The Indian Panorama

Tag: 2016 US Presidential Campaign & Election

  • Fox News Poll: Hillary Leads Trump by 10 Points

    Fox News Poll: Hillary Leads Trump by 10 Points

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Though 62 percent of poll respondents say they see Clinton as dishonest, they nevertheless view the former secretary of state as more qualified for the highest office in the land than the brash, billionaire businessman.

    A new Fox News poll shows Democrat Hillary Clinton leading Republican Donald Trump by 10 points.
    A new Fox News poll shows Democrat Hillary Clinton
    leading Republican Donald Trump by 10 points.

    Clinton leads Trump 49 percent to 39 percent in the latest poll, the first taken since both candidates named their running mates last month. The difference falls outside the poll’s 3-point margin of error.

    When Libertarian Gary Johnson is included, Clinton’s lead is cut to 9 points, with Clinton at 44 and Trump at 35. Johnson pulls 12 percent of the vote.

    Among the poll’s findings:

    Qualified:
    Clinton: 65 percent,
    Trump: 43 percent    		 Right temperament:
    Clinton: 64 percent
    Trump: 37 percent    		 Knowledge to serve effectively:
    Clinton: 72 percent
    Trump: 40 percent

    Trump does have more support from veterans (53-39) but Clinton draws more Republicans (12 percent) than Trump draws Democrats (5 percent.)

    The poll talked to 1,022 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide by telephone July 31-August 2.

  • A Trump Victory is a Scary Thought; A Disputed Loss might be Scarier

    A Trump Victory is a Scary Thought; A Disputed Loss might be Scarier

    We have a tradition in the United States. When you lose an election, you take the L, and you move on. It’s what John Adams did after he lost to Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 election, marking the first ever peaceful transfer of power after a bitterly contested democratic election. It’s what Samuel Tilden and Al Gore did after their respective elections, in 1876 and 2000, when they won the national popular vote but lost the tally in the Electoral College. And it’s what Richard Nixon did after losing the 1960 election in an incredibly close race with John F. Kennedy, despite evidence of fraud in Illinois and suspicions of it in Texas.

    Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has started to surface claims that the election will be rigged.
    Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has started to surface claims that the election will be rigged.

    We have a great track record on this count, with one exception in our 228-year history of presidential elections. (It didn’t work out.) And we owe that track record to a set of shared norms about our political institutions. In the modern era, those norms are straightforward. We all agree in the principle of one person, one vote. We all agree that, in each state’s Electoral College, electors go to the winner of the popular vote. And for the most part, we all agree that the major parties are legitimate groupings of citizens and interests, with a legitimate claim on power should their candidates win an election.

    That hedge— “for the most part”—is intentional. For the most part, we do agree that the winners are legitimate. For as much as Republicans worked to stymie Barack Obama’s presidency through unprecedented obstruction, they never sought to delegitimize the election results or argue that his wins didn’t count. At the same time, Republican lawmakers throughout the country—and especially in the South—have engaged in a project of voter suppression, animated by the barely veiled idea that some voters are more legitimate than others. They cry “fraud”—ignoring all evidence to the contrary—and suggest stolen elections. It’s corrosive and dangerous, not the least because these voter laws target black and Latino citizens in a clear echo of Jim Crow.

    “Fraud” is part of the backdrop of Republican politics on the state and local level, but conspiracy theorists aside, it hasn’t bubbled up into national politics. Republican leaders opposed Obama (and Bill Clinton before him) and even challenged his authority as president. But they didn’t attack the election itself, or suggest the results were illegitimate. Enter Donald Trump.

    Trump has no use for norms. He violates them at will, from relatively trivial transgressions such as his personal attacks on other presidential candidates (“Little Marco,” “low-energy” Jeb), to the worrying ones such as his habit of spreading conspiracy theories (e.g., the charge that Ted Cruz’s father helped assassinate John F. Kennedy), to the serious ones such as his calls for religious tests, his tolerance of white supremacists, and his exploitation (and occasional use) of explicit racism.

    Trump’s contempt for norms has only gotten worse in the past few days, as he reacts to the Democratic National Convention—and his subsequent collapse in the polls—with rage and anger. And on Monday, he crossed one of the brightest lines in American politics, the one that deals directly with our tradition of peaceful transfer of power.

    “I’m afraid the election is going to be rigged, I have to be honest,” he said to a crowd in Columbus, Ohio. He followed up on this in an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity. “I’m telling you, November 8th, we’d better be careful because that election is going to be rigged. And I hope the Republicans are watching closely, or it’s going to be taken away from us.”

    The simple truth of American politics—and of democratic life at large—is that our institutions are only as strong as the norms around them.
    This was in line with comments from Roger Stone, a longtime adviser to Trump. In a recent interview with Breitbart’s Milo Yiannopoulos, Stone said that Trump should start talking “constantly” about the chance of voter fraud and a rigged election. “He needs to say for example, today would be a perfect example: ‘I am leading in Florida. The polls all show it. If I lose Florida, we will know that there’s voter fraud.’” Stone continued in this vein. “‘If there’s voter fraud, this election will be illegitimate, the election of the winner will be illegitimate, we will have a constitutional crisis, widespread civil disobedience, and the government will no longer be the government.’”

    From here, Stone’s language gets ominous. “If you can’t have an honest election, nothing else counts,” he said. “The government will be shut down if they attempt to steal this and swear Hillary in. No, we will not stand for it. We will not stand for it,” Stone said, promising a “bloodbath” of “civil disobedience.”

    You could say that there’s nothing new here, that earlier Republicans have brought similar rhetoric to the table, and thus that this—if there’s a difference at all—is one of degree and not of kind. In the aftermath of 1960, allies of Nixon alleged fraud. And again, in the wake of Obama’s 2012 victory, Alex Jones and other conspiratorial figures obsessed over the idea that the election was stolen. But this elides fine details. For instance, neither Nixon’s allies nor Alex Jones was a candidate for the presidency of the United States. This world we’re in, in which a major party campaign maligns the election as rigged well before the fact and promises a proverbial “bloodbath” in the event of defeat, is a new one.

    It’s possible that this is just impulsive nonsense from unscrupulous men with no bearing on the election. But I wouldn’t dismiss it. Presidential nominees matter. What they say matters. Trump is a major party leader in an age of rigid partisanship. Not only has this bound reluctant lawmaker to his campaign, but it’s given him a definite floor for votes in the general election. If he loses, it won’t be a landslide. It might even be close. Which makes this language dangerous.

    A Donald Trump who accuses the Democratic campaign of fraud—who says Hillary stole the election from him—is one who has allies and enablers within his party. It’s one who has an audience with millions of voters, primed to believe in an epidemic of fraud and stolen elections, where “fraud” often means black and Latino voting.

    What happens if Trump loses the election, and he claims fraud? What happens when hundreds of thousands of his most loyal followers—fed on a diet of anger and rage—convince themselves that the race was stolen from their tribune? The simple truth of American politics—and of democratic life at large—is that our institutions are only as strong as the norms around them. Those norms are the superstructure of democracy; they help us navigate conflict and mediate change. When they’re violated, either by unaccountable elites or by reckless politicians, we suffer. And right now, one of those elites is undermining them for the sake of his own ego, stoking fear and distrust just so he can lose the election without losing face.

  • Trump lashes out at parents of slain Muslim American soldier

    Trump lashes out at parents of slain Muslim American soldier

    WASHINGTON: Donald Trump lashed out at the father of a fallen Muslim American soldier over remarks that the Republican presidential nominee has “sacrificed nothing” for the country, saying he created thousands of jobs and questioned whether his wife was even “allowed” to speak.

    Trump’s comments to a news channel about the parents of Army Capt. Humayun Khan drew swift criticism including from his own party and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.

    “Who wrote that? Did Hillary’s script writers write it?” Trump said in an interview with ABC News. “I think I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard.”

    Humayun’s father Khizr Khan, in a moving tribute to his son at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia while posthumously receiving a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart after he was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq in 2004, stunned a national audience with a speech directly confronting Trump, who has called for a ban on Muslims entering the US.

    He asking the 70-year-old real estate tycoon to “go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America”. “You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”

    Trump argued he “made a lot of sacrifices” and worked “very, very hard”.

    “I’ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures,” he said. “Sure those are sacrifices.” “I think my popularity with the vets is through the roof,” he claimed.

    Responding to a question, Trump alleged that Khan’s wife Ghazala, who was standing beside him wearing a headscarf during the speech, was not allowed to speak.

    “His wife, if you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say. She probably maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say. You tell me, but plenty of people have written that. She was extremely quiet and it looked like she had nothing to say,” he said.

    Trump’s comments drew sharp reaction nationwide, both for attacking a mourning mother and because many considered them racist and anti-Muslim.

    “This is a time for all Americans to stand with the Khans, and with all the families whose children have died in service to our country. And this is a time to honour the sacrifice of Captain Khan and all the fallen. Captain Khan and his family represent the best of America, and we salute them,” Clinton said in a statement.

    Ghazala Khan said that she was too emotional to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last week.

    She said she is still overwhelmed by her grief and cannot even look at photos of her son without crying.

    In a late night statement, Trump called Humayun “a hero”.

  • Russian Spies answer Trumps call ~ Hack Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign

    Russian Spies answer Trumps call ~ Hack Hillary Clinton’s Presidential Campaign

    Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign along with other Democratic Party organisations has been hacked as part of a larger cyber attack, law enforcement officials said on Friday night.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Justice Department has launched a probe against the latest hack that follows two data breaches involving the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DNCC), CNN reported.

    “An analytics data programme maintained by the DNC, and used by our campaign and a number of other entities, was accessed as part of the DNC hack,” said Clinton campaign spokesman Nick Merrill.

    “Our campaign computer system has been under review by outside cyber security experts. To date, they have found no evidence that our internal systems have been compromised,” CNN quoted Merrill as saying

    The intrusion was discovered by private investigators hired by the campaign, according to the law enforcement officials.

    The private investigators believed that it was similar to the DNC hack, but federal investigators were still working to determine the scope and nature of the intrusion, the officials said.

    The Justice Department’s national security division, which was already investigating the DNC intrusion, is handling the probe because of the believed similarities, CNN reported citing the officials as saying.

    The DCCC, which is the political arm for House Democrats, confirmed on Friday it had been the subject of a cyberhack, raising the possibility that alleged Russian hackers might have breached a much broader swath of Democratic records than originally thought.

    The revelation comes just days after the leak of thousands of Democratic National Committee emails — US officials allege Russian hackers — prompted major turmoil within the party, causing the abrupt resignation of its chairwoman, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, reports CNN.

    The FBI’s chief of cyber investigations James Trainor told CNN in an interview recently that hackers have targeted political party entities and think tanks in Washington.

    The official said there is a long list of intrusions that the FBI and other agencies were also investigating.

    Hacking has become a major flashpoint in the presidential race. Revelations about targeting the Clinton campaign come as the two nominees — Republican party’s Donald Trump) are set to begin receiving national security briefings, CNN noted.

    Trump earlier in the week drew criticism for appearing to suggest that Russia should use espionage to find Hillary Clinton’s deleted emails.

    The Republican nominee later tried to walk back the comments by saying that he was only being sarcastic.

  • Democratic Convention, Philadelphia July 25-28, 2016Obama Steers 2016 Presidential Election away from Trumpism

    Democratic Convention, Philadelphia July 25-28, 2016

    Obama Steers 2016 Presidential Election away from Trumpism

    PHILADELPHIA (TIP): Barack Obama, July 27 made a powerful endorsement of Hillary Clinton as the next US President, saying no one including himself was ever more qualified than his former secretary of state, as Democrats united against “homegrown demagogues” like Republican rival Trump who sell “fear and cynicism”.

    The two-time president, also the first black to have occupied the top post, said he was “ready to pass the baton” to his rival in 2008 as he painted an optimistic picture of an “already great nation”.

    “I can say with confidence there has never been a man or a woman-not me, not Bill (Clinton), nobody-more qualified than Hillary Clinton to serve as president of the United States of America,” Obama said amid deafening cheers from thousands of delegates and guests packed into a sports arena here.

    In his 45-minute fiery speech, the most high-profile in the ongoing Democratic national convention, Obama asked Americans to shun “cynicism and fear” being propagated by the 70-year-old reality TV star.

    “And now I’m ready to pass the baton and do my part as a private citizen. So this year, in this election, I’m asking you to join me, to reject cynicism and reject fear and to summon what is best in us; to elect Hillary Clinton as the next president of the United States and show the world we still believe in the promise of this great nation,” he said.

    Obama, 54, said the November 8 presidential elections were a “fundamental choice” about what the country is and the very “meaning of our democracy”, and “not just a choice between parties or policies; the usual debates between left and right.”

    He endorsed Clinton for having a first-hand knowledge of the challenges that come with the job and contrasted it with the lack of experience of the Republican nominee – a non-politician.

    “You know, nothing truly prepares you for the demands of Oval Office. Until you’ve sat at that desk, you don’t know what it’s like to manage a global crisis, or send young people to war. But Hillary’s been in the room; she’s been part of those decisions.

    “He (Trump) is not really a plans guy. Not really a facts guy, either. He calls himself a business guy, which is true, but I have to say, I know plenty of businessmen and women who’ve achieved success without leaving a trail of lawsuits, and unpaid workers, and people feeling like they got cheated,” he said.

    The third day of the convention also witnessed Vice President Joe Biden making an emotional valedictory speech and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine formally nominated as vice-presidential candidate.

    “Ronald Reagan called America ‘a shining city on a hill’. Donald Trump calls it ‘a divided crime scene’ that only he can fix. It doesn’t matter to him that illegal immigration and the crime rate are as low as they’ve been in decades, because he’s not offering any real solutions to those issues. He’s just offering slogans, and he’s offering fear. He’s betting that if he scares enough people, he might score just enough votes to win this election,” he added.

    “That is another bet that Donald Trump will lose. Because he’s selling the American people short. We are not a fragile or frightful people,” Obama said.

    Obama said democracy doesn’t work if people constantly demonize each other.

    “She (Hillary) knows that for progress to happen, we have to listen to each other, see ourselves in each other, fight for our principles but also fight to find common ground, no matter how elusive that may seem,” he said.

    Making a passionate plea to elect Hillary as his successor, Obama said time and again, they have elected him. “Tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me. I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me,” he said.

    Indian-Americans in spotlight at democratic convention

    The growing clout of Indian-Americans in US politics came to spotlight as three leaders from the community took the center stage at the ongoing Democratic National Convention that anointed Hillary Clinton as party’s presidential nominee

    Neera Tanden
    Neera Tanden

    Neera Tanden in her political debut at the national stage of the Democratic party, made a strong case for Clinton as the next president of the US

    Ami Bera
    Ami Bera

    Ami Bera, an Indian-American Congressman, in his brief appearance said: “As the only South Asian member of Congress, as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, I support Hillary Clinton because she is the only candidate that understands the complexity of the world and is prepared from day one to lead America.”

    Raja Krishnamoorthi
    Raja Krishnamoorthi

    Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Indian-American Democratic Congressional candidate from Illinois, has been introduced as one of the party’s emerging leaders during the convention.

     

     

    Tim Kaine Accepts Vice-Presidential Nomination  

    Tim Kaine is the running mate of Hillary Clinton
    Tim Kaine is the running mate of Hillary Clinton

    Democrats gathered in Philadelphia formally selected Tim Kaine as their US vice-presidential candidate, completing the party’s ticket for the November election. Kaine, a 58-year-old senator from the battleground state of Virginia, was nominated by voice vote

    The tickets are now set for both parties: Hillary Clinton and running mate Kaine for the Democrats, with Republicans Donald Trump and running mate Mike Pence, both of whom were nominated last week and their party’s convention in Cleveland.

    With working-class roots and a spotless record both as Virginia governor and senator, he is seen as helping Clinton garner support among reluctant independent male voters-although at the risk of alienating the party’s progressive left wing.

    Prez Trump? God help us: Bloomberg to voters 

    Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg labeled Trump a conman
    Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg labeled Trump a conman

    Independent former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg told divided Americans it was time to unite behind Hillary Clinton in order to defeat “demagogue” Donald Trump “Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s running his business? God help us,” Bloomberg, who like Trump is a billionaire businessman, told the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia

    “I’m a New Yorker, and I know a con when I see one.” He issued stinging rebukes to Trump, describing him as singularly unfit for the presidency and calling his business plan “a disaster in the making.”

  • DEMOCRATS DISPLAY UNITY AND ELAN AT THE CONVENTION

    DEMOCRATS DISPLAY UNITY AND ELAN AT THE CONVENTION

    Democratic Convention concluded July 28, with powerful endorsement of Hillary Clinton as the President of USA and an exultant Hillary accepting the nomination.  In sharp contrast with the visible divisions and rancor in the Republican camp at the Republican Convention in Ohio a week earlier, Democrats succeeded in presenting an image of unity, despite differences which are too well known by now. The most bitter foe of Hillary Clinton during primaries to the run up to the convention, Bernie Sanders, while acknowledging policy perception differences with Hillary, came up with a strong endorsement of Hillary, much to the chagrin and disappointment of his followers.

    Scores of party stalwarts and dignitaries spoke at the Convention. While Michelle Obama was widely acclaimed for her polished and moving speech, Michael Bloomberg’s barbs on Trump did not fail to amuse the gathering.

    However, it was for Obama to win the most admiration and appreciation as he spoke of what democracy is and what leadership is. He clearly steered the 2016 presidential election away from Trumpism when he called upon Americans “to reject cynicism and fear” being propagated by the 70 year old New York Realty Moghul Donald Trump, and “summon what is best in us”.

    Hillary Clinton., accepting the nomination, spoke of what she believes in and what she would do as President. She spoke of the priorities she has on mind which all aim at ensuring security and peace not only in America but also in the world. Her speech threw up quite a few quotable statements. “America is great because America is good.” “Our democracy isn’t working as it should”. “Wall Street will never again be allowed to rip Americans”.

    Hillary’s speech touched upon all aspects of life of all sections of people. Referring to young students, she said Bernie and she would work together for free college education and for a new set of rules governing student loans. Creating more opportunities, more jobs, raise in wages are the areas she said she would address on priority. “None of us can do it alone”, she said. “Together” we can achieve our cherished goals was the message from the Democratic Presidential nominee. As for Donald Trump, she seemed to pity him. She dismissed him as a man with no ideas, no vision,offering no solutions to problems. “Donald offers no change. He has only words”.

    The impressive array of endorsements, the impressive display of unity, and the exposition of democratic nominee’s vision bode well for Hillary Clinton. All eyes are now on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.

  • The finest Obama Moment: Lessons in Leadership in Times of Trouble

    The finest Obama Moment: Lessons in Leadership in Times of Trouble

    Thursday (July 28) morning, many of us found ourselves riveted to television screens, listening to President Barack Obama deliver one of the most substantive and wise speeches by any world leader in recent years. Of course, he was speaking at the Democratic Party’s National Convention in Philadelphia. Such conventions in American politics are primarily tribal gatherings, with well-honed rites and rituals of endorsement, denunciation and demonization. Expectedly, Obama did all that – and, then a bit more. He ended up educating the Americans and the rest of the world in the principles and practices of leadership.

    Obama, in his speech at the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia said leadership meant "creating the possibility for people of goodwill to join and make things better".
    Obama, in his speech at the Democratic Convention in Philadelphia said leadership meant “creating the possibility for people of goodwill to join and make things better”.

    In outlining differences between Hillary Clinton and her Republican opponent, Donald Trump, President Obama reflected on what constitutes leadership, particularly in these troubled times when the world order is looking somewhat frayed. These reflections were worth every penny because this is the time when political leaders, especially in the West, are being fashionably run down as unable and ill-equipped to address the concerns of their disillusioned, disenchanted and disenfranchised citizens. The masses are supposed to be in some kind of ‘revolt’ against the political classes. Suddenly, the world over, there appears be a clamor for the boorish demagogue, who does not care for the so-called elites and their expertise and addresses himself, instead, directly to the modern equivalent of the unwashed millions. The damage such demagogues can inflict on a society’s political and social stability was very much evident in the recent British referendum on the European Union. Britain is no exception. All over, inciters and imposters are finding victims among gullible and confused citizens.

    In Philadelphia, Obama spoke up against this global current of demagogic sales-pitch. In endorsing Hillary Clinton and indirectly depreciating Donald Trump, Obama sought to wean the Americans and other citizens the world over from the seductive charm of the slogan-mongers. (We in India are not unfamiliar with this phenomenon and its bewitching potential. We have even coined a name for it, too: jumala-baazi). Obama courageously cautioned against those who seek to use the pulpit to fan “resentment, and blame, and anger, and hate.” The demagogue preys on the citizens’ anxieties about a world the national governments are no longer able to cope with, leave alone control and coerce.

    President Obama has the experience and the credentials to be critical of Donald Trump for “not offering any real solutions” and, instead, “just offering slogans, and offering fear.” Despite being a partisan at a patently partisan show, Obama’s censure does underscore the complexities of the modern-day government.

    Presiding over a country – any country – is a complicated affair. Everyone wants change and every two-penny bit of a politico promises change with a capital C. But what Obama managed to underline was the stark reality: there are no teach-it-yourself manuals for the business of government, the science of governance and the art of governing. It is easy to promise and not all that easy to deliver. He was warning not just the Americans but also the voting citizens all over the world: beware of the man who sells a quick-fix. There are no quick-fixes, as we have been discovering for ourselves since May 2014.

    Democratic voices and forces all over the world would be grateful to President Obama for reminding us once again that a democracy does not depend upon one person. Instead, the beauty of democracy is that its resilience and resourcefulness empower one and all: “Our power does not come from a self-declared savior promising that he alone can restore order. We don’t look to be ruled.” In making this assertion, Obama raised his voice against the ever-present weakness for the megalomaniac and against the shaman and his black bag of magic medicines.

    A democratic polity, be it in India, America or England, is an arrangement of institutions and processes and protocols. A democratic system intrinsically frowns upon potential Caesars and other purveyors of personality cult. Authority in democracy can only be an institutionalized exercise of power.

    Leadership means not just arousing the passions and animosities of your followers; it means enlisting the support and cooperation of your rivals once the vote is over. “It’s creating the possibility for people of goodwill to join and make things better,” Obama proposed.

    An essential corollary of this proposition is that a true leader is not intimidated by talent around him or her, is not afraid of other brilliant and bright men and women, and does not surround himself with mediocrities and second-raters. In our own case, at the most critical moment of modern history, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, though rivals, made a formidable diarchy; and, with the Mahatma’s blessing, they were willing to -and, did – share power and space and public gaze with those who were not their political associates in the fight against the British. The post-Independence leadership felt secure enough to invite ‘rivals’ and outsiders to be part of the Cabinet and become partners in the great task of rebuilding the new Indian State.

    An essential element of leadership has to be a capacity to work with other people. Not a one-man show. As Obama noted that “even when you’re 100 per cent right, getting things done requires compromise. That democracy does not work if we constantly demonize each other.” (His admonition can well be directed at Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP government and its equally unsparing rivals in the Modi sarkar).

    As Obama would tell us, leadership is not about instigating followers to a civil war; nor is it about deepening society’s divisions and fault-lines. Leadership is about tapping collective positive impulses and energy. Or, as Obama put it, cultivating and nurturing “bonds of affection; that common creed.” Leadership is about summoning citizens to rise above their petty animosities and prejudices. Invoking inclusiveness is a primary obligation for any leader because every country is a divided society. Obama was brilliant and courageous in acknowledging the diversity among the Americans “whether they wore a cowboy hat or a yarmulke; a baseball cap or a hijab.” We should certainly be able to feel the import of these words at a time when the majority in India feels itself empowered enough to beat up the minorities. But Obama argued that politics of togetherness will always trump the politics of divisiveness. “We are stronger together,” he intoned.

    And, summoning togetherness is not at all easy a task. Because that involves offering a moral leadership. Obama exhorted the Americans to “reject cynicism, reject fear, to summon what’s best in us.” This is not just an American requirement; this is an axiom that has to be valid and relevant in every country around the world.

    (Yale alumnus author is a former Media Advisor of the Indian Prime Minister. He remained in Prime Minister's Office from June 2009 to January 2012)
  • Hillary makes history as Dem nominee

    Hillary makes history as Dem nominee

    PHILADELPHIA: The US is just one step shy of electing its firstever female President. Already , Hillary Clinton has made history, with the Democratic Party formally nominating her on Tuesday as their presidential candidate -the first woman in the country’s 240-year modern, democratic existence to become the standard-bearer of a major political party .

    “I can’t believe we just put the biggest crack in that glass ceiling yet,” Clinton told party loyalists. “If there are any little girls out there who stayed up late to watch, let me just say: I may become the first woman president, but one of you is next,” she added.

    The momentous occasion came with theatre worthy of a vibrant, raucous and transparent democracy . An epic intraparty battle concluded on the floor of the Democratic National Convention when Hillary’s socialist rival Bernie Sanders formally ceded the fight after pacifying his diehard supporters with a roll call vote so their choice and voice could be heard and recorded. Then, Sanders himself proposed Hillary Clinton’s nomination with acclamation by delegates.

    Six hours later former President Bill Clinton, famed for his silver-tongued oratory , deployed his gift for storytelling to draw a compelling portrait of a spouse who was at once a driven policy wonk, a tireless activist and a fabulous mother who now deserved her place in the political sun. In a 45-minute address, he cited numerous in stances of how she wrought policy changes as a lawyer, a senator and as secretary of state, calling her the “real deal” and contrasting her energy and intellectual heft with an opponent who has no record of public service and no ideas, and who he suggested was a “cartoon alternative”.

    “She is still the best darn changemaker I have ever known,” the man who could be America’s First Gentleman told the party flock -still boiling with skeptics.

    Among them was actress Susan Sarandon, a Bernie supporter, who like many of his camp followers believe the Clintons are a dodgy couple who are part of an old order that will maintain a status quo in which the elites rip off ordinary people while pretending to work for them. (PTI)

  • This US Democrat mimicked Donald Trump and drove Twitter crazy

    This US Democrat mimicked Donald Trump and drove Twitter crazy

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The unlikely star of Day 3 of the US Democratic National Convention was Tim Kaine.

    Who? Precisely. People are not likely to ask that question again. That’s because Kaine, who is Hillary Clinton’s pick for the post of US Vice President, became a rage on Twitter. Within an hour of his speech at the convention on Wedneday night Philadelphia time, there had been more than 200,000 tweets about him, CBS News estimated.

    In his speech, Kaine mimicked and demolished Republican Presidential nominee Donald and threw in Spanish colloquialisms, all in a down-home, quasi-goofy delivery style that had Twitterati in splits and that inspired dozens of ‘dad jokes’.

    “The dad joke is a delicate thing. Part knowing humour, part lack of humour, it’s only requirement is that it ellicits not a laugh from its audience but the annoyed response: “Daaaaaaaaad”, according to a description in British newspaper The Telegraph.

    Kaine repeatedly mocked Trump’s use of the phrase “believe me.”

    “You know who I don’t trust? Donald Trump. The guy promises a lot. But you might have noticed, he has a habit of saying the same two words right after he makes the biggest promises. You guys know the words I mean? ‘Believe me,’ ” Kaine said. (PTI)

  • “America is Great because America is Good” : Hillary Clinton

    “America is Great because America is Good” : Hillary Clinton

    PHILADELPHIA (TIP): US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on July 28 the challenges facing Americans demand steady leadership and a collective spirit, contrasting her character with what she described as a dangerous and volatile Donald Trump.

    In the biggest speech of her more than 25-year-old career in the public eye, Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination for the Nov. 8 election with a promise to make the United States a country that worked for everyone.

    “We are clear-eyed about what our country is up against. But we are not afraid,” she said.

    She presented a sharply more upbeat view of the country than her rival Trump did when he was formally nominated for president at last week’s Republican convention, and even turned one of Republican hero Ronald Reagan’s signature phrases against the real estate developer.

    “He’s taken the Republican Party a long way, from ‘Morning in America’ to ‘Midnight in America,’” Clinton said. “He wants to divide us – from the rest of the world, and from each other.”

    She portrayed Trump as volatile, saying “a man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear weapons.”

    While her speech lacked the electrifying qualities of President Barack Obama and a parade of other prominent Democratic speakers, Clinton spoke authoritatively and with self-assurance in her pitch to the American public.

    She acknowledged some people still do not know her well.

    “I get it that some people just don’t know what to make of me. So let me tell you. The family I’m from, well no one had their name on big buildings,” Clinton said in a reference to Trump. She said her family were builders of a better life and a better future for their children, using whatever tools they had and “whatever God gave them.”

    As she prepared to deliver her speech, people familiar with the matter said the FBI is investigating a cyber attack against another Democratic Party group, which may be related to an earlier hack against the Democratic National Committee.

    The previously unreported incident at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or DCCC, and its potential ties to Russian hackers, are likely to heighten accusations, so far unproven, that Moscow is trying to meddle in the US election to help Trump.

    Clinton said it would be her “primary mission” to create more opportunities and more good jobs with rising wages, and to confront stark choices in battling determined enemies and “threats and turbulence” around the world and at home.

    ‘Moment of reckoning’
    “America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful forces are threatening to pull us apart,” said Clinton, a former secretary of state. “No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance – looking for steady leadership.”

    Clinton, who is vying to be the first woman elected US president, called her nomination “a milestone.”

    “When any barrier falls in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. That’s why when there are no ceilings, the sky’s the limit,” the 68-year-old Clinton said in a speech that capped the four-day nominating convention.

    The evening sounded at times more like a traditional Republican convention than a Democratic one. During retired General John Allen’s remarks, chants of “USA!” filled the hall and large flags were brought in to be waved. Speakers, some of whom included military and police officers, made frequent mentions of religion and patriotism.

    “I certainly know that with her as our commander-in-chief, our foreign relations will not be reduced to a business transaction, I also know that our armed forces will not become an instrument of torture,” said Allen.

    Clinton embraced her reputation as a policy wonk, offering a litany of proposals for tuition-free college, infrastructure investment, immigration reform, gun control, affordable child care, paid family leave and more.

    Clinton also reached out to Republicans and to followers of primary rival Bernie Sanders, the democratic socialist US senator from Vermont. His supporters chanted at times during her speech only to be drowned out by her supporters. “Your cause is our cause,” she said.

  • WikiLeaks releases audio from Democratic Party hack

    WikiLeaks releases audio from Democratic Party hack

    WASHINGTON (TIP): WikiLeaks released audio recordings on Wednesday, July 27, apparently hacked from the Democratic National Committee’s servers, including a message from an irate Hillary Clinton supporter demanding the party stop “bending over backwards” for Bernie Sanders.

    HAfiMgo6Links to the 29 recordings were posted on Twitter a few hours before US President Barack Obama took the stage in Philadelphia to address the party’s national convention, a meeting that formally nominated Clinton as the Democratic candidate for the White House.

    The confab was meant to be a show of unity, but instead has exposed the raw anger of Sanders supporters who feel disenfranchised by the primary process.

    The WikiLeaks files seemed timed to embarrass the party and Clinton, although the audio recordings did not appear to contain any bombshell revelations.

    They came after the anti-secrecy website on Friday leaked 19,000 emails from the accounts of several top Democratic party leaders.

    At least two email messages suggested an insider effort to hobble Sanders’ upstart campaign against Clinton – including by seeking to present him as an atheist in deeply religious states.

    The uproar following the leak forced party chief Debbie Wasserman Schultz to abruptly announce her resignation on the eve of the convention she was meant to preside over.

    In one audio recording, the angry Clinton supporter said in her minute-long voice mail that she was “furious” about what she perceived as party support for Sanders and giving the self-described democratic socialist “too much influence.”

    “Bernie is the worst person in the world to even be running in the Democratic Party because he’s not a Democrat,” said the unidentified woman, who noted she was on a fixed income and had donated $300 to Clinton.

    “Quit acquiescing to this person who likes to play the victim card and who also has been attacking Hillary, which gives Trump all his talking points. I will leave the Democratic Party if the Democratic Party continues to coddle Bernie Sanders,” she said.

    It was not known which party official the woman was trying to reach.

    In another recording, a woman — possibly the same person in the earlier call — was upset the party was letting Sanders supporter Cornel West serve on the platform committee, calling him “trash.”

    The audio files also provided a small glimpse of the daily inner workings of the party, with a staffer from an ambassador’s office calling to make sure her boss received an invitation to a St. Patrick’s Day reception at the White House.

    Former ambassador to Austria William Eacho left a message to get details on an invitation from Wasserman Schultz to attend a dinner with Obama.

    It was not immediately clear if the audio recordings were part of the original cache of 19,000 emails and attachments released by WikiLeaks on Friday.

  • Several Indian American Party Stalwarts Still Stumped by Republican Presidential Nominee Trump

    Several Indian American Party Stalwarts Still Stumped by Republican Presidential Nominee Trump

    CLEVELAND, OH (TIP): As 16 Indian American delegates pledged to support Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at the party’s national convention in Cleveland, Ohio, several long-time party supporters said they were still on the fence about the nominee.

    Trump won the nomination July 19 evening after each state announced their delegate vote counts, based on primary elections and caucuses. Trump won 1,725 votes; he needed 1,237 to clinch the nomination. Real estate broker Subba Kolla, a delegate from Virginia, announced the votes from his State during the delegate count. Kolla is the first-ever Indian American delegate from Virginia to the Republican convention.

    “I’m still concerned about Trump,” Sudhir Parikh, founder of the Indian American Republican Council, told India-West. “Trump is too anti-immigrant, too anti-minority, and anti-trade. He sticks to his point of view and I’m not sure this represents the views of the Republican Party,” said the New Jersey physician, a prominent fundraiser for the Bush presidential dynasty.

    “I have not decided yet whether to vote for Trump. I’m not going to sit this election out, but I will wait for four months – until the general election – to see what emerges,” said Parikh, noting that many Republicans will follow conservative commentator Glenn Beck’s call to action and vote for a third party candidate.

    Florida cardiologist Zachariah P. Zachariah, who has attended every Republican convention since 1992, told India-West he would not be attending this year. “It’s going to take a while for Trump to unify the party and all the people he’s alienated: Hispanics, Muslims and women,” said the long-time Republican Party fundraiser in an earlier interview with this publication.

    Former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal also did not attend the convention. Jindal was one of 17 Republican presidential candidates during the primary elections, but dropped out last November after consistently-low polling numbers.

    South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley – a Republican – declined an invitation to speak at the convention. Haley said she would attend the meet, but maintain a low profile.

    Republican National Convention Committeewoman-elect from California Harmeet Dhillon dismissed party naysayers and told India-West she was happy to support Trump, primarily because of his plans for economic recovery.

    “The concept of economic recovery is a universal concept,” said Dhillon, noting that Trump’s proposed initiatives will benefit the nation’s poor. “Donald Trump’s message is about unity, coming together as a country, and talking to each other,” said the Indian American attorney, adding that she does not believe in hyphenated identities.

    On the first day of the convention, several states staged a protest on the convention floor, calling for a roll call vote that would allow each delegate to theoretically “vote his conscience,” and perhaps show support for a nominee other than Trump. Dhillon noted that the renegade move “lost overwhelmingly.”

    “This was a tactic to slow down proceedings and grandstand for the cameras,” she said, adding there is a hard core contingency who simply does not like Trump, and a faction of former Republican presidential nominee Ted Cruz that is attempting to shore up support for the senator from Texas’s possible run in 2020.

    Dhillon said she supports Trump’s choice of Indiana Governor Mike Pence as his running mate. “Pence will unify the conservatives in the party who are still looking for Trump’s bona fides,” she told India-West, adding: “Pence’s record on economic recovery in Indiana has been outstanding.”

    The former chairwoman of the San Francisco Republican Party, Dhillon will accede to the post of California RNC committeewoman after the convention ends July 21.

    Dhillon delivered an invocation July 19, on the second day of the convention, ahead of the state roll call vote to confirm Trump as the party’s candidate. Pulling a scarf over her head, Dhillon recited the Ardas – a Sikh prayer – in Punjabi, then delivered remarks in English.

    “It is an honor as an American and the vice chair of the California Republican party to represent the fifth-largest religion in the world. We look to the one God above for guidance, and a reminder to have humility, truth, courage, service, justice for all and gratitude for all our creator has given to us,” she said.

    “Please bless these delegates from all over this great nation you have created with the integrity to reform faithfully our sworn duty to nominate leaders to take America in the right direction. Please protect us from evil and create prosperity for all Americans.”

    “Please give us the courage to make the right choices, to make common cause with those we may disagree for the greater good of our nation,” said Dhillon, speaking during prime time at the convention.

    This was the first time the Ardas has been recited at either party’s national convention.

    Earlier in the day, prominent Republican Party fundraiser Shalabh ‘Shalli’ Kumar held a press conference with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, chairman of the Republican Hindu Coalition. Kumar – who co-founded the coalition with Sampat Shivangi – told India-West that earlier this month Gingrich had arranged for him to meet Trump for a one-to-one meeting to clarify his stance on several issues.

    At the July 9 meeting, Trump reportedly told Kumar he supports the H-1B program and bringing in talent from all over the world. Trump did not state whether he supported an expansion of the program, which is overwhelmingly used by Indians.

    Trump also told Kumar that he wants to maintain a close partnership with India. “We currently have the strongest pro-India platform anyone has ever written,” said the businessman.

    “India is our geopolitical ally and a strategic trading partner. The dynamism of its people and the endurance of their democratic institutions are earning their country a position of leadership not only in Asia but throughout the world,” reads the 2016 Republican Party platform.

    “We encourage the Indian government to permit expanded foreign investment and trade, the key to rising living standards for those left out of their country’s energetic economy. For all of India’s religious communities, we urge protection against violence and discrimination.”

    “Republicans note with pride the contributions to our country that are made by our fellow citizens of Indian ancestry,” stated the platform.

    Kumar said he supports Trump’s initiative of greater scrutiny of Muslims, including those already in the country and Muslims attempting to enter the U.S.

    Trump also reportedly told Kumar that he wants to completely cut off all aid to Pakistan. “He recognizes Pakistan for what it is: a nation of thugs,” stated Kumar.

    At the July 19 press conference, Gingrich said the Republican Hindu Coalition was in a great position to support Trump’s win this fall.

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump would make a natural fit, taking the relationship between the two largest democracies to a new high and make the world a safer and better place, said Gingrich. “Trump (as president) would be a very tough defender of the United States. Mr. Modi is a very tough defender of India. Both understand they are trying to achieve things for their own countries and getting to the deal,” he said, as reported by PTI.

    “Here you have the world’s largest democracy and the world’s most powerful democracy coming together in a way that is very important and vital to the future of Asia and to the world,” he said.

    The RHC held press conferences throughout the week with House Rules Committee chairman Pete Sessions and House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce.

    (Source PTI/ India West)

  • Donald Trump ‘humbly and gratefully’ accepts Republican Nomination

    Donald Trump ‘humbly and gratefully’ accepts Republican Nomination

    CLEVELAND, OH (TIP): “I humbly and gratefully accept your nomination for the Presidency of the United States “were the opening words of the acceptance speech of Donald Trump on the fourth and the concluding day of the Republication convention here, July 22.

    Trump let it be known that he was the force behind galvanizing the somnolent Republicans. We got “14 million votes, the most in the history of the Republican Party”, he said. He was also quick to point out that Republicans were far ahead of the Democrats.

    “Democrats got 20% fewer votes than they got 4 years ago. Not so good. Not so good”, said Trump to a cheering crowd of his admirers.

    Donald Trump accused Democratic rival Hillary Clinton of a legacy of “death, destruction, terrorism and weakness” as U.S. secretary of state and vowed to be tough on crime and illegal immigrants in a speech on Thursday accepting the Republican presidential nomination. Trump’s 75-minute speech was designed to set the tone for the general election campaign against Clinton, an answer to Republicans who say the best way he can unify the divided party is to detail why the Democrat should not be elected on Nov. 8. As the crowd chanted: “Lock her up” for her handling of U.S. foreign policy, Trump waved them off and said: “Let’s defeat her in November.” Thousands of supporters who were gathered in the convention hall roared their approval.

    When it was over, Trump was joined on stage by family members as balloons cascaded from above and confetti blew around the arena. A CNN snap poll of viewers of the speech said 57 percent had a “very positive reaction” to the address and 18 percent a somewhat positive reaction, while 24 percent said it had a negative effect.

    Social media sentiment toward Trump based on tweets that mentioned his name was slightly more negative than positive shortly after his speech. The acceptance speech by Trump, 70, closed out a four-day convention that underscored his struggle to heal fissures in the Republican Party over his anti-illegal-immigrant rhetoric and concerns about his temperament. The event was boycotted by many big-name establishment Republicans, such as 2012 nominee Mitt Romney and members of the Bush family that gave the party its last two presidents.

    Trump presented a bleak view of America under siege from illegal immigrants, threatened by Islamic State militants, hindered by crumbling infrastructure and weakened by unfair trade deals and race-related violence. Accusing illegal immigrants of taking jobs from American citizens and committing crimes, Trump vowed to build a “great border wall” against the border-crossers.

    “We will stop it,” Trump said. Trump took positions in conflict with traditional Republican policies. He said he would avoid multinational trade deals but instead pursue agreements with individual countries. He would renegotiate the NAFTA trade accord linking the United States, Canada and Mexico. He would penalize companies that outsource jobs and then export their foreign-made products back into the United States.

    “We will never sign bad trade deals,” Trump thundered. “America first!” The New York businessman, who has never held elected office, filled his speech with some of the bravado he used to win the Republican nomination over 16 rivals, punctuating his rhetorical points by waving an index finger.

  • Republicans Boo Off Ted Cruz For Not Endorsing Trump

    Republicans Boo Off Ted Cruz For Not Endorsing Trump

    Ted Cruz, Donald Trump’s former rival, was booed off the Republican top stage on Wednesday night after he withheld his endorsement of the New York billionaire as the nominee.

    “Stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution,” Ted Cruz said at the party’s convention, instead of urging Republicans to rally behind Trump, reports Xinhua news agency.

    The language, which echoed statements from the ‘Never Trump’ movement, triggered boos and chants of “Trump! Trump!” from the audience.

    “We’re not fighting for one particular candidate or one particular campaign,” Cruz said.

    “We deserve leaders who stand for principle, unite us all behind shared values, cast aside anger for love. That is the standard we should expect, from everybody.”

    Cruz left the stage putting on a brave face, wrapping up his remarks and thanking the audience while Trump entered the venue and gave his formal rival a thumbs-up, sarcastically venting his anger.

    Cruz came second to Trump during the Republican primaries.

    The two men have shared a notoriously hostile rapport following a primary battle that grew uncharacteristically nasty, with Trump labelling Cruz a “liar”.

    On the final day of Cruz’s campaign in May, he charged Trump with being “a pathological liar”, “a narcissist” and “utterly immoral”, the Guardian reported.

  • Donald Trump selects Mike Pence as VP: Pence has accepted the offer

    Donald Trump selects Mike Pence as VP: Pence has accepted the offer

    NEW YORK (TIP): Pence, a former congressman and the current governor of Indiana, flew from Indianapolis to the New York area Thursday, July 14, ahead of a planned Friday morning joint appearance with the presumptive Republican nominee in Manhattan.

    But Trump said Thursday, July 14 evening he’s postponing the official announcement, previously set for Friday morning “in light of the horrible attack in Nice, France, I have postponed tomorrow’s news conference concerning my vice presidential announcement,” he tweeted.

    Trump maintained during an interview on Thursday evening that he has not made a “final, final decision,” although sources with knowledge of the pick said Pence would be Trump’s ultimate choice. He also indicated that he will announce tomorrow when the rescheduled VP announcement will be held.

    Trump’s team was impressed with Pence’s fiery performance at a rally in Westfield, Indiana on Tuesday, July 12 night. The governor and his wife met at their home with the candidate, his son, daughter and son in-law on Wednesday, June 13 morning, stoking further speculation that he would be Trump’s ultimate choice.

    Sources close to Pence and Trump were preparing for the likelihood of a Pence pick early Thursday but warned that the final choice would be made by the candidate alone.

    Without confirming that he was not the choice, Gingrich – who had been viewed as the most likely alternative, said in an interview Thursday that “it was a very great honor to be considered” for the job.

  • Clinton receives long-awaited endorsement from Sanders

    Clinton receives long-awaited endorsement from Sanders

    Bernie Sanders, whose calls for a “political revolution” energized millions of voters across the nation, offered a long-awaited endorsement of his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton today, calling for unity just two weeks shy of the Democratic National Convention.

    Standing alongside one another at an event in Portsmouth, N.H., Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, congratulated Clinton for winning the nomination and vowed to do everything he can to help her beat presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

    “Hillary Clinton understands that we must fix an economy in America that is rigged and that sends almost all new wealth and income to the top one percent,” Sanders said, listing his reasons for endorsing her.

    “Hillary Clinton understands that if someone in America orks 40 hours a week, that person should not be living in poverty.”

    Democrats have coalesced around Clinton’s candidacy since she defeated Sanders in primaries last month in California and five other states, led by endorsements from President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and others.

    Sanders has spent the past month seeking to influence the party’s platform at the Philadelphia convention and promote electoral reforms including allowing independents to participate in future primaries.

    The platform includes many of his proposals, including a USD 15 an hour minimum wage, tougher restrictions on Wall Street and an end to the death penalty.

    The event at a Portsmouth high school sought to project Democratic unity before Republicans formally nominate Trump next week in Cleveland but some Sanders’ supporters in the crowd did not appear to be ready to move on.

    Chants of “Bernie” broke out in the gymnasium while opening speakers addressed the crowd, prompting Clinton’s faithful to chant, “Unity.” When Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a Clinton supporter, told the audience, “We need to elect Hillary,” some Bernie supporters stood and shouted, “No,” which was followed by chants of “Hillary” in the crowd.

    “It’s like he’s giving up if he endorses her,” said Steve Rand, a hardware store owner from Plymouth, New Hampshire, before the two candidates took the stage. “She stands for everything that I am against,” he added.

  • Sanders to Join Clinton on Campaign Trail; Media Reports

    Sanders to Join Clinton on Campaign Trail; Media Reports

    Bernie Sanders has apparently decided to turn over a new leaf.

    Sanders will join Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, at a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Tuesday where he’s poised to endorse Clinton.

    The rivals will come together to “discuss their commitment to building an America that is stronger together and an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top,” the campaigns announced in statements early Monday.

    The appearance comes after the firebrand Vermont senator scored several symbolic victories at the Democratic Platform Committee meeting in Orlando, Florida.

    Although Sanders has not yet conceded to Clinton, nor endorsed her, some expect such language at the rally as Sanders was successful in including causes like climate change and $15 minimum wage on the Democratic platform over the weekend. “I think it’s fair to say that the Clinton campaign and I, our campaign, are coming closer and closer together,” Sanders said Saturday.

    In the February primary, Sanders beat Clinton in New Hampshire by 22 points. Jeva Lange

  • Haters, get over it: Hillary Clinton isn’t going to jail over emails, Benghazi

    Haters, get over it: Hillary Clinton isn’t going to jail over emails, Benghazi

    On the heels of Independence Day, the FBI gave America a belated 240th birthday present: Hillary Clinton won’t be going to prison over Emailgate.

    Haters, get over it.

    The anti-Hillary crowd has been poking us with that stick during her entire presidential campaign, casting doubt on her viability, planting innuendo about her character and working nonstop to make us think that they somehow knew something the rest of us didn’t.

    Tuesday, investigators announced that Clinton did nothing criminally wrong by using her personal email account while handling classified information as secretary of state. It removed a potentially damaging legal barrier from the campaign trail and cleared a pile of rubbish from her path to the White House. And it happened just in the nick of time.

    Think of it this way: A President Hillary Clinton is the only thing standing in the way of a President Donald Trump.

    This isn’t necessarily the gift that everyone had hoped for. And it didn’t come wrapped in a tidy, cheerful package. It fact, it was handed over to us in a rather messy heap. No one expects every American to be excited about it. But over time, many of us likely will come to appreciate it.

    The email scandal was supposed to be the smoking gun in the Republicans’ two-year Benghazi probe. As it turned out, the conspiracy theories cracked wide open under the microscope and exposed the Benghazi inquest for exactly what it was – an $8 million taxpayer-funded Republican campaign to derail Clinton’s presidential prospects.

    Obama campaigns with Clinton after FBI rule out criminal charges over ’emailgate’

    They were once bitter political rivals but Hillary Clinton now has outgoing President Barack Obama backing her in the race to the White House. (Euronews)

    As hard as they tried, congressional Republicans couldn’t come up with a strand of proof that Clinton had been derelict in her duties as secretary of state concerning the 2012 attacks in Libya that killed four Americans. There was nothing in their 800-page report issued last week that proved she engaged in professional misconduct.

    Still, the Republican smear campaign has caused major collateral damage, most notably among Democrats. Some in her own party have bought into Trump’s “crooked Hillary” hype and have done their fair share of spreading the venom.

    So far, former Bernie Sanders supporters can’t seem to muster any enthusiasm for Clinton, the person most likely to be at the top of the Democratic ticket in November. And by refusing to throw his own support behind the presumptive nominee, Sanders, in effect, is telling them that it’s OK.

    The next president of the United States isn’t going to be Libertarian Gary Johnson or the Green Party’s Jill Stein. A vote for either one of them is nothing less than a vote for Trump.

    GOP to investigate FBI decision on Clinton emails
    So in the words of Queen Elsa, it’s time to let it go.

    Sanders supporters fought a good fight. But in the end, he just couldn’t convince enough Democrats that he could ever get his pie-in-the sky agenda through our polarized Congress.

    We get it that many Americans are tired of the Washington establishment and want to see real change come about in America. Sanders supporters opted for idealism, romanticism, a crusade.

    The rest of us Democrats were seeking someone with experience, a proven track record and enough political stamina to trample Trump in the general election.

    Trump has made attacks on Clinton’s character the centerpiece of his presidential campaign. And though Sanders supporters insist that they despise him, some of the most vile criticism of Clinton has come from them.

    A friend told me the other day that while she can’t vote for Sanders in November, she would never “ruin my life’s integrity” by voting for Hillary Clinton. She detests Clinton’s “lack of character, her lies, her cold manipulations, her obvious phony demeanor.”

    Specifically, she is convinced that Clinton manipulated primary votes, enticed the media to underreport Sanders’ widespread support among constituents and only cares about minorities and issues such as poverty, education and crime when it’s politically expedient.

    This particular friend is both smart and politically savvy – but she has convinced herself that her single vote for a third-party candidate won’t make any difference in the November election.

    The problem with that rationale is that she’s not the only person thinking that way. There could be lots of votes thrown away on candidates who can’t win, and the majority of those ballots would hurt Clinton.

    Those of us who actually like Clinton and believe that she is the most qualified presidential candidate America’s had in a long time are tired of the smear tactics. But that doesn’t mean she shouldn’t have to answer tough questions.

    Another friend told me that until she explains how a major Clinton foundation donor with no foreign policy experience ended up appointed to the International Security Advisory Board that he would have to “hold his nose” to vote for her.

    No one understands the challenges that lie ahead better than Clinton. On a recent stop in Chicago, she acknowledged that after “25 years’ worth of wild accusations,” she’s got to earn voters’ trust. It’s time we give her a chance.

    We don’t expect Trump to let up on Benghazi. Remember that he and other birthers refused to acknowledge that President Barack Obama was born in the United States, even after he presented his birth records.

    But we should expect better from those who share our political values. If Democrats aren’t careful, we could end up with a family of Trumps in the White House.

    While we’re engaged in our family feud over whether Hillary Clinton is a liar, the Trump team is huddling on the sidelines, waiting for a chance to steal.

  • TRUMP SAYS CONSIDERING 10 CANDIDATES FOR VICE PRESIDENT

    TRUMP SAYS CONSIDERING 10 CANDIDATES FOR VICE PRESIDENT

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, on July 7 said he has shortlisted 10 potential running mates.

    While Trump did not disclose the names, two potential shortlisted candidates Senators Bob Corker and Joni Ernest indicated that they were not in the race.

    Among his possible running mates being highly speculated are Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey and Senator Jeff Sessions.

    “Well, I’m actually looking at 10 people, and three or four called me up, very big names, Senate and governor and all. And they want to be considered. And we’re looking very, very strongly,” Trump told Fox News in an interview.

    “I met with Joni. She was terrific, and very supportive. As you know, Bob was with me yesterday and he told me everything that he really would like to do and Bob is a terrific guy,” Trump said.

    Later Corker and Ernest said they were not in the race for vice presidential pick.

    “It’s a highly political job, and that’s not who I am. We had a very open conversation about that, and actually, we have been very candid about it from the very beginning of our meetings,” Corker told The Washington Post.

    Trump said Christie is “certainly” still in the race and described him as a friend and a great guy.

    He also praised Gingrich saying “Newt is Newt, you know? Great guy. Tough and smart, and just a fantastic guy”. The real estate tycoon from New York said his list of potential vice presidential candidates also includes two generals.

    “Well, I like the generals. I like the concept of the generals. We’re thinking about actually there are two of them that are under consideration,” he said to a question. Trump is expected to announce his choice for vice president before the Republican presidential convention in Cleveland later this month.

    “I have tremendous people and tremendous interest. We have wonderful people that we’re considering. We will make a wise choice. I’ve gotten to know some of them very well over the past week. And I’ll be deciding sometime prior to the convention,” Trump said.

    “I’m looking for somebody that can be a great vice president, can do a great job, has presidential quality and can also help legislatively and other ways so that wonderful legislation can be passed for the people,” Trump said in response to a question.

  • BREXIT–A “Leave” vote puts UK on the path of disintegration

    BREXIT–A “Leave” vote puts UK on the path of disintegration

    It was certainly a black Friday – not the kind that we are used to after thanksgiving holiday – for the stock markets.

    The reason for that was not some economic news but rather political one: Brexit. It was a vote on the referendum whether to remain in European Union or Leave.

    Right before the referendum vote, there was feeling that pro-EU forces would prevail but the result was quite opposite: the “leave” vote prevailed by 52-48 margin letting loose a political earthquake of magnitude 10.

    The result was clearly seen in the reaction of the stock markets which tumbled across the globe wiping out ‘trillions’ in wealth and investors rushing to the safety of US bonds (which Trump wants to negotiate in order to reduce US debt, if he becomes President, notwithstanding the fact that all US debt is constitutionally guaranteed) and gold.

    Before we delve into what happens next, here is a quick and interesting fact about the vote: those belonging to 18-24 age group voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU but those in the 65+ age group – the older white generation -voted to leave the EU.

    This brings forth the glaring contrast between the viewpoints of two groups: The age group 18-24 years exhibited more tolerance, inclusiveness of all cultures and more progressive outlook towards the world – just like the view point held by the youth generation in US.

    But those who voted for leaving the EU – a majority of 65+ age group representing a dying generation – exhibited a mindset that is not able to come to terms with the changing society in modern times and wants to cling back to the old times which are crumbling due to technological advances, more tolerant younger generation and globalization of economy. A similar trait is exhibited by the whites in US who are feeling that “their way of life” is under assault.

    The foremost question is: now what happens?

    First possibility is that many nations in EU would also like to have the referendum like UK.

    Denmark had its own referendum last year but it was more towards deciding how much power to give to unelected officials in Brussels.

    Dutch leader Geert Wilders – a firebrand Islamophobe – has already called for having similar referendum to decide about Dutch member ship in EU.

    Then there is Marine Le Pen – a far right French leader – who is widely popular in France and if she becomes President then France could also see something along the lines of UK referendum. Hungary’s Victor Orban is no friend of EU and has also hinted at the referendum.

    If that happens then EU could find itself on the verge of disintegration.

    On the other hand, there is likelihood that UK would be just an anomaly. Other member nations would resolve to make EU a more cohesive force but with reforms that would lessen the authoritarian grip of Brussels on the member nations.

    David Cameron wanted to leave the painful matter of separation to his successor, but EU leaders like Jean-Claude Juncker, Angela Merkel, and Donald Tusk etc. have called for speedy divorce opining that there is no reason to wait for Cameron’s successor.

    Which means EU might decide to make separation for UK as painful as possible – in the areas of trade, immigration etc. – and as an example in order to deter other members who might harbor such notion of referendums.

    UK itself could face the negative reaction to the “leave” vote. There is a possibility that businesses could flee to Ireland or other EU countries triggering job losses and plunging the nation into recession causing untold economic damage.

    Besides that, the question of Scotland’s independence could again come up. Scotland has overwhelmingly voted to remain in the EU but England has opted to leave which would open up Scottish independence question.

    Scottish Minister Nicola Sturgeon has expressed no confidence in London’s government and hinted that Scottish independence referendum could be in the cards.

    If that happens – a very high probability – then by voting to leave the EU, UK may also have set itself up for disintegration.

    That would be quite ironic.

  • Trump says GOP rivals who broke pledge should never be allowed to run for public office

    Trump says GOP rivals who broke pledge should never be allowed to run for public office

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Donald Trump on Wednesday, June 29, said his former Republican primary rivals who have refused to support him in November should be barred from running for public office again.

    “They signed a pledge saying they will abide, saying they will back the candidate of the party,” Trump said during a campaign appearance in Bangor, Maine, adding, “They broke their word. In my opinion, they should never be allowed to run for public office again because what they did is disgraceful.”

    Trump didn’t mention any Republican candidates by name. But some of his significant primary challengers, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Ohio Gov. John Kasich — who on Wednesday released a letter on his campaign fundraising list highlighting a positive poll for him — have yet to endorse Trump despite saying during the primary they would back the GOP nominee.

    Trump called Republicans who wouldn’t back the pledge “sore losers.”

    Trump has struggled to unite Republican officials behind his campaign since clinching the party’s nomination in early May and his frustrations with the slow pace of that unity have boiled over in recent weeks.

    Despite talking up the need for party unity, Trump earlier this month criticized fellow Republicans and threatened to go it alone and campaign into the general election “by myself.”

  • Polls Indicate Clinton Leads over Trump in Battleground States

    Polls Indicate Clinton Leads over Trump in Battleground States

    NEW YORK (TIP): As of June 30, major polls have indicated Clinton is leading over Trump in battleground States.

    According to Ballotpedia’s battleground poll, Clinton leads Trump across the board in battleground states. Ballotpedia finds Clinton leading Trump 51% to 37% in Florida; 45% to 41% in Iowa; 50% to 33% in Michigan; 48% to 38% in North Carolina; 46% to 37% in Ohio; 49% to 35% in Pennsylvania, and 45% to 38% in Virginia.

    Each of the seven States surveyed is seen as a swing state where either party is normally seen as relatively competitive in presidential elections, though Michigan has gone Democratic in most recent presidential elections.

    Ballotpedia surveyed roughly 600 voters in each of the States between June 10-22 for the poll and each survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

    Separate polling in three battleground States, conducted by Quinnipiac University, found a much tighter race: Clinton up 8 points in Florida, but only 1 point in Pennsylvania and a tie in Ohio.

    A Quinnipiac University national poll released Wednesday, June 29 shows Hillary Clinton leading Trump by just two points, 42%to 40%, a much closer race than other recent surveys have shown. With third-party candidates included, Clinton leads 39% to 37%, with Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson at 8% and Green Party candidate Jill Stein at 4%.

    This Quinnipiac poll is quite different from other recent surveys on the presidential race, showing a much tighter contest than others. Its field period overlaps with those of the Washington Post/ABC News and NBC News /Wall Street Journal polls released Sunday, June 26, both of which found Clinton significantly ahead of Trump.

    Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by six points, 44% to 38%, in a Fox News poll of registered voters released Wednesday, June 29, marking an uptick from similar polls released in May and June.

    The Fox News results follow a rough patch for the Trump campaign: In May, the presumptive Republican nominee enjoyed a three-point lead in the same survey. But by early June, those numbers had flipped, with Clinton jumping out to a 42% to 39% advantage.

    CNN’s Poll of Polls — an average of results for the five most recent publicly released national polls that meet CNN’s standards for publication — has Clinton leading Trump 46% to 40%.

    Her lead among women in this latest round –51% to 32% — outpaces Trump’s with men, where his edge has dwindled to 10 points, 46%to 36%.

    The state of the race remains essentially unchanged when Libertarian Gary Johnson is thrown into the mix.

    Johnson wins 10% of the vote in a three-way competition, taking about equally from Trump and Clinton, whose lead scales down to 41% to 36%.

    Despite having seen off his last primary rival nearly eight weeks ago, Trump also lags behind Clinton on the party unity front.

    His lead among Republicans is down to 74%from 82% in May. And only 52% of registered GOP voters who had previously supported one of his opponents picked the billionaire businessman over Clinton.

    On the Democratic side, Bernie Sanders voters appear more willing to shed their primary loyalties and back the party’s likely nominee.

    Two-thirds of the Sanders backers surveyed said they would vote for Clinton over Trump. Overall, 83% of Democrats plan to support Clinton in November.

  • President Obama, Hillary Clinton to campaign together, with first stop in NC on July 5: Staff

    President Obama, Hillary Clinton to campaign together, with first stop in NC on July 5: Staff

    WASHINGTON (TIP): US President Barack Obama will hit the campaign trail for the first time with presumptive Democratic White House nominee Hillary Clinton next Tuesday, July 5, in North Carolina, her staff announced.

    “In Charlotte, President Obama and Hillary Clinton will discuss building on the progress we’ve made and their vision for an America that is stronger together,” Clinton’s campaign said in a statement. Their debut joint campaign appearance for the 2016 election had been scheduled for June 15 in the state of Wisconsin, but was postponed due to the massacre in Orlando, Florida — the worst mass shooting in US history.

    Obama came out and endorsed Clinton on June 9 after months of assiduously avoiding tipping the scales of the Democratic presidential primaries.

    “I don’t think there’s ever been someone so qualified to hold this office,” Obama said in a video message that day as he offered his full-throated endorsement of the former secretary of state, senator and first lady.

    “I’m with her, I am fired up, and I cannot wait to get out there and campaign for Hillary,” added Obama, who won a brutal, months-long Democratic primary battle against Clinton in 2008.

    Their joint appearance comes with US Senator Bernie Sanders refusing to bow out of the race for the Democratic nomination, despite rival Clinton amassing the necessary number of delegates to clinch it outright at next month’s party convention.

    Clinton, aiming to make history as the nation’s first female commander in chief, is expected to square off against Republican billionaire businessman Donald Trump in November’s general election.

  • Heart & Brain Harken to Times Gone: 2016 an Electoral Twister

    Heart & Brain Harken to Times Gone: 2016 an Electoral Twister

    We live in such interesting and exciting times – which time-tested Chinese wisdom says ought to be avoided on penalty of being cursed. Dickens, however would be in his glory, and say, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” Wow, reading that gem of timely wisdom leaves one breathless!

    Two dozen candidates started out seeking POTUS 45; all are gone from this wretched and ignoble 2016 race except Trump, Hillary and Bernie. Just last week, Russia’s president Putin charmingly told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that the United States is the sole Superpower. The world’s nations’ geo-political calculus is in a tizzy – unable to even rely upon Jimmy the Greek in Vegas, as nobody knows what will be.

    Of them, Hillary has broken the Final Glass Ceiling as the presumptive Democratic Nominee. Hillary of course is beyond experienced in world and domestic affairs, given her tenure of public service and her engaging in same as a happy cook does in a kitchen: with abandon, to whip up an exciting meal. Of course, the clean-up of the “dust up” is a job for others. It’s worth noting that after Barack Obama absolved us of our original Sin – slavery – by being elected as the present day lofty Mark Anthony – he met with Bernie in the Oval Office and issued a most moving video endorsement of Hillary across the cold digital divide, sans the glow and warmth of a June Day in the Rose Garden, standing shoulder to shoulder, as he did with the ever-loveable Joe Biden, the natural champion of the Middle Class.

    Undeniable it is that Bernie has lit the imagination of millions upon millions of Americans who feel that their American Dream was defalcated while Wall Street and other Power & Money centers in USA got obese, repeatedly, beyond AIG’s Credit Swaps, with TARP money – trillions of dollars taken from beat up Main Street and the perpetual Poor, itself a sin in America, for Wall Street. The same Wall Street, which crashed the world’s economy in 2007 and did a Harry Houdini act with every American’s 401k and had home-equity go deep sea diving; conduct unbecoming a person with honor, if not outright criminally offensive. Bernie supporters want the 1789 Viva La France “guillotined heads” from our institutions of government. Of course, Bernie sits waiting to be asked to speak in Philadelphia and be crowned the Hard Working American’s Champ, as well as waiting for Straight Arrow FBI Director James Comey, of Ashcroft-Alberto Gonzales fame recorded by Preet Bharara as Chuck Schumer’s Chief Counsel, and fearlessly Impartial AG Loretta Lynch – who will do what the law demands and her Honor-based Oath. The question everyone wonders, will lightning actually strike, but more importantly, will it strike before July 25th. Law, it should be known, is at its best when it ignores human and political calculus of self-gain, and does what it must, or not at all, if it can’t. Human honor, differs from Law’s honor; the former is more compassionate by comparison.

    I pause to recall with emphasis that when the late great Socrates walked the Agora and frustrated the powerful in the direct democracy that was Athens, his reward for seeking accountability of government was a double-Hemlock death syrup for a frail 70-year old who merely asked, “Why?” Our democracy has discovered that representative democracy is needed to permit deliberation, rather than mere mob-rule that is emotion-driven or emotionally excited to silly heights and depths. Luckily, we have circuit breakers beyond the ballot box, as in the Electoral College. The Two Party system is another circuit breaker. The media, when functions properly, is another circuit breaker. However, since the Arab spring, social media has done to mainstream media what the atom bomb did to Hiroshima. In case my point is unclear, let me state it thus: social media can take representative democracy and make it act like direct democracy of Athens.

    And then there is Trump; the OMG candidate for president of these United States. In a civilian businessman capacity, he loved being called The Donald. Now, it is the distant: Mr. Trump. The Trump candidacy, if it can be called that, when it’s actually a mudfest, is a perfect recipe for social media to love or hate, but never ignore. Unique to Trump is that he has earned a very lofty status during this campaign: The Teflon Tongue. Ask any politician and they will give up both legs and arms to be so blessed by the electorate. It took Ronald Reagan all the way past the Iran-Contra affair in 1986 to win the Teflon President title. Recall as you must, that in the Carolinas on the same day Donald Trump called Pope Francis disgusting, because the Pope deems a good Christian to build bridges not walls of separation, and later the same evening Trump professed his love and respect for Pope Francis while attacking the media for misreporting the Pope. All that aside, is it not amazing that Donald Trump has electrified a slice of Americana that yearns for the America of yesteryears – when political correctness did not hide the evil that can lurk in a human heart, but allowed it to flourish in broad daylight proudly.

    The ultimate question each of us must answer is this: as a citizen of the most exceptional nation in human history, which has guaranteed freedom of speech, press, association and religion, and an unending pursuit of happiness, must such a great nation serve only the selfish needs of one man or one woman or one family, or must it continue to be the beacon in human history that it is strong, compassionate, daring, defiant, disruptive, innovative, welcoming, confident, fearless, and other attributes of human heroes across the globe have defined by their deeds over time – for that is what America is and what every American can be.

    I want an American President worthy of the American citizenry: hard-working, loyal, and honorable.

    Oh, there is one ultimate circuit breaker in our great representative democracy, a nation of laws: the law itself. What government does not know how to do properly or justly, or refuses to do at all, the law will make it so.”

    Ravi Batra-1
    Ravi Batra

    The author is an eminent attorney based in New York. He can be reached at ravi@ravibatralaw.com

    Follow on Twitter @RaviBatra

  • DONALD TRUMP FIRES MANAGER BEHIND HIS ‘CONTROVERSIAL’ PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

    DONALD TRUMP FIRES MANAGER BEHIND HIS ‘CONTROVERSIAL’ PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

    NEW YORK (TIP): Donald Trump fired his hard-charging campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, in a dramatic shake-up designed to calm panicked Republican leaders and reverse one of the most tumultuous stretches of Trump’s unconventional White House bid.

    Lewandowski, in some ways as brash and unconventional as the candidate himself, had been by Trump’s side since the beginning of his unlikely rise to presumptive GOP nominee. But he clashed with longtime operatives brought in to make the seat-of-the-pants campaign more professional. The former conservative activist played a central role in daily operations, fundraising, and Trump’s search for a running mate, but Lewandowski’s aggressive approach also fueled near-constant campaign infighting that complicated Trump’s shift toward the general election.

    Reached on Monday, Lewandowsky deflected any criticism of his approach, pointing instead to campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

    “Paul Manafort has been in operational control of the campaign since April 7. That’s a fact,” Lewandowski said, declining to elaborate on his dismissal.

    Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks described Lewandowski’s departure as a “parting of ways.” A person close to Trump said Lewandowski was forced out largely because of his poor relationship with the Republican National Committee and GOP officials. That person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss internal deliberations.

    The move came as Trump faced continued deep resistance from many quarters of his party concerned by his contentious statements and his reluctance to engage in traditional fundraising. Trump was upset that so many Republicans _ House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell among them _ were reluctant to support him, the person said, and at least partially blamed Lewandowski.

    “Firing your campaign manager in June is never a good thing,” said veteran Republican operative Kevin Madden. “The campaign will have to show dramatic changes immediately on everything from fundraising and organizing to candidate performance and discipline in order to demonstrate there’s been a course correction. Otherwise it’s just cosmetics.”

    Lewandowski has long been a controversial figure in Trump’s campaign, but benefited from his proximity to the presumptive Republican nominee. Often mistaken for a member of the candidate’s security team, he traveled with Trump on his private plane to nearly every campaign stop, giving him more direct access to the businessman than nearly any other campaign staffer.