Senator Bernie Sanders campaigned on behalf of Hillary Clinton in Ohio today. Sanders’ first event was on the campus of Youngstown State University. During his speech, he focused on Hillary Clinton’s plans to build the middle class by introducing plans to create jobs and raise the minimum wage. He said, “Middle class shrinking, millions living in dire poverty, the very, very rich getting richer. Large corporations enjoying huge profits. That is where we are today and what our job together is, to create an economy that works for all Americans, not just the billionaire class.” Sanders said that Clinton has a plan to ensure the economy works for everyone while Donald Trump wants to ensure that he and other billionaires have free reign. Sanders concluded by urging everyone to vote and elect Clinton. A video of Sanders’ speech is below.
In Cincinnati, Sanders spoke to a crowd of supporters at the University of Cincinnati. He focused on the same populist platform points that gained him popularity including income inequality, raising the minimum wage, overturning Citizens United, making college more affordable, and combating climate change. Sanders said that Clinton has plans that address all those points, including some plans that he had a hand in crafting. He concluded by asking everyone to vote and challenged them to stay involved in politics after the election saying, “After we elect Hillary on Nov. 8, I want you to wake up on Nov. 9, roll up your sleeves and begin the process of taking on the billionaire class and transforming this country.” A video from the event is below.
On Wednesday night, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump faced off for their final debate before the election on November 8th. The debate was moderated by Fox News’ Chris Wallace, who did a pretty good job of keeping the candidates on topic. The topics covered at the debate included debt, entitlements, immigration, the economy, the Supreme Court, foreign hot spots, and “fitness to be president.” While each candidate took shots at each other, Clinton outlined a number of her proposals. Each candidate wrapped up the final debate with a one-minute closing statement. Clinton asked for America’s vote saying:
“Well, I would like to say to everyone watching tonight that I’m reaching out to all Americans — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Because we need everybody to help make our country what it should be. To grow the economy, to make it fairer, to make it work for everyone. We need your talents, your skills, your commitment, your energy, your ambition. You know, I’ve been privileged to see the presidency up close and I know the awesome responsibility of protecting our country and the incredible opportunity of working to try to make life better for all of you. I have made the cause of children and families really my life’s work — that’s what my mission will be in the presidency. I will stand up for families against powerful interests, against corporations. I will do everything I can to make sure you have good jobs with rising incomes, that your kids have good educations from preschool through college. I hope you will give me a chance to serve as your president.”
While pundits will argue who won and who lost last night’s debate, what is important is who you feel will best represent you. This political cycle has become more about personality and less about the issues at stake. Both candidates have outlined a series of policies they believe are important to them and that says a lot about their beliefs. What is key is that on November 8, you have a choice. You have a voice at the ballot box and make sure it is heard. Vote.
Watch a video replay of the debate below. And more importantly, VOTE on November 8th.
Tonight, presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will face off in the final debate before the election on November 8th. Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada, the third debate will be moderated by Fox News’s Chris Wallace and will focus on debt, entitlements, immigration, the economy, the Supreme Court, foreign hot spots, and “fitness to be president.” The debate will begin at 9 pm ET and will be available live on most major television networks (ABC, NBC, CBS, PBS, Fox, MSNBC, Fox News, CNBC, CNN, Univision, Telemundo, C-SPAN). There will also be a number of live stream options including CBSN, YouTube, Twitter, and the Wall Street Journal. A live stream of the debate is available below.
Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of Every Voice. In a release, the group’s CEO David Donnelly said, “In the presidential race this year, Americans face a clear choice. One candidate wants the voices of all people to be heard in our democracy. Another has decided his road to the White House depends on demonization and demagoguery, preying on our worst fears as a nation.” Clinton released the following statement in response to receiving the group’s endorsement.
“I am honored to earn the first-ever presidential endorsement of Every Voice.
To strengthen our democracy, we need to get secret, unaccountable money out of our politics and get the voices of Americans back in. Every Voice is leading that fight. They uncover how special interests interfere with our democracy and block progress on critical issues like addressing climate change, preventing gun violence, and raising the minimum wage. And they have smart, concrete ideas on how to change our broken campaign finance system.
I’ve made campaign finance reform a cornerstone of my campaign from the beginning. If elected, this will be a top priority for my presidency. And I will be a strong partner to everyone working toward that goal.
In my first 30 days in office, I will propose a constitutional amendment to overturn the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision. I’ll appoint Supreme Court justices who understand how deeply that decision damaged our democracy. We’ll work to amplify the voices of Americans and make it easier for citizens to run for office by supporting small-donor matching. And we’ll fight for more robust disclosure requirements.
The United States is the world’s oldest democracy and the greatest country in the world. I believe deeply that our democracy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected. We’ve got to do better. Organizations like Every Voice are working to do that every day. As President, I will be their partner.”
Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of the Actors’ Equity Association. In a statement, the group said this is the first time they have endorsed a presidential candidate, but they felt the need to speak out. Executive Director Mary McColl expressed the importance of unions and the reason for their endorsement of Clinton. “Our union has historically chosen to remain nonpartisan and above the fray. But at such a critical time in our country’s history, this union does not have that luxury if we hope to protect our members. We have to fight with everything we have for our survival.” Clinton responded to the endorsement with the following statement.
“I am honored to have earned the first-ever endorsement of the Actors’ Equity Association.
I have spent my life fighting to even the odds for those who have had the odds stacked against them. That means making it possible for every child to live up to his or her God-given potential, no matter where they come from, what they look like, or who they love. And, although this is an unusual thing for a candidate for President to say, it means working to create more love and kindness in our country.
The Actors’ Equity Association shares these core values. And I couldn’t be prouder to have them standing with me in this election. The stakes could not be higher.
From the beginning, Donald Trump has based his campaign on prejudice and paranoia. He has insulted immigrants and demeaned women. He has called for banning 1.5 million people from so much as entering this country because of their religion. He mocked and mimicked a reporter with a disability. He would appoint Supreme Court justices who would overturn marriage equality, and when the time came to choose a running-mate, he selected a man who signed a law that would have allowed Indiana businesses to discriminate against LGBT people.
Donald Trump does not understand a basic truth about America: we are stronger together.
Americans don’t tear each other down—we lift each other up. We don’t build walls—we break down barriers. Together, we’ll fight to finally guarantee equal pay for women, protect workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively, and build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. We’ll pass the Equality Act and make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT people in employment and housing—and we won’t let up in the fight against HIV and AIDS until we reach the goal of an AIDS-free generation, which is finally in sight. We will face up to the reality of systemic racism and fix it—and we’ll fight back against those who are trying to deny Americans their fundamental right to vote. And above all, we will never forget that we are in this together, one nation, indivisible.
The future we want is within our reach—let’s build it together.”
People sing the national anthem during a naturalization ceremony at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall August 25, 2016 in Washington, DC Brendan Smialowski AFP/Getty Images
On Wednesday, Univision published an article written by Senator Tim Kaine about immigration and the importance of immigrants in America. Kaine said that the diversity of America should be celebrated because it is part of what makes the country great. He promised that as Vice President, he will work with Hillary Clinton and Congress to pass comprehensive immigrant reform and ensure that families already living here are not broken up by deportation. Kaine criticized Donald Trump’s approach to immigration and his divisive language when describing immigrants. Kaine says he sees things differently. Immigrants are proud to become citizens. “I see that first-hand whenever I visit a naturalization service. I’ve heard many immigrants share their moving stories about what inspired them to become Americans, and I’ve watched as each one raised their right hand and was sworn in as a naturalized citizen,” he said. Read the full article below or by clicking HERE.
Earlier this summer, I had a chance to meet with the Orellanas, a family from Bolivia who made a home in Virginia. Wilson Orellana works for a company providing transportation for Americans with disabilities, and his wife, Roxana is an active community member who teaches Spanish to children and helps lead the local middle school’s PTA. Their two daughters, Rebeca and Marisol, worked hard in school, and Rebeca is now an engineering honors student in college.
They’re rightly proud of the life they have built for themselves. But as we spoke, they told me how terrified they were that their family would be torn apart because of their mixed status.
The Orellanas are one of so many families in America that were eligible for President Obama’s executive actions on immigration – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA). Rebeca, who arrived in America as a child, is protected from deportation and able to pursue her dreams thanks to DACA. But for Wilson and Roxana, who wanted to stop living in fear, and more fully participate in our society, the future remains uncertain.
When we met, they were anxiously awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on DAPA. Hillary and I believe that President Obama was well within his legal authority when he issued these actions. But now, unfortunately, the Supreme Court’s deadlocked ruling has thrown millions of families like the Orellanas back into uncertainty.
We should be doing everything we can to keep families like theirs together – not threatening them with deportation or breaking them apart. After all, they’re our friends, neighbors and classmates. They enrich our communities and contribute to our economy.
Hillary Clinton and I will continue to defend DACA and DAPA, and we’ll do everything possible under the law create a straightforward system for folks with sympathetic cases to make their case and be eligible for deferred action too.
These policies are critical, but we know that to truly fix our broken immigration system we need to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The majority of Americans support comprehensive reform not just because it’s the right thing to do – but because they know it will also strengthen our families, our economy, and our country.
We’ve waited long enough. In our first 100 days in office, Hillary and I will put comprehensive reform legislation before Congress that will include a pathway to citizenship, better border security, and addressing family visa backlog. It will enable our country to be what it’s always been – a place where people from around the world can come to start new businesses, pursue their dreams, apply their talents to American growth and innovation.
This is a very different approach than what Donald Trump has proposed. Not only does he not support comprehensive reform, but he’s threatened to send out a deportation force to round up 16 million people and kick them out of our country. Donald looks at immigrants and calls them “rapists” and “murderers.” And he even supports ending birthright citizenship – one of the basic American principles that if you’re born here, you belong here.
When I was in law school, I took a year off to volunteer in El Progreso, Honduras as a Jesuit missionary. The local community embraced me, and the values I learned from my Honduran community are the same values I see in our Latino community here in America: faith, family and hard work.
These are the very same values that built this nation. In America, we don’t build walls – we build bridges. Our shared values bring us together, and make us stronger. So we must not allow Donald Trump to create a false image of immigrants, and tear down everything this country stands for.
I see that first-hand whenever I visit a naturalization service. I’ve heard many immigrants share their moving stories about what inspired them to become Americans, and I’ve watched as each one raised their right hand and was sworn in as a naturalized citizen. Let me tell you – it’s one of the most powerful things I’ve ever seen. Hearing them always brings a smile to my face and a tear to every eye in the room. Anybody who loves America that much deserves to be here.
There’s a saying I learned in Honduras: Adelante, no atrás.
We need to go forward, not backward.
We have our work cut out for us, but if Hillary and I have the honor of serving as your President and Vice President, we’ll keep pressing forward – not backward – and keep fighting to make the American Dream a reality for everyone.
Today, Hillary for America released a fact sheet combating conspiracy theories about Hillary Clinton’s health. The release references the official physicians report released by Clinton’s doctor in 2015 and denies all allegations that Clinton’s health is failing. The full release is below.
Trump Pushes Deranged Conspiracy About Clinton’s Health To Distract From Tax Return Questions
Facing withering criticism from national media outlets, state editorial boards and even some Republicanallies over his refusal to release his tax returns, Donald Trump is once again peddling deranged conspiracy theories in a desperate attempt to change the subject – this time with absurd and debunked claims about Hillary Clinton’s health.
This is hardly the first time Trump and his allies have donned tin foil hats when things weren’t going his way. When his back was previously up against the wall, he’s suggested President Obama was a Muslim with ISIS sympathies, that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was murdered and that Ted Cruz’s father was involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Now, with the help of his well-oiled network of conspiracy peddlers – from Roger Stone to Sean Hannity – Trump is desperately trying to give life to already busted myths about the health of a woman whose stamina and focus was publicly lauded following an 11 hours long hearing about the tragedy in Benghazi.
Per his long pattern, Trump will clearly say or do anything to avoid the barrage of questions only his tax returns can answer: Whether he’s worth as much as he dubiously claims? Whether his pro-Kremlin policies stem from financial conflicts of interest with Russian oligarchs? Or whether he actually gives as much as he says to charity?
“While it is dismaying to see the Republican nominee for president push deranged conspiracy theories in a foreign policy speech, it’s no longer surprising,” said Jennifer Palmieri. “Donald Trump is simply parroting lies based on fabricated documents promoted by Roger Stone and his right wing allies. Hillary Clinton has released a detailed medical record showing her to be in excellent health plus her personal tax returns since 1977, while Trump has failed to provide the public with the most basic financial information disclosed by every major candidate in the last 40 years. It’s time for him to stop using shameful distractions to hide his own record.”
Two Deranged, Debunked Conspiracies About Clinton’s Health
The Doctors’ Letters
Trump confidant and discredited conspiracy peddler Roger Stone and his right-wing allies have been pushingfake medical documents supposedly leaked from Hillary Clinton’s physician that purport to show grave health problems.
However, here’s a statement from the actual Dr. Lisa Bardack, Hillary Clinton’s real internist and Chairman of the Department of Medicine at CareMount Medical, debunking the veracity of these false documents:
“As Secretary Clinton’s long time physician, I released a medical statement during the campaign indicating that she is in excellent health. I have recently been made aware of allegedly ‘leaked’ medical documents regarding Secretary Clinton with my name on them. These documents are false, were not written by me and are not based on any medical facts. To reiterate what I said in my previous statement, Secretary Clinton is in excellent health and fit to serve as President of the United States.”
Here’s a link to the actual medical records about Hillary Clinton released by Dr. Bardack (written on actual letterhead) with the concluding summary directly below:
Now compare that to the medical records released from Donald Trump’s gastroenterologist – not internist — that makes several peculiar claims that Kurt Eichenwald, senior writer at Newsweek, dissected in a must watch segment on CNN this morning:
Eichenwald: “This is not a real letter because what you have, number one, it’s not from an internist. It’s from a doctor who treats digestive problems.”
Eichenwald: “He says that all of Mr. Trump’s medical tests are positive. That means that everything he was tested for, he has. No competent or real doctor would write this.”
Eichenwald: “It also says such things as ‘Donald Trump will be the healthiest president in the history of the United States.’ That sounds a lot like Donald Trump.”
Eichenwald: “It doesn’t have a real letter letterhead. The letterhead was written on Microsoft Word.”
Hannity Drafts Urologist To Diagnose Potential Head Trauma Via Video Tape
To push the baseless narrative about lingering head trauma, Trump surrogate Sean Hannity drafted a urologist – not a neurologist – wearing a white physician’s coat to help diagnose whether a video tape was evidence of repercussions from previous head trauma.
During a speech on Tuesday, Donald Trump seemed to suggest that Hillary Clinton could be threatened by gun owners if she continues to fight for gun control in Congress and the courts. Trump said, “Hillary wants to abolish — essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know.” Many viewed his statement as a threat, and Hillary for America was quick to respond. Campaign Manager Robby Mook released a brief statement condemning Trump’s suggestion of violence. Mook’s full statement is below.
“This is simple—what Trump is saying is dangerous. A person seeking to be the President of the United States should not suggest violence in any way.”
On Saturday, Hillary Clinton released a statement on the 51st Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act was signed by President Lyndon Johnson on August 6, 1965. The act guaranteed the right to vote to all American citizens regardless of race. However, in 2013, the Supreme Court gutted the act saying that it is no longer necessary given the current climate. Many have disagreed with the Court’s decision including Clinton, and in her statement, Clinton said that as president she would continue to fight to ensure universal voting rights. A copy of her statement is below.
“Fifty-one years after the Voting Rights Act was signed into law, Americans are now facing the most systematic effort to curtail those rights since the era of Jim Crow. Make no mistake, new voter restriction laws in seventeen states have replaced poll taxes and literacy tests as a thinly veiled attempt to achieve an old objective: disenfranchising African Americans, Latinos, low-income people, young people, and people with disabilities.
But we are fighting back. Last week, a court struck down North Carolina’s voter ID requirement, saying it was designed to ‘target African Americans with almost surgical precision.’ Similar restrictions have recently been overturned in Wisconsin, Texas, Michigan, North Dakota, and Kansas after courts found they were intended to discriminate as well.
This November, the notion that every American has a voice in shaping our future is at stake. Donald Trump supports discriminatory voting restrictions — and actually claims that without them in place, the results of American elections should be questioned. It’s a dangerous attempt to undermine the legitimacy of our democracy.
I have a very different view. I believe America is stronger when we expand access to the ballot box, not restrict it. That’s why I’ll fight to repair the Voting Rights Act, expand early voting, and introduce universal, automatic voter registration.
Upon signing the Voting Rights Act in 1965, President Johnson said the right to vote ‘is one which no American, true to our principles, can deny.’
On Wednesday, Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of the End Citizens United PAC. In a release the group praised Clinton’s proposed plans for changing the current election cycle and her pledge to propose a constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court’s ruling. Clinton released a statement echoing the group’s commitment to overturning Citizens United and ensuring that all voters have a say in our democracy. A copy of Clinton’s statement is below.
“I am honored to have earned the endorsement of the End Citizens United PAC, an organization working tirelessly to fix our broken campaign finance system and restore control of our elections to the American people.
I have said from the beginning of my campaign that we need to be protecting people’s right to vote, not corporations’ right to buy elections. That means restoring the full power and protections of the Voting Rights Act and fighting back against Republican efforts to make it harder for women, young people, and people of color to vote by imposing onerous voting restrictions.
And it means overturning the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision and putting our democracy back in the hands of the voters. In my first 30 days as President, I will propose a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. I will appoint Supreme Court justices who understand that this decision deeply hurt our democracy, and I will fight for other progressive reforms to our campaign finance system, including more robust disclosure requirements, and measures that will make it easier for people who aren’t rich or well-connected to run for office, like small-donor matching.
But we can’t stop there. We should make it easier for people to vote–including through automatic voter registration and a minimum of 20 days of early, in-person voting. Together, we can restore people’s voices and people’s votes to their rightful place–at the center of American democracy.”
Hillary Clinton Speeches 