[mpen-dayton4] FW: "MLK March" & "MoveOn endorses Bernie" & "We're a long way from Dr. King's dream" & "Bernie is under attack " and more

FYI.   Best, Munsup

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P.P.S. "He who dares not offend cannot be honest" - Thomas Paine
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·         FW: MLK March - Monday January 18, 2016

·         FW: Big news: MoveOn endorses Bernie

·         FW: We're a long way from Dr. King's dream

·         FW: Our moment of truth (by Bernie Sanders)

·         FW: The Class War that may doom the GOP as we know it

·         FW: WhoWhatWhy: "A Unified Theory of Corruption – The Deep State" by Jeff Schechtman

·         FW: SPLC calls for the removal of Alabama chief justice

·         FW: Bernie is under attack -- and we need to fight back now

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From: David K. Greer [mailto:dkgreer@ameritech.net]
Subject: MLK March - Monday January 18, 2016

Martin Luther King, Jr. March & Rally Monday, January 18, 10:00 am

Join the regional community as we commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and all the brave women and men who fought and died for Civil Rights, and those who still continue in the struggle.

Assemble for the March @ 10:00 am at the Charles R. Drew Health Center on 1323 West Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (also known as West 3rd Street) with pre-march entertainment and speakers. The March starts at 10:30 and proceeds along West Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way/West 3rd Street, then turns onto Main Street downtown to end at the Convention Center where the Rally takes place @ 11:00. Rides provided back to your car following rally.

Those who don't want to march the entire 1.7 miles (35 minutes) to the Convention Center can join the March at the Peace Bridge (1.1 mile, 22minutes) or at Sinclair Community College (.6 mile,11minutes) or at 3rd & Main.

Also, school supplies will be collected at the Drew Health Center and at the Convention Center, heading up by Sister Brenda Barrow, so bring what you can. More MLK events & information at: http://mlkdayton.org/events.html.

When:   Mon Jan 18, 2016 10am – 1pm Eastern Time
Where: Charles R. Drew Health Center on 1323 West Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Way (also known as West 3rd Street)

 

 

From: Ilya, Matt, Victoria, Anna, and the rest of the team, MoveOn.org Political Action
Subject: Big news: MoveOn endorses Bernie

It's official: MoveOn members have voted to endorse Bernie Sanders for president. Now, with your help, we will mobilize and help him win.

After more than 340,000 ballots were cast in a four-day membership vote, Bernie Sanders has earned our endorsement with an overwhelming 79% of votes cast, far more than the 67% threshold required for an endorsement. That's the best-ever performance of any presidential candidate in MoveOn's 17-year history.

This vote was not only decisive, but participation was broad-based, with more ballots cast than any other endorsement vote in MoveOn's history.

It’s no surprise that Bernie Sanders has earned overwhelming support from MoveOn members. The issues his campaign is raising—tackling economic inequality, ending corporate influence over our politics, breaking up too-big-to-fail banks, expanding Social Security, fighting climate change, avoiding senseless wars, and more—are the same issues that MoveOn members have been fighting for years.

Now, with just 20 days until voting begins in the 2016 presidential primary, we're adding our millions of collective voices in support of this historic campaign.

Click here to fill out this short 3-question survey letting us know how you can help in these critical final few weeks before the first elections.

Here's what a few MoveOn members had to say about why they voted to endorse Bernie:

“I have never been as excited about a candidate as I am about Bernie Sanders. His liberal values match my own values more closely than any other candidate. I respect Bernie Sanders' independence from corporate influence. His focus on social justice and addressing the economic inequality in this country make him the candidate for me.” — Megan W., Poulsbo, WA

"I am an educator. Most of my experience has been with inner-city and working class populations. I voted for Bernie Sanders because I have seen how the poor and working class have been treated so unfairly. I think Bernie Sanders will make sure that everyone is treated fairly. I have been very impressed by his vision for America."— Paul D., Cincinnati, OH

"I voted for MoveOn.org to endorse Bernie Sanders for president because he represents the progressive movement like this organization. His views align perfectly with my own—wealth inequality, a living wage, job creation, Wall Street reform, racial justice, women's and LBGT rights, college without debt, climate change, and peaceful solutions to prevent war, such as his support for the Iran deal.” — Terri D., Brookfield, WI

"I am a working class homeowner from Des Moines, Iowa. I support Sen. Sanders because campaign finance reform is his top issue. He doesn't take money from billionaires and does not have a super PAC. Sanders is honest, trustworthy, has been preaching the same message for decades, he has not used his position in government for personal gain, is not an opportunist, and will not be bought by any lobbyist or special interest group.  He owes favors to no one except the million or so individual donors who support his campaign." — Aaron W., Des Moines, IA

“His refusal to accept the status quo of the wealthiest Americans using their power to influence politicians matters to me. If we're going to push back against the rising oligarchy in our country, we need people like Bernie Sanders representing us in government.” — Matt R., Reston, VA

Are you in? Let us know what you can do to in these next two weeks to help Bernie Sanders win the nomination.

The corporate media and D.C. pundits have tried to ignore the movement that’s been building behind the Sanders campaign for months. The massive rallies, record-breaking grassroots fundraising, and thousands of new voters getting engaged for the first time have barely registered over the media obsession with Trump and the Republican horserace.

But a strong showing in the Iowa caucuses or the New Hampshire primary could help catapult Bernie to the Democratic nomination. And recent polls show Sanders with a small lead in both states.¹

And looking ahead to November, multiple polls are now showing that Bernie is the strongest Democrat to take on Donald Trump and other right-wing Republicans.²

Together, MoveOn members could be the force that helps boost the Sanders campaign to victory in these critical final weeks. Are you ready to make history?

Click here to sign up and make a difference in these final weeks.

This campaign is about a lot more than just Bernie Sanders. It’s about giving people hope and fundamentally changing our politics so that billionaires and big corporations can't continue rigging the economy against the rest of us.

As we promised in the endorsement vote, now that we've endorsed, we’ll run a 100% positive campaign for Bernie Sanders. And we will come together to help the Democratic nominee win and keep a Republican out of the White House in November—no matter who ends up winning the primary.
Thanks for all you do.

P.S. The complete voting results are below. As a reminder only ballots from MoveOn members prior to the start of the vote were counted:
     

• Bernie Sanders - 78.60%, 267,749 votes cast
• Hillary Clinton - 14.62%, 49,811 votes Cast
• Martin O'Malley - 0.87% - 2,950 votes Cast
• Do Not Endorse - 5.92% - 20,155 votes Cast
• Total Valid Votes Cast: 340,665

P.P.S. You can read more about why members voted to endorse Bernie Sanders here.

Sources:
    

1.    "New Poll: Sanders Moves Ahead Of Clinton In Iowa," Talking Points Memo, January 11, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/643?t=8&akid=160984.1195276.Vv9fe_

2.    "Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders Even in Early Races, Poll Finds," The Wall Street Journal, January 11, 2016
http://act.moveon.org/go/644?t=10&akid=160984.1195276.Vv9fe_

Want to support our work? MoveOn member contributions have powered our work together for more than 17 years. Hundreds of thousands of people chip in each year—which is why we're able to be fiercely independent, answering to no individual, corporation, politician, or political party. You can become a monthly donor by clicking here, or chip in a one-time gift here.
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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

 

From: Michael Keegan; President, People for the American Way
Subject: We're a long way from Dr. King's dream

This Monday we honor and remember Martin Luther King, Jr, a fundamental civil rights leader whose legacy as a champion of equality and justice for all lives on nearly half a century after his death. And it’s especially important that we remember this legacy, because so many of the values Dr. King fought for are still under attack today. Profound hate and extremism have been on display in the GOP primary -- hate and extremism that we’re sure to see even more of during tonight’s Republican debate.

In Iowa, the race is tightening between Donald Trump and Senator Ted Cruz. It’s hard to believe that in 2016, the Republican primary field is led by a man who vows to fight the Supreme Court’s “lawless” and “illegitimate” marriage equality decision, and a man who wants to completely ban Muslims from entering the United States. But the GOP only has itself to blame, as the party’s ‘mainstream’ base continues to move further right, embracing xenophobia, abject racism, and anti-gay discrimination.

The Supreme Court is a constant reminder of just how much is at stake in the 2016 election, and what the Right’s extremism could cost us. On Monday, the Court heard oral arguments in Friedrichs v California Teachers Association, a case that could determine the future of workers’ rights. PFAW activists were at the Supreme Court the morning of the arguments, standing in support of working peoples' rights to come together to negotiate for better wages and working conditions. We also hosted a telebriefing for our members, featuring PFAW Foundation Senior Fellow and constitutional scholar Jamie Raskin. Raskin’s latest PFAWF report takes an in-depth look at how the Roberts Court has repeatedly undermined the power of unions. The Friedrichs case is one more example of the importance of the Supreme Court as a voting issue in 2016. Election Day could determine the Court’s ideological balance for a generation. 

Two more reminders about the importance of the Supreme Court are coming up next week: the anniversaries of both Roe v. Wade and Citizens United v. FEC. With Republicans’ recent wave of attacks on choice, Planned Parenthood, and women’s access to healthcare, a woman’s right to choose is barely hanging on by a thread in many parts of the country, and could be done away with by a Supreme Court hostile to reproductive freedom. And, of course, the Citizens United anniversary provides a time for us to take stock of all we’ve lost with regards to the integrity of our democracy due to the scourge of big money unleashed by that decision.

We remain committed to leading the fights against both the Right’s War on Women and the influence of big money in politics. Stay tuned for many more updates on that work in the days and week ahead. And you can read a recap of our member briefing on the Friedrichs case (or listen to the call in its entirety) here>>

So this weekend, while we recover from another Republican debate, let's take a moment to reflect on the principles of freedom and equality for which Dr. King spent his life advocating that are still under siege for so many Americans. Our country is better than this modern-day GOP. We are better than Muslim bans and anti-gay discrimination. We are better than attacks on the basic rights of women and working people. Together, we’re fighting for a United States that lives up to those principles of freedom and equality -- the true American Way.

We’re proud of everything PFAW and our members do in pursuit of these principles. Your support and activism makes this work possible. Thanks to you, we can continue fighting right-wing extremism in 2016 and beyond.

 

 

From: Bernie Sanders
Subject: Our moment of truth

For many months, I have been traveling from coast to coast across our country, and I've had the opportunity to meet with thousands of good, hard-working, and remarkable people. Like you and me, they are deeply concerned about the future of our country.

They wonder why they are working longer hours for lower wages. They worry about whether their kids will be able to afford college or get decent jobs. They fear that they may not have the savings to retire with dignity and security.

The challenges facing our country are enormous. That's why I decided to run for president—and why I am so humbled to have earned the overwhelming endorsement of MoveOn's members for our campaign.

I want to be clear about something: This campaign is not about Bernie Sanders. It's about a grassroots movement of Americans standing up and saying: "Enough is enough. This country and our government belong to all of us, not just a handful of billionaires."

So I want to welcome you to our political revolution, because our movement needs people like you involved to help it succeed. Can you contribute to support the critical work of MoveOn.org and our campaign?

Chip in $3 now to help our campaign and MoveOn.org work to win the Democratic nomination, win the White House, and take back our country from the billionaire class.

For 17 years, MoveOn and its members like you have brought together people to fight for progressive change and stand up against big money interests.

Like me, you opposed the Iraq War from the beginning. We have fought together to protect Social Security and Medicare from the hands of the billionaire class. You and I have both worked hard to protect women's access to abortion and reproductive health care in the face of Republican attacks. We have stood side by side against the Koch Brothers and worked to overturn the disastrous Citizens United decision by the Supreme Court.

And now we will stand together as the first voters help choose our next president starting in just a few weeks. I am so glad to have MoveOn members by our side once more.

I run not to oppose any man or woman, but to propose new and far-reaching policies to deal with the crises of our times. And I run because I know we must change course now, or risk losing the future for so many to the interests of so few.

For forty years, the middle class has been disappearing. Most of all new income is going to the top 1%, and the grotesque level of wealth and income inequality today is worse than at any time since the late 1920s. Women earn only 79 cents on the dollar for doing the same work as a man. The people at the top are grabbing all the new wealth and income for themselves, and the rest of America is being squeezed and left behind. The billionaire class has rigged the system by using their super PACs to buy politicians and elections.

A successful national campaign is a massive undertaking, especially when we will be heavily outspent. It will require the active participation of millions of Americans in every community in our country. In fact, it will require nothing less than a political revolution which combats the demoralization and alienation of so many of our people from the political process.

We are at a moment of truth. We need to face up to the reality of where we are as a nation, and we need a mass movement of people to fight for change.

Democrats will win the 2016 presidential election if massive numbers of voters turn out, including voters who too often sit out on Election Day. Our campaign, backed by millions of active supporters, is the best chance for winning the White House.

If we all chip in, there's no limit to what we can accomplish together. Click here to contribute $3 to support the work of MoveOn and our campaign as we elect our next president.

Once again, thank you for your endorsement. Let's get to work for our country.

Want to support our work? The average contribution from a supporter like you affords the Bernie Sanders campaign nearly two extra hours of work from a field organizer who can mobilize about ten volunteers at a single canvass or phone bank. And now, MoveOn.org is joining the effort. With your help, we will mobilize our people power aggressively and help put Bernie Sanders over the top. Click here to chip in.

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PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

 

 

From: Eric Kramer
Subject: The Class War that may doom the GOP as we know it

Been catching up on back issues of The New Yorker, lately, and thought this a stellar article by George Packer, form November 9th.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/11/09/the-republican-class-war    -  E

 

 

From: Judy Burnette
Subject: WhoWhatWhy: "A Unified Theory of Corruption – The Deep State" by Jeff Schechtman

whowhatwhy.orghttp://whowhatwhy.org/2016/01/08/a-unified-theory-of-corruption-the-deep-state/

A Unified Theory of Corruption – The Deep State

by Jeff Schechtman



Democracy Tug-of-War  Photo credit: Adapted by WhoWhatWhy from Lee Roberts / Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) and Library of Congress

The Holy Grail of physics has always been to find what Einstein called a Unified Field Theory, or, as we’ve come to know it today, a theory of everything. One idea, one set of equations that could explain the physical universe.

Imagine if such a thing existed in government and politics. If we could look at the last 40 years of upheaval, change, and political dislocation, and find the one thread that explains it all.

The term “The Deep State” originated in the Ottoman Empire — where the Turks recognized that their leaders owed allegiance to elites, and placed the opportunities and prerogatives of nationalism, corporatism, and elites over the interest of its citizens.

Today, the term is just as apt. Those same allegiances on the part of today’s leaders may just be responsible for income inequality, perpetual war, the dominance of Wall Street, and a Military/Homeland Security Complex far greater, deeper and stronger than anything that President Dwight Eisenhower could ever have imagined. Many thinkers have looked at this, including people like Peter Dale Scott, who has written much about it here on the pages of WhoWhatWhy.org.

Now, Mike Lofgren — a long time Capitol Hill insider, Senate and House Budget Committee staffer — shares 28 years of up close and personal insight which has led him to similar conclusions.

Lofgren thinks he has found the unifying theory. From his Washington perch,he has observed deep and intricate connections between Wall Street, the military, defense contractors, political operatives, the treasury, elected leaders, and unnamed others. And he has perceived the presence of a shadow government.

This complex web was made even stronger by 9/11 and the 2008 financial meltdown. And it leaves out ordinary citizens — the patsies — as more and more money is sucked out of the system and denied to those looking for even the most basic government infrastructure and services.

Lofgren is out with a new book and, in this week’s podcast, he’s interviewed by WhoWhatWhy’s Jeff Schechtman.  He talks the nitty gritty of the Deep State, showing once again that WhoWhatWhy is your Deep State Headquarters.

The book is called The Deep State: The Fall of the Constitution and the Rise of a Shadow Government, and it is published by Viking.

Click HERE to Download Mp3

 

 

From: Southern Poverty Law Center; FIGHTING HATE // TEACHING TOLERANCE // SEEKING JUSTICE
Subject: SPLC calls for the removal of Alabama chief justice

Credit: AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis

SPLC amends ethics complaint against Alabama chief justice

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore won’t stop advising the state’s probate judges to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized marriage equality. That’s why we’ve submitted new information in our ongoing ethics complaint seeking his removal from office. Following our earlier lawsuit, Moore was booted from the bench in 2003 for refusing to take down a Ten Commandments monument he installed in the state courthouse.

READ MORE

 

 

From: Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director, Democracy for America
Subject: Bernie is under attack -- and we need to fight back now

When 87.9% of DFA members endorsed Bernie Sanders, Democracy for America committed to waging a 100% positive campaign focused on the issues in support of Bernie. This commitment to campaigning on the issues includes defending Sen. Sanders against unfair and inaccurate attacks by his opponents.

Unfortunately, over the past few days, the Clinton campaign has launched extremely dishonest attacks against Bernie Sanders on an issue that defines what it means to be a Democrat -- universal health care.

In those spurious attacks, the Clinton campaign has completely distorted and misled voters about Bernie's universal health care plan.

They said Bernie is in favor of "ripping up Obamacare" and that he would "dismantle Medicare" and "send health insurance to the states, turning over your and my health insurance to governors." The implication is that his plan would somehow mean seniors would lose access to the benefits they get from Medicare, or that right-wing governors would be able to block it from coming into their states.

That's ridiculous. It's time to correct the record:
   

Bernie's universal health care plan would make access to health care a right for every single American -- and no state government would ever be allowed to stop it.

Why are these attacks on Bernie happening now? Because several new polls in the last few days have proven that the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is up for grabs in Iowa and New Hampshire.

If the Clinton campaign manages to win by scaring voters into believing that Bernie's plan would hurt them, not only would it be bad for Bernie, it would be a crushing blow to the movement for universal health care and the ability of Democrats to advocate for it in the future.

The Iowa Caucus is now just 18 days away and Bernie Sanders has a good shot to win, but there's also a real chance we could suffer a devastating defeat because of these false attacks on Bernie. If we fall short, imagine how you will feel the next day, knowing how close we came? Please chip in $3 or more now to Bernie Sanders -- and help DFA support him urgently.

Here's why the attacks by the Clinton campaign are so dangerous:

Regardless of who wins the presidential primary, Democrats need to hold on to the White House in 2016. This is something that all Democrats agree on because we all know just how much is at stake in this election.

In a contested primary, it makes sense for the candidates to draw contrasts with their opponents on the issues. But there is simply no excuse for the Clinton campaign's dishonesty about Bernie Sanders's policies -- the same kinds of lies we would expect to hear from Republicans in a general election.

Every single second the Clinton campaign continues engaging in false attacks, they make it more and more difficult to bring the party together and achieve victory for our nominee -- whomever that might be -- in November.

We need to put an end to this kind of dishonesty in the Democratic presidential primary -- and the best way to do it is to prove that campaigns that engage in it don't win.

Your support today can make all the difference: Please chip in $3 or more right now to help Bernie's campaign win in Iowa and New Hampshire -- and to support DFA's campaign to defend Bernie and help him shock the establishment.

Thanks for getting Bernie's back at this critical moment in the campaign.
    

DONATE

Paid for by Democracy for America, http://www.democracyforamerica.com/?t=1&akid=7217.2765041.p72X8n and not authorized by any candidate. Contributions to Democracy for America are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

 

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