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The Political One Percent of the One Percent

Peter Olsen-Phillips, Russ Choma, Sarah Bryner and Doug Web Open Secrets / Sunlight Foundation
Just one hundredth of one percent of people in the United States contributed nearly one third of all the money spent in the 2014 elections, a greater proportion than ever before, according to a new study. In the first full midterm since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision, the influence of the One Percent of the One Percent continued to grow. Candidates, parties and super PACs depend on the super elite.

New Rule Speeds Unionization Votes, Say Organizers

Dan DiMaggio Labor Notes
“Delay hurts,” says Kate Bronfenbrenner of the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations, “because they can fire one more worker, or engage in five more captive-audience meetings or three more supervisor one-on-ones per person.” Because of these aggressive tactics, there are far fewer NLRB elections today than in the past.

Inside the Mind of Bernie Sanders: Unbowed, Unchanged, and Unafraid of a Good Fight

Paul Lewis The Guardian
He is the rising star of the battle to be the Democratic nominee for president. But who is the real Bernie Sanders? His close friends and family shed new light on what is motivating the 73-year-old senator, while never-before-seen documents from his first foray into politics – as a Vermont mayor – reveal activist roots that were 30 years ahead of their time

Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders: Media Are Inept and GOP Agenda Is Hidden

Evan Halper Los Angeles Times
Sanders, the Vermont senator seeking the Democratic nomination, is mixing it up with the media. In a frank give-and-take with reporters, he scolded the media for covering the election like a baseball game. Nobody cares about Gov. Bush's campaign manager, he said, while the GOP has gotten away with murder hiding their agenda. He also questioned how rival Hillary Clinton could fail to have an opinion on such a big issue as President Obama's proposed Pacific trade deal.

Friday Nite Videos -- June 5, 2015

Portside
Flashmob Nuremburg - Beethoven's Ode to Joy. Clinton Slams GOP for War on Voting, Calls for Universal Registration. Key & Peele - Basketball Commentary. Jefferson Davis Day in Alabama. Gay High School Student Delivers Valedictorian Speech He Was Barred from Giving.

Bernie's Burlington: What Kind of Mayor Was Bernie Sanders?

Peter Dreier, Pierre Clavel The Nation
A growing number of cities -- including Seattle, New York, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Newark and others -- are now led by progressive mayors. What they can learn from Sanders is that good ideas are not sufficient. Creating more livable cities requires nurturing a core of activist organizations that can build long-term support for progressive municipal policies.

Friday Nite Videos -- May 29, 2015

Portside
Amy Schumer - Bill Cosby in the Court of Public Opinion. Movie: We Are Many. Democalypse 2016: Bernie Sanders. Stiller & Meara on Computer Dating. Margaret Atwood - First Writer for Future Library.

Democalypse 2016: Bernie Sanders

We've all become so accustomed to stage driven, focus group candidates that authenticity comes across as lunacy. Then there's Bernie, who honestly represents his political beliefs rather than playing a cynical political game.

The Press and Bernie Sanders

Eric Boehlert Media Matters
As the Vermont liberal spreads his income equality campaign message, the press corps seems unsure of how to cover him. In the month since he announced his bid, Sanders' coverage seems to pale in comparison to comparable Republican candidates who face an arduous task of obtaining their party's nomination. The reluctance is ironic. The press for months called for a challenger to Hillary Clinton. Now she has one and the press can barely feign interest?

Bernie Sanders: 'Yes,' 'Not Now' or 'Never'?

Tom Gallagher Common Dreams
The fundamental problem with both the “not now, maybe later” and the “not on your life” rejections of electoral politics is their small mindedness, their view that political activity is a zero sum game where a Sanders candidacy inevitably diminishes some other truly valuable activities because there are only a limited number of potential activists out there.
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