SEATTLE: #BlackLivesMatter Activists Shut Down Bernie Sanders Speech

The Seattle Times reports:

A Seattle speech by Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was pre-empted in a chaotic confrontation Saturday afternoon with a pair of Black Lives Matter protesters, who took the stage and refused to let him speak. The Vermont senator, who has drawn huge crowds around the country, was to be the star attraction and final speaker for a rally at Westlake Park to celebrate the 80th birthday of Social Security and the success of other anti-poverty programs. But his afternoon plans were scuttled by protesters determined to turn attention instead to Sunday’s anniversary of the shooting by a white police officer of Michael Brown, an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Mo. Later in the evening, Sanders received the reception he’d expected from the Seattle area as the progressive alternative to Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton. An estimated 15,000 supporters packed Hec Edmundson Pavilion and an overflow area as Sanders took the stage to thunderous applause and delivered an hourlong populist stemwinder about his plans to wrest the country from the control of billionaires.

Imagine President Trump

Hillary Campaign Mocks GOP Debate

GOP Attack Ad: Voting For Rand Paul Is Voting To Nuke American Families

Via Mediaite:

A new ad from former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton‘s Foundation for American Security and Freedom warns that if you vote for Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul, a cute suburban American family will be annihilated by a nuclear explosion. The ad is totally not a ripoff of a 1964 Lyndon B. Johnson campaign ad claiming that if Americans voted for Barry Goldwater, a little girl would be annihilated in a nuclear explosion.

Dems Announce 2016 Debates

The Hill reports:

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) set its presidential debate schedule on Thursday, announcing six debates spanning from October to March. The first debate will take place in Nevada on Oct. 13 in partnership with CNN. Following that, the DNC has scheduled debates for November in Iowa, December in New Hampshire, and January in South Carolina. The final two debates will take place in Florida and Wisconsin in either February or March. “We are thrilled to announce the schedule and locations for our Democratic primary debates,” DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in a statement. “These six debates will not only give caucus goers and primary voters ample opportunity to hear from our candidates about their vision for our country’s future, they will highlight the clear contrast between the values of the Democratic Party which is focused on strengthening the middle class versus Republicans who want to pursue out of touch and out of date policies.”

GOP Candidates Reveal Pre-Debate Rituals

Via Bustle:

We're just hours away from the first Republican primary debate on Thursday evening. At 5 p.m., seven candidates who trailed in the polls will present their stance before the 10 leading candidates take the stage for the main event at 9 p.m. Some have participated in dozens of these debates — or, at the very least, similar speeches, interviews, and campaign events — so, naturally, they've developed certain habits and traditions to help them prepare. In a video made by the website Independent Journal Review, the 2016 Republican candidates reveal their pre-debate rituals that help them get centered and focused. Some of these will surprise (and delight) you. The video, which was uploaded to YouTube on Thursday just hours before the debates, appears to have been made before Fox News announced its lineup of the 10 candidates who will be partaking in the primetime debate, as it features several of the candidates who will be taking the 5 p.m. stage. That distinction should not matter, however, because the earlier debate will be equally important in shedding light on the GOP candidates' positions.

Jim Obergefell To GOP Presidential Candidates: Defend Same-Sex Marriage

Sanders To Speak At Liberty University

Sanders has issued a statement:

“Liberty University was kind enough to invite me to address a convocation and I decided to accept. It goes without saying that my views on many issues — women’s rights, gay rights, education and many other issues — are very different from the opinions of some in the Liberty University community. I think it is important, however, to see if we can reach consensus regarding the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality in our country, about the collapse of the middle class, about the high level of childhood poverty, about climate change and other issues. It is very easy for a candidate to speak to people who hold the same views. It’s harder but important to reach out to others who look at the world differently. I look forward to meeting with the students and faculty of Liberty University.”

Yeah, so this will be interesting.

Another VP Gambit: Sarah Palin PAC Issues "Documentary" On Her Fabulosity

Breitbart raves:

The roar of the Mama Grizzly seems to be intensifying. Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s political action committee, SarahPAC, has released a powerful documentary focusing on Palin’s unique and incredible impact on our country. The just over twenty-minute video, “Building America’s Future,” captures Palin’s rise to national prominence, highlights her impressive achievements in the endorsement game, showcases her populist appeal to Americans, and maps out some strategies for the future. The documentary demonstrates that Palin has teamed with grassroots citizens to make a difference. The partnership between Palin and patriots packs a red, white, and blue punch.

Here's the film, if you can bear it.

IOWA: Ted Cruz Hires Anti-Gay Nutters Behind National Billboard Campaign

The Guardian reports:

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz has chosen a couple who are aiming to put up 1,000 billboards attacking same-sex marriage to be part of his Iowa leadership team. Betty and Richard Odgaard, who lost a civil case in January after refusing to allow a gay couple to marry at their restaurant, have already erected one anti-gay marriage billboard in Oklahoma. They were added to Cruz’s Iowa team on Tuesday. Announcing their appointment, the Cruz campaign described the Odgaards as “courageous conservatives” who will form part of “a strong leadership team to win the Iowa caucuses”. Rick Tyler, a spokesman for Cruz, said the campaign was aware of the couple’s campaign. “The Odgaards signed on with Ted Cruz and they’re supporters of ours, and when the senator heard their story and visited their property he was moved by it,” Tyler said. “So we’re well aware of their situation and their plight.”

Only one of the promised 1000 billboards has been posted.

Son Of Frothy Mix Busted For DUI

CNN reports:

Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum's son was arrested and charged last month with driving while intoxicated after registering an initial blood-alcohol level almost twice the legal limit. Richard John Santorum, Jr., known as John, was stopped at a DUI checkpoint in suburban Virginia at about midnight on July 11, according to court papers. "Upon contact, I detected the odor of alcoholic beverages and the accused had glassy eyes and slurred speech," a police officer wrote in Santorum's criminal complaint. During his field sobriety tests, the 22-year-old Citadel cadet "showed specific signs of impairment," according to the complaint.

The Santorum campaign has declined to comment.

GOP Debate Bingo

(Via the Chicago Tribune)

Hillary Vs Jeb On Women's Health: Part II

Palin Really Wants That Trump VP Slot

Graham: Pregame For The Trump Debacle And Watch My Happy Hour Debate

Graham apparently doesn't care for the "kids table" name.

Taiwanese Animators On GOP Debate

Hillary Slams Jeb On Women's Health

Frothy Spox Has The Debate Sadz

Fox News Unveils Debate Top Ten

Sitting at the kids table: Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, Lindsey Graham, Carly Fiorina, George Pataki, and Jim Gilmore.

Ben Carson Isn't Sure If The Bible Has "Authority Over The US Constitution"