Bernie Sanders organizes ‘Our Revolution’ and plans new event

NEWS AND OPINION:

Some observers wonder if Sen. Bernie Sanders is still running for president. Yes, he suspended his campaign, yet his zeal for political causes still blazes. Mr. Sanders has formed an active spin-off activist organization called “Our Revolution.” Next week, the self-described democratic socialist will host a national political event — but not in a stadium. The event will be streamed live to some 2,000 “organizing meetings” around the nation.

“Election days come and go, but the struggle for economic, social, racial and environmental justice must continue. We have the guts and the energy to take on the special interests, win critical battles on the most important issues of our time, and redefine what’s possible in this country. Now it’s time for all of us to get to work,” Mr. Sanders advises his followers.

“At this meeting, I and others will lay out some of the next steps we can take as a movement to empower a wave of progressive candidates this November and win the major upcoming fights for the values we share.”

Mr. Sanders still has viable fundraising apparatus in place from his days as a presidential hopeful; he’s now raising funds for “Our Revolution” and continuing to show interest in helping progressive candidates at the state level and motivate voters - particularly young voters. The emotional dynamic is still intact.

“This is your movement,” Mr. Sanders advises his followers. “They have the money, but we have the people…there’s nothing we can’t accomplish together.”

TRUMP POLL NO. 3

Honoring his vow to bypass the mainstream media and outwit the pollsters, GOP nominee Donald Trump has just issued his third public poll, this one simply titled “Stop Hillary Survey.” Like the other two polls, this one offers 30 questions for the respondents. A few samples:

“Do you approve of the term ’Crooked Hillary’?”

“Which of Hillary Clinton’s policies is most disastrous for our country?”

“Which Clinton scandal should Trump focus on?”

“During the presidential debates, Trump should force Hillary to admit that she repeatedly lied to the American people regarding her email: Agree or disagree?”

Critics may continue to pound the Trump campaign, but many Americans can’t get enough of what he has to say. According to Nielsen Media Research, Fox News Channel’s town hall with Mr. Trump on Wednesday crushed the competition in the 10 p.m. time slot. Moderated by Sean Hannity, the program delivered 2.5 million viewers; CNN drew 789,000 viewers, MSNBC 1.4 million.

’DELAY, DELAY, DELAY’

Meanwhile, Sen. Bernie Sanders has advised his many remaining followers that “people are ready to take on the 1 percent.” But there’s a kink here.

A new investigation by Center for Public Integrity analyst David Levinthal finds that unlike presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Mr. Sanders “will not reveal his personal finances in 2016.” The former candidate avoided reporting the details by applying for extensions with the Federal Election Commission until he “technically” ceased to be a candidate when Mrs. Clinton won the nomination.

“Who now — beside political voyeurs and snoopy journalists, perhaps — would care about the investments and income of an also-ran presidential candidate who hasn’t been a major factor in Election 2016 for more than two months? But Sanders expertly exploited a system that effectively allowed him to delay, delay, delay — all while he chided Clinton receipt of six-figure paydays for delivering closed-door speeches to officials at investment bank Goldman Sachs and other powerful special interests,” says Mr. Levinthal.

“It’s disappointing that a candidate who spent so much time talking about political reform and was critical of Hillary Clinton’s personal finances, chose not to let us know anything about his own,” Sunlight Foundation policy analyst Richard Skinner told the analyst.

WEEKEND CANDIDATE TRACKER

There are two major rallies for GOP nominee Donald Trump this weekend. He appears at a field house in Dimondale, Michigan, on Friday, then heads for an expo center in Fredericksburg, Virginia, just 24 hours later. It’s back to Ohio for another rally on Monday.

The Democrats are on the money trail. Hillary Clinton will attend a trio of swank fundraisers in Massachusetts this weekend — specifically, in and around Martha’s Vineyard, including one event that fetches $100,000 “per couple.” Mrs. Clinton also attends an event with pop diva Cher in Provincetown on Sunday, followed by yet another in Cape Cod. Sen. Tim Kaine attends two fundraisers in California on Saturday, one in Los Angeles, the other in San Diego.

’CLINTON CASH’ STILL NO. 1

When it was released in May, The New York Times called “Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich” by Peter Schweizer “the most anticipated and feared book of a presidential cycle.” The quickly book topped the newspaper’s nonfiction best-seller list, and created much hubbub. And here’s part two.

“Clinton Cash: The Graphic Novel” adapted by Chuck Dixon and Brett R. Smith for Regnery Publishing, is now No. 1 on The Times’ best-seller list in the graphic novel category.

The colorful work faithfully follows the “questionable connections and dealings between the Clinton Foundation donors, paid speeches given by Bill Clinton, and actions approved by the U.S. State Department while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State,” a spokesman says.

WEEKEND REAL ESTATE

For sale: the Old First Baptist Church, built in Beaux Arts style in 1902 in Augusta, Georgia; on National Register of Historic Places. Massive formal sanctuary, central dome, pillared entry ways, fellowship hall, classrooms, storage. 18,731-square-feet total space. Original plaster walls, ceiling, soaring windows, oversized doors. “Could be used as a church, community center, performing arts center, commercial office space, or creatively adapted for income producing residential housing.”

Priced at $180,000 through HistoricAugusta.org; check under “properties for sale” heading.

POLL DU JOUR

• 49 percent of U.S. voters say life will be worse for the next generation of Americans compared to life today; 68 percent of voters who support Donald Trump and 30 percent of those who support Hillary Clinton agree.

• 24 percent of voters overall say life will be better; 11 percent of Trump voters and 38 percent of Clinton voters agree.

• 22 percent of voters overall say life will be the same; 15 percent of Trump voters and 28 percent of Clinton voters agree.

• 47 percent of voters overall agree that compared with 50 years ago, life today is worse in America; 81 percent of Trump voters and 19 percent of Clinton voters agree.

• 36 percent of voters overall agree that life is better now in America; 11 percent of Trump voters and 59 percent of Clinton voters agree.

Source: A Pew Research Center poll of 1,567 registered U.S. voters conducted Aug. 9 to 16.

• Mellow memories, nervous chatter to jharper@washingtontimes.com.