Progressive Breakfast: In This Hate-Filled Election, There's Always Love

MORNING MESSAGE

George Goehl and Ai-jen Poo

In This Hate-Filled Election, There’s Always Love

In the next few days, we’ll hear a lot from the pundits about the polls and numbers, about swing states and safe states, about different demographic categories and who can tip the scales. What inevitably gets lost in the horserace is the story about the real people, especially people at the bottom of our economy and living on the margins, and the issues they care about. That’s why we’ll be talking with immigrants in Aurora, Colorado, students and Native Americans in Washoe County, Nevada, domestic workers in Dade County, Florida, formerly incarcerated people in Arizona, and working-class white people in New Hampshire ... Follow our journey here on OurFuture.org, and on social media using the hashtag #BestofUS2016.

PROGRESSIVES CALL ON CLINTON TO BE BOLD

OurFuture.org’s Robert Borosage defends progressive moves to influence a Clinton cabinet:“Roger Lowenstein, reporter turned investment banker, spewed out an incoherent rant against Warren in a New York Times op-ed. The heads of the Third Way, a Wall Street funded message shop, fretted that Clinton might fill her administration with “progressive conformists.” The Washington Post editors raised the specter of a progressive “blacklist.” How dare progressive organize around appointments for a president they have helped to elect? … Who the hell do they think they are? Wall Street bankers?”

“Left emboldened for post-Obama era” says The Hill:“Figures on the left were frequently exasperated with President Obama, particularly during his early years in office, for what they saw as a misguided, ‘post-partisan’ approach to seeking deals with Republicans. They’re warning that Hillary Clinton, should she ascend to the White House, would struggle to win reelection if she took the same tack.”

Clinton will have to “juggle” three intra-party factions, says NYT’s Thomas Edsall:“Hillary Clinton must juggle three competing interest groups: her party’s upscale pro-trade, globalist wing; its underdog minority wing; and organized labor. She is paying a price for her triple allegiance [with] new levels of Republican loyalty among white working class voters …”

“Trump Pushed Millennials Out of the Republican Party” says The Atlantic’s Ron Brownstein:“…all evidence suggests Trump is further alienating a Millennial generation that is already cool to the GOP—and is poised to become the electorate’s largest cohort in 2020 … The Millennial generation is defined by its diversity; over two-fifths of Millennials are young people of color.”

OBAMA SHAKES UP DAKOTA DEBATE

“Tribe cheers Obama talk of rerouting ND pipeline” reports The Hill:“Obama told NowThis News on Tuesday that the Army Corps of Engineers ‘is examining whether there are ways to reroute the pipeline,’ … ‘We applaud President Obama’s commitment to protect our sacred lands, our water and the water of 17 million others,’ Dave Archambault, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux, said on Wednesday … said Craig Stevens, a spokesman for the group Midwest Alliance for Infrastructure Now[,] ‘Even if possible, rerouting the line would require years to complete, new easements, new environmental and cultural studies, and cost hundreds of millions of dollars,’ … ‘There’s no reroute that doesn’t involve the same risks to water and climate,’ Sara Shor, 350.org’s Keep It in the Ground campaign manager said.”

Earthjustice’s Jan Hasselman make case against Dakota Access Pipeline in W. Post oped:“No such thoughtful consideration has occurred to date. Initial federal permits, and partnership with affected tribes, were treated as a ‘check the box’ exercise. Nowhere was there a careful analysis of how much the Missouri River crossing threatened water quality and tribal treaty rights. Nowhere was there a thoughtful public discussion of whether a new major oil pipeline should be placed in a river providing drinking water to 17 million people.”

“Cars hit fuel economy record in 2015” reports The Hill:“Model-year 2015 cars averaged a carbon dioxide emissions standard that was 7 grams per mile higher than what the EPA required for that year … A separate EPA report released Wednesday concluded that average fuel economy was 24.8 miles per gallon, 0.5 mpg higher than the previous year.”

Global community tries to cut airplane emissions. NYT:“…much still needs to be resolved before the 15-year aviation accord comes into force beginning in 2021. The first six years of the deal will be voluntary … most of the industry’s focus will fall on a complicated offsetting system, in which airlines buy credits from climate change projects, like renewable energy programs often in the developing world, to counterbalance their own carbon emissions.”

BREAKFAST SIDES

Trump’s tax avoidance may spur reforms. NYT:“‘Trump’s scheming on his taxes has put a spotlight on [how] for the most fortunate … you hire a battery of experts, and you pay what you want when you want to, or even nothing at all.’ [said Sen. Ron Wyden.] Kevin Brady, Republican of Texas and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee [said] much the same thing.”

UK needs parliamentary approve for Brexit. NYT:“The court’s decision seemed likely to slow — but not halt — the process for a British withdrawal from the 28-nation union … [The] Conservative Party holds only a slim majority, with 329 seats in the 650-seat Parliament. Although most lawmakers opposed the decision to leave the European Union, it would be politically toxic for them to overturn the referendum outcome.”

Militia groups may spark post-election violence. Reuters:“The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups, estimates there were 276 active militias last year, up from 42 in 2008 … Amid the war games, [militia member Chris] Hill weighed plans for a possible armed march on Washington if Clinton wins …”

Progressive Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to activists. Progressive Breakfast and OurFuture.org are projects of People's Action.more »