POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: HOUSE passes ED FUNDING bill — Should BAKER break up with the GOP? — TURF WAR on BEACON HILL

HOUSE passes ED FUNDING bill — Should BAKER break up with the GOP? — TURF WAR on BEACON HILL

BY STEPHANIE MURRAY Presented by Bay State Wind GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS ED $$ BILL PASSES HOUSE — The House unanimously passed a $1.5 billion education funding bill last night, which brings the state a step closer to overhauling its education funding formula over the next seven years. Lawmakers have agreed the way the state funds education is outdated for almost half a decade, but deciding how to fix it hasn't been so easy. The bill passed by the House last night is a compromise, which draws from several proposals including one from Gov. Charlie Baker and another proposed by state lawmakers. I sat down yesterday with those lawmakers who filed the Education PROMISE Act — state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, and state Reps. Mary Keefe and Aaron Vega — to talk about how the compromise bill made it to the House floor yesterday. At the end of the last two-year legislative session in 2018, lawmakers couldn't hammer out a compromise on education funding reform. The bill died, but Chang-Díaz, Keefe and Vega say it brought them together. "Seeing how close we got in 2018 was a difference maker. Once you feel like it's within reach, everybody had the taste in their mouth, and it makes people — it changes people's confidence," Chang-Díaz said. So while the Legislature took its time off, the three lawmakers from Boston, Worcester and Holyoke made a game plan for this session. Coming from different regions, they wanted the bill to have a statewide face, and a particular focus on how to fully fund education for the state's low-income students. That was an area of disagreement last time around. "Every year, we see us debating in the budget process to get more money," Vega said. "But we actually wanted to say 'No, we want it codified into law that we're going to spend more money.'" Last session, the education funding bill was only filed in the Senate. This time around, it was filed in both the Senate and the House, which Keefe said raised eyebrows on Beacon Hill. "I think it was a little controversial. And there were questions from leadership, in particular, about what we had in mind and why we were doing it," Keefe said. "I think that it really caught people's attention, and maybe not a real positive way all the time." But many of their demands were met - the compromise bill that made it through the House and Senate calls for that $1.5 billion suggested by the Education PROMISE Act. "The major thing here is that there's so much agreement. That's kind of amazing," Chang-Díaz said, which is a far cry from how things ended in 2018. The next steps are for the House and Senate to settle differences between the bills that passed in each chamber. And if that happens, the bill will head to the governor's desk. SENATE RACE NOTES — Sen. Ed Markey paid $40,000 to his former aide, Paul Tencher, when he parted ways with the campaign over the summer. Tencher was serving as Markey's campaign consultant when he came under fire for retweeting another Twitter user's post, which suggested Rep. Joe Kennedy III should focus on his family's mental health issues rather than enter the Senate race. The message came shortly after the death of 22-year-old Saoirse Kennedy Hill. Tencher and Markey both apologized for the post. Markey's campaign made the payment to Trustom Strategy, LLC, which belongs to Tencher, two days after the Boston Globe reported he was parting ways with Markey's reelection campaign. Markey's campaign director John Walsh says it was a payment of Tencher's contract. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker speaks at a Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce breakfast. Baker, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont discuss regional policy issues in Providence. Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Rep. Bill Keating launch the first-in-the-nation offshore wind crew transfer training facility at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, state Treasurer Deb Goldberg, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attend the Kennedy Institute's annual dinner. Walsh presents an award to Boston Police Commissioner William Gross at the Mothers Against Violence national conference, Kennedy attends. Walsh presents an award to Boston's Chief Resilience Officer Lori Nelson at the Black Ministerial Alliance dinner and awards gala. A message from Bay State Wind: Bay State Wind delivers: on our promises, on our timelines and on our commitments. With the combined expertise of Ørsted and Eversource, we will deliver on our promise to bring clean, reliable offshore wind to Massachusetts. More at baystatewind.com     POLITICO's ENERGY PODCAST sponsored by Chevron: A new, daily five-minute update on the latest in energy and environmental politics and policy - must-know stories and candid insights from POLITICO's 10-person energy team and journalists across our newsroom. Ways to listen: Via your email - click the link in the POLITICO Morning Energy newsletter, or subscribe for free - click here and follow the link for your podcast player.     DATELINE BEACON HILL - "Baker says vaping ban lawsuit poses 'bigger question' about his authority to issue public health emergencies," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker faced questions Wednesday on Boston Public Radio about the merits of his four-month ban on all vaping products that has come under fire by consumers, regulators, industry experts, and much of the wider community. The ban, which Baker implemented late last month, is on shaky ground this week after a state judge ruled Monday that the governor's administration has until next week to properly re-file the ban as an emergency regulation, or nicotine vape sales will resume. The judge has not yet made a decision on cannabis vaping products." - "House Progressives Back Off Ed Accountability Amendment," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "The effort by the Massachusetts Teachers Association and progressive House Democrats to remove a layer of state control over how $1.5 billion in new education dollars would be spent fizzled Wednesday as debate got underway on a landmark bill and Rep. Jim Hawkins backed off his marquee local accountability proposal." - "Cyr: Developer behind bids to weaken Cape commission," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: "Two central Massachusetts lawmakers have filed proposals to significantly limit operations of the Cape Cod Commission, bypassing most of the Cape's legislative delegation and igniting the political equivalent of a turf war. The amendments to Gov. Charlie Baker's supplemental budget legislation were filed on Beacon Hill within the past week by state Sen. Dean Tran, R-Fitchburg, in the Senate and state Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, D-Gardner, in the House. The proposed amendments advocate for eliminating the ability of towns in Barnstable County to make discretionary referrals for projects under 10,000 square feet to the Cape Cod Commission for review." - "Speaker DeLeo, Gov. Baker refuse to divulge schedules, emails, minutes," by Joe Battenfeld, Hillary Chabot and Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: "Massachusetts residents are out of luck if they want to know how Gov. Charlie Baker spends his workday, who House Speaker Robert DeLeo is emailing, and which legislative priorities are agreed upon during a semi-regular leadership huddle every Monday. The same public records exemption that allows lawmakers to spend freely on roast beef subs and craft furniture also shields them from detailing their daily schedules, providing copies of their emails or handing over notes from closed-door meetings." - "Bill would give state more control over school vaccine exemptions," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "In the wake of the worst national measles outbreak in decades, Massachusetts lawmakers will consider a bill that would move authority for approving vaccine exemptions out of the hands of local schools and into the hands of state officials. The bill would create a standardized process for parents to exempt their children from vaccines, get doctors more involved in the process, and require the state to notify parents when their child is attending a program deemed "elevated risk" because of low vaccination rates." - "College Closure, OCPF Bills on Senate's Radar," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "Senate President Karen Spilka loaded up the Senate's plate with a little of this and a little of that Wednesday morning, serving up a fall agenda she hopes the branch can digest before the legislative break that starts the week before Thanksgiving. If the Senate clears its plate in the next month, lawmakers could send Gov. Charlie Baker a handful of bills and start 2020 with a mostly clean slate and a clearer runway to consider significant issues like health care, the fiscal 2021 budget, and possibly transportation financing." - "State's new economic development bill will likely make housing a priority," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "The Baker administration has been relentless in a quest for its Housing Choice bill. So far, no luck. So you can't blame Governor Charlie Baker and his top aides for considering another approach, a Plan B. As the housing bill remains stuck in committee, the administration is weighing other ways to address the crisis by spurring more home construction." - "State senators developing their own health care legislation," by Jessica Bartlett, Boston Business Journal: "Days after Gov. Charlie Baker proposed a wide-ranging health care bill, the president of the Massachusetts Senate said lawmakers are working on their own health care legislation this session, one that may be proposed in parts to increase chances of success. In comments to the state's Health Policy Commission at the independent agency's annual hearing on health care spending, Senate President Karen Spilka said senators have been working on their own version for the last four months." - "Frustration surfaces at Health Policy Commission," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "THERE WAS A LONG, awkward silence Wednesday when a power-packed panel of CEOs from the state's largest health care organizations was asked by a member of the Health Policy Commission for any promising trend they saw among a bevy of grim-looking health care statistics. Finally, Sandra Fenwick, the CEO of Boston Children's Hospital, spoke up. "I just think we need to keep at it," she said." FROM THE HUB - "Boston housing chief: 'Thousands' of former Airbnbs to hit rental market in December," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Boston's housing chief expects "thousands" of apartments to suddenly hit the market in December when the short-term-rental regulations fully go into effect, forbidding people from listing investment properties on Airbnb. "We're hoping that the units returning to the market will be in the thousands," Boston housing Chief Sheila Dillon told the Herald, though she said it's still unclear quite how many apartments that will mean." - "State creates vaping injury database," by George Barnes, Telegram & Gazette: "With the number of vaping-associated lung injury cases continuing to rise, the state Department of Public Health has created an online database of those cases that is updated every Wednesday by noon. The DPH has reported 17 new cases of vaping-associated lung injury to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, bring the total number of Massachusetts cases to 46. They include 16 that are confirmed and 30 probable. The cases were among 184 reported to the DPH by Massachusetts clinicians." - "Race and politics mingle in Hyde Park," by Yawu Miller and Alexa Gagosz, Bay State Banner: "Bill and Norma St. Martin were some of the first to arrive to 753 South, the new Roslindale Square restaurant where District 5 candidate Maria Esdale Farrell would be hosting her meet-and-greet last Sunday afternoon. The couple, who reside in Hyde Park, settled in the back outdoor patio of the restaurant while others hung "Maria for Boston" campaign signs. The two were undecided on who they will cast their vote for Nov. 5." - "Video: Boston City Councilor Tim McCarthy Brags about Winning against 'Women' and 'Minorities,'" by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "Boston City Councilor Tim McCarthy was clearly in high spirits the night of September 24, in the hours following the preliminary city council elections. After an eight-way contest for his District 5 seat, the candidate he'd hoped would succeed him, Maria Esdale Farrell, had clinched the number two spot, meaning she would advance to the election in November. To get there, Farrell had campaigned against a diverse slate of black, Haitian, and Latino candidates, which observers had noted was reflective of the changing racial makeup of a district that includes Mattapan, Roslindale, and Hyde Park." - "MAYOR CURTATONE'S COUSIN, A COP, WAS CAUGHT UP IN THE DRUG SCENE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. PEOPLE IN POWER KNEW, BUT NOBODY DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT." by Joseph E. McCain, DigBoston: "For more than four years, I have weighed the decision of whether to publish this column. I hoped that someone else would tell their story first, as any number of Somerville officers or people who work in and around city government are also aware of the information detailed herein. Any one of them—any one of us— have the ability to come forward about abuses of power and privilege." - "Cambridge, Somerville, Medford officials urge FAA, Massport to change flight paths," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Three Greater Boston cities inundated with Logan International Airport airplane noise are urging the Federal Aviation Administration and Massport to change flight paths. Leaders in Cambridge, Somerville and Medford on Wednesday called on the FAA and Massport to "more equitably" disperse aircraft that depart Runway 33 Left — the runway that in recent years has launched piercing jet engine noise over these cities." PRIMARY SOURCES - "A pre-Labor Day primary next year? Joe Kennedy balks," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts lawmakers and the state's top elections official are pressing to move next year's state primary before Labor Day, stirring consternation within the political ranks, most notably from Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III, who charged that the earlier date will be an obstacle to voters." - "Group that helped AOC endorses Ihssane Leckey for MA 4th," from the Leckey campaign: "Brand New Congress, one of the groups that helped catapult Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to victory in her insurgent campaign last year, endorsed Ihssane Leckey, Brand New Congress will help fundraise for Leckey, raise her profile nationally, and connect the campaign with other progressive candidates running across the country." TRUMPACHUSETTS - "Is It Time for Charlie Baker to Leave the Republican Party?" by David Bernstein, Boston Magazine: "It's no secret that for the past decade, Charlie Baker has awkwardly attempted to coexist with the increasingly toxic Republican Party. From the Tea Party movement to President Trump, Baker has tried constraining the party when possible, co-opting it when convenient, and, most recently, distancing himself from it as necessary. So it is in the spirit of truth and transparency that I say: The moment has finally come for Baker to re-register as an unenrolled voter and officially leave the GOP."       DATELINE D.C. - Rep. Ayanna Pressley presses Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg in hearing. YouTube link. - "Rep. Stephen Lynch slams Trump's decision to remove U.S. forces from Syria," by Alexi Cohan, Boston Herald: "U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch blasted President Trump's latest move regarding Turkey and Syria Wednesday, saying the president's decision to lift sanctions on Turkey and withdraw American troops will have "disastrous consequences." "President Trump ceded virtually all of America's ability to influence events on the ground in northern Syria," Lynch said." THE CLARK CAUCUS - "Rep. Clark: They are focusing on process because they cannot excuse the conduct, MSNBC: "Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss Ambassador Bill Taylor's closed door testimony, and react to an attempt by her Republican colleagues to disrupt the scheduled deposition from Pentagon official Laura Cooper." Link. - "Be Heard bill protects civil rights in the workplace," by Katherine Clark, Boston Globe: "Two years ago, we experienced a cultural awakening with a simple hashtag, #MeToo. Survivors across the country and the globe told their stories of assault, harassment, and even rape. One at a time, tweet after tweet, story after story, survivors came forward. We had rage and sorrow reliving these assaults to our bodies and our dignity. We grieved for the humiliation and shame that held us back from coming forward and for the callous disregard, retaliation, or worse that too often met those who bravely spoke out." ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "GONE IN A FLASH," "STATE SECRETS," — Globe: "Just a few days make a difference," "GOP lawmakers interrupt depositions," "Quid pro quo." FROM THE 413 - "Are Liberal Arts Colleges Doomed?" by Eliza Gray, Washington Post Magazine: "Two days before classes started at Hampshire College in September, the school's incoming first-year students — all 13 of them — attended a welcome reception in the campus's new R.W. Kern Center. A motley mix of plaids, khakis and combat boots, the group lined up to shake hands with the college president and receive small bells — symbols of the large brass bell they'll ring upon completing their "Division III," the epic independent project required to graduate. If, that is, Hampshire survives long enough for them to graduate." THE LOCAL ANGLE - "Mysterious Lobster Deaths In Cape Cod Raise Climate Change Concern," by Craig LeMoult, WGBH News: "Last month, lobstermen in Cape Cod Bay hauled up something disturbing. In one section of the bay, all of their traps were full of dead lobsters. Research biologists went to work trying to solve the mystery, and what they found suggests we may see more of this as the climate changes. When the fishermen first started pulling up traps full of dead lobsters, their first call was to Beth Casoni of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association." - "Saving the world one small act at a time," by Ethan Forman, The Salem News: "Pulitzer Prize-winning author, war correspondent, Harvard University professor and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power told an audience of more than 500 at St. John's Prep Tuesday night that some students asked her question she had never been asked before." MEDIA MATTERS - "Loopy coverage says more about media than Legislature," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE STORYLINE OF loopy Massachusetts liberals going PC-crazy was apparently too good for right-leaning national outlets to resist. But they're hardly alone, as mainstream Massachusetts media also decided to turn a nothing-burger into a jaw-dropping example of layabout lawmakers frittering away their time on absurd efforts to police free speech." - Why Immigration Coverage Is Dividing Harvard's Student Newspaper," by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "The official position of the Harvard Crimson is that the student newspaper was right to seek comment from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when reporting last month on a rally at which students called for the agency's abolition. But some current and former members of the paper's staff disagree, including one of the Crimson's current opinion editors." TRANSITIONS - David Powsner joins the firm Davis Malm as a shareholder. REMEMBERING MOSES SHUMOW ... via the Boston Globe: "An Emerson College journalism professor who died Tuesday after being struck by a commuter rail train in Beverly is being remembered by colleagues and students as an innovative storyteller who cared deeply about providing a platform for marginalized people." Link. SPOTTED: at the Beacon Hill Politics Chess Tournament at Carrie Nation last night ... Owen Smith, Sam Garber, Hannah Chanantry, Kevin Gilnack, Preston Epps, Steve Koczela, Ryan Doucette, Ed Lyons, Brad Wyatt, Will Rasky, Aaron Van leesten, Paolo DiFabio, Juana Matias, Robb Stewart. Pic. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Rep. Seth Moulton, who is 41; former state Rep. Jim Cantwell, Ernie Corrigan of Corrigan Communications, Leigh Appleby and Michael Antonellis. DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and no! The Bruins beat the Maple Leafs 4-2. The 76ers beat the Celtics 107-93. FOR YOUR COMMUTE: Pollin', Pollin', Pollin' on the River - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Jenn Smith and Steve Koczela talk about a recent Boston City Council debate, and dissect the numbers in a new WBUR poll conducted by MassINC. Later, Colin Young of the State House News Service breaks down Gov. Charlie Baker's new health care proposal. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. A message from Bay State Wind: With the most in-the-field research, most advanced permits and most experienced team, Bay State Wind knows how to deliver quality projects on-time and on-budget. We know how to bring jobs and benefits to our local communities. But most importantly, we know Massachusetts. Backed by Ørsted and Eversource, we're building Massachusetts' clean energy future, one turbine at a time. More at baystatewind.com     NEXT WEEK ― POLITICO PULSE AT MILKEN: We will bring a special edition of the POLITICO Pulse newsletter to the Milken Institute Future of Health Summit in Washington, D.C., from Oct. 28 - 30. Dan Diamond will take you inside the most influential gathering of industry leaders and innovators of the year, keeping you apprised of the key takeaways, pivotal moments and most important conversations each day. Sign up today to receive exclusive coverage of the Summit.       Follow us on Twitter Stephanie Murray @StephMurr_Jour   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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RSN: Steve Weissman | What the Hell Does Bernie Sanders Think He's Doing?, Iowa High Court Bans Life-Without-Parole Sentences for All Juveniles

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Steve Weissman | What the Hell Does Bernie Sanders Think He's Doing? 

Steve Weissman, Reader Supported News 
Weissman writes: "Hillary Clinton had expected a stroll in the park to her anointment as Democratic candidate for president. But Bernie Sanders has made her life hell, forcing her to take left-leaning positions that will only make it more difficult for her to backtrack when the nomination becomes hers." 
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Native American Activist Leonard Peltier Asks Obama for Clemency 
Angela Bronner Helm, The Root 
Helm writes: "In 1977, Native American activist Leonard Peltier was put behind bars, where he has remained in federal custody for 40 years, for the murder of two FBI agents. Yet, many have denounced Peltier's incarceration as a farce with a trial filled with shaky evidence at best, and an abuse of power by a vengeful FBI at worst." 
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Samantha Power to Receive Prize From Henry Kissinger, Whom She Once Harshly Criticized 
Zaid Jilani, The Intercept 
Jilani writes: "Samantha Power built her journalistic and academic career around human rights, criticizing powerful nations for their complicity in abuses and failure to stop acts of genocide." 
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The Untold Story Behind Saudi Arabia's 41-Year US Debt Secret 
Andrea Wong, Bloomberg 
Wong writes: "The basic framework was strikingly simple. The U.S. would buy oil from Saudi Arabia and provide the kingdom military aid and equipment. In return, the Saudis would plow billions of their petrodollar revenue back into Treasuries and finance America's spending." 
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Iowa High Court Bans Life-Without-Parole Sentences for All Juveniles 
Josh Kenworthy, The Christian Science Monitor 
Kenworthy writes: "The 2016 decision demanded that even those juveniles who have committed the most serious crimes be given the opportunity to demonstrate to a parole board they are worthy of a second chance." 
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Long a Symbol, Stonewall Inn May Soon Become Monument to LGBT Rights 
Hansi Lo Wang, NPR 
Wang writes: "The Obama administration is taking steps to name the first national monument dedicated to the struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights." 
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Danger Below? New Properties Hide Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells 
Stephanie Joyce, NPR 
Joyce writes: "Rick Kinder and his colleagues didn't know it, but they were building on top of an abandoned gas well that was leaking methane - an odorless and highly explosive gas." 
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RSN: Robert Parry | Hillary Clinton's Failed Libya 'Doctrine'

Robert Parry's article deserves to stand alone!

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Robert Parry | Hillary Clinton's Failed Libya 'Doctrine' 
 
Robert Parry, Consortium News 
Parry writes: "One could argue that those who devised and implemented the disastrous Libyan 'regime change' - the likes of Hillary Clinton and Samantha Power - should be almost disqualified from playing any future role in U.S. foreign policy." 
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As the long-running Benghazi investigation returns to center stage with another round of Hillary Clinton’s testimony, the former Secretary of State’s larger failure remains obscured – how she once envisioned the bloody Libyan “regime change” as the start of a “Clinton Doctrine,” as Robert Parry reported last July.
(Originally published on July 1, 2015)

ecretary of State Hillary Clinton fancied the violent 2011 “regime change” in Libya such a triumph that her aides discussed labeling it the start of a “Clinton Doctrine,” according to released emails that urged her to claim credit when longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was deposed. And Clinton did celebrate when Gaddafi was captured and murdered.

“We came; we saw; he died,” Clinton exulted in a TV interview after receiving word of Gaddafi’s death on Oct. 20, 2011, though it is not clear how much she knew about the grisly details, such as Gaddafi being sodomized with a knife before his execution.

Since then, the cascading Libyan chaos has turned the “regime change” from a positive notch on Clinton’s belt and into a black mark on her record. That violence has included the terrorist slaying of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other U.S. diplomatic personnel in Benghazi on Sept. 11, 2012, and jihadist killings across northern Africa, including the Islamic State’s decapitation of a group of Coptic Christians last February.

It turns out that Gaddafi’s warning about the need to crush Islamic terrorism in Libya’s east was well-founded although the Obama administration cited it as the pretext to justify its “humanitarian intervention” against Gaddafi. The vacuum created by the U.S.-led destruction of Gaddafi and his army drew in even more terrorists and extremists, forcing the United States and Western nations to abandon their embassies in Tripoli a year ago.

One could argue that those who devised and implemented the disastrous Libyan “regime change” – the likes of Hillary Clinton and Samantha Power – should be almost disqualified from playing any future role in U.S. foreign policy. Instead, Clinton is the Democratic frontrunner to succeed Barack Obama as President and Power was promoted from Obama’s White House staff to be U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations — where she is at the center of other dangerous U.S. initiatives in seeking “regime change” in Syria and pulling off “regime change” in Ukraine.

In fairness, however, it should be noted that it has been the pattern in Official Washington over the past few decades for hawkish “regime change” advocates to fail upwards. With only a few exceptions, the government architects and the media promoters of the catastrophic Iraq War have escaped meaningful accountability and continue to be leading voices in setting U.S. foreign policy.

A Dubious Validation

In August 2011, Secretary of State Clinton saw the Libyan “regime change” as a resounding validation of her foreign policy credentials, according to the emails released in June and described at the end of a New York Times article by Michael S. Schmidt.

According to one email chain, her longtime friend and personal adviser Sidney Blumenthal praised the military success of the bombing campaign to destroy Gaddafi’s army and hailed the dictator’s impending ouster.

“First, brava! This is a historic moment and you will be credited for realizing it,” Blumenthal wrote on Aug. 22, 2011. “When Qaddafi himself is finally removed, you should of course make a public statement before the cameras wherever you are, even in the driveway of your vacation home. … You must go on camera. You must establish yourself in the historical record at this moment. … The most important phrase is: ‘successful strategy.’”

Clinton forwarded Blumenthal’s advice to Jake Sullivan, a close State Department aide. “Pls read below,” she wrote. “Sid makes a good case for what I should say, but it’s premised on being said after Q[addafi] goes, which will make it more dramatic. That’s my hesitancy, since I’m not sure how many chances I’ll get.”

Sullivan responded, saying “it might make sense for you to do an op-ed to run right after he falls, making this point. … You can reinforce the op-ed in all your appearances, but it makes sense to lay down something definitive, almost like the Clinton Doctrine.”

However, when Gaddafi abandoned Tripoli that day, President Obama seized the moment to make a triumphant announcement. Clinton’s opportunity to highlight her joy at the Libyan “regime change” had to wait until Oct. 20, 2011, when Gaddafi was captured, tortured and murdered.

In a TV interview, Clinton celebrated the news when it appeared on her cell phone and even paraphrased Julius Caesar’s famous line after Roman forces achieved a resounding victory in 46 B.C. and he declared, “veni, vidi, vici” – “I came, I saw, I conquered.” Clinton’s reprise of Caesar’s boast went: “We came; we saw; he died.” She then laughed and clapped her hands.

Presumably, the “Clinton Doctrine” would have been a policy of “liberal interventionism” to achieve “regime change” in countries where there is some crisis in which the leader seeks to put down an internal security threat and where the United States objects to the action.

Of course, the Clinton Doctrine would be selective. It would not apply to brutal security crackdowns by U.S.-favored governments, say, Israel attacking Gaza or the Kiev regime in Ukraine slaughtering ethnic Russians in the east. But it’s likely, given the continuing bloodshed in Libya, that Hillary Clinton won’t be touting the “Clinton Doctrine” in her presidential campaign.

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Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, America’s Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com). You also can order Robert Parry’s trilogy on the Bush Family and its connections to various right-wing operatives for only $34. The trilogy includes America’s Stolen Narrative. For details on this offer, click here.

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Robert Parry | Hillary Clinton's Failed Libya 'Doctrine' 
 
Robert Parry, Consortium News 
Parry writes: "One could argue that those who devised and implemented the disastrous Libyan 'regime change' - the likes of Hillary Clinton and Samantha Power - should be almost disqualified from playing any future role in U.S. foreign policy." 
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David Swanson | Tony Blair Is Sorry, a Little 
David Swanson, David Swanson's Blog 
Swanson writes: "Now, your average unindoctrinated 10-year-old might conclude that overthrowing foreign governments has been a disaster any which way it's done, and therefore ought not to be done at all. Not our friend Tony Blair." 
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Supreme Court to Examine Racial Divide in Jury Selection 
Robert Barnes, The Washington Post 
Barnes writes: "Numerous studies have shown that prosecutors use their peremptory challenges to strike black potential jurors at a much higher rate than whites." 
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Volkswagen Scandal: High-Ranking European Officials Worried About Automakers Cheating on Emissions Tests Years Ago 
Cole Stangler, International Business Times 
Stangler writes: "Europe's top environmental regulator raised concerns over automakers cheating emissions tests more than two years before the Volkswagen scandal broke, according to internal European Commission documents obtained by Financial Times." 
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Showdown in Houston Over LGBT Nondiscrimination Ordinance 
Juan A. Lozano and David Crary, Associated Press 
Excerpt: "After a drawn-out showdown between Houston's popular lesbian mayor and a coalition of conservative pastors, voters in the nation's fourth-largest city will soon decide whether to establish nondiscrimination protections for gay and transgender people." 
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ACLU Sues Pennsylvania Over Treatment of Mentally Ill Detainees 
Wilson Dizard, Al Jazeera America 
Dizard writes: "The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the state of Pennsylvania to seek relief for hundreds of accused criminals who have been deemed mentally ill but haven't received timely psychiatric treatment in prison, where they await trial." 
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Processed Meat Can Cause Cancer, Red Meat Probably Can: WHO 
Gus Trompiz, Reuters 
Trompiz writes: "Eating processed meat can lead to bowel cancer in humans while red meat is a likely cause of the disease, World Health Organisation experts said on Monday in findings that could sharpen debate over the merits of a meat-based diet." 
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