scared and anxious about the idea of him in the Oval Office." Here is a brief summary
:
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