Keeping up with his ‘man of the people image‘ Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has purchased this third house, a $600,000 lakefront vacation chalet in Champlain Islands.

Part of the traditional campaign negotiations between various camps is the willingness of the endorsed candidate to absorb the campaign debt of the endorser.  The tighter the race, the more value is assigned to it.  Subsequently, it shouldn’t necessarily come as a surprise to see Sanders financially benefiting from his endorsement of Hillary Clinton.   How else does a Senator afford three homes on a congressional salary.

Let's not kid ourselves. We have today a campaign finance system that amounts to legalized bribery.

— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) July 29, 2016

Senator Sanders owns one house in Washington DC and another house in Vermont; the $600k vacation home becomes his third, albeit ‘seasonal’, residence: (more…)

Candidate Donald Trump is holding the second rally of the day in Fayetteville, North Carolina at the Crown Arena. Live stream coverage begins at 6:00pm EDT

Live Stream Link – Alternate Live Stream #1 – Alternate Live Stream #2

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Donald Trump is campaigning today in North Carolina (Wilmington and Fayetteville), while Governor Mike Pence campaigns in Pennsylvania (Lancaster and Pittsburgh).

The first Donald Trump rally is in Wilmington, NC. at Trask Coliseum at the University of North Carolina – Wilmington. Live Stream coverage begins at 2:00pm EDT:

Live Stream Link – Alternate Live Stream #1 – Alternate Live Stream #2

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Quick, grab the syringe.

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “2016 Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Presidential Race and/or any of the candidates therein.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

**NOTE and REQUEST** Yesterday afternoon Hillary Clinton was in Kissimmee Florida for a rally. On Thursday Donald Trump will also be in Kissimmee at the Silver Spurs Arena. If you happen to find pictures of Hillary’s event yesterday please drop them in the comments and draw attention to them. It might be interesting to compare a direct same city rally comparison only three days apart.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Earlier today Governor Mike Pence gave a speech in Council Bluffs Iowa:

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Because you’re worth it !

Yesterday the New York Times posted a story titled: “Researchers or Corporate Allies? Think Tanks Blur the Line”.

[…] Think tanks, which position themselves as “universities without students,” have power in government policy debates because they are seen as researchers independent of moneyed interests. But in the chase for funds, think tanks are pushing agendas important to corporate donors, at times blurring the line between researchers and lobbyists. And they are doing so while reaping the benefits of their tax-exempt status, sometimes without disclosing their connections to corporate interests.

Thousands of pages of internal memos and confidential correspondence between Brookings and other donors — like JPMorgan Chase, the nation’s largest bank; K.K.R., the global investment firm; Microsoft, the software giant; and Hitachi, the Japanese conglomerate — show that financial support often came with assurances from Brookings that it would provide “donation benefits,” including setting up events featuring corporate executives with government officials, according to documents obtained by The New York Times and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting. (link)

As a person who has floated though the disconcerting world of Think Tank politics, the Times article was a worthy notation not only because of the substance within it, but also -and perhaps more aptly- because in the world of intellectual property amalgamation such a news article (research proposition) doesn’t just happen organically as a matter of happenstance.

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Today Donald Trump will deliver remarks at the Cobo Center in Detroit Michigan.  The speech is anticipated to outline Trump’s economic policy agenda.  Live stream coverage begins at 11:30am EDT:

Live Stream Link – Alternate Live Stream #1

Transcript Added: 

Thank you for the invitation to speak to you today. It’s wonderful to be in Detroit.

We now begin a great national conversation about economic renewal for America. It’s a conversation about how to Make American Great Again for everyone, and especially those who have the very least. (more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “2016 Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Presidential Race and/or any of the candidates therein.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.