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KelleyGram: Hillary, Buddy and LA Snow

From: Bennet (bennet@bennetkelley.com)Sent: Mon 2/08/16 4:39 AMTo: bennetkelley@outlook.com

KELLEYGRAM February 2016

Hillary, Buddy and LA Snow

February 8, 2016

This edition features my endorsement of Hillary Clinton, along with an infographic on some ofthe Clinton administration's achievements and a grudging tribute to the late Providence MayorBuddy Cianci. We may not have heard the last of Buddy, as Robert Deniro has been rumoredto be exploring a Buddy biopic.

View online.

Hillary Clinton – A Democratic Trailblazer for President

February 1, 2016

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I first met Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire immediately after the last debatebefore the 1992 primary. I remember listening to her as she spoke to a circle of

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mostly young women captivated by this new political trailblazer. Nearly twogenerations later, she is no longer the fresh face of politics having been at thecenter of national debate throughout, but she remains a trailblazer.

I am endorsing Secretary Clinton for President, not out of rote loyalty to theClintons (as I endorsed Barack Obama in 2008), but instead my choice isguided by finding the candidate that best represents Democratic ideals and whocan (i) build on what Presidents Clinton and Obama have accomplished, (ii)expand opportunity, (iii) protect our environment, (iv) address the scourge ofgun violence and (v) maintain American global leadership while keeping us safein these uncertain times. Above all, I want a fighter who is not afraid to stand upto the Republican nominee or Republicans in Congress, yet who can still getthings done.

Hillary Clinton is all that and more. Critics on the left promote the meme thatClinton is Republicanlite, which is only proof of how you should be carefulabout what you read on the internet, particularly since she voted with heropponent Bernie Sanders 93 percent of the time.

Past is Prologue

I firmly believe that where you come from says a lot about where you are going.Clinton’s early career includes working with Marion WrightEdelman of theChildren’s Defense Fund. She also cofounded Arkansas Advocates forChildren and Families and became the first female chair of the Legal ServicesCorporation which funds civil legal representation for the poor.

Moving into the White House, she and her husband brought us the longesteconomic boom in American history that benefited all income levels. PresidentClinton oversaw the largest increase in education opportunity since the GI Billand dramatically expanded the earned income tax credits to help bring thepoverty rate to its lowest level since 1974. While as First Lady, Hillaryproposed the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which at that timewas the largest expansion of taxpayerfunded health insurance for childrensince the creation of Medicaid in 1965.

President Obama has led the economy back from the brink and a PresidentRodhamClinton would not only continue these polices but has an agenda topromote fair growth to ensure that working families benefit in this continuedrecovery and make the U.S. a clean energy superpower.

Clinton v. Sanders: Domestic Policy

There are significant differences between Hillary and Senator Sanders. Hillarysupports Obamacare and has a plan to reduce prescription drugs costs byallowing the government to negotiate prescription drug rates as it does currentlywith the Veterans Administration. Senator Sanders wants to relitigate the

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brutal health care battle to implement a vague universal health care planthat Vox’s Ezra Klein dismisses as a

puppies‐and‐rainbows approach to single‐payer — he promises hisplan will cover everything while costing the average family almostnothing.

Hillary supports the Brady Bill, opposes immunity for gun manufacturers andwants to bring back the assaultweapons ban and close loopholes in our gunlaws which has earned her the endorsement of former Congresswoman GabbyGiffords. Senator Sanders voted against the Brady Bill and for immunity forgun manufacturers and his explanations on this have been less than credible.

Clinton v. Sanders: Foreign Policy

Senator Sanders is quick to point out another significant difference with Hillary,that being their vote on authorizing the disastrous war in Iraq. I too believe thatvote was a mistake, but when comparing the two candidates on foreign policythere simply is no comparison.

Secretary Clinton is widely praised for her efforts as Secretary of State inrepairing U.S. relations damaged by the Bush administration; bringingsanctions against Iran; promoting Internet freedom; challenging Arabgovernments to liberalize their political systems; and as a voice for humanrights for all (including women and the GLTB community). Her tenure has wonpraise from Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Grahamand former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger declared that she “ran the StateDepartment in the most effective way that I’ve ever seen.”

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Not only has Senator Sanders largely avoided foreign policy discussions, hehas shown little interest in it and his shadow foreign policy cabinet isembarassingly thin. While Sanders may have got it right on the 2002 Iraqvote, he is wrong in opposing any U.S. leadership role in fighting ISIS and naiveto think enemies Saudi Arabia and Iran could form a coalition to fight it. Inendorsing Secretary Clinton over Senator Sanders, the ConcordMonitor properly dismissed its neighboring state’s Senator as a “foreign policynaif.”

I’m Voting for a Democrat

Photo: Marc Nozell

There is another important distinction between the two candidates – Hillary is aDemocrat, Bernie Sanders is not.Sanders has in the past referred to PresidentKennedy as “nauseating” and had great difficulty in supporting Democraticnominees Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis over Ronald Reagan and

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George H.W. Bush respectively and wished for a primary challenge againstPresident Obama. That tells me everything I need to know.

While I commend Senator Sanders for the enthusiasm he has created duringthis campaign and for highlighting important issues such as income inequalityand the need for real campaign finance reform, the last thing we need right nowis an ideologue as President to create more acrimony and gridlock inWashington and achieve nothing. Hillary Clinton, in contrast, has been able towork with friend and foe alike to get things done.

In looking at their records and watching the debates, I believe the choice for theparty is clear. Hillary Clinton is the most seasoned candidate to seek thePresidency since John Quincy Adams. For the past 34 years she hasweathered all sorts of vicious attacks from Republicans and the media, yet shecontinues to hold her head high and keeps fighting the fight and blazing newtrails. That is why she consistently is named the country’s most admiredwomen and, come January 20, she will earn a new title – Madame President.

Buddy Cianci: Architect of Providence's

Rebirth (1941‐2016) January 31, 2016

Great big city mayors stand out becauseof they are devoted to their city as if itwere their bride and wear their love fortheir city on their sleeves. WilliamDonald Schaefer in Baltimore or Ed Kochin New York for example. While theyare not necessarily a dying breed as

In Defense of the

Clinton Administration

An Infographic

The Clinton‐Sanders debate has revivedthe Ralph Nader distortion from 2000that there was no difference betweenClinton‐Gore and Bush. I prepared aninfographic in response a few monthsback which is below.

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evidenced by 44‐year old Eric Garcetti in Los Angeles, we lost one yesterdaywith the death of Vincent “Buddy”Cianci of Providence.

Growing up in Providence in a familywith roots in the Irish political machine,I still remember the shock that came in1974 when the 33 year‐old formerprosecutor squeaked out a 704‐votevictory over Mayor Dorley ending a 150‐year run of Irish mayors. As a newmayor, Buddy was indefatigable, he waseverywhere, crashingweddings (including a political rival’s) oranything where there were hands toshake. It became legend that Buddywould go to the opening of an envelope.

Buddy became Mayor during a bleaktime in the city’s and state’s historywith the closure of the Naval Base inQuonset and the continued migration ofmanufacturing jobs out of state.Providence’s downtown retail base waslosing the fight against new suburbanmalls and the city’s population was inthe middle of a steep post‐war decline.

Buddy, with the help of a lot of peopleincluding state officials and the state’sinfluential Senator ClaibornePell, literally reshaped the city as theProvidence Foundation video belowdemonstrates. A downtown that had

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been built over the Providence River,now opened up to an invitingwaterfront.'

There was a dark side to Buddy.Allegations of rape from his law schooldays and rampant corruption in hisadministration. Twenty‐two city workersand contractors were convicted ofcorruption charges, including Cianci’schief of staff and city solicitor. Then, in1984, it all came to an end when Ciancipled guilty to charges stemming fromthe kidnapping and assault of a formerfundraiser who slept with his wife.

Buddy wasn’t done, however, and wonelection as Mayor in 1990. He wasreelected again in 1994 and ranunopposed in 1998 until he was indictedunder Operation Plunderdome. Buddywas acquitted of 26 of the 27 counts,but convicted of running a criminal“Pay‐to‐Play” conspiracy for which heserved five years in Federal prison.

In a state with a history of corruption,Buddy’s conviction did little to diminishhis popularity in the city.

During this second tenure as Mayor,Buddy cemented the rebirth ofdowntown Providence, stealing a minorleague hockey team from Maine,opening Providence Place Mall and

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orchestrating the establishment of thefamed WaterFire festivals on thedowntown waterfront.

Buddy was a proud booster of thistransformed city and a great salesmanfor the city he loved (and his famedmarinara sauce that he once gave tovisiting Pope John Paul II). UnderBuddy, Providence became known as theRenaissance City and a touristdestination – something unthinkablewhen he first took office.

Buddy died yesterday of cancer at theage of 74, leaving a lasting legacy andenduring love from the city he served.

His legacy also includes street artist F.Shephard Fairey, who as a student atProvidence’s famed‐Rhode Island Schoolof Design replaced Cianci’s image on acampaign billboard by the school withAndre the Giant as part of a schoolproject. The attention the incident got,including from the Mayor himself, madehim realize the power of street artwhich he then pursued successfully as acareer.

I remember the last time I spoke withMayor Cianci. It was at my graduationceremony and the Mayor commendedme for my speech saying, “I have afeeling I’ll be seeing you around.” Atthat time, my plan was to go to school

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in Washington, D.C. and return to RhodeIsland an enter politics, so I cockilyassured him, “you can count on it.” Inever did return to Rhode Island, butthe one time I entertained running foroffice, there was one candidate I lookedat as a model as I forced myself toattend everything, everywhere — andthat was Buddy.

May he rest in peace.

OTHER RECENT BLOG POSTS OF NOTE

For you East Coasters digging out from another snow storm, here are two posts for you. Thefirst from my blog TodayPast on the Great LA Snow Storm of 1948, followed by a post fromTrophyLives about the new Los Angeles Rams which affords Bills, Giants and other fans anopportunity to see their team win in Sunny Los Angeles.

Jan 11‐1948: The Great LA Snow Storm

Today Past (Jan 11)

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For Cardinals, 49ers, Seahwaks, Falcons, Panthers, Giants, Bills and Dolphins fans LA is now a place to visit to see your team play and probably beat a relatively weakLA football team.

Los Angeles Rams 101

Trophy Lives (Feb. 9, 2016)

TUNE IN WEDNESDAY @10AM PT

on WebmasterRadio.fm

RECENT AND UPCOMING SHOWS OF NOTE

Q. So who is Bennet Kelley?

I am the founder of the Internet Law Center, a small law firm based in Santa Monica, Californiawhere we represent clients across the globe on issues such as ecommerce, online advertising,privacy, cyber harassment and online reputation management, intellectual property and generalbusiness matters.

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I am a past cochair of the California Bar Cyberspace Committee and recently named by the LosAngeles Business Journal as one of the most influential attorneys in ECommerce and DigitalMedia.

In addition, I am the host of Cyber Law and Business Report which airs every Wednesday at10AM Pacific and recently surpassed the 200th broadcast milestone. Listen live or via podcast atWebmasterRadio.fm or or download our Podcasts through our mobile app, iTunes, Stitcher orTunein.

Q. But this is a political newsletter . . .

I have been active in politics for over 35 years and was CoFounder of the Democratic NationalCommittee's Saxophone Club, its young professional outreach and fundraising arm, from 1992 to1998.

I write regularly for Huffington Post and have won two Southern California Journalism Awardsfor online and print commentary and a third for my legal newsletter.

Bennet Kelley100 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 940, Ssnta Monica, CA 90401

(31) 452‐0401

bennet@bennetkelley.com

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