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| The New York Times | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 17 2014, 11:52 PM (759 Views) | |
| Jos1311 | Sep 17 2014, 11:52 PM Post #1 |
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| lordofthechris | Dec 1 2014, 01:15 PM Post #21 |
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No clear leader yet in either party's presidential campaigns Campaigns yet to hit high gear Washington - Just as Chris Christie declared he's in, it's suddenly looking like he might have more big-name competition for the Republican presidential nomination. While Christie made his candidacy official in New Hampshire this week, political stars Paul Ryan and Ted Cruz caused a stir of their own with visits to the first-in-the-nation primary state. Both made sure to assail Christie's controversial governorship of New Jersey. And rumblings about Louisana Gov. Bobby Jindal further challenged Christie's standing as the closest thing the GOP has to a front-runner to take on assumed Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. "I'm Chris Christie and I believe in America. And I'm running for president of the United States," Christie declared to cheers on a sunny farm in southern New Hampshire. Unswayed by possible competition, the governor tried to pitch himself to the coalition that makes up the modern GOP: fiscal conservatives, social conservatives, evangelicals and libertarians. Christie included nods to all as he sought to make himself the candidate with the broadest appeal and best shot at taking the White House for the GOP. "It breaks my heart to see what is happening to this great country," Christie said. "America is under assault at home and abroad." Christie comes to a Republican presidential contest that lacks a true front-runner and could be unsettled with new names. Repeated polls show party members unimpressed with or indifferent to the declared candidates. Christie's strengths are substantial: He's well known, and he's an experienced campaigner. But he also has some liabilities. He is definitely not shy to speak his mind and to break ranks with the party. His rivals, giving him unwelcome company in New Hampshire, weren't about to let that go. "The reality is that Christie is not sincere about Republican values," Ted Cruz said. Ryan, too, criticized Christie for breaking ranks with the Republican Party. "In my opinion any mandate coming from government is not a good thing, so obviously ... there will be more explanation coming from former Gov. Christie on his support for government mandates," Ryan stated. In recent weeks, the still-forming GOP field has become less certain. Senator Rand Paul and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee took themselves out of the race before getting in. Others, such as former Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin, have been surprisingly silent. Ryan, his party's 2012 vice presidential nominee, arrived in New Hampshire for appearances that highlighted his potential to upend the race should he run. Aides weren't releasing his schedule, but his bus tour that rumbled out of Washington last weekend stood to overshadow Christie's big announcement. "I would just love to run into him and say hi and best of luck to him, but it's not on the schedule so I don't know," Ryan said. "And I think he's pretty busy today. It's a big day for him." Perry, too, gave hints last week that he was considering a bid, though his aides sought to tamp down expectations he would join the campaign. Tea party favorite Bachmann is inching toward a run, perhaps giving the anti-tax, libertarian-leaning movement a candidate to rally around. The Democratic Party's pool is less fluid, with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, and Senator Elizabeth Warren angling for advantage in a three-way race for the nomination. Vice President Joe Biden has not made a formal announcement about his intentions, but he has hinted in the past that he is interested in running. With the start of the primary elections next month, March promises to narrow the field of both parties to a smaller range of high powered candidates. |
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| lordofthechris | Dec 2 2014, 11:06 AM Post #22 |
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Elizabeth Warren announces "Building America" campaign Warren gaining momentum in Democratic circles Boston - In an fiery speech among supporters at a Boston rally, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren announced her "Building America" campaign, which seeks to "inspire the American spirit" by embarking on grand national projects. The most notable items in the program include a call for a national high speed rail system that 80% of the American population can access and universal broadband access for the country. Warren called those two projects the "interstates of the future." "After World War II, the U.S. embarked upon the largest public works project in history when it started the national highway system," Warren stated. "Today is a call to action for public works 2.0." ![]() Senator Warren at a campaign rally in Boston The Senator noted that the U.S. is falling behind internationally in both infrastructure and internet metrics. Both have long-term consequences on U.S. economic performance, where unemployment still hovers above 6%. "The U.S. is the mostly wealthy and free country today because of the investments we made many decades ago," Warren stated. "We need to reinvest in our success through programs like high speed rail and universal broadband." Other elements in the Building America campaign include heavy investments in renewable energy, improving education, and reforming the public sector. Some analysts speculated that the program would include some kind of basic income guarantee, or what some call 'social security for all'. But this proposal did not make into the final, official program, if it was discussed at all. The Warren campaign has come out forcefully on many progressive issues, Democratic analysts stated, pulling the party's primary to the left. Although Hillary Clinton maintains a comfortable lead in national polls, Warren has been gaining momentum with her activist positions. Even if Clinton captures the party's nomination, Warren's activities could force Clinton to make significant concessions to the party's progressive wing. Others have called for a Hillary-Warren ticket, which would be remarkable on several accounts. It would bring both the first female president and vice-president into office if they won the election, and it would be the first all-female ticket. The ticket could also unifying the party's progressive and moderate factions behind a team with strong credentials and broad national appeal. However, it currently appears that Warren and Clinton will battle one another for the party's nomination. "We are strongest when we work together," Warren stated. "Let's work together in building America." |
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| lordofthechris | Dec 4 2014, 08:01 AM Post #23 |
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DPOL ACTION Cruz, Clinton come away with big wins on Super Tuesday Elections, endorsements establish clear leaders for party nominations Washington - The GOP establishment — old and new — is united in bringing this Republican presidential primary to a close. Marco Rubio’s endorsement of Ted Cruz last night did not come as a huge shock, but it did come with a stern warning from the Florida senator. "It’s evidently and increasingly clear that Ted Cruz is going to be the Republican nominee,” Rubio said on Fox News’ “Hannity” show last night, adding that Republicans must avoid a “floor fight” in Cleveland this summer: “I don’t think there’s anything good about that.” ![]() Cruz wagging his finger at someone for doing something un-Republican-like “I think it’s a recipe for disaster,” he added. And this afternoon in Texas, Cruz will receive an official endorsement from former governor Rick Perry. Although many establishment Republicans have grumbled that Cruz is not electable nationally, the voters finally seem to be swinging to Cruz's side. The latest polls show Cruz opening a healthy lead in Wisconsin, closing in on Paul Ryan in Pennsylvania — the closest thing Ryan has to a “must win” state — and even in North Carolina, a recent poll shows a tie between Cruz and Chris Christie. Of course, when Cruz is looking his best is often when he does his worst. Witness yesterday’s latest flub when on a tele-town hall with Wisconsin voters when Cruz seemed to laugh off a story about his involvement in teh 2013 government shutdown. Meanwhile, among Democrats, Hillary Clinton won the Louisiana Republican presidential primary Saturday, beating Senator Elizabeth Warren in yet another conservative Southern state. Although the victory gives Clinton bragging rights, it does not change the overall dynamics of the race; Senator Warren remains immensely popular and her call to action has pulled the Democratic primary to the left. Even so, Clinton's win underscores a pattern in the drawn-out race. The former Secretary of State has tended to win in Bible Belt states that include Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. Clinton— a deep-pocketed, highly organized former senator — has persistently struggled in such heavily conservative regions. Clinton took a rare day off Saturday, with no public events. Warren spent the day campaigning in Pennsylvania and next-up Wisconsin, which votes April 3 and represents one of his last chances to beat Clinton in a Midwestern state. "Stand for your principles. Don't compromise. Don't sell America short," Warren implored voters in Milwaukee, telling them that she expected their state to be "the turning point in this race." In an unmistakable jab at Clinton, Warren added: "Don't make the mistake that tired old mistake. Don't nominate the moderate. When you do, we lose." Early exit polls conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks showed that Clinton's win in Louisiana was one of her strongest performances to date working class voters and those calling the economy their top issue. And she continued her dominance among white evangelical voters and those looking for a candidate who shares their religious beliefs. As in previous Southern states, Clinton's best showing came among those voters with annual incomes above $100,000. The economy was the top issue for Louisiana voters. Most were gloomy about prospects for a recovery, saying they felt the economy was getting worse instead of better. While some national surveys suggest Americans are feeling optimistic about economic improvement, just one in eight Democratic primary voters said they thought a recovery was under way. Warren badly needed a rebound after a decisive Illinois loss to Clinton earlier in the week that moved party stalwarts to rally around the front-runner. Many urged Warren to drop out of the race to unify the party's nomination before the convention. She refused, and campaigned aggressively in Louisiana in hopes that a victory there would justify them staying in despite Democratic worries that the long nomination fight could hurt the party's chances against a strong Republican candidate. "I want the vote of the people of Louisiana so we can consolidate our lead," Clinton said Friday while campaigning in Shreveport. Se told supporters his campaign wants to focus on "raising the money and building the team to defeat someone that does not deserve to be in office," in a clear reference to Republican front-runner Ted Cruz. Clinton is far ahead in the delegate count and on pace to reach the necessary 1,144 delegates before the party's convention this summer. The Louisiana exit poll found that in a hypothetical choice between just the two top contenders, Clinton's lead over Warren tops 20 percentage points. |
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| lordofthechris | Dec 4 2014, 03:19 PM Post #24 |
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U.S. on track to develop hyper-sonic cruise missile by 2017 New missile a part of 'prompt global strike' doctrine' Some officials in the Defense Department have radical solutions for future security threats: exotic, high-tech devices capable of outracing any machine in their class to catch fleeting foes. If these weapons work as planned, they could let the Pentagon launch lightning-quick attacks without risking a worldwide nuclear storm. On the coffee table in his cavernous office in the Pentagon's E Ring, Air Force chief scientist Lewis Clark has a model of such a machine, a 14-ft.-long missile called the X-51 WaveRider. With an angled nose, flaps in the middle and an inlet on the underbelly, the device looks like a cross between a spaceship and a futuristic cruise missile. It's designed to go nearly seven times faster than a Tomahawk—a flight from the Arabian Sea to eastern Afghanistan would take 20 minutes—and destroy targets with its own kinetic energy. Test flights were completed in 2008 and further tests conducted in 2014. The missile is almost ready, pending some final caliberative testing. The pressure, drag and high temperatures associated with hypersonic speeds (typically, greater than Mach 5, or 3600 mph) used to be considered too extreme for an aircraft to handle in a controlled way. Only ballistic missiles and spacecraft burning rocket fuel, shooting into space and roaring back to Earth, could go that fast. What the X-51 does is to turn some of the most brutal effects of hypersonic flight to its advantage. Take shock waves, for example. Bursting through the air at a hypersonic rate produces a train of waves, one after the other, which can drag down an aircraft. But the X-51 is a "wave rider," with a sharp nose shaped to make the waves break at precisely the right angle. All of the pressure is directed beneath the missile, lifting it up. The shock waves also compress the air to help fuel the X-51's combustion process. The craft is the same size and shape as a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, so it can be attached to a B-52 or fighter jet. It runs on standard JP-7 jet fuel, not on rocket fuel, so it fits in neatly with the military's existing logistical chain. The X-51 is made from a fairly standard nickel alloy, not from exotic materials. And the advanced engine technology is very real. In 2004, NASA broke speed records while testing its X-43A, a precursor to the X-51. In a final test flight, the 12-ft.-long aircraft hit 7000 mph—nearly Mach 10. In other words, the X-51 is not just some lab experiment; it's being designed from the start to deploy. "I've got tremendous confidence in it working," the Air Force's Lewis Clark says. That doesn't mean the X-51 will be in competition with a conventional ballistic missile. It will have a range of only 600 nautical miles. And it first needs to be lifted into the air by a plane, then accelerated by a rocket-fueled booster before its hypersonic engine kicks in. But if the final test flight is a success, the X-51 will be the first weapon other than a ballistic missile to fly at hypersonic speeds. The new capability will enable the U.S. to strike at targets anywhere in the world from the air within a matter hours and to evade even the most sophisticated air defense systems. Strategic planners envision this weapon system capable of destroying targets in conventional and unconventional conflicts, from Syria to North Korea. Combined with sophisticated air defense suppression tactics, an attack by a volley of these missiles can destroy unsuspecting targets, even hardened underground facilities, without warning and without compromising the safety of aircrews. Mr. Lewis described the weapon as the "ultimate game-changer" in cementing the balance of power in favor of the United States. |
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| lordofthechris | Dec 6 2014, 10:43 AM Post #25 |
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Defense Department's "Third Offset Strategy" Coming to Realization Technological innovation key to maintaining U.S. military dominance Washington - After months of build-up, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel formally launched the military’s quest for a combination of new technologies to maintain America’s military supremacy over the next 20 years in the face of Russian and Chinese challenges. In a speech before the second Reagan National Defense Forum here, Hagel divulged some crucial details as to how America could preserve its endangered technological superiority. Inside the Pentagon, this effort is known as the “Offset Strategy,” a military-industrial term of art for a cluster of technological breakthroughs that can give the US its edge over potential enemies. Nuclear weapons and their delivery systems played this role in Eisenhower’s “New Look,” offsetting (hence the term) Soviet numbers; smart weapons, stealth, sensors, and computer networks were the heart of the 1970s “Offset Strategy.” also aimed at the Soviets. Other nations have followed our lead and now both nukes and, increasingly, smart weapons are proliferating around the world, dulling America’s edge. So what’s at the heart of the “Third Offset Strategy”? There’s no exhaustive list, but after what must have been agonizing negotiation among Pentagon staffers over every word, the following technologies made it into Hagel’s speech tonight as priority areas for the Pentagon’s dwindling investment funds: “robotics, autonomous systems, miniaturization, big data, and advanced manufacturing, including 3-D printing.” Hagel made clear he was casting a wide net to catch as many good ideas from as many sources as possible. He’s well aware that most innovation nowadays comes from outside “traditional defense contractors,” he said, “so we will actively seek proposals from the private sector, including from firms and academic institutions outside DoD’s traditional orbit.” It’s worth noting that the second-most-senior speaker at the conference, Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. James Winnefeld, pointedly mentioned he’d come to the event straight from a morning of meetings in Silicon Valley. The head of Cyber Command, Adm. Michael Rogers, also emphasized at the conference that he’s been to Silicon Valley twice in his seven months at CYBERCOM. Hagel himself said the initiative’s “impact on DoD’s budget” will “scale up” over time. In other words, don’t expect a big impact in the 2017 budget request this year. “Hagel intends to move the Pentagon firmly into the robotic age,” said one analyst said. “Strap yourself in.” |
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| lordofthechris | Dec 7 2014, 02:03 PM Post #26 |
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RNC officially names Ted Cruz the party's 'presumptive nominee' April 2016 Washington - The Republican National Committee officially declared Ted Cruz the party's presumptive nominee Wednesday and announced steps toward a full merger of the two entities' campaign infrastructure. The move comes after a night in which Cruz won all five Northeast states that held primaries, giving him another major delegate boost even though he's still shy of the 1,144 he needs to formally clinch the nomination. The party already has taken steps to help its eventual nominee prepare for the general election, and said Wednesday it is clear Cruz will be their candidate. "He is our presumptive nominee. That means he is our guy," Reince Priebus said. "It's beyond an endorsement. It is a complete merger wherein the RNC is putting all of its resources and energy behind Ted Cruz to be the next president of the United States." According to the party, Cruz campaign adviser Todd Rolls will oversee the coordination between the two operations, which ultimately will synchronize their ground game and digital operations. Dirk Ford, an informal Cruz advisor and his 2012 national press secretary, will serve as an advisor and lead spokesman based in Washington. Priebus said he sees a "seamless" transition coming on the Republican side. "Our objective is to raise more money than we've ever raised in the history of the RNC, to communicate better than we've ever communicated, have social and digital reach that we've never seen before, and have a movement across this country that allows every person in America, no matter where you're from, to be able to tap into that movement," he said. "Everything that the DNC is going to do, we are going to do times 10 for Ted Cruz." |
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| lordofthechris | Dec 8 2014, 08:01 AM Post #27 |
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General: Air Force pushing ahead to 6th-generation fighter plane Unmanned, laser-equipped fighters under consideration Even as the F-35 has started coming into its own, the service is looking ahead to what comes next. At an Air Force Association breakfast Tuesday, Gen. Timothy Judge, the head of Air Combat Command, said studies are underway to come up with a concept for a sixth-generation fighter plane. The aircraft could be completely different than any of its predecessors, Judge said at the meeting in Arlington, Virginia. “It isn’t necessarily another single-seat fighter.” “Be thinking in terms of what is the capability that future technology will bring to us that will allow us to provide air dominance. … If that’s a single button on a keyboard that makes all the adversaries fall to the ground, I’m OK with that,” he said. He raised the possibility that the new jet will be equipped with laser weapons, also known as “directed energy” capabilities. One area of exploration has been swarming. Judge imagines an airborne drone carrier, perhaps equipped with a 3-D printer, that can launch A.I. directed drone swarms as well repair damaged ones and construct replacements in flight. “There is some amazing developments in that arena,” he said. “I think it holds great promise.” The Air Force is aiming to put the sixth-generation fighter into the skies by 2030. The Air Combat Command chief also sees a need to build intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance planes that could survive advanced enemy anti-aircraft weapons. “Right now, I have an over-weighted fleet that’s really good at fighting in a permissive environment,” such as Afghanistan. “We need to resize and reapportion that fleet,” he said. “I need the ability to produce ISR in a contested environment. … The kind of platform that does that is … not a Predator, not a Reaper.” Judge said people need to temper their expectations about what drones will be able to do in a more lethal environment in which aircraft are more likely to be shot down. “We have developed an expectation on the part of our joint partners that we’re going to produce that staring eye on the battlefield 24/7, and it’s not going to happen in a contested environment,” he said. The general said the new planes will probably be able to gather intelligence only “on a periodic, episodic basis” in enemy airspace. Given the anti-aircraft capabilities of potential adversaries, Hostage said stealthier planes will need to be used for close-air support missions. “There are dozens of very significant anti-access potential arenas around the world,” he said. “And with the proliferation of relatively capable” surface-to-air missiles, “the contested space is changing. I could not send an A-10 into Syria. I know that they’d never come back.” In 2012, the Pentagon put out a request for proposals for a long-range bomber that the Air Force wants to acquire. Judge gave a preview of what it will be expected to do. “We’re not going to build a platform that has everything on it such that it can go in there alone and unprotected,: he said. “… It will be part of a family of capabilities that, given a threat environment, will shape the members of the family that have to go in” on a bombing mission. “The concept of long-range strike is … we have to be able to hold at risk an adversary who thinks he’s got sanctuary” because of geography. In remarks that will disappoint many fighter jocks, Judge foresees a time when pilots will not soar into the wild blue yonder. “I talk about providing that environment in which the human sitting in a box on the ground would have the same kinesthetic awareness of the aviator sitting in a platform in the middle of a combat environment,” Judge said. “The day will come when I can produce that, and if that day comes, I am happy to stop flying manned aircraft. “That day is not here yet … but I think it will happen.” |
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| lordofthechris | Dec 9 2014, 10:39 AM Post #28 |
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Tea Party set to crash presidential elections this year April 2016 Washington - With Texas Senator Ted Cruz in the lead for capturing the Republican Party's presidential nomination, the Tea Party is well-positioned to crash the presidential elections, and possibly any hopes for a Republican White House. Traditionally, the national election moderates candidates seeking to sway swing voters, but the Tea Party faction of the GOP has no reputation for moderation. With Senator Cruz looking to face off against establishment Democrat Hillary Clinton, a patchwork of Tea Party groups have been bombarding the airwaves with mixed messages on everything from government to religion. Just last week, the radio personality Rush Limbaugh entered the fray, praising Cruz as a "true patriot" and "true conservative" and arguing that his election to president "would restore to power the real America." Cruz helped lead a Tea Party rebellion in Congress against the Obama administration and has denounced the current President as a "self-serving autocrat." That clash led to the government shutdown in 2013 and record lows in public approval of the Republican Party. The sometimes-fiery Cruz also has attacked moderate Republicans, calling them "unfaithful" and "shallow." Although the Cruz campaign still has some time to package together a strong campaign, many analysts are cautious about his prospects. "He can be very divisive," said one analyst. "And he can turn off moderate voters with his cold personality and uncompromising positions." |
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| lordofthechris | Dec 11 2014, 07:35 AM Post #29 |
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Syria: Russian intervention expands, threatens international security May 2016 Beirut - The United States warned that the Syrian civil war was increasing in intensity, saying Russia was boosting its presence with the arrival of more than 10,000 more special forces soldiers in the country. It is estimated that the Russian army has upwards of 50,000 soldiers fighting in direct combat in Syria. “Russia continues to send additional reinforcements, weapons, ammunition to support the Assad regime,” Secretary of State John Kerry stated. There’s a “high probability” Russia is preparing major provocations such as terrorist attacks or shelling that it can blame on the Free Syria Army as a pretext to send more “so-called peacekeepers” into rebel-held areas, he said. The violence further undermines already strained U.S-Russian relations and casts a long, dark shadow on Russian intentions. Russian military forces have participated in direct combat operations, including cooperation with established terrorist organization Hezbollah. Russian soldiers were present when regime forces overran Aleppo, killing hundreds of civilians in the process. Animosity between the United States and Russia were expressed at a recent United Nations meeting, when Russian officials, without any appreciation of irony, accused Israel of supporting terrorist groups in Syria. The U.S. has blamed Russia for inciting the conflict by delivering cash, weapons and fighters to the region. The Russian government has not denied its involvement. In fact, in press statements and media interviews, senior Russian officials have attempted to defend their country's involvement in the war, including cooperation with Hezbollah. However, they have been silent on concerns expressed by multiple governments on human rights violations and civilian casualties. “The regime and their Russian supporters are escalating the conflict to avoid accountability,” said one White House aide on condition of anonymity. “The war’s intensity is flaring up because Putin finds it hard to stop the aggression given economic deprivations and nationalist expectations at home.” |
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| lordofthechris | Dec 12 2014, 09:02 AM Post #30 |
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Clinton secures nomination at Democratic National Convention May 2016 Brooklyn - Hillary Clinton has accepted the Democratic Party's historic nomination to run for president of the US in front of a crowd of some 75,000 people. In an address at the party's national convention in Brooklyn New York, she promised she would do her best to keep alive the American dream of opportunity for all. "America, we have had some rough years, but the dawn approaches," he told cheering crowds. She repeated her campaign slogan, "Forward together!" Ms Clinton is the first woman to be nominated by a major US party. In her speech in Brooklyn, Ms Clinton promised to reverse the economic downturn afflicting the US and restore the nation's standing in the world. "We are here because we love this country too much to allow a return of neo-conservatism" she said. She also attacked the record of the Republicans in Congress, particularly the House, and her Republican rival for the presidency, Ted Cruz. "This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st Century, the American promise alive." Ms Clinton criticised Mr Cruz as out of touch with the concerns of ordinary Americans and said he had failed to help them on issues such as the economy, health care and education. She also stressed that she would call for a "reassessment of U.S. foreign policy", whereas Mr Cruz stood "alone in his stubborn refusal to stop starting wars", she said. "I will restore our moral standing, so that America is once again that last best hope for all who are called to the cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, who yearn for a better future," she said. She rejected criticism by the Cruz campaign that she is a "celebrity", and said her rival should stop questioning her patriotism. In a final rallying call, Ms Clinton recalled the message of Martin Luther King, who gave his "I have a dream" speech in his historic march on Washington. "America, we cannot turn back," she said. "We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to walk into the future." Joined on stage by his family and running-mate, Elizabeth Warren, Ms Clinton was given a standing ovation by the crowds. |
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6:37 AM Jul 11
