Subject: Correct The Record Monday December 1, 2014 Afternoon Roundup
From: Burns Strider <[email-masked]>
To: CTRFriendsFamily <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2014 15:29:01 -0500
List-Id: <CTRFriendsFamily.americanbridge.org>

*​**Correct The Record Monday December 1, 2014 Afternoon Roundup:*

*Tweets:*

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: CIA, U.S. military "responded
appropriately" to Benghazi. No reason to believe cover-up theories. via
@DMregister <https://twitter.com/DMRegister>
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/11/28/little-scandal-benghazi/19649305/
…
<http://t.co/kOYxrJZSNm> [12/1/14, 10:47 a.m. EST
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/539445624358191105>]

*Correct The Record* @CorrectRecord: .@DMregister
<https://twitter.com/DMRegister>: the GOP-led House Intel committee
debunked Benghazi conspiracy theories.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/2014/11/28/little-scandal-benghazi/19649305/
…
<http://t.co/kOYxrJZSNm> [12/1/14,10:33 a.m. EST
<https://twitter.com/CorrectRecord/status/539442083619024896>]

*Headlines:*

*Washington Post blog: Post Politics: “Hillary Clinton adds more speeches
to 2015 schedule
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/12/01/hillary-clinton-adds-more-speeches-to-2015-schedule/>*

“In response to last week's Post story about Clinton's UCLA speech, Correct
the Record, a super PAC focused on defending Clinton, issued a statement on
Monday: ‘Americans are givers. We are a generous nation, coming to the aid
of those in need. Americans want to hear from Hillary Clinton and she is
crisscrossing the country, sharing her insights and her vision, and raising
money for the life-changing programs funded by the Clinton Foundation, such
as Job One, which helps young people find jobs; Too Small to Fail, which
helps improve the health and well-being of children; and No Ceilings, which
encourages the full participation of women and girls in the 21st century.
The world is a better place for this philanthropy, which reflects Hillary’s
belief in doing all she can to ensure everyone has the opportunity to
achieve the American Dream.’”

*The Hill: “Industry presses Clinton to be ‘voice of reason’ for coal”
<http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/225577-industry-presses-clinton-to-be-voice-of-reason-for-coal>*

“The clean coal industry is pressuring Hillary Clinton to be the ‘voice of
reason’ for coal if she makes a run for the White House.”

*National Journal: “Green Whiplash For Hillary Clinton in New York”
<http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/green-whiplash-for-hillary-clinton-in-new-york-20141201>*

“A few hours later, Clinton will be the featured speaker Monday night at
another New York fundraiser, this time for the League of Conservation
Voters, a group that's battling Keystone and is fighting to preserve
Obama's climate-change regulations. Being the presumptive Democratic
frontrunner is complicated. Clinton has stayed mum about her views on
Keystone despite growing pressure from progressives, while she's on record
with general praise for Obama's climate agenda.”

*MSNBC: “Hillary Clinton’s awkward Keystone day”
<http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hillary-clintons-awkward-keystone-day>*

“Hillary Clinton has been dinged by both liberals and conservatives for
declining to take a position on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. But on
Monday, her Keystone dilemma will be on full display as she helps raise
money for people on both sides of the issue within hours of each other in
New York City.”

*The Hill blog: Ballot Box: “Another paid speech for Hillary Clinton?”
<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/225559-hillary-clinton-appears-set-to-give-another-paid-speech>*

“Hillary Clinton appears set to give another paid speech amid controversy
over the appearances and questions as to when they will stop if she is
indeed running for president.”

*Financial Times column: Edward Luce: “Hillary Clinton’s rickety bridge to
the White House”
<http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e84aa190-76f2-11e4-8273-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3KfaRggYu>*

“All that Hillary Clinton need do – or whoever takes the Democratic
nomination – is tick the right boxes and let demography fix the rest. Such
is the US left’s world view. It is also a measure of its intellectual
poverty.”

*Articles:*

*Washington Post blog: Post Politics: “Hillary Clinton adds more speeches
to 2015 schedule
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/12/01/hillary-clinton-adds-more-speeches-to-2015-schedule/>*

By Philip Rucker

December 1, 2014, 2:30 p.m. EST

Hillary Rodham Clinton has added several speeches to her January and
February schedule, indicating that the likely 2016 presidential candidate
will continue her lucrative paid speaking career into the new year.

As her advisers and supporters prepare for her likely presidential
campaign, Clinton is set to deliver two speeches in Canada at events
sponsored by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. She also is scheduled
to address the Watermark Silicon Valley Conference for Women on Feb. 24.

The Canada appearances, scheduled for Jan. 21 in Winnipeg and Saskatoon,
are part of the Global Perspective speaker's series sponsored by CIBC. Both
of Clinton's speeches are slated for large venues -- the RBC Winnipeg
Convention Centre and the TCU Place -- and tickets are being sold.

It was not immediately clear whether Clinton is being paid for these
appearances, but they are similar to her paid speeches over the past two
years, for which she has earned $200,000 per appearance. A Clinton
spokesman did not immediately respond to questions about whether Clinton is
speaking for money.

Julia Ballantyne Wright, a spokeswoman for the Watermark Silicon Valley
Conference for Women, would not say whether Clinton's appearance was paid.
"The Conference team does not comment on arrangements between the
Conference and its speakers," Wright said in an e-mail.

Clinton's tour on the paid speaking circuit, which she began soon after
stepping down as secretary of state in early 2013, has drawn considerable
controversy. At least eight universities, including four public
institutions, paid Clinton to visit their campuses and speak to students,
faculty and other guests.

The University of California at Los Angeles paid Clinton $300,000 for a
speech in March, which was funded by an endowment set up by a donor and not
with tuition funds. When UCLA officials asked whether there was a reduced
rate for public universities, Clinton's representatives at the Harry Walker
Agency said $300,000 was the "special university rate," according to
e-mails obtained last week by The Washington Post through a Freedom of
Information Act request.

In response to last week's Post story about Clinton's UCLA speech, Correct
the Record, a super PAC focused on defending Clinton, issued a statement on
Monday:

“Americans are givers. We are a generous nation, coming to the aid of those
in need. Americans want to hear from Hillary Clinton and she is
crisscrossing the country, sharing her insights and her vision, and raising
money for the life-changing programs funded by the Clinton Foundation, such
as Job One, which helps young people find jobs; Too Small to Fail, which
helps improve the health and well-being of children; and No Ceilings, which
encourages the full participation of women and girls in the 21st century.
The world is a better place for this philanthropy, which reflects Hillary’s
belief in doing all she can to ensure everyone has the opportunity to
achieve the American Dream.”

Still, Clinton's paid speaking gigs have provided easy fodder to her
Republican critics. America Rising, a GOP research group leading the attack
on Clinton, criticized her for the Winnipeg speech because the event
sponsor, CIBC, has been connected to offshoring, as have many other banks.
America Rising issued a statement Monday morning headlined, "Clinton Giving
Paid Speech To Bank Connected To Illegal Offshore Accounts."

*The Hill: “Industry presses Clinton to be ‘voice of reason’ for coal”
<http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/225577-industry-presses-clinton-to-be-voice-of-reason-for-coal>*

By Laura Barron-Lopez

December 1, 2014, 11:52 a.m. EST

The clean coal industry is pressuring Hillary Clinton to be the “voice of
reason” for coal if she makes a run for the White House.

Ahead of her remarks at the League of Conservation Voters annual dinner in
New York on Monday, Clinton is being urged to take a position on the fuel
source.

The former secretary of State is seen as the Democratic frontrunner for a
2016 presidential bid, and has backed President Obama’s climate agenda,
specifically supporting his carbon pollution rule on existing power plants.

The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) argues Clinton
should back coal as a source of "reliable, affordable" electricity for the
U.S.

"As Mrs. Clinton considers another run for the White House, we hope that
she continues to be the voice of reason for coal-powered electricity," said
Laura Sheehan of ACCCE.

ACCCE points out that in her 2008 presidential bid Clinton showed support
for coal.

During a campaign stop in Indiana, Clinton said "we are going to use coal,"
according to footage provided by ACCCE.

"There’s no doubt about that. It’s just that we’ve got to figure out how to
make it as clean as coal can be," Clinton said.

ACCCE contends that increased use of clean coal can bulk up the
manufacturing sector, make the grid more reliable and create jobs.

"As candidates throw their hats into the 2016 presidential race, we’ll be
taking a close look at their records on energy policy and watching to see
whether they choose to follow President Obama’s misguided climate policy or
support U.S. jobs," Sheehan said.

*National Journal: “Green Whiplash For Hillary Clinton in New York”
<http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/green-whiplash-for-hillary-clinton-in-new-york-20141201>*

By Ben Geman

December 1, 2014

Hillary Clinton will raise money in New York City Monday evening for
embattled Democratic senator Mary Landrieu, who supports construction of
the Keystone XL pipeline and opposes President Obama's greenhouse-gas
limits on coal-fired power plants.

A few hours later, Clinton will be the featured speaker Monday night at
another New York fundraiser, this time for the League of Conservation
Voters, a group that's battling Keystone and is fighting to preserve
Obama's climate-change regulations.

Being the presumptive Democratic frontrunner is complicated. Clinton has
stayed mum about her views on Keystone despite growing pressure from
progressives, while she's on record with general praise for Obama's climate
agenda.

But Clinton is also showing party loyalty by helping out her former Senate
colleague Landrieu as she faces an uphill battle heading into her Dec. 6 runoff
against Rep. Bill Cassidy (who clashes with green movement goals even more
than Landrieu).

Also, while Republicans are taking over the Senate next year no matter what
happens to Landrieu on Dec. 6, every seat counts in 2016 when the Senate's
electoral map will be more promising for Democrats. Any incoming Democratic
president has good reason to want the upper chamber back in their party's
hands.

As for Clinton's speech tonight, it's unclear how much she'll talk
substance. In early September, Clinton laid out her energy and climate
principles in broad strokes when she spoke to Senate Majority Leader Harry
Reid's annual green energy summit. But when it comes to detailed policy
views on a range of topics, she's kept her cards close to the vest so far.

*MSNBC: “Hillary Clinton’s awkward Keystone day”
<http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hillary-clintons-awkward-keystone-day>*

By Alex Seitz-Wald

December 1, 2014, 12:44 p.m. EST

Hillary Clinton has been dinged by both liberals and conservatives for
declining to take a position on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. But on
Monday, her Keystone dilemma will be on full display as she helps raise
money for people on both sides of the issue within hours of each other in
New York City.

The former secretary of state and likely 2016 presidential candidate will
raise money for Sen. Mary Landrieu, the embattled Louisiana Democrat who
linked her political future to Keystone ahead of a runoff election. But
she’ll also boost the League of Conservation Voters, a deep-pocketed
environmental group that has been fighting the pipeline – and Landrieu’s
bill – tooth and nail on Capitol Hill.

As secretary of state, Clinton oversaw the permitting process for the
pipeline, which would carry tar sand oil from Canada to the U.S. Gulf
Coast. Citing her past role, Clinton has abstained from weighing in on the
issue. It’s nowhere in her recent memoir about her time as America’s top
diplomat, “Hard Choices,” and she has dodged questions about it in two
countries.

There’s little upside for her in taking a position. She’s bound to
disappoint someone either way, as her dueling events on Mondaydemonstrate.
And she might be able to just wait it out and let President Obama make the
decision for her.

But her silence has come with a price. On the environmentalist left, groups
like MoveOn.org have demanded that Clinton take a position, while the
Republican super PAC America Risng  suggested her evasiveness was
“disqualifying.”

That tension will likely re-emerge Monday.

First, there’s the event for Landrieu, who was forced into a runoff
election against Republican opponent Bill Cassidy, which is scheduled for
Saturday.

Two weeks ago, in a last ditch effort to save her seat, the oil state
Democrat tried to push a bill through the Senate approving the pipeline.
The vote divided her own party and created tense, down-to-the-wire drama in
a body that casts few close votes these days. She ultimately fell one vote
short, and is trailing badly in the polls back home.

But Clinton is hoping to give Landrieu a last-minute boost – or at least be
on the record supporting the senator in her hour of need. Clinton
campaigned in Louisiana for Landrieu before Election Day, and now will hold
a high-dollar fundraiser for the senator at the Upper West Side home of
major Democratic donors Sarah and Victor Kovner. The minimum ticket price
is $1,000, while prices go up to $12,600, according to the New Orleans
Times Picayune.

Meanwhile, at a hotel in midtown Manhattan, Clinton will speak at the
annual fundraising dinner of the League of Conservation Voters Monday night.

Like other environmentalist groups, the group opposes the Keystone
pipeline. It wrote letters to senators last month urging them to reject
Landrieu’s pro-Keystone bill. “We will strongly consider including votes on
this bill in the 2014 Scorecard,” LCV president Gene Karpinski warned to
lawmakers. Groups like LCV use their scorecard to inform how much money
they spend for or against lawmakers in the next election. They did not
support Landrieu.

Clinton is probably unlikely to take a position on Keystone anytime soon,
but that doesn’t means she won’t keep getting asked about it.

In late January, Clinton will speak in Winnipeg, Canada, where she can
expect to be asked once again about the pipeline, which is a national
priority in the country.

*The Hill blog: Ballot Box: “Another paid speech for Hillary Clinton?”
<http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/225559-hillary-clinton-appears-set-to-give-another-paid-speech>*

By Peter Sullivan

December 1, 2014, 8:20 a.m. EST

Hillary Clinton appears set to give another paid speech amid controversy
over the appearances and questions as to when they will stop if she is
indeed running for president.

Clinton will deliver a keynote address at the Winnipeg Convention Center in
January, as part of a series sponsored by the Canadian Imperial Bank of
Commerce, according to The Winnipeg Free Press.

The speech comes in addition to a Feb. 24 appearance at the Watermark
Silicon Valley Conference for Women.

Clinton is traditionally paid for these type of speeches, a practice that
has come under criticism. It is expected that Clinton will stop giving paid
speeches once she announces a run for president. The appearances early next
year could mean that the announcement of a presidential run is not coming
until later in 2015.

That timing is later than some expected, and runs contrary to the timeline
given by close Clinton ally Terry McAuliffe, the governor of Virginia, who
said last month that the decision would come within 60 days.

Clinton's paid speeches, and the trappings around them, run the risk of
making her appear out of touch, as she faces pressure from the left to be
more populist and emulate liberal hero Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.). The
money does go to the Clinton Foundation, the Clintons' philanthropic group.

The Washington Post reported last week on the details of a $300,000 speech
Clinton gave at UCLA in March. Emails with organizers reveal the extensive
requirements from Clinton's team. Her staff wanted "prestaged" group photos
so Clinton would not have to wait for people, and specified that there
should be "crudite, hummus, and sliced fruit" in the green room.

The Republican National Committee has seized on reports of Clinton's travel
expenses, labelling her "High-flying Hillary" for her use of private jets
to travel to events.

*Financial Times column: Edward Luce: “Hillary Clinton’s rickety bridge to
the White House”
<http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e84aa190-76f2-11e4-8273-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3KfaRggYu>*

By Edward Luce

November 30, 2014, 6:23 p.m.

[Subtitle:] Voters lack a compelling reason to embrace Democrats, as
opposed to simply rejecting Republicans

The grand view of American politics is that Republicans have a lock on
Congress, while Democrats have an inbuilt White House advantage. November’s
Republican victory shored up that theory. Conservatives reliably turned out
for the midterms, while liberals hibernated.

Come the glamour of 2016, Hispanic, millennial, single female and African
American voters will be back in force. All that Hillary Clinton need do –
or whoever takes the Democratic nomination – is tick the right boxes and
let demography fix the rest.

Such is the US left’s world view. It is also a measure of its intellectual
poverty. Whatever liberals are smoking, it is no stimulant to new ideas.
The left’s sense of destiny is based on America’s shift to a
minority-majority nation within the next 30 years. As the white vote
shrinks, each presidential race will be harder for Republicans to win. What
is missing is a compelling reason for people to embrace Democrats, as
opposed to rejecting Republicans. For the time being, the latter can be
relied upon to offend minorities – notably Hispanics. But Democrats have
remarkably little new to say about the future of America’s middle classes,
regardless of ethnicity.

Without a credible economic plan, the US left risks being little more than
a rainbow coalition. This is the danger facing Mrs Clinton’s candidacy. It
is possible – perhaps even likely – that Republicans will select a nominee
who has alienated so many Americans that he will be unable to compete in a
general election. It is also plausible that Mrs Clinton will appeal to
enough women, Hispanics and others to ensure her electoral maths are
prohibitive. That is the working theory. Unless Mrs Clinton can find a
positive story to engage America’s middle classes it is the only one that
is likely to work in practice.

The signs, so far, are misleadingly optimistic. Most of the left’s energy
comes from its social victories. In the past decade, the US has flipped
from being a relatively intolerant country for gays – at least compared
with northern Europe and Canada – to being one of the most progressive in
the world. Barely a month passes without another state legalising gay
marriage. It is a remarkable tale of how quickly prejudice can be rolled
back once public attitudes hit a tipping point.

The same applies to marijuana legalisation. One of the silver linings in
the left’s sweeping defeat this month was the approval in three ballot
initiatives – Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia – of recreational
marijuana. Colorado and Washington State had already led the way. Several
more states, including California, Maine and Arizona, are drafting similar
choices for 2016. For the first time ever, a majority of Americans support
legalising pot, according to Pew Research. It is a far cry from the
hippie-disdaining days of Ronald Reagan. But this is more of a stoner’s
manifesto than an electoral trend.

Mrs Clinton’s network of donors are comfortable with social liberalism. The
bulk of her money will come from places like Wall Street and Silicon
Valley, which are either neutral or supportive on social issues. Their
focus is on lower taxes and fewer regulations. Mrs Clinton’s challenge will
be to square her donors’ priorities with America’s increasingly apolitical
young voter. A large slice of millenials likes to spliff up. Many are gay
and non-white. But that does not automatically make them Democrats. Those
who are unemployed want jobs. Those who have jobs want a pay rise. All that
most will remember is eight lean years under President Barack Obama.

Mrs Clinton faces two problems in igniting their passion. First, Mr Obama
has lost the faith of the liberal base. Much of what remains has been
captured by Elizabeth Warren, the senator from Massachusetts, who insists
she has no intention of taking on Mrs Clinton.

Mrs Warren’s message is anti-Wall Street. It resonates with the party’s
grassroots – and probably most of its grass consumers too. Her populism
puts Mrs Clinton in a bind. She would have a hard time co-opting Mrs
Warren’s language without alienating her financial backers. Yet she must
also find a new generation of economic advisers.

At a time of crisis, Mr Obama turned to the gurus of her husband’s
presidency – the so-called Rubinites, after Robert Rubin, Bill Clinton’s
longest-serving Treasury Secretary. Mrs Clinton will need new ideas and new
faces. Who they will be – and what they will advise – is anyone’s guess.

Second, Mrs Clinton runs up against the truism that the Democratic whole is
often less than the sum of its parts. Republicans may be getting more
monochrome – whites are a shrinking share of the US population and a
growing part of the Republican one. But that makes them easier to marshal.
It is simpler to target a message to one group than many. Mr Obama overcame
that problem in 2008 with a once-in-a-generation appeal to a larger sense
of America. It will be hard to conjure that vision again.

As it stands, whatever coalition is expected to carry Mrs Clinton over the
finishing line is likely to result from a calculated process of addition.
In politics, winning is ultimately about ideas. In the absence of new ones,
Mrs Clinton’s bridge to the White House looks rickety.