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Dem senator reveals how she narrowly won key state that Trump flipped: ‘Be practical to find results’

Dem senator reveals how she narrowly won key state that Trump flipped: ‘Be practical to find results’

Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who just won re-election narrowly in a state that also went to President-elect Trump, is advocating for Democrats to make Nevada the first in the nation primary in the 2028 presidential election.  “We are so proud to look like the rest of the nation. We’re the most – one of the most ethnically diverse states,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital.  In a memo earlier this month, Nevada’s Democratic Party also made the argument that the state should go first in the next presidential race.  REPUBLICANS HAMMER BIDEN FOR FEDERAL DEATH ROW REPRIEVES AHEAD OF LEAVING OFFICE “If Democrats want to win back working class voters and rebuild our broad coalition of voters of color, we should elevate the most working class and most diverse battleground state in the nation to be the first presidential preference primary for the 2028 cycle,” wrote state party Chair Daniele Monroe-Moreno, reported the Nevada Independent.  Rosen listed some of the attributes Nevada’s residents have that make it a great place for Democrats to start. “We have one of the fastest growing Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander populations in the nation. We have a really robust and engaged Black community,” she explained. “We are a strong union state – heavy labor state. We have tourism. We can talk about tourism – top economic driver in every state in this nation.” TOP TRUMP AIDES JOIN GROUP PREPPING TO SHORE UP SUPPORT FOR MAGA AGENDA DURING SECOND TERM “What I would hope is that anyone who wants to be the leader of the Democratic Party… if they come to Nevada, they can hear from a diverse group of businesses, of individuals – with about 200,000 veterans,” the senator said.  “Come hear from our small businesses, our veterans, our seniors, all of the different groups. You’ll be able to hear what people are worried about again and what they hope for,” she added.  The Democratic senator’s angling for Nevada to have the first primary in 2028 comes as Democrats prepare to select a new party leader. Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Jaime Harrison announced his intention to step down following the 2024 election. A number of Democrats have already announced their bids to be the next leader.  SENATE PASSES BILL TO STOP SHUTDOWN, SENDING IT TO PRESIDENT BIDEN’S DESK The campaign for Nevada to be the first primary also comes after a decision to make South Carolina’s primary first in the 2024 election caused significant pushback, particularly from New Hampshire, which had previously held the title of the first-in-the-nation Democratic primary.  Rosen also reflected on her narrow electoral win against Republican candidate Sam Brown and running ahead of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.  “Nevada races are always tight,” she prefaced. According to the Democrat, “I will tell you that my motto really is: Agree where you can. Fight where you must. Be practical to find results.”  BRIEF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN USHERED IN BEFORE CHRISTMAS AS SENATE WORKS TO ADVANCE HOUSE BILL Rosen emphasized her bipartisan efforts during her campaign, pointing to several groups that had ranked her among the most bipartisan members of Congress and the Senate.  “I’ve been able to deliver for Nevada, making me one of the most bipartisan, effective and independent senators, always putting Nevada first,” she said.  Her advice for Democrats across the country, including those running in competitive races in 2026, is “be present. Be engaged. Listen to people. Find out what they’re worried about. Find out what they hope for. Be practical and do those things. Be practical and find the places where you can agree.”

‘Greater reckoning’: Obama’s spot in the Democratic sun fading after Harris loss

‘Greater reckoning’: Obama’s spot in the Democratic sun fading after Harris loss

Former President Barack Obama’s years of dominating Democratic Party politics may be drawing to a close, as he and party leaders will likely face a “greater reckoning” after Democrats’ losses in the 2024 election, experts predict.  The whirlwind presidential election saw the Democratic Party rally around both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as their nominee at separate times – all with Obama’s seal of approval. The political landscape shifted with a single tweet from Biden on a Sunday July afternoon, with Obama and his allies deeply entwined with efforts to navigate the party to what they hoped would be an electoral victory come Nov. 5, a look back at the cycle shows.  President-elect Trump notched a decisive win last month, racking up 312 electoral votes to Harris’ 226 and taking a victory lap for what the media has described as an “historic political comeback” that has shaken the Democratic establishment as they pivot to combating Trump 2.0 and his policies.  “I think there are going to be big demands for a greater reckoning. The Democratic politburo – Obama, Pelosi, Schumer, Jeffries and others – all participated in the obvious lie that Biden was capable of a second term, in the anti-Democratic move to install a wholly untested Vice President Harris,” Democratic strategist Julian Epstein told Fox News Digital when asked about Obama’s legacy following the election. “And in lacking the courage for the past four years to stand up a progressive left whose policies are far out of touch with most voters.”  “They all failed the test of leadership in this respect.”  OBAMA ALLIES, ADVISERS HELPED LEAD THE CHARGE AMONG DEMS LOOKING TO SINK BIDEN AHEAD OF OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT This month, Obama delivered a speech at the 2024 Obama Democracy Forum, which earned him a headline on MSNBC, reading, “Obama still doesn’t get why Trump won. That’s the problem.“ “​​Obama’s characteristic rhetorical virtues were on full display. He was a constitutional law professor before he was a politician, and he still sounds like one. At the same time, he was a once-in-a-generation talent as a political communicator. He knows how to convey a complex set of ideas in a digestible and appealing way,” the op-ed read.  “But there was a massive gaping hole at the center of his speech. He still doesn’t understand why his eight years in power culminated in the rise of Trump,” the op-ed continued, arguing that the “first step” to better respond to Americans’ demand for change from the status quo “​​is to stop listening to Barack Obama.” BLUE STATE DEMOCRATS ISSUE SCATHING REFLECTION ON ELECTION LOSS: ‘WE’RE OUT OF TOUCH’ The Democratic Party and Harris campaign have been dragged by some allies, such as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, for moving away from working-class voters while Trump rallied their support. Harris came under fire, for example, for featuring Hollywood celebrities and musicians during her campaign rallies, which were viewed as tone-deaf as Americans struggled with inflation, and their anxiety mounted over ongoing wars in Israel and Ukraine. Now, the Democratic Party is in the midst of a reckoning over the failed election efforts, which saw the White House and Senate flip red and the House remain in the GOP’s control. “Harris’ advisers blame everything but themselves for their loss,” an op-ed published in the Washington Post this month reads. The piece took issue with how a handful of Harris campaign staffers joined the left-wing “Pod Save America” podcast, which is hosted by former Obama aides, and defended their work on the campaign.  David Plouffe, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, Stephanie Cutter and ​​Quentin Fulks joined the show – all of whom, except Fulks, previously worked for Obama’s presidential campaigns or administration.  “What the four never did is directly admit any major mistakes they made. ‘We should have really pushed Harris to distance herself from President Biden’; ‘Maybe we spent too much time in Arizona’ (Harris lost there by 6 percentage points); ‘We should have had a Palestinian speaker at the Democratic National Convention.’ There were no blunt statements like that,” the op-ed read.  NANCY PELOSI FIRES BACK AT BERNIE SANDERS FOR COMMENTS ON DEMS’ SWEEPING ELECTION LOSS: NO ‘RESPECT’ While the New York Post editorial board declared in a headline following the election: “Trump and America bury the Obama doctrine.” When “​​Obama installed Kamala Harris as the latest face of his revolution, the American public of all colors, ages and genders finally called time,” the Post editorial board argued. “Voters at last saw through the industrialized demonization of Trump and woke up to the truth that his policies are far closer to the American ideal and what they consider normal.” “Let’s all pray that our self-proclaimed betters in their Martha’s Vineyard mansions will finally realize that this was the death of ‘Obamaism’ once this latest thumping fully sinks in,” they concluded.  Amid the unprecedented election cycle for Democrats, Obama and his longtime allies have been entwined with Biden’s exit and Harris’ rise and fall as the nominee.   Concerns over President Biden’s mental fitness had circulated for years, heightening last winter when Special Counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating the president’s alleged mishandling of classified documents when he was vice president, characterized Biden in his report as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”  5 MISTAKES THAT DOOMED KAMALA HARRIS’ CAMPAIGN AGAINST TRUMP Biden’s actions on the national and international stage soon came under further scrutiny, showcasing a handful of gaffes and miscues, including Obama taking Biden’s wrist to seemingly lead him offstage at a fundraiser in LA in June, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni directing Biden back to a gaggle of world leaders in Italy that same month, and data showing Biden frequently delivered remarks to supporters at campaign rallies for a shorter amount of time than a sitcom.  Amid the controversy, however, Obama was seemingly acting as Biden’s political closer to help lock up votes and donations, joining the 46th president at swank fundraisers in California and New York City, and at a

Unlikely political ‘Thor’ emerges from South Korea’s martial law crisis

Unlikely political ‘Thor’ emerges from South Korea’s martial law crisis

Seoul – South Korea’s National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik has emerged as an unlikely symbol of leadership during the country’s ongoing political turmoil, triggered by President Yoon Suk-yeol’s brief declaration of martial law on December 3. Despite holding South Korea’s second-highest office after the presidency, the assembly’s speaker has historically had a low-profile role, operating behind the scenes of political life. Unlike the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, who drives Washington’s legislative agenda as the leader of the majority party, South Korea’s parliamentary speaker is required by law to renounce party affiliation upon election to maintain neutrality. The majority of speakers also retire after their term. But Woo’s decisive yet measured actions throughout the recent crisis appear to have upended the traditional view of the speaker and their role. “Seeing someone like him step up and act decisively in such a critical moment was refreshing,” Yoo Junghoon, a lawyer and political columnist, told Al Jazeera. Advertisement “It allowed voters – both young and old – to realise that such capable politicians still exist,” Yoo said. South Korean youth even gave Woo the nickname “National Assembly Thor” — a nod to his gavel of office and the Marvel superhero’s wielding of his mighty hammer. A recent Gallup Korea poll showed that 56 percent of respondents expressed trust in Woo, an unusual figure in a country where trust in the National Assembly has fallen to just 20.6 percent, according to an OECD survey 2024. Student protester to ‘Thor’ of constitutional procedure As a young student activist, Woo was imprisoned for three years after protesting against the military dictatorship that expanded martial law in 1980, following the assassination of President Park Chung-hee in 1979. The crackdown culminated in the deadly Gwangju Uprising of May 1980. After President Yoon declared martial law on the night of December 3, the 67-year-old Woo scaled the National Assembly fence after police barricaded the entrance to try and prevent lawmakers from entering and holding a vote to overturn the president’s order. “I knew we had the constitutional authority to lift martial law,” Woo recalled later in a news conference. “I didn’t hesitate. I had to get inside the assembly, no matter what,” he said. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik during a news conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on December 19, 2024 [Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters] Even as South Korean special forces soldiers advanced on the assembly building, Woo insisted on following the correct legislative procedures despite mounting pressure from anxious politicians urging him to speed up the process by possibly cutting a few corners. Advertisement “In moments like this, following the correct procedure without error is even more vital,” Woo told his worried colleagues in the surrounding assembly chamber. At one point, troops came dangerously close to entering the main chamber where lawmakers were voting, prompting a tense standoff with assembly staff. The crucial vote proceeded, with all of the 190 lawmakers present – of the 300-seat Assembly – voting in favour of repealing martial law. A military helicopter flies around the National Assembly in Seoul after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on December 3, 2024 [Yonhap via Reuters] “There were many reactions on social media questioning why [Woo] was so fixated on following legislative procedures,” Yoo, the political columnist said. “But now, even those opposing impeachment [against President Yoon] can’t find fault with the process he upheld,” Yoo said. Bong Young-shik, a research fellow at Yonsei University’s Institute for North Korean Studies, attributed the peaceful resolution of the chaotic situation, without civilian casualties, to Woo’s emphasis on adhering diligently to constitutional procedures. “In such an unexpected and grave situation, both conservatives and progressives found Woo trustworthy,” Bong said. “We saw that this approach worked exactly as intended,” he said. ‘South Korea is strong. Its people are resilient’ Woo also adhered to strict constitutional procedures during the first, failed impeachment vote against President Yoon, on December 7, for declaring martial law and plunging the country into crisis. Advertisement With Yoon’s governing party boycotting the vote to block the impeachment attempt, Woo kept the legislative session open for hours, an unusual move, urging politicians to return and fulfil their constitutional duty to cast a vote. Two governing party lawmakers did return to the chamber to cast their ballots. Woo only closed the session at about 9:20pm, explaining that he could no longer let the protesters, who had gathered outside the assembly in freezing weather to demand Yoon’s impeachment, wait indefinitely for a result. After the successful, second impeachment vote held a week later, Woo called for a return to normalcy in all aspects of life in South Korea and for the public to move forward together. “I hope your year-end is a bit happier,” Woo said at the time, encouraging South Koreans to resume Christmas holiday celebrations and gatherings, mindful of the toll the turmoil had taken on struggling small businesses at a key time of year. “His words conveyed meaning instantly,” said Yoo, the political columnist. Woo has acknowledged his rising public profile and newfound popularity, but with rare humility. “I heard young people call me the ‘National Assembly Thor’. I find it amusing,” he said during a recent news conference. He attributed the newfound public attention on the speaker’s role in politics not to himself personally, but to the collective efforts of the assembly’s lawmakers, staff, as well as engaged citizens. Asked about his own future ambitions, including a potential presidential bid, Woo dismissed the idea. Advertisement Instead, he emphasised the need for constitutional reform to address the recurring instability that has plagued South Korea’s presidencies since its transition to democracy in 1987. People celebrate after the South Korean parliament passed a second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol over his martial law decree, on December 14, 2024 [Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters] “Our current constitution, drafted in 1987, is outdated,” he said, adding that it needed “reforms that reflect the societal changes of the past four decades”. Woo also had