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He built a grassroots machine of two million supporters eager to fight for change. Then he let it die. This is the untold story of Obama's biggest mistake—and how it paved the way for Trump.
On July 20, 2008, Mitch Kapor, the creator of Lotus 1-2-3 and a longtime denizen of Silicon Valley's intellectual elite, dialed in to a conference call hosted by Christopher Edley Jr., a senior policy adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Joining them on the line were some of the world's top experts in crowdsourcing and online engagement, including Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, and Mitchell Baker, the chairman of Mozilla. Drawing on Kapor's influence, Edley had invited them to join a "Movement 2.0 Brainstorming Group." Together, they would ponder a crucial question: how to "sustain the movement" should Obama, who was still a month away from accepting the Democratic nomination, go on to win the White House.
Edley had been a personal friend of Obama's since his days teaching him at Harvard Law School. Their kinship had been underscored the previous summer, when Obama had invited Edley to the Chicago apartment of Valerie Jarrett, the candidate's closest confidant, to deliver a stern lecture to the seasoned political operatives who were running his underdog bid for the presidency. The campaign team had Obama on a relentless pace of town halls and donor calls, and Hillary Clinton had been besting him in the early primary debates. Both Barack and Michelle Obama were unhappy. According to John Heilemann and Mark Halperin's account in Game Change, Edley urged Obama's campaign managers to schedule fewer rallies and fund-raisers, and allow the candidate more time to think and develop innovative policy ideas.
Trump's National Security advisor Michael Flynn issued an unusual public statement last week, provocatively claiming that "Iran was being put on notice" for future unspecified actions, including military actions, over its recent ballistic missile tests. Trump himself has weighed in, scorning Iran for destabilizing the Middle East.
It turns out that an Iranian dissident group with suspected links to Israeli and Saudi state intelligence may have the ear of the president in setting his policy.
© Yuri Gripas / ReutersBetsy DeVos
Prior to the confirmation, however, many of DeVos' critics mentioned her policies as the main reasons why they would oppose her.
Claiming she fought against policies that would allow "our young people, all of them, to participate in our democracy and compete on a fair footing in the workforce," these critics also suggested her support for "voucher systems that divert taxpayer dollars to private, religious and for-profit schools without requirements for accountability" would hurt children.
In defense of DeVos, many contended that the strong opposition she experienced prior to the confirmation had a lot more to do with who teachers unions prefer to see in power than who will keep the welfare of kids in mind. As the New York Post pointed out, the only two Senate Republicans who opposed DeVos are the only two who "routinely get A's on the National Education Association's 'report card' because they vote the union line."
© Mirror
With rumours that a first meeting between US Secretary of State Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov is under preparation, the US intelligence community is doubling down on its war against Donald Trump.
Comment: The report and the dossier, so far, are worthless, except for distraction value. We are witnessing how lies (actually ones better than these) become equated with 'truths' and how the undiscerning pubic, without a filter, is hoodwinked. Rule of thumb for all 'CNNs': When nobody believes you, say it again and shout it louder.
© Unknown
In it, Danielle describes how the Federal Reserve is controlled by 1,000 PhD economists and run by an unelected West Coast radical with no direct business experience. The Fed continues to enable Congress to grow our nation's ballooning debt and avoid making hard choices, despite the high psychological and monetary costs. And our addiction to the "heroin" of low interest rates is pushing our economy towards yet another collapse.
This reckless monetary policy pursued by the Fed has resulted in the rich elite becoming markedly richer, while savers and retirees are being absolutely gutted. All while risking a coming conflagration in the bond markets that will destroy a painful percentage of the world's financial wealth.
© Yves Herman / Reuters
In contrast, back in 2012, only 38 percent of Russians perceived the Western military bloc as a threat.
Fifty-four percent of Belarusians also view NATO, the security alliance of 28 countries from North America and Europe, as a threat, a 19-point jump from four years ago, the latest Gallup poll has found.
Along with the Russians and Belarusians, "more people in Ukraine (35 percent), Kazakhstan (31 percent), Kyrgyzstan (30 percent), Moldova (27 percent), Armenia (20 percent) and Tajikistan (34 percent) view NATO as a threat rather than a protection," the international survey says.
© Ohmynews
The Constitutional Court faces delays as Park's legal team continues to request additional witnesses for examination. This week, Park's lawyers pressured the Constitutional Court to consider taking on 17 more witnesses. The Court ended up scheduling eight witnesses to take the stand in the next few weeks, so it is highly unlikely that it will reach a verdict before March, as was widely expected. Members of the National Assembly's impeachment committee have accused Park's representatives of requesting an endless list of witnesses as a tactic to delay the court's decision. They were also critical of the Constitutional Court for its inability to push the trial process along.
© Getty ImagesIraqi forces, Battle for Mosul
For some time now, Mosul has remained the principal stronghold of ISIS, therefore Washington would often refer to that city as "the capital of ISIS". This was done under US President Barack Obama, later announcing an assault on this city during Hillary Clinton's election campaign, and was presented as a major goal for the US to achieve.
The active phase of the operation that aimed at liberating Mosul was initiated by the Pentagon on January 21, 2015. A total of 9,000 ISIS militants were entrenched in the city and instantly surrounded by the 60,000 strong Iraqi army. It should be noted that this impressive force was composed of different units, including 6,000 Peshmerga fighters and up to 10,000 Shia militia fighters backed by Iran. This force was supported by an international coalition force, which included up to 5,000 US soldiers, 3,000 other NATO servicemen and a total of 500 French troops, not including air support.
Comment: If governments, more specifically the special interests and manipulators behind them, were to present circumstances as they really are, most conflicts would be resolved. Those who pay the ultimate in sacrifice would be giving their all for a true and worthy cause beneficial to mankind. Sadly, it just isn't so; the outcomes are abominable and the cost on humanity remains catastrophic.
© 7mei.nlLev Aleksandrovich
Max: What is your address?
Lev: Petropavlivka, Komarova street, 1, where we are standing now.
© Google earthLast Point FDR, Cockpit, Crash Site pins in reference to Petropavlivka
© KNMICloud coverage for 17 July at 12.00hrs. The circled green dot indicates the last position of aircraft. The orange area south-west of the accident location contains mostly Cumulonimbus clouds with possible thundershowers.
Comment: Yes, it's interesting that paid MEK lobbyists are hovering around Trump. So much for draining the swamp of pay-to-play foreign interests.
MEK is a bizarre, cult-like 'alternative Iranian government' the US shadow govt has been keeping on ice since the 1980s. Niall Bradley wrote about it here:
Target Iran: America and Israel to Officially Unleash MEK Terrorist Cult
Here's our take on the likely reasons for the US govt's recent urgent cries to 'contain Iran':
Iran war rhetoric and the 'Trump-ordered' dawn raid in Yemen: WWIII isn't 'coming' - It's happening NOW
Further analysis: