US Politics Mega-thread - Page 2852

On February 06 2016 11:28 aksfjh wrote:
Hey guys, remember that huge socio-political movement, Occupy Wall St? Remember how it revolutionized the US government and put into power strong, populist politicians who were intent on punishing bankers and making sure growth was felt by all Americans and not just the elite? Oh wait, that was the Tea Party that got its people into Congress and various state governments, with their middle-aged and elderly voter turnout that you can set your clock to. But I'm sure 2016 will be different!

Yes, of course, the economy has not been working for most Americans. Yes, of course, we have special interests that are unfortunately doing too much to rig the game.

But there’s also the continuing challenges of racism, of sexism, of discrimination against the LGBT community, of the way that we treat people as opposed to how we want to be treated.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has erased Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's wide lead for the Democratic presidential nomination since the start of year, putting the two in a dead heat nationally, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

Clinton leads Sanders 48 percent to 45 percent among Democratic voters, according to the poll of 512 Americans, conducted Feb. 2-5 following the Iowa caucus. The poll has a credibility interval of 5 percentage points.

On February 06 2016 11:38 IgnE wrote:


People seem to think that Occupy was a complete joke, but are blind to the ways it has worked in changing the conversation in America.

Echoing the Silicon Valley technology companies that famously offer generous perks to retain their employees, the military is kicking off a new pilot program that will cover the costs of egg and sperm freezing for all active-duty soldiers.

The Department of Defense told Al Jazeera that it will spend $150 million over the next five years for soldiers who elect to freeze their eggs or sperm in order to defer childbearing or in the case of injury.

The move is part of a package of personnel reforms outlined by Department of Defense Secretary Ash Carter last week. It’s part of an effort to make the military more family friendly and encourage troops to remain enlisted. The changes include 12 weeks of paid maternity leave for women, double the previous amount. Carter also vowed to expand paternity leave — currently, men in the U.S. military receive only 10 days — and to extend the hours of military child-care centers.

“We can help our men and women preserve their ability to start a family, even if they suffer certain combat injuries," said Carter said in a Jan. 28 media briefing at the Pentagon. "That's why we will cover the cost of freezing sperm or eggs through a pilot program for active-duty service members."

The policy is part of the DOD’s Force of the Future Initiative, which Carter began planning when he became defense secretary in early 2015. The goal is to enhance the workplace for “our most competitive edge—our people,” and compete with the private sector for top talent, as Carter outlined in a memo to the department in November 2015 (PDF). Other plans include establishing an entrepreneur-in-residence program, expanding a pilot program to give sabbaticals from the military and installing 3,600 lactation rooms at DOD facilities.

“We are not Google. We are not Wal-Mart. We're war fighters,” Carter said in the Jan. 28 speech. “But that doesn't mean we should not be challenging ourselves just like the private sector. To modernize our workplace and workforce, to retain and attract the top talent we need, so that our force can remain the best for future generations.”

While the military will spend $150 million for elective egg and sperm freezing procedures, it will not cover the costs of in-vitro fertilization, according to Brad Carson, who is leading the Force of the Future program. That benefit is available only to active-duty soldiers who get injured. But Carson says the DOD is looking to expand IVF coverage for more active-duty service members. (The Department of Veterans Affairs does not cover IVF for wounded veterans.)

On February 06 2016 12:09 Souma wrote:
Another poll.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll-idUSMTZSAPEC253J02S1



FEEL THE BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERN.

Manchester , New Hampshire (CNN)Bernie Sanders complained on the campaign trail Friday that dialing for dollars "affects your entire being."

What he didn't mention: The Vermont senator and presidential candidate is a prolific fundraiser himself and has regularly benefited from the Democratic Party apparatus.

In recent years, Sanders has been billed as one of the hosts for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's retreats for the "Majority Trust" -- an elite group of top donors who give more than $30,000 per year -- at Martha's Vineyard in the summer and Palm Beach, Florida, in the winter. CNN has obtained invitations that listed Sanders as a host for at least one Majority Trust event in each year since 2011.

The retreats are typically attended by 100 or more donors who have either contributed the annual legal maximum of $33,400 to the DSCC, raised more than $100,000 for the party or both.

Sanders has based his presidential campaign on a fire-and-brimstone critique of a broken campaign finance system -- and of Hillary Clinton for her reliance on big-dollar Wall Street donors. But Sanders is part of that system, and has helped Democrats court many of the same donors.

A Democratic lobbyist and donor who has attended the retreats told CNN that about 25% of the attendees there represent the financial sector -- and that Sanders and his wife, Jane, are always present.

"At each of the events all the senators speak. And I don't recall him ever giving a speech attacking us," the donor said. "While progressive, his remarks were always in the mainstream of what you hear from senators."

Sanders' political leanings were well known by the donors who attended the retreats. "Nobody was more surprised that Bernie was there than the donors were," said another Democrat who attended the retreats.

On February 06 2016 12:14 aksfjh wrote:

I definitely agree with that. I may have mistakenly insinuated that the Occupy movement didn't do anything, which isn't true. However, it pales in comparison, politically, to what the Tea Party accomplished. We don't hear about "Occupy Democrats" in government, but constantly hear about "Tea Party Republicans." That's the part I'm mocking, that somehow Bernie Sanders will bring out people that didn't come out of the last Democrat populist push.