Hillary Clinton 44 Percent, Bernie Sanders 42 Percent, in New National Quinnipiac Poll

It's within the margin of error. Basically, Bernie's got that dead heat thing going nationally with "Secretary" Clinton.

At Quinnipiac, "February 5, 2016 - U.S. Republicans Want Trump, But Rubio Is Best In November, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Dem Race Is Tied, But Sanders Runs Better Against GOP":

Donald Trump still leads the GOP presidential pack among Republican voters nationwide, with 31 percent, followed by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas with 22 percent and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida with 19 percent, according to a Quinnipiac University National poll released today. Dr. Ben Carson has 6 percent, with 9 percent undecided and no other candidate above 3 percent.

In the Democratic race nationwide, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has 44 percent, with Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont at 42 percent, and 11 percent undecided. This compares to a 61 - 30 percent Clinton lead in a December 22 survey by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll.

Sanders and Rubio are the strongest candidates in general election matchups. If former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg runs, he hurts Sanders more than he hurts any of the top Republican contenders.

Among Republicans, 30 percent say they "would definitely not support" Trump, while 15 percent say no to Cruz and 7 percent say no to Rubio.

Sanders has the highest favorability rating among top candidates, while Trump has the lowest.

"Democrats nationwide are feeling the Bern as Sen. Bernie Sanders closes a 31-point gap to tie Secretary Hillary Clinton," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

"And despite the Iowa setback, Donald Trump is way ahead of his GOP opponents."

"But that's not the whole story nine months before Election Day. In mano a mano, or mano a womano, face-offs with all contenders, Sanders and Rubio would be the candidates left standing," Malloy added.

"Although he is characterized as the New York counterpunch to Trump, Mayor Mike Bloomberg is more the nemesis of Bernie than he is of Donald." 

Still more.

In a national match-up, "Sanders thumps Trump 49 - 39 percent."

Ted Cruz and the Art of the Dirty Trick

Following-up from yesterday, "Ted Cruz Campaign Sent Voicemails to Iowa Voters Spreading Ben Carson 'Suspension' Rumors (AUDIO)."

From Amy Davidson, at the New Yorker:

There has never been a more tainted victory in the Iowa caucuses,” a spokesman for Ben Carson’s campaign said on Tuesday. He was referring to what he called Ted Cruz’s “abject lies” and, particularly, to what appears to have been a concerted effort on the part of the Cruz campaign to persuade voters at caucuses that Carson had dropped out. Carson himself told Fox News that his wife had had to personally refute that rumor at one caucus site—and once she had, he said, he won there. “Isn’t this the exact kind of thing that the American people are tired of? Why would we want to continue that kind of, you know, shenanigans?” Donald Trump put the charge in his own terms in a tweet: “Ted Cruz didn’t win Iowa, he stole it. That is why all of the polls were so wrong and why he got far more votes than anticipated. Bad!”

That was only part of what Trump had to say. He threatened to sue Cruz; he made himself the champion of the honor of Ben Carson, a man who Trump has suggested is “pathological.” He tweeted that “the State of Iowa should disqualify Ted Cruz from the most recent election on the basis that he cheated—a total fraud!” Cruz had also sent out a mailer marked “Voter Violation,” which purported to contain information about voters and their neighbors, and was printed on yellow paper to look like a real ticket—which, as Ryan Lizza noted, was just the beginning of its problems. It was a “disgrace,” Trump said, adding what was, for a New York real-estate developer, the ultimate insult: “It looks right out of municipal government.” Cruz tried to dismiss it all as a “Trumpertantrum.” The problem was that, in the whirlwind of Trump’s rage, there were some hard objects swirling around and banging into Cruz’s story.

Cruz has said that he won Iowa by being uncompromising and clever, with all those data-driven, micro-targeted canvassing runs—part of what his campaign reportedly called the Oorlog Project. According to Sasha Issenberg, of Bloomberg News, it was “named by a Cruz data scientist who searched online for ‘war’ translated into different languages and thought the Afrikaner word looked coolest.” (“War” is cool; “war” with a hint of an illiberal siege mentality in its orthography is, apparently, coolest.) And it was, by all accounts, a get-out-the-vote drive like none other—even better than Barack Obama’s, in 2008, which had set the standard...

Keep reading.

The "art of the dirty trick." "Artful smears."

This is getting to the mos artful election ever, lol.

'Please Clap' - Jeb Bush Pleads for Seat-Fillers to Applaud (VIDEO)

Is there a betting market on when he's dropping out, because the wait is painful?

Man.

Via CNN:

Playboy Magazine's First Non-Nude Issue

At PuffHo, "Playboy's First Non-Nude Issue Is Here And It's Totally SFW," and London's Daily Mail, "Playboy debuts first nude-free issue: Instagram-famous model Sarah McDaniel poses for a sext on the cover of the redesigned magazine."

"Instagram-famous model" Sarah McDaniel is featured on the cover. She was at Bro Bible last year, "The Internet Is Losing It Over This 20-Year-Old Model With Different Colored Eyes."

Good for Playboy. They're making the transition away from the old-line men's magazine to the social media era.

Deal of the Day: iPhone 6S Case, Verus

At Amazon, iPhone 6S Case, Verus [Layered Dandy][Brown] - [Card Slot][Flip][Slim Fit][Wallet] - For Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S 4.7" Devices.

Plus, from Robert Gildea, Fighters in the Shadows: A New History of the French Resistance, and Marianne in Chains: Daily Life in the Heart of France During the German Occupation.

BONUS: From Robert O. Paxton, Vichy France: Old Guard and New Order, 1940-1944, and The Anatomy of Fascism.

Hillary Clinton Can't Shake Troubling Questions About Ties to Wall Street (VIDEO)

Following-up from earlier, "Hillary Clinton Accuses Bernie Sanders of an 'Artful Smear' During New Hampshire Debate (VIDEO)."

What's going to be weird is if Hillary succeeds to forcing Sanders off his Wall Street attacks because of her allegations of "smears." What really are those smears? Is she claiming he's attacking her ties to the Israel Lobby? Now that's innuendo.

At the New York Times, "Hillary Clinton Is Again Put on the Defensive Over Perceived Ties to Wall Street":

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Hillary Clinton appeared frustrated.

Dozens of prominent economists and academic experts have endorsed her plans to regulate the financial sector. Her policies would “try to prevent the problems of the future,” she explained in Thursday’s debate, in addition to reining in “the excesses of Wall Street.”

So why do so many voters not believe it?

“I have a broader view,” Mrs. Clinton said, contrasting her plan to that of Mr. Sanders, whose anti-Wall Street message has turned him from a long-shot candidate to a serious contender for the Democratic nomination.

“If all we are going to talk about is one part of our economy, and indeed one street in our economy, we’re missing the big oil companies, we’re missing the other big energy companies,” Mrs. Clinton said. “We’re missing the big picture.”

The response provided a perfect opening for her populist opponent. “Madam Secretary, it is not one street,” Mr. Sanders said. “Wall Street is an entity of unbelievable economic and political power.”

In an election year fueled by the anger over the growing gap between rich and poor, Mrs. Clinton, who is widely viewed as too close to the financial sector, seems an imperfect messenger for change. She has developed sophisticated policy proposals that many economists agree would aggressively regulate the financial sector, but they have collided with the image that Sanders supporters and other political rivals have painted of her: Wall Street’s friend and defender...

More.

Two NYPD Officers Shot in the Bronx; Suspect Dead (VIDEO)

Well, hopefully Black Live Matters' not fomenting a new wave of cop killings.

At CBS News 2 New York, "2 NYPD Officers Shot In Melrose Houses In The Bronx, 1 Suspect Dead."

Piers Morgan and Susan Sarandon Trade Twitter Barbs

I saw this in real time on Twitter.

At London's Daily Mail, "Piers Morgan and Susan Sarandon trade Twitter barbs and partially-nude photos in response to actress' ample display of cleavage during SAG Awards in memoriam segment."

Would Susan Sarandon wear this to a funeral? No.
It was thus horribly inappropriate for an In Memoriam tribute. pic.twitter.com/hMoGChJY8D

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 3, 2016

Playboy Model Katie May, 'Queen of Snapchat', Dies at 34

She suffered a stroke.

You never know when you're going to go.

At London's Daily Mail, "Playboy model and 'Queen of Snapchat' Katie May dies after suffering 'catastrophic' stroke aged 34 leaving behind young daughter."

'Pharma Bro' Martin Shkreli Smirks, Takes the 5th, During Congressional Hearing (VIDEO)

Watch, at NBC News, "Martin Shkreli Testifies Before Congress and Annoys Congressmen."

And at USA Today, "Martin Shkreli pleads the Fifth, then tweets about 'imbeciles' in Congress."

LaVoy Finicum Speaks to the Press on 17th Day of Armed Standoff at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (VIDEO)

Following-up from earlier, "LaVoy Finicum's Death in Oregon Occupation Prompts Memorials Across the Country."

Here's a video flashback, via the Portland Oregonian:

NFL Works on Gender Inclusivity (VIDEO)

I don't see what's the big deal.

Women love football. Will we see women quarterbacks and head coaches? Er, maybe, and that's not the point. It's about making the sport welcoming to both women and men, and opening up opportunities all around.

At CBS Evening News:

Hillary Clinton Accuses Bernie Sanders of an 'Artful Smear' During New Hampshire Debate (VIDEO)

Hmm, is she trying to accuse Sanders of something nefarious, like she's in bed with a Jewish cabal, or something?

I've never heard of anything like that, especially since I think Sanders' attack on her Wall Street ties is completely legitimate. Let's see how this plays out today in all the talking-head commentary.

The background is here, "Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton Hold 'Explosive' Debate in New Hampshire."

At watch, via CNN:



And at Politco, "Clinton and Sanders get ugly":

DURHAM, N.H. — Escalating the brawl that's defined the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders viciously attacked each other’s progressive credentials at Thursday night’s debate, with Clinton accusing Sanders of smearing her record and treating her differently because she’s a woman.

An uncomfortable Sanders was taken aback, responding, “Whoa, whoa, whoa...wow.”

"If you've got something to say, say it, directly," said Clinton of Sanders' repeated insinuations that she is beholden to her big money donors. "It's time to end the very artful smear that you and your campaign have been carrying out."

Those explosive exchanges — which continued throughout the MSNBC debate — typified the fight between the two candidates who each regularly bristle when confronted with the other's definition of progressivism, or even their Democratic bona fides. The nasty tone showed that Democrats have a heated race on their hands, and that any idea of a Clinton coronation has vaporized.

"A progressive is someone who makes progress," a clearly unhappy Clinton said of Sanders' attempts to paint her as a moderate. "That's what I intend to do." She continued, "I'm a progressive who gets things done. Cherry-picking a quote here or there doesn't change my record."

When Sanders freshly accused Clinton of being part of the “establishment” that he’s railing against, Clinton had a ready response, one that invoked her gender.

“Honestly, Senator Sanders is the only person who I think would characterize me, a woman running to be the first woman president, as exemplifying the establishment,” she said. “It’s really quite amusing to me. People support me because they know me, they know my life’s work. They have worked with me, and many have also worked with Senator Sanders and at the end of the day they endorse me because they know I can get things done.”

Clinton’s accusation came after her campaign has been floating the idea that Sanders and his allies have been engaging in implicitly sexist attacks. With just four days before the New Hampshire primary, Clinton has been ramping up her gender-based appeal and calling out a “Bernie Bro” phenomenon raging online...

More.

Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton Hold 'Explosive' Debate in New Hampshire

I was enjoying it, heh.

From Hadas Gold, at Politico, "Clinton and Sanders just had the election's most explosive exchange to date" (via Memeorandum):

Absolutely great debate.

— Dylan Byers (@DylanByers) February 5, 2016

After a string of debates where Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders discussed (and occasionally disagreed about) the fine points of progressive policy, the two finally had a full-fledged throwdown Thursday night.

Clinton accused Sanders of going negative on the campaign trail, telling the Vermont Senator at the Democratic debate that his campaign was smearing her name.

"I think it's time to end the very artful smear that you and your campaign have been carrying out in recent week," Clinton said after Sanders talked about getting money out of politics...

David Brock's going to have a field day. The "artful smear," heh.

LaVoy Finicum's Death in Oregon Occupation Prompts Memorials Across the Country

At the Portland Oregonian:

Robert "LaVoy" Finicum was shot to death by the side of a remote Oregon road. Few were there to see him die, but hundreds of people around the country have indicated they will attend rallies and vigils in his memory this weekend.

Finicum was a prominent figure in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. He was fatally shot by Oregon State Police on the 25th day of the occupation during a traffic stop that ended with the arrest of key leaders of the occupation.

The funeral is Friday, Feb. 5, in Kanab, Utah, Finicum's family said. More than 30 memorials, candlelight vigils and rallies in at least 17 states are planned for Feb. 5, Feb. 6 and Feb. 7.

Though the FBI said Finicum was reaching for a gun before he was shot, some rally organizers said he should not have died.

"If he was breaking laws, they should have arrested him. He didn't have that chance," said Krista Etter, who has scheduled a rally in front of the federal courthouse in West Palm Beach, Florida. "He didn't get to be heard to prove he was guilty of anything."

One Facebook event scheduled for Sunday is called "Rally Protest Of The MURDER of LaVoy Finicum."

Keep reading.

Shawna Cox Begs to Attend LaVoy Finicum Funeral

She's being denied.

The funeral's today, in Kanab, Utah.

At the Portland Oregonian, "Accused Oregon refuge occupier begs to attend LaVoy Finicum funeral."

Accused Oregon refuge occupier begs to attend LaVoy Finicum funeral #OregonStandoff https://t.co/J8Uv4cE9hI pic.twitter.com/xFCpSbWTk7

— The Oregonian (@Oregonian) February 5, 2016

Jackie Johnson's Friday Forecast

Hey, great weather. Who can complain?

Via CBS News 2 Los Angeles:

#DemDebate: Will the Real Progressive Please Stand Up? (VIDEO)

Following-up from earlier, "Will the Real Progressive Please Stand Up?"

And just now, from the MSNBC debate.

It's amazing that the modern Democrat Party has jettisoned the old-fashioned "liberal" label worn so proudly by folks like Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy. It's no longer your father's Democrat Party.

Watch:

'Once again the world is laughing at Iowa...'

Chuck Todd just mentioned the Des Moines Register's editorial this morning, "Something smells in the Democratic Party":

Once again the world is laughing at Iowa. Late-night comedians and social media mavens are having a field day with jokes about missing caucusgoers and coin flips.

That’s fine. We can take ribbing over our quirky process. But what we can’t stomach is even the whiff of impropriety or error.

What happened Monday night at the Democratic caucuses was a debacle, period. Democracy, particularly at the local party level, can be slow, messy and obscure. But the refusal to undergo scrutiny or allow for an appeal reeks of autocracy.

The Iowa Democratic Party must act quickly to assure the accuracy of the caucus results, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

First of all, the results were too close not to do a complete audit of results. Two-tenths of 1 percent separated Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. A caucus should not be confused with an election, but it’s worth noting that much larger margins trigger automatic recounts in other states.

Second, too many questions have been raised. Too many accounts have arisen of inconsistent counts, untrained and overwhelmed volunteers, confused voters, cramped precinct locations, a lack of voter registration forms and other problems. Too many of us, including members of the Register editorial board who were observing caucuses, saw opportunities for error amid Monday night’s chaos.

The Sanders campaign is rechecking results on its own, going precinct by precinct, and is already finding inconsistencies, said Rania Batrice, a Sanders spokeswoman. The campaign seeks the math sheets or other paperwork that precinct chairs filled out and were supposed to return to the state party. They want to compare those documents to the results entered into a Microsoft app and sent to the party.

“Let’s compare notes. Let’s see if they match,” Batrice said Wednesday.

Dr. Andy McGuire, chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party, dug in her heels and said no. She said the three campaigns had representatives in a room in the hours after the caucuses and went over the discrepancies.

McGuire knows what’s at stake. Her actions only confirm the suspicions, wild as they might be, of Sanders supporters. Their candidate, after all, is opposed by the party establishment — and wasn’t even a Democrat a few months ago.

So her path forward is clear: Work with all the campaigns to audit results...

More.

Bernie Sanders: 'The economy is rigged...' #DemDebate (VIDEO)

They're going at it like gremlins tonight!

Via MSNBC: