Category Archives: Liberal

Supporters of Democratic candidates tend to be less cognitively rigid and more interpersonally warm than Trump supporters, according to new research published in the Journal of Social and Political Psychology. This was found to be true even for supporters of left-wing Democratic candidates such as Bernie Sanders, suggesting that extreme liberals and extreme conservatives do not share similar psychological dispositions.

There is an ongoing debate in psychology about whether liberals and conservatives fundamentally differ from each other (asymmetry), or whether both extreme liberals and conservatives are similar to each other on various psychological dimensions (symmetry), explained study author Jake Womick, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

So, for instance, past work has shown cognitive rigidity and interpersonal coldness are linked to conservatism. There is a question of whether this is unique to conservatives, or if these might apply to anyone who endorses extreme ideology, regardless of whether they are on the left or right. The 2020 primaries were a unique opportunity to address this question because, for U.S. politics, we had some relatively extreme Democratic candidates. We were thus able to examine whether supporters of these more extreme left-wing candidates looked more similar to supporters of moderate Democrats (asymmetry) or supporters of Republicans (symmetry).

In the study, 831 U.S. participants indicated on March 3, 2020, whether they planned to vote for President Donald Trump in the upcoming election or support one of the candidates in the ongoing Democratic primary race. The Democratic candidates at the time included Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden, and Michael Bloomberg.

The participants also completed psychological assessments of four variables representing cognitive rigidity (openness to experience, active open-minded thinking, dogmatism, and preference for one right answer) and two variables representing interpersonal warmth (compassion and empathy).

In general, we primarily found support for the asymmetry hypothesis, Womick told PsyPost. Supporters of relatively extreme Democratic candidates (Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren) were similar to supporters of more moderate Democratic candidates (Joe Biden and Michael Bloomberg) and were not similar to Trump supporters. This trend was particularly strong for interpersonal warmth.

In other words, Sanders, Warren, and Biden supporters were less likely than Bloomberg and Trump supporters to agree with statements such as Flexibility in thinking is another name for being wishy-washy and more likely to agree with statements such as I like to be there for others in times of difficulty.

Previous research has found other instances of political asymmetry. For example, a study published in Political Psychology in 2020 found that conspiracy theories were endorsed with a greater level of intensity at the right end of the ideological spectrum. Extreme liberals were not as likely as extreme conservatives to adopt a conspiratorial mindset, those researchers said.

But the current study also hinted at the possibility of some political symmetry. Active open-minded thinking (e.g. allowing oneself to be convinced by an opposing argument) was lowest among Trump supporters, followed by Bloomberg supporters. It was highest among Warren supporters, but it dipped among Sanders supporters. A similar pattern was observed for the preference for one right answer, which was higher among Sanders supporters than among Warren supporters.

In some cases, Sanders supporters showed higher cognitive rigidity than supporters of moderate Democrats. However, they still did not show levels of cognitive rigidity comparable to Republican voters, Womick said.

Our results largely support the asymmetry hypotheses, particularly in terms of interpersonal warmth. There were some cases in which supporters of extreme Democrats were more cognitively rigid than those in the middle, but the patterns we observed were not completely symmetrical, the researcher explained.

One possible reason may be that U.S. society is relatively conservative. Thus, we may not have as many people who are as extremely liberal as one might find in other less conservative cultures. It is possible that if one were to run this study in a more liberal culture, those on the far left and far right would look more similar in terms of cognitive rigidity.

Overall, one possibility we draw from these data is that interpersonal warmth may be characteristic of left-right differences in political ideology (with those on the left being warmer, and those on the right being colder); and, cognitive rigidity may be characteristic of extreme vs. moderate belief (with those on the extreme ends being more rigid, and those in the middle being less rigid), Womick said.

The study, Testing Cognitive and Interpersonal Asymmetry vs. Symmetry Among Voters in the 2020 Presidential Primaries, was authored by Jake Womick and Laura A. King.

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Trump supporters exhibit greater cognitive rigidity and less interpersonal warmth than supporters of liberal candidates, study finds - PsyPost

If Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is definitely planning to lead his party in the next election, he should put an end to the speculation about the leadership election, or it could become a serious distraction for the government at a time when the country is dealing with the serious health and economic challenges of COVID, say MPs, Liberal political insiders, staffers and pollsters.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, pictured Jan. 19, 2022, at a Hill presser in the Sir John A. Macdonald Building. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

If youve got rumours and second guessing and people mobilizing in the background, weve seen this before, and that rarely turns out well, either for the guy in the position [prime minister] or for the competitors to take over, said Frank Graves, president of Ekos Research, in an interview with The Hill Times.

If you dont pay attention, and all the other stuff is going on in the background, it puts you in a very weak position. If he [Trudeau] wants to stay, he should definitely make that point, extremely clear and well-known so that any successors [should be] aware that they can alter their plans or continue with them, but with the assumption that hes going to be there, said Graves.

Graves and others interviewed for this article referred to the infamous Liberal infighting back in 2000-2002 between the Jean Chrtien and Paul Martin camps, which along with the Liberal Sponsorship Scandal and them holding power since 1993 eventually contributed to the Liberals losing power to the Conservatives in 2006. It took the Liberals about 10 years to return back to power. In his first speech after winning the 2013 Liberal leadership election, Trudeau made a point of telling all Liberals that there should not be any divisions in the party and that there were no Chrtienites or Martinites anymore.

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland is seen as the front-runner in the Liberal leadership potential candidates field whenever the contest opens up. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

If you want to deal with these seeds of a problem, you sort of get rid of them before they start to blossom, said one former senior Liberal. Right now, you could argue some seeds have been planted in a pot. The question: are they going to get some water, sunlight, or not? And Trudeau can make sure that theres no sunlight or water and he has the power to nip it in the bud.

Since the last federal election, political circles have been awash with speculation that Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) will not lead the party in the next election. Some have been arguing that he has won three federal elections in a rowone majority two minoritiesand will not run in a fourth as that could end in a defeat. They point out that in the last two elections, he ran against two different opposition party leaders and ended up with a minority, each time. In each of the three federal elections, the Liberal Partys share of support has gone down consistently which is seen as an indication that Trudeaus best before date is fast approaching.

Since the 2015 election when the Liberals won a landslide majority with 184 seats, the Liberal Partys popular vote support has gone down. Also, it failed to win a majority government in 2019 and 2021 and the number of seats in 2019 and 2021 are almost the same.

Last years election is the first time in Canadian history when a federal party formed government by winning only 32.6 per cent of the popular vote nationally. Prior to this, the lowest popular vote by which a party formed government was in the 2019 election when the Liberals formed government with only 33.1 per cent. And before that, the Joe Clark Progressive Conservatives formed minority government with 35.9 per cent of the votes in 1979.

So, Liberal insiders say that barring a major fundamental change in Canadian federal politics, Trudeau will not seek a fourth term as the party leader.

Hes done, he cannot go into another election, he will lose the next election, said one well-connected Liberal in an interview. People are going to want change. Even in a pandemic election, he could not win a majority. This is after the biggest spending boom, this is where you, your dog, and your cat, and your cousin, and everyone else got money. And if you cant get people to vote for you by giving them money, Im not sure how you can ever get them to vote for you.

Industry Minister Franois-Philippe Champagne will run in the next Liberal leadership election. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Since the election, Trudeau has said a number of times that he will lead the party in the next election. But political insiders say he has no option to say otherwise because he would be a lame duck prime minister. They expect him to stick around for about 18 months and leave after that.

Because of this speculation, a number of potential candidates from within and outside of the caucus have been quietly putting together their teams and reaching out to potential supporters across the country. Some of the potential candidates expected to throw their hat in the ring include Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.); Industry Minister Franois-Philippe Champagne (Saint-Maurice Champlain, Que.); Defence Minister Anita Anand (Oakville, Ont.); Foreign Minister Mlanie Joly (Ahuntsic-Cartierville, Que.); and Diversity Minister Ahmed Hussen (York South-Weston, Ont.). Other MPs might also throw their hat in the ring when the contest opens up.

Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney and former Montreal Liberal MP Frank Baylis are also said to be testing the waters.

Liberal staffers interviewed for this article said that their colleagues have already been talking about the post-Trudeau Liberal Party, and are in the process of deciding which leadership candidate they will work for. Prior to the Christmas break, one of the most talked about subjects among staffers and MPs at social gatherings was the Liberal leadership election. The Globe and Mails Bob Fife and Steven Chase also reported on the Liberal leadership speculation on Nov. 24, 2021. But because of the recent lockdown as a result of Omicron variant, almost everyone has been working from home and this subject has been on the back-burner for about a month. But they expect things to change when the House returns for the winter sitting.

Omicron has really killed a lot of that because now nobody is in the same room, said a Liberal insider. Im hearing a lot less right now. Quite frankly, [because of] the holidays people were busy, or busy keeping themselves safe and doing their own thing.

Some Liberal Hill staffers and backbench MPs told The Hill Times that since the election, most of the cabinet ministers and their staffers, especially potential leadership candidates, have been very prompt in returning their calls and unusually accommodating. Also, they find them unusually pleasant, respectful and deferential, making backbench MPs feel very special.

Everyones now suspicious about why these ministers are so nice all of a sudden, said one MP.

Meanwhile, Graves said that in the coming weeks and months, Trudeau and his cabinet will have to make some major decisions on issues like economy and health. But, if theres jockeying going on behind the scenes when the prime minister has no plans to leave, the government would not be able to do its job.

Darrell Bricker, CEO of Ipsos Public Affairs, said that if Trudeau is staying on and the party does not put a stop to the leadership speculation, it could end up in the same divisive situation Erin OTooles (Durham, Ont.) Conservatives are in now.

Just as it is for Erin OToole, where theres a lot of talk about inside baseball, and people are focused on things happening inside the caucus room, instead of being focused on trying to take on their opponents, or present a vision for the country looking like theyre not worried about that situation, said Bricker. To the extent that theyre distracted by it, theyll have the same problems as the Conservatives.

Nik Nanos, founder and chief data scientist for Nanos Research, said that with Trudeau as party leader, the Liberals can theoretically win another election. He said it would likely be a minority. If Trudeau decided to leave and theres a leadership election, things would become complicated as leadership elections are, by definition, divisive. Right now, its anybodys guess how divided the Liberals would be after the next leadership election, but a divided Conservative Party and a divided Liberal Party would be a good news for the NDP, said Nanos.

After each federal election, it becomes hard mathematically for the incumbent party to win the next election because every government has its best before date. So, in order for the Liberals to win the next election, not only do they have to do well, but also the opposition parties will have to make mistakes giving an opening to the Liberals. Also, they will have to give a convincing reason to Canadians why they should choose the Liberals over the other parties.

Stephen Harper was a successful prime minister and won a number of elections, but in the election that Stephen Harper lost, it was because he had been in power for a number of years and hadnt articulated why he still needed to be in power, said Nanos.

For the Liberals to win the next election, they have to hope that the Conservatives are disorganized, and Jagmeet Singh doesnt have a great campaign. And then they need to articulate especially if Justin Trudeau was the prime minister, whats left to be done to explain why Canadians should give Justin Trudeau and the Liberals another mandate, said Nanos.

The Hill Times

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Liberal leadership speculation a distraction, Trudeau should shut it down firmly, say Liberal MPs, political insiders, and pollsters - The Hill Times

Media top headlines January 20

In media news today, Biden appears to lose his cool after a reporters question on divisiveness, NPR stands by mask report as three SCOTUS justices refute its claims, and MSNBCs Rachel Maddow says Biden used his long press conference to show Putin he has stamina.

President Biden was met with heaping praise from members of the liberal media Wednesday following a rare White House press conference that lasted nearly two hours.

Although Biden took heat for remarks suggesting Russia could get away with a "minor incursion" into Ukraine, casting doubt on the legitimacy of the 2022 elections, and lashing out at a reporter for questioning his stark rhetoric at his Georgia speech on voting, various reporters and commentators who are known for boosting Democrats were quick to applaud Biden.

They argued the nearly two-hour event was evidence he wasn't "senile," and they continued to contrast him with former President Donald Trump, despite the latter having been out of office for a year.

President Biden gestures as he speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

BIDEN'S PRESS CONFERENCE GETS PANNED BY CRITICS: TOTAL DISASTER

"To go for an hour and 50 minutes and not screw up, really demonstrably not screw up really at all. Really hard to do that," MSNBC analyst John Heilemann said during an appearance on "Deadline: White House" following Biden's press conference.

"The best answer to that real jerk who thought that you could make news by asking the President of the United States, Hey, are you senile? You're not going to make news on that. And the president did the right thing, which was to say, I dont know what you're talking about. Let's move on,'" Heilemann said.

President Biden listens to a question during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

"But the best answer was, Hey, if you think Im senile, and I'm doddering, you get up here and try and do an hour and 45 minutes in front of you and your colleagues and not screw up. He didn't. I thought it was the best demonstration of the fact that the president's mind is perfectly fine," he added.

Heilemann's obsequious remarks came after Biden drew criticism for suggesting Russia could make a "minor incursion" into Ukraine and cast doubt on the 2022 elections, which both drew criticism and required walkbacks.

TRUMP ON BIDEN'S FIRST YEAR, SAYS HE HAD NO IDEA THE COUNTRY COULD GO DOWN SO BADLY AND SO QUICKLY

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow guessed Biden was trying to show Russian President Vladimir Putin a sign of his own stamina with the lengthy conference.

Left-wing MSNBC correspondent Yamiche Alcindor fawned over Biden's press conference in tweets applauding him for pushing back on his critics and taking responsibility for his mistakes. Like others, she framed Biden's performance against Trump, with whom she often sparred, gushing it was "quite the change."

Trump was known for pushing back heavily on media in hostile exchanges with liberal reporters like Alcindor and CNN's Jim Acosta.

Former President Trump and President Biden (James Devaney/GC Images | Alex Wong/Getty Images)

"Pres Biden, in the longest news conference in presidential history, made news, pushed back on critics, called out lies, took responsibility for mistakes he believes he made, expressed surprise at GOP, talked foreign policy and didn't lash out on reporters. Quite the change," Alcindor wrote.

BIDEN APPEARS TO LOSE HIS COOL AFTER REPORTER'S QUESTION ON DIVISIVENESS: GO BACK AND READ WHAT I SAID

Left-wing MSNBC producer Kyle Griffin criticized Trump more directly as he commended Biden.

"President Biden did not praise or defend Putin during his press conference. President Biden did not tout unproven treatments for COVID during his press conference. President Biden did not insult journalists during his press conference. President Biden did not lie about the 2020 election during his press conference," he tweeted.

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Other reliable Biden boosters like Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin, journalist Brian Karem, and commentator Tom Nichols also fawned over him afterward; Karem proclaimed, "He never once tried to belittle us."

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Liberal media members heap praise on Biden following first solo press conference in months: 'Quite the change' - Fox News

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CHICAGO On the 62nd night of his 100-day rooftop vigil to raise funds for a community center on the South Side of Chicago, Pastor Corey Brooks met for the second time with King Randall and Travis Cochran. Both men do work similar to the pastor but in Albany, Georgia, with their organization, "The X for Boys." They continued their conversation on how policies from "liberal white racists" hurt blacks. This time they focused on two possible solutions: mentorship and ownership.

"I want to talk to you about mentorship and ownership. It's so important that we get those things going in our community if we're ever going to revive [our people] and bring them back to life," the pastor began before turning to Randall. "I wanted you to elaborate more on mentorship. How important is that, especially to young boys that we're trying to change their lives?"

ELI STEELE: WORKING AMERICAN FIGHTS PANDEMIC, SUPPLY CHAIN AND INFLATION TO KEEP BUSINESS ALIVE

"Most boys are going to emulate the men that they are around the most," Randall said. "So they're around the drug dealers or watching rappers or whoever comes back to the neighborhood the most, that's who they are going to emulate. A lot of people who make it to be successful will try and tell boys, Oh, well, you shouldn't be doing this and you shouldn't be that, versus showing them what they can do."

Randall also said that mentors have to be in the lives of these children because "consistency is what breeds the best in children We have to show them that they can have nice cars, they can get a nice wife, they can have good clothes or whatever without selling drugs, without rapping or without being promised sports or something like that. We have to show them many different areas, and the only way that we can do this is through mentorship."

The pastor nodded in agreement before adding: "We have to have some ownership. We have to have some entrepreneurs. We have to start reclaiming our community."

"Ownership is very important," Cochran agreed.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

One of the reasons why the Left has been able to push many bad policies down onto communities like the South Side is because there is very little ownership. People dependent on the government have very little say in what goes on.

"When we need laws change and some of these policies that are coming down that we don't agree with, when you have an owner base, you can move the needle," Cochran said. "And anytime you have an owner base, you could also grow."

"I've been talking about the difference between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, how one was about [political] power, but the other one was about development," the pastor said. "It's going to take us, developing our communities, rebuilding our communities, bringing new life into our communities."

Follow along as Fox News checks in Pastor Corey Brooks each day with a new Rooftop Revelation.

For more information, please visitProject H.O.O.D.

Eli Steele is a documentary filmmaker and writer. His latest film is"What Killed Michael Brown?" Twitter:@Hebro_Steele.

Camera by Terrell Allen.

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Rooftop Revelations: Mentorship and ownership is the solution to policies from 'liberal white racists' - Fox News

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If CBC didnt already exist, would we invent it or see the need for it in todays media landscape?

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Id argue the answer is no but then again, I dont think there has ever been a need for Canadas state broadcaster.

Despite the national myth, built up by CBC itself, Canada had a robust broadcasting system before CBC existed. Before CBC was even created in 1936 we had a robust private system providing everything from news to variety shows, comedies and dramas right up to what would become Hockey Night in Canada.

Today, fewer Canadians are watching CBC with the network taking just 5% of the available English television audience in primetime.

The most recent ratings available show just one CBC show making the top 30 the heavily promoted Son of a Critch brought in 941,000 viewers on Jan. 4 putting it in 28th spot.

CTVs local supper hour news had an average audience of 1.7 million across the country, their national news at 11 had an average audience of 1 million, and Globals weekend news had an audience of just under 1 million.

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CBCs The National wasnt in the top 30, meaning fewer people watched that program on an average night than watched The Curse of Oak Island on History. While CBC doesnt like to discuss the ratings of The National , maybe because they struggle to break the 500,000 mark and have been below 300,000 per night.

This is the broadcaster no one watches but that the Trudeau government wants to give more of your money to.

In the 2015 election, the Trudeau Liberals promised CBC an extra $150 million per year in funding on top of the $1.1 billion in base funding. CBCs annual government funding now stands at $1.4 billion, but its not enough.

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In the last election, Trudeau promised an additional $400 million over four years to make CBC less reliant on advertising. The real reason for the funding boost is that CBCs advertising revenues have fallen dramatically over the last several years as viewers go elsewhere.

Television ad revenues have fallen from $426 million in 2014 to $199 million last year, including a 10% drop in 2021 compared to the previous year.

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So obviously, the only answer from Trudeau will be more cash from taxpayers to make up for the fact that advertisers arent willing to pay more for a shrinking audience. At the same time as CBC is a threat to the public purse, they also remain a threat to a healthy private sector media ecosystem.

Private broadcasters, online and print media outlets dont start off with an extra $1.4 billion of government money in the bank. In the last couple of years the Trudeau Liberals have opted to mistakenly spend just shy of $600 million in subsidies among all private outlets, but even that leaves CBC with a hugely unfair advantage.

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In addition to distorting the ad market because their subsidy allows them to undercut, CBC also makes it harder for private media outlets to turn readers or viewers into subscribers. As media outlets around the world move to a paywall system, CBC continues to use their subsidy to give everything away for free, further distorting the market.

Devotees of the state broadcaster wont listen to such business-minded criticisms, nor will they allow it to be stated that even with their fat subsidy CBC doesnt fulfill their mandate. To them, the only answer is the same one the government has arrived at more funding from taxpayers.

Trudeau offers more funding and secures votes from CBC devotees and continued positive coverage from the most Liberal friendly outlet in the country.

Canadians need a serious rethink of CBC, a true debate on what for it should take, how it should be funded or if it should even exist. Under this government, none of that will take place, youll simply pay more for programs you dont watch because it serves Trudeaus political purposes.

blilley@postmedia.com

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LILLEY: CBC will get more of your money mostly because it serves Trudeau Liberals - Toronto Sun

Bitter Remainers love to paint Brexit Britain as isolated and parochial, as though leaving the EU was a supreme act of Hara-kiri on the international stage. Americas liberal elites have similarly sneered at Brexit, with The New York Times and The Washington Post publishing ludicrously apocalyptic pieces alleging a downward spiral of British decline after separating from Brussels.

But some Brexit opponents in the United States are now changing their tune in the wake of the UKs tough stance over Ukraine: thecrisis has been a wake-up call for those in the United States who believed that the European Union would emerge as a powerful global power working closely with its American allies.

Far from mocking the new Brexit era, once-sceptical Washington policy experts are finally starting to realise that Americas partnership with the United Kingdom will likely be strengthened, not weakened, by the historic 2016 decision taken by the British people to exit the European Project.

Anthony Gardner, the former US Ambassador to the European Union under President Obama, commented Sunday on Twitter: As bad as Brexit has been, I fully admit that a significant upside is that the UK can act swiftly in foreign Affairs including Ukraine rather than being dragged into endless EU waffle. No doubt this has been noticed in Washington.

Gardner is not alone in expressing this sentiment. Ryan Evans, founder of the influential War on The Rocks national security site, tweeted: I was against Brexit but it's interesting that some of the same people who predicted Brexit would lead to a Britain less relevant in global affairs are today deriding the Johnson govt for playing a muscular a role in the Ukraine crisis.

The EUs response to Ukraine has been a massive disappointment on this side of the Atlantic. Its two biggest powers, Berlin and Paris, have both shamelessly kowtowed to Putin, as Russian forces have massed on the border with Ukraine. While the new German government has bent over backwards to appease Moscow, and refuses to support tougher sanctions and the shipment of defensive weapons to Ukraine, the French are now talking about the EU forming a security pact with the Russians, threatening to split the Natoalliance down the middle.

In contrast, Boris Johnsons administration has been at the forefront of arming Ukraine, calling the Russians out on their plans to install a puppet government in Kiev, and urging the free world to unite in the face of Russian aggression. This is real leadership at a time when much of Europe is either paralysed over Ukraine, or actively appeasing the Russian bear.

And there is hope in Congress and in Washingtons influential think tanks that the British approach may help stiffen the spine as well of the Biden administration. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has been tougher and more vocal in warning the Kremlin of the consequences of invading Ukraine than her US counterpart Anthony Blinken. And Downing Streets unequivocal messaging on the Russian threat has been significantly more robust than President Bidens bizarre talk last week of a possible minor incursion by the Russians in Ukraine, which was loudly attacked by the Ukrainian government.

Freed of the shackles of Brussels, Brexit Britain is a force to be reckoned with on the world stage. With a renewed sense of confidence, and a determination to strengthen Natoand the transatlantic alliance, the British are leading again. At a time when American leadership is in retreat following the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, and European leaders are projecting weakness and division, Great Britain is standing shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine as they face the prospect of invasion and occupation by a brutal aggressor.

My former boss Margaret Thatcher would have applauded the stance her nation is taking today, as a pillar of freedom in Europe, supporting the sovereignty and self-determination of a fellow ally.

Nile Gardiner is the Director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation.

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American liberal elites are waking up to the benefits of Brexit - Telegraph.co.uk

Liberal activist groups are pledging to fight Sen. Kyrsten Sinemas reelection bid if she does not capitulate on the filibuster.

No less than eight groups say they will sever ties to Ms. Sinema, Arizona Democrat, unless she votes to scrap the filibuster to pass President Bidens rewrite of the nations election laws. Some of the groups, including the League of Conservation Voters and End Citizens United, made the ultimatum in a letter to Ms. Sinema.

Our organizations have made the decision to only consider endorsements for senators in their next election who take all necessary measures to pass the key voting rights and pro-democracy reform provisions, they wrote in the Wednesday letter. Vocally supporting the right to vote without being fully committed to passing critical legislation into law will be insufficient to receive the endorsement of our organizations.

Others promising political retribution against Ms. Sinema are NARAL Pro-Choice America and EMILYs List, two of the countrys largest pro-choice groups. Emilys List, which is dedicated to electing pro-choice women to office, also argued that protecting abortion was impossible as long as the filibuster remained in place.

Electing Democratic pro-choice women is not possible without free and fair elections, a spokesman for Emilys List said in a statement.

Groups like EMILYs List and League of Conservation Voters heavily underwrote Ms. Sinemas 2018 Senate campaign. That cycle, EMILYs List spent more than $3.7 million to elect Ms. Sinema, while the League spent about $1.7 million.

The money likely made a significant impact in the race, which Ms. Sinema only won by roughly 55,000 votes.

Still, Ms. Sinema was unfazed by the intimidation tactics.

While the Senates 60-vote threshold to end debate on legislation has been used repeatedly to protect against wild swings in federal policy, including in the area of protecting womens health care, I said on the Senate floor last week that different people of good faith can have honest disagreements about policy and strategy, she said.

She is not up for reelection until 2024.

The threats come as Senate Democrats are poised to take a likely doomed vote on a proposal by Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer to remake the filibuster, a longstanding rule that requires 60 votes for most bills to survive in the 100-member chamber.

Mr. Schumer, New York Democrat, wants lawmakers to mount an old-fashioned talking filibuster when opposing a bill.

Currently, lawmakers are allowed to merely object to ending debate, forcing leaders to round up the 60 votes to keep the legislation alive. Under Mr. Schumers proposal, senators would have to speak continuously in objection to a piece of legislation. Once the speechmaking is exhausted, the legislation would be eligible to pass with a simple majority vote.

The American people deserve to see their senators go on record, said Mr. Schumer. Indeed, that may be the only way to make progress on this issue for now: for the public to see where each of us in this chamber stands.

Ms. Sinema is expected to oppose the change to the chagrin of liberal groups. While she has expressed support for the White Houses voting legislation, she said it should not come at the expense of the filibuster.

Eliminating the 60-vote threshold will simply guarantee that we lose a critical tool that we need to safeguard our democracy, Ms. Sinema said. I will not support separate actions that worsen the underlying disease of division infecting our country.

Since any change to the filibuster requires the support of all 50 Senate Democrats, Ms. Sinemas opposition all but kills the idea.

Progressives are promising to make the decision politically painful.

If Sen. Sinema can not support a path forward for the passage of this legislation, we believe she undermines the foundations of our democracy, her own path to victory and also the mission of EMILYs List, and we will be unable to endorse her moving forward, the group said.

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Liberal groups pledge to punish Kyrsten Sinema in next reelection bid for refusing to gut filibuster - Washington Times

These numbers should embarrass the ACTU pollster who offered them up, he said.

Dr Crosby, the founder of a lobby group called Migraine Australia, said: I have no political clients in Australia at the moment, only charities.

In the eastern Sydney seat of Wentworth, Liberal backbencher Dave Sharma is ahead of fashion-label manager Allegra Spender by 36 to 32 per cent, according to the poll.

The contest is being closely followed in Sydney because of the seats historical importance to the Liberal Party. It has been held by two Liberal leaders, Malcolm Turnbull and John Hewson.

Even though Ms Spender grew up in the electorate and her father and grandfather were Liberal MPs, questions asked as part of the polling suggest she has not established a high profile.

Allegra Spender has generally failed to connect with the Wentworth electorate and is still considered an unknown, Dr Crosby wrote in commentary on the polling.

Allegra Spender is challenging Liberal Dave Sharma in Wentworth.Jessica Hromas, Alex Ellinghausen

Most of her voters are protesting against [Prime Minister Scott] Morrison, not voting for her, and only a handful of respondents referred to her by name. Those who are against Sharma are mostly repeating the Holmes Court line that he fails to stand up to the party on climate change.

The Coalition and Labor both support no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050. Mr Holmes Court and the Voices Of candidates he finances, including Ms Spender, want emissions to be cut faster than the major parties have promised.

In North Sydney, backbencher Trent Zimmerman is ahead of charity executive Kylea Tink by 42 per cent to 30 per cent, according to the poll.

Unlike the other seats, North Sydney has seen a significant shift from last years trends following the announcement of Catherine Renshaw as the ALP candidate, Dr Crosby wrote.

The ALP vote has jumped, taking primary vote from both Zimmerman and Tink, and turning it into a decent three-cornered contest. The preference flow could go either way.

In Warringah, on Sydneys lower north shore, incumbent independent MP Zali Steggall is ahead of the Liberal Party by 53 to 31 per cent.

Many voters refer to her by her full name in the many glowing comments, indicating respect and a high presence in her electorate, Dr Crosby said.

Ms Steggalls Liberal opponent has not been chosen. The polls margin of error is 5 per cent, Dr Crosby said, and about 500 voters were sampled in each seat.

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Federal election: 'Voices of' independent candidates have strong backing in three Liberal seats - The Australian Financial Review

A pro-government columnist fears that foreign agencies including the CIA may interfere in the Hungarian election to help the opposition. The leading liberal weekly finds such accusations absurd, and points out that it is the government that created a network of foreign supporters.

Hungarian press roundup bybudapost.eu

Magyar Nemzets Lszl Szcs praises Tucker Carlsons documentary Hungary vs. Soros, which is set to be aired on Fox News, and the right-wing hosts interview with Foreign Minister Szijjrt. Szcs believes that Carlson paints a much fairer picture of Hungary than liberal media outlets that, in Szcs interpretation, are engaged in an ideological war against the Hungarian government. He agrees with Carlsons remark that the Hungarian government and its liberal critics are engaged in a civilizational war. Szcs recalls that earlier in January, left-wing campaign strategist Gbor Bruck suggested that if the opposition parties have a real chance of winning the April election, the CIA and other US agencies may interfere and help them to victory. Szcs concludes by suggesting that US government agencies under President Biden and liberal media may launch a coordinated attack to weaken the Hungarian governing party.

Heti Vilggazdasg ridicules the suggestion that foreign actors may meddle in the Hungarian elections to help the opposition to power. The liberal weekly contends that the government wants to brush off any foreign criticism by framing it as illegitimate interference in Hungarian national business. Heti Vilggazdasg also accuses Fidesz of trying to create a network of right-wing conservatives, including Brazilian President Bolsonaro, former US President Trump, and the Conservative Political Action Conference in the US, as symbolic resources in the election campaign. The weekly adds that the government even tried to frame French President Macrons recent visit to suggest that he is supportive of Prime Minister Orbn. The opposition parties have no resources to create such a network of foreign supporters, the liberal weekly concludes.

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The Foreign Minister shared the video on his Facebook page, and wrote: "Left-liberal press equation: 1 CNN interview = 3 questions = 3 false claims."Continue reading

Featured photo illustration by Gyrgy Varga/MTI

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Press Roundup: Speculations about Foreign Interference in Hungarian Elections - Hungary Today

PLAYER OF THE DAY: Alize Cornet - the veteran Frenchwoman overcame former Open finalist and ex-world No.1 Simona Halep in three epic sets to qualify for her first grand slam quarter-final at age 32 and in her 63rd career major. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I don't know what to say, it's just magic. It's never too late to try again." - Cornet after her emotional breakthrough. TOURNAMENT SUMMARY: Cornet has given herself a huge opportunity to make the semi-finals after setting up a last-eight battle with fellow unseeded hope Danielle Collins. Title favourite Daniil Medvedev's march through the men's draw slowed in a gruelling four-set fourth-round win over daring US serve-volleyer Maxime Cressy while seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime joined the Russian in the last eight with an equally hard-earned victory over former finalist Marin Cilic. Australian Associated Press

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PLAYER OF THE DAY: Alize Cornet - the veteran Frenchwoman overcame former Open finalist and ex-world No.1 Simona Halep in three epic sets to qualify for her first grand slam quarter-final at age 32 and in her 63rd career major.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I don't know what to say, it's just magic. It's never too late to try again." - Cornet after her emotional breakthrough.

TOURNAMENT SUMMARY: Cornet has given herself a huge opportunity to make the semi-finals after setting up a last-eight battle with fellow unseeded hope Danielle Collins. Title favourite Daniil Medvedev's march through the men's draw slowed in a gruelling four-set fourth-round win over daring US serve-volleyer Maxime Cressy while seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime joined the Russian in the last eight with an equally hard-earned victory over former finalist Marin Cilic.

Australian Associated Press

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Snapshot from day eight at the Open - Daily Liberal