January 1, Nevada Causes: Bernie Wins Big

This Day in History | 1954

Children at Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania receive the first round of the polio vaccine. 

Good morning Middle Americans, 

Well that was something. Bernie Sanders won the Nevada caucuses and there was no chaos, because it was not close. Right now, Bernie Sanders is riding a big pro-socialism wave to a significant delegate lead.  Some Democrats worry is beginning to look insurmountable. The focus now shifts to South Carolina for next weekend’s primary. It’s Biden’s last stand. 

For a case-in-point on what Bernie Sander’s win is doing to the mind’s of establishment democrats look no further than Chris Matthews and James Carville on MSNBC. Matthews hints that Trump may be better for Democrats than Sanders. 

Finally, you’ve heard a lot about whistleblowers recently. But you probably have never heard of Philip Haney until now. He’s a former Obama administration official who called out the U.S. government for destroying the files of people with ties to Islamic terror groups.  He was recently found dead of a self inflicted gunshot wound, according to police. 

Read all about it. 

– Fraser Dixon

Sanders Eviscerates the Conventional Wisdom About Why He Can’t Win

(Politico) – On Saturday in Nevada, Bernie Sanders laid waste not just to his five main rivals but also to every shard of conventional wisdom about the Democratic presidential primaries.

You could see the dominoes of punditry cliches falling inside the caucus rooms. At the Bellagio Hotel, which held one of several “Strip caucuses” meant to be easily accessible to hospitality workers along Vegas’ main drag, 75 Sanders supporters gathered along the wall of a ballroom.

The powerful Culinary Union, which opposes Sanders’ Medicare for All plan and spent the final weeks of the campaign in a high-profile fight with his campaign, was supposed to weaken him. And yet the Sanders’s ranks were speckled with red-shirted Culinary members. (Overall, Sanders won 34% of caucus-goers from union households, besting all of his rivals.)

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Biden Vows Resurgence: ‘I’m Going to Take this Back!’

(Fox News) – Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is the winner of the Nevada caucuses, according to a Fox News projection. But rival Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden sought to portray himself as Sanders’ chief rival as results showed him in second place.

“You all did it for me now, now we go to South Carolina and I’m going to take this back!” Biden told supporters gathered at a union hall in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

After Biden suffered disappointing fourth and fifth place finishes in the overwhelmingly white Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary, a stronger perfomance in Nevada’s much more diverse electorate was a necessity for the former vice president.

“No final results yet but I feel pretty good,” Biden told the crowd. “The press is ready to declare people dead quickly but we’re coming back and we’re going to win.”

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MSNBC Melts Down As Bernie Sanders Projected To Win Nevada Caucuses

(Daily Caller) – Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders looks to be the winner of the Nevada caucuses, and MSNBC pundits don’t seem to be thrilled by the news.

Sanders and MSNBC have been at odds before, with the candidate and his supporters often accusing the network of being anti-Sanders. 

In fact, Sanders reportedly personally confronted MSNBC President Phil Griffin over their alleged unfair coverage of his campaign.

MSNBC’s coverage of the Nevada caucuses Saturday may not help mend any fences. 

Sanders supporters tweeted several video clips from MSNBC’s on-air coverage allegedly showing anti-Sanders bias.

Chris Matthews compared Sanders’ electoral success to France’s fall to Nazi Germany in World War II.

See more here

Obama DHS Whistleblower Found Dead

(The Washington Examiner) – Philip Haney, a former Homeland Security Department official during the Obama administration who blew the whistle on his own agency, was found dead Friday with a gunshot wound about 40 miles east of Sacramento, California.

The Amador County Sheriff’s office confirmed to the Washington Examiner that deputies and detectives responded to reports Friday morning at 10:12 a.m. of a male subject on the ground with a gunshot wound in the area of Highway 124 and Highway 16 in Plymouth, California.

“Upon their arrival, they located and identified 66-year-old Philip Haney, who was deceased and appeared to have suffered a single, self-inflicted gunshot wound. A firearm was located next to Haney and his vehicle. This investigation is active and ongoing. No further details will be released at this time,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

The Amador County Sheriff’s office would not respond to any further questions.

According to sources close to Haney, he was recently in contact with top officials about returning to work for the DHS. Additionally, Haney was engaged to be married.

Read more here