DNC Day 4: Madame President

Written By: - Date published: 1:16 pm, July 29th, 2016 - 103 comments
Categories: International, us politics - Tags:

The last day of the Democratic Party’s National Conference. Chelsea Clinton will introduce her mum around 2.30, then Hillary Clinton will presumably give the speech of her life at around 3pm.

In other news, the 1% candidate Donald Trump has removed his foot from his mouth long enough to splutter that he was only kidding about getting Russia to spy on American citizens. Too little, too late, according to commentators.

EDIT: Clinton’s final lines, echoed in a tweet from supporter Bernie Sanders:

That is the story of America. And we begin a new chapter tonight.

Yes, the world is watching what we do.

Yes, America’s destiny is ours to choose. So let’s be stronger together.

Looking to the future with courage and confidence.

Building a better tomorrow for our beloved children and our beloved country.

When we do, America will be greater than ever.

Thank you and may God bless the United States of America!

 

Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 29, 2016

I congratulate @HillaryClinton on this historic achievement. We are stronger together.

 

 

Live coverage of the speeches here:

 

 

Bonus: Video of Barack Obama from yesterday. It’s brilliant.

 

103 comments on “DNC Day 4: Madame President ”

  1. Liberal Realist 1

    TRP I wouldn’t be so sure your preferred candidate will be ‘Madame President’.

    Yes her coronation as nominee has proceeded as planned, regardless of stench of corruption surrounding Clinton and her DNC collaborators but that doesn’t mean she’ll win in November.

    The polling trends I’ve observed don’t look great for HRC, especially around trustworthiness (IMO Americans have good reason not to trust her). Then there’s the torrent of attacks that will soon come from the Republicans – that won’t let up until election day.

    I’ll close with a link to a very interesting documentary on the Clinton’s and their ‘Global Initiative’. If anyone is interested in how Bill and Hillary came to be so wealthy, do spend the time to watch this. No tin foil hats, no sensationalism.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LYRUOd_QoM

  2. Colonial Viper 2

    Bernie Sanders has announced he will give up his Democratic Party membership and return to being an independent.

    • Gotta link? I’ll put it in the post. If that’s the case, he’s probably done almost as much in a few short years to reform the Democratic party than anyone has in decades. If his influence lasts, that is!

      • Andre 2.1.1

        Less than a year, he only joined the Dems November 2015.

      • Just had a quick look at the news sites, CV. It appears not to be the case.

        He’s going to return to the senate after the Presidential campaign where he was already elected as an independent. So basically just going back to the status quo (no pun intended!). That’s kind of like Goff or Dalziel running for mayor as an independent. It doesn’t affect their party membership.

        I simply can’t find any mention of his resigning from the party. If it he had resigned, I imagine it would be leading the news everywhere, particularly if it was done on Hillary’s big day.

        • Colonial Viper 2.1.2.1

          Bernie confirmed to the media that he will return to being an independent senator in Vermont, and will not be a Democratic senator.

          • McFlock 2.1.2.1.1

            Meanwhile, as Joe90 posted five hours ago, WHAT’S FALSE: Sanders did not formally “leave” the Democratic Party, nor did he do so in protest.

            He’s just returning to the job for which he was elected.

            • dukeofurl 2.1.2.1.1.1

              Thats right never was ‘formally a democrat’

              Bonus tip, Eisenhower too was an independent until he got the GOP nomination when he changed to Republican

              Bonus tip . Hillary Clinton was a Goldwater Girl ( in high school)
              https://youtu.be/WycwDYlOCDw

              • DS

                Hillary was a Goldwater girl because she came from a staunch Republican household.

                She (and Bill) campaigned for George McGovern in 1972.

            • Colonial Viper 2.1.2.1.1.2

              No one suggested he left the party in protest. But he clearly does not want to extend his Democratic Party stay either.

              • McFlock

                We’ll see in two years, I guess.

              • Phil

                Bernie currently caucuses with the Democrats in Senate, but he was elected, and remains, an Independent Senator.

                He’s more than likely going to continue to caucus with the Democrats, because that would be consistent with his previous position.

    • dukeofurl 2.2

      Left the party, hardly hes just saying what he was all along

      “Asked after the event whether Mr. Sanders considers himself a Democrat or an independent, a campaign aide said, “He ran for president as a Democrat but was elected to a six-year term in the Senate as an independent.”

      “His Senate website and press materials continue to label him as an “independent” while his campaign website lists him as a “Democratic candidate.”

      “”I am not now, nor have I ever been, a liberal Democrat,” he said in a 1985 New England Monthly profile, according to Politico.
      “Socialist is the political and economic philosophy I hold, not a party I run under,” he explained in 1988, when he unsuccessfully ran for Congress.”

      “Unlike elsewhere in the world, joining the two major parties isn’t contingent upon membership fees or an application process. Party leaders also don’t have the power to say someone isn’t a Democrat or a Republican.”

      “When asked if he would officially join the party on April 30, 2015, when he announced his candidacy, Sanders said, “No, I am an independent who is going to be working with the —” cutting himself off mid-sentence.”

      http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/feb/23/bernie-sanders-democrat/

  3. Reality 3

    Listening just now to the introductions to Hillary coming on was awe-inspiring. Trumps’ silly circus acts show him up as being hopelessly unprepared and unsuitable for the role of President in comparison. Good luck to Hillary.

  4. Bill 4

    From the Guardian – This opinion piece by Jean Hannah Edelstein makes some bloody good points if accurate (I didn’t listen to Bill Clinton warbling. Btw, is it just me who gets reminded of that fucking awful purple T-rex character from some years back (Barney?) when he ups and opens his mouth?

    Bill Clinton’s speech was sweet. But it put Hillary the ‘girl’ firmly in her place.

    Hillary Clinton’s candidacy is a sign of progress, but it’s also a sign we have yet to progress to a point where a woman isn’t defined by her relationship to a man

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/28/bill-clinton-hillary-clinton-speech

  5. swordfish 5

    “Bonus: Video of Barack Obama from yesterday. It’s brilliant.”

    Counterpunch’s Jeffrey St. Clair

    This was a night dominated by the hollow men of the Democratic Party: Panetta, Kaine, Biden and Obama. Men who knew better, but did worse. The theme was liberal virility, strength, and managerial efficiency. Missing was any empathy for the homeless and the hungry, the poor and the downtrodden. It was a frontal embrace of the neoliberal order, a demonstration that the Democrats have the competency and toughness to manage the imperial order in a time of severe internal and external stress.

    The last three hours weren’t a full-throated repudiation of Sanderism, so much as a casual dismissal, as if the core concerns Bernie’s movement gave voice to regarding the ravages of economic inequality didn’t even merit their attention. And Bernie sat passively in the imperial box seats with Jane squirming at his side, watching it all unfold.

    Barack Obama possesses so many scintillating skills, perhaps more skills than any other political figure of the modern era. Yet he put those magical gifts to such meagre, timid and often brutal uses. What a waste.

    Oh, and …

    Tim,Kaine, the Jesuit Missionary, talked about witnessing the horrors of the Honduran dictatorship without mentioning that it and its death squads were entirely supported by the US government and that the same generals were put back into power in a coup supported by Hillary Clinton!

    And …

    Almost every speaker on stage today has repeated the phrase “scary Donald Trump.” They are working overtime to scrub away the image of Madeleine Albright from last night, which caused so many Democratic children to have a sleepless night.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1

      And Hillary is just another in a long line of Democratic Hollowmen. Interesting how the Thorndon Bubble set have such admiration for the DC beltway/K Street set. I guess it’s becoming increasingly clear which camp various commentators here are in.

      • Yep. It’s not a hard choice; progress or the bigoted billionaire. I forget, which side are you on again? 😉

        • Colonial Viper 5.1.1.1

          I’m with the “bigoted billionaire.” He’s the one who won’t cause wars of regime change in poor, brown, secular Middle East countries, unlike the proven regime changing neocon, Hillary Clinton.

          She’s the candidate you somehow label as “progress.”

          • McFlock 5.1.1.1.1

            Except he wanted regime change in Libya.
            And he reckons the only problem with obama in syria is that Obama tells people how many troops he sends in.

            • Colonial Viper 5.1.1.1.1.1

              Where did Trump say that he wanted regime change in Libya? The Libyan regime change disaster was led by neocon Clinton, of course.

              Trump has been very critical of how Clinton left her Bengazi embassy staff to die.

              • McFlock

                Really? I linked to his podcast just a few days ago.

                In Feb 2011 Trump was advocating for regime change in Libya. NATO went in on 19 march 2011. So I guess it’s really Trump’s fault /sarc

                I guess your blinkers let you miss the link the first time.

                • Colonial Viper

                  Trump was a good friend of the Clintons at the time, including Hillary Clinton who was pushing the neocon agenda to take down Libya. So I’m not surprised that he was repeating lines from the pro-war structural status quo media at the time.

                  Since then he’s wised up by distancing himself from the Clinton neocon warmongers, and got good advice on foreign affairs.

                  • McFlock

                    lol
                    So now what Trump said is Clinton’s fault?

                    [headdesk]

                    • Colonial Viper

                      More subtle than that. Trump was accurately reflecting what the Clinton State Department was feeding to the MSM about Gaddafi and Libya, and how the USA needed to act in regime change.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke

                      …not to mention Trump parrots whomsoever he’s cosy with today. A coherent narrative simply brimming with credibility and truthiness.

                    • McFlock

                      bwahahaha

                      So, basically, Trump’s geopolitical analysis then was based on simply reflecting popularly-held beliefs regardless of reality, and that’s how you manage to blame Clinton for what comes out of Trump’s mouth.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      In a way. Trump was reflecting the views of the press like the New York Times and the Washington Post; papers of record who were being fed the pro-war drum beat by Hillary’s State Department and her neocon friends.

                    • Andre

                      Is it just me or is our local Putin Puppet particularly unhinged and shrill today?

                    • McFlock

                      So simply by what he got from TV he turned on the guy he had played host to just a year and a half before. (h/t andre)

                      lol

                      I suppose that was Clinton’s fault, too.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      Hi Andre. The US is step by step inching the world to first cold war then hot war against China and Russia. That’s a very bad thing for everyone.

                  • One Anonymous Bloke

                    🙄

          • te reo putake 5.1.1.1.2

            Ha! I guess that makes two bigoted billionaires you’re backing, Trump and Putin. One more and you get Bond villain status!

            • Colonial Viper 5.1.1.1.2.1

              Hillary Clinton your favourite – who has several hundred million in the Clinton Foundation if not more – is the one who has been destroying the countries of poor, brown people with neocon wars of regime change, and also faux “colour revolutions” funded from Washington DC.

              • Liberal Realist

                CV, TRP appears to have had far too much ‘koolaid’ buying the narrative “Clinton” = Good, “Trump = Bad”. They’re both bad! Clinton is simply far worse, by orders of magnitude.

                You’re correct about the Clinton Foundation. I encourage you to watch the doco I posted at the beginning of this thread, if you haven’t already seen it. Billary has some great mates in Paul Kagame, for example. Another is Billion dollar donations to their foundation in return for political favours, the list goes on.

              • D'Esterre

                Andre and trp: so: your issue with Putin is…..?

                • Colonial Viper

                  IMO that Putin is determined to have an independent foreign and economic policy which dares to pursue Russia’s own national security interests, in a backdrop where only the US empire is permitted to conduct strikes against civilians, destabilise governments around the world, fund insurgencies and colour revolutions against democracies, mass surveil the populations of “allies”, and send carrier groups to sit off the coast of faraway countries in the name of “freedom of navigation.”

            • infused 5.1.1.1.2.2

              you’ve lost the plot.

            • Nic the NZer 5.1.1.1.2.3

              Further item to add to the long list of Hilary’s virtues as a presidential candidate. To recap in full,
              1) She a woman.
              2) Her Husband is Bill Clinton.
              3) She’s (only) a (Multi-)Millionaire.
              (this one should be brought up in juxtaposition to Billionaire opponent)
              If that list doesn’t make your mind up, well…

          • DoublePlusGood 5.1.1.1.3

            No, he’ll just save his stoking violence for vulnerable Americans instead.

        • billmurray 5.1.1.2

          I’m with you ‘trp’, bigoted billionaire is the least of Trumps faults. What about ‘con man’ ‘liar’ ‘draft dodger’ there are more but that’s enough.

          • D'Esterre 5.1.1.2.1

            billmurray: “…bigoted billionaire is the least of Trumps faults. What about ‘con man’ ‘liar’ ‘draft dodger’ there are more but that’s enough.”

            Now remind me: which presidential candidates from which years would you be referring to here? Shysters, con artists, liars, draft dodgers, hand-up-the-skirters: we’ve seen ’em all over the past few decades. Not much honour or virtue to be found among them.

            Obama has been an all-talk-no-do president. He (and his missus) can give a rousing speech, but that’s about the limit of his abilities. He’s rubbish at the political process: evidence being his utter inability to get the Republicans to work with him. A pacifist he most certainly hasn’t been, he and his pernicious little drone programme. And Guantanamo remains open. And troops still in Iraq. Change we can believe in: bah humbug! Many of us will be glad to see the back of him.

            And the thought of Clinton getting the nod, and bringing that randy old goat of a husband into the White House as first chap: gah! What the hell did the rest of the world do to deserve that?

            Have other people noticed how stringy he looks now? I’ve heard that the rumour around Washington is he’s got AIDS. I snorted at the idea, but he sure does look ill. On the bright side, maybe he’s no longer got what it takes to molest the interns? Sure hope so. Bet Hillary does too.

            • red-blooded 5.1.1.2.1.1

              How about we stick to political argument? I don’t give a shit what marital arrangements the Clintons have (or had). As for looking stringy; age does that to people. Get over it.

              • D'Esterre

                red-blooded: “I don’t give a shit what marital arrangements the Clintons have (or had).”

                You may not care, but it by no means follows that it doesn’t matter. Of course it does. Remember what Clinton did in an attempt to divert attention from the Lewinsky scandal. His inability to control himself had significant consequences for a bunch of innocent others.

                We have the right to expect better of people in such positions; a fortiori, the White House interns need to be protected from predation of that sort.

                “As for looking stringy; age does that to people.”

                Haha! Not me that’s spreading the rumour, but Washington insiders. ‘Twould sure matter to any interns molested by him, though. And he isn’t so very old: one member of this household is older by a couple of years, yet looks much better than Clinton. Who looks ill, not old. Such things are of moment in the political process, especially since she’s said that she intends to put him in charge of economic policy if she’s elected.

                • Phil

                  His inability to control himself had significant consequences for a bunch of innocent others.

                  And the inability of Trump to control himself… that doesn’t have consequences for a bunch of innocent others?

        • Liberal Realist 5.1.1.3

          TRP – how can you call HCR progress? Progress to what exactly? Bombing the shit out of more countries? Progress toward a hot war with Russia?

          I simply do not understand how anyone that thinks of themselves as from the left, could support Clinton! She’s corrupt on a grand scale and there’s a figurative mountain of evidence to support that assertion.

          It sucks that American’s only have the choice between a bigot and a crook, that surely is the fault of their system and the behaviour of both major parties.

          Presented with this choice myself, I have to choose Trump as has CV. My reasoning is the same, Trump is far less likely to start a major war than Clinton. Sure he’s not going to be good for the US or for the world at large but one term is only 4 years. Much much better than a nuclear winter and the extinction of the human race bar the elites hiding in their bunkers…

          Clinton is a faux liberal, hawk, interventionist, neoliberal …. stop pretending she represents progress when she really represents the status quo. What’s the status quo? Everything the empire does in service of itself. Hillary is an agent of empire, an agent of progress she is not.

          • te reo putake 5.1.1.3.1

            Your choice says a lot about you. eg am I an arse? Why, yes, I am. If you are putting Trump ahead of the best interests of the rest of the world, you, my friend, are an arse.

            • the pigman 5.1.1.3.1.1

              Because the interests of the rest of the world are more US war-mongering and interventionism, right?

              Oh – right – you do actually believe that! *shrugs*

              • Colonial Viper

                And transnational corporate rule, corporate lobbyist written free trade agreements, shadow banking financialisation, …

          • Ad 5.1.1.3.2

            Read her policies.
            Compare them to the Trump policies.
            Really read and compare.
            Consider the effects of those policies on the uS and global public.

            Then make your choice.

          • locus 5.1.1.3.3

            We already know that Trump is both bigot, crook and a lot more besides…… which matters little if he can con the Trump uniform wearers that they will be part of a great USA again – make them believe that he can save them from the threat posed by all those mexicans and moslems

      • D'Esterre 5.1.2

        CV and swordfish:in case you haven’t seen it, this is worth a look.

        http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/11156794

        In particular, reason 5.

    • Cheers for mentioning this, full article was a good read.

  6. One Two 6

    WINNING!

  7. Karen 7

    Tweets from Bernie
    Bernie Sanders ‏@BernieSanders 37m37 minutes ago
    I congratulate @HillaryClinton on this historic achievement. We are stronger together.

    Bernie Sanders ‏@BernieSanders 8h8 hours ago
    We must end the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality that we currently experience, the worst it has been since 1928.

    Bernie Sanders ‏@BernieSanders 9h9 hours ago
    Trump wants to abolish the Affordable Care Act and throw 20 million people off of health insurance. We can’t let that happen. #DemsInPhilly

    Bernie Sanders ‏@BernieSanders 12h12 hours ago
    What we are dealing with now is quite honestly, the worst Republican candidate in the modern history of the United States of America.

    Trump wants to abolish the Affordable Care Act and throw 20 million people off of health insurance. We can’t let that happen.

    Bernie Sanders ‏@BernieSanders 12h12 hours ago
    What we are dealing with now is quite honestly, the worst Republican candidate in the modern history of the United States of America.

    More

  8. One Two 8

    Blatant censorship and fraud by the blue team in a ‘win at all costs’ to ensure that Clinton will be ok ‘installed’

    It’s about winning, it’s about control and it’s about subverting my any means necessary any semblance of truth

    DNC gives the world a front row seat to the most corrupted ‘democracy’ money can buy

    Endorsement and enactment of censorship is at the core of the authoritarian agenda

    • Ad 8.1

      You should have a read of LBJ’s rise in Robert Caro’s The Ascent To Power.

      Now there you have proper Texas-scale skullduggery, to lay waste a far better politician than Bernie or Corbyn could ever hope to be, and enable the rise of LBJ.

      Still, despite himself, he did some good.

    • Wayne 8.2

      Pretty understandable action by the DNC I would have thought. This was Hillary’s big day, and the last thing that was needed is blatant disruption by Bernie dead enders.

      Actually Bernie also understood this. In any nomination contest you have to know when you have lost and do so with good grace. And be prepared to back the winner.

      Any well organized political party staging such an event would have done the same thing. As one of the show biz speakers at the conference said earlier in the week, “stop being ridiculous”.

      • Indeed, Wayne. These are stage managed events and I think it’s to the Dem’s credit that they accepted the dissent with good grace. While some of Bernie Sanders supporters who attended the event may have left still sour about losing out, the TV audience, who are far more important, will have got a good impression of the event. The speeches by Sanders, Biden, the Obamas and the Clintons are what voters will remember, not the moans of a few.

        • Wayne 8.2.1.1

          Thanks, and yes the DNC allowed some dissent, but made sure it did not dominate, which would have been a terrible disaster for the Democratic campaign.

          I watched the speech. It was good, but too long. She lost some energy about half way through. If it had been shorter, say 30 to 40 minutes with all the best lines, it would have been a really great speech.

          She certainly fired some zingers at The Donald including the nuclear button one. But he had it coming to him. You can’t describe your opponent as”Crooked Hillary” or an enabler and expect any level of mutual respect. The gloves are off.

          Incidentally I have never understood the hatred against Hillary. I have met her and she seemed a throughly decent person. Hopefully the stories from Bill and Chelsea, plus her own story about her mother, will have gone some way to humanize Hillary for those middle voters who could go one way or the other.

          • Colonial Viper 8.2.1.1.1

            Geeezus the issue is not whether Bill and Hillary are congenial cordial people to have a cuppa with.

            As to why people don’t like Hillary here is a quick clue up:

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_6fOuQtd38

          • te reo putake 8.2.1.1.2

            Interesting comment about humanizing Hillary. We tend to depersonalise public figures, whether it’s sports, politics, entertainment or whatever. We speak as if we know their essential character, but what we know is their public face, something they may have little control over and probably rarely reflects their actual personality. I’ve met many politicians and it’s my observation that they generally believe themselves to be decent people doing what they think is the right thing.

            Mind you, if the reports from former staff and friends are correct, what we see of Trump in the media closely resembles the man in person. That might be a first in political life.

            • miravox 8.2.1.1.2.1

              “Mind you, if the reports from former staff and friends are correct, what we see of Trump in the media closely resembles the man in person. That might be a first in political life.”

              Possibly a first, however Berlusconi was another self-aggrandising bigot with suspect friends who never pretended he was anything else. And he did get to ruin a country while enriching himself.

      • Anne 8.2.2

        I agree Wayne. The DNC handled the situation well. As far as I could tell there was no rancour expressed towards the dissenters by any of the speakers. Actually I felt sorry for them because they were experiencing their first taste of political grief and didn’t know how to handle it. Many of us have been through it. As a young woman I remember the untimely death of my political hero, Norman Kirk. I was devastated.

        I’ve never warmed to Hillary Clinton but, imo, this attempt to demonise her at every turn has been grossly overdone.

    • locus 8.3

      well I’ve worked and lived in authoritarian countries and although there’s a heap of crazy things wrong with the US, thank goodness they still have some semblance of a democratic system and democratic institutions. I’m not sure that Trump will allow for so much democracy or differing opinions if he gets into power….

      I did find it odd when working in the US that so many intelligent and decent republicans I met lost all sight of reason when getting on to healthcare, guns, women’s rights, racial equality, Islam

  9. Ad 9

    You’ll need a full 1.2 hours, but download Trump’s whole speech, put it on a big screen at home, pour your favourite beverage, and have a wallow.

    I did that last weekend, with the fire on and the lights low, and it is freaking awesome politics.

    And then, to shower yourself in virtue, download this third day’s worth of speeches + Michelle’s, pour your favourite beverage, and take a drink every time you hear the word “children”, “future”, “hope”, “qualified”, “woman”, and “America”.

    That is a better night out than anything you can get at the movies right now.

    • Colonial Viper 9.1

      Yep watched the Trump speech but couldn’t get through the Michelle Obama one, knowing what her husband has actually done with his 8 years. Although I give him credit for 2 things – the nuclear deal with Iran, and not going full regime change invasion in Syria.

      • Ad 9.1.1

        For Trump, you get a tiny rehearsal in Season 3 of the West Wing when the Speaker takes over the Presidency.

      • DoublePlusGood 9.1.2

        ObamaCare? Glasnost with Cuba? It hasn’t all been bombings and extrajudicial killings.

      • dukeofurl 9.1.3

        Dont think that was the choice: which was bombing the Assad regime HQ, they were allready up to their neck on regime change via proxies.

        Balkans was much the same , everyone was supplying arms or intel to one or other of the sides. Even in Israelis were in , supporting the Serbs for strange reasons.
        Its one of the great myths of our time, that the ordinary public rises up and sustains a civil war, when they all want peace and to be left alone. Global politics supporting factions or ethnic groups makes a bit of civil unrest into a bloody civil war with refugees and or ethnic cleansing.

        Yugoslavia, Syria, Ukraine, the travel guide book changes but the background players never do.
        This is the real reason Russia moved on the Crimea, they could see that ‘ethnic unrest’ would spread very quickly, helped by nato to de-stabilise the russian bases there.

        • Colonial Viper 9.1.3.1

          Balkanisation was a US/NATO plan.

          So yes, this is the same western imperial/colour revolution/regime change play over and over again.

        • D'Esterre 9.1.3.2

          dukeofurl: “This is the real reason Russia moved on the Crimea…”

          At the risk of upending your rationale here, it wasn’t anything like as passive on the part of Crimea as this account suggests.

          Without doubt it suited Russia geopolitically to take back the Crimea, but the Crimeans themselves initiated the process. Immediately following the coup in Kiev, the Crimean government, having seen who’d taken power, acted to decamp. That was the third time since independence that the Crimea had attempted to leave the Ukraine: this time, they made sure it happened. An overwhelming proportion of citizens voted in a referendum to leave. Following the referendum results, the Crimean government petitioned Russia for annexation. Pictures of the celebrations even showed on TV news here: Rossiya! Rossiya! they shouted as they waved flags.

          Scarcely surprising that Crimeans wanted out; it was traditionally a Russian area, given to the Ukraine by Krushchev in the early 1950s, so well within living memory. People will act to reverse decisions of that sort, over which they had no say. We would do the same, I’m guessing.

  10. One Anonymous Bloke 10

    Dylan Ratigan nailed it years ago.

    In these circumstances, why on Earth would anyone expect the DNC to be immune?

    What can we do about it in NZ? Get the money out of politics: close Cabinet Club with extreme prejudice.

  11. Ovid 11

    Joe Biden’s speech yesterday was something special. I think he will be a key part in gaining any white working class men for Clinton.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK8NuU2N_Rc

    • AsleepWhileWalking 11.1

      Why isn’t he running for president? A much better choice imho.

      • Ovid 11.1.1

        He decided he wasn’t in the right place emotionally after his son died last year. I think he has a certain avuncular charm that is rare in VPs.

      • Lanthanide 11.1.2

        The 538 opinion (for what it’s worth) is that he probably would have lost to Clinton. But they also made the observation, that if he’d stayed in long enough, it likely would have produced a contested convention, since Hillary wouldn’t have gotten enough to beat Bernie outright.

  12. Byd0nz 12

    Ah the entertainment,
    The 2016 Presidential race,
    Contenders in the ring
    As the slagging gathers pace.

    Lying Hillary [r0b: del – sorry to spoil the metre] Clinton,
    And the manic danger of Donald Trump,
    Tearing bits out of each others credibility
    trading a blow for a thump.

    The greatest nation on earth
    On this they both agree
    As the world looks on, shaking heads
    With either scorn or glee.

    A circus could not provide such sights
    As the protagonists gag and choke
    But either one as President, makes it sure
    The future, will be no joke.

  13. adam 13

    Every news piece I’m seeing is saying the same thing.

    The majority of people voting for trump or h.r.c,

    are voting for them because they hate either or h.r.c. or trump.

    We have a clear winner – the politics of fear.

  14. Macro 14

    As usual The First Dog sums it all up.

  15. Ad 15

    Pretty dignified speech there at the Democrats’ Conference.
    I was hoping someone was going to quote the US Constitution at some point:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzkkk-oJ6bo

  16. Ad 16

    A summary of Republican reaction to the Democratic convention: Takeout is Republicans got creamed.

    http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/conservatives-agree-dnc-was-disaster-for-gop

  17. CynicalJester 17

    If you think hillary will win the presidency youre as blind as the neoliberals you worship trp.

    Trump will destroy her, itll be a landslide defeat.

    Make peace with it.

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-29T00:10:19+00:00