This article describes Sanders' activities in the days leading up to the much-anticipated first vote of this election year.

::::::::

SandstormComing/BernieWeeklyUpdate

Fighting for Victory in Iowa

The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows Bernie ahead in Iowa by 4 points -- 49% to 45%. His organization there put a video up on Youtube to explain the caucus process, and is renting buses and vans to take students to their home precincts where they can caucus for Bernie.

Bernie took time out from campaigning in Iowa to go to Minnesota, a March 1^st SuperTuesday state. A crowd of 6,000 came out to hear him in Duluth and in St. Paul, the state's capital, the number reached 15,000.

On Wednesday, he had a meeting at the White House with 1 person -- President Obama. Did the two discuss Bernie's decision to put a hold on a person who has ties to the pharmaceutical industry that Obama has nominated to head the Food and Drug Administration?

More Debates?

"From the beginning of this campaign Sen. Sanders has called for more debates. Secretary Clinton has not. Now she is asking to change the rules to schedule a debate next week that is not sanctioned by the DNC. Why is that? The answer is obvious. The dynamics of the race have changed and Sen. Sanders has significant momentum. Sen. Sanders is happy to have more debates but we are not going to schedule them on an ad hoc basis at the whim of the Clinton campaign. If Secretary Clinton wants more debates, that's great. We propose three additional debates. One in March, April and May and none on a Friday, Saturday or holiday weekend. And all of the three Democratic candidates must be invited. If the Clinton campaign will commit to this schedule, we would ask the DNC to arrange a debate in New Hampshire on Feb. 4."

Appealing To African-American Voters

Another way to reach minority-soon-to-be-majority voters is through youtube videos. Check out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4-1zHemLrQ, starring Killer Mike, Cornell West, and Nina Turner with an appearance by L'il B. And, of course, Bernie Sanders.

A Busy Saturday

On January 23, Bernie supporters in 36 cities held marches in support of his presidential campaign. Organized through social-media networks, a thousand people turned out in Chicago; others marched in New Orleans, Auburn (Alabama), San Francisco and Oakland, Philadelphia and Boston. Nary a peep before or after from the MSM.

That evening, Bernie spoke with supporters in a live-streaming call to house-party attendees. Urging them to participate in phone banking to SuperTuesday states, he said he believes, "We have a real path to victory."

Sanders' campaign has at least one paid organizer in each of those states. Piece of surprising insider tidbit from Clinton's campaign: they have none. In addition, Bernie's organizing efforts are backed up by ads that are running now in these states.

This has been grist for Bill's criticisms of his wife's campaign strategists. A possible reason for what may well turn out to be a devastating short-sightedness is that they are counting on South Carolina to be that much-vaunted "firewall" where Hillary wins by such a large margin that Sanders' candidacy is fatally weakened.

Speaking of South Carolina, a state rep, Jason Bamberg, a former Clinton supporter, who represents the family of Walter Scott, a black man killed while running away from a police officer, has endorsed Bernie.

A Stab At Helping Hillary

On Friday (1/22/16), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) said on MSNBC that Hillary Clinton's paid speeches to Wall Street firms such as Goldman Sachs are "in the past" and not worth delving into. "They're done, so it doesn't matter whether or not you supported it," Shaheen said. So now you know.

How far in the past? Not even a decade ago. According to the Washington Post (May 5^th, 2015), Clinton delivered 51 speeches in 2014 and the first three months of 2015, right up until she declared her candidacy on April 12th, earning more than $11 million.

Are Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and the Human Rights Commission Part of "the Establishment?"

A political theory, developed by German sociologist Robert Michels in 1911, helps us understand what Bernie meant when he said these organizations that endorsed Clinton were "part of the Establishment." Michels noted that the leadership of political parties and labor unions, for example, that had their origins in grassroots ferment begin to distance themselves over time from their base and, by using their power, solidify their positions at the top. Forgetting where they came from, they become entrenched, giving themselves generous salaries and various perks that today's corporate CEOs enjoy. For example, PPFA's 12-member executive team tallied a combined income of $3.87 million in 2012. [1]

There has been a clear difference between the unions, for example, that have endorsed him and those that chose Hillary. Hillary endorsers did it through an executive decision while Bernie endorsers put the matter to a rank-and-file vote. Were members of the three noted above given a vote the way that MoveOn and Democracy for America members were? Apparently not. In the cases of PP and NARAL, is it because Hillary does not support single payer, a program that would fold women's health services into its mandate and make these organizations obsolete?

In regard to the Human Rights Commission, the largest LGBT organization in the country, the director is a friend of the Clintons. Listed on its web site is its Corporate Partners group: biggies like Northrup Grumman, a defense contractor, insurance companies such as Nationwide, Prudential, and MetLife, financial entities like Citi, Capitol One, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs as well as Pfizer, Tylenol, and Bank of America. They are as much a part of "the Establishment" as Congress and the rest of officialdom.

Bernie's Schedule

Throughout the weekend Bernie will be making stops in as many communities as possible. On Monday, some of them will not be open to the public but will be held to do some last-minute organizing. On Monday evening, beginning at 9:00 pm, the campaign will be holding a Watch Party at the Holiday Inn near the airport in Des Moines.

[1] click here

Authors Bio:

Now retired and a writer, I am a feminist and political activist, a radical Democrat (have come to dislike the term "progressive"), and a blogger. Have done political tours of Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras, West and East (way back when)Germany, China, etc. Learned a lot about the US through other people's eyes. Wrote about my life in "Discovering America: A Political Journey." And was one of six winners of an international essay contest sponsored by Cuban ministeries.